Chapter 114: Severing Ties

Canglu County, Prince Ning’s Villa.

The sky was not yet light when a servant knocked outside the door. “Your Highness!”

Shang Chaozong, still sleeping with his eyes closed, abruptly opened them and turned his head. “What is it?”

Feng Ruonan, asleep beside him, was awakened as well. She raised her head slightly and glanced toward the darkness beyond the window, frowning. Dawn had not yet come. Had something happened?

These days, the two naturally no longer hid inside their room and fought. So much time had passed that Feng Ruonan had gradually grown accustomed to the man beside her, and accustomed to sleeping beside him as well.

A voice outside answered, “The Commandery Princess requests an audience.”

In truth, Shang Shuqing had not been back long. She had only returned before dusk the previous evening. Once Niu Youdao left the village, she had lost any desire to remain there. She was also concerned about affairs on this side, so almost as soon as Niu Youdao departed, she and Yuan Gang packed their things and returned.

The return journey was far smoother and easier than the trip there. The village had boats prepared for passage. They carried one directly into the secret tunnel and simply followed the current downstream, easy and convenient.

Shang Chaozong glanced toward the window as well. He knew that unless something unusual had happened, Shang Shuqing would never disturb him at this hour. He immediately threw back the covers and got out of bed, quickly found his shoes in the dark, and put them on. Without dressing fully, he took a cloak, wrapped it around himself, and hurried out.

Feng Ruonan sat up, looking puzzled.

The moment Shang Chaozong closed the door behind him, a servant approached and whispered, “Your Highness, the Commandery Princess says the matter is urgent and inconvenient to discuss here. She asks you to go to her quarters.”

Shang Chaozong understood the implication. He glanced around. There were quite a few of Feng Ruonan’s hidden watchers here, whereas everyone around Shang Shuqing’s quarters was one of his own people. He nodded slightly and strode away.

When he reached Shang Shuqing’s small courtyard, he found Lan Ruoting there as well, standing with her and obviously waiting for him.

There were no unnecessary words when they met. Lan Ruoting gestured toward Shang Shuqing’s study and signaled to the guards at the same time, ordering them to keep watch and allow no one near.

Shang Shuqing’s study was elegant. Her own paintings hung on the walls, together with examples of her own calligraphy. The flowers in her paintings were delicate and refined, and her handwriting graceful and fine.

A lamp had already been lit. The moment Shang Chaozong entered, before he could even ask what had happened, Lan Ruoting took a secret report from his sleeve and handed it over.

The report was not the original. The military used coded language, and Lan Ruoting had already deciphered and copied it out for ease of reading. Even with a code, sending intelligence by Goldenwing still carried risk. The journey was full of unpredictability. If the message fell into someone else’s hands, there was always the possibility that the code could be broken.

Shang Chaozong quickly unfolded the report and read it by the lamplight. Surprise and delight gradually mingled across his face. The shock came from learning that Niu Youdao had encountered Song Long immediately upon arriving in Jinzhou and had fallen into danger. The delight came from learning that Niu Youdao had not only resolved the danger, but had also largely settled matters with Hai Ruyue, reopening a path for their side just as their situation was about to become desperate.

The report explained the course of events in clear detail. Hai Ruyue had most likely already been persuaded, and their side was to make preparations in advance.

After lowering the paper, Shang Chaozong suddenly lifted his face and sighed deeply. “With Master Dao assisting me, I am like a fish returned to water. Heaven truly favors me!”

Lan Ruoting was equally moved. “Indeed. Who would have imagined it could happen this quickly? Master Dao only reached Jinzhou yesterday, yet by that very night he had already cleared away nearly every obstacle. He is a talent rarely found! Your Highness has gained a worthy man whose value is no less than a hundred thousand soldiers. General Meng was right to send word that we must keep good relations with him!”

Shang Shuqing looked somewhat dazed. She remembered how, back in the mountain village, she had tried to stop Niu Youdao because she believed the journey would be wasted. She truly had not expected him to settle matters so quickly. She had only just returned, and already good news had arrived.

