Chapter 556: Long Xiu's Goodwill

With flying mounts traveling to and from Qingshan Commandery, thousands of mountains and rivers could be crossed in a straight line. Within Nanzhou, the journey took little time at all.

The mountains and waters remained as before.

So did Maolu Villa.

After landing, Shang Shuqing looked around and saw an innocent-looking young woman sitting on the railing of a pavilion. She held a food box in one arm and gnawed on a chicken leg with the other hand, her lips shiny with grease, both legs dangling and swinging in the air.

The woman eating the chicken leg saw her as well and merely looked twice. She seemed to think nothing of it and went on swinging her legs and eating.

Yuan Gang came over. “The Commandery Princess has arrived.”

“Master Yuan.” Shang Shuqing smiled and nodded, then looked back toward the woman on the pavilion. Curious, she asked, “Who is that?”

“Yin'er.”

“Yin'er?”

Yuan Gang did not explain. He reached out, took Shang Shuqing's bundle from the person carrying it, and gestured for her to follow him. “The Commandery Princess's room has already been prepared.”

Since he said no more, Shang Shuqing did not ask further. But she still mentioned, “Is Mr. Yucang's sister-in-law here? Before I came, my brother instructed me to pay my respects on his behalf.”

“Put your things down first.”

“Mm.” Shang Shuqing nodded and followed him.

Xia Lingpei sat in a pavilion holding a collection of poems, head swaying as he murmured aloud, reciting the verses inside.

His teacher had said he must be able to recite them backward and forward. The difficulty was truly enormous. Some of the lines were terribly awkward on the tongue.

Zhuang Hong returned from a stroll outside. Seeing her son like this, she did not go closer and disturb him.

A sweeping monk in the courtyard stopped his broom and pressed his palms together in greeting.

Zhuang Hong nodded faintly.

She truly was free here.

She could come and go as she pleased. If she wanted to visit the commandery city, she needed only say so, and someone would immediately arrange a carriage and horses at the foot of the mountain and accompany her around the city.

It had been so long since she had experienced such freedom that her entire body and mind had relaxed.

And whenever she saw the monks before her, she felt something about this villa that she could not quite put into words.

This was the first time she had ever seen a manor whose servants were all monks.

Monastic robes, gentle palms pressed together in greeting—such scenes could be encountered everywhere here.

Morning bell and evening drum. From time to time, at dawn and dusk, she could even hear the sound of sutras being chanted. The restlessness in a person's heart seemed to settle beneath it, giving rise to a quiet serenity.

And it was not only the monks, so devout in the way they attended people.

There were delicacies she had never tasted before and the finest wine.

The master of this place, her son's teacher, struck her as someone who truly understood how to live. Fine food, fine drink, and a group of monks to lend the surroundings just the right touch of atmosphere—the whole conception was complete.

Wonderful!

Then she thought of Mr. Yucang, whom she had followed for so many years. By comparison, those people seemed to live like walking corpses.

In truth, Niu Youdao and the others felt nothing of the sort.

Niu Youdao had never once thought of keeping a group of monks around as decoration for his way of life. It merely happened that there was a group of monks beside him.

Shang Shuqing likewise found this place pleasant.

Once she had escaped the heavily guarded atmosphere of the Provincial Inspector's Residence and returned here, the surroundings put her at ease.

Yuan Gang accompanied her over and introduced her to Zhuang Hong and her son.

Naturally, a round of courtesies followed, interrupting Xia Lingpei's studies.

Xia Lingpei found Shang Shuqing's appearance astonishing in an entirely different sense. He had never imagined a woman's face could be so frightening. Afraid that staring directly at her might offend her, he became awkward and flustered, even stumbling over his words.

When Shang Shuqing learned that the collection in his hands contained poems written by Niu Youdao, she could no longer suppress her curiosity. She ventured, “Young Master, might I take a look at the collection in your hands?”

“Of course.” Xia Lingpei nodded repeatedly and presented it with both hands. “Commandery Princess, please.”

