A Pawn's Passage

Those words were quite logical. For a moment, neither Qi Xuansu, Ke Qingqing, nor Han Yongfeng could find a way to refute them.

Han Yongfeng shot a quick glance at Qi Xuansu, afraid the remark might anger him. But Qi Xuansu showed no sign of displeasure and simply asked, “When those below act lawlessly, the Sages above might not be aware.”

The Daoist clearly found Qi Xuansu’s question a little naive and struggled to stifle a laugh. He bowed his head and said, “If a young emperor was raised in the inner palace by women, unaware of the world and deceived by his ministers, that’d be believable.

But these Sages have climbed from the bottom. They’re all seasoned masters capable of predicting the future. Young master, do you really think that they’re completely ignorant?”

Qi Xuansu did not answer directly. “You seem quite familiar with the Daoist Order. You even know the Sages once had humble beginnings. So if they are aware, do you think that they do not wish to intervene or that they dare not intervene?”

The Daoist finally let out a chuckle. “You must be from the Central Plains, young master. You’re nothing like a Poluo native. In my opinion, there’s nothing they need to fear, so I don’t think it’s a matter of courage. They simply don’t want to bother.”

Ke Qingqing looked at Qi Xuansu and noticed how grave his expression had become. The lighthearted air he had when they first disembarked from the flying ship was entirely gone. A faint chill stirred in her heart.

Qi Xuansu did not return her gaze. Instead, he looked toward Han Yongfeng. “Old Han, you’ve spent more time in the local regions. What’s your view?”

Han Yongfeng was momentarily taken aback. He had not expected to be asked, but he answered promptly, “I think the Sages did experience the lower ranks, but that was long ago. After being up there for so long, they start to assume too much, and their grasp of worldly affairs becomes vague, and their judgments are no longer precise. Unless they see it with their own eyes, they rarely think that deeply about it.”

Qi Xuansu chuckled lightly. “Self-deception, then? As long as they don’t see it themselves, it doesn’t exist.”

There was a trace of mockery in his tone, and Han Yongfeng’s face immediately grew solemn.

Qi Xuansu continued, “That reminds me of a joke. There was once a great philanthropist who declared that no poor people were allowed within 10 kilometers of his residence. So his underlings drove every beggar out of the area. That was the so-called philanthropist’s compassion.”

Ke Qingqing nearly laughed, but she held it in when she realized it was not the moment.

The Daoist was shocked and dared not utter a word.

In truth, this Daoist still did not understand the Daoist Order. The Daoists prided themselves on equality, so they were remarkably tolerant of dissent from the elite, including those from the allied factions such as the Great Xuan Court, the Confucians, the Buddhists, and the Tenmon Sect. In other words, the higher one rose, the freer one’s speech became. So, self-criticism was encouraged among the upper ranks.

Self-criticism was a form of power, a mechanism of self-correction and refinement. At times, to appear just and balanced, the existence of critical voices was required. But whether they were right or wrong was secondary.

The key was that criticism must be founded on an understanding of the system.

Take Qi Xuansu as an example. In the past, when he roamed Jianghu and before becoming a Heavenly Being, he thought a fourth-rank Jijiu Daoist was a towering figure and that he was not qualified to converse with Sages of higher rank, let alone comprehend the inner workings of the Daoist Order. What he faced then was the pressure to survive, not the pressure to contend. So what opinions could he possibly offer? Or rather, those above had no intention of hearing his opinions in the first place.

Now that Qi Xuansu’s cultivation level rose and his sights broadened, having dealt with various secret societies and fought in the Fenglin Campaign, he had gradually stepped into the upper echelons of the Daoist Order. Thus, his words now carry weight, even when in opposition.

Generally, what mattered was the timing and audience. As long as one did not publicly name and shame others or incite public outrage that caused disorder, it was rarely considered a grave offense.

Given Qi Xuansu’s current status and standing, such remarks were nothing and hardly taboo, so Han Yongfeng and Ke Qingqing were unfazed.

Unlike the Confucians, the Daoists simply did not display hierarchy so openly. That was why the Daoists’ so-called equality was largely self-proclaimed.

Without doubt, this was a regression in capability, one that created and deepened the rift between upper and lower ranks.

Finally, Qi Xuansu asked the Daoist, “What’s your name?”

The Daoist replied honestly, “My name is Zhang Quande.”

Qi Xuansu asked, “A Shangqing Zhang or Taiping Zhang?”

The Daoist gave an awkward smile. “There are countless Zhangs under the heavens. Perhaps we were all kin 500 years ago, but now, I wouldn’t dare claim ties to those prestigious Daoist families.”

Qi Xuansu remarked, “Your name means perfect virtue, yet you engage in daylight robbery. You truly did your name a disservice.”

Qi Xuansu pointed at Zhang Quande and instructed, “Bring him along. We’re going into the city.”

Han Yongfeng cast Zhang Quande a look. Zhang Quande quickly waved both hands and said, “No need, no need. I’ll walk on my own, sir!”

