"You are not talented in cultivation. We can see that your level of Taoists Law has barely improved in the last ten years. And you are not able to take the Nation Master of Tang position, because you are not the type of person who knows how to deal with different people like civilian officials and generals in the court. In this case, as my student, you will face a very bad situation. The people who hate me will stand against you when I die, once they know you are not under the protection of the Nation Master title.
Li Qingshan looked at his chief student, his eyes full of worry and helplessness.
He Mingchi answered, looking down, "I am not talented, but I am used to the life of serving you and uncles, and doing errands like organizing archives. If you die, I will finish my work first and then stay near your tomb and practice Taoists Law, not to improve my state to Knowing Destiny State, but merely to live in the world a little longer."
"You would guard a tomb alone? That sounds miserable."
Li Qingshan laughed. Then he put on a serious look and said to He Mingchi, "His Majesty asked you to supervise the Prince while he studies. I know you get along well with him, but you should watch out, as your relationship might someday bring you major trouble. I think you should do some preparation in advance, in case this happens."
At this moment, his voice suddenly became deep and low.
He Mingchi was taken back; he moved two steps forward. His face became more and more serious and his eyes full of surprise. He raised his head but was unable to say anything.
Li Qingshan looked at his disciple, and said with concern, "Many years ago, I met His Majesty at a fortune teller's. He was not as powerful then as he is today. After all these years' friendship, he always allows me to do unreasonable things. That is why I hope you can become a close friend of the First Prince. You are my disciple, and this is the way I protect you."
He Mingchi was too moved to say anything.
Li Qingshan looked at him fondly and said, "It's time for you to leave."
He Mingchi left.
Li Qingshan turned to look out the window, where snow was falling slowly. He contemplated silently.
Everyone knew that he had been a nobody before taking up this powerful position. Naturally, they thought he was a brainless and brash person. But being the National Master for such a long time, he had to think carefully about the important things happening in the court.
It was very clear to him that the decision of which Prince should inherit the throne would be made solely by the King. As long as the Academy kept its promise of not intervening in politics, no one in the empire would dare to say anything about the decision, not even the prime minister or the Military Department.
If His Majesty chose the Second Prince, everything would be as right as rain.
But if His Majesty chose the First Prince, would the Empress agree with the decision?
After so many years, it was still hard for Li Qingshan to understand the deep relationship between the Emperor and the Empress. But seeing was believing, and Li Qingshan had seen how much they loved each other. However, he still wondered whether the empress would be willing to stay in the palace when the Emperor died.
Gazing out at the snow, he sighed. Could he really rely on the chance that the empress, the former Saintess of Diabolism, would not try to obtain supreme power over the Kingdom? After all he was the Master of the Southern Gate Temple of Haotian.
"Last month, uncle threw a banquet, wanting to introduce me to some officials in the court. But several officials heard I was going to the party and decided not to go, just so that they wouldn't have to meet me! Yet when that woman held a banquet a few days ago, all the ministers sent their wives to the Palace to cater to her. They would have even sent their mothers to the Palace if it was possible. I mean, what were they thinking? Do they not know that I am the First Prince?"
In a quiet yard, a young man dressed in yellow was sitting in a chair, shouting angrily to the snow. There was no dignity on his face, only hatred and evil.
Lee Yu was sitting next to him and watching the snow. She frowned. She had been worried recently about the things happening in the court, and his comments made her worry even more. She said harshly, "She is our mother! What do you mean by that woman? And your rude remarks about the officials are so unacceptable!"
The young man was the First Prince Li Huiyuan. He was a bit afraid of his sister, but still had the courage to say, "Sister, we only have one mother, and that is not her. She is not qualified to be our mother anyway. Those officials are all mean and evil jerks. What's wrong with pointing it out?"
Lee Yu looked him in the eye and said seriously, "You are the successor of the Kingdom, and there are countless eyes spying on you. You need to mind your words and deeds at all times. "
Li Huiyuan sneered and said, "But father hasn't appointed me as the Crown Prince."
"Enough!"
Lee Yu furrowed her brows. She quickly changed the topic, "How is your studying in Guozijian?"
