by Mao Ni
There was still one more reason hidden at the very bottom, and it was helping the Divine Empress resolve a somewhat vexing concern, but there was no way this reason could be publicly announced.
As for the final reason, it also could not be mentioned.
Chen Changsheng knew that the other side could not give a reason, so he had asked for an explanation.
Tianhai Shengxue had a rather ugly expression.
Fei Dian sighed. Looking at the lessening rain and pointing at the puddles on the ground, he said, "The road was slippery from the rain, so the carriage crashed and resulted in injuries. How is this explanation?"
The carriage that had crashed into the Orthodox Academy had the finest carriage compartment and the finest warhorse. Let alone the streets of the capital drenched by an autumn rain, even the stormy snows and the frozen lands of Snowhold Pass would not cause it to crash and lead to such a disastrous result.
This was naturally a quite shameless explanation, but its shamelessness served as an acknowledgment of defeat.
Neither Chen Changsheng nor Tang Thirty-Six could say much about it.
"I'll be coming back."
Tianhai Shengxue leaped onto his horse and then said to Chen Changsheng.
Chen Changsheng thought, then replied, "If you come to apply for the Orthodox Academy, I won't accept you."
Tianhai Shengxue angrily smiled, then left without saying any more.
Fei Dian looked at Jin Yulu and shook his head. "You aren't Zhou Dufu; you can't change much."
Jin Yulu, his hands in his sleeves, ignored him and did not reply.
The rain finally stopped and the people gathered around Hundred Flowers Lane gradually dispersed.
The events that had taken place in front of the Orthodox Academy in the early hours of the morning had caught the attention of many people.
On the surface, this was the first clash between Tianhai Shengxue and the Orthodox Academy. In reality, everyone knew that this was a struggle between the new powers of the Great Zhou and the old Imperial clan, between the Pope and the conservative faction of the Orthodoxy, but it was obvious that the power affiliated with the Orthodox Academy was too weak.
The opponent had only dispatched Tianhai Shengxue, recently returned from Snowhold Pass, but Prince Chen Liu and the Bureau of Ecclesiastic Education had been forced to come so as to protect the Orthodox Academy. One could say that this showed how much Prince Chen Liu and the Bureau of Ecclesiastic Education valued the Orthodox Academy, but the true situation was that there was simply no one else that the Orthodox Academy could send.
Prince Chen Liu greeted the three students of the Orthodox Academy.
Chen Changsheng returned the greetings, but he did not give thanks. "In the palace, Your Highness once said that minor figures like us were dragged into matters between important figures like you, so I won't thank Your Highness."
"Thanks are truly not needed." Prince Chen Liu smiled at him, then continued, "But… after the Ivy Festival, the entire continent knows that you are Xu Yourong's fiancé. You are no longer some ordinary youth, you are no longer someone dragged in by us, so I won't express any apology to you either."
Chen Changsheng fell silent. Only now did he realize the effect that exposing the engagement had on him.
Many people did not want him to marry Xu Yourong, including the Tianhai clan.
This morning's incident perhaps also had this reason.
"If something comes up, just notify me."
After saying this, Prince Chen Liu very indifferently left, deliberately not leaving any goodwill.
The slender man glanced at Chen Changsheng and then left, still holding up the umbrella.
Priest Xin came over and said a few words, together with Tang Thirty-Six cursing the arrogance of the Tianhai clan, and then left.
Only now did Xuanyuan Po put down that piece of the gate.
He had been carrying the heavy board for a very long time. Even with the special body of a demi-human, he found it very painful.
"In a little while, I'll go and bury this horse. When do we fix the gate?" he asked.
Chen Changsheng gazed at the shattered gate and shook his head. "We're not fixing it."
Tang Thirty-Six said, "If you wanted the Tianhai clan to fix it, we should have forced them to lower their heads just now."
"And what would we do if they really lowered their heads and fixed it?"
Chen Changsheng continued, "It's quite fine for the gate to be broken like this."
Xuanyuan Po scratched his head and looked at the ground covered in bits of wood and stone, thinking, What's so good about this?