......

A young man and woman walked side by side along the banks of Guijian Lake.

Doing his best not to glance at the young woman beside him, Chen Jianchou steadied his thoughts and then laid out his rough deductions.

Chen Jianqiu listened attentively, nodding from time to time.

Chen Jianchou said softly, “Your High—”

“Don’t call me that. It’s far too formal,” Chen Jianqiu interrupted him. “You’re older than me, and we’re family, so you can call me Qiu’er. I’ll call you Brother Chou.”

Chen Jianchou’s heart lurched into chaos once more. To be honest, for a fleeting instant, he nearly found himself thinking up names for their future children.

Not every man possessed Qi Xuansu’s self-control. Though Qi Xuansu seemed to owe everything to Madam Qi’s guidance, there were countless noble sons who, even with greater support, remained weak, unable to rise. After all, if one’s core was rotten, no amount of lifting could make him stand tall.

For a young man like Chen Jianchou, the lethal power of a woman who stirred his heart

was deadlier than a flying sword. A flying sword could only cut the flesh, but a woman’s charm could seize the soul.

Chen Jianqiu said, “So, according to what you just said, you suspect that something went wrong during the New Year festival.”

The man nodded. “Exactly. The last time Chief Deputy Chen returned to the royal palace was five years ago. Her sudden return this time is highly unusual. You suspected it had something to do with her, so I want to know, what exactly happened on the day she came back?”

Chen Shuhua also held the title of a Commandery Princess, but that title was far inferior to her status as Chief Deputy Mansion Master. Even members of the royal family referred to her as Chief Deputy Chen, adding the last name to distinguish her from other Chief Deputies from other Daoist Mansions.

The princess fell into recollection. “On New Year’s Day, Father was unusually cheerful, not merely from the festival but as though a heavy burden had finally lifted. The palace attendants told me Father had spoken privately with Chief Deputy Chen for quite some time. He dismissed everyone before the talk, so no one knows what was said and can only speculate.”

Chen Jianchou pressed on, “What kind of speculation?”

Chen Jianqiu hesitated before replying, “They guessed that Father and Chief Deputy Chen reconciled.”

“Reconciled?” Chen Jianchou was taken aback.

Chen Jianqiu continued, “For a long time, Father had feared that his throne would be taken from him because Chief Deputy Chen had a high rank. She was also close to one of the Poluo Mansion Masters. So it would not have been impossible if she truly wished to shake Father’s position.”

Chen Jianchou nodded slightly. Perhaps the Daoist Order could not directly decide who became the Great Xuan Emperor, but it could certainly determine who ruled the Yu Kingdom. That was because a king would have to seek the Daoist Order’s formal recognition.

Some years back, there had even been a fad of pilgrimages to Jade Capital, where kings and queens walked from the Kunlun Mountain Pass to Jade Capital to demonstrate their sincerity. The Daoist Order later forbade such displays. But the Daoist Order still held enormous influence over the smaller kingdoms, so the King’s anxiety had not been without cause.

“For quite a long time, Father was deeply anxious, and he took many precautions in advance. Besides constantly currying favor with Chief Deputy Chen, he also sought to strengthen ties with the Great Xuan Court and worked hard to befriend the Sages of the Golden Tower Council. Most importantly, he wanted to build a rapport with the Great Sage of the Poluo Daoist Mansion since he holds the highest authority within the Poluo Daoist Mansion. Unfortunately, the Great Sage is a recluse, detached from worldly affairs. He’s distant and unapproachable, so most of Father’s efforts yielded little result,” Chen Jianqiu explained.

Chen Jianchou had heard a little about this Great Sage from his godmother. From her description, the man did not sound as cold and distant as Chen Jianqiu described. He was more like a gentle, reasonable elder.

However, he had overlooked who Xu Jiaorong was. She was among the Great Sage’s closest confidants, so it was only natural that he would treat her with warmth.

He mused, “That’s precisely why, when Chief Deputy Chen showed a desire for reconciliation, the King agreed immediately and was genuinely glad for it.”

Chen Jianqiu nodded. “Yes...that must be it.”

Chen Jianchou pondered aloud, “For so many years, Chief Deputy Chen never once hinted at reconciliation. Why all of a sudden now? Half a month after her private meeting with the King, he fell ill. Such an abrupt change cannot be without cause, so the problem must lie there.”

The princess bit her lip lightly. “It seems I’ll have to ask Father myself. But his mind wanders these days. He often can’t tell dreams from reality, so he might not remember what happened that day.”

Chen Jianchou replied, “That’s alright. There are still the medical records from the Huasheng Hall. Perhaps we’ll find some clues there.”

Chen Jianqiu smiled sweetly. “Then I’ll leave that to you, Brother Chou.”

In that instant, Chen Jianchou felt as though the world lost all color. He saw nothing but the radiant young woman standing by the water, shining brighter than all creations.