153. Paying Respects to Parents

Yu Zhiyang, however, no longer cared. With a cold gaze, he said, "I now suspect that the Prince of War is harboring a rebel trying to flee the city. We must search the carriage."

The commoners blocking the city gates broke into murmurs upon hearing this. What on earth was happening today? Why had Yu Zhiyang chosen to pick a fight with Zhan Lianjing?

Haoyue was practically ready to draw his sword. This Yu Zhiyang was simply going too far, actually daring to demand a search. It was pure luck that Zhan Lianjing was not dealing with him right now.

Yu Zhiyang waved his hand, and the soldiers immediately surrounded the carriage. Men from both sides drew their blades, the atmosphere growing tense.

The commoners scattered in an instant, terrified of being caught in the crossfire.

Yu Zhiyang spoke in a cold voice once more, "Step aside."

Haoyue was about to speak, but Zhan Lianjing's voice already echoed from within, "Third Prince, you wish to search this Prince's carriage? Do you have the ability to do so?"

Hearing Zhan Lianjing speak with such haughtiness, Yu Zhiyang felt a twitch of nervousness. It was evident that Zhan Lianjing was displeased.

Yet, anger flared within Yu Zhiyang as well. Le Qianxue was undoubtedly with Zhan Lianjing. Le Qianxue was a criminal under indictment; the moment she showed her face, he would capture her. What more could Zhan Lianjing say then?

Yet Zhan Lianjing stubbornly refused to budge, which only made Yu Zhiyang more certain that Le Qianxue was hidden inside.

"Prince of War, since I am blocking your way here, I naturally have the ability to do so," Yu Zhiyang retorted.

Zhan Lianjing let out a sneer of derision, seemingly mocking Yu Zhiyang's ignorance.

The curtain violently whipped aside, and suddenly, a surge of internal energy blasted outward. Yu Zhiyang hurriedly retaliated with a palm strike of his own.

He had not expected Zhan Lianjing to make a move directly.

As Zhan Lianjing intensified his internal power, Yu Zhiyang felt a suffocating tightness in his chest. It was painfully clear that his internal strength was no match for Zhan Lianjing's.

Yu Zhiyang staggered back a few steps. If he did not withdraw his energy now, he would surely exhaust his internal force and put his life in mortal danger.

Unreconciled, he gritted his teeth and unleashed his remaining internal power in one final strike, yet it still failed to scratch Zhan Lianjing in the slightest.

In the end, Yu Zhiyang coughed up a mouthful of blood and tumbled backward.

"Third Prince!" the soldiers cried out in panic, rushing forward to check on his condition.

Clutching his chest, Yu Zhiyang spewed another mouthful of blood. He had suffered internal injuries.

Sparring with someone far superior in strength was, at times, simply courting abuse.

Seeing Zhan Lianjing's convoy resume its movement, he hurriedly shouted, "Stop them! Do not let them leave the city without a search!"

Both Haoyue and Zhuixing felt a spike of annoyance. Yu Zhiyang thought far too highly of himself; even the aged Emperor himself would not dare treat Zhan Lianjing in such a manner.

Refusing to waste any more time, Zhan Lianjing unleashed a wave of true qi, blasting the surrounding soldiers backward.

Just like that, the path was cleared.

Yu Zhiyang tried to rush forward to block them, but his body failed him. He was injured and completely devoid of strength.

He could only watch as the carriage rolled away, fresh blood seeping from the corners of his mouth. The bitterness of his defeat consumed him.

Inside the carriage,

Zhan Lianjing's expression remained less than pleasant.

"Why didn't you let me kill him?" he asked.

Just moments ago, had Le Qianxue not stopped him, he fully intended to take Yu Zhiyang's life.

He even harbored suspicions that after being imprisoned for a month and spending it in Yu Zhiyang's company, Le Qianxue might have developed feelings for the man.

Hmph, a twinge of jealousy pinched his heart.

Yet Le Qianxue merely replied, "Killing him would do you no good, and it would only benefit Empress Yang. Right now, if Yu Hanxiang wants to vie for the throne, he needs Yu Zhiyang to keep him in check. Besides, Yu Zhiyang did save my life once. Let this time serve as repayment."

Hearing this, Zhan Lianjing felt a bit more at ease.

He nodded lightly and said, "Fair enough. But if there is a next time, I won't hold back."

Le Qianxue murmured an assent. Yu Zhiyang was, after all, partly responsible for driving Le Yongcheng to his death; that debt would have to be settled sooner or later.

Throughout the journey, Le Qianxue remained heavy-hearted. Le Yongcheng and Tong Xianxian had already been laid to rest, buried side by side in the same plot.

To avoid being followed or tracked, Zhan Lianjing and Le Qianxue switched to horses halfway, and upon reaching the base of the mountain, continued the rest of the way on foot.

The location Zhan Lianjing had chosen was naturally a place of excellent geomancy.

For a husband and wife to be buried together was undoubtedly a fitting arrangement.

Le Qianxue had brought along numerous offerings. Gazing at the quiet gravesite, she let out a soft sigh.

To prevent discovery and suspicion, no names were inscribed on the headstone; it was simply a plain, unmarked slab of stone.

Le Qianxue burned the paper money and, after paying her respects, descended the mountain with Zhan Lianjing.

The mountain paths were somewhat treacherous, so Zhan Lianjing held her hand tightly, shielding and supporting her every step of the way.

By now, it was afternoon. Although autumn had settled in, the sun still beat down fiercely.

Finding a shaded spot, the two of them sat down to rest.

Recalling something she had noticed earlier, Le Qianxue asked, "Why was there a strange pattern carved onto the headstone?"