"You've made progress."
Jin Yulu smiled and noted, "You know to strive for the greatest benefit."
With the gate of the Orthodox Academy shattered like this, with each passing day, the people of the capital would think the Tianhai clan more wanton and shameless.
After a moment of silence, Chen Changsheng said, "Senior, I don't like this sort of progress."
"I also don't like it."
Jin Yulu patted him on the shoulder and consoled, "But what can we do? There are too many shameless people in the world. Unless you become like me, hiding away in the mountains and farming, or something changes, you can only accept it."
Chapter 92 – A Gatekeeper, a Conversation, and the Person in the Bed
Chen Changsheng expressed his gratitude toward Jin Yulu. If not for him, no matter how valiant Tang Thirty-Six and Xuanyuan Po were, they would not have been able to protect the Orthodox Academy before Prince Chen Liu and Priest Xin hurried over. Jin Yulu smiled. "You are Her Highness's teacher, so you're one of us."
Chen Changsheng felt somewhat embarrassed at this. After all, this man was a true legend. Guardian Jin had appeared at the Orthodox Academy and taken action for those three youths naturally because Luoluo had ordered it. Luoluo's person had left the Orthodox Academy, but her heart was still here. This fact made him very happy.
"Will Sir remain at the Orthodox Academy?"
Xuanyuan Po looked at Jin Yulu with an expression of childlike admiration. Chen Changsheng and Tang Thirty-Six thought, Despite what Jin Yulu said to Tianhai Shengxue, he has to attend to Luoluo; how can he actually stay here forever? They indicated that Xuanyuan Po shouldn't say too much.
"It's not out of the question for me to stay." Jin Yulu looked at the expressions of the three youths and gently laughed. "I've never committed any sort of crime in all my life because there's not much that I like, but I do really like money."
Chen Changsheng glanced at the coin patterns embroidered on Jin Yulu's silk gown and laughed. Knowing that he was prepared to stay, Chen Changsheng clasped his hands and thanked him once more.
Tang Thirty-Six went up to Jin Yulu and grabbed his somewhat rough hands, shaking them nonstop as he said, "Sir certainly knows that my family has nothing else except money. We're lacking in everything but money."
The Wenshui Tangs were a famously wealthy clan, their countless riches accumulated over hundreds of generations. Ten-some years ago in that rebellion, the first thing the old Imperial clan did was seek out the Tang clan in hopes of their support. Although they had ultimately not succeeded, it could be imagined from this how vast the Tang clan's wealth was.
"Without counting Her Highness, the Orthodox Academy at present only has us three students. We're just lacking a teacher."
Chen Changsheng humbly requested Jin Yulu, "I hope that Sir can instruct us."
With Jin Yulu's cultivation, he had been able to stably suppress Mount Li Elder Xiao Songgong, and he was presumably at about the same level of strength as Principal Mao Qiuyu of the Heavenly Dao Academy. Coupled with his qualifications and his experience in cultivation, having him as a teacher at the Orthodox Academy would be more than enough.
But he did not agree with Chen Changsheng's request. Chuckling as he shook his head, he said, "Since when does a student invite the teacher?"
Chen Changsheng felt somewhat h
elpless. "The Orthodox Academy at the moment only has students, no principal."
Jin Yulu looked at him with a rather profound expression. "His Eminence the Archbishop naturally had a reason for giving you both the register and keys."
Chen Changsheng did not know what the archbishop was thinking. He only thought about what sort of status Jin Yulu should have while remaining at the Orthodox Academy, his brow creased.
"Based on your intentions, it seems to me that you won't be repairing the academy gate for quite some time."
Jin Yulu looked at the destroyed gate and continued, "Since this is an academy, the most important thing is studying. Even if it's just you three students, your education shouldn't be disturbed. Since the academy gate exists in name only, you might need a gatekeeper?"
Chen Changsheng understood his meaning, but was somewhat shocked and unwilling to reply.
