"The city of Liuzhou is truly a place blessed by nature!" The crown prince lounged on the imperial concubine's couch, sipping fragrant tea.
He was extremely interested in Liuzhou. "Not only does it border the Gu and Yanqiu tribes, but it's also a place where various martial arts forces have a presence."
Zhongli Mingye pondered for a moment. "I, however, feel that this place is fraught with danger." His tone was calm.
Nonetheless, he continued in response to the crown prince's words. "I'm not good at dealing with those from the martial arts world, so I haven't been able to figure out the situation even after being here for several months."
"Really? I happen to know that the Golden Water Palace and Heavenly Gate Mountain have been at odds in recent days." Putting down his teacup, the crown prince's expression darkened. He didn't believe that Zhongli Mingye was unaware of this.
Zhongli Mingye frowned slightly. "Oh? I've failed in my duty!"
"The conflict between these two major sects could affect your political achievements, Fourth Brother." The crown prince sneered. His younger brother's words were flawless.
"I heard it's all because of a woman." The crown prince watched his reaction, but unfortunately, Zhongli Mingye still looked indifferent.
"Then let's act as mediators and put an end to their feud."
Zhongli Mingye scoffed inwardly but said, "I'll leave it to your Highness's decision."
Shen Yingyun walked alone along the unnamed lake in the prince's mansion for a long time. Her maid couldn't hold back any longer. In her hand was a talisman that her young mistress had obtained from the Xiangguo Temple in the capital.
"Miss, why don't you give this to the prince?"
"He treats me like a stranger." A tinge of melancholy appeared on Shen Yingyun's elegant face, making her look even more charming.
The maid comforted her. "Prince Yu is well - known in the capital as the cold - faced prince."
"You should take the initiative to give it to him."
As they walked, they came across Prince Yu painting in the warm pavilion. Autumn was getting colder, and the cold wind swept across the lake, making people shiver.
Inside the warm pavilion,
Prince Yu was painting the decaying lotus in the lake. His thoughts drifted intermittently to the Heavenly Gate Mountain. Now that the crown prince had intervened in the affairs of these martial arts forces, it would be difficult for Song Jinyu to get justice anytime soon. However, there was still plenty of time.
"Yingyun pays respects to the prince." Entering the warm pavilion, she lifted the heavy curtain. She saw that cold figure concentrating on his painting.
The brush didn't stop, and his eyes were still fixed on the decaying lotus.
"Miss Shen is here."
"Your Highness, I... obtained a safety talisman for you in the capital." Shen Yingyun gradually lowered her head. Mustering up her courage, she offered the brocade pouch.
Zhongli Mingye glanced at it and said, "Thank you, Miss." But he didn't take the brocade pouch.
He said indifferently, "I have guards with me wherever I go. I don't need this safety talisman."
Shen Yingyun took it back awkwardly, and her pretty face instantly turned pale. She had thought this man had no feelings for her, but she didn't expect him to trample on her feelings like this.
"Miss Shen likes to travel. You might as well take it with you for safety." The words that seemed like comfort were spoken in a cold tone.
Shen Yingyun's disappointment grew.
When she walked out of the warm pavilion, her face looked extremely gloomy.
In the post station in Liuzhou City,
Ouyang Jinse was being interrogated by the crown prince. After a fierce fight just now, the corner of his mouth was bleeding from the crown prince's blows. Ouyang Jinse didn't dare to fight back and could only retreat step by step.
"Why did you kill those experts?"
"Because... they were witnesses!" Ouyang Jinse insisted and refused to admit that it was for Song Jinyu.
"Those ten experts could have served more important purposes!" The crown prince's sinister face twisted in anger.
Furious, he said, "Your Golden Water Palace actually wasted ten experts just to kill a junior disciple from the Heavenly Gate Mountain!"
"Your Highness, please calm down!"
Ouyang Jinse was afraid that the crown prince's anger would be directed at his mother, Lady Jinhua. So he took full responsibility for this matter.
"Not only did you fail to kill the person, but you also caused a rift between the two major sects. You've made a laughingstock of yourselves in the entire martial arts world!"
