Chapter 47: Shaowei the Great King

Many people in the capital felt that this Sixth Prince, having gone this once, would never see the Imperial Face again, and would likely be slowly forgotten.

There were also those who thought that if this child could be forgotten just like that, it might not be a bad thing.

Besides this child, there were two other children who similarly evoked sighs of pity.

One was the young son of the Marquis of Changping, Ling Congnan, who served as a Prince Companion Reader in the palace; when the incident occurred that night, this child fled amidst the chaos to an unoccupied palace building, and somehow — perhaps the lantern in his hand was accidentally knocked over — set fire to that building filled with sundry items, leaving only a charred corpse.

The second was the daughter of the Deposed Crown Prince Liu Gu, whose whereabouts were unknown; that little girl named Liu Yu was barely two years old, and her life or death remained unknown…… the Embroidered Uniform Guard was still searching.

In everyone's eyes, compared to the already settled overall situation, these seemed to be mere trivial matters, and with Liu Qi's departure from the capital, this calamity of the Deposed Crown Prince truly came to an end.

Only scattered voices remained openly in various places; as for those long sighs filled with helpless regret, they could only be let out when no one was around.

In the fourth month, at the Lu Hou Mansion, in the Feng Zhu Courtyard, large clusters of powder-white peonies bloomed in full splendor, their fragrance filling the entire courtyard.

After Madam Shentu coaxed her patiently for a long time, Feng Zhu finally agreed to come out of the house to admire the flowers.

Feng Zhu walked with a limp, tugging at her mother's hem, her expression timid and flustered; looking at the courtyard full of peonies, she seemed somewhat dazed.

Madam Shentu held her daughter with one hand, while the other was supported by a nursemaid; they came before the flower cluster, where she pinched a half-open peony, feeling about to pin it in her daughter's hair.

Seeing her mother's movement, Feng Zhu hurriedly lowered her head to cooperate, her obedient appearance exactly like her younger years.

The Marquis of Lu arrived at the courtyard gate; seeing this scene, his stern features softened, revealing a face full of smile lines.

Hearing her husband had come, Madam Shentu had the maids and nursemaids accompany Feng Zhu to admire the flowers and watch butterflies.

The couple went to the hall to talk.

"There is a little girl, eleven or twelve years old, named Shaowei……" the Marquis of Lu said: "Based on those people's descriptions, a portrait was barely sketched out."

After Feng Zhu returned home, all memories of what happened after she was abducted were completely gone; the Marchioness of Lu also did not want to stimulate her daughter further, so some things she did not dare to ask.

But Feng Zhu's body clearly bore traces of having given birth, and when she occasionally had panic attacks, she would always shout "Qingniang"; sometimes she would even run out barefoot, as if anxiously looking for someone, and when she could not find them she would cry out in alarm.

The Marquis and Marchioness of Lu discussed it and decided to secretly try to investigate; so they sent people to Taishan Commandery, and through twists and turns found those people from Tianlang Zhai who were either imprisoned or conscripted.

"The portrait……" Madam Shentu asked: "Does it look like Doudou?"

The Marquis of Lu sighed: "Not very much."

Madam Shentu was silent for a while, then said: "We must find her back regardless; this is our child. And it's a little girl — how can it be alright for her to be wandering outside? Find her back first, then we'll see."

The Marquis of Lu nodded: "Good, then let people go search."

But this is not an easy matter; the women and children in the mountain stronghold were not punished, some left on their own, some fled in fear, and some who remembered their hometowns were released to return to their native places; it will take slow searching and inquiring.

"Have you found the person who protected Doudou?" the Marchioness of Lu turned to ask.

The couple had thanked the Marquis of Changping, wanting to repay this kindness, but the Marquis of Changping said he could not bear the title of Benefactor, and explained the circumstances of when he found Feng Zhu, stating decisively in his words that before the Ling Family Army arrived, someone else had rescued Feng Zhu from her perilous situation.

This point could be judged sufficiently from the fight traces and corpses in that stone house.

"As for this, there are temporarily no credible leads." The Marquis of Lu mused: "This matter is somewhat suspicious; who knows who would risk killing the Bandit Chief just to protect Zhu'er? It must be someone with considerable skill…… I will continue sending people to investigate."

"We must continue searching; there is no greater kindness than this, we must repay it no matter what." Madam Shentu believed in deities and placed great importance on gratitude and karmic cause and effect.

The Lu Hou Mansion enshrined a statue of Xiwangmu.

Early next morning, Madam Shentu knelt before the statue and prayed: "I beseech the Golden Mother Yuanjun to manifest her spirit, so that the Hou Mansion may soon find my child's bloodline, and also soon locate the whereabouts of the benefactor who saved my child's life……"

This matter ought to have Feng Zhu come personally to pray for guidance and resonance, but Feng Zhu dared not leave the courtyard, let alone worship the deity in person; at this moment, her personal maid Pei held Feng Zhu's commonly worn clothing and knelt in worship on her behalf.

