“Although the Plum Blossom Sect’s movements are quite secretive, their actions of challenging various Taoist sects one by one inevitably become known. Particularly noteworthy is the fact that their Taoist techniques are highly distinctive, completely unbound by the Five Elements and Yin-Yang. Therefore, in magical confrontations, their members almost disregard the characteristics of their opponents’ techniques, free from any constraints of mutual generation and restriction. This has become a matter of great interest to the Taoist sects across the world.” At this point, Sixth Master furrowed his brows and turned to Mei Qing.
“I’ve heard from my subordinates that you have performed forbidden techniques several times, which closely resemble the Plum Blossom Sect’s methods. Although I am not entirely clear on the details, it seems there is some truth to it. And your mother, we once saw her Taoist techniques by chance. Back then, our understanding was insufficient, and we couldn’t comprehend them. Now, looking back, they were exactly like the legendary techniques of the Plum Blossom Sect, completely different from any other sect in the world.” After a pause, Sixth Master continued, “Not only that. Your mother never revealed her real name to us, and we couldn’t trace her origins. However, back then, she asked us to call her by a name that inevitably reminded us of the Six Plum Blossoms under the Plum Blossom Sect.”
“What did you call her?” Mei Qing asked curiously.
“She asked us to call her Wu Duo (Five Blossoms),” Sixth Master said with a sigh.
Mei Qing couldn’t help but turn his gaze to Uncle Zhong. The head maid in his room was named Duo Yun (Cloud Blossom), and the younger maid was called Wu Er (Fifth Child). Previously, he hadn’t thought much of it, but now it seemed that these names, likely given by Uncle Zhong, carried a different meaning.
In those days, the custom of avoiding the names of ancestors was strictly observed, and it was unthinkable to use the names of predecessors for later generations, let alone for maids.
Sixth Master, as if reading Mei Qing’s thoughts, shook his head and said, “I know the names Wu Er and Duo Yun. They were originally the names of two maids by your mother’s side. That’s why we all thought the name Wu Duo couldn’t be her real name, but just a casual alias she used.”
Mei Qing felt a bit strange upon hearing this. In his heart, he didn’t think that the names of relatives needed to be avoided as strictly as others did. But regardless, his mother’s behavior was indeed unusual.
“Where is my mother now? Has she already…” Seeing Sixth Master and Uncle Zhong lost in thought, Mei Qing anxiously pressed for an answer.
Sixth Master and Uncle Zhong exchanged glances, and finally, Uncle Zhong shook his head with difficulty, “We don’t know.”
Mei Qing was stunned, but seeing their expressions, he knew they weren’t lying. After a moment of thought, he asked, “What about my father? Who is he?”
Sixth Master hesitated for a moment before speaking in a strained voice, “Your father was the Prince of Xingxian, who is now the current emperor.”
“What!?” Although Mei Qing had thought his background was somewhat unusual, this answer was completely beyond his expectations. He jumped up straight and pointed at Sixth Master, “Are you saying that I am… the emperor’s son?”
Despite his rude behavior, Sixth Master acted as if he didn’t notice and simply nodded slowly.
“Are you joking?” Mei Qing laughed dryly, “How could I be the emperor’s son? That old man Jiajing is my father? How? How? Haha, isn’t this just a joke? Right, Uncle Zhong?”
Uncle Zhong’s face showed a hint of sorrow as he softly said, “Young master, what Sixth Master said is true. You are indeed the son of the emperor.”
“How do you know?” Mei Qing shook his head, “Uncle Zhong, don’t be fooled by him. Do you believe the words of the head of the Imperial Guards?”
As he spoke, Mei Qing kept shaking his head, repeatedly saying it was impossible.
Uncle Zhong sighed, “I didn’t hear this from him. Back then, I was the chief guard at the Prince of Xingxian’s mansion in Hubei, known as Ghost Hand Lu Zhong. Sixth Master and I are actually brothers from the same clan. However, my family was poor, and I had some unusual encounters since childhood, learning some martial arts. Later, it was through the recommendation of our clan elders that I gained the favor of the old prince and became a guard at the mansion, always following the crown prince—who later became the Prince of Xingxian and then ascended to the throne as the emperor. You are indeed the emperor’s son, there’s no mistake.”
“Then—if my father was the emperor, even if he was just the Prince of Xingxian back then, how could he have married my mother? Moreover, if he really became the emperor, how could he not even know my mother’s whereabouts?”
Sixth Master sighed and slowly said, “That’s a long story.”
“Back then, I was the emperor’s study companion. Actually, at that time, the emperor was just the crown prince of the Prince of Xingxian. Although he was destined to inherit the title, the princes of our Ming dynasty were mostly just figureheads. Especially after the rebellion of the Prince of Ning, the court tightly controlled the power of the regional princes, not allowing any slack. Therefore, the emperor was quite idle back then. With his youthful nature, he often took me and Lu Zhong out in disguise to wander around.”
“Lu Zhong was a few years older than us, and he always played the role of a servant when we went out. Now that I think about it, Lu Zhong was practicing external energy techniques at that time, and he probably looked like a bodyguard. How could he pass as a servant? I guess you knew that back then, but you just played along with us, right?” Sixth Master smiled.
“Not entirely,” Uncle Zhong shook his head, “Back then, the emperor loved to go out, and although we couldn’t stop him, we had to take precautions. Besides, we didn’t have enough manpower, and if something happened, what would we do? You know, back then, the Prince of Xingxian’s mansion was only intimidating to ordinary people. Those with real power didn’t necessarily care much about the mansion. If something really happened, although it could be resolved, it would still cause trouble for the mansion. By acting tough, I made those troublemakers think twice before acting, as not every family had a tough guy like me as a servant.”
“Indeed. No wonder we never had any trouble when the three of us went out. Now that I think about it, it was all thanks to your careful planning.” Sixth Master grinned.
“Unfortunately, we only had one incident, and it almost got out of hand.” Uncle Zhong said gloomily.
Sixth Master shook his head, “It’s hard to say. Perhaps there were some things we couldn’t understand. Anyway, let’s not talk about that now. Actually, at that time, I had already started to lay the foundation for Taoist practices. My entry into the path of cultivation was somewhat accidental. Now that I think about it, it’s slightly similar to your experience, Mei Qing. However, I was much younger than you when I started, and I didn’t learn anything substantial back then, just muddling through. Later, I met A Bi’s mother, and we became Taoist partners. Under her guidance, my progress was quite fast. If it weren’t for the emperor’s ascension to the throne, I might have already left worldly affairs behind and be cultivating in some mountain now.”
“Back then, with my youthful nature, I couldn’t help but want to compete after learning something. Coincidentally, there was a time when a bastard prince provoked me, and I couldn’t directly teach him a lesson. In a moment of anger, I used a spell to make him suffer.”
“Unfortunately, the emperor happened to witness this. He was still the crown prince at that time, just a teenager, and naturally curious about everything. When he saw this, he was determined to learn it. I had to tell him that the key to Taoist practices is fate. I also told him that I practiced dual cultivation, and everything I learned was taught by my Taoist partner. Due to the sect’s rules, I couldn’t teach him.”
“The crown prince was obviously unhappy, but he knew I was telling the truth and had no choice. However, later when he went out to wander, he insisted on going to remote mountains and valleys. I knew he was hoping to encounter his own Taoist fate and start cultivating. Additionally, the mansion secretly sent people to search for Taoist practitioners.”
“Actually, the major sects also had branches in the secular world. Naturally, many self-proclaimed immortals came to the mansion to teach Taoist techniques. However, these techniques were often too shallow, and some of the so-called great immortals were nothing but charlatans. After learning for a few days, the crown prince naturally made no progress and became impatient. One time, he gritted his teeth and said he would run away from home and go directly to Longhu Mountain to learn from the Celestial Master Sect.”
“Lu Zhong and I tried hard to persuade him, but the crown prince was determined to learn Taoist techniques. Later, we had no choice and were afraid he might really run away. But at that time, the Prince of Xingxian was seriously ill, and there was no one in charge at home. We couldn’t come up with a plan. Just when we didn’t know what to do, the Prince of Xingxian passed away.”
“That was in the 14th year of the Zhengde era, and the crown prince was only 13 or 14 years old. Although the old prince had passed away, the crown prince, still in mourning, couldn’t inherit the title, but he could manage the state affairs as the crown prince. This time, he couldn’t act recklessly. Lu Zhong and I breathed a sigh of relief, thinking that the crown prince would no longer have wild ideas. However, we were still mistaken.”
“I remember clearly, it was the 15th day of the winter month that year. For some reason, it was exceptionally cold that year.” Sixth Master said, turning to Mei Qing, “You might not know, but the cold there is different from the cold here. Here it’s dry and cold, but there it’s damp and freezing. That year was unusually cold, and it suddenly started snowing heavily a few days before. It only cleared up on the 15th. That day, while we were directing the servants to clean the courtyard, a Taoist priest suddenly came to the door, saying he had heard the crown prince was seeking Taoist masters and he was volunteering to be the crown prince’s Taoist teacher.”
“At that time, I was not yet twenty, and my judgment wasn’t great. I couldn’t quite figure out this person, so I brought him to see the crown prince. The crown prince was in mourning and couldn’t appear in public often. When he met this Taoist, the man claimed to be from Maoshan, called Maoyang Zhenren, from the Shangqing Sect, skilled in capturing ghosts and demons, turning stones into gold, and so on. At first glance, this guy looked like a charlatan. But then he turned a stone the crown prince had found into gold, which convinced us.”
Although the Plum Blossom Sect’s movements were quite secretive, their actions of challenging various Taoist sects one by one inevitably became known. Particularly noteworthy was the fact that the Plum Blossom Sect’s Taoist techniques were extremely unique, completely unbound by the Five Elements and Yin-Yang principles. As a result, their members in magical battles almost disregarded the characteristics of their opponents’ techniques, with no constraints of mutual generation or restriction. This aspect became a matter of great interest to the Taoist sects across the land. At this point, Sixth Master furrowed his brow and turned to Mei Qing.
“I’ve heard from my subordinates that you’ve performed forbidden techniques several times, which closely resemble the Plum Blossom Sect’s methods. Although I’m not entirely clear on the details, it’s likely not baseless. As for your mother, we’ve occasionally witnessed her Taoist techniques in the past. However, our understanding was insufficient at the time, and we couldn’t comprehend them. Looking back now, they were indeed like the legendary techniques of the Plum Blossom Sect, completely different from any other sect in the world.” After a pause, Sixth Master continued, “Not only that. Your mother’s real name was never revealed to us, and we couldn’t trace her origins. However, back then, she asked us to address her by a name that inevitably reminded us of the Six Plum Blossoms under the Plum Blossom Sect.”
“How did you address her?” Mei Qing asked curiously.
“She asked us to call her ‘Five Blossoms,'” Sixth Master said with a sigh.
Mei Qing couldn’t help but glance at Uncle Zhong. The head maid in his room was named Duo Yun, and the younger maid was called Wu’er. Previously, he hadn’t thought much of it, but now it seemed that these names, likely given by Uncle Zhong, carried a different meaning.
In those times, the custom of avoiding the names of ancestors was strictly observed, and it was unthinkable to use the names of predecessors for descendants, let alone for maids.
Sixth Master, as if reading Mei Qing’s thoughts, shook his head and said, “I know the names Wu’er and Duo Yun. They were originally the names of two maids who served your mother. That’s why we all thought ‘Five Blossoms’ couldn’t be her real name, but just a casual title she used.”
Mei Qing found this rather peculiar. In his heart, he didn’t feel the need to strictly avoid the names of his relatives as others did. However, his mother’s behavior was indeed unusual.
“Where is my mother now? Has she already…” Seeing Sixth Master and Uncle Zhong deep in thought, Mei Qing anxiously pressed for an answer.
Sixth Master and Uncle Zhong exchanged glances, and finally, Uncle Zhong reluctantly shook his head, “We don’t know.”
Mei Qing was stunned, but seeing their expressions, he knew they weren’t lying. After a moment of thought, he asked, “What about my father? Who is he?”
Sixth Master hesitated for a moment before speaking with difficulty, “Your father was the former Prince of Xingxian, the current Emperor.”
“What!?” Although Mei Qing had suspected his background was unusual, this answer was completely beyond his expectations. He jumped up, pointing at Sixth Master, “Are you saying I’m… the Emperor’s son?”
Despite his rude behavior, Sixth Master simply nodded slowly.
“You must be joking,” Mei Qing laughed dryly, “How could I be the Emperor’s son? That old man Jiajing is my father? How? How? Haha, this must be a joke, right, Uncle Zhong?”
Uncle Zhong’s face showed a hint of sorrow as he softly said, “Young Master, what Sixth Master said is true. You are indeed the Emperor’s son.”
“How do you know?” Mei Qing shook his head, “Uncle Zhong, don’t be fooled by him. The head of the Imperial Guards, can you trust his words?”
As he spoke, Mei Qing kept shaking his head, insisting it was impossible.
Uncle Zhong sighed, “I didn’t hear this from him. Back then, I was the chief guard at the Prince of Xingxian’s mansion in Anlu, Hubei, known as Ghost Hand Lu Zhong. Sixth Master and I are actually from the same clan. However, my family was poor, and I had some unusual experiences as a child, learning some martial arts. Later, with the recommendation of our clan elders, I was favored by the old Prince and became a guard at the mansion, always following the Crown Prince—who later became the Prince of Xingxian and then the Emperor. You are indeed the Emperor’s son, there’s no mistake.”
“Then—if my father was the Emperor, even as the former Prince of Xingxian, how could he have married my mother? Moreover, if he really became the Emperor, how could he not know my mother’s whereabouts?”
Sixth Master sighed and slowly said, “That’s a long story.”
“Back then, I was the Emperor’s study companion. Actually, at that time, the Emperor was just the Crown Prince of Xingxian. Although he was destined to inherit the title, the princes of our Ming Dynasty were mostly figureheads. Especially after the rebellion of the Prince of Ning, the court tightly controlled the power of the regional princes, leaving no room for flexibility. Therefore, the Emperor was quite idle back then. With his youthful nature, he often took me and Lu Zhong out in disguise to wander around.”
“Lu Zhong was a few years older than us, and he always pretended to be a servant when we went out. In hindsight, Lu Zhong was at the stage of external energy release in his martial arts training, and he probably looked more like a bodyguard than a servant. I guess you knew that back then, but we just played along, right?” Sixth Master smiled.
“Not entirely,” Uncle Zhong shook his head, “The Emperor loved to go out, and although we couldn’t stop him, we had to take precautions. Besides, we didn’t have enough manpower back then. What if something happened? You know, the Prince of Xingxian’s mansion was only intimidating to ordinary people; those with real power didn’t necessarily respect the mansion. If something did happen, although we could handle it, it would still cause trouble for the mansion. By acting tough, I deterred those who might cause trouble, as not every family had a tough guy like me as a servant.”
“Indeed. No wonder we never ran into trouble when we went out together. Now that I think about it, you were quite thoughtful,” Sixth Master grinned.
“Unfortunately, we only had one incident, and it almost got out of hand,” Uncle Zhong said gloomily.
Sixth Master shook his head, “It’s hard to say. There might be things we don’t understand. Let’s not dwell on that. Actually, at that time, I had already started my foundation in Taoism. My entry into the path of cultivation was somewhat accidental. Looking back now, it’s somewhat similar to your experience, Mei Qing. However, I was much younger when I started, and I didn’t learn anything substantial at first, just muddling through. Later, I met A’Bi’s mother, became her Taoist partner, and under her guidance, my progress was quite rapid. If the Emperor hadn’t gone to the capital, I might have abandoned worldly affairs and been cultivating in some mountain by now.”
“Back then, with my youthful nature, I couldn’t help but want to compete after learning something. Coincidentally, there was a time when a lesser prince provoked me, and I couldn’t directly teach him a lesson. In a moment of anger, I used a spell to make him suffer.”
“Unfortunately, the Emperor witnessed this. He was still the Crown Prince at the time, just a teenager, and naturally curious about everything. Seeing this, he wanted to learn it too. I had to tell him that the key to Taoist practice was fate. I also explained that I practiced dual cultivation, and everything I learned was taught by my Taoist partner. Due to the sect’s rules, I couldn’t teach him.”
“The Crown Prince was naturally unhappy, but he knew I was telling the truth and had no choice. However, later when he went out, he insisted on visiting remote mountains and valleys, hoping to encounter his own Taoist fate and begin cultivation. Additionally, the mansion secretly sent people to search for Taoist practitioners.”
