"That is indeed a good idea," Shangguan Lin said, slapping his forehead in excitement. He had spent the entire night thinking but hadn't come up with a solution. His imperial brother had resolved it with a single appearance.
"Alright, I'll attend to this matter tomorrow."
"Mm," Murong Chong nodded and stood up. Shangguan Lin, in a hurry, grabbed his hand. "Yao, where are you going?"
"I'm not leaving, you can rest assured. After the floodwaters recede, you should go into hiding, because Shangguan Yao will not let you go."
"Okay."
Shangguan Lin nodded immediately. He absolutely supported everything Yao said. What they needed to do next was to reclaim the throne of Dong Qin.
"Let's go," Murong Chong said, his white figure disappearing like a flutter of wings. Shangguan Lin stared blankly at the figure that vanished into the dark night. Mu Li and Qiao Chu, who had been waiting at a distance, quickly walked over and anxiously asked, "Your Highness, who was that person just now?"
They had caught a glimpse from afar and knew it was the Palace Master of the Divine Dragon Palace. They were surprised that their Prince had wept bitterly in the arms of the other person. Afterwards, they dared not look or listen further, unsure of what had transpired.
"Let's go, no need to linger here."
Shangguan Lin led the way down the mountain. Those behind him exchanged glances before following him down.
The blueprint displayed the locations for draining floodwaters into the valley in Lingnan Commandery, showing which paths were shortcuts, the easiest and fastest. To accelerate the drainage, several mountain paths could be opened simultaneously.
Shangguan Lin handed the blueprint to the Prefect of Lingnan.
The fifty-year-old official looked on with admiration. Even as a local official, he was not entirely familiar with the geographical map of the mountains.
He hadn't expected the Prince to become so familiar with it overnight and to draw such a detailed blueprint. He immediately ordered the entire able-bodied workforce of the commandery and its two counties to gather around the mountains and begin excavating mountain paths.
The elderly, weak, women, and children were responsible for cooking and laundry daily. All men, women, and children joined in, and even Shangguan Lin was no exception, personally participating in the excavation of mountain paths alongside the laborers.
The people of Lingnan deeply admired this Prince, considering him the most upright and capable royal relative in the Dong Qin Kingdom.
Yan Jing.
Since Murong Chong's departure from the capital, Yun Xiao had quietly returned to the Prince's residence. She met her brother Yun Zhen. Neither of them mentioned the events of that night. Yun Zhen remained gentle and refined, much like before.
Yun Xiao understood this as her brother being merely overexcited at the time. He had now accepted it calmly, and their interactions were harmonious.
However, Yun Xiao did not approve of Yun Zhen secretly leaving Fengya Pass and urged him to return to the border immediately, as their father would be implicated if their absence were discovered.
But Yun Zhen was in no hurry to leave. Instead, he stayed in the Prince's residence daily, quietly practicing martial arts with greater diligence than before.
Nothing else seemed amiss, and Yun Xiao did not feel it was appropriate to directly urge him to return to Fengya Pass. When Yun Xiao had free time, she would accompany him and listen to him play the zither.
Three days later, a carriage arrived from the palace to escort Yun Xiao.
Whether she was willing or not, she had to go to the palace. Otherwise, she wouldn't be able to stay in Yan Jing. Moreover, establishing a medical clinic was not easy, and it had already helped many people who were helpless.
Despite her dislike for entering the palace, she was no longer the same Yun Xiao as before. She was no longer a fool but the renowned physician Leng Yue. Most importantly, she did not believe she had any reason to fear Shangguan Yao.
Yun Xiao, accompanied by Wan Wan, headed for the palace. She entrusted the affairs of the medical clinic to Yan Mei, instructing her to seek out Young Master Wu Yun at the Ye residence if anything arose, and have him come to the palace to find her.
After giving instructions regarding the clinic, she was more concerned about Yun Zhen. Since she hadn't informed him beforehand that she was going to the palace, she worried he might impulsively go to the palace to see her.
