Chapter 44: Twin Phoenixes Playing in the Water

Clang—
Clang—
The distant morning bell chimed from deep within Yunzhou City.
The small courtyard deep in Shuanggui Lane was completely silent, save for a black horse standing quietly beside the kitchen.
The door of the main house remained shut; it had not been opened once since Luo Ning and Zhe Yunli’s departure.
A few more flower pots had been added beneath the melon trellis, placed alongside those purchased by Luo Ning. Over the past two days, the lush green sprouts had grown noticeably sturdier.
In the west wing room, Ye Jingtang sat bare-chested on the bed, holding a piece of golden paper, closing his eyes and concentrating his mind.
The plump white bird squatted beside the pillow, gazing listlessly at the window.
Had it been a few days prior, Zhe Yunli would have already been up by this hour, holding it to feed it. Living with His Excellency clearly lacked such blessings; barely two days since parting, a lingering sense of longing had already taken root in the bird’s heart.
"Chirp..."
After waiting for a long time without seeing any movement from Ye Jingtang, the bird rolled over to his side and nudged him with its claw, signaling that it was time for breakfast.
Ye Jingtang’s eyelashes fluttered slightly before he opened his eyes and looked down at the golden paper in his hand.
Ever since Luo Ning and Zhe Yunli left, life had become rather monotonous. Over the past two days, he had essentially remained indoors, wholeheartedly devoting himself to martial arts.
The Heavenly Union Saber, the Overlord Spear, lightness skills, and his own saber techniques all demanded practice. Strictly speaking, he had quite a full schedule.
Mastering divine martial arts was certainly not achieved in a single day, nor was Ye Jingtang in any rush. During his moments of rest and leisure, he would ponder over the unexpectedly acquired "Dragon Singing Diagram."
He had tried various known decoding methods according to his knowledge—such as projection, copying, soaking in water, scorching with fire, and so forth—yet none yielded any results. He had initially set it aside temporarily, but upon waking up this morning, a sudden flash of inspiration struck him, bringing to mind the concept of "investigating bamboo."
Although his worldly experience in this life was limited, the chaotic memories from his past life were quite abundant, and he was well aware of the sage's interesting anecdote regarding the "investigation of bamboo."
Even though his method of inquiry might not have been entirely orthodox, he still earnestly stared at the painting of the "turtle carrying three mountains" on the golden paper, beginning to earnestly "investigate the paper," attempting to forcefully perceive the supreme principles of the Heavenly Dao contained within it.
To his surprise, this method actually proved effective.
Though he failed to discern any principles of the Heavenly Dao, whether due to eye strain from looking too long or not, he felt as though the golden, glittering dragon-turtle in the picture was moving, and the clouds encircling the three peaks seemed to flow gently under the play of the light.
After pondering for a long time, he concluded that this might be a method related to cultivation of internal energy. Closing his eyes and focusing his mind, he imagined the various scenery elements in the diagram as specific parts of his body, attempting to string together the "illusions" he had witnessed within his own physique.
Just as he was beginning to grasp the initial sprout of an idea, he was rudely kicked awake by the bird.
Noticing that the day had grown quite bright and seeing no need to rush, Ye Jingtang committed the method to memory, put away the golden paper, and donned his outer robe.
With his impending departure for Xiwang Town, San Niang had already begun making preparations, but before leaving, he still needed to settle the matter regarding Prince Jing.
He had previously promised Prince Jing to spar in lightness skills after three days, and in the blink of an eye, the time had arrived. This presented the exact opportunity to teach Prince Jing the "Heavenly Union Dao." If Prince Jing proved to be a fast learner, he might just manage to fish Qiu Tianhe out today, sparing him from the female martial arts master's criticisms of being negligent.
After washing up, Ye Jingtang watered the flowers and plants that Luo Ning had planted, then led his horse with the bird perched upon it, leaving Shuanggui Lane together and heading toward Mingyu Tower.
Having entered the capital many days ago, the time had now reached late April. The young ladies and matrons walking through the bustling streets wore somewhat lighter attire, drawing lingering gazes from idle idlers.
"Chirp!"
The bird on his shoulder raised its wing to cover Ye Jingtang’s eyes, signaling that he should not gaze upon impropriety.
Ye Jingtang flicked the bird lightly, urged his horse through the bustling streets, and arrived outside the Black Yamen, only to notice Black Yamen constables frequently entering and exiting with hurried expressions.
Just as he reached the entrance, two figures walked out side by side.
The burly man in the lead was none other than "Black Impermanence" She Long, with his arm still wrapped in bandages; trailing behind him was Shang Jianli.
"Lord She, Lord Shang."
Catching sight of She Long, Ye Jingtang stepped forward and cupped his fists in greeting:
"Are the two of you heading out on official business?"