Shang Shuqing thanked him, accepted the collection, and opened it at random. Following the handwriting before her eyes, she softly read:

“The road is hard! The road is hard!
So many branching ways—where is the path?
The day will come when I ride the long wind and break the waves;
I'll raise my cloud-sail high and cross the boundless sea...”

Her gaze lingered, then fell upon the next poem:

“When will the bright moon appear?
I raise my wine and ask the blue heavens.
I do not know, in the palaces above,
What year tonight may be...

Men know joy and sorrow, parting and reunion;
The moon knows brightness and shadow, waxing and waning.
Since ancient times, these things have never been complete.
May we both live long;
Though a thousand li apart, we share this moon's fair light...”

When she finished, she had already fallen deep into the realm created by the verse, almost entranced.

Xia Lingpei, who knew the poems by heart, shook his head with a sigh as well. His admiration for his teacher's talent had long since reached the point of complete prostration.

Zhuang Hong had already read through the collection in her son's hands. She too sighed. “Sir is truly a man of refinement.”

It would have been better if she had not praised him.

The expressionless Yuan Gang standing to one side could no longer take it. His face twitched uncontrollably.

He had seen shameless men before.

He had never seen Master Dao shameless to this degree...

...

At Xiaoyao Palace, the disciple who had gone to report returned and invited Niu Youdao and Guan Fangyi, who had been waiting outside the mountain gate, to enter.

They swept swiftly through the mountains and reached the main peak, where a sprawling complex of buildings seemed to rest within an immortal realm.

The disciple who had led them inside withdrew and handed them over to another guide.

It was someone Niu Youdao and Guan Fangyi both knew: Long Xiu's youngest and final disciple, Yi Shu.

“Follow me.”

Yi Shu paid no attention to their courtesies, acting as if she had not heard a word. She tossed out the instruction coolly and walked away.

The two exchanged a glance and could only follow.

They went all the way to a flower valley where blossoms remained in bloom throughout the four seasons, then entered jade halls and jeweled towers half hidden amid a riot of flowers.

“Wait here.”

Yi Shu dropped the words and left again.

“Why do I always feel as though this one can't stand the sight of us?” Guan Fangyi murmured beside Niu Youdao's ear.

Niu Youdao had the same feeling. He had sensed it back at Myriad Beasts Sect.

He had not originally intended to come to Xiaoyao Palace, but Huang Lie had already passed along Long Xiu's message.

Long Xiu had spoken.

It would have been inappropriate not to come.

Not knowing what the matter was, Niu Youdao had come anyway.

They waited for quite some time before a gold-carved, lacquer-painted door behind the jeweled pavilion opened.

Long Xiu emerged with Yi Shu following behind him.

“Heh, Hongniang came as well. I have kept you both waiting.” Long Xiu greeted them with a smile.

“Greetings, Palace Master.”

Both guests bowed together.

Long Xiu waved for them not to stand on ceremony and invited them to sit.

Afterward, he seemed almost to neglect Niu Youdao, turning instead to reminisce with Guan Fangyi, an old acquaintance.

After chatting with her about one thing and another for some time, Long Xiu found a pretext to dismiss both Guan Fangyi and Yi Shu.

Only Niu Youdao remained.

Watching the others leave, Niu Youdao wondered what Long Xiu had truly summoned him here to discuss.

At last, Long Xiu turned the conversation toward him.

“Yan has recovered Beizhou. You deserve credit for that. You neither claim the achievement nor publicize it, but we know perfectly well what you did.”

Niu Youdao hurriedly replied, “There was some selfish motive mixed in. I would not dare claim merit.”

Long Xiu rose and walked to the railing of the pavilion. Looking over the mountain scenery, he smiled. “Who can be entirely without selfish motives? You are a cultivator of Yan. So long as the greater direction is sound and what you do benefits Yan, then doing the right thing is merit.”

Niu Youdao rose and followed to one side, standing with hands respectfully folded. “Thank you for the Palace Master's excessive praise.”

Long Xiu abruptly asked, “What do you think of that disciple of mine?”

“...” Niu Youdao was bewildered. The question came so abruptly that he could not find its direction. “Which disciple does Palace Master mean?”