One must realize that the palace was teeming with masters, and Yun Zhen was unfamiliar with the palace. If he were to reveal himself, he would not only endanger himself but also their father. Therefore, Yun Xiao left a letter and sent a young apprentice to discreetly deliver it to the Yun Prince's residence.
In the letter, she explained her trip to the palace and also urged Yun Zhen to return to Fengya Pass immediately.
In fact, Yan Jing was currently in turmoil, and staying at Fengya Pass was the safest option.
The carriage proceeded into the palace. This time, she neither paid respects to the Empress Dowager nor met the Emperor. Instead, a eunuch directly escorted her to Qingfeng Pavilion, located near Jingfu Palace. This was the place where Ximen Yao had previously resided, and also where Murong had stayed.
As she alighted from the carriage, a line of eunuchs and palace maids stood outside the entrance of Qingfeng Pavilion. Upon seeing Yun Xiao descend from the carriage, they all stared, dumbfounded. Then, under the cold glare of the head eunuch, they finally came to their senses and respectfully addressed her, "Greetings, Young Master Leng Yue."
"Rise."
Yun Xiao smiled as if bathed in spring breeze, gentle and refined, lightly holding a gauze fan, exuding an indescribable elegance and charm.
Others held gauze fans to generate airflow, but she held hers to conceal flaws. Although the join had been disguised, it wasn't entirely convincing.
To avoid revealing any flaws, she habitually carried a silk fan when going out, giving her an air of freedom and also serving to conceal her imperfections.
Unfortunately, others were unaware of this. Seeing this handsome and graceful young master, standing tall and elegant like a jade tree, gently fanning himself, they were intoxicated without the need for wine.
Qingfeng Pavilion was situated by the lake, and Yun Xiao had experienced its scenery before, finding it quite pleasing. Her only dissatisfaction was its proximity to Jingfu Palace.
Entering the pavilion, she saw lush green bamboo concealing one side by the wall, while the other side was adorned with stacked rockeries covered in green vines. White flowers dotted the vines, swaying freely in the gentle breeze, exuding a leisurely charm.
Moving further ahead, she observed peculiar stones arranged in various formations, interspersed with a few banana plants and peonies, adding a touch of vibrancy that was truly striking. Wan Wan, by Yun Xiao's side, could not help but exclaim in amazement.
"It's so beautiful."
As her words fell, the palace maids following behind her wore dark expressions. Thinking that this beautiful person was Young Master Leng Yue's personal attendant, jealousy began to surface in their hearts.
If only they could be the personal attendants of Young Master Leng Yue. Such a handsome young master, they would be willing to serve him as a servant for a lifetime.
"Yes, it is indeed quite lovely."
The group moved forward. Crossing this stretch of path, they saw red walls and yellow tiles, glazed eaves that curved like clouds, shimmering brilliantly under the sunlight.
In front of the houses with carved beams and painted rafters was a colorful and exquisite garden, enclosed by white jade railings. Flowers of all hues bloomed in profusion, vying for attention. Although many flowers had withered by late summer, the imperial palace housed rare specimens that remained in bloom year-round.
Beyond the small garden lay a vast, clear lake. The water was pristine and shimmering, reflecting brilliant, fish-scale-like ripples that dazzled the eyes. The lake was surrounded by pillars adorned with various palace lanterns.
As night descended, the scene here was breathtaking, even more beautiful than during the day.
Qingfeng Pavilion consisted of halls and rooms. A row of pavilions was meticulously arranged. After Yun Xiao was settled, the young eunuchs and palace maids withdrew, leaving only four attendants for her.
Two palace maids and two eunuchs.
"Greetings, Young Master Leng Yue."
Although the eunuchs were astonished by Young Master Leng Yue's striking demeanor, they remained relatively composed. The two young palace maids, seeing that they were to serve Young Master Leng, had a spring-like shimmer in their eyes, their faces flushed.