She had held the question until now simply because it hadn't seemed crucial at the time, but now she felt like bringing it up to break the silence.

Yet Zhan Lianjing had chosen to carve a symbol instead of writing words, which was undeniably peculiar.

Glancing at her, Zhan Lianjing replied, "It is nothing out of the ordinary. You needn't mind it."

"There has to be something strange about it," Le Qianxue narrowed her eyes. "My father never mentioned it to me, and now he can no longer speak. Does it have something to do with my mother?"

She was, after all, clever. Zhan Lianjing gently stroked her head and said, "It has a little to do with her. Your father had his reasons for keeping silent, and so must I."

Le Qianxue had guessed as much. These two men kept secrets from her at every turn; she truly had to hand it to them.

She gave a soft huff. "Why can't anyone speak of it? Is my mother an immortal or something? Why is it such a taboo?"

Zhan Lianjing sighed, knowing how stubborn she could be. Since she had already caught wind of it, hiding it entirely seemed unlikely.

He hesitated for a moment before offering a single piece of advice: "You will understand whenever you make a trip to the Liangjin Kingdom. However, going there carries some danger. Furthermore, the Emperor of Liangjin has passed away, and Ziye has ascended the throne. Even if you go, you likely won't get the answers you seek."

This did not please Le Qianxue in the least.

She demanded, "Why must it remain a secret? Did you take some kind of lethal oath?"

To her surprise, Zhan Lianjing actually nodded. "This matter is a profound secret. My master forbade me from speaking of it and made me swear an oath long ago. I can only tell you this much. Besides, knowing the truth about your mother wouldn't change anything now."

After all, even if she knew, it held no practical value anymore.

The path Tong Xianxian had chosen back then meant there was no need to investigate any further.

Le Qianxue pouted and conceded, "If I remain in the dark, my heart will never find peace. Very well. If you won't tell me, I'll investigate it myself."

Helpless against her stubborn nature, Zhan Lianjing could only nod in acquiescence.

On the ride back to the city, Le Qianxue remained silent the entire way. An idea began to take root in her mind: perhaps she should seek out Ziye. Le Yongcheng had shared a measure of friendship with him; perhaps Ziye could shed some light on the matter.

They entered the city without encountering any obstruction.

After resting briefly at the Prince of War's Mansion, Le Qianxue decided it was time to pay a visit to the General's Estate.

When Zhan Lianjing asked for her reason, he looked somewhat surprised. "I never imagined my esteemed father-in-law would be so thorough, arranging everything in advance."

"My father may have been a rough soldier, but he could be remarkably meticulous when it mattered," she replied, having already changed into a set of practical traveling garments for ease of movement.

Unwilling to let her go alone, Zhan Lianjing insisted on accompanying her.

Le Qianxue raised no objection; with Zhan Lianjing by her side, indeed, there was little need for worry.

Upon arriving at the General's Estate, Le Qianxue was met with a scene of utter desolation. Fallen leaves littered the ground, completely uncleaned, casting a gloomy, ghostly aura over the entire residence.

Her expression darkened. Though she hadn't lived there for very long, her memories of the place remained vivid.

"Do you wish to live here again?" Zhan Lianjing asked softly.

Le Qianxue shook her head gently. "My father is gone. Even if I returned, the place would only feel bitterly cold and empty."

She led Zhan Lianjing toward the ancestral hall. Not a single lantern illuminated their path, leaving only the cold, pale moonlight to guide them.

Reaching the hall, Le Qianxue paused to survey her surroundings, ensuring nothing was amiss before heading toward the hidden passage.

She tapped out the secret code, and within moments, the heavy stone door creaked open.

Qingyang stared wide-eyed into the gloom for a long beat before finally recognizing Le Qianxue. Was he seeing a person or a ghost?

"Young Miss!" Overcome with joy to the point of tears, Qingyang bounded out of the passage to examine her thoroughly.

Fortunately, Le Qianxue had only grown slightly leaner; she was missing neither limbs nor fingers, which was an immense relief.

Breathing a sigh of relief, Qingyang babbled, "Young Miss, it's such a blessing that you're safe! We've been racking our brains trying to figure out how to avenge you and the General."

Le Qianxue pulled Zhan Lianjing forward and said, "Let's go inside first. If we linger out here, we'll draw unwanted attention."

Spotting the masked man, Qingyang was startled for a moment, but wise enough not to pry into his identity, he hastily ushered them both inside.

Once they were safely inside the secret subterranean chamber, Le Qianxue spoke up, "Oh, right—I rescued Qingqing earlier. She is still recovering her strength. You should go check on her."

Remembering that Le Qianxue was the one who had saved Qingqing, Zhan Lianjing nodded. "Very well. Have someone show me the way."

Qingyang immediately assigned a guard to guide Zhan Lianjing, while he remained behind with Le Qianxue.

As Qingyang's composure returned, he let out a heavy breath and said, "Young Miss, I have never believed the General would attempt to assassinate the Emperor. Something must have gone wrong; the General was never a rash man."

Le Qianxue could only reply, "My father's mind was clouded by drugs. It was a trap laid by the Emperor, and due to my own carelessness, I brought this doom upon him."

Qingyang poured her a cup of tea. The candlelight flickered weakly in the damp air of the chamber.

"Young Miss, this was not your fault," Qingyang comforted. "The General knew from the very beginning that the Emperor would eventually move against him, which is why he had already arranged everything in advance."

"Is that so?" Le Qianxue's gaze dimmed. "So be it. Speaking of it now changes nothing. What have you all been up to lately? Have you gathered any news?"