Chapter 457: The Qilin is One

Chapter 457: The Qilin is One

"Qilin?"

The Liang Emperor was greatly shocked. "What do you mean, Master Ziwu?"

Master Ziwu spoke softly, "Your Majesty, you have two grandsons, but there is only one Qilin, and he resides in the Crown Prince's Mansion."

The Liang Emperor furrowed his brows and asked, "Do you believe that Yuan'er is the National Guardian Qilin?"

Master Ziwu met the Liang Emperor's sharp gaze head-on and said calmly, "It's not just my opinion, but the will of Heaven."

This interpretation differed from the State Tutor's divination.

The Liang Emperor withdrew his gaze and looked out the window at the lush, verdant branches and leaves. "Although I have long admired your reputation, Qi'er was brought back to the Imperial City by the State Tutor. Since your opinion differs from his, I find myself in a difficult situation."

Master Ziwu, instead of immediately arguing eloquently, smiled and said calmly, "Your Majesty, after hearing my words, you find it difficult. Instead of punishing me for spreading false rumors, does this not prove that you are also not entirely satisfied with the current Qilin in your heart?"

The Liang Emperor paused and shook his head with a sigh. "I am not dissatisfied with Qi'er."

Lu Qi was the first grandson he had recognized, the one who had broken the curse of his lack of descendants. The hope and joy Lu Qi brought him were irreplaceable.

However, Yuan'er was also unique. He had allowed the Emperor to experience the true joy of family.

Yuan'er, too, was irreplaceable.

Both sides of the coin were equally important.

If he had to choose, it would be that the Prince of Jin's framing of his brothers had disappointed him.

Of course, in the royal family, sibling rivalry was inevitable.

This position would ultimately be fought over with bloodshed.

Grandchildren were welcome, but the Emperor understood that there could only be one National Guardian Qilin.

"This concerns the dignity of the nation, so we must be extremely cautious."

The Liang Emperor's words were already a great show of respect for Master Ziwu.

After all, in the Liang Emperor's heart, Lu Qi had already taken precedence. If it weren't for Lu Yuan's likable nature, the Emperor might have already 'invited' Master Ziwu out of the palace.

Master Ziwu also understood that shaking Lu Qi's position was not an easy task.

He cupped his hands and said, "Your Majesty, you toil day and night, managing the affairs of the nation. I have disturbed you, but I merely cast a divination in my free time. Your Majesty, please do not take it to heart."

The Liang Emperor said, "I understand your intentions, Master, and there is no need to use retreat as a strategy."

Master Ziwu thought: No wonder they are grandfather and grandson; their words are equally suffocating.

The Liang Emperor said to Eunuch Yu, "See Master Ziwu out."

Master Ziwu, understanding the situation, stood up and said, "This commoner takes his leave."

Eunuch Yu politely said, "Please, Master Ziwu."

After leaving the palace, Master Ziwu boarded the Crown Prince's carriage.

As he lifted the curtain, he was startled by the crowd of people inside.

Who could tell him where all these strange individuals had come from?

There were those with white hair and blue eyes, a child polishing a bow, and an iron-faced assassin.

"How did even the people from Thousand Mechanism Pavilion end up here?"

Master Ziwu's gaze fell on Shangguan Ling.

Shangguan Ling cupped his hands and said, "Greetings to the Master."

The carriage was packed, leaving Master Ziwu with nowhere to stand.

"Yu Zichuan."

Lu Yuan spoke casually.

"Oh."

Yu Zichuan lifted the curtain and sat on top of the carriage.

Shangguan Ling pulled him down and pressed him into the outer seat, "Get down, or do you think I won't recognize you?"

Yu Zichuan's face darkened with resentment.

He had just polished the left side three times.

As soon as Shangguan Ling let go, he immediately flew back to the top of the carriage and quickly polished the right side of the bow three times before sitting back down comfortably on the outer seat.

"You Weiwei, Ji Li."

"Chen Long."

"Si She."

The three introduced themselves to Master Ziwu in turn.

Master Ziwu: "I don't want to board your pirate ship."