She Long’s brows had initially been tightly furrowed, but upon seeing Ye Jingtang, they relaxed somewhat. He walked right up and patted Ye Jingtang on the shoulder:
"Young Master Ye has arrived at the perfect time. Come, join us on an errand. My arm hasn't fully healed yet, and if we truly run into trouble, it won't be easy to assist Jianli. You also practice external martial arts; come along to help hold the line."
This truly showed that She Long did not treat Ye Jingtang as an outsider.
Having inflicted the injury on She Long himself, Ye Jingtang was essentially conscripted on the spot and found it difficult to refuse. He inquired:
"Who are we capturing?"
She Long stood with his hands behind his back, a hint of sorrow coloring his expression:
"Unclear. Yesterday, Wang Sheng, the chief constable of the yamen, ran into someone near the Eastern Market under unknown circumstances and met a violent death on the spot. His body was only discovered this morning. The assailant used a blunt wooden weapon, cracking the skull with a single blow. Judging from the traces, Wang Sheng didn't even have time to draw his saber. Wang Sheng’s martial arts could be considered top-tier in the pugilistic world, yet the assailant's martial arts are likely unfathomable."
Counting them all up, the Black Yamen had roughly over forty chief constables, and the "Six Fiends" were the most prominent among them.
Hearing that a chief constable had been slain, Ye Jingtang could not help but feel a pang of shock, and asked:
"Could the assailant possibly be a Grandmaster?"
"Nine times out of ten. Is Young Master Ye free? Would you care to come along for the ride?"
Ye Jingtang did happen to have free time, and tagging along with Black and White Impermanence did not entail exceptionally high risks, so he was inclined to agree.
However, Shang Jianli, standing behind them, chimed in at this moment:
"Young Master Ye lacks experience in the martial arts world. To rashly bring him along—if something were to go awry, it would be difficult to explain. Prince Jing went to Yutan Manor yesterday and gave explicit instructions that should Young Master Ye arrive, he is to be directed to Yutan Manor to seek an audience."
She Long had merely extended a casual invitation for assistance, and seeing this, he naturally did not insist:
"Since Prince Jing has given orders, Young Master Ye should attend to that first."
Ye Jingtang cupped his fists and said: "Then I wish both lords a safe journey. Once I have paid my respects to Prince Jing, I will return to check in. After finishing these matters, I will invite both lords to sit a while at Jinping Tower."
"Ah, you're too courteous..."
After exchanging cupped-fist salutes, Black and White Impermanence departed together.
Learning that Prince Jing was at the hot spring manor, Ye Jingtang decided against entering the Black Yamen. He swung himself onto his horse and, accompanied by the bird, headed toward the eastern gate of the capital.
-----
Yutan Manor was located beneath Chunchen Peak outside the city, adjacent to Furong Pond and the Clear River. It served essentially as a summer imperial villa, boasting scenery considered peerless in Yunzhou. Unfortunately, it was reserved exclusively for the emperor, remaining vacant for ninety percent of the year.
At midday, several pleasure boats and painted barges carrying scholars and young ladies could be seen navigating the river, accompanied by numerous merchant vessels traveling back and forth. The riverbanks, however, were devoid of ordinary tourists; a full mile away from the manor, the area had been cleared. Imperial guards clad in bright armor maintained vigilance at every post, ensuring that even a flying bird would be scrutinized multiple times.
Warm sunlight bathed the manor nestled beneath Chunchen Peak. While imperial guards patrolled outside the estate, countless palace maids clad in colorful garments stood respectfully waiting in silence outside the Dragon-Washing Pool further back.
The Dragon-Washing Pool was exceptionally grand in scale, surrounded by floral greenery and resting pavilions. The pool water at its center was wreathed in wisps of white mist, with several dragon heads spewing warm hot spring water.
Splash, splash...
Sunlight streamed down upon the mist-shrouded open-air hot spring. A tall woman with skin as white as jade swam on her back in the water, entirely unclad. Through the hazy mist, her towering peaks were vaguely discernible, appearing and disappearing from view.
In the cool shade at the edge of the hot spring, the Dowager Empress, her long hair draped over her shoulders and a thin white gauze draped across her shoulders, dipped her jade feet into the pool. Her expression carried its habitual trace of grievance:
"You said you were bringing me out to clear my mind, but look at this—you won't even let me step outside the gates. What fun is there in soaking here? Sigh~"
Dongfang Liren possessed exceptional swimming prowess. She turned gracefully upon the water's surface, gently kicking her slender jade legs to submerge her entire body before resurfacing right before the Dowager Empress. Her smooth long hair clung to her sleek spine as she wore a smile:
"Some trouble occurred in the city yesterday, and the Black Yamen is currently patrolling. Once things quiet down, I will take the Dowager Empress to tour the river scenery."
