Chapter 35

"Hey? What’s wrong, Linglingfa? Did you have a seizure?" the Emperor asked in surprise. If the Emperor hadn’t been present, Linglingfa might have rushed forward to fight Ye Gucheng.

"Thank you for your concern, Your Majesty. I just caught a slight cold yesterday. The duel between the two great swordsmen will surely be a grand event in the martial arts world. There will be countless experts watching, and the palace’s security forces may not be sufficient to protect Your Majesty!" Linglingfa said with deep concern.

"That’s indeed a problem. Should we call in troops from the four directions of the capital?" the Eighth Prince suggested.

The Emperor pondered for a moment, "Even with more troops, it would be futile against someone of Uncle’s caliber." He then sighed, "Alas! I was too hasty in my decision!"

"Is Your Majesty still troubled by Princess Wuyou’s matter?" the Eighth Prince asked silently.

"At the time, it was the late Emperor who wronged her. Although it has nothing to do with me, she is still my elder sister, and a relative who watched me and Feifeng grow up!" The Emperor’s voice was filled with sorrow, and tears welled up in his eyes.

Lingxiao was acutely aware of the Emperor’s genuine emotions, which was rare for a man of his position, who was accustomed to making life and death decisions. Feeling a sense of empathy, he couldn’t help but be intrigued by the gossip.

The Emperor shook his head to dispel his sadness, "We need to come up with a plan. I can’t go back on my word."

This left everyone in a dilemma. Who could stop two such formidable experts? Lingxiao’s mind was racing. He knew Ye Gucheng’s plot inside and out but lacked the power to stop it. The best course of action was to find someone who could!

Lingxiao stepped forward, "Your Majesty, I have a plan."

"Go on."

"Instead of trying to prevent the martial artists from watching, why not open the palace gates and let them in?"

"Nonsense! That would only create more chaos," the Eighth Prince shook his head.

The Emperor thought for a moment, "What then?"

Linglingfa remained silent but had full confidence in his disciple. Lingxiao felt reassured; from everyone’s reactions, it was clear that the Emperor and Linglingfa trusted him deeply. He said confidently, "Of course, we can’t just let them in. First, Your Majesty can gather the officials responsible for palace security and ask how many people they can handle. Then, we can issue gold tokens. On the day of the duel, only those with gold tokens can enter the palace. As for the rest, we can only apologize!"

"Ah! What a good idea! This plan is excellent!" the Eighth Prince immediately understood, nodding, "No one outside will know the exact defensive capabilities of the palace. Issuing gold tokens not only demonstrates Your Majesty’s authority but also ensures safety. Moreover, obtaining a gold token depends on one’s own abilities. Those who can’t get in can’t blame anyone else. This cleverly shifts the conflict to the martial artists themselves!"

The Emperor praised, "Indeed, a brilliant plan! Lingxiao, you are quick-witted. But who will issue the gold tokens?"

Lingxiao’s eyes twinkled with a mischievous smile, "Your Majesty, the Eighth Prince brought in a friend from the martial arts world to investigate the jade seal. Why not entrust this task to him?"

The Emperor looked at the Eighth Prince, "What do you think, Uncle?"

The Eighth Prince had no doubts, "That’s a good idea. This person is highly skilled and has extensive connections, making him the best choice for distributing the gold tokens."

"Ha, that’s perfect! Come, let’s continue... Why is the chessboard in such a mess?" The Emperor was surprised, and Linglingfa breathed a sigh of relief.

...

"Achoo!"

In a tavern not far from the Prince’s mansion, Lu Xiaofeng sneezed as he watched Ye Gucheng leave, "It must be that old Ye!" He rubbed his nose, wondering who was cursing him.

The man across the table, with a sharp face and shifty eyes, said, "That kid is really something! He said he would solve the case quickly, and old Ye really did return the jade seal!"

Lu Xiaofeng nodded solemnly, "The Dragon Protectors indeed have their ways! But why did old Ye do this? Isn’t his heart solely focused on the sword? I can’t see how the jade seal is related to the sword."

"Maybe not. As long as one is human, they need to eat, drink, and sleep. If his heart is only on the sword, wouldn’t he be a complete fool?" the man said sarcastically.

Lu Xiaofeng was taken aback, "Old Monkey, your words are profound! If anyone else said this, I would be impressed, but from you, it’s just nonsense!"

"Why?"

"Because when others say it, it’s wisdom, but when you say it, it’s just gibberish!" With that, he left the tavern.

"Lu Xiaojiji! I’m not done with you!" the man’s shouts echoed behind Lu Xiaofeng.

...

Lingxiao was a gossip lover. As soon as they left the Prince’s mansion, he stared intently at Linglingfa. Linglingfa chuckled inwardly, "I won’t say anything unless you ask!"

The two stared at each other, neither blinking nor speaking. One had a serious face, the other a smile. "Ah! I give up! My eyes hurt!" As a disciple, Lingxiao had to give his master some face, so he covered his eyes and shouted. Linglingfa nodded in satisfaction.

Without waiting for Lingxiao to ask, Linglingfa slowly said, "How old do you think Ye Gucheng is?"

Lingxiao was taken aback, "Although his face is as smooth as a baby’s, martial artists can delay aging, especially someone of his caliber. But his hair is half white, especially his temples, so he must be at least forty or fifty!"