Li Huiyuan shrugged. A careless expression crossed his face. "Father sent He Mingchi to watch me study every day. Even if I wanted to skip school, it would be impossible. Stop worrying. The Grand Secretaries all praised me for studying hard."
Lee Yu watched his expression and was sure that he was not lying. This improved her mood, but she still reminded him, "He Mingchi is very busy. He needs to handle affairs in the Imperial Center Administration and watch you study. Remember not to vent your anger on him."
Li Huiyuan was a little confused at her words. He asked, "I am getting along well with Mingchi. I would never blame him for others' faults. But why do you care so much?"
Looking at the falling snow, Lee Yu said slowly, "A couple of days ago, the Academy, the imperial court and the Southern Gate Temple made an agreement. When Ning Que enters the human realm in the future, he will not be a visiting professor of the Southern Gate Temple, but the National Master. He Mingchi is the current National Master's beloved student. He is very important if we want to win the support of South School of Haotian Taoism."
"I never asked him, but I believe he will support us because of our relationship."
Li Huiyuan thought about how things would unfold in the future. He Mingchi would inherit his master Li Qingshan, the current National Master's influence, but he would never become a National Master. He felt very sorry for He Mingshan. "Ning Que will probably become an important person for us. I wonder how we can get him."
Lee Yu became angry again. She raised her eyebrows and rebuked, "I said you need to be careful, but you dare to say everything. Ning Que is a core disciple of the Headmaster of Academy. No one dares to say they want to get him."
Li Huiyuan didn't conceal his pride. He said scornfully, "Even if I cannot do it now, in the future, I will have the dragon throne. I will have countless aces serving in Imperial Center Administration and in the army. I have no reason to be scared of him."
Lee Yu's anger grew. She stared at him in disappointment. "It was the Headmaster of the Academy who made the rule that the Academy is not allowed to interfere with politics and it has to obey the law of Tang Empire. The imperial court does not have the ability to control the Academy. So, if you want to hold onto your throne, you should remember to respect the Academy at all times. Do you hear me?"
Li Huiyuan was shocked by the anger in her eyes. He nodded. To make her happy again, he held her hands and shook them gently. "I know, sister. I know now that no one is allowed to say they want to get the Academy. But I know you are powerful enough to get Ning Que."
His words reminded Lee Yu of the trek, the stories beside the bonfire and the man with three swords on his back. She could not help but laugh. "I am afraid I am not that powerful."
A palace nanny appeared and said quietly, "The Little Prince woke up and Miss Sangsang told him some stories. They are now on their way here."
Lee Yu glanced at her brother and said, "You should go back to the Palace and study, in case father checks your homework tonight."
Lee Huiyuan replied, "I could stay longer. Father never opposes me staying with you."
Lee Yu frowned. "You really should avoid meeting her. You are ill-tempered and although Sangsang seems to be fine with it, she has a clear mind. She knows everything you are thinking."
Li Huiyuan laughed out of anger. "But she is just a handmaiden. You want me to leave just because of her?"
Lee Yu didn't bother to explain. She grabbed him, lifted him out of the chair, and then called some eunuchs to escort him to the Palace.
She watched the yellow figure disappear at the stone gate of the yard and shook her head. She knew that although her brother had improved considerably in the past year, he was still too young to understand matters thoroughly.
Sangsang was indeed a normal humble handmaiden; her status was much lower than a Prince of Tang. But Lee Yu was clear that Sangsang was the key to getting Ning Que and keeping a good relationship with the Academy.
Lee Yu placed her brush on the inkstone. She looked at her calligraphy, a whole page of regular script in small characters. She turned around and asked, "What do you think of my writing? Do you like it?"
Sangsang shook her head. "I am not good at appreciating calligraphy. I think as long as it is clean and tidy, it is good."
Lee Yu didn't buy it. With a laugh, she said, "But your young master is one of the most famous calligraphers. After being with him for such a long time how come you don't know how to appreciate calligraphy? How do you appreciate his calligraphy when you accompany him as he writes?"
Sangsang looked at Lee Yu seriously. Her eyes were round and shiny. She said, "My young master's writing is definitely good. I don't need to think of fancy words to flatter him."
Lee Yu thought about her words carefully and found this handmaiden and her master very interesting. To make fun of her, she asked, "I don't know how you get along so well with each other, but I know, in your eyes, Ning Que is the best in everything. Tell me, he has been out of Chang'an for a long time, have you missed him at night?"