“Actually, major sects also had branches in the secular world. The Crown Prince’s search naturally attracted self-proclaimed Taoist masters to the mansion. However, their techniques were often too shallow, and some so-called masters were even charlatans. After a few days of learning, the Crown Prince naturally made no progress and became impatient. One day, he decided to run away from home and go directly to Longhu Mountain to study with the Celestial Masters.”
“Lu Zhong and I tried hard to dissuade him, but the Crown Prince was determined to learn Taoist techniques. Eventually, we couldn’t stop him and feared he might really leave. At that time, the Prince of Xingxian was seriously ill, and there was no one to take charge at home. We couldn’t come up with a solution. Just as we were at a loss, the Prince of Xingxian passed away.”
“That was in the 14th year of the Zhengde era, and the Crown Prince was only thirteen or fourteen years old. Although the old Prince had passed away, the Crown Prince, still in mourning, couldn’t officially inherit the title but had to manage the state affairs as the Crown Prince. This time, he couldn’t act recklessly. Lu Zhong and I were relieved, thinking he would no longer have wild ideas. However, we were mistaken.”
“I remember clearly, it was the fifteenth day of the winter month that year. For some reason, it was exceptionally cold that year.” Sixth Master turned to Mei Qing, “You might not know, but the cold there is different from here. Here it’s dry and cold, but there it’s damp and freezing. That year was unusually cold, and it had snowed heavily a few days before. It only cleared up on the fifteenth. That day, as we were directing the servants to clean the courtyard, a Taoist priest suddenly arrived, claiming he had heard the Crown Prince was seeking Taoist masters and offering to be his teacher.”
“I was still under twenty at the time, and my judgment wasn’t great. I couldn’t quite figure the man out and felt uneasy, but I brought him to see the Crown Prince. The Crown Prince was in mourning and couldn’t appear in public often. When he met the Taoist, the man introduced himself as Mao Yang Zhenren from Maoshan, a member of the Shangqing Sect, skilled in exorcising ghosts and demons, and turning stone into gold. At first glance, the man seemed like a charlatan, but he turned a stone the Crown Prince had found into gold, which convinced us.”
“How did you all address her?” Mei Qing asked curiously.
“Although the Plum Blossom Sect’s actions are quite secretive, their method of challenging various Taoist sects one by one inevitably becomes known. Particularly noteworthy is their unique Taoist techniques, which are completely unbound by the Five Elements and Yin-Yang principles. Consequently, their members in magical confrontations almost disregard the characteristics of their opponents’ techniques, completely free from the usual constraints of mutual generation and restriction. This aspect has piqued the interest of the entire Taoist community,” said Sixth Master, frowning slightly before turning to Mei Qing.
“I’ve heard from others that you’ve performed forbidden techniques several times, which closely resemble the methods of the Plum Blossom Sect. Although I’m not entirely clear on the details, it’s likely not baseless. And your mother, we’ve occasionally witnessed her Taoist skills. Back then, our understanding wasn’t sufficient to comprehend them. Now, looking back, they were exactly like the legendary techniques of the Plum Blossom Sect, completely different from any other sect in the world,” Sixth Master paused for a moment before continuing, “Not only that. Your mother never revealed her real name to us, and we couldn’t trace her origins. But back then, she asked us to call her by a name that inevitably reminded us of the six plum blossoms under the Plum Blossom Sect.”
“What did you call her?” Mei Qing asked curiously.
“She asked us to call her ‘Five Blossoms’,” Sixth Master sighed.
Mei Qing couldn’t help but glance at Uncle Zhong. The head maid in his house was named Duo Yun, and the little maid was called Wu’er. He hadn’t thought much of it before, but now it seemed likely that Uncle Zhong had named them. These names now seemed to carry a different meaning.
At that time, the practice of avoiding the names of ancestors was quite strict among the people and the court, and it was unthinkable to use the names of predecessors for descendants, let alone for maids.
Sixth Master seemed to understand Mei Qing’s thoughts and shook his head, “I know the names Wu’er and Duo Yun. They were originally the names of two maids by your mother’s side. That’s why we all thought ‘Five Blossoms’ couldn’t be her real name, just a casual nickname.”
Mei Qing felt a bit strange hearing this. In his heart, he didn’t think that avoiding the names of relatives needed to be as strict as with others. But regardless, his mother’s behavior was indeed unusual.
“Where is my mother now? Has she already…” Seeing Sixth Master and Uncle Zhong deep in thought, Mei Qing anxiously pressed for an answer.
Sixth Master and Uncle Zhong exchanged glances, and finally, Uncle Zhong reluctantly shook his head, “We don’t know.”
Mei Qing was stunned, but seeing their expressions, he knew they weren’t lying. After a moment, he asked, “Then who is my father?”
Sixth Master hesitated visibly. After a pause, he said hoarsely, “Your father was the former Prince Xingxian, who is now the reigning emperor.”
“What!?” Although Mei Qing had thought his background was somewhat unusual, this answer was completely beyond his expectations. He jumped up straight, pointing at Sixth Master, “You’re saying I’m… the emperor’s son?”
Despite his rude behavior, Sixth Master acted as if he didn’t see it, just slowly nodding.
“Are you kidding me?” Mei Qing laughed dryly, “How could I be the emperor’s son? That old man Jiajing is my father? How? How? Haha, this is just a joke, right, Uncle Zhong?”
Uncle Zhong showed a slight sadness on his face and softly said, “Young master, what Sixth Master said is true. You are indeed the son of the emperor.”
“How do you know?” Mei Qing shook his head, “Uncle Zhong, don’t be fooled by him. You believe what the head of the Imperial Guards says?”
As he spoke, Mei Qing kept shaking his head, insisting it was impossible.
Uncle Zhong sighed, “I didn’t hear it from him. Back then, I was the chief guard at the Prince Xingxian’s mansion in Hubei, known as Ghost Hand Lu Zhong. Sixth Master and I are actually brothers from the same clan. But my family was poor, and I had some unusual encounters since childhood, learning some martial arts. Later, recommended by our clan elders, I was valued by the old prince and became a guard at the mansion, always following the prince—who later became Prince Xingxian and then the emperor. You are indeed the emperor’s son, there’s no mistake.”
“Then—if my father was the emperor, even if he was just Prince Xingxian back then, how could he have married my mother? Moreover, if he really became the emperor, how could he not even know my mother’s whereabouts?”
Sixth Master sighed and slowly said, “That’s a long story.”
“Back then, I was the emperor’s study companion. Actually, at that time, the emperor was just the heir to Prince Xingxian. Although he was destined to inherit the title, the princes of our Ming Dynasty were mostly just nominal. Especially after the rebellion of Prince Ning, the court tightly controlled the power of the regional princes, not allowing any slack. Therefore, the emperor was quite idle back then. With his youthful nature, he often took me and Lu Zhong out incognito to wander around.”
“Lu Zhong was a few years older than us, and he always played the role of a servant when we went out. Actually, thinking back now, Lu Zhong was at the stage of practicing external energy release at that time, probably just short of having ‘thug’ written on his face. How could he pass as a servant? I guess you knew it back then, but just used it to humor us, right?” Sixth Master smiled.
“Not entirely,” Uncle Zhong shook his head, “Back then, the emperor loved to go out, and although we couldn’t stop him, we had to take precautions. Besides, we didn’t have enough manpower back then. What if some troublemaker caused a problem? You know, back then, our Prince Xingxian’s mansion was just a scarecrow for ordinary people; those with real power didn’t necessarily take the mansion seriously. If something really happened, although it wasn’t unsolvable, it would still be a nuisance for the mansion. My tough demeanor actually deterred those troublemakers, after all, not every family has a tough guy as a servant.”
“Indeed. No wonder we never had any trouble when we went out back then. Thinking about it now, it was all thanks to your thorough planning,” Sixth Master grinned.
“Unfortunately, we only had one incident, and it almost got out of hand,” Uncle Zhong said gloomily.
Sixth Master shook his head, “Hard to say. There might be some things we don’t understand. Anyway, let’s not talk about that. Actually, at that time, I had already started to lay the foundation for Taoist practices. It was somewhat accidental that I entered the path of cultivation. Thinking about it now, it’s somewhat similar to your experience, Mei Qing. But I was much younger than you when I started, and I didn’t learn anything substantial, just muddling through. Later, I met Bi’s mother, became her Taoist partner, and under her guidance, my cultivation progressed quickly. If it weren’t for the emperor moving to the capital, I might have already abandoned worldly affairs and be cultivating in some mountain now.”
“Back then, with a youthful nature, after learning something, it was inevitable to have a competitive spirit. Coincidentally, there was once a time when a bastard prince provoked me, and I couldn’t directly teach him a lesson. In a moment of anger, I used a spell to make him suffer.”
“Unexpectedly, the emperor happened to witness this. He was still the heir back then, just a teenager, curious about everything. Seeing such a thing, how could he not want to learn? I had to tell him that the key to Taoist practices is fate. I also told him that what I practiced was the dual cultivation method, taught by my Taoist partner, and bound by sect rules, I couldn’t teach him.”
“The heir was naturally unhappy, but he knew I was telling the truth and had no choice. However, later when he went out to wander, he insisted on going to deep mountains and secluded valleys. I knew he was hoping to encounter his own Taoist fate and start cultivating. Besides, the mansion also secretly sent people to seek out cultivators.”
“Actually, major sects also have their presence in the secular world. The heir’s search naturally attracted self-proclaimed immortals to the mansion to teach Taoist methods. But these techniques were too superficial, and some of the so-called great immortals were even just charlatans. After a few days of learning, the heir naturally achieved nothing and became impatient. Once, he gritted his teeth and said he would run away from home to go directly to Longhu Mountain to learn from the Celestial Master Sect.”
“Lu Zhong and I tried hard to persuade him, but the heir was determined to learn Taoist methods. Later, we had no choice and were afraid he might really run away in a moment of desperation. But at that time, Prince Xingxian was seriously ill, and there was no backbone in the family. We two couldn’t come up with a plan. Just as we were at a loss, Prince Xingxian passed away.”
“That was in the fourteenth year of Zhengde, when the heir was only thirteen or fourteen years old. After the old prince’s death, although the heir couldn’t inherit the title without completing the mourning period, he had to manage the state affairs as the heir. This time, he couldn’t act recklessly. Lu Zhong and I were relieved, thinking the heir would no longer have wild ideas. But we were wrong.”
“I remember clearly, it was the fifteenth day of the winter month that year. For some reason, it was exceptionally cold that year,” Sixth Master said, turning to Mei Qing, “You might not know, but the cold there is different from here. Here it’s dry cold, but there it’s damp and freezing. That year was unusually cold, and it suddenly started snowing heavily a few days before. It only cleared up on the fifteenth. That day, while we were directing the servants to clean the courtyard, a Taoist suddenly came to the door, saying he had heard the heir was seeking Taoist masters and he was volunteering to be the heir’s Taoist teacher.”
“I was not yet twenty at that time, and my judgment wasn’t great. I couldn’t quite figure out that person and felt unsure, so I took him to see the heir. The heir was in mourning at the time and couldn’t appear in public often. When he met the Taoist, the man claimed to be from Maoshan, named Maoyang Zhenren, from the Shangqing Sect, skilled in capturing ghosts and demons, and turning stones into gold, etc. At first glance, the man looked like a charlatan. But he turned a stone the heir had found into gold right then, which convinced us.”
Mei Qing involuntarily turned his gaze to Uncle Zhong. His eldest maid was named Duoyun and the younger one, Wu’er. Previously, he hadn’t thought anything unusual about these names. But now, considering the circumstances, it was highly likely that these names had been given by Uncle Zhong.
At that time, both among the common people and in the imperial court, there was a strong taboo against using the names of ancestors for later generations.
“Although the Plum Blossom Sect operates with great secrecy, their actions of challenging various Taoist sects one by one inevitably come to light. What particularly draws attention is their unique Taoist techniques, which are completely unbound by the Five Elements and Yin-Yang principles. As a result, their members are almost indifferent to the characteristics of their opponents’ techniques in magical battles, free from any constraints of mutual generation and restriction. This has become a matter of great interest to the Taoist sects across the land.” At this point, Sixth Master furrowed his brows and turned to Mei Qing.
“I’ve heard from my subordinates that you have performed forbidden techniques several times, which closely resemble the methods of the Plum Blossom Sect. Although I am not entirely clear on the details, it’s likely not baseless. As for your mother, we once witnessed her Taoist techniques. At the time, our understanding was insufficient to comprehend them. Now, looking back, they were strikingly similar to the legendary techniques of the Plum Blossom Sect, entirely distinct from those of any other sect.” After a pause, Sixth Master continued, “Moreover, your mother never revealed her true name to us, and we couldn’t trace her origins. However, she once asked us to call her by a name that inevitably reminds one of the Six Plum Blossoms under the Plum Blossom Sect.”
“What did you call her?” Mei Qing asked curiously.
“She asked us to call her ‘Five Blossoms,'” Sixth Master said with a sigh.
Mei Qing’s gaze shifted to Uncle Zhong. The head maid in his room was named Duo Yun, and the junior maid was called Wu’er. Previously, he hadn’t thought much of it, but now it seemed that these names, likely given by Uncle Zhong, carried a different meaning.
In those times, the practice of avoiding the use of ancestors’ names was strictly observed, especially for servants.
Sixth Master, seemingly aware of Mei Qing’s thoughts, shook his head and said, “I know the names Wu’er and Duo Yun. They were originally the names of your mother’s two maids. That’s why we believe ‘Five Blossoms’ wasn’t her real name, but just a casual alias.”
Mei Qing felt a sense of strangeness. While he didn’t think family names needed to be avoided as strictly as others did, his mother’s behavior was indeed unusual.
“Where is my mother now? Has she…” Seeing Sixth Master and Uncle Zhong deep in thought, Mei Qing anxiously pressed.
Sixth Master and Uncle Zhong exchanged glances, and finally, Uncle Zhong reluctantly shook his head, “We don’t know.”
Mei Qing was stunned but could tell from their expressions that they weren’t lying. After a moment, he asked, “What about my father? Who is he?”
Sixth Master hesitated before finally saying with difficulty, “Your father was the former Prince Xingxian, now the reigning emperor.”
“What!?” Although Mei Qing had suspected his origins were unusual, this answer was beyond his wildest expectations. He jumped up, pointing at Sixth Master, “You’re saying I’m… the emperor’s son?”
Despite his rude behavior, Sixth Master simply nodded slowly.
“You must be joking,” Mei Qing laughed dryly, “How could I be the emperor’s son? That old man Jiajing is my father? How? How? Haha, this must be a joke, right, Uncle Zhong?”
Uncle Zhong’s face showed a hint of sorrow as he softly said, “Young master, what Sixth Master said is true. You are indeed the son of the emperor.”
“How do you know?” Mei Qing shook his head, “Uncle Zhong, don’t be fooled by him. You believe the words of the head of the Imperial Guards?”
As he spoke, Mei Qing kept shaking his head, insisting it was impossible.
Uncle Zhong sighed, “I didn’t hear it from him. Back then, I was the chief guard at the Prince Xingxian’s mansion in Anlu, Hubei, known as Ghost Hand Lu Zhong. Sixth Master and I are actually brothers from the same clan. However, my family was poor, and I had some unusual encounters in my youth, learning some martial arts. Later, recommended by our clan elders, I was valued by the old prince and became a guard at the mansion, always following the crown prince—who later became Prince Xingxian and then the emperor. You are indeed the emperor’s son, there’s no mistake.”
“Then—if my father was the emperor, even if he was just Prince Xingxian at the time, how could he have married my mother? Moreover, if he really became the emperor, how could he not know my mother’s whereabouts?”
Sixth Master sighed and slowly said, “That’s a long story.”
“Back then, I was the emperor’s study companion. Actually, at that time, the emperor was just the crown prince of Prince Xingxian. Although he was destined to inherit the title, the princes of our Ming Dynasty were merely nominal. Especially after the rebellion of Prince Ning, the court tightly controlled the power of the regional princes, not allowing any slack. Therefore, the emperor was quite idle at that time. With his youthful nature, he often took me and Lu Zhong out in disguise to wander around.”
“Lu Zhong was a few years older than us, and he always pretended to be a servant when we went out. Now that I think about it, Lu Zhong was practicing external energy release at that time, and he probably looked more like a bodyguard than a servant. I guess you knew that back then, but you just played along with us, right?” Sixth Master smiled.
