Princess Zhaoling 1

When Feng Qing arrived at the meeting place, he was surprised to discover that the person who had arranged to meet him through a covert contact was Princess Zhaoling.

Princess Zhaoling was the reigning emperor's only child, but because she was a daughter, many people overlooked her. She had no particular abilities either, and was not held in high regard.

These days, what she was remembered for was being jilted by Fang Duobing, son of Minister Fang and young master of the Heavenly Secret Manor.

Rumor therefore had it that she was a big, burly, uncouth woman, which was why Young Master Fang had abandoned his comfortable life as the son of a high official and run off into the jianghu rather than marry the princess.

But now that Feng Qing saw Princess Zhaoling sitting upright in her chair, he knew that most rumors in the world were false. She had managed to find the covert contact he had placed at court and dared to come see him alone. This princess was no simple person.

And the first words Princess Zhaoling spoke upon seeing him frightened his soul out of his body. "That master you found, Shan Gudao, the supposed descendant of the Nanyin imperial family, is a fake."

Feng Qing was first surprised that the princess knew a Nanyin secret. Did the emperor know as well? He also found it laughable that she would try to fool him over the authenticity of the bloodline. He now thought the princess intended to use this as leverage to make Wansheng Dao do her bidding.

How naive, Feng Qing thought. She's only a princess. Would I really not dare to make a move against her?

When Feng Qing laid his blade against the princess's neck, however, Princess Zhaoling did not so much as flinch. She merely said, unhurriedly, "Where did your internal power go?"

Only after hearing the princess's words did Feng Qing realize that, without his noticing, his Dantian had been emptied of internal power.

All the contempt Feng Qing had felt for the princess vanished. He was the inheritor of the Nanyin sorcerers' legacy and had studied poisons and gu extensively, yet he had still been drugged without noticing. Clearly, the princess was no simple person.

He put away his blade and bowed. "I was discourteous. It's just that the princess's joke just now wasn't funny at all."

Princess Zhaoling paid no mind to what he said and continued in the same unhurried manner. "I presume you've already found the Li Household, Consort Xuan's descendants, only to discover that their family was destroyed and their home ruined.

"But do you know that two people escaped the Li Household back then, a pair of brothers? In other words, the Li Household had two sons. Did you know that?"

Feng Qing no longer had the presence of mind to look at the princess's expression. The words "two sons" simply echoed endlessly in his head. He asked Zhaoling in a trembling voice, "You mean one of them was Li, Li Xiangyi?"

Zhaoling nodded. "I've heard that members of the Nanyin imperial family are all exceptionally gifted and handsome, like that holy maiden Jiao Liqiao. And what part of Shan Gudao could be called exceptionally gifted or handsome?

"Li Xiangyi, whom you had killed, on the other hand, did look rather like a descendant of Consort Xuan. Wouldn't you agree, Mr. Feng?"

Feng Qing still clung to a sliver of hope. "Qi Mushan took in two disciples back then. Perhaps Shan Gudao was the Li Household's eldest son and merely changed his surname to avoid notice."

That was also why, after discovering that the Li son's age and birthmark matched Shan Gudao's, he had not questioned Shan Gudao's surname.

Zhaoling smiled and shook her head. "Mr. Feng, stop deceiving yourself. How are Shan Gudao and Li Xiangyi alike in any way? Li Xiangyi did have an elder brother, but he never changed his surname. His surname was Li, and his name was Li Xiangxian.

"By the time Qi Mushan found them, Li Xiangxian had already died of illness. He left behind only a family heirloom jade pendant, which he gave to Shan Gudao, entrusting him with the care of his younger brother, Li Xiangyi. And Qi Mushan only took Shan Gudao in for Li Xiangyi's sake.

"Tell me, then, who exactly was Consort Xuan's descendant?"

After hearing Zhaoling's words, Feng Qing stared at his own hands in disbelief. "I killed my true master? Impossible! Impossible!"

Zhaoling watched Feng Qing go mad for a while at her leisure. But he was indeed worthy of being the workhorse Zhaoling had set her sights on, the man who had single-handedly developed Wansheng Dao to its present state. "You came looking for me deliberately, which means Li Xiangyi isn't dead. Otherwise, you wouldn't have come to me. You're so confident because you have leverage over me, isn't that right?"