Linglingfa sighed and shook his head, "He is only thirty-six!"

Lingxiao was stunned, "It seems even the highest martial arts can’t resist the torment of illness. He’s so young to have premature gray hair. This is a disease, and it needs to be treated!"

"Treat your sister! He is a legitimate member of the royal family, with excellent bloodlines!" Linglingfa smacked him on the back of the head, angry.

"Then why?" Lingxiao rubbed his head.

"Do you know how many brothers the Emperor has?"

"Biologically, only two, and Princess Feifeng is already of marriageable age. I wonder who will win her hand!" he said, stroking his chin with a sly smile.

"Not you!" Linglingfa smacked him on the back of the head again and continued, "Few people know, but the Emperor actually has three siblings!"

"So there’s another princess! But I’ve never heard of her!" Lingxiao recalled.

"That’s a taboo. No one dares to upset the Emperor, so you’ve never heard of her. It’s been twelve years!" Linglingfa sighed, and Lingxiao was growing impatient.

Seeing Lingxiao’s eagerness, Linglingfa continued, "The Emperor’s elder sister was titled Princess Wuyou. Despite her name, she had a tragic fate, never truly free from worry. Ye Gucheng is the illegitimate son of the previous Pingnan King, making him the Emperor’s uncle. However, this uncle had no status, no troops, and only a small fief in the South Sea’s Feixian Island. The previous Pingnan King and the late Emperor were very close, and Princess Wuyou and Ye Gucheng grew up together like childhood sweethearts."

"Then they must have fallen in love and made a secret pact," Lingxiao interrupted.

"How did you know?"

"The plot is a bit cliché. Okay, don’t be angry, continue!"

Linglingfa rolled his eyes and continued, "You’re basically right. It wasn’t exactly a secret pact, as the late Emperor and the previous Pingnan King were aware. Although Ye Gucheng’s status was low, he was deeply loved by the previous Pingnan King, and they were truly in love. The late Emperor was about to grant them a marriage, but something went wrong at the last moment."

"The late Emperor changed his mind?"

Linglingfa shook his head, "One day, the late Emperor suddenly decreed that Princess Wuyou would marry the third prince of the Jin Kingdom."

Lingxiao thought for a moment, puzzled, "That doesn’t make sense! The Ming Dynasty has been strong for so long, why would they need a marriage alliance, especially with the Jin Kingdom?"

Linglingfa hesitated, then said, "There are some things you can’t know yet. Listen, the previous Pingnan King didn’t stop or protest. However, this incident caused the late Emperor and the previous Pingnan King to never speak again, even after the late Emperor’s death."

"So they were separated? But with Ye Gucheng’s martial arts, he could have just taken her by force! The Jin Kingdom’s palace probably couldn’t withstand his sword!"

Linglingfa laughed, "Twelve years ago, Ye Gucheng wasn’t as powerful. Moreover, there were many obstacles. If it were just that, it wouldn’t have led to such a僵局."

"Princess Wuyou was a fierce woman. On her wedding day, she met Ye Gucheng for the last time and then severed all her meridians and died. At the time, I was a substitute in the Dragon Protector clan, and I saw Ye Gucheng cry over Princess Wuyou’s body all night. The next morning, I saw his hair had turned white."

After he finished speaking, both of them walked in silence. Linglingfa was lost in the past, while Lingxiao was inwardly seething: "Did I learn something I shouldn’t have? Ye Gucheng has such a dark history! Did the great侠客 Gu Long forget to write this, or did this world develop on its own? This explains Ye Gucheng’s rebellious actions. How could a man whose heart is only for the sword be involved in such a plot? Pursuing the ultimate sword path is what he should be doing! There’s such deep-seated hatred, and he’s been patient for so long! It’s strange that the late Emperor and the Pingnan King’s attitudes were so peculiar." He glanced at Linglingfa, who was lost in thought, and realized his master was still holding back.

...

Where there are people, there is a martial arts world. Where there is a martial arts world, there is gossip. Where there is gossip, there are paparazzi! Almost the entire city knew the next day.

"Did you hear? Ye Gucheng is going to duel Ximen Chuixue on the city wall."

"Nonsense! I heard it’s at Huixian Yaxu!"

"Rubbish! It’s Ye Gucheng declaring his love to Ximen Chuixue on the city wall!"

"Lies! It’s on the roof of the Golden Hall!"

See? They all know!

"Little Lingxiao, long time no see! Where have you been lately?" a woman called out from the roadside.

Lingxiao smiled, "Aunt Cai, long time no see! You look younger and younger!"

"Ha, Little Lingxiao, you’re so sweet." She leaned in close to Lingxiao and whispered like a thief, "Did you know? Ye Gucheng and Ximen Chuixue are going to duel!"

Lingxiao looked at Aunt Cai with amusement, "Do you know who Ye Gucheng and Ximen Chuixue are?"

Aunt Cai was taken aback, "Ximen Chuixue sells pancakes, right? And Ye Gucheng... do you know?"

Lingxiao raised an eyebrow, "He’s probably a blacksmith, otherwise why would he always carry a sword around? Clearly, he’s trying to sell something."

"Oh! I see." Aunt Cai nodded in understanding.

"Do you know where Ximen Chuixue’s pancake shop is?" Lingxiao asked casually.

"It’s the old lady’s pancake shop two streets over."

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