“Not entirely,” Uncle Zhong shook his head, “Back then, the emperor loved to go out, and although we couldn’t stop him, we had to take precautions. Besides, we didn’t have enough manpower at that time. What if something happened? You know, the Prince Xingxian’s mansion was only intimidating to ordinary people; those with real power didn’t necessarily care much about the mansion. If something did happen, although we could handle it, it would still cause trouble for the mansion. By acting tough, I deterred those who might cause trouble, as not every family had a tough guy like me as a servant.”
“Indeed. No wonder we never had any trouble when we went out. Now that I think about it, you were quite thoughtful,” Sixth Master grinned.
“Unfortunately, we only had one incident, and it almost got out of hand,” Uncle Zhong said gloomily.
Sixth Master shook his head, “It’s hard to say. There might be some things we don’t understand. Anyway, let’s not talk about that now. Actually, at that time, I had already started my foundation in Taoism. My entry into the path of cultivation was somewhat accidental. Now that I think about it, it’s somewhat similar to your experience, Mei Qing. However, I was much younger when I started, and I didn’t learn anything substantial at first, just muddling through. Later, I met A’Bi’s mother, became her Taoist partner, and under her guidance, my progress was quite rapid. If the emperor hadn’t gone to the capital, I might have left worldly affairs behind and be cultivating in some mountain now.”
“Back then, with my youthful nature, I couldn’t help but be competitive after learning something. Coincidentally, once a prince of a different lineage provoked me, and I couldn’t directly teach him a lesson. In a moment of anger, I used a spell to make him suffer.”
“Unfortunately, the emperor witnessed this. He was just a crown prince at that time, in his teens, and naturally curious about everything. Seeing such a thing, he was eager to learn. I had to tell him that the key to Taoist practice is fate. I also told him that I practiced dual cultivation, and what I learned was taught by my Taoist partner, and due to sect rules, I couldn’t teach him.”
“The crown prince was naturally unhappy, but he knew I was telling the truth and had no choice. However, later when he went out to wander, he insisted on going to deep mountains and secluded valleys. I knew he was hoping to encounter his own Taoist fate and start cultivating. Additionally, the mansion secretly sent people to search for cultivators.”
“Actually, major sects also have their presence in the secular world. Naturally, many self-proclaimed immortals came to the mansion to teach Taoist techniques. However, these techniques were often too shallow, and some of the so-called great immortals were nothing but charlatans. After learning for a few days, the crown prince naturally achieved nothing and became impatient. Once, he decided to run away from home and go directly to Longhu Mountain to study with the Celestial Master Sect.”
“Lu Zhong and I tried hard to persuade him, but the crown prince was determined to learn Taoist techniques. Later, we had no choice but to let him go, fearing he might really run away. At that time, Prince Xingxian was seriously ill, and there was no one to take charge at home. We couldn’t come up with a solution. Just when we didn’t know what to do, Prince Xingxian passed away.”
“That was in the 14th year of the Zhengde era, when the crown prince was only thirteen or fourteen years old. Although the old prince had passed away, the crown prince, still in mourning, couldn’t inherit the title but had to manage the state affairs as the crown prince. This time, he couldn’t act recklessly. Lu Zhong and I were relieved, thinking the crown prince would no longer have wild ideas. However, we were wrong.”
“I remember clearly, it was the 15th day of the winter month that year. For some reason, it was exceptionally cold that year.” Sixth Master turned to Mei Qing and said, “You might not know, but the cold there is different from here. Here it’s dry and cold, but there it’s damp and freezing. That year was unusually cold, and it had snowed heavily a few days before. It only cleared up on the 15th. That day, while we were directing the servants to clean the courtyard, a Taoist priest suddenly came to the door, saying he had heard the crown prince was seeking Taoist masters and he was volunteering to be the crown prince’s Taoist teacher.”
“At that time, I was not yet twenty, and my judgment wasn’t very good. I couldn’t quite figure out this person and felt unsure, so I brought him to see the crown prince. The crown prince was in mourning and couldn’t appear in public often. When he met this Taoist, the man claimed to be from Maoshan, named Maoyang Zhenren, from the Shangqing Sect, skilled in exorcising ghosts and demons, and turning stones into gold. At first glance, he seemed like a charlatan, but he actually turned a stone the crown prince had found into gold, which convinced us.”
Mei Qing listened, feeling somewhat strange. In his heart, he didn’t really believe that the taboo of using family names should be as strictly observed as others did. But regardless, his mother’s behavior was indeed somewhat unusual.
“Although the Plum Blossom Sect’s movements are quite secretive, their actions of challenging various Taoist sects one by one inevitably become known. Particularly noteworthy is the fact that the Plum Blossom Sect’s Taoist techniques are extremely distinctive, completely unbound by the Five Elements and Yin-Yang principles. As a result, their members in magical confrontations almost disregard the characteristics of their opponents’ techniques, with no hindrance from mutual restraints. This has become a matter of great interest to all Taoist sects in the world.” At this point, Sixth Master furrowed his brows and turned to Mei Qing.
“I’ve heard from my subordinates that you have performed forbidden techniques several times, which closely resemble the methods of the Plum Blossom Sect. Although I am not entirely clear on the details, it’s likely not baseless. As for your mother, we once witnessed her Taoist techniques. Back then, our understanding was insufficient, and we couldn’t comprehend them. But now, looking back, they were exactly like the legendary techniques of the Plum Blossom Sect, completely different from any other sect in the world.” After a pause, Sixth Master continued, “Not only that. Your mother never revealed her true name to us, and we couldn’t trace her origins. However, she once asked us to call her by a name that inevitably reminded us of the Six Plum Blossoms under the Plum Blossom Sect.”
“What did you call her?” Mei Qing asked curiously.
“She asked us to call her ‘Five Blossoms,'” Sixth Master said with a sigh.
Mei Qing couldn’t help but glance at Uncle Zhong. The head maid in his room was named Duo Yun, and the little maid was called Wu’er. He hadn’t thought much of it before, but now it seemed that these names, likely given by Uncle Zhong, carried a different meaning.
In those days, the custom of avoiding the use of ancestors’ names was strictly observed, especially for servants. It was unthinkable to use a former person’s name for a maid.
Sixth Master, as if reading Mei Qing’s thoughts, shook his head and said, “I know the names Wu’er and Duo Yun. They were originally the names of two maids who served your mother. That’s why we all thought ‘Five Blossoms’ couldn’t be her real name, just a casual title.”
Mei Qing found this quite peculiar. While he didn’t believe in strictly avoiding the names of relatives, his mother’s behavior was indeed unusual.
“Where is my mother now? Has she…” Seeing Sixth Master and Uncle Zhong lost in thought, Mei Qing anxiously pressed for an answer.
Sixth Master and Uncle Zhong exchanged glances, and finally, Uncle Zhong reluctantly shook his head, “We don’t know.”
Mei Qing was stunned but could tell from their expressions that they weren’t lying. After a moment, he asked, “What about my father? Who is he?”
Sixth Master hesitated before speaking in a strained voice, “Your father was the former Prince Xingxian, who is now the reigning emperor.”
“What!?” Although Mei Qing had suspected his origins were unusual, this answer was beyond his wildest imagination. He jumped to his feet, pointing at Sixth Master, “Are you saying I’m… the emperor’s son?”
Despite his rude behavior, Sixth Master simply nodded slowly.
“You must be joking,” Mei Qing laughed dryly, “How could I be the emperor’s son? That old man Jiajing is my father? How? How? Haha, this must be a joke, right, Uncle Zhong?”
Uncle Zhong’s face showed a hint of sorrow as he softly said, “Young Master, what Sixth Master said is true. You are indeed the son of the emperor.”
“How do you know?” Mei Qing shook his head, “Uncle Zhong, don’t be fooled by him. How can you trust the words of the head of the Imperial Guards?”
As he spoke, Mei Qing kept shaking his head, insisting it was impossible.
Uncle Zhong sighed, “I didn’t hear it from him. Back then, I was the chief guard at the Prince Xingxian’s mansion in Anlu, Hubei, known as Ghost Hand Lu Zhong. Sixth Master and I are actually from the same clan. But my family was poor, and I had some unusual experiences as a child, learning some martial arts. Later, a senior in our clan recommended me, and the old prince took a liking to me, so I became a guard in the mansion, always following the prince—who later became Prince Xingxian and then the emperor. You are indeed the emperor’s son, there’s no mistake.”
“Then—if my father was the emperor, or even the former Prince Xingxian, how could he have married my mother? Moreover, if he really became the emperor, how could he not know where my mother is?”
Sixth Master sighed and slowly said, “That’s a long story.”
“Back then, I was the emperor’s study companion. Actually, at that time, the emperor was just the heir to Prince Xingxian. Although he was destined to inherit the title, the princes of our Ming Dynasty were mostly figureheads. Especially after the rebellion of Prince Ning, the court tightly controlled the power of the regional princes, allowing no room for maneuver. So, the emperor was quite idle back then. Being young, he often took me and Lu Zhong out in disguise to wander around.”
“Lu Zhong was a few years older than us, and he always pretended to be a servant when we went out. Now that I think about it, Lu Zhong was at the peak of his martial arts training at that time, and he probably looked more like a bodyguard than a servant. But I guess you knew that and just played along to humor us?” Sixth Master smiled.
“Not entirely,” Uncle Zhong shook his head, “The emperor loved to go out, and although we couldn’t stop him, we had to take precautions. Besides, we didn’t have enough manpower back then. What if something happened? You know, the Prince Xingxian’s mansion was only intimidating to ordinary people; those with real power didn’t necessarily respect the prince. If something happened, although we could handle it, it would still cause trouble for the mansion. By acting tough, I deterred those who might cause trouble. After all, not every family had a tough guy like me as a servant.”
“Indeed. No wonder we never ran into trouble when we went out. Now that I think about it, you were quite thoughtful,” Sixth Master grinned.
“Unfortunately, we only had one incident, and it almost got out of hand,” Uncle Zhong said gloomily.
Sixth Master shook his head, “It’s hard to say. There might be things we don’t understand. Let’s not dwell on that. Actually, at that time, I had already started my foundation in Taoism. My entry into the path of cultivation was somewhat accidental. Now that I think about it, it’s a bit similar to your experience, Mei Qing. But I was much younger when I started, and I didn’t learn anything substantial, just muddled through. Later, I met A’Bi’s mother, became her Taoist partner, and under her guidance, my cultivation progressed quickly. If the emperor hadn’t gone to the capital, I might have abandoned worldly affairs and be cultivating in some mountain now.”
“Back then, being young, I couldn’t help but have a competitive spirit. Coincidentally, there was a time when a bastard prince provoked me, and I couldn’t directly teach him a lesson. In a moment of anger, I used a spell to make him suffer.”
“Unfortunately, the emperor witnessed this. He was still the heir at that time, just a teenager, and naturally curious. Seeing such a thing, he wanted to learn it too. I had to tell him that the key to Taoist practice is fate. I also explained that I practiced dual cultivation, and all my techniques were taught by my Taoist partner. Due to sect rules, I couldn’t teach him.”
“The heir was naturally unhappy, but he knew I was telling the truth and had no choice. However, after that, whenever he went out, he insisted on going to remote mountains and valleys, hoping to encounter his own Taoist fate and start cultivating. The mansion also secretly sent people to search for Taoist practitioners.”
“Actually, many major sects have branches in the secular world. The heir’s search naturally attracted self-proclaimed Taoist masters to the mansion. However, their techniques were often too shallow, and some were outright frauds. After a few days of learning, the heir made no progress and became impatient. One day, he decided to run away and go directly to Longhu Mountain to learn from the Celestial Master Sect.”
“Lu Zhong and I tried hard to dissuade him, but he was determined to learn Taoist techniques. We were at a loss, fearing he might really run away. At that time, Prince Xingxian was seriously ill, and there was no one to take charge. We couldn’t come up with a solution. Just when we didn’t know what to do, Prince Xingxian passed away.”
“That was in the 14th year of the Zhengde era, and the heir was only thirteen or fourteen years old. Although he couldn’t inherit the title immediately due to mourning, he had to manage the state affairs as the heir. This time, he couldn’t act recklessly. Lu Zhong and I were relieved, thinking he would no longer indulge in fantasies. But we were wrong.”
“I remember clearly, it was the 15th day of the winter month that year. For some reason, it was exceptionally cold.” Sixth Master turned to Mei Qing, “You might not know, but the cold there is different from here. Here it’s dry cold, but there it’s damp and freezing. That year was unusually cold, and it snowed heavily a few days before. It only cleared up on the 15th. That day, while we were directing the servants to clean the courtyard, a Taoist priest came to the door, saying he had heard the heir was seeking Taoist masters and offered to teach him.”
“I was still under twenty at that time, and my judgment wasn’t great. I couldn’t quite figure out this person, so I brought him to see the heir. The heir was in mourning and couldn’t appear in public often. When he met the Taoist, the man claimed to be from Maoshan, called Maoyang Zhenren, a member of the Shangqing Sect, skilled in exorcising ghosts and demons, and turning stones into gold. At first glance, he looked like a fraud. But he turned a stone the heir had found into gold, which convinced us.”
“Although the Plum Blossom Sect’s movements are quite secretive, their actions of challenging various Taoist sects one by one inevitably become known. Particularly noteworthy is the fact that the Plum Blossom Sect’s Taoist techniques are highly distinctive, completely unbound by the Five Elements and Yin-Yang principles. As a result, their members in magical confrontations almost disregard the characteristics of their opponents’ techniques, free from any constraints of mutual generation and restriction. This has become a matter of great interest to the Taoist sects across the land.” At this point, Sixth Master furrowed his brow and turned to Mei Qing.
“I’ve heard from my subordinates that you have performed forbidden techniques several times, which closely resemble the Plum Blossom Sect’s methods. Although I am not entirely clear on the details, it is likely not baseless. As for your mother, we once witnessed her Taoist techniques. At the time, our understanding was insufficient to comprehend them. Now, looking back, they were indeed akin to the legendary techniques of the Plum Blossom Sect, completely different from those of any other sect.” Sixth Master paused for a moment before continuing, “Not only that. Your mother never revealed her true name to us, and we could not trace her origins. However, the name she asked us to call her by inevitably brings to mind the Six Plum Blossoms of the Plum Blossom Sect.”
“What did you call her?” Mei Qing asked curiously.
“She asked us to call her ‘Five Blossoms,'” Sixth Master said with a sigh.
Mei Qing couldn’t help but glance at Uncle Zhong. The head maid in his room was named Duo Yun, and the younger maid was called Wu’er. He had never thought much of it before, but now it seemed likely that Uncle Zhong had named them. These names now seemed to carry a different meaning.
In those days, the custom of avoiding the names of ancestors was strictly observed, and it was unthinkable to use the names of predecessors for later generations, let alone for maids.
Sixth Master, as if reading Mei Qing’s thoughts, shook his head and said, “I know the names Wu’er and Duo Yun. They were originally the names of two maids who served your mother. That’s why we all thought ‘Five Blossoms’ was not her real name, but just a casual nickname.”
Mei Qing felt a bit strange upon hearing this. In his heart, he didn’t believe that one should strictly avoid using the names of relatives as others did. But regardless, his mother’s behavior was indeed unusual.
“Where is my mother now? Has she already…” Seeing Sixth Master and Uncle Zhong lost in thought, Mei Qing pressed anxiously.
Sixth Master and Uncle Zhong exchanged glances, and finally, Uncle Zhong shook his head with difficulty, “We don’t know.”
Mei Qing was stunned, but seeing their expressions, he knew they weren’t lying. After a moment of thought, he asked, “What about my father? Who is he?”
Sixth Master hesitated for a moment before speaking with a strained voice, “Your father was the former Prince Xingxian, who is now the Emperor.”
“What!?” Although Mei Qing had suspected his origins were unusual, this answer was still far beyond his expectations. He jumped up, pointing at Sixth Master, “Are you saying I’m… the Emperor’s son?”
Despite his rude behavior, Sixth Master acted as if he hadn’t noticed, merely nodding slowly.
“You must be joking,” Mei Qing laughed dryly, “How could I be the Emperor’s son? That old man Jiajing is my father? How? How? Haha, this must be a joke, right, Uncle Zhong?”
Uncle Zhong’s face showed a hint of sorrow as he softly said, “Young Master, what Sixth Master said is true. You are indeed the Emperor’s son.”
“How do you know?” Mei Qing shook his head, “Uncle Zhong, don’t be fooled by him. Can you really trust the words of the head of the Imperial Guards?”
As he spoke, Mei Qing kept shaking his head, insisting it was impossible.