Dongfang Liren’s height did not yield to that of a man, and even with proportions identical to an ordinary woman’s, her bust was naturally more substantial. As she drew close now, they resembled two full moons rising from the water, looking heavy and substantial in weight while remaining remarkably upright, much like two overturned jade bowls.
The Dowager Empress hailed from Jiangzhou, belonging to the mold of gentle and scholarly beauties. Her height probably reached no higher than Ye Jingtang’s chin, but having been raised in the lap of luxury since childhood without any lack of nourishment, her endowments were likewise quite impressive, and her bust proportions were strikingly eye-catching.
Yet, neither woman had any intention of comparing. The Dowager Empress slipped into the pool, floating lazily as she lightly patted the pool water, splashing droplets between her jade peaks:
"Whenever we go out, it either rains or some trouble crops up. Is the heavens deliberately making things difficult for me?"
"Dowager Empress should not always dwell on such things; think of more pleasant matters."
"With you being so unreliable, how can I have pleasant thoughts? Last time, I thought you were sending some wonderful treasure... I had Hongyong throw that thing away. If you act so presumptuously again, I will report this to the Sage!"
"I merely saw that the Dowager Empress was lonely and living in deep confinement in the palace, so it was a spur-of-the-moment idea..."
"Even if I am lonely, I cannot behave recklessly. When I entered the palace, you were no longer a child—did you not know my situation? You might be an innocent maiden, but is your mother-in-law—am I?"
The Dowager Empress cast a reproachful glance at Dongfang Liren, then recalled the handsome man she had seen in the painting last time. Pondering slightly, she asked out of curiosity:
"Liren, you couldn't possibly have already..."
Dongfang Liren’s heroic face froze slightly as she furrowed her brow and asked:
"What do you mean?"
"You are, after all, the Prince Jing, standing above ten thousand people with only one person above you. Wanting a young man to wait upon you should be simple enough..."
The Dowager Empress glanced toward the lush, grassy area beneath the water:
"Liren, tell me honestly, have you already... un-huh?"
?!
Dongfang Liren naturally understood the Dowager Empress's implication and felt somewhat irritated:
"What nonsense is the Dowager Empress speaking? How could I possibly..."
Knowing she wouldn't get an answer—and knowing she couldn't exactly pry her open to inspect—the Dowager Empress muttered with petty annoyance:
"I was merely asking out of curiosity. You should have been married long ago. If you have someone in your heart, you might as well say so directly; Mother will help you ask the Sage to bestow a marriage."
The Female Emperor was Dongfang Liren’s own elder sister; if she had taken a fancy to a man, what need was there for the Dowager Empress to play matchmaker? She merely responded to this with an indifferent smile.
Just as the two had finished chatting briefly, a female official entered the Dragon-Washing Pool area and reported respectfully from behind the screen:
"Your Highness, reports from outside state that Young Master Ye Jingtang has arrived for a visit."
"Oh?"
Dongfang Liren had lacked the opportunity these past few days to inquire how well Ye Jingtang had mastered the Heavenly Union Saber, and seeing that he had come, she naturally wished to grant him an audience.
However, discussing martial arts with each other would take at least half a day to exhaust, and she had come out specifically to accompany the Dowager Empress to relax. Leaving the Dowager Empress behind to engage in a private rendezvous with a man would certainly be inappropriate. After a moment of thought, she instructed:
"Have Young Master Ye wander and tour the manor for now; this Prince will summon him when free."
"Understood."
The Dowager Empress had seen Dongfang Liren slip out to meet "Young Master Ye" back at Mingyu Tower, followed shortly by catching a glimpse of that flawless young man from the painting.
The surname Ye was extremely rare, with very few instances throughout the entire capital. Hearing the title, he was clearly not an official, and the young gentleman she saw last time had also been dressed in the attire of an ordinary young master. She figured there was a high probability they were one and the same person.
"Liren, who exactly is this Young Master Ye?"
Dongfang Liren was somewhat absent-minded and, fearing the Dowager Empress might notice, swam over behind her to help comb through the Dowager Empress’s long hair:
"A helper newly recruited by the Black Yamen. His martial arts are exceptional and his abilities outstanding, but he hails from a merchant family, nothing particularly special."
Nothing special?
The Dowager Empress didn't believe a word of it. If this "Ye Jingtang" truly was the person from the painting she had seen before, his appearance alone was already more than special enough.
However, in her position as Dowager Empress, it wasn't fitting for her to probe further, so she tactfully said:
"If you have matters to attend to, go ahead. I am quite used to being by myself."
"Since I came out to accompany the Dowager Empress to relax, I naturally must accompany you properly. These minor matters are not urgent."
"As long as you are not in a rush... I am only afraid that you, with someone hidden in your heart, might feel your mother is lacking in tact."
"Sigh..."