The Emperor Reigns Them All

Chapter 52 Side by Side

The name of the purple-robed woman was Song Jiao, a former follower of Prince An Li Xian. There was no news about her after the Battle of Bagong Mountain.

In the night sky, there were many stars and a quarter moon. The sound of fighting in Niushou Mountain had not stopped yet. Spiritual Qi was surging out and sparkling colors were flowing everywhere. Mountains were bathed in light and forests were waving here.

The waterfall was still flowing down and the bottomless clear pond was still splashing. Li Ye and Song Jiao sat side by side on the stone steps of the round altar. The latter’s robes were like butterflies and her black hair brushed her jade-liked face slightly.

“When Prince An chased Pang Xun, we were on the battlefield killing all the masters of Pang Xun’s camp. Prince An’s cultivation was very high and he could cross more than 50 kilometers in an instant. When we arrived at Bagong Mountain which was already surrounded by the masters of the Imperial Astronomical Observatory, Prince An had passed away...”

“After the Battle of Bagong Mountain, everyone was disheartened and retired to Jianghu. Firstly, I lived in seclusion in Zhongnan Mountain, and I came to Niushou Mountain a few days ago. The reason for this trip was because I heard a secret about the Taoist sect in Zhongnan Mountain, that the Taoist sect was raising a pond of green lotuses in Sanqingguan. There would be a lot of Luck before the green lotuses bloom. The Taoist sect wants to implant the green lotuses into a hero, who is selected to overthrow the Tang Empire, to improve his cultivation and Luck.”

Song Jiao glanced at Li Ye doubtfully. “This affair is a secret and the green lotuses have not grown up yet, so it is not well known. But in early March, the lotus pond behind us suddenly leaked out Luck with signs of root instability. This time Nangong Diyi came to Niushou Mountain suddenly, perhaps because the Imperial Astronomical Observatory had been aware of a clue.”

Speaking of this, Song Jiao paused for an instant. “Yet things are still weird. If the Imperial Astronomical Observatory really noticed this, the person sent to Niushou Mountain should go straight to the lotus pond, but Nangong Diyi was still fighting with people at this time... If they weren’t aware of the matter, Nangong Diyi destroying the mountain with his three swords would be too overbearing.”

Song Jiao looked at Li Ye and seemed puzzled. “The Taoist sect raised the green lotuses to overthrow the Tang Empire and the chosen person should be a Jianghu hero. You are now the Grand Prince of the imperial court. Technically, the green lotuses should not be absorbed by you... They have a conflict with your Luck.”

Upon hearing this, Li Ye was deep in thought.

Xu Qingfeng helped the Taoist sect raise the green lotuses in Sanqingguan, it was for the person who brought disaster to the Tang Empire. In order to cooperate with the Taoist sect to come out to the world and in order to ruin the reputation of the imperial court, Xu Qingfeng did not hesitate to scheme against Li Guanshu and Li Ye, and the others were also involved. He even wanted to kill Li Ye to increase the chance of success. However, Li Ye was led to the mountain, like a wolf into the room, which let Li Ye get the power of the green lotuses by chance.

But at that time, Xu Qingfeng could not predict that Nangong Diyi of the Imperial Astronomical Observatory would come to the mountain suddenly and he would be badly injured such that he could not protect this pond of green lotuses. Li Ye swooped in and eventually, Xu Qingfeng lost his life as well as the pond of green lotuses.

However, what did it mean, the conflict of Luck?

Li Ye asked Song Jiao, “Who was the person originally selected by the Taoist sect?”

“What’s his name again... His surname is Huang?” Song Jiao could not remember for a moment.

“Huang Chao?” Li Ye blurted out.

“Yes! It’s called Huang Chao!” Song Jiao nodded and immediately wondered. “Do you know this person?”

Li Ye opened his mouth and thought that it was really interesting that he actually robbed Huang Chao’s Luck.