Uncle Zhong sighed, “I didn’t hear it from him. Back then, I was the chief guard of Prince Xingxian’s mansion in Anlu, Hubei, known as Ghost Hand Lu Zhong. Sixth Master and I are actually brothers from the same clan. But my family was poor, and I had some unusual encounters in my youth, learning some martial arts. Later, thanks to the recommendation of our clan elders, I was favored by the old prince and became a guard in the mansion, always following the crown prince—who later became Prince Xingxian and then the Emperor. You are indeed the Emperor’s son, there’s no mistake.”
“Then—if my father was the Emperor, even if he was just Prince Xingxian at the time, how could he have married my mother? Moreover, if he really became the Emperor, how could he not know where my mother is?”
Sixth Master sighed and slowly said, “That’s a long story.”
“Back then, I was the Emperor’s study companion. At the time, the Emperor was just the crown prince of Prince Xingxian. Although he was destined to inherit the title, the princes of our Ming Dynasty were mostly figureheads. Especially after the rebellion of Prince Ning, the court tightly controlled the power of the regional princes, not allowing any slack. So, the Emperor was quite idle back then. Being young and curious, he often took me and Lu Zhong out in disguise to wander around.”
“Lu Zhong was a few years older than us, and he always pretended to be a servant when we went out. Now that I think about it, Lu Zhong was at the stage of practicing external energy release, and he probably looked more like a bodyguard than a servant. But I guess you knew that and just played along to humor us?” Sixth Master smiled.
“Not entirely,” Uncle Zhong shook his head, “Back then, the Emperor loved to go out, and although we couldn’t stop him, we had to take precautions. Besides, we didn’t have enough manpower at the time. What if something happened? You know, back then, Prince Xingxian’s mansion was just a facade to ordinary people. Those with real power didn’t necessarily respect the mansion. If something happened, although we could handle it, it would still be a hassle for the mansion. By acting tough, I deterred those who might cause trouble, as not every family had a tough guy like me as a servant.”
“Indeed. No wonder we never had any trouble when the three of us went out. Now that I think about it, you were quite thoughtful,” Sixth Master grinned.
“Unfortunately, we only had one incident, and it almost got out of hand,” Uncle Zhong said gloomily.
Sixth Master shook his head, “It’s hard to say. There might be things we don’t understand. Let’s not dwell on that. At the time, I had just started my foundation in Taoism. My entry into the path of cultivation was somewhat accidental. Now that I think about it, it’s somewhat similar to your experience, Mei Qing. But I was much younger when I started, and I didn’t learn anything substantial, just muddling through. Later, I met A Bi’s mother, became her Taoist partner, and under her guidance, my progress was quite rapid. If the Emperor hadn’t gone to the capital, I might have abandoned worldly affairs and be cultivating in some mountain now.”
“Back then, being young and competitive, I couldn’t help but show off what I learned. Coincidentally, there was a time when a bastard prince provoked me, and I couldn’t directly teach him a lesson. In a fit of anger, I used a spell to make him suffer.”
“Unfortunately, the Emperor caught me. He was still the crown prince at the time, just a teenager, and naturally curious about such things. He wanted to learn from me. I had to tell him that the key to Taoist practice is fate. I also explained that I practiced dual cultivation, and all my techniques were taught by my partner, bound by sect rules, so I couldn’t teach him.”
“The crown prince was naturally unhappy, but he knew I was telling the truth and had no choice. However, from then on, whenever he went out, he insisted on going to remote mountains and valleys, hoping to encounter his own Taoist fate. The mansion also secretly sent people to search for cultivators.”
“Actually, many major sects have branches in the secular world. Naturally, many self-proclaimed immortals came to the mansion to teach Taoist techniques. But these techniques were often too shallow, and some of the so-called immortals were nothing but charlatans. After a few days of learning, the crown prince naturally made no progress and became impatient. One day, he decided to run away from home and go directly to Longhu Mountain to study with the Celestial Masters.”
“Lu Zhong and I tried our best to dissuade him, but he was determined to learn Taoist techniques. Eventually, we had no choice but to let him go, fearing he might really run away. But at the time, Prince Xingxian was seriously ill, and there was no one to take charge at home. We couldn’t come up with a plan. Just as we were at a loss, Prince Xingxian passed away.”
“That was in the 14th year of the Zhengde era, when the crown prince was only thirteen or fourteen. Although the prince had not yet completed the mourning period and could not inherit the title, he had to take charge of the state affairs as the crown prince. This time, he couldn’t act recklessly. Lu Zhong and I breathed a sigh of relief, thinking he would no longer indulge in wild fantasies. But we were wrong.”
“I remember clearly, it was the 15th day of the winter month that year. For some reason, it was exceptionally cold.” Sixth Master turned to Mei Qing, “You might not know, but the cold there is different from here. Here it’s dry and cold, but there it’s damp and freezing. That year was unusually cold, and it had snowed heavily a few days before. It wasn’t until the 15th that the weather cleared. That day, as we were directing the servants to clean the courtyard, a Taoist priest suddenly arrived, claiming to have heard that the crown prince was seeking Taoist masters and offering to be his teacher.”
“I was not yet twenty at the time, and my judgment wasn’t great. I couldn’t quite figure him out and felt unsure, but I brought him to see the crown prince. The crown prince, being in mourning, couldn’t appear in public often. When he met the Taoist, the man introduced himself as Mao Yang Zhenren from Maoshan, a member of the Shangqing Sect, skilled in exorcising ghosts and demons, and turning stones into gold. At first glance, he seemed like a charlatan. But then he turned a stone the crown prince had found into gold, which convinced us.”
Mei Qing was stunned, but seeing their expressions, he knew they weren’t lying to him. Thinking for a moment, he asked again, “Then what about my father? Who is he?”
“Although the Plum Blossom Sect’s actions are quite secretive, their practice of challenging various Taoist sects one by one inevitably becomes known. Particularly noteworthy is the fact that their Taoist techniques are highly distinctive, completely unbound by the constraints of the Five Elements and Yin-Yang. As a result, their members in magical confrontations almost disregard the characteristics of their opponents’ techniques, with no hindrance from mutual restrictions. This has become a matter of great interest to all Taoist sects in the world.” At this point, Sixth Master furrowed his brows and turned to Mei Qing.
“I’ve heard from my subordinates that you have performed forbidden techniques several times, which closely resemble the methods of the Plum Blossom Sect. Although I am not entirely clear on the details, it is likely not baseless. As for your mother, we once witnessed her Taoist skills. However, our understanding at the time was insufficient, and we couldn’t comprehend them. Now, upon reflection, they were indeed akin to the legendary techniques of the Plum Blossom Sect, entirely different from those of any other sect.” After a pause, Sixth Master continued, “Moreover, your mother never revealed her true name, and we couldn’t trace her origins. However, the name she asked us to call her by inevitably reminds us of the Six Plum Blossoms under the Plum Blossom Sect.”
“What did you call her?” Mei Qing asked curiously.
“She asked us to call her ‘Five Blossoms,'” Sixth Master said with a sigh.
Mei Qing’s gaze shifted to Uncle Zhong. The head maid in his room was named Duo Yun, and the younger maid was called Wu’er. Previously, he hadn’t thought much of it, but now it seemed that these names, likely given by Uncle Zhong, carried a different meaning.
In those times, the practice of avoiding the use of ancestors’ names for descendants was strictly observed, especially for servants.
Sixth Master, as if reading Mei Qing’s thoughts, shook his head and said, “I know the names Wu’er and Duo Yun. They were originally the names of two maids who served your mother. That’s why we believe ‘Five Blossoms’ wasn’t her real name, but rather a casual alias.”
Mei Qing found this quite peculiar. Personally, he didn’t believe in strictly avoiding the names of relatives, but his mother’s behavior was indeed unusual.
“Where is my mother now? Could she have…” Seeing Sixth Master and Uncle Zhong deep in thought, Mei Qing pressed anxiously.
Sixth Master and Uncle Zhong exchanged glances, and finally, Uncle Zhong shook his head with difficulty, “We don’t know.”
Mei Qing was stunned, but seeing their expressions, he knew they weren’t lying. After a moment, he asked, “What about my father? Who is he?”
Sixth Master hesitated before finally saying with a strained voice, “Your father was the former Prince of Xingxian, who is now the current Emperor.”
“What!?” Although Mei Qing had suspected his origins were unusual, this answer was beyond his wildest expectations. He jumped up, pointing at Sixth Master, “You’re saying I’m… the Emperor’s son?”
Despite his rude behavior, Sixth Master simply nodded slowly.
“You must be joking,” Mei Qing laughed dryly, “How could I be the Emperor’s son? That old man Jiajing is my father? How? How? Haha, this must be a joke, right, Uncle Zhong?”
Uncle Zhong’s face showed a hint of sorrow as he softly said, “Young Master, what Sixth Master said is true. You are indeed the Emperor’s son.”
“How do you know?” Mei Qing shook his head, “Uncle Zhong, don’t be fooled by him. The head of the Imperial Guards, you believe him?”
As he spoke, Mei Qing kept shaking his head, insisting it was impossible.
Uncle Zhong sighed, “I didn’t hear it from him. Back then, I was the chief guard at the Prince of Xingxian’s residence in Hubei, known as Ghost Hand Lu Zhong. Sixth Master and I are actually from the same clan. However, my family was poor, and I had some unusual encounters in my youth, learning martial arts. Later, a senior in our clan recommended me, and the old Prince took a liking to me, making me a guard. I always followed the Crown Prince—who later became the Prince of Xingxian and then the Emperor. You are indeed the Emperor’s son, there’s no mistake.”
“Then—if my father was the Emperor, even as the former Prince of Xingxian, how could he have married my mother? Moreover, if he really became the Emperor, how could he not know my mother’s whereabouts?”
Sixth Master sighed and slowly began, “That’s a long story.”
“Back then, I was the Emperor’s study companion. Actually, at that time, the Emperor was just the Crown Prince of Xingxian, destined to inherit the title. But in our Ming Dynasty, the princes were merely nominal, especially after the rebellion of the Prince of Ning, when the court tightly controlled the power of the regional princes, allowing no slack. Thus, the Emperor was quite idle in his youth. With a young man’s curiosity, he often took me and Lu Zhong out in disguise to wander around.”
“Lu Zhong was a few years older than us, and he always played the role of a servant during these outings. Now that I think about it, Lu Zhong was practicing external energy techniques at the time, and he probably looked more like a bodyguard than a servant. But I guess you knew that and just played along to humor us?” Sixth Master smiled.
“Not entirely,” Uncle Zhong shook his head, “The Emperor loved to go out, and although we couldn’t stop him, we had to take precautions. Besides, we didn’t have enough manpower back then, and if something happened, it would be troublesome. You know, our Prince of Xingxian’s residence was only intimidating to ordinary people; those with real power didn’t necessarily respect the Prince’s residence. If something happened, although we could handle it, it would still cause trouble for the residence. My imposing presence deterred those who might cause trouble, as not every family had a tough guy like me as a servant.”
“Indeed. No wonder we never ran into trouble during our outings. Now that I think about it, it was all thanks to your foresight,” Sixth Master grinned.
“Unfortunately, we only had one incident, and it almost got out of hand,” Uncle Zhong said gloomily.
Sixth Master shook his head, “It’s hard to say. Perhaps there were things we couldn’t understand. Anyway, let’s not dwell on that. At that time, I had already started my foundation in Taoism. My entry into the path of cultivation was somewhat accidental. Now that I think about it, it’s somewhat similar to your experience, Mei Qing. However, I was much younger when I started, and I didn’t learn anything substantial at first, just muddling through. Later, I met A’Bi’s mother, and we became cultivation partners. Under her guidance, my progress was quite rapid. If the Emperor hadn’t gone to the capital, I might have abandoned worldly affairs and be in seclusion in some mountain now.”
“Back then, with a young man’s competitive spirit, I couldn’t help but want to show off what I had learned. Coincidentally, there was a time when a bastard prince provoked me, and I couldn’t directly teach him a lesson. In a moment of anger, I used a spell to make him suffer.”
“Unfortunately, the Emperor caught wind of this. He was still the Crown Prince at the time, just a teenager, and naturally curious about such things. He wanted to learn from me. I had to tell him that the key to Taoist cultivation was fate and that I practiced dual cultivation, taught by my partner, and bound by sect rules, I couldn’t teach him.”
“The Crown Prince was naturally unhappy, but he knew I was telling the truth and had no choice. However, from then on, whenever he went out, he insisted on visiting remote mountains and valleys, hoping to encounter his own fate and enter the path of cultivation. Additionally, the residence secretly sent people to seek out Taoist practitioners.”
“In fact, many major sects had branches in the secular world. The Crown Prince’s search naturally attracted self-proclaimed immortals who came to the residence to teach Taoist arts. However, these techniques were often too superficial, and some of the so-called great immortals were nothing more than charlatans. After a few days of learning, the Crown Prince naturally made no progress and became impatient. One day, he decided to run away from home and go directly to Longhu Mountain to study at the Celestial Master Sect.”
“Lu Zhong and I tried hard to dissuade him, but the Crown Prince was determined to learn Taoist arts. Eventually, we had no choice but to let him go, fearing he might really run away. At that time, the Prince of Xingxian was seriously ill, and the residence lacked a leader. We couldn’t come up with a plan. Just as we were at a loss, the Prince of Xingxian passed away.”
“That was in the 14th year of the Zhengde era, and the Crown Prince was only thirteen or fourteen years old. Although he couldn’t officially inherit the title until the mourning period was over, he had to manage the state affairs as the Crown Prince. This time, he couldn’t act recklessly. Lu Zhong and I breathed a sigh of relief, thinking the Crown Prince would no longer have wild ideas. However, we were mistaken.”
“I remember clearly, it was the 15th day of the winter month that year. For some reason, it was exceptionally cold.” Sixth Master turned to Mei Qing, “You might not know, but the cold there is different from ours. Here, it’s dry and cold, but there, it’s damp and freezing. That year was unusually cold, and a few days before, it suddenly started snowing heavily. It wasn’t until the 15th that the sky cleared. On that day, as we were directing the servants to clean the courtyard, a Taoist priest suddenly arrived, claiming he had heard the Crown Prince was seeking Taoist masters and offering himself as a teacher.”
“At that time, I was not yet twenty, and my judgment wasn’t very good. I couldn’t quite figure out this person, but I brought him to meet the Crown Prince. The Crown Prince was in mourning and couldn’t appear in public often. When he met the Taoist, the man introduced himself as Mao Yang Zhenren from Maoshan, a member of the Shangqing Sect, skilled in exorcising ghosts and demons, and turning stones into gold, and so on. At first glance, he seemed like a charlatan, but he actually turned a stone the Crown Prince had found into gold, which convinced us.”
“Although the Plum Blossom Sect’s movements are quite secretive, their actions of challenging various Taoist sects one by one inevitably become known. Particularly noteworthy is the fact that the Taoist techniques of the Plum Blossom Sect are highly distinctive, completely unbound by the five elements and yin-yang. Therefore, their members in magical confrontations almost disregard the characteristics of their opponents’ techniques, with no hindrance of mutual restraint. This has become a matter of great interest to all Taoist sects in the world.” At this point, Sixth Master furrowed his brow and turned to Mei Qing.
“I’ve heard from my subordinates that you have performed forbidden techniques several times, which closely resemble the methods of the Plum Blossom Sect. Although I am not entirely clear on the details, it is likely not baseless. As for your mother, we once saw her Taoist techniques by chance. However, our understanding was insufficient at the time, and we couldn’t comprehend them. Looking back now, they were exactly like the legendary techniques of the Plum Blossom Sect, completely different from all other sects in the world.” After a pause, Sixth Master continued, “Not only that. Your mother never revealed her real name to us, and we couldn’t trace her origins. However, she once asked us to call her by a name that inevitably reminds us of the six plum blossoms under the Plum Blossom Sect.”
“What did you call her?” Mei Qing asked curiously.
“She asked us to call her Wu Duo (Five Blossoms),” Sixth Master said with a sigh.
Mei Qing couldn’t help but turn his gaze to Uncle Zhong. The head maid in his room was named Duo Yun (Cloud Blossom), and the little maid was called Wu’er (Fifth). He hadn’t thought much of it before, but now it seemed that these names, likely given by Uncle Zhong, carried a different meaning.
In those days, the practice of avoiding the names of ancestors was strictly observed, and it was unthinkable to use the names of predecessors for later generations, let alone for maids.
