Chapter 1085: Succeed and You Live; Fail and You Die

Feng Ruonan's words struck directly at Shang Shuqing's sorest point.

Her body swayed slightly. She stepped away from the door she had been leaning against, grief clouding her expression and tears threatening to fall.

"Qing'er, we would never harm you either. We truly are doing this for your own good. It's not that we're trying to force you. Your brother is anxious. You're his only younger sister. How could he not be? You're genuinely not young anymore. If this continues, your brother won't know how to answer to our dead parents and elder brothers!"

"Auntie... Auntie..." The little child in Feng Ruonan's arms babbled in a tender voice and patted the door.

Creak!

The door was suddenly pushed open by the child's plump little hand.

Feng Ruonan froze for a moment, then reached out and pushed the door wider. She saw Shang Shuqing standing with her back turned and her head lowered.

"Qing'er." Feng Ruonan walked around to face her. Seeing her like this, she felt heartache as well.

"Auntie..." The little fellow waved his hands and feet, and Shang Shuqing could not help taking him into her arms and hugging him tightly, wanting to use the child's innocence to comfort herself.

After handing over the child, Feng Ruonan said softly, "Your sister-in-law knows how miserable you feel. Truly. From the first day we met, I understood you."

Shang Shuqing began to cry.

She buried her face against the child and sobbed, "Stop forcing me! I'll marry. I'll agree, all right? Whoever you want me to marry, I'll marry. As long as all of you are happy."

Faced with this endless persuasion, she was exhausted.

Truly exhausted.

She no longer had the strength to bear it.

Seeing her agree, Feng Ruonan let out a breath of relief. In truth, she had no desire to pressure her this way either, but Shang Chaozong was the one pressuring Feng Ruonan.

Of course, she also understood how Shang Chaozong felt as an elder brother.

Privately, Shang Chaozong had always blamed himself for failing to take proper care of his younger sister.

Back in Yanjing, because he had failed to control himself and ended up imprisoned, Shang Shuqing had missed the best age for marriage.

After Prince Ning's residence was wiped away like smoke, he remained in prison while his sister fled through the mountains and wilderness with the old retainers of the princely residence, struggling to survive and waiting bitterly until he was released.

Once he finally came out, they encountered another ambush. Because of his own incompetence, his younger sister, who had never set foot on a battlefield, had been forced to raise the banner and rally the troops, then charge with them into battle. Amid the chaos, she had taken a saber wound and nearly lost her life.

If his sister had not insisted on going to Shangqing Sect and inviting Master Dao down the mountain, Shang Chaozong would not have what he possessed today.

Toward this sister, Shang Chaozong carried boundless guilt. He had always hoped she could find a good home.

But fate made fools of people.

Feng Ruonan understood all of this.

"What nonsense are you saying? It isn't that we choose someone and make you marry him. You can choose for yourself. Qing'er, don't worry. No matter whom you take a liking to, your brother will investigate his character and background thoroughly. He absolutely won't let you casually marry some unreliable man. You can rest easy about that."

...

Once the matter was settled, Feng Ruonan promptly dumped the child off on the servants and devoted herself entirely to preparing Shang Shuqing for the garden gathering.

Shut inside the room, Shang Shuqing was made to try one piece of jewelry after another, one outfit after another. Feng Ruonan personally checked every combination.

Shang Chaozong, who normally demanded thrift in spending, opened the purse strings completely this time. So long as his sister could use it, money was no object.

Shang Shuqing usually disliked clothing that fitted too tightly to her body. She feared attracting gossip along the lines of an ugly woman trying to show herself off.

This time, however, once she changed into more fitted clothing that displayed her figure, Feng Ruonan was genuinely astonished.

She had bathed together with Shang Shuqing before and knew that Shang Shuqing possessed an enviable figure, but this was the first time she had ever seen her dressed to display it.

If one ignored the face, that back, that profile, truly were beautiful enough to stir even another woman's heart.