On the incense table before the statue were placed fresh flowers, fruits, and pastries, as well as three bowls of clear wine; in the incense burner were stuck three sticks of Three Treasures Incense.

After Pei finished kowtowing and straightened up, raising her head, she saw that among those three incense sticks the middle one was crooked, tilting to one side, while the two other sticks were squeezed together burning.

It is said that when offering incense before a deity, how the incense burns is very important — burning vigorously represents hope for what is sought; if it turns black, snaps, or goes out it is an ill omen; she did not know what significance these two sticks burning as one held.

Those two sticks merged together burned very fast; when a piece of incense ash fell down, reflected in the tiny wine bowl world, it resembled a toppled great mountain.

A girl wearing a green robe tilted her head back, standing straight before a toppled broken mountain.

Shaowei traveled south with Jiang Fu, arriving at the shores of Dongting Lake, where she saw the traces of the mountain collapse rumored to have spanned a full twenty li.

Recalling what she had heard on the road, looking at the ruined scene before her, Shaowei's heart was a blank confusion.

The Marquis of Changping still died; the fates of the Ling Empress and Crown Prince Gu also could not be changed.

After a moment, Shaowei lowered her eyes, raised her hands, and looked at her own palms and ten fingers.

These hands of hers indeed did not possess the divine power to change everything with a wave.

But there was one thing Shaowei truly could not understand, something she had been thinking about these past few days.

Jiang Fu, sitting on a giant stone with legs stretched out nursing his bones, spoke at this moment: "A tall tree catches the wind; a high mountain easily attracts lightning…… but look at this mountain, it seems it knew long ago that it would fall."

Shaowei subconsciously looked over, only to hear Jiang Fu continue: "The direction the mountain fell just happened to block the flood; at that time Dongting Lake waters burst their banks, and if this mountain had not collapsed here, the common people's fields and homes here would surely have been submerged by the flood."

Hearing this, Shaowei examined the water flow and broken mountain closely, only then realizing with shock that it was indeed so.

Jiang Fu sighed in admiration: "The Marquis of Changping's heart may not have been unlike this."

These are words that would get one arrested and punished if heard; and as a disciple, she surpassed her master in being even more rebellious and unfilial——

"If I were the Marquis of Changping, I would certainly rebel." Shaowei sat cross-legged on the grass, her eyes fixed on that broken mountain, her gaze also firm as a mountain: "Even if it means mutual destruction, I will kill every last person who wants to kill me."

"Many people probably think this way." Jiang Fu's tone was lazy: "That day resting under a tea shed, those local ruffians also said the Marquis of Changping was foolishly loyal; if it were them, they would surely lead the Ling Family Army to smash through the heavens…… everyone thinks they are a general star, but if war truly broke out, they would only be those pitiful people weeping in despair, begging a benevolent general for protection and rescue."

Hearing this, Shaowei's face flushed red with a "teng", and she turned her head to look at Jiang Fu.

Jiang Fu narrowed his eyes and smiled: "I was talking about them, not you. Your little brat still has some true ability; I reckon you won't be the one weeping in despair begging for protection."

"Change those words 'reckon'." Shaowei turned her face back, plucking a blade of grass: "I am not a good-for-nothing."

"As your Master, I naturally believe my disciple is a heroic figure." Jiang Fu said: "But being a hero alone is easy no matter how you do it."

Shaowei could not quite understand, and looked at Jiang Fu again.

Jiang Fu said: "But other people's lives are very heavy, this weight like mountains and seas; only the person holding them in their hands will know."

While Shaowei pondered, Jiang Fu asked: "Shall Master tell you a story?"

Shaowei loved listening to stories, but felt that directly nodding and saying she wanted to hear a story would seem childish and foolish, so she did not respond, only quietly waited for Jiang Fu to continue on his own.

But she waited for half a day, and Jiang Fu still did not speak.

Shaowei could only secretly turn her head, but saw Jiang Fu staring right at her; when she looked over, Jiang Fu immediately tilted his head back and laughed triumphantly.

Shaowei realized she had fallen for another trick, and in a moment of shame and anger, she grabbed a large handful of broken grass and leaves and scattered them over Jiang Fu's head. Jiang Fu reached out to brush the grass clippings off his head: "You little brat, betraying your master and ancestors!"

Saying this, she grabbed the bamboo pole to discipline her disciple.

Shaowei snorted and turned to run, but after a few steps she suddenly heard a long-unheard voice enter her ears:

"Shaowei King! Shaowei King!"

Good morning everyone~

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【Barring any accidents, it should be on sale tomorrow~】

(Chapter End)