Sixth Master, as if reading Mei Qing’s thoughts, shook his head and said, “I know the names Wu’er and Duo Yun. They were originally the names of two maids by your mother’s side. That’s why we all thought the name Wu Duo couldn’t be your mother’s real name, but just a casual nickname she used.”
Mei Qing felt a bit strange upon hearing this. In his heart, he didn’t think that the names of relatives needed to be avoided as strictly as others did. However, his mother’s behavior was indeed unusual.
“Where is my mother now? Has she already…” Seeing Sixth Master and Uncle Zhong lost in thought, Mei Qing anxiously pressed for an answer.
Sixth Master and Uncle Zhong exchanged glances, and finally, Uncle Zhong shook his head with difficulty, “We don’t know.”
Mei Qing was stunned, but seeing their expressions, he knew they weren’t lying. After a moment of thought, he asked, “What about my father? Who is he?”
Sixth Master hesitated for a moment before speaking in a hoarse voice, “Your father was the former Prince Xingxian, the current emperor.”
“What!?” Although Mei Qing had thought his background was unusual, this answer was still far beyond his expectations. He jumped up straight and pointed at Sixth Master, “Are you saying that I am… the emperor’s son?”
Although his behavior was quite rude, Sixth Master acted as if he didn’t notice, slowly nodding his head.
“You must be joking,” Mei Qing laughed dryly, “How could I be the emperor’s son? That old man Jiajing is my father? How could that be? Isn’t this just a joke? Right, Uncle Zhong?”
Uncle Zhong’s face showed a hint of sorrow as he softly said, “Young master, what Sixth Master said is true. You are indeed the son of the emperor.”
“How do you know?” Mei Qing shook his head, “Uncle Zhong, don’t be fooled by him. Would you believe the words of the head of the Imperial Guards?”
As he spoke, Mei Qing kept shaking his head, insisting it was impossible.
Uncle Zhong sighed, “I didn’t hear this from him. Back then, I was the chief guard of Prince Xingxian’s mansion in Anlu, Hubei, known as Ghost Hand Lu Zhong. Sixth Master and I are actually brothers from the same clan. However, my family was poor, and I had some unusual encounters since childhood, learning some martial arts. Later, with the recommendation of our clan elders, I was favored by the old prince and became a guard in the mansion, always following the crown prince—who later succeeded as Prince Xingxian and then became the emperor. You are indeed the son of the emperor, there’s no mistake.”
“Then—if my father is the emperor, even if he was just Prince Xingxian back then, how could he have married my mother? Moreover, if he really became the emperor, how could he not even know my mother’s whereabouts?”
Sixth Master sighed and slowly said, “That’s a long story.”
“Back then, I was the emperor’s study companion. Actually, at that time, the emperor was just the crown prince of Prince Xingxian. Although he was destined to succeed as Prince Xingxian, the princes of our Ming dynasty were mostly just figureheads. Especially after the rebellion of Prince Ning, the court tightly controlled the power of the regional princes, not allowing any slack. Therefore, the emperor was quite idle back then. With the carefree nature of youth, he often took me and Lu Zhong out in disguise to wander around.”
“Lu Zhong was a few years older than us, and he always pretended to be a servant when we went out. Actually, looking back now, Lu Zhong was at the stage of practicing external energy release at that time, and he might as well have had ‘bodyguard’ written on his face. How could he pass as a servant? I guess you knew that back then, but you just played along with us, right?” Sixth Master smiled as he spoke.
“Not entirely,” Uncle Zhong shook his head, “Back then, the emperor loved to go out, and although we couldn’t stop him, we had to take precautions. Besides, we didn’t have enough manpower at that time. What if something happened? You know, back then, Prince Xingxian’s mansion was just a facade to ordinary people, and those with real power didn’t necessarily hold the mansion in high regard. If something really happened, although we could handle it, it would still cause trouble for the mansion. By acting tough, I made those troublemakers think twice before acting, after all, not every family had a tough guy like me as a servant.”
“Indeed. No wonder we never ran into any trouble when the three of us went out. Thinking back now, it was all thanks to your careful planning.” Sixth Master grinned.
“Unfortunately, we only got into trouble once, and it almost got out of hand.” Uncle Zhong said gloomily.
Sixth Master shook his head, “Hard to say. There might be some things we don’t understand. Let’s not talk about that for now. Actually, at that time, I had already started to lay the foundation for Taoist practices. It was somewhat accidental how I entered the path of cultivation. Thinking back now, it’s somewhat similar to your experiences, Mei Qing. However, I was much younger than you when I started, and I didn’t learn anything substantial, just muddling through. Later, I met A’Bi’s mother, became her Taoist partner, and under her guidance, my cultivation progressed quite quickly. If it weren’t for the emperor going to the capital later, I might have already abandoned worldly affairs and be cultivating in some mountain now.”
“Back then, with the nature of youth, after learning something, it was inevitable to have a competitive spirit. Coincidentally, there was once a time when a prince of a concubine provoked me, and I couldn’t directly teach him a lesson. In a moment of anger, I used a spell to make him suffer.”
“Unexpectedly, the emperor happened to witness this. He was still the crown prince at that time, just a teenager, and naturally curious about everything. Seeing this, he was determined to learn. I had to tell him that the key to Taoist practices is fate. I also told him that I practiced dual cultivation, and all my techniques were taught by my Taoist partner, and due to sect rules, I couldn’t teach him.”
“The crown prince was naturally unhappy, but he knew I was telling the truth and had no choice. However, later when he went out, he insisted on going to remote mountains and valleys. I knew he was hoping to encounter his own Taoist fate and start cultivating. Additionally, the mansion secretly sent people to search for cultivators.”
“Actually, all major sects have their branches in the secular world. With the crown prince searching like this, naturally, many self-proclaimed immortals came to the mansion to teach Taoist techniques. However, these techniques were often too shallow, and some of the so-called great immortals were even just charlatans. After learning for a few days, the crown prince naturally achieved nothing and became impatient. Once, he gritted his teeth and said he would run away from home to go to Longhu Mountain and learn from the Celestial Master Sect.”
“Lu Zhong and I tried hard to persuade him, but the crown prince was determined to learn Taoist techniques. Later, we had no choice and were afraid he might really run away. At that time, Prince Xingxian was seriously ill, and there was no backbone in the family. We couldn’t come up with a plan. Just when we didn’t know what to do, Prince Xingxian passed away.”
“That was in the fourteenth year of Zhengde, and the crown prince was only thirteen or fourteen years old. With the old prince’s death, although the crown prince couldn’t inherit the title immediately due to mourning, he had to manage the state as the crown prince. This time, he couldn’t act recklessly. Lu Zhong and I breathed a sigh of relief, thinking he wouldn’t have wild ideas anymore. However, we were wrong.”
“I remember clearly, it was the fifteenth day of the winter month that year. For some reason, it was exceptionally cold that year.” Sixth Master said, turning to Mei Qing, “You might not know, but the cold there is different from here. Here it’s dry and cold, but there it’s damp and freezing. That year was unusually cold, and it suddenly started snowing heavily a few days before. It wasn’t until the fifteenth that it cleared up. That day, while we were directing the servants to clean the courtyard, a Taoist priest suddenly came to the door, saying he had heard the crown prince was seeking Taoist masters, and he was volunteering to be the crown prince’s Taoist teacher.”
“I was not even twenty at that time, and my judgment wasn’t great. I couldn’t quite figure this person out and felt unsure, so I took him to see the crown prince. The crown prince was in mourning at that time and couldn’t appear in public often. When he met this Taoist priest, the man claimed to be from Maoshan, named Maoyang Zhenren, from the Shangqing Sect, skilled in capturing ghosts and demons, and turning stones into gold, and so on. At first glance, this guy looked like a charlatan. But then he turned a stone the crown prince had found into gold, which convinced us.”
“Although the Plum Blossom Sect’s actions were quite covert, their successive challenges to various Taoist sects inevitably became known. Particularly noteworthy was their unique Taoist techniques, which were completely unbound by the five elements and yin-yang principles. This allowed their members to almost disregard the characteristics of their opponents’ techniques in magical duels, free from any mutual constraints. This aspect has piqued the interest of the entire Taoist community,” said Sixth Master, furrowing his brow before turning to Mei Qing.
“I’ve heard from others that you’ve performed forbidden techniques several times, which closely resemble the Plum Blossom Sect’s methods. Although I’m not entirely clear on the details, it’s likely not baseless. We once saw your mother’s Taoist skills, but at the time, our understanding was insufficient to comprehend them. Now, looking back, they were strikingly similar to the legendary techniques of the Plum Blossom Sect, completely different from any other sect,” Sixth Master paused before continuing, “Moreover, your mother never revealed her real name, and her origins remain unknown. However, the name she asked us to call her by inevitably reminds us of the Six Plum Blossoms under the Plum Blossom Sect.”
“What did you call her?” Mei Qing asked curiously.
“She asked us to call her ‘Five Blossoms,'” Sixth Master sighed.
Mei Qing turned to Zhong Shu. The head maid in his house was named Duo Yun, and the little maid was called Wu’er. He hadn’t thought much of it before, but now it seemed likely that Zhong Shu had named them. These names now seemed to carry a different meaning.
In those days, the practice of avoiding the names of ancestors was strictly observed, especially not using them for servants.
Sixth Master, as if reading Mei Qing’s thoughts, shook his head and said, “I know the names Wu’er and Duo Yun. They were originally the names of your mother’s two maids. That’s why we believe ‘Five Blossoms’ wasn’t her real name, just a casual title.”
Mei Qing found this strange. He didn’t think it necessary to avoid his relatives’ names as strictly as others did, but his mother’s behavior was indeed unusual.
“Where is my mother now? Has she…” Mei Qing pressed anxiously, seeing both Sixth Master and Zhong Shu deep in thought.
Sixth Master and Zhong Shu exchanged glances, and finally Zhong Shu shook his head with difficulty, “We don’t know.”
Mei Qing was stunned but could tell they weren’t lying. After a moment, he asked, “What about my father? Who is he?”
Sixth Master hesitated before finally saying in a strained voice, “Your father was the former Prince Xingxian, now the reigning emperor.”
“What!?” Although Mei Qing had suspected his origins were unusual, this answer was beyond his wildest expectations. He jumped up, pointing at Sixth Master, “You’re saying I’m… the emperor’s son?”
Despite his rude behavior, Sixth Master simply nodded slowly.
“You must be joking,” Mei Qing laughed dryly, “How could I be the emperor’s son? That old man Jiajing is my father? How? How? Haha, this must be a joke, right, Zhong Shu?”
Zhong Shu’s face showed a hint of sorrow as he softly said, “Young master, what Sixth Master said is true. You are indeed the son of the emperor.”
“How do you know?” Mei Qing shook his head, “Zhong Shu, don’t be fooled by him. You believe the head of the Imperial Guards?”
As he spoke, Mei Qing kept shaking his head, insisting it was impossible.
Zhong Shu sighed, “I didn’t hear it from him. Back then, I was the chief guard at the Prince Xingxian’s mansion in Hubei, known as Ghost Hand Lu Zhong. Sixth Master and I are actually brothers from the same clan. But my family was poor, and I had some unusual encounters in my youth, learning some martial arts. Later, a clan elder recommended me, and the old prince valued me, so I became a guard, always following the prince—who later became Prince Xingxian and then the emperor. You are indeed the emperor’s son, there’s no mistake.”
“Then—if my father was the emperor, even as the former Prince Xingxian, he was still a prince. How could he have married my mother? Moreover, if he really became the emperor, how could he not know where my mother is?”
Sixth Master sighed and slowly said, “That’s a long story.”
“Back then, I was the emperor’s study companion. Actually, at that time, he was just the heir to Prince Xingxian. Although he was destined to inherit the title, the princes of our Ming dynasty were mostly figureheads. Especially after the rebellion of Prince Ning, the court tightly controlled the power of the regional princes, not allowing any slack. So, the emperor was quite idle back then. Being young, he often took me and Lu Zhong out in disguise to wander around.”
“Lu Zhong was a few years older than us, and he always pretended to be a servant when we went out. Now that I think about it, Lu Zhong was at the stage of practicing external energy release, and he probably looked more like a bodyguard than a servant. But it was all part of the fun, right?” Sixth Master smiled.
“Not entirely,” Zhong Shu shook his head, “Back then, the prince loved to go out, and although we couldn’t stop him, we had to take precautions. Besides, we didn’t have enough manpower, and if something happened, it would be troublesome. You know, the Prince Xingxian’s mansion was only intimidating to ordinary people; those with real power didn’t care much about it. If something happened, although it could be managed, it would still cause trouble for the mansion. My tough demeanor made those troublemakers think twice, after all, not every family had a tough guy like me as a servant.”
“That’s true. No wonder we never had any trouble when we went out. Now that I think about it, you were quite thoughtful,” Sixth Master grinned.
“Unfortunately, we only had one incident, and it almost got out of hand,” Zhong Shu said gloomily.
Sixth Master shook his head, “It’s hard to say. There might be things we don’t understand. Let’s not talk about that for now. Actually, I had already started my Taoist cultivation back then. It was somewhat accidental, and now that I think about it, it’s a bit similar to your experience, Mei Qing. But I was much younger than you when I started, and I didn’t learn anything substantial, just muddling through. Later, I met A’Bi’s mother, became her Taoist partner, and under her guidance, my cultivation progressed quickly. If it weren’t for the emperor going to the capital, I might have left worldly affairs behind and be cultivating in some mountain now.”
“Being young, I couldn’t help but want to compete after learning something. Coincidentally, a lesser prince provoked me, and I couldn’t directly teach him a lesson. In a moment of anger, I used a spell to make him suffer.”
“Unfortunately, the emperor caught me. He was still the heir then, just a teenager, and naturally curious about such things. He wanted to learn from me. I had to tell him that Taoist cultivation depends on fate. I also told him that I practiced dual cultivation, and all my techniques were taught by my Taoist partner, and due to sect rules, I couldn’t teach him.”
“The heir was naturally unhappy, but he knew I was telling the truth and had no choice. However, he started venturing into deep mountains and valleys during his outings, hoping to encounter his own Taoist fate. The mansion also secretly sent people to seek out Taoist practitioners.”
“Actually, major sects also have branches in the secular world. The heir’s search naturally attracted self-proclaimed Taoist masters to the mansion. However, their techniques were quite shallow, and some were even charlatans. After a few days of learning, the heir naturally made no progress and became impatient. Once, he even decided to run away from home and go directly to Longhu Mountain to study under the Celestial Master Sect.”
“Lu Zhong and I tried hard to persuade him, but he was determined to learn Taoist techniques. We were at a loss, fearing he might really run away. At that time, Prince Xingxian was seriously ill, and the mansion lacked a backbone. We couldn’t come up with a solution. Just as we were at a loss, Prince Xingxian passed away.”
“That was in the 14th year of Zhengde, and the heir was only thirteen or fourteen. Although he couldn’t inherit the title immediately due to mourning, he had to manage the state affairs as the heir. This time, he couldn’t act recklessly. Lu Zhong and I were relieved, thinking he would no longer have wild ideas. However, we were wrong.”
“I remember clearly, it was the 15th day of the winter month that year. It was unusually cold,” Sixth Master turned to Mei Qing, “You might not know, but the cold there is different from here. Here it’s dry and cold, but there it’s damp and freezing. That year was exceptionally cold, and it had been snowing heavily for days. It only cleared up on the 15th. That day, while we were directing the servants to clean the courtyard, a Taoist priest arrived, claiming he had heard the heir was seeking Taoist masters and offering himself as a teacher.”
“I was still under twenty then, and my judgment wasn’t great. I couldn’t quite figure him out and felt uneasy, but I took him to see the heir. The heir was in mourning and couldn’t appear in public often. When he met the Taoist, the man claimed to be from Maoshan, named Mao Yang Zhenren, from the Shangqing Sect, skilled in exorcising ghosts and demons, and turning stones into gold. He looked like a charlatan, but he actually turned a stone the heir had found into gold, convincing us.”
“You must be joking,” Mei Qing said dryly with a laugh. “How could I be the Emperor’s son? How could that old man Jiajing be my father? How could that be? How could that be? Ha, you’re just kidding, right, Uncle Zhong?”
“Although the Plum Blossom Sect operates in secrecy, their actions of challenging various Taoist sects one by one inevitably come to light. Particularly noteworthy is their unique Taoist techniques, which are completely unbound by the Five Elements and Yin-Yang principles. Consequently, their members in magical confrontations almost disregard the characteristics of their opponents’ techniques, free from any constraints of mutual generation and restriction. This has become a matter of great interest among all Taoist sects in the world.” At this point, Sixth Master furrowed his brows and turned to Mei Qing.