Precisely because of that, Feng Ruonan found it all the more regrettable. If not for that face, with a figure like her sister-in-law's, how could Shang Shuqing possibly have had trouble finding a husband?

And showing Shang Shuqing's beautiful side was exactly what Feng Ruonan wanted.

At the garden gathering the next day, Shang Shuqing appeared before the group of talented young men dressed in just that manner, though she wore a white gauze veiled hat.

That too had been Feng Ruonan's arrangement: conceal Shang Shuqing's unattractive side as much as possible and let everyone see as much as possible of what was beautiful about her.

The moment she appeared, the eyes of the gathered young men were drawn almost in unison to Shang Shuqing's graceful figure. It seemed difficult for them to imagine that a woman with such a beautiful form could truly possess a face as ugly as rumor claimed.

As they interacted afterward, Shang Shuqing's bearing, together with the pleasant sound of her voice and her refined conversation, made even some of the young men who had arrived reluctantly unable to look away.

Intent on displaying her sister-in-law's strengths, Feng Ruonan had deliberately arranged activities involving the zither, chess, calligraphy, painting, poetry, and the like.

Poetry and painting, zither playing and song—Shang Shuqing handled them all with effortless ease. Quite a few of the talented young men were won over, astonished by the extraordinary accomplishments of this supposedly ugly woman.

Naturally, every young man who had been invited to the gathering was willing to marry her. Each had come prepared to do so, no matter how ugly Shang Shuqing might be.

But Shang Shuqing had considerations of her own.

Using the zither, chess, calligraphy, painting, and similar activities to test them, she eventually found one man among the group who was somewhat to her liking.

There could only be one choice, after all. She could hardly choose a whole crowd.

Once the garden gathering ended and a result emerged, the news quickly reached Shang Chaozong.

Shang Chaozong carefully examined the chosen man's identity and background, then immediately beckoned a subordinate over.

"Investigate! Investigate three generations of his ancestry and verify every detail of his identity and background. His character must be investigated thoroughly. There can be no negligence whatsoever!"

He was rather nervous.

His sister had finally taken a liking to someone. He desperately hoped the investigation would not uncover any problem.

But there was no helping it.

People of their status and position had to guard against those with ulterior motives. The stakes were too high to skip an investigation.

...

Outside Tortoise-Slumber Pavilion, Ju An saw someone slowly climbing the stone steps and smiled. He quickly walked out from beneath the overhanging eaves and went to meet her.

"Why are you here?"

The newcomer was Wen Mo'er.

Smiling, Wen Mo'er offered him the basket in her hands. "What, I'm not allowed to come see you?"

"Of course you are." Ju An took the basket and lifted the lid. Inside was a basketful of fruit. He immediately grinned. "I still remember the first thing I ever gave you was this exact fruit. I've waited all the way until today to receive the gift in return."

Wen Mo'er rolled her eyes at him. "What nonsense. Aren't you afraid someone will overhear and laugh at us?"

She instinctively glanced at the scattered guards nearby.

"They're too far away to hear."

Wen Mo'er first stepped away from him. She walked to the foot of the steps before Tortoise-Slumber Pavilion's tightly closed doors, faced the entrance, bowed respectfully, then returned to Ju An's side.

The two exchanged a smile, then turned together to look out over the layered mountain scenery beyond the cliff.

The disharmony of their early days was gone.

Both had come to understand and accept their lot, letting things follow their natural course. After spending so much time together, affection had gradually developed between husband and wife.

Within the faintly visible Maolu Annex in the distance, Guan Fangyi stood atop a high pavilion facing the wind, her makeup still exquisite.

She was always like this.

Whenever conditions allowed, no matter where she was, she dressed herself beautifully every day, as though waiting for someone.

The person she waited for, of course, was not Niu Youdao. She had already been this way before she ever met him.

Naturally, now she did carry the hope of waiting for Niu Youdao to return safely.