Lu Yuan: "It's too late."

Ji Li shook her folding fan, "Since you already know our identities, from now on, we are bound together like grasshoppers on the same rope."

Master Ziwu: "I refuse."

Ji Li smiled and extended her hand, "Please return the compass and tortoise shell to me."

Master Ziwu sat in the seat vacated by Yu Zichuan and took out the items from his wide sleeves, returning them to Ji Li.

Lu Yuan asked, "How did it go? Did His Majesty believe you?"

Master Ziwu glared at him, "I'm not His Majesty, go ask him yourself."

Ji Li shook her fan and said, "I guess it won't be easy to shake Thousand Mechanism Pavilion and Lu Qi."

Chen Long looked at Lu Yuan coldly, "It's all his fault for being inferior in every way. His knowledge and virtues are lacking, and when he's in the palace, he's either indulging in food and entertainment or causing trouble. Pretending to be the Qilin? He can't even pretend to be a decent one!"

Lu Yuan spoke leisurely, "Today, I won't argue with you."

Chen Long scoffed, "If you can't beat him, don't make excuses."

Ji Li said to Lu Yuan, "If you can't beat him, I'll help you. I've been annoyed by this worm for a long time."

"Then I'll kill you first!"

Chen Long struck towards Ji Li with a palm.

The Snake of the Year, who was between the two, grabbed Chen Long's wrist, "Don't fight in front of me."

Chen Long said indifferently, "You can join in too."

Dong! Yu Zichuan, with lightning speed, poked Shangguan Ling with a large bow.

"What the hell!"

Shangguan Ling was in so much pain that he kicked Yu Zichuan off the carriage.

Master Ziwu stared at the group of people who had already started rummaging through the carriage in less than half an hour, completely dumbfounded.

You... are you really a group?

The news of Master Ziwu's entry into the palace quickly reached Concubine Hu's palace.

The paper couldn't hide the fire, and Lu Yuan also intentionally spread the false news that he was the real Qilin.

Thus, Concubine Hu soon heard of Master Ziwu's divination regarding the Qilin.

She slammed the table and stood up in a fit of rage, "Nonsense! First, you tried to take my grandson, and now that the truth is out, you see that you're about to lose the Crown Prince's position. You're now setting your sights on the Qilin's fate! Lu Zhaoyan, I was wrong about you before! You're the one with the most ambitious and wildest dreams!"

"After so many years, I've been guarding the wrong person!"

"Prepare the sedan, I want to see His Majesty!"

Concubine Hu stormed off to the Imperial Study in a rage.

As soon as she entered, she burst into tears, "Your Majesty—"

The Liang Emperor rubbed his forehead in pain.

Eunuch Yu had just gone to get some food for the Treasure Piggy, and it had only been a moment's work before Concubine Hu entered the Imperial Study.

He secretly thought it was not good, and said to the little eunuch, "Why didn't you stop her?"

The little eunuch replied fearfully, "I... I didn't dare to stop her..."

Eunuch Yu patted his forehead, "Remember to stop her next time!"

The little eunuch hurriedly said, "Yes, Godfather!"

"Your Majesty, my life is so bitter—"

Concubine Hu pulled out her handkerchief and sobbed, "Remember when Your Majesty went on the southern expedition... my brother..."

Here we go again.

Eunuch Yu took a deep breath.

Concubine Hu had two brothers in her family. The second brother died while saving His Majesty, and the eldest brother was now a general.

Concubine Hu had known the Liang Emperor since they were young, and they were like childhood sweethearts.

She also gave birth to the Emperor's firstborn son, so her status was unspoken.

No wonder the little eunuch didn't dare to stop her.

Concubine Hu first painfully reminisced about the past, talking about how difficult it had been for her to accompany the Emperor all these years. Then, she spoke about the misunderstanding where her grandson was taken to the Crown Prince's Mansion.

"I don't know how much longer I can accompany Your Majesty... I can't bear to see you being deceived by a villain. Qi Er is Your Majesty's eldest grandson, and he is the National Guardian Qilin. How dare an unknown advisor question the State Tutor's divination? Your Majesty, this person has sinister intentions, and you must not believe him!"