“I’ve heard from subordinates that you’ve performed forbidden techniques several times, resembling the methods of the Plum Blossom Sect. Although I’m not entirely clear on the details, it’s likely not baseless rumor. As for your mother, we’ve occasionally witnessed her Taoist skills. Back then, our understanding was insufficient to comprehend them. Now, upon reflection, they indeed resemble the legendary techniques of the Plum Blossom Sect, distinct from all other sects.” After a pause, Sixth Master continued, “Moreover, your mother never revealed her true name, and her origins remain untraceable. However, the name she asked us to call her inevitably brings to mind the Six Plum Blossoms of the Plum Blossom Sect.”
“What did you all call her?” Mei Qing asked curiously.
“She asked us to call her ‘Five Blossoms’,” Sixth Master said with a sigh.
Mei Qing’s gaze turned to Uncle Zhong. The head maid in his room was named Duo Yun, and the younger maid was called Wu’er. Previously, he hadn’t thought much of it, but now it seemed likely that Uncle Zhong had named them. These names, when considered now, carry a different implication.
In those times, the practice of avoiding the names of ancestors was strictly observed, especially not using them for servants.
Sixth Master, seemingly aware of Mei Qing’s thoughts, shook his head and said, “I know the names Wu’er and Duo Yun. They were originally the names of two maids by your mother’s side. That’s why we believe ‘Five Blossoms’ wasn’t her real name, just a casual appellation.”
Mei Qing found this rather peculiar. Personally, he didn’t think it necessary to strictly avoid the names of relatives as others did. However, his mother’s behavior was indeed unusual.
“Where is my mother now? Could she have…” Seeing Sixth Master and Uncle Zhong lost in thought, Mei Qing anxiously pressed for an answer.
Sixth Master and Uncle Zhong exchanged glances, and finally, Uncle Zhong reluctantly shook his head, “We don’t know.”
Mei Qing was stunned but, seeing their expressions, knew they weren’t lying. After a moment’s thought, he asked, “What about my father? Who is he?”
Sixth Master hesitated, then after a while, said with difficulty, “Your father was the Prince of Xingxian, who is now the reigning emperor.”
“What!?” Although Mei Qing had considered his background to be somewhat unique, this answer was beyond his wildest expectations. He jumped up, pointing at Sixth Master, “You’re saying I’m… the emperor’s son?”
Despite his rude behavior, Sixth Master, as if not noticing, slowly nodded.
“You must be joking,” Mei Qing laughed dryly, “How could I be the emperor’s son? That old man Jiajing is my father? How? How? Haha, this must be a joke, right, Uncle Zhong?”
Uncle Zhong’s face showed a hint of sorrow as he softly said, “Young master, what Sixth Master said is true. You are indeed the son of the emperor.”
“How do you know?” Mei Qing shook his head, “Uncle Zhong, don’t be fooled by him. How can you believe the words of the head of the Imperial Guards?”
As he spoke, Mei Qing kept shaking his head, insisting it was impossible.
Uncle Zhong sighed, “I didn’t hear it from him. Back then, I was the chief guard at the Prince of Xingxian’s mansion in Hubei, known as Ghost Hand Lu Zhong. Sixth Master and I are actually brothers from the same clan. However, my family was poor, and I had some unusual encounters since childhood, learning martial arts. Later, recommended by our clan elders, I was valued by the old prince and became a guard at the mansion, always following the prince’s son—who later succeeded as the Prince of Xingxian and then became the emperor. You are indeed the emperor’s son, there’s no mistake.”
“Then—if my father was the emperor, even as the Prince of Xingxian, how could he have married my mother? Moreover, if he really became the emperor, how could he not know my mother’s whereabouts?”
Sixth Master sighed and slowly began, “That’s a long story.”
“Back then, I was the emperor’s study companion. Actually, at that time, the emperor was just the Prince of Xingxian’s son, destined to inherit the title. But in our Ming dynasty, the title of prince was more nominal, especially after the rebellion of the Prince of Ning, when the power of the regional princes was tightly controlled, with no room for flexibility. Thus, the emperor was quite idle back then, especially in his youthful curiosity, often taking me and Lu Zhong out in disguise to wander around.”
“Lu Zhong was a few years older than us, and each time we went out, he would disguise himself as a servant. Now that I think about it, Lu Zhong was practicing external energy release at that time, almost as if he had ‘bodyguard’ written on his face. How could he pass as a servant? You probably understood this back then, but we used this to amuse ourselves, right?” Sixth Master smiled.
“Not entirely,” Uncle Zhong shook his head, “Back then, the prince loved to go out, and although we couldn’t stop him, we had to take precautions. Besides, we didn’t have enough manpower. What if something happened? You know, back then, our Prince of Xingxian’s mansion was only intimidating to ordinary people; those with real power didn’t necessarily hold the mansion in high regard. If something had happened, although it wouldn’t be impossible to handle, it would certainly cause trouble for the mansion. My imposing presence actually deterred those with ill intentions, as not every family had a tough guy like me as a servant.”
“Indeed. No wonder we never ran into trouble when we went out. Now that I think about it, it was all thanks to your foresight,” Sixth Master grinned.
“Unfortunately, we only had one incident, and it almost got out of hand,” Uncle Zhong said gloomily.
Sixth Master shook his head, “It’s hard to say. Perhaps there were things beyond our understanding. Anyway, let’s not dwell on that. Actually, at that time, I had already started my foundation in Taoism. My entry into the path of cultivation was somewhat accidental. Now that I think about it, it’s somewhat similar to your experience, Mei Qing. However, I was much younger when I started, and I didn’t learn anything substantial, just muddling through. Later, I met A’Bi’s mother, became her Taoist partner, and under her guidance, my cultivation progressed quickly. If it weren’t for the emperor moving to the capital, I might have already left worldly affairs behind, now perhaps secluded in some mountain.”
“Back then, with youthful exuberance, after learning something, I inevitably had a competitive spirit. Coincidentally, there was a time when a bastard prince provoked me, and I couldn’t directly teach him a lesson. In a moment of anger, I used a spell to make him suffer.”
“Unexpectedly, the emperor caught wind of this. He was still the prince’s son then, just a teenager, curious about everything. Seeing such a thing, of course, he wanted to learn. I had to tell him that the key to Taoist rules is fate. I also told him that what I practiced was dual cultivation, taught by my Taoist partner, and bound by sect rules, I couldn’t teach him.”
“The prince was naturally unhappy but knew I was telling the truth and had no choice. However, later, whenever he went out, he insisted on going deep into the mountains and valleys, hoping to encounter his own Taoist fate and begin cultivation. Additionally, the mansion secretly sent people to seek out Taoist practitioners.”
“Actually, major sects also have their presence in the secular world. With the prince seeking them out, naturally, many self-proclaimed immortals came to the mansion to teach Taoist methods. However, these techniques were often too superficial, and some of the so-called great immortals were merely charlatans. After a few days of learning, the prince naturally achieved nothing and became impatient. Once, he even threatened to run away from home to directly seek cultivation at the Dragon and Tiger Mountain’s Celestial Master Sect.”
“Lu Zhong and I tried hard to dissuade him, but the prince was determined to learn Taoist methods. Later, we had no choice, fearing he might really leave in a fit of anger. But at that time, the Prince of Xingxian was seriously ill, and there was no backbone in the family. We couldn’t come up with a plan. Just when we were at a loss, the Prince of Xingxian passed away.”
“That was in the fourteenth year of Zhengde, when the prince was only thirteen or fourteen. Although the old prince had passed away, the prince, still in mourning, couldn’t officially inherit the title but had to manage the state affairs as the prince’s son. This time, he couldn’t act recklessly. Lu Zhong and I breathed a sigh of relief, thinking the prince would no longer indulge in fantasies. However, we were mistaken.”
“I remember clearly, it was the fifteenth day of the winter month that year. For some reason, it was exceptionally cold.” Sixth Master turned to Mei Qing, “You might not know, but the cold there is different from here. Here it’s dry cold, but there it’s damp and freezing. That year was unusually cold, with heavy snow falling a few days prior. It wasn’t until the fifteenth that the sky cleared. That day, as we were directing the servants to clean the courtyard, a Taoist priest suddenly arrived, saying he had heard the prince was seeking Taoist masters and he was volunteering to be the prince’s Taoist teacher.”
“I was not yet twenty then, and my judgment wasn’t great. I couldn’t quite figure the man out and felt uneasy, so I took him to see the prince. The prince, still in mourning, couldn’t appear in public often. Upon meeting the Taoist, the man claimed to be from Maoshan, named Maoyang Zhenren, a member of the Shangqing Sect, skilled in capturing ghosts and demons, and turning stones into gold, and so on. At first glance, the man seemed like a charlatan. But then he turned a stone the prince had found into gold, which convinced us.”
“How do you know?” Mei Qing shook his head. “Uncle Zhong, don’t be taken in by him. How can you believe what the head of the Embroidered Uniform Guard says?”
As he spoke, Mei Qing kept shaking his head, insisting it was impossible.
“Although the Plum Blossom Sect’s movements are quite secretive, their actions of challenging various Taoist sects one by one will inevitably become known. What particularly draws attention is that the Plum Blossom Sect’s Taoist techniques are extremely distinctive, completely unbound by the Five Elements and Yin-Yang principles. Therefore, their members in magical battles almost disregard the characteristics of their opponents’ techniques, with no constraints of mutual generation or restraint. This has become a matter of great interest to the Taoist sects across the world,” said Sixth Master, furrowing his brow before turning to Mei Qing.
“I’ve heard from my subordinates that you have performed forbidden techniques several times, which closely resemble the Plum Blossom Sect’s methods. Although I am not entirely clear on the details, it is likely not baseless. As for your mother, we have occasionally witnessed her Taoist techniques in the past. However, our understanding was insufficient at the time, and we couldn’t comprehend them. Now, upon reflection, they were exactly like the legendary techniques of the Plum Blossom Sect, completely different from any other sect in the world.” After a pause, Sixth Master continued, “Not only that. Your mother’s real name was never revealed to us, and her origins remain untraceable. However, back then, she asked us to call her by a name that inevitably reminds one of the six plum blossoms under the Plum Blossom Sect.”
“What did you call her?” Mei Qing asked curiously.
“She asked us to call her ‘Five Blossoms,'” Sixth Master said with a sigh.
Mei Qing couldn’t help but turn his gaze to Uncle Zhong. The head maid in his room was named Duo Yun, and the little maid was called Wu’er. He hadn’t thought much of it before, but now it seemed that these names, likely given by Uncle Zhong, carried a different meaning.
In those times, the practice of avoiding the names of ancestors was strictly observed, especially not using them for servants.
Sixth Master, as if reading Mei Qing’s thoughts, shook his head and said, “I know about the names Wu’er and Duo Yun. They were originally the names of your mother’s two maids. That’s why we all thought ‘Five Blossoms’ couldn’t be her real name, just a casual nickname.”
Mei Qing felt a bit strange. He didn’t think that the names of relatives needed to be avoided as strictly as others did. But regardless, his mother’s behavior was indeed unusual.
“Where is my mother now? Has she already…” Seeing Sixth Master and Uncle Zhong deep in thought, Mei Qing anxiously pressed for an answer.
Sixth Master and Uncle Zhong exchanged glances, and finally, Uncle Zhong shook his head with difficulty, “We don’t know.”
Mei Qing was stunned, but seeing their expressions, he knew they weren’t lying. After a moment of thought, he asked, “What about my father? Who is he?”
Sixth Master hesitated for a moment before speaking with a strained voice, “Your father is the former Prince Xingxian, the current Emperor.”
“What!?” Although Mei Qing had thought his background was unusual, this answer was completely beyond his expectations. He jumped up, pointing at Sixth Master, “You’re saying I’m… the Emperor’s son?”
Despite his rude behavior, Sixth Master simply nodded slowly.
“You must be joking,” Mei Qing said with a dry laugh, “How could I be the Emperor’s son? That old man Jiajing is my father? How? How? Haha, this must be a joke, right, Uncle Zhong?”
Uncle Zhong’s face showed a hint of sorrow as he softly said, “Young Master, what Sixth Master said is true. You are indeed the Emperor’s son.”
“How do you know?” Mei Qing shook his head, “Uncle Zhong, don’t be fooled by him. How can you trust the words of the head of the Imperial Guards?”
As he spoke, Mei Qing kept shaking his head, insisting it was impossible.
Uncle Zhong sighed, “I didn’t hear it from him. Back then, I was the chief guard at the Prince Xingxian’s mansion in Hubei, known as Ghost Hand Lu Zhong. Sixth Master and I are actually brothers from the same clan. But my family was poor, and I had some unusual encounters in my youth, learning some martial arts. Later, it was through the recommendation of our clan elders that I gained the favor of the old prince and became a guard at the mansion, always following the Crown Prince—who later became Prince Xingxian and then the Emperor. You are indeed the Emperor’s son, there’s no mistake.”
“Then—if my father was the Emperor, even if he was just Prince Xingxian at the time, how could he have married my mother? Moreover, if he really became the Emperor, how could he not know where my mother is?”
Sixth Master sighed and slowly said, “That’s a long story.”
“Back then, I was the Emperor’s study companion. Actually, at that time, the Emperor was just the Crown Prince of Prince Xingxian. Although he was destined to inherit the title, the princes of our Ming Dynasty were mostly just figureheads. Especially after the rebellion of Prince Ning, the court tightened its control over the regional princes, refusing to give them any real power. So, the Emperor was quite idle back then. Being young and restless, he often took me and Lu Zhong out in disguise to wander around.”
“Lu Zhong was a few years older than us, and he always pretended to be a servant when we went out. Now that I think about it, Lu Zhong was practicing external energy techniques at the time, and he probably looked more like a bodyguard than a servant. I guess you knew that back then, but you just played along with it, right?” Sixth Master said with a smile.
“Not entirely,” Uncle Zhong shook his head, “The Emperor loved to go out, and although we couldn’t stop him, we had to take precautions. Besides, we didn’t have enough manpower back then. What if something happened? You know, the Prince Xingxian’s mansion was only intimidating to ordinary people; those with real power didn’t necessarily care about the mansion. If something did happen, although we could handle it, it would still be a hassle for the mansion. By acting tough, I deterred those who might cause trouble, as not every family had a tough guy like me as a servant.”
“Indeed. No wonder we never ran into trouble when we went out. Now that I think about it, you were quite thoughtful,” Sixth Master said with a grin.
“Unfortunately, we only got into trouble once, and it almost got out of hand,” Uncle Zhong said gloomily.
Sixth Master shook his head, “It’s hard to say. There might be some things we don’t understand. Anyway, let’s not dwell on that. Actually, I had already started my foundation in Taoism back then. My entry into the path of cultivation was somewhat accidental. Now that I think about it, it’s a bit similar to your experience, Mei Qing. But I was much younger when I started, and I didn’t really learn anything substantial at the time. It was only after I met A’Bi’s mother and formed a Taoist partnership that I received her guidance, and my progress was quite rapid. If it weren’t for the Emperor’s ascension to the throne, I might have already left worldly affairs behind and be cultivating in some mountain now.”
“Back then, being young and eager, I couldn’t help but want to show off what I had learned. Coincidentally, there was a time when a bastard prince provoked me, and I couldn’t directly teach him a lesson. In a fit of anger, I used a spell to make him suffer a bit.”
“Unfortunately, the Emperor happened to witness this. He was still the Crown Prince at the time, just a teenager, and naturally curious about everything. When he saw this, he was determined to learn it. I had to tell him that the key to Taoist practice is fate. I also explained that I practiced dual cultivation, and all my techniques were taught by my Taoist partner, and due to sect rules, I couldn’t teach him.”
“The Crown Prince was naturally unhappy, but he knew I was telling the truth and had no choice. However, after that, whenever he went out, he insisted on visiting remote mountains and valleys, hoping to encounter his own Taoist fate and start cultivating. Additionally, the mansion secretly sent people to search for Taoist practitioners.”
“Actually, all major sects have their branches in the secular world. Naturally, many self-proclaimed immortals came to the mansion to teach Taoist techniques. However, these techniques were often too shallow, and some of the so-called immortals were nothing more than charlatans. After a few days of learning, the Crown Prince naturally made no progress and became increasingly impatient. One day, he decided to run away from home and go directly to Longhu Mountain to seek the teachings of the Celestial Master Sect.”