"I farmed on the eastern slopes outside White Emperor City for several hundred years; what's there to be afraid about being a gatekeeper?" Jin Yulu said, and laughed. Not giving the three youths a chance to refuse, he said that he had to prepare some materials to build a little house by the gate and left on his own.
Xuanyuan Po was very happy while Chen Changsheng and Tang Thirty-Six exchanged speechless glances, thinking, Are we really letting a legend like Jin Yulu be a gatekeeper? The standards of the Orthodox Academy seemed somewhat too high. In the future, just who would dare come to the Orthodox Academy to make trouble?
With the cessation of the autumn drizzle, the morning fog set in. Xuanyuan Po went to dig a grave for the horse by the academy's western wall, refusing Chen Changsheng's help. Chen Changsheng thought and felt that he was truly somewhat lacking in sleep. He decided to return to the house and go back to sleep, but he was pulled over to the library by Tang Thirty-Six.
"Back there when Tianhai Shengxue and his followers were charging toward us, I was actually very scared," Tang Thirty-Six said to him.
Chen Changsheng replied, "Everyone is afraid of death—that's a normal thing. Don't feel humiliated about it."
Tang Thirty-Six looked at him with a solemn expression. "Yes, everyone is afraid of death, so they'll always feel fear in that sort of situation… but back then, I saw you out of the corner of my eye, and I didn't see a single hint of fear on your face. This is very shocking to me."
Chen Changsheng thought this over, then said, "You know that I'm somewhat slow, so maybe I didn't have enough time to show my fear."
"No." Tang Thirty-Six shook his head and firmly said, "I could see that you were truly not afraid."
Chen Changsheng fell silent, then asked, "Just what do you want to say?"
Tang Thirty-Six replied, "To be completely without fear in that sort of situation, there are only two possibilities. You might have guessed that Luoluo would send Jin Yulu to the Orthodox Academy, and so there would naturally be no need for you to be afraid. However, it's very obvious that you also did not know that Jin Yulu would come."
Chen Changsheng asked, "And the other possibility is?"
Tang Thirty-Six answered, "You simply aren't afraid of death… so you naturally wouldn't show fear."
Chen Changsheng scratched his head. "We just agreed that everyone is afraid of death."
Tang Thirty-Six was very concerned. "I also believed that to be true, so I feel that you must have some secret, or something must have occurred recently."
Chen Changsheng sighed, saying, "Do I look like someone with the resolve to die in my heart?"
Tang Thirty-Six said, "You truly don't, and to be able to have Xu Yourong as a wife, there's no way you would think about dying."
Chen Changsheng asked, "Then what are you worried about?"
Tang Thirty-Six stared into his eyes. "You're not sick, are you?"
Chen Changsheng had no idea that this fellow would be so smart, able to guess at so many things from so few details. Of course, that was also because this fellow cared a lot about him. This made his heart feel a little warm, but his face turned slightly chilly as he rebuked, "You're the one that's sick here."
Seeing Chen Changsheng's ugly complexion, Tang Thirty-Six realized that his questions were truly somewhat inappropriate, his thoughts too nonsensical. Soon after, he thought of another matter and seriously asked, "At the beginning, did you really not know that Tianhai Shengxue was the Divine Empress's grandnephew?"
After a moment of silence, Chen Changsheng affirmed, "I knew."
Tang Thirty-Six thought to himself, That's right. Even if you grew up in the remote countryside and only spent your days in the capital reading and cultivating in the Orthodox Academy, since you were able to guess that the other side was a member of the Tianhai clan, you would also be able to guess at Tianhai Shengxue's identity through his age and bearing.
"Why?"
He asked why Chen Changsheng had pretended that he did not know that and cursed Tianhai Shengxue's grandaunt in front of so many people before the gate of the Orthodox Academy.
"Because I want to know just what the esteemed Divine Empress's position is toward the Orthodox Academy."
Chen Changsheng continued, "If the Empress truly does not want the Orthodox Academy to obstruct her eyes in the capital, she only needs to say a word, and the Orthodox Academy would be wiped away. There would be no need for all this trouble."
