Chapter 2264: The Secrets of the Past

Everyone says the spiritual energy of heaven and earth has revived, bringing great fortune to the human world, but the places I've traveled are actually more chaotic than before! The Flash Gold people really should go out and see for themselves—they'd know how happy their current peaceful life is!

Believe me, the Flash Gold people know. They once suffered a thousand years of turmoil.

Sun Hongye sighed: "In such a chaotic age, I actually managed to survive, and with all four limbs intact—truly a blessing from the Dragon God."

While he was speaking, He Lingchuan had already taken out a glass bottle, poured in tea leaves, filled it with clear spring water, and also casually sliced the strawberries, red dates, and the pineapple and sweet peaches he'd pulled out from somewhere, tossing them into the bottle to brew together.

These past two months, fruit tea has been very popular in Ju City.

The fashionable trends in the capital of Cangyan change at least every six months—for example, in January, plum blossom salty crisp cheese was all the rage, with long lines everywhere just to buy it, but by April, hardly anyone asked about it. People's fondness for the new and dislike of the old is as frequent as in Lingxu City.

When the tea water began to simmer, He Lingchuan lifted the pot and poured him a cup: "Try it—this is made with immortal tea from Spirit Mountain as the base."

Sun Hongye quickly thanked him, raised the cup, and took a light sip.

This taste is really special.

Especially delicious.

"I could take back Blade Edge Harbor thanks to you." He Lingchuan pulled an old contract from his bosom, laid it flat on the table, and said, "Tell me, where did you get this?"

This is the agreement from decades ago in which the State of Qing forced Bailie to sign, leasing Blade Edge Harbor for forty years at an annual price of three thousand taels, and never returning it even after the term expired—until He Lingchuan assumed the position of Bailie clan chief.

Frankly, He Lingchuan could easily take back Blade Edge Harbor, and this old contract contributed greatly to that achievement.

Once one holds power, everything can be dismissed with a single word: "reason."

And "reason" requires evidence.

This old contract was found by Sun Hongye. Before leaving the State of Yuan, he privately asked He Yue to pass it on to He Lingchuan.

He also asked Zhu Zhu Xiuer to pass on the《Yao Hua Ji Zhu》as a codebook, enabling He Lingchuan to decipher the burial place of his biological mother.

He Lingchuan has always been curious about two things: first, where Sun Hongye obtained this old contract; second, since he knew this contract would be useful to He Lingchuan, it shows he also figured out He Lingchuan's true origins.

How did he manage that?

Sun Hongye stroked the old contract:

"Back then, you fell into the Hanhe River and vanished without a trace. After I heard the bad news, I could only join your father's service."

He Lingchuan nodded.

Back then, he was swept away by the Hanhe River, fulfilling the prophecy "meet water and depart," and as his strategist, with his lord gone, Sun Hongye naturally had to seek a livelihood, so turning to He Chunhua was only natural.

"Judging by conscience, He my lord treated me well, and gradually let me handle many affairs."

He Lingchuan sipped the fruit tea: "As for talent, He Chunhua naturally turns no one away."

He directly addressed He Chunhua by name, and Sun Hongye noticed.

Now He Chunhua is already the Shen King, his territory far larger than that of the former Yuan State, flourishing within, and deserving of the praise diligent and capable.

But when He Lingchuan mentions him, his attitude is very bland, and Sun Hongye can infer that there is some estrangement between these two emperors.

Father and son both earned their kingdoms and emperorships through their own efforts—a rarity in the world.

"Not long after, He my lord transferred his loyal servant Hao Shu to other duties, and part of Hao Shu's responsibilities were handed over to me. Then I was sent back to Heishuicheng to continue managing the He family's property and other affairs there."

When He Chunhua was promoted and transferred, the whole family hastily moved inland. His over-a-decade-long enterprise in Heishuicheng couldn't be settled quickly, nor could it be easily abandoned, so he let Hao Shu handle it gradually.

Besides, as a border city gateway, Heishuicheng sees many special products from inside and outside the passes flowing through, and the He family has profited greatly from this trade for years, being well-versed in it, so someone must always manage it.

After Hao Shu, it was Sun Hongye who took over.

"Everything else is easy to discuss, but one of the tasks Hao Shu passed on to me is very strange: indeed, to go to Bai Ta Temple and find an old man to pay the grave maintenance fee, to renew it for another fifteen years. During these fifteen years, if the old man dies, his son must take over and continue tending the grave." Sun Hongye said, "When I went to Bai Ta Temple to pay the fee, the old man had just gone to the countryside to visit relatives, so only his son was guarding the grave. That grave was also kept very clean—offered plain fruit, weeds pulled, repaired on schedule—just the name on the stele was very unfamiliar."

Lu Xiaoyun.

"Why would He my lord maintain that grave for decades? My curiosity got the better of me, I spent a little money, and the grave keeper's son told me everything. He also said that locals have gossiped, speculating about the relationship between the deceased and He my lord, because twenty years ago they were both young and vigorous, and someone had seen Lu Xiaoyun with a swollen belly. But as time passed, fewer and fewer people mentioned it."

"I also know I shouldn't meddle in this, but while handling the He family's assets in the city, I also came across a shop on Youhua Old Street, which happened to be the grain store formerly run by Lu Xiaoyun and her uncle. This time I just—I couldn't bear it anymore."

This damned curiosity.

He Lingchuan laughed: "Hah, that whole stretch of Youhua Old Street has been around for ages—how has the grain shop not collapsed yet?"

"They say it's been renovated several times, so logically there shouldn't be anything left, but when I went in, I didn't expect much—just took a look. Sure enough, after circling several times I found nothing useful, I was about to leave when I suddenly saw densely packed characters on the papered window of the half-attic's lower left corner!" Sun Hongye paused, "Although it's also yellowed, the texture of this paper is tough—it doesn't break when wet, doesn't tear when pulled, clearly better than the others. I examined the content closely—eh, it's actually the deed to Blade Edge Harbor!"

The shops on Youhua Old Street often have storage below and a half-attic above, with a bed set up, making it suitable for living and night watch.

Half-attics are usually covered with cloth curtains; more particular ones use thin wooden doors made of pasted paper.

"Lu Xiaoyun should have hidden the deed properly back then. I imagine it was discovered by some later landlord during renovation, who didn't think much of it and just used it to paste the window." Sun Hongye pursed his lips, "The content of the deed also confirms that Lu Xiaoyun indeed came from the Dongfang Bailie, so I pried it loose."

"When I returned to Dunyu, He my lord's gaze toward me became somewhat off—probably someone reported my movements in Heishuicheng, arousing his suspicion. But the more he suspected, the more I felt Lu Xiaoyun is your birth mother."

At that time, in Sun Hongye's view, He Chunhua had a guilty conscience.

"I've always believed you're still alive, so I left the deed with He Er Young Master, and gave《Yao Hua Ji Zhu》to Zhu Zhu Xiuer and Zhu Furren, hoping that if you ever reappeared, they could be of use. Then I hurriedly resigned and set out on the road. He my lord didn't make things difficult for me either."