Sangsang and Lee Yu had been visiting each other quite regularly ever since they came to Chang'an from the City of Wei. They had gradually become friends, ignoring the differences between their statuses. But when Shangshang heard this, she felt ashamed and angry. She turned around and didn't answer Lee Yu's question, which was very uncommon.
Lee Yu smiled, she knew very well that only by making fun of each other, could they become closer. She also knew very well that under the angry, shamed face, Sangsang liked what she was implying.
But Sangsang was too young to understand her own feelings. She didn't really know why she felt so ashamed. Ning Que was the same. He was not clear of his feelings either.
Sangsang was standing next to the lake and looking at the snow. Her slim figure and the backdrop of the flying snow made up a really beautiful picture, from which you could sense a lonely but expectant feeling.
Lee Yu looked at this picture and envisioned Ning Que standing next to the handmaiden. She found this picture complete and harmonious, so much that not a single part was in conflict.
She sighed silently, trying to rid herself of the envy and regret arising in her heart. She remembered the piece of recent news and asked softly, "I heard that you harbored an old man recently in the Old Brush Pen Shop."
Surprised, Sangsang turned and nodded.
Looking at her thin dark face, Lee Yu felt her heart swelling with pity. She reminded Sangsang carefully, "Chang'an is a safe place and there are people guarding the shop. But still, please be careful about this type of thing."
Sangsang sensed her concern and love. She comforted Lee Yu, "It is fine. He is an honest man."
He was a man of trouble. A decade ago, it was he who had led two bloody cases and killed countless innocent people, yet he was also titled Great Divine Priest of Light and symbolized purity. Whether the word honest really suited him was an uncertainty.
But it was true that nothing had gone wrong in the Old Brush Pen Shop. Ning Que had asked for help several times from many different parties before he left, so Lin 47th Street was under heavy guard. It had thus become quite noisy; bodyguards from the imperial palace often came and watched the shop, and local government runners checked on the shop at least five times a day. Never mind the people from the Fish-dragon Gang, who almost never left the shop, and protected it from morning till night. All this made this humble street the safest place aside from the Palace.
It was ironic though. The bodyguards from the imperial palace, the Chang'an local government, and the Fish-dragon Gang were all executing another command: find an old man. But it had never occurred to anyone that the man they were searching for was in the very shop they were guarding.
When evening fell, Sangsang remembered that it was time to prepare dinner for the old man. She left the Princess Mansion and went home.
She opened the gate of the shop and walked into the yard. Her eyebrows frowned when she discovered the old man was planning to heat up leftovers as dinner, just like she had thought he would. She opened the boxed meal from the Princess Mansion and said, "Come and eat this."
She had tried to teach the old man to cook a couple of days ago. But after witnessing the fruit of his cooking, she decided to save some rice and wood by giving up on her plan. The rice had been so overcooked that it was as black as coal and half of the wood pile had disappeared.
Just as they were about to eat, someone knocked on the gate.
Sangsang stood up. She was about to answer the door when she suddenly remembered something. She sat back down to eat.
The old man understood. He picked a tiny bit of rice from his clothes and went to answer the door.
The gate of the Old Brush Pen Shop opened. A monk was standing on the stairs.
It was a handsome young monk, dressed in a very old robe, with a feeling of out of the mortal world.
The monk was shocked to see the old man. He said, "I am not looking for you."
The old man was also shocked, he turned around and said, "It is for you."
Holding her bowl, Sangsang walked toward the gate. She tried very hard to remember who this young monk was and finally remembered that she had met this man once outside the gate of the Academy when Ning Que had gone to the Second floor of the Academy.
The monk's eyes lightened when he saw Sangsang's dark face. He exclaimed in an excited shaking voice, "Oh dear girl, I, the Love Monk Wudao, have finally found you. I have made you some new poems."
"You are a beautiful flower on the cliff, waiting for me to pick you up. You are a slim fish in the lake, swimming through a net of seaweed. You are the biggest obstacle in my road, and I choose to stay with you, never to start the journey again..."
Sangsang glanced at the Yellow Flower Fish in her bowl when she heard the words flower and fish.