Yet precisely because of that, she suddenly said coldly, “Fang Zhe nearly ruined everything! The Song family’s people arrived and he knew nothing about it. If Master Dao had not resolved the danger himself, Fang Zhe nearly would have gotten him killed, nearly caused a catastrophe, and ruined the entire affair!”

Shang Chaozong and Lan Ruoting exchanged looks. It was extremely rare to hear Shang Shuqing speak with such a tone and attitude.

Lan Ruoting considered briefly before saying, “Commandery Princess, this matter cannot entirely be blamed on Fang Zhe. We do not have much manpower in Jinzhou. Fang Zhe has only a few people available, so it is understandable that he cannot keep watch over everything. Moreover, he knew nothing about Master Dao’s circumstances beforehand and did not know of the grievance between Master Dao and the Song family. There were extenuating circumstances.”

Shang Shuqing said gravely, “If he lacked manpower, could he not have found a way to develop informants? Did we fail to give him enough money when he left? A mistake occurred because the work was not done properly. If it was not done properly, then it was not done properly. Is there a need to make excuses? I think his abilities are limited!”

Her dissatisfaction with Fang Zhe was obvious. The bearing of a Commandery Princess faintly emerged from her. She had, after all, spent years above ordinary people; that foundation was in her bones.

Others did not know what she felt. If she had not raised the matter with Niu Youdao and asked for his advice, Niu Youdao, then in seclusion, would never have needed to involve himself. Yet because of her family’s affairs, he had gone out and exhausted himself searching for a solution, only to nearly lose his life because of a lapse on their side.

The events described in the report had been too dangerous. Song Long was an envoy of the State of Yan. How could he possibly lack experts around him?

After spending so much time with Niu Youdao, Shang Shuqing could sense that he was fundamentally a carefree man, without any desire to entangle himself in too many disputes. She was the one who had done everything she could to use Yuan Gang as a means of keeping him here, and it was again because of her that he had gone out and racked his brains for her family, only to meet such an accident and nearly die. The thought made her heart tighten for no clear reason.

Lan Ruoting looked slightly embarrassed and lowered his head. “Yes. The Commandery Princess is right. I will write and reprimand him afterward.”

Shang Chaozong did not want Lan Ruoting to be too embarrassed. Fang Zhe had, after all, been the man Lan Ruoting personally selected and stationed there. His sister’s words had given the adviser little face. Shang Chaozong said, “Qing’er, our circumstances are not what they once were. We have very few capable people available. Fang Zhe also lacks experience as an envoy, and most talent is tempered through experience... Of course, a talent like Master Dao is born that way and cannot be compared. Still, a lesson learned through loss stays with a man. After this mistake, he should be more careful next time.”

Shang Shuqing also realized that her emotions had gotten the better of her and that her words had gone too far. Punishing Fang Zhe over this alone would be difficult to justify. She nodded. “I only hope he becomes more vigilant and considers matters more thoroughly. This kind of mistake cannot be afforded.”

Lan Ruoting nodded. “The Commandery Princess is right.” Yet when he looked at Shang Shuqing, there was a faint trace of suspicion in his gaze.

Shang Chaozong raised a hand to stop the discussion and waved the secret report. “Let us first discuss how we should communicate this to Tianyu Sect.”

Shang Shuqing interjected, “Master Dao wants us to announce publicly that we have severed relations with him. What should we do?”

The study fell quiet again.

Lan Ruoting sighed. “Master Dao is being considerate. He is doing it for our sake. In truth, Master Dao never cared about formal affiliation in the first place. Whether it exists or not makes little difference. We should do as he says.”

Shang Shuqing pressed her lips together. What she wanted to ask was whether, once that formal connection was cut, Niu Youdao might simply leave for good.

By the time their private discussion produced a conclusion, dawn had already broken.

Shang Chaozong and Lan Ruoting left together. Bypassing Feng Ruonan entirely, they went straight to Bai Yao’s residence.

Once they met Bai Yao, the two selectively explained the situation, even embellishing certain details.

Bai Yao’s expression grew grave as he listened. He paced around the courtyard in thought.