Long Xiu chuckled. “You don't know my other disciples. You've met my youngest disciple twice now. What do you think of her? I want to hear your assessment.”

Niu Youdao was speechless.

He barely knew Yi Shu. What was he supposed to assess?

Could there be some hidden issue involving her?

It seemed he might need to pay more attention if the opportunity arose.

Out loud, he answered politely, “I truly do not know her well enough. This junior would find it difficult to judge.”

“You do not necessarily need to know someone well to judge them. Whether a person pleases the eye matters too. Appearance, character, the impression they give—these are all quite direct.”

Niu Youdao watched Long Xiu's expression and answered carefully, “A distinguished disciple of the Palace Master naturally has first-rate looks, and her character naturally leaves nothing to criticize.”

“Heh!” Long Xiu laughed, then turned and stared at him. “The rumor outside has spread everywhere. I hear that Tang Yi repudiated you as her husband?”

“That is true.”

“That Tang Yi has no eye for people. Severing yourself from Shangqing Sect's entanglements is no bad thing either. But then again, you are still young and have a fine future ahead of you. Finding a suitable virtuous wife could save you many unnecessary detours. I think highly of you.”

His gaze lingered meaningfully on Niu Youdao.

At this point, Long Xiu believed the other man could understand what he meant.

Yi Shu?

Niu Youdao's heart gave a thump. He forced a dry smile. “Hongniang and I are rather well matched.”

Once again, he pushed Hongniang forward as his shield.

Long Xiu swept one broad sleeve. “I never said the two of you were not well matched. Young people have their impulses. A little dalliance is fine; there is nothing wrong with it. But in the end, you still have to face reality. The difference in age is too great for anything lasting. Playing is playing, but you cannot let it delay the great matter of your marriage. You should still find someone close to your own age.”

The man plainly did not care in the least about whatever messy relationship Niu Youdao had with Hongniang.

Niu Youdao did not push against him. At the proper moment, he obediently nodded. “Palace Master is right.”

Long Xiu smiled and nodded faintly.

He believed no one would refuse such a good thing when it was offered directly to his door.

By taking the initiative to make his meaning clear, Long Xiu felt he had already given Niu Youdao enough confidence to act. Niu Youdao should know what to do.

Some things only needed to be indicated.

Long Xiu could not speak too openly, or it would lower his own standing.

He clasped his hands behind his back and abruptly changed the subject.

“Nanzhou should be settled now?”

“For the moment, Nanzhou should have no major problems,” Niu Youdao replied. “What worries me instead is Beizhou.”

Long Xiu gave a questioning sound. “Why?”

“Shao Pingbo had his merits. When it comes to governing Beizhou, the officials sent there by the court will sooner or later reduce the place to a complete mess. Forgive me for saying something I perhaps should not: there are too many treacherous men at court, and Shang Jianxiong employs people poorly. He is no longer suitable to continue administering the State of Yan on behalf of the three great sects.”

Long Xiu gave him a cold sidelong look.

But after what he had just said earlier, he could hardly pour too much cold water over Niu Youdao now. His tone remained mild.

“Shang Jianxiong has little choice. If he wants to preserve his throne, who can he use if not his own faction?”

“When necessary, someone else could be put in charge of Yan's affairs.”

“How could it be as easy as you make it sound?” Long Xiu said. “Interests are entangled from top to bottom. How can a ruler simply be replaced because someone says so? One mishap and Yan will become a pot of boiling porridge. If no one can bring the situation back under control, foreign enemies will inevitably exploit the opening. At that point, are the three great sects supposed to resist the enemy abroad, or rush from place to place suppressing disorder?”

“Shang Jianxiong may be incompetent, but at least he still holds the banner of Yan's legitimate line and can barely keep the greater situation from collapsing. Replace him, and who would submit to whom? Do you think Shang Chaozong is qualified to take his place?”

Niu Youdao had only meant to give a reminder and use the words to test Long Xiu's attitude.

Seeing the response, he immediately cupped his hands.

“Palace Master is right. I had not considered the matter thoroughly enough.”

[End of Chapter 556]