Zhaoling rested her chin in her hand and looked at Feng Qing. "Perhaps I want to kill you?"

Feng Qing now had some hope. His mind raced, yet his thoughts grew clearer. "With Your Highness's abilities, you could instantly dissolve my internal power, and you know such a closely guarded Nanyin secret. Whether you had taken advantage of my loss of internal power to kill me with a single stroke just now, or reported the truth to the emperor so he could sweep up all of Wansheng Dao in one net, we would have had no means to resist.

"Yet Your Highness came to see me alone and even revealed such a secret. Clearly, I am still of use to you. Am I right?"

Zhaoling clapped her hands. "As expected of Mr. Feng. You do think things through carefully.

"That's right. The reason I haven't told Father Emperor this earth-shattering secret is that I want to take you into my service, Mr. Feng."

Seeing that Feng Qing's face was full of thoughts of how to refuse, Zhaoling continued, "There's no rush, Mr. Feng. Why not hear my terms first?"

Feng Qing said respectfully, "I'm all ears."

Zhaoling said, "First, as you thought, Mr. Feng, Li Xiangyi is indeed alive. But I alone know his identity."

Ignoring Feng Qing's anxious expression, Zhaoling continued, "Second, if Father Emperor learned that Li Xiangyi was alive and that he was a descendant of both the Nanyin and imperial bloodlines, do you think, given that Father Emperor has no son, he would want to kill him, or happily name him crown prince?"

In fact, if there had not been something amiss with the emperor's bloodline, it was possible that he would have named Li Xiangyi his heir. Unfortunately, Zhaoling knew the secret that the emperor was not of the late emperor's bloodline. Whatever choice the emperor made, with Zhaoling's interference, it would only be to regard Li Xiangyi with wariness.

Feng Qing was a deeply calculating man, and those with many schemes were suspicious by nature. Naturally, he would not think the best of the emperor either.

Seeing Feng Qing's expression, Zhaoling knew his answer. "But I have a way. What if Li Xiangyi became my husband? Wouldn't Father Emperor then be reassured about him? And what if I promised that a child of Li Xiangyi and mine would inherit the throne after me? What do you think, Mr. Feng?"

Zhaoling paid no mind to what Feng Qing thought and simply stood up. "To find out who truly carries the Nanyin bloodline, you need only go to Mount Yun Yin and ask Qin Po, the wife of Li Xiangyi and Shan Gudao's master. Then everything will be clear. Besides, I imagine Nanyin has many arcane arts, and there should be a Secret Method for determining bloodlines. Regarding what I've said today, I'll give you half a month, Mr. Feng. If I don't receive a satisfactory answer within that time, then who lives and who dies will depend on our respective abilities."

Having said her piece, Zhaoling left the room without hesitation.

Only after half an incense stick had burned did her voice come again. "Your internal power will recover on its own in half a shichen. Mr. Feng, I look forward to your decision."

Zhaoling was nowhere to be seen, leaving only Feng Qing where he stood, lost in thought.

This Princess Zhaoling was not as ignorant and incompetent as the rumors claimed, with nothing but the emperor's favor to her name. In their encounter today, she had wielded both kindness and intimidation. Compared with Shan Gudao, there was no telling how many times more formidable she was.

Moreover, Princess Zhaoling already knew of Nanyin's plans. Even if he did kill her, who could guarantee that the secret would not be leaked to the emperor?

With the princess alive, Li Xiangyi might still have a sliver of hope. But if she died, there would be no hope of survival for the Nanyin people or Li Xiangyi.

But if the princess's offer was genuine, then the Nanyin people would merely be restoring their nation by another means.

Moreover, since the princess intended to take him into her service, she was prepared to accept the Nanyin people. And given Li Xiangyi's character, he would never stand by and watch the princess kill the donkey once the millstone had done its work.

Feng Qing had yet to notice that, in all his thoughts, he had already taken it for granted that Li Xiangyi was his true master.