Tang Thirty-Six replied, "They're guessing at the Empress's intentions."
"They can guess, but I don't want to guess. I came to the capital to study and cultivate, to participate in the Grand Examination. Time is very precious to me, and if the Orthodox Academy has to welcome trouble after trouble, that would be far too troublesome."
Tang Thirty-Six's brows slightly rose. "So?"
"I directly cursed her, which will assuredly be relayed to the palace. No person will dare to stand in the way and block it."
After a momentary pause, Chen Changsheng continued, "And so we should very quickly find out what sort of position the Empress holds on the Orthodox Academy."
Tang Thirty-Six felt somewhat cold. "You want to see if that blade will fall or not? This is truly a lethal impatience."
Chen Changsheng looked at him and said, "It's still better than the feeling of that blade always hanging over your head."
"It seems that what I said at the beginning was correct—you really aren't afraid of death."
Tang Thirty-Six stared at him in amazement. "Just what sort of illness do you have?"
"I'm not ill."
Chen Changsheng laughed and said, "I know how to treat illnesses."
There was a phrase that remained at the bottom of his heart: an illness that can't be cured isn't an illness, it's fate.
"Fake, too fake."
Tang Thirty-Six clicked his tongue and then sighed. "You've almost surpassed that county prince."
Chen Changsheng did not expect him to suddenly mention Prince Chen Liu. He looked at him in surprise. "Just when did Prince Chen Liu offend you?"
Tang Thirty-Six replied, "Did you notice, when he stepped off the carriage, one of his buttons wasn't tied correctly."
"So?"
"Without this, how could he show that he had come in a rush, how deeply concerned he was for the Orthodox Academy?"
"…You're thinking too much."
Chen Changsheng deeply admired this fellow's ability to perceive even the smallest details, but he didn't agree with his view.
"In short, I don't like Prince Chen Liu—he's too fake."
"Perhaps because he doesn't much like you?"
"I'm so real, if he doesn't like me, it's precisely because he's fake."
"You can change the word 'real' for 'unrestrained'."
"Whatever, he's still a fake."
"If you weren't the sort of person that likes looking at people through the eye of a needle[16], who would notice a small detail like Prince Chen Liu tying the wrong button?"
"My grandfather taught me a similar phrase: looking at people through the eye of a coin gives the most accurate picture
[17]."
Chen Changsheng shook his head and said no more. In his view, even if Prince Chen Liu had intentionally tied his button incorrectly, as the only descendant of the Imperial clan left in the capital, isolated and with little help, a little more thought so that he could obtain the support of the elders of the Orthodoxy through the Orthodox Academy was understandable.
After burying the horse by the western wall, Xuanyuan Po had returned and heard the second part of their conversation. Repeatedly shaking his head, he honestly said, "You guys are so young, yet thinking of such complex topics. Humans truly are too crafty; it's impossible to deal with you all."
* * *
Upon returning to his bedroom in the house, Chen Changsheng felt very tired, his eyelids heavy.
His mood was also rather heavy because he knew well that his calm life of reading and cultivating would never return. Regardless of what sort of position the Divine Empress displayed after his curse was relayed to the palace, nothing good would happen.
In the abandoned garden within the Imperial Palace, Mo Yu had said that he was borrowing authority, a treacherous schemer, but he actually learned it all from Luoluo… after all, she was the sole daughter of the White Emperor. Although she had no brothers or sisters and had never experienced a palace conflict, as a member of an imperial bloodline, Luoluo was naturally knowledgeable in these matters.
As for himself? He was skilled in calculation, but not in being calculating.
Just as he had said to Jin Yulu, he did not like that sort of thing. It was too tiring.
He walked to his bed and prepared to rest for a while, but then he suddenly stopped.
He walked to the cabinet by the window and took the dagger, then returned to the bed.
There was no hesitation. It was all done very naturally.
To this, that person had no reaction.
Chen Changsheng stared at the bed, his fingers slightly whitening as he gripped his dagger.
A person was hiding under the sheets.