Lan Ruoting watched his reaction and asked, “Since Hai Ruyue has expressed such an intention, Qingshan Commandery is right before us. Do we take it or not?”

Bai Yao stopped and looked over. “I will report this to the sect. It will not be too late to decide after I receive a reply.”

Lan Ruoting and Shang Chaozong exchanged a glance. Shang Chaozong cupped his hands. “In that case, we will await your word.”

Bai Yao gave him a cold sidelong look. “Wasn’t Niu Youdao supposed to be escorting the Commandery Princess to make contact with Prince Ning’s old subordinates? How did he end up in Jinzhou?”

Lan Ruoting hurriedly explained, “Jinzhou sent word here. We have almost no manpower outside, so we had no choice but to trouble Niu Youdao to make the trip. We truly made no preparations beforehand. If it had been planned, he would hardly have run into Song Long by accident.”

“I don’t understand!” Bai Yao cut him off bluntly. Then he said coldly, “Your Highness, if something like this happens again, it would be best to give us notice first, so there is no unpleasantness afterward.”

Lan Ruoting smiled bitterly. “At first, how were we to know it concerned this? Hai Ruyue only said there was a matter to discuss...”

In the vegetable plots, one more person had joined the group of monks pulling weeds.

Wei Duo.

Standing beneath a tree, Yuan Gang glanced from time to time at this man who had already died once.

After returning, Yuan Gang had heard what happened. Wei Duo had nearly knelt himself to death outside the gate and had almost been buried. Fortunately, Bai Yao had taken an interest, examined him while he was there, and managed to pull him back from the brink.

He had badly depleted his vitality that time and needed a long period of recuperation before recovering. Once he could get out of bed and walk again, Bai Yao simply dumped him here.

Niu Youdao was absent, so no one knew what to do with this stammerer. Yuan Gang, however, did not seem inclined to drive him away.

A monk in a bamboo hat came walking quickly from the distance, a basket on his back. He had gone into the city to purchase some supplies for the monks.

“Master Yuan, I just saw a public notice posted in the city. Commandery Prince Yongping says Master Dao has been expelled from Canglu County. It says this side no longer has any connection with Master Dao.”

Yuan Gang abruptly turned his head.

The monk continued, “What happened? Is it true? Will Master Dao still come back? What about the abbot? Will the abbot come back with Master Dao?”

Yuan Gang asked in a deep voice, “What exactly did the notice say?”

“It said something about Master Dao killing envoy of the State of Yan Song Long in Jinzhou, the State of Zhao, that it was a private grievance of his and had nothing to do with this side...”

Once Yuan Gang understood the general meaning, he turned and walked away.

The guards outside Shang Chaozong’s quarters failed to stop him. Yuan Gang swept one off his feet with a kick and sent another flying with an over-the-shoulder throw. In the end, a cultivator blocked his path.

The commotion outside also alerted Shang Chaozong and the others, who came out. The moment they saw Yuan Gang had started fighting his way in, Shang Chaozong and the others immediately guessed why.

They hurried over, asked the cultivator to stand aside, and invited Yuan Gang inside to talk.

The instant he entered, Yuan Gang asked coldly, “What does this announcement severing ties with Master Dao mean?”

“Brother Yuan, you misunderstand. This was not our decision. Master Dao sent word telling us to do it...” Lan Ruoting immediately explained the general situation.

Yuan Gang understood. So when Niu Youdao left that mountain village, he had not gone in search of something beneficial to cultivation at all. He had gone to handle these people’s affairs, encountered an accident, and clashed with the Song family.

He stared coldly at Shang Shuqing. “You knew already, didn’t you? Why did you hide it from me?”

Caught by the question, Shang Shuqing looked awkward and troubled. “Master Dao repeatedly instructed me not to tell you.”

Not knowing that would have been one thing. The instant Yuan Gang heard it, he turned and left.

“Brother Yuan! Brother Yuan...”

No matter how the three called after him, it was useless. Yuan Gang walked away without looking back.

[End of Chapter 114]