For the time being, at least, she could rest somewhat easier. Every so often a letter from Niu Youdao arrived, so she knew at least that he was still alive.

And so long as letters from Niu Youdao continued to come, the relationship between her and Yuan Gang would not deteriorate into open estrangement.

Dong!

A bell sounded.

Guan Fangyi looked toward the Buddhist hall.

Ever since Master Dao left, Yuan Fang had been going there more frequently.

She had gone over to listen once and heard Yuan Fang chanting sutras and praying for blessings, asking the Buddha to protect Master Dao and bring him home safely.

Outside the Annex, several monks worked in the vegetable plots.

On the surface, everything seemed as usual.

...

Inside a pavilion, a Blackwater Terrace document courier entered and placed a stack of rolled confidential documents before the seated Shao Pingbo.

Shao Pingbo reached out and took them. As he tore open the seal, his gaze suddenly shifted sideways and settled on the courier's face.

The man was smiling and, strangely, showed no intention of leaving.

That was abnormal.

At the very least, it differed from his usual behavior.

Seeing Shao Pingbo stare at him, the courier instead turned his head and looked toward Shao Sansheng standing nearby. He said nothing. The meaning was obvious.

Shao Pingbo understood and tilted his head slightly toward Shao Sansheng.

Shao Sansheng immediately turned and left the pavilion.

While slowly opening the documents in his hands, Shao Pingbo asked, "Does His Majesty or Chief Steward Tao have some other instruction?"

The courier glanced around, then drew an object from his sleeve and placed it before Shao Pingbo.

It was a token.

The instant Shao Pingbo saw the relief design carved into it, his expression changed sharply. He jerked his head up.

"You're from Misty Pavilion?"

"Shh!" The courier signaled him to keep his voice down, bent forward, and put the token away again.

Shao Pingbo's eyes filled with uncertainty and suspicion.

He knew Misty Pavilion kept watch over all beneath Heaven, but he had never imagined that even a Blackwater Terrace courier responsible for delivering documents was one of Misty Pavilion's people.

Did that not mean many things here had long been under Misty Pavilion's control?

At the same time, a wave of excitement rose inside him.

Since a Misty Pavilion man had exposed his identity before Shao Pingbo, he had clearly come specifically to find him.

This was an opportunity to establish a connection with Misty Pavilion.

Shao Pingbo rose. "How do I know you aren't an impostor?"

The courier said, "Whether I'm an impostor isn't important. Judge true and false for yourself. I came under orders. There is something you need to do."

Shao Pingbo studied him and slowly said, "I'm trapped here. There's little I can do."

"If we came to you, naturally it's because you have the ability to accomplish it. Listen carefully. The war against Wei that you've been planning can begin."

Shao Pingbo frowned. "The court has not agreed to that. I don't have the authority to decide it."

"That is exactly why we came to you. You must persuade Taishu Xiong and get the war against Wei started as quickly as possible."

Shao Pingbo narrowed his eyes slightly. "If this is Misty Pavilion's will, Misty Pavilion need only send a word to Qiyun Sect. Why involve me in something so uncertain?"

"Misty Pavilion has always acted covertly. If you're being told to do it, naturally there is a reason. You don't need to ask so many questions. Remember only one thing."

The courier stared at him.

"Succeed and you live. Fail and you die. I guarantee no one will be able to save you."

Shao Pingbo said, "I cannot verify your identity. I cannot possibly agree."

The courier lifted his chin toward the documents on the desk. "The fifth sheet concerns Niu Youdao's situation inside Sacred Realm. You and he are mortal enemies. You're going to need our help."

He turned to leave, then left one final sentence behind.

"Same words as before: fail and you die. If you refuse, you definitely won't live past today. Don't think about making some other arrangement. You have no choice."

With that, he walked away.

Shao Pingbo watched him leave, eyes flickering through narrowed lids.

Then he abruptly turned back, sat down, flipped to the fifth sheet in the stack, pulled it free, and began to read.

[End of Chapter 1085]