Chapter Five, The Nether Lotus (I)

It truly puts one in a difficult position

In this world, there certainly cannot be anyone with the ability to see a thousand miles or hear the wind; the only explanation is that he has at least come to understand a portion of the secret, such as the deadly agreement between Xiao Jiu and Murong Zheng

The next day, the freshly emerged Prince found Emperor Chongji and said that his beloved cousin had encountered the so-called most handsome man in the capital, Young Master Juze, by chance, and that she would marry no one but him

However, this agreement should only be known to the three parties involved. She and Wei Nange are merely acquaintances, so it is naturally not her who would leak the information. Then, who could it be? Was it done intentionally or was it an unintentional act?

Should she trust him or ignore him? Should she take the risk of being implicated by choosing to cooperate with him, or should she take the risk of being implicated by rejecting his proposal?

If she were Murong Zheng, she would certainly not let Xiao Jiu off either

... ...

Can we continue our previous conversation in a straightforward and open manner

I am aware that Prince Xin and His Royal Highness the Crown Prince have privately reached an agreement, whereby as long as the prince assists the Crown Prince in ascending the throne, in the future, His Highness will certainly ensure the safety of his family members, restore their freedom, and settle the grievances of their forebears once and for all

Murong Qi raised an eyebrow and said rather impolitely: "Lord Wei, your audacity is rather excessive; this is not very good. Throughout history, those who have known too many secrets have met with untimely deaths"

Indeed, her mind had been underutilized, and she found herself somewhat at a loss when it came to contemplating such a matter. In that moment, she could only mimic Ji Che's demeanor and pretended to be profound as she said: "First, tell me what you would like to do"

With their assistance, in just two years, the invisible war of the previous dynasty ultimately came to an end with Murong Zheng successfully taking control of the Eastern Palace

Murong Qi stared blankly at the round moon, his white teeth biting down on the celadon wine cup in his hand, producing a crisp sound.

At that time, she was indeed feeling stifled from copying the Buddhist scriptures, so the two of them hit it off immediately. The next day, Xiao Jiu took her out of the Kasyapa Palace under the pretext of "taking my sister out for a breath of fresh air." Along the way, they exchanged identities and acted separately, continuing until today

Who would have thought that a Wei Nange would emerge halfway through!

Wei Nange did not keep them in suspense any longer and said straightforwardly: "I can help the prince achieve his wish to break free from the constraints of the Crown Prince, and your kin in the maternal family can also remain safe and sound; however, conversely, I ask that Qiqi lend me a helping hand."

At the time of lighting the lamps, a bright moon quietly hangs at the tip of the willow branches, and the bright moonlight spills across the ground.

This led to the subsequent arranged marriage, a wedding that appeared extravagant yet did not even have the groom in attendance, and the turmoil in the Quxia region a month later

... ...

If I were to say what I fear the most at present, it would be that Qiqi is unwilling to cooperate with me

Murong Qi turned his head away, unable to look directly, and mumbled: "If one is no longer afraid of death, what else is there to fear?"

Everything was going smoothly at first

Several hours ago, Wei Nange struck at her weakness with just one sentence

Today, His Royal Highness the Crown Prince is about to ascend the throne, and he should honor the promises made back then. However, the heart of a ruler is as vast as the sea, and it seems that the Duke has sensed the Crown Prince's feelings of regret. Perhaps he is unwilling to let him escape this situation, which is why he sent Qi Qi in his place. As for the Crown Prince himself, he is likely devising a comprehensive plan elsewhere

The seemingly boundless rewards are, in fact, a form of disguised imprisonment. For the siblings who have been accustomed to a life of lawlessness since childhood, this is nothing short of a disaster. Therefore, the goals of "saving their kin" and "escaping the Da Yu royal family" have become the rare consensus reached by the two over the past few years

Indeed, after a two-year interval, she disguised herself as Xiao Jiu and arrived in Liaoyang Jing, not for the purpose of revisiting the place for leisure and entertainment; similarly, Xiao Jiu did not return to the Duke's residence, nor was she genuinely seeking to pursue Miss Ye Er from Liuyun Fortress

Wei Nange smiled and said: "Qiqi, you have overestimated me; my courage is actually quite small. I am afraid of many things, but fortunately, I have never been afraid of death"

She has lived for twenty years, neither long nor short, and it is the first time she is tossing and turning, unable to make a decision about something.

And now, with Emperor Chongji gravely ill, Murong Zheng is about to ascend the throne, and the time has finally come to fulfill the promises made.