But he could not explain it and quickly changed the subject. “I seem to have heard of this person... Nangong Diyi came to Niushou Mountain suddenly. If the Imperial Astronomical Observatory did not notice the anomaly of Niushou Mountain, it was probably not the case. After all, when he came, he said it was to deal with the criminals. Perhaps the masters of the Imperial Astronomical Observatory watched the astronomical phenomena at night and found that the Polaris fell on Sanqingguan, so they thought that Sanqingguan had the intention of rebelling...”

“In addition, Nangong Diyi came in such a timely manner, maybe Li Guanshu made a contribution to it. After all, once the rebellion of Sanqingguan is confirmed, his previous schemes and crimes may at least be covered up.”

Song Jiao thought that Li Ye’s words were not unreasonable at all.

Then she slapped Li Ye on the shoulder and laughed like a man. She said happily, “Anyway, now that you have absorbed the green lotuses, this is a big chance for you... Originally, I did not know that you were also included in the youths of the Imperial Clan. After all, you could not cultivate before... I am so angry that Xu Qingfeng, that old thief, hid it from me! But it doesn’t matter since he was killed by you...”

The moonlight was shining and under the water vapor of the waterfall, it was extraordinarily misty and deep. Song Jiao was a woman of great charm, and people could not tell her age. She sat next to Li Ye with her phoenix eyes bright and deep, shining like obsidian. Her black hair fell like a waterfall. She was very beautiful in every way.

However, Li Ye had no time to appreciate her beauty at this time.

He asked Song Jiao, “Aunt Song, what was the secret of the Battle of Bagong Mountain? Was my father done in by traitors, so he ended up dying?”

Song Jiao gathered up her hair and faintly said, “Why do you ask?”

Li Ye was silent for a moment. “I heard some rumors.”

“Rumors?” Song Jiao was a bit surprised at first, and then she understood. “It seems that many people know the rumors that the Taoist sect intended to spread.”

“The Taoist sect?” Li Ye said silently and soon he figured out that the Taoist sect had spread the conspiracy of Li Xian dying due to the imperial court. It would lead to many people becoming disloyal to the imperial court, which was in line with the Taoist sect’s intention to cause chaos.

Song Jiao suddenly asked, “Do you believe those rumors?”

“I believe most of them. If my father did not die from a conspiracy, his followers and associates would not disband,” Li Ye said, “and Aunt Song just said that after the Battle of Bagong Mountain, everyone was disheartened, so they retired to Jianghu. Why would they be disheartened?”

Song Jiao looked carefully at Li Ye and sighed. “You are really different from childhood. Yes, many of us at that time thought that Prince An died because of the emperor’s distrust, and Li Guanshu, Kang Chengxun, and other people were the executioners.”

“A few years ago, Prince An was too powerful because military and political power were in his hands. With the establishment of the Manor, Prince An’s Manor even carried more weight than the six departments and was once above the three ministries. It was not just the emperor who was unhappy, but those chief officials of the three ministries and six departments, had they ever been happy?”

“Prince An happened to be a straight-forward person. The only thing in his heart was the country and there was no room for intrigue. He always said that the country was going to fall, and there was no time to lose. He tried to help the country, but he still could not stop the Tang Empire from decline, so he did not have any time to deal with villains courteously.”

“In these years, Prince An acted decisively, was not afraid of gossip, and sometimes he even killed people to punish corrupt officials, which made him look too powerful, like a full-fledged ruler... The key point was that Prince An’s reputation was too good and his prestige was too big, so it was reasonable for the emperor to be jealous and for the ministers to fear him.”

Speaking of this, Song Jiao smiled bitterly and her eyes turned cold. “We tried to persuade Prince An that it was too hard to achieve. However, Prince An’s heart was full of national interests. It was not that he did not know these truths, but everything he did was for the Tang Empire, so he really did not care... When Pang Xun led the rebellion, the imperial court had no intention of letting Prince An lead the troops to suppress it. But those generals were too incompetent, so the emperor was forced to let Prince An come forward.”