The Liang Emperor sighed, "Where did you hear all this from?"

Concubine Hu said with a hint of grievance, "The news has spread throughout the harem."

The Liang Emperor frowned, "Was it you who spread it again?"

Concubine Hu immediately replied, "This time, it wasn't me!"

The Liang Emperor glanced at her, "So, you're saying that the news about Qi Er being the son of the Prince of Jin was spread by you last time?"

Concubine Hu was speechless.

"I'm getting old, and I need to rest. I'll take my leave."

Concubine Hu left with a sullen expression.

The Liang Emperor stood in the Imperial Study, gazing at the scenery outside the window and listening to the soft sounds of the Treasure Piggy. He seemed to have made a decision and said, "Send for the State Tutor."

Thousand Mechanisms Pavilion.

Xiao Rong Er was helping Gongsun Yanming with his clothes, "I've altered the sleeves, do they fit well?"

Gongsun Yanming gave a faint 'hm' in response.

Xiao Rong Er tied his belt and looked at him through the bronze mirror, "I decided on this outfit for Liuying's wedding day."

Gongsun Yanming said, "It's fine as long as you've decided."

Xiao Rong Er's eyes flickered, and she continued tying his belt, "The gifts we sent to the Crown Prince's Mansion have been retrieved, should we send them to the Prince of Jin's Mansion, or should we make new ones and send them again?"

Gongsun Yanming said, "The wedding was only postponed for half a month, so making new ones might not be in time. Just send the original gifts."

Xiao Rong Er remained silent, noticing that her husband didn't seem too concerned about their daughter's wedding.

"Second Brother!"

Gongsun Yu entered the room with quick, large strides.

Xiao Rong Er quickly withdrew her hand.

Gongsun Yu was startled and said awkwardly, "I was too hasty, Sister-in-law is also here."

Gongsun Yanming asked, "What's the matter?"

Gongsun Yu glanced at Xiao Rong Er and said to Gongsun Yanming, "Big Brother, something big has happened. Master Ziwu, who was invited to the Crown Prince's Mansion last time, went to the palace early this morning and told His Majesty that the Jian Junwang is a fake Qilin, and the Crown Prince's son is the real Qilin. He urged His Majesty to quickly rectify the situation, or else the country's fortune will be in turmoil!"

Xiao Rong Er's face changed slightly, "What? Is this true?"

A hint of authority flashed in Gongsun Yanming's eyes.

Gongsun Yu asked anxiously, "Big Brother, what should we do?"

Gongsun Yanming asked, "Your Majesty, what do you plan to do with Master Ziwu?"

Gongsun Yu shook his head. "Not yet. I even had Eunuch Yu personally send him out of the palace. Big brother, Your Majesty's attitude is strange. He wasn't this courteous to those who doubted Jian Junwang before!"

Gongsun Yanming calmly replied, "They aren't disciples of Wushan either."

Xiao Rong Er spoke softly, "I heard that Master Ziwu and the Miaojiang Fairy are from the same sect. He is the Fairy's senior fellow disciple. I never expected the Crown Prince's Mansion to bribe him. If I had known this, I wouldn't have let Qi Er help the Crown Prince invite Master Ziwu out of seclusion."

Gongsun Yu clenched his fists in frustration, "Who says otherwise? Qi Er invited him down the mountain, but in the end, it became a sharp sword for the Crown Prince to use against Qi Er! That Dou Qingyi is really something, how could she mistake someone like that?"

Xiao Rong Er sighed gently, "Relying on Qi Er to ascend to the position of Crown Prince, now that he can't make use of Qi Er, he wants to destroy him. This Crown Prince is indeed ruthless. Fortunately, although Your Majesty didn't punish Master Ziwu, he also didn't believe his nonsense. Your Majesty is wise and won't be deceived by villains."

Gongsun Yanming didn't respond to Xiao Rong Er's words but asked Gongsun Yu, "How is the investigation you were tasked with going?"