The crown prince tightly grabbed Ouyang Jinse's throat, making him cough continuously.
After a moment, the crown prince let him go.
"Pass on my order." The crown prince adjusted his cuffs and stared sinisterly at Ouyang Jinse.
"This matter has nothing to do with the Golden Water Palace. It was an accidental injury caused by the nearby bandits."
His sinister look scared the guards into silence. "Tell the people from the Heavenly Gate Mountain to leave immediately!"
"Yes!"
The crown prince, Zhongli Chengze, turned around and stared fixedly at Ouyang Jinse. "Listen up. If you cause any more trouble, I'll make sure the Golden Water Palace ceases to exist in the martial arts world!"
At the crown prince's order, the officials in Liuzhou City were in a panic, but Zhongli Mingye remained calm and indifferent to external affairs.
He was only concentrating on copying a newly - acquired landscape painting.
Although the people on the Heavenly Gate Mountain were extremely angry, they still withdrew their people. Song Jinyu, who was still refining poison in the "secret base" at this moment, didn't show any reaction upon hearing this news.
Yan Fei was furious and wanted to go and settle the score with Ouyang Jinse.
Song Jinyu grabbed him. "Do you want to die?"
Her delicate eyebrows furrowed like frost, and her clear eyes stared at Yan Fei.
"If the crown prince says it's a misunderstanding, then it is."
Her tone changed. "Why are you getting angry with him?"
"We'll just stop interacting with Ouyang Jinse in the future."
Although Song Jinyu had suffered a loss, she never let those who had hurt her go easily.
Yan Fei felt dejected. A bit of furnace ash had stained his white clothes, and the handsome young man finally had a touch of the mundane.
Song Jinyu brushed it off for him. How could she not be angry in her heart? But now that the crown prince had intervened, she supposed that man must be helpless too.
She wondered if his wound had healed by now. Why was she thinking about him out of the blue!
Lady Jinhua of the Golden Water Palace, very well!
Let's wait and see.
Song Jinyu threw a piece of pinewood into the furnace, making the flames burn even more vigorously.
A few days later, news spread from the Golden Water Palace. Lady Jinhua was ill and couldn't manage the Golden Water Palace anymore. She abdicated and went into retirement, and Ouyang Jinse ascended to the position of the palace master.
Suddenly, the martial arts world was in an uproar.
The crown prince didn't comment. He was deep in thought in his carriage on the way back to the capital.
Zhongli Mingye thought about this and concluded that Ouyang Jinse was a ruthless man.
However, another piece of news from the shadow guards made him break his writing brush immediately.
"Ouyang Jinse has gone to the Heavenly Gate Mountain again to propose marriage."
"He wants to marry the eleventh female disciple of the Heavenly Gate Mountain to be his palace - mistress."
After this news spread, the martial arts world instantly forgot about the conflict between the two major sects at the beginning of the month. Everyone thought that the two sects were going to form an alliance through marriage.
He's asking for death!
Trying to steal my woman?
"Mother, rest well." Ouyang Jinse expressionlessly closed the door for Lady Jinhua and locked it.
After returning from the crown prince in Liuzhou that day,
At dinner time, Ouyang Jinse personally cooked porridge for his mother and accompanied her for the meal.
For a moment, the mother - son relationship seemed very affectionate and harmonious.
However, Lady Jinhua soon couldn't smile anymore.
When she woke up in the morning, she couldn't even get out of bed, let alone speak. She could only use her eyes to gesture.
Ouyang Jinse came in, dismissed the servants, and covered his mother with the quilt. "You're sick. Don't worry about things too much."
"Leave the Golden Water Palace to your son."
He picked up the obsidian seal from his mother's study and left expressionlessly.
"If I'm the palace master, the Golden Water Palace won't harm Jinyu."
As soon as the last words were spoken,
Lady Jinhua rolled her eyes in anger and fainted.
Sure enough!
It was all for that seductress!
When she woke up again, she was already in the secret chamber. There were several mute maidservants taking care of her.
The once - powerful palace master of the Golden Water Palace had thus retired due to illness.
...