“At that time, not just us, but Prince An could predict that when they went to Huainan, they could not come back even if they suppressed the rebellion. However, we still wished that we would be lucky, and hoped that the emperor would not destroy his own country, and hoped that the ministers were still concerned with the overall situation... We thought highly of the emperor and the ministers... It was said that Prince An’s life was tied with the country’s. That was true.”

Li Ye was silent for a moment. “In that situation, it was not surprising that everyone was disheartened.”

Song Jiao stared blankly at the clear pond under the waterfall for a while, maybe reminded of some bad memories. After a long time, she said sadly, “When Prince An died, our people, who were trusted by Prince An, knew that the imperial court would not let go of us and no one would speak for us, so we could only disband into Jianghu. Even so, many of us either died or went missing in the past two years, and now, there are only a few of them left.”

Li Ye looked up at the direction of Sanqingguan and said slowly, “So Aunt Song collaborated with the Taoist sect, is it possible that you support the Taoist sect’s intention to overthrow the imperial court?”

Song Jiao bit her teeth and said, “This kind of imperial court, letting loyal people die and putting crafty people in power, is rotten to the roots. What is the need for its survival?”

Li Ye did not express an opinion. “So did Aunt Song tell the Taoist sect about the secret of the Battle of Bagong Mountain?”

“Yes.” Song Jiao frankly admitted.

Li Ye was silent.

Song Jiao had been addressing Li Xian as Prince An in the conversation.

But now, Li Ye was Prince An of the Tang Empire and Li Xian was already the old Prince An.

This showed that Song Jiao’s loyalty to Li Xian was deep and that she was extremely respectful to him.

Li Ye felt that though things were the same, the same people had changed a lot.

He was the Grand Prince of the imperial court and would continue to operate in the system of the imperial court.

And Song Jiao, who collaborated with the Taoist sect to some extent, had already stood up in opposition.

At least, in the short term.

In the past two years, the former followers, including Song Jiao, none of them went to Chang’an to find Li Ye.

They knew that Li Ye was in a difficult situation.

Generally, these people had been ignoring Li Ye, because he could not cultivate before.

Compared to the shining Prince An, it was too embarrassing for his Heir Apparent to be unable to cultivate.

Song Jiao and the others had been disheartened and they did not put Li Ye in their eyes, so they would not have the idea of protecting the descendant of their former master. It was difficult to protect themselves. Even if they had this idea, it was too hard to do so. If they went to Chang’an rashly, it would only bring trouble to Li Ye.

Li Ye did not know which of these two kinds of thoughts was the truth.

So he asked Song Jiao, “Aunt Song, what do you plan to do next?”

Song Jiao asked in reply, “What are your plans?”

Li Ye’s eyes were firm. “I will get revenge for my father first.”

Song Jiao did not hesitate. “I will help you get revenge.”

Li Ye was a bit surprised. “Is Aunt Song willing to go with me?”

Song Jiao took a quick look at Li Ye. “You little guy, if I don’t go with you, how will you get out of Niushou Mountain?”

Li Ye’s heart was warm.

Song Jiao stood up and glanced at the top of the waterfall. On the other side, the moon hung still and the 30-meter waterfall flowed down like it was from the Moon Palace.

Then she looked at Li Ye with her eyes like knives, red lips like blood, and purple robe moving without wind. “In the past, I fought with Prince An side by side, bathing in blood and suffering together. I even suppressed the rebellion and protected the country. I also sneaked into enemy camps with great ease and took the enemy’s head easily, like taking candy from a baby. Tonight, I would like to see if you, the new Prince An, can make me relive those past years again or not.”

At this moment, the beauty was like a sword.

Li Ye stood up and looked up at the top of the waterfall. On the other side, someone stood up against the wind with his back against the bright moon, his hand holding a sharp weapon, robes fluttering, like a heavenly soldier descending to the earth and an immortal appearing in the world.

The young Prince An was calm. “The battlefield is bloody, and I dare not disappoint my fellows.”

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