He always wore a gentle smile, a smile that served as his armor, never once taken off at any time

Murong Jiu's choice of method was quite simple—he selected Murong Zheng, who at the time was not considered outstanding among the princes, and persuaded him to privately reach an agreement—he would assist him in obtaining the throne, and in return, he would grant him his freedom

Lord Wei ... and * the * book ... please do not eavesdrop on others' soliloquies

As her thoughts gradually returned, Murong Qi placed the porcelain cup, which had been battered by her teeth, on the table. She sighed deeply, feeling that Wei Nange, the type of person who only talked without taking action, had always been her nemesis. After forcing herself to cope for an entire afternoon, she felt an immense amount of pressure.

If even she can understand it, how could Xiao Jiu not comprehend? Although he is a debauched young man who spends his days indulging in pleasures and lacks any real skills, he is nonetheless an exceptionally intelligent scion. Thus, taking advantage of the New Year, he returned to Jiaye Palace under the pretext of visiting relatives to conspire with her on strategies.

It seems as if the gentle voice of the Prime Minister is echoing in my ears again, clear as flowing water, yet each word penetrates like water through stone

In fact, she did not even know whether the legendary handsome man was round or flat. The reasons she willingly agreed to marry him were twofold: first, this person was always regarded as a cowardly good-for-nothing in the eyes of the powerful elite in the capital; second, she had learned from Jiu since childhood that the emperor intended to reduce the power of the feudal lords and was about to take action on this matter.

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He spoke eloquently, as if he had witnessed it firsthand. Murong Qi had been trying hard to maintain her composure, but in reality, she had wanted to rush up and shake his shoulders many times, shouting, "How do you know this? Do you have the ability to see a thousand miles away or hear the faintest sound?"

Not long after, the long-sorrowful emperor and empress passed away. Murong Qi's patience with the court had reached its limit; she could not wait for Murong Zheng to ascend the throne and directly sneaked into the Eastern Palace, holding a knife to her cousin's neck, and they sat down together to drink tea for half the night

He first secretly detained the members of the Murong family's maternal clan and used these numerous clan members as hostages, demanding that the Murong couple send their two children to reside permanently in Liaoyang. When the siblings were fourteen years old, they secretly entered the capital. Murong Jiu inherited his father's title, but his rank was reduced from a first-class prince to a second-class duke, while Murong Yan was granted the title of "Princess Yanrong" and entered the palace to accompany the emperor and empress

The moonlight tonight seems particularly bright, dazzling to the point of being blinding. She rubbed her eyes, and many images that had long been buried deep in her heart seemed to begin to flicker and alternate before her eyes. ... That enormous secret she brought to the capital ... ... Those rather unpleasant past events ... ...

Two years ago, Murong Qi was still willing to play the role of the "gentle, beautiful, and talented" Princess Yanrong, sitting in the harem accompanying a group of bored ladies to drink tea, chat, admire flowers, and stroll by the lake, while also secretly inquiring about this lady's privacy and that noblewoman's secrets, and then discreetly relaying messages, coordinating with Xiao Ji.

Because it was the Empress who secretly spared Murong Su a way out back then, Emperor Chongji has always turned a blind eye to this matter. However, over the years, although the once-renowned Lord of the Xin Wang has not caused trouble for the Emperor, his formidable wife has inherited the Kasyapa Palace in the far west. The Kasyapa Palace is the national temple of the Land of Ten Thousand Buddhas, and its backing is not to be underestimated. The Emperor, feeling insecure at the thought of his brother's past, found it difficult to eat and sleep, ultimately deciding to take the initiative to prevent potential troubles before they arise.

Is he an enemy or a friend?

What it is truly for, only the two siblings know, as it is of great importance. This time, they even kept it from their best friend, Ji Che.

In fact, Murong Qi can also understand this cousin, who is known for his warmth and tolerance—being a member of the royal family, the so-called "warmth and tolerance" can basically only be taken as a joke.

She ultimately took advantage of that upheaval to extricate herself early, and fortunately, this allowed her to stage this act of substituting the plum for the peach, giving her enough time and leverage to deal with Murong Zheng, who has firmly secured the position of crown prince

However, Murong Zheng wanted to change his mind

Lord Wei, you have won

In recent years, Xiao Jiu has secretly assisted Murong Zheng, knowing too many secrets—secrets that could threaten Murong Zheng's throne. Such a trusted aide, if left by his side to continue stirring up trouble, would be one thing; however, he has chosen to withdraw bravely, taking with him so many secrets. How is this any different from holding a knife over the emperor's head

In the past, when faced with uncertain matters, she would always rely on her intuition to make decisions, but this time, even her intuition could not assist her. This was because that person was the impeccable Wei Nange

Six years ago, Emperor Chongji, who had initially aimed to unify the world, finally decided to turn his attention inward, prioritizing the eradication of internal troubles as the foremost task. The first target was the former Prince of Xin, Murong Su, who had committed the grave crime of treason but ultimately escaped by feigning death; he was the father of Murong Qi and Murong Jiu.

However, Wei Nange...