Gongsun Yu replied, "Big brother, that Lu Lin Yuan is suspicious! He came to the Imperial City to visit relatives and friends. The family he visited is the Yu family. I checked, and they are just an old wine shop. They originally did business in a town near our Ling Mountain and saved up some silver to come to the Imperial City to make a living."

"The strange thing is, he looks exactly like someone else."

Gongsun Yanming asked, "Who?"

Gongsun Yu emphasized each word, "The Grand Commander of the Great Zhou, Lu Yuan."

Gongsun Yanming's eyes narrowed.

At this moment, a disciple's voice was heard from outside, "Pavilion Master, His Majesty summons you!"

---

In the side hall.

Gongsun Yanming cupped his hands and bowed to the Liang Emperor, "Your Majesty."

The Liang Emperor gestured, "Sit down and have a drink with me."

Gongsun Yanming knelt opposite the Liang Emperor.

A young attendant poured wine for the two of them.

The Liang Emperor sighed, "You've heard about Master Ziwu entering the palace, right?"

"Yes," Gongsun Yanming replied.

The Liang Emperor asked, "What do you think about it?"

Gongsun Yanming said, "My senior fellow disciple, he is my elder, and I dare not speak ill of him."

The Liang Emperor lifted his wine bowl, "I forgot that the old Pavilion Master also studied under Wushan."

Gongsun Yanming recalled, "It was many years ago. My master often told me that the happiest days of his life were those few years in Wushan."

The Liang Emperor stared at him intently, "So, between the old Pavilion Master and Master Ziwu, whose divination is more accurate?"

Gongsun Yanming replied, "My master isn't proficient in divination."

The Liang Emperor continued, "What about you? Between you and Master Ziwu, who is more skilled?"

Gongsun Yanming's expression turned serious, "Me."

The Liang Emperor tilted his head back and drank a bowl of strong wine, "You have great courage!"

Being a martial artist, the Liang Emperor's face didn't change after drinking the strong wine. "You and Master Ziwu both claim to have found the true Qilin, but I'm confused as to whose words are true."

Gongsun Yanming calmly said, "Your Majesty, I have a painting to present to you."

"Oh?" The Liang Emperor looked at him with interest.

Gongsun Yanming took out a painting scroll from his wide sleeve and handed it to Eunuch Yu.

Eunuch Yu received it, untied the silk ribbon, and slowly unrolled it on the table.

The Liang Emperor's eyes widened, and he furrowed his brows, asking, "Why do you have a portrait of Yuan Er?"

The reason for his frown wasn't because Gongsun Yanming had a portrait of Lu Yuan, but because of Lu Yuan's attire in the painting.

Gongsun Yanming explained to the Liang Emperor, "Your Majesty, the person in the portrait is Lu Yuan, the Grand Commander of the Great Zhou court."

"Lu Yuan?"

Lin Yuan, Yuan.

The Liang Emperor fell silent.

Gongsun Yanming continued, "Your Majesty, Lu Lin Yuan probably didn't reveal his true identity to you, right? Of course, it's also possible that someone made a mistake, and the person in the portrait only resembles Young Master Lin Yuan."

"Grandpa, Grandpa!"

Baozhu Zhu entered the room.

The Liang Emperor's tense brows relaxed, and he extended his hand to catch the little bundle running towards him.

Baozhu Zhu snuggled into his embrace, "Grandpa!"

The Liang Emperor's heart softened, "Are you hungry?"

Baozhu Zhu patted her little belly, "Yes, I want to eat with Grandpa!"

The Liang Emperor smiled, "Good!"

Gongsun Yanming turned to Baozhu, "This must be Miss Zhaozhao, right?"

Baozhu Zhu tilted her head, "Who are you?"

Gongsun Yanming spoke gently, "I'm Gongsun Yanming. Miss Zhaozhao, do you know who your parents are?"

Baozhu Zhu nodded vigorously.

Gongsun Yanming's voice softened, "Your grandpa and I really want to know your parents' names. Can you tell us?"

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end