“Lu Zhong and I tried our best to dissuade him, but the Crown Prince was determined to learn Taoist techniques. In the end, we had no choice but to let him go, fearing that he might really run away. At that time, Prince Xingxian was seriously ill, and there was no one to take charge at home. We couldn’t come up with a solution. Just as we were at a loss, Prince Xingxian passed away.”
“That was in the 14th year of the Zhengde era, when the Crown Prince was only thirteen or fourteen years old. Although he couldn’t officially inherit the title immediately due to mourning, he had to manage the state affairs as the Crown Prince. This time, he couldn’t act recklessly. Lu Zhong and I were relieved, thinking that the Crown Prince would no longer indulge in wild fantasies. However, we were mistaken.”
“I remember it clearly, it was the fifteenth day of the winter month that year. For some reason, it was exceptionally cold that year,” Sixth Master said, turning to Mei Qing, “You might not know, but the cold there is different from the cold here. Here, it’s dry and cold, but there, it’s damp and freezing. That year was unusually cold, and it had snowed heavily a few days before. It wasn’t until the fifteenth that the sky cleared. That day, as we were directing the servants to clean the courtyard, a Taoist priest suddenly arrived at the mansion, claiming to have heard that the Crown Prince was seeking Taoist masters and offering himself as a teacher.”
“I was still under twenty at the time, and my judgment wasn’t great. I couldn’t quite figure out this person, so I brought him to meet the Crown Prince. The Crown Prince was in mourning and couldn’t appear in public often. When he met the Taoist, the man introduced himself as Mao Yang, a Taoist from Maoshan, a member of the Shangqing Sect, skilled in exorcising ghosts and demons, and turning stones into gold. At first glance, he seemed like a charlatan, but he actually turned a stone the Crown Prince had found into gold, which convinced us.”
“But then—if my father is the Emperor, even if he was the Prince Xian back then, he was still a prince. How could he have married my mother? Moreover, if he really became the Emperor, how could he not even find out where my mother is now?”
“Although the Plum Blossom Sect’s movements are quite secretive, their actions of challenging various Taoist sects one by one inevitably become known. Particularly noteworthy is the fact that the Plum Blossom Sect’s Taoist techniques are extremely distinctive, completely unbound by the Five Elements and Yin-Yang principles. Therefore, their members in magical confrontations almost disregard the characteristics of their opponents’ techniques, with no hindrance from mutual restrictions. This has become a matter of great interest to the Taoist sects across the land,” said Sixth Master, frowning as he turned to Mei Qing.
“I’ve heard from others that you have performed forbidden techniques several times, which closely resemble the Plum Blossom Sect’s methods. Although I don’t know the details, it’s likely not baseless. And your mother, we once saw her Taoist techniques by chance. Back then, our understanding was insufficient, and we couldn’t comprehend them. Now, looking back, they were exactly like the legendary techniques of the Plum Blossom Sect, completely different from any other sect in the world,” Sixth Master paused for a moment before continuing, “Not only that. Your mother’s real name was never revealed to us, and we couldn’t trace her origins. But back then, she asked us to call her by a name that inevitably made us think of the Six Plum Blossoms under the Plum Blossom Sect.”
“What did you call her?” Mei Qing asked curiously.
“She asked us to call her ‘Five Blossoms’,” Sixth Master said with a sigh.
Mei Qing couldn’t help but turn his gaze to Uncle Zhong. The head maid in his room was named Duo Yun, and the little maid was called Wu’er. Previously, he hadn’t thought much of it, but now it seemed that these names, likely given by Uncle Zhong, carried a different meaning.
At that time, the custom of avoiding the names of ancestors was strictly observed, and it was unthinkable to use the names of predecessors for descendants, let alone for maids.
Sixth Master, as if knowing Mei Qing’s thoughts, shook his head and said, “I know the names Wu’er and Duo Yun. They were originally the names of two maids by your mother’s side. That’s why we all thought ‘Five Blossoms’ couldn’t be her real name, just a casual title she used.”
Mei Qing felt a bit strange. In his heart, he didn’t think that the names of relatives needed to be avoided as strictly as others did. But regardless, his mother’s behavior was indeed unusual.
“Where is my mother now? Has she already…” Seeing Sixth Master and Uncle Zhong lost in thought, Mei Qing anxiously pressed for an answer.
Sixth Master and Uncle Zhong exchanged glances, and finally, Uncle Zhong shook his head with difficulty, “We don’t know.”
Mei Qing was stunned, but seeing their expressions, he knew they weren’t lying. After a moment of thought, he asked, “What about my father? Who is he?”
Sixth Master hesitated for a moment before saying with a strained voice, “Your father was the former Prince Xingxian, the current emperor.”
“What!?” Although Mei Qing had thought his background was unusual, this answer was far beyond his expectations. He jumped up, pointing at Sixth Master, “You’re saying I’m… the emperor’s son?”
Despite his rude behavior, Sixth Master ignored it and slowly nodded.
“You must be joking,” Mei Qing laughed dryly, “How could I be the emperor’s son? That old man Jiajing is my father? How? How? Haha, this must be a joke, right, Uncle Zhong?”
Uncle Zhong’s face showed a hint of sorrow as he softly said, “Young master, what Sixth Master said is true. You are indeed the son of the emperor.”
“How do you know?” Mei Qing shook his head, “Uncle Zhong, don’t be fooled by him. The head of the Imperial Guards, would you believe him?”
As he spoke, Mei Qing kept shaking his head, insisting it was impossible.
Uncle Zhong sighed, “I didn’t hear it from him. Back then, I was the chief guard at the Prince Xingxian’s mansion in Anlu, Hubei, known as Ghost Hand Lu Zhong. Sixth Master and I are actually brothers from the same clan. But my family was poor, and I had some unusual encounters since childhood, learning some martial arts. Later, it was through the recommendation of our clan elders that I gained the favor of the old prince and became a guard at the mansion, always following the crown prince—who later succeeded as Prince Xingxian and then became the emperor. You are indeed the son of the emperor, there’s no mistake.”
“Then—if my father was the emperor, even as the former Prince Xingxian, he was still a prince. How could he have married my mother? Moreover, if he really became the emperor, how could he not know where my mother is?”
Sixth Master sighed and slowly said, “That’s a long story.”
“Back then, I was the emperor’s study companion. Actually, at that time, the emperor was just the crown prince of Prince Xingxian. Although he was destined to succeed as Prince Xingxian, the princes of our Ming Dynasty were mostly figureheads. Especially after the rebellion of Prince Ning, the court tightly controlled the power of the regional princes, not allowing any slack. Therefore, the emperor was quite idle back then. Especially with his youthful nature, he often took me and Lu Zhong out in disguise to wander around.”
“Lu Zhong was a few years older than us, and he always pretended to be a servant when we went out. Actually, now that I think about it, Lu Zhong was practicing external energy release at that time, and he probably looked like a thug. How could he pass as a servant? I guess you knew it back then, but you just played along with us, right?” Sixth Master smiled.
“Not entirely,” Uncle Zhong shook his head, “Back then, the emperor loved to go out, and although we couldn’t stop him, we had to take precautions. Besides, we didn’t have enough manpower back then. What if something happened? You know, our Prince Xingxian’s mansion was only intimidating to ordinary people; those with real power didn’t necessarily take the mansion seriously. If something happened, although we could handle it, it would still cause trouble for the mansion. By acting tough, I made those troublemakers think twice before acting, after all, not every family had a tough guy as a servant.”
“Indeed. No wonder we never had any trouble when we went out. Now that I think about it, you were quite thoughtful,” Sixth Master grinned.
“Unfortunately, we only had one incident, and it almost got out of hand,” Uncle Zhong said gloomily.
Sixth Master shook his head, “It’s hard to say. There might be some things we don’t understand. Let’s not talk about that for now. Actually, at that time, I had already started my foundation in Taoism. My entry into the path of cultivation was somewhat accidental. Now that I think about it, it’s somewhat similar to your experience, Mei Qing. But I was much younger than you when I started, and I didn’t learn anything substantial back then, just muddling through. Later, I met A’Bi’s mother, became her Taoist partner, and under her guidance, my progress was quite fast. If it weren’t for the emperor going to the capital, I might have already left worldly affairs behind and be cultivating in some mountain now.”
“Back then, with my youthful nature, I couldn’t help but want to compete after learning something. Coincidentally, there was once when a bastard prince provoked me, and I couldn’t directly teach him a lesson. In a moment of anger, I used a spell to make him suffer.”
“Unexpectedly, the emperor happened to witness this. He was still the crown prince at that time, just a teenager, and naturally curious about everything. Seeing this, he was eager to learn. I had to tell him that the key to Taoist cultivation is fate. I also told him that I practiced dual cultivation, and all my techniques were taught by my Taoist partner, and due to sect rules, I couldn’t teach him.”
“The crown prince was naturally unhappy, but he knew I was telling the truth and had no choice. However, later when he went out to wander, he insisted on going to deep mountains and secluded valleys. I knew he was hoping to encounter his own fate and enter the path of cultivation. Additionally, the mansion secretly sent people to seek out cultivators.”
“Actually, major sects also have branches in the secular world. With the crown prince seeking them out, naturally, many self-proclaimed immortals came to the mansion to teach Taoist techniques. But these techniques were often too shallow, and some of the so-called great immortals were just charlatans. After learning for a few days, the crown prince naturally made no progress and became impatient. Once, he even decided to run away from home and go directly to Longhu Mountain to seek cultivation at the Celestial Master Sect.”
“Lu Zhong and I tried hard to persuade him, but the crown prince was determined to learn Taoist techniques. Later, we had no choice and were afraid he might really run away from home. But at that time, Prince Xingxian was seriously ill, and there was no one to take charge at home. We couldn’t come up with a plan. Just when we didn’t know what to do, Prince Xingxian passed away.”
“That was in the fourteenth year of Zhengde, and the crown prince was only thirteen or fourteen years old. With the old prince’s death, although the crown prince couldn’t officially inherit the title yet, he had to manage the state affairs as the crown prince. This time, he couldn’t act recklessly. Lu Zhong and I were relieved, thinking that the crown prince wouldn’t have any more wild ideas. But we were wrong.”
“I remember clearly, it was the fifteenth day of the winter month that year. For some reason, it was exceptionally cold that year,” Sixth Master said, turning to Mei Qing, “You might not know, but the cold there is different from here. Here it’s dry cold, but there it’s damp and freezing. That year was unusually cold, and it had been snowing heavily for a few days. It only cleared up on the fifteenth. That day, while we were directing the servants to clean the courtyard, a Taoist priest suddenly came to the door, saying he had heard that the crown prince was seeking Taoist masters and he was offering himself as a teacher.”
“I was not yet twenty at that time, and my judgment wasn’t great. I couldn’t quite figure out that person, and I felt unsure, so I brought him to see the crown prince. The crown prince was in mourning and couldn’t appear in public often. When he met the Taoist priest, the man claimed to be from Maoshan, named Maoyang Zhenren, from the Shangqing Sect, skilled in capturing ghosts and demons, and turning stones into gold, and so on. At first glance, the man looked like a charlatan. But then he turned a stone the crown prince had found into gold, and that convinced us.”
“At that time, I was the Emperor’s companion reader. Actually, back then, the Emperor was merely the Crown Prince of Prince Xian, destined to inherit the title eventually. However, in our Ming Dynasty, princes were mostly just nominal figures. Especially after the rebellion of Prince Ning, the central government tightly controlled all regional princes, not allowing them any power or autonomy. Therefore, the young Emperor had quite a leisurely life. Being young and impulsive, he often took me and Lu Zhong out in disguise to tour the city.”
“Although the Plum Blossom Sect operates with great secrecy, their actions of challenging various Taoist sects one by one inevitably come to light. Particularly noteworthy is their unique Taoist techniques, which are completely unbound by the Five Elements and Yin-Yang principles. Consequently, their members in magical confrontations almost disregard the characteristics of their opponents’ techniques, free from any constraints of mutual generation and restriction. This has become a matter of great interest to all Taoist sects in the world,” said Sixth Master, frowning and then turning to Mei Qing.
“I’ve heard from others that you have performed forbidden techniques several times, which closely resemble the methods of the Plum Blossom Sect. Although I am not entirely clear on the details, it’s likely not baseless. We have also occasionally witnessed your mother’s Taoist techniques in the past. However, our understanding was insufficient at the time to comprehend them. Looking back now, they were indeed similar to the legendary techniques of the Plum Blossom Sect, distinctly different from those of other sects,” Sixth Master paused for a moment before continuing, “Moreover, your mother’s real name was never revealed to us, and her origins remain unknown. However, the name she asked us to call her by inevitably reminds us of the six plum blossoms under the Plum Blossom Sect.”
“What did you call her?” Mei Qing asked curiously.
“She asked us to call her ‘Five Blossoms,'” Sixth Master said with a sigh.
Mei Qing couldn’t help but turn his gaze to Uncle Zhong. The head maid in his room was named Duo Yun, and the little maid was called Wu’er. He hadn’t thought much of it before, but now it seemed likely that Uncle Zhong had named them. These names now seemed to carry a different meaning.
At that time, the custom of avoiding the names of ancestors was strictly observed, and it was unthinkable to use the names of predecessors for later generations, let alone for maids.
Sixth Master, as if reading Mei Qing’s thoughts, shook his head and said, “I know the names Wu’er and Duo Yun. They were originally the names of your mother’s two maids. That’s why we all thought ‘Five Blossoms’ couldn’t be your mother’s real name, but just a casual nickname she used.”
Mei Qing found this somewhat strange. In his heart, he didn’t think that the names of relatives needed to be avoided as strictly as others did. However, his mother’s behavior was indeed unusual.
“Where is my mother now? Has she already…” Seeing Sixth Master and Uncle Zhong lost in thought, Mei Qing anxiously pressed for an answer.
Sixth Master and Uncle Zhong exchanged glances, and finally, Uncle Zhong reluctantly shook his head, “We don’t know.”
Mei Qing was stunned, but seeing their expressions, he knew they weren’t lying. After a moment of thought, he asked, “What about my father? Who is he?”
Sixth Master hesitated for a moment before saying with difficulty, “Your father was the former Prince Xingxian, the current Emperor.”
“What!?” Although Mei Qing had thought his background was somewhat unusual, this answer was still far beyond his expectations. He jumped up and pointed at Sixth Master, saying, “Are you saying I’m… the Emperor’s son?”
Despite his rude behavior, Sixth Master ignored it and slowly nodded.
“You must be joking,” Mei Qing said with a dry laugh. “How could I be the Emperor’s son? That old man Jiajing is my father? How? How? Haha, this must be a joke, right, Uncle Zhong?”
Uncle Zhong’s face showed a hint of sorrow as he softly said, “Young Master, what Sixth Master said is true. You are indeed the Emperor’s son.”
“How do you know?” Mei Qing shook his head. “Uncle Zhong, don’t be fooled by him. The head of the Imperial Guards, you believe him?”
As he spoke, Mei Qing kept shaking his head, insisting it was impossible.
Uncle Zhong sighed, “I didn’t hear it from him. Back then, I was the head guard at the Prince Xingxian’s mansion in Hubei, known as Ghost Hand Lu Zhong. Sixth Master and I are actually brothers from the same clan. However, my family was poor, and I had some unusual experiences as a child, learning some martial arts. Later, it was through the recommendation of our clan elders that I gained the favor of the old prince and became a guard at the mansion, always following the crown prince—who later became Prince Xingxian and then the Emperor. You are indeed the Emperor’s son, there’s no mistake.”
“Then—if my father was the Emperor, even if he was just Prince Xingxian at the time, how could he have married my mother? Moreover, if he really became the Emperor, how could he not know my mother’s whereabouts?”
Sixth Master sighed and slowly said, “That’s a long story.”
“Back then, I was the Emperor’s study companion. Actually, at that time, the Emperor was just the crown prince of Prince Xingxian. Although he was destined to inherit the title, the princes of our Ming Dynasty were mostly figureheads. Especially after the rebellion of Prince Ning, the court tightly controlled the power of the regional princes, leaving no room for any looseness. Therefore, the Emperor was quite idle at that time. Being young and curious, he often took me and Lu Zhong out in disguise to wander around.”
“Lu Zhong was a few years older than us, and he always played the role of a servant when we went out. In hindsight, Lu Zhong was practicing external energy release at the time, and he probably looked more like a bodyguard than a servant. I guess you knew that back then, but you just played along with us, right?” Sixth Master said with a smile.
“Not entirely,” Uncle Zhong shook his head. “The Emperor loved to go out, and although we couldn’t stop him, we had to take precautions. Besides, we didn’t have enough manpower at the time. What if something happened? You know, back then, the Prince Xingxian’s mansion was only intimidating to ordinary people. Those with real power didn’t necessarily hold the mansion in high regard. If something did happen, although we could handle it, it would still cause trouble for the mansion. By acting tough, I deterred those who might cause trouble, as not every family had a tough guy like me as a servant.”
“That’s true. No wonder we never ran into trouble when the three of us went out. Now that I think about it, you were quite thoughtful,” Sixth Master said with a grin.
“Unfortunately, we only had one incident, and it almost got out of hand,” Uncle Zhong said gloomily.
Sixth Master shook his head, “It’s hard to say. There might be some things we don’t understand. Let’s not talk about that for now. Actually, at that time, I had already started my foundation in Taoism. My entry into the path of cultivation was somewhat accidental. Looking back now, it’s somewhat similar to your experience, Mei Qing. However, I was much younger when I started, and I didn’t learn anything substantial at first, just muddling through. Later, I met Bi’s mother, and we became Taoist partners. Under her guidance, my progress was quite rapid. If it weren’t for the Emperor going to the capital, I might have already left worldly affairs behind and be cultivating in some mountain now.”
“At that time, being young and competitive, I couldn’t help but show off what I had learned. Coincidentally, a bastard prince provoked me, and I couldn’t directly teach him a lesson. In a moment of anger, I used a spell to make him suffer.”
“Unfortunately, the Emperor happened to witness this. He was still the crown prince at the time, just a teenager, and naturally curious. Seeing such a thing, he was bound to want to learn. I had to tell him that the key to Taoist practice is fate. I also explained that I practiced dual cultivation, and all my techniques were taught by my Taoist partner. Due to sect rules, I couldn’t teach him.”
“The crown prince was naturally unhappy, but he knew I was telling the truth and had no choice. However, from then on, whenever he went out, he insisted on going to remote mountains and valleys. I knew he was hoping to encounter his own Taoist fate and start cultivating. Additionally, the mansion secretly sent people to seek out Taoist practitioners.”
“In fact, major sects also have branches in the secular world. The crown prince’s search naturally attracted various self-proclaimed immortals to the mansion to teach Taoist techniques. However, these techniques were often too superficial, and some of the so-called great immortals were nothing more than charlatans. After a few days of learning, the crown prince naturally made no progress and became impatient. One day, he decided to run away from home and go directly to Longhu Mountain to study with the Celestial Master Sect.”
“Lu Zhong and I tried hard to dissuade him, but the crown prince was determined to learn Taoist techniques. Eventually, we had no choice but to let him go, fearing he might really run away. At that time, Prince Xingxian was seriously ill, and there was no one in charge at home. We couldn’t come up with a plan. Just as we were at a loss, Prince Xingxian passed away.”
“That was in the 14th year of Zhengde, when the crown prince was only thirteen or fourteen years old. Although the old prince had passed away, the crown prince, still in mourning, couldn’t officially inherit the title but had to manage the state affairs as the crown prince. This time, he couldn’t act recklessly. Lu Zhong and I breathed a sigh of relief, thinking he would no longer indulge in wild fantasies. However, we were mistaken.”
“I remember clearly, it was the fifteenth day of the winter month that year. For some reason, it was exceptionally cold,” Sixth Master said, turning to Mei Qing. “You might not know, but the cold there is different from here. Here it’s dry and cold, but there it’s damp and freezing. That year was unusually cold, and it had been snowing heavily for several days. It only cleared up on the fifteenth. That day, as we were directing the servants to clean the courtyard, a Taoist priest suddenly arrived, claiming to have heard that the crown prince was seeking Taoist masters and offering to be his teacher.”
“I was still under twenty at the time, and my judgment wasn’t great. I couldn’t quite figure out this person, so I brought him to see the crown prince. The crown prince was in mourning and couldn’t appear in public often. When he met the Taoist, the man introduced himself as Mao Yang, a real person from Maoshan, a member of the Shangqing Sect, skilled in exorcising ghosts and demons, and turning stones into gold. At first glance, he seemed like a charlatan. However, he turned a stone the crown prince had found into gold, which convinced us.”
“Not entirely,” Uncle Zhong shook his head. “Back then, the Emperor loved going out, and although we couldn’t stop him, we had to take precautions. Besides, we didn’t have enough manpower. If someone reckless caused trouble, what would we do? You know that Prince Xian’s mansion at that time was only intimidating to commoners. Those in power probably didn’t take the mansion seriously. If something really happened, although we could handle it, it would still bring trouble to the mansion. My presence, with my martial arts skills, actually prevented those reckless people from causing trouble. After all, not every household could have a tough guy like me as a servant.”
“Although the Plum Blossom Sect’s movements are quite secretive, their actions of challenging various Taoist sects one by one inevitably become known. Particularly noteworthy is their unique Taoist techniques, which are completely unbound by the Five Elements and Yin-Yang. As a result, their members in magical confrontations almost disregard the characteristics of their opponents’ techniques, with no hindrance from mutual restrictions. This has become a matter of great interest to all Taoist sects in the world.” At this point, Sixth Master furrowed his brows and turned to Mei Qing.
“I’ve heard from others that you have performed forbidden techniques several times, which closely resemble the methods of the Plum Blossom Sect. Although I am not entirely clear on the details, it seems there is some truth to it. And your mother, we have occasionally seen her Taoist techniques in the past. However, our understanding was insufficient at the time, and we couldn’t comprehend them. Now, looking back, they were exactly like the legendary techniques of the Plum Blossom Sect, completely different from all other sects in the world.” After a pause, Sixth Master continued, “Not only that. Your mother’s real name was never revealed to us, and we couldn’t trace her origins. But back then, she asked us to call her by a name that inevitably reminded us of the Six Plum Blossoms under the Plum Blossom Sect.”
“What did you call her?” Mei Qing asked curiously.
“She asked us to call her Wu Duo (Five Blossoms),” Sixth Master said with a sigh.
Mei Qing couldn’t help but turn his gaze to Uncle Zhong. The head maid in his room was named Duo Yun (Cloud Blossom), and the little maid was called Wu Er (Fifth Child). He hadn’t thought much of it before, but now it seemed that these names, likely given by Uncle Zhong, carried a different meaning.
At that time, the custom of avoiding the use of ancestors’ names was strictly observed, especially not for servants.
Sixth Master, as if reading Mei Qing’s thoughts, shook his head and said, “I know the names Wu Er and Duo Yun. They were originally the names of your mother’s two maids. That’s why we all thought the name Wu Duo couldn’t be your mother’s real name, but just a casual nickname she used.”
Mei Qing felt a bit strange hearing this. In his heart, he didn’t think that avoiding the names of relatives needed to be as strict as with others. But regardless, his mother’s behavior was indeed unusual.
“Where is my mother now? Has she already…” Seeing Sixth Master and Uncle Zhong deep in thought, Mei Qing anxiously pressed for an answer.
Sixth Master and Uncle Zhong exchanged glances, and finally, Uncle Zhong reluctantly shook his head and said, “We don’t know.”
Mei Qing was stunned, but seeing their expressions, he knew they weren’t lying. After a moment of thought, he asked, “What about my father? Who is he?”
Sixth Master hesitated for a moment before speaking in a strained voice, “Your father was the former Prince Xingxian, the current Emperor.”
“What!?” Although Mei Qing had thought his background was unusual, this answer was completely beyond his expectations. He jumped up and pointed at Sixth Master, saying, “Are you saying I’m… the Emperor’s son?”
Despite his rude behavior, Sixth Master acted as if he didn’t notice and simply nodded slowly.
“You must be joking,” Mei Qing said with a dry laugh. “How could I be the Emperor’s son? That old man Jiajing is my father? How? How? Haha, this must be a joke, right, Uncle Zhong?”
Uncle Zhong’s face showed a hint of sorrow as he softly said, “Young Master, what Sixth Master said is true. You are indeed the Emperor’s son.”
“How do you know?” Mei Qing shook his head. “Uncle Zhong, don’t be fooled by him. How can you believe the words of the head of the Imperial Guards?”
As he spoke, Mei Qing kept shaking his head, insisting it was impossible.
Uncle Zhong sighed and said, “I didn’t hear this from him. Back then, I was the head of the guards at Prince Xingxian’s mansion in Anlu, Hubei, known as Ghost Hand Lu Zhong. Sixth Master and I are actually from the same clan. But my family was poor, and I had some unusual experiences as a child, learning some martial arts. Later, it was through the recommendation of our clan elders that I gained the favor of the old Prince and became a guard, always following the Crown Prince—who later became Prince Xingxian and then the Emperor. You are indeed the Emperor’s son, there’s no mistake.”
“Then—if my father was the Emperor, or at least Prince Xingxian, how could he have married my mother? Moreover, if he really became the Emperor, how could he not know where my mother is?”
Sixth Master sighed and slowly said, “That’s a long story.”
“Back then, I was the Emperor’s study companion. Actually, at that time, the Emperor was just the Crown Prince of Prince Xingxian. Although he was destined to inherit the title, the power of the Princes in our Ming Dynasty was quite limited, especially after the rebellion of Prince Ning. The court was very strict about not giving any leeway to the regional Princes. So, the Emperor was quite idle back then. And with his youthful nature, he often took me and Lu Zhong out in disguise to wander around.”
“Lu Zhong was a few years older than us, and he always pretended to be a servant when we went out. But looking back now, Lu Zhong was at a stage in his martial arts training where he was emitting external energy, and he probably looked more like a bodyguard than a servant. I guess you knew that back then, but you just played along with it, right?” Sixth Master said with a smile.
“Not entirely,” Uncle Zhong shook his head. “Back then, the Crown Prince loved to go out, and although we couldn’t stop him, we had to take precautions. Besides, we didn’t have enough manpower at the time, and if something happened, what would we do? You know, back then, Prince Xingxian’s mansion was only intimidating to ordinary people. Those with real power didn’t necessarily take the mansion seriously. If something happened, although we could handle it, it would still cause trouble for the mansion. By acting tough, I made sure those troublemakers wouldn’t dare to act rashly. After all, not every family had a tough guy like me as a servant.”
“Indeed. No wonder we never had any trouble when the three of us went out. Now that I think about it, it was all thanks to your careful planning,” Sixth Master said with a grin.
“Unfortunately, we only had one incident, and it almost got out of hand,” Uncle Zhong said gloomily.
Sixth Master shook his head and said, “It’s hard to say. There might be some things we don’t understand. Let’s not talk about that for now. Actually, at that time, I had already started my foundation in Taoism. My entry into the path of cultivation was somewhat accidental. Now that I think about it, it’s a bit similar to your experience, Mei Qing. But I was much younger than you when I started, and I didn’t really learn anything substantial at first. It was only after I met A Bi’s mother and formed a Taoist partnership that I made rapid progress under her guidance. If it weren’t for the Emperor going to the capital later, I might have already left worldly affairs behind and be cultivating in some mountain now.”
“Back then, with my youthful nature, I couldn’t help but want to compete after learning something. Coincidentally, there was a time when a bastard prince provoked me, and I couldn’t directly teach him a lesson. In a moment of anger, I used a spell to make him suffer.”
“Unexpectedly, the Emperor caught wind of it. He was still the Crown Prince at the time, just a teenager, and naturally curious about everything. When he saw this, he wanted to learn it too. I had to tell him that the key to Taoist cultivation is fate. I also told him that I practiced dual cultivation, and everything I learned was taught by my Taoist partner. Due to the sect’s rules, I couldn’t teach him.”
“The Crown Prince was naturally unhappy, but he knew I was telling the truth and had no choice. However, later when he went out to wander, he insisted on going to remote mountains and valleys. I knew he was hoping to encounter his own Taoist fate and start cultivating. Additionally, the mansion secretly sent people to search for Taoist practitioners.”
“Actually, many major sects also have branches in the secular world. With the Crown Prince searching like this, naturally many self-proclaimed Taoist masters came to the mansion to teach Taoist techniques. But most of these techniques were quite shallow, and some of the so-called masters were even just charlatans. After learning for a few days, the Crown Prince naturally made no progress and became impatient. One time, he even decided to run away from home and go directly to Longhu Mountain to study under the Celestial Master Sect.”
“Lu Zhong and I tried our best to persuade him, but the Crown Prince was determined to learn Taoist techniques. Later, we had no choice and were afraid he might really leave home. But at that time, Prince Xingxian was seriously ill, and there was no one to take charge in the mansion. We couldn’t come up with a plan. Just when we didn’t know what to do, Prince Xingxian passed away.”
“That was in the 14th year of the Zhengde era, and the Crown Prince was only about thirteen or fourteen years old. Although he couldn’t officially inherit the title until after the mourning period, he had to manage the state affairs as the Crown Prince. This time, he couldn’t act recklessly. Lu Zhong and I were relieved, thinking that the Crown Prince would no longer have wild ideas. But we were wrong.”
“I remember it clearly, it was the 15th day of the winter month that year. For some reason, it was exceptionally cold that year.” Sixth Master turned to Mei Qing and said, “You might not know, but the cold there is different from here. Here it’s dry and cold, but there it’s damp and freezing. That year was unusually cold, and it had snowed heavily a few days before. It wasn’t until the 15th that the weather cleared. That day, while we were directing the servants to clean the courtyard, a Taoist priest suddenly came to the door, saying he had heard the Crown Prince was searching for Taoist masters and he was offering himself as a teacher.”
“At that time, I was not yet twenty, and my judgment wasn’t very good. I couldn’t quite figure out this person, but I brought him to see the Crown Prince. The Crown Prince was in mourning and couldn’t appear in public often. When he met the Taoist priest, the man claimed to be from Maoshan, named Maoyang Zhenren, and said he was from the Shangqing Sect, skilled in capturing ghosts and demons, and turning stones into gold, and so on. At first glance, this guy looked like a charlatan. But then he turned a stone the Crown Prince had found into gold, and that convinced us.”
“Unfortunately, we did get into one incident, which nearly became uncontrollable.” Uncle Zhong said gloomily.
“Although the Plum Blossom Sect’s movements are quite secretive, their actions of challenging various Taoist sects one by one inevitably become known. Particularly noteworthy is the fact that the Plum Blossom Sect’s Taoist techniques are highly distinctive, completely unbound by the Five Elements and Yin-Yang principles. As a result, their members in magical confrontations almost disregard the characteristics of their opponents’ techniques, with no hindrance from the cycle of creation and destruction. This has become a matter of great interest to all Taoist sects in the world.” At this point, Sixth Master furrowed his brows and turned to Mei Qing.
“I’ve heard from my subordinates that you have performed forbidden techniques several times, which closely resemble the methods of the Plum Blossom Sect. Although I am not entirely clear on the details, it is likely not baseless. As for your mother, we have occasionally witnessed her Taoist techniques in the past. However, our understanding was insufficient at the time, and we couldn’t comprehend them. Now, upon reflection, they were indeed akin to the legendary techniques of the Plum Blossom Sect, entirely different from those of any other sect.” After a pause, Sixth Master continued, “Moreover, your mother never revealed her true name to us, and we couldn’t trace her origins. However, she once asked us to address her by a name that inevitably reminds one of the six plum blossoms under the Plum Blossom Sect.”
“What did you call her?” Mei Qing asked curiously.
“She asked us to call her ‘Five Blossoms,'” Sixth Master said with a sigh.
Mei Qing couldn’t help but glance at Uncle Zhong. The head maid in his room was named Duo Yun, and the little maid was called Wu’er. Previously, he hadn’t thought much of it, but now it seemed that these names, likely given by Uncle Zhong, carried a different meaning.
In those times, the practice of avoiding the names of ancestors was strictly observed, especially when it came to naming servants. It was unthinkable to use the names of predecessors for later generations, let alone for maids.
Sixth Master, seemingly aware of Mei Qing’s thoughts, shook his head and said, “I know the names Wu’er and Duo Yun. They were originally the names of your mother’s two maids. Because of this, we all believed that ‘Five Blossoms’ was not her real name but merely a casual appellation.”
Mei Qing felt a sense of strangeness. In his heart, he didn’t believe that the names of relatives needed to be avoided as strictly as others did. However, his mother’s behavior was indeed unusual.
“Where is my mother now? Has she already…” Seeing Sixth Master and Uncle Zhong lost in thought, Mei Qing anxiously pressed for an answer.
Sixth Master and Uncle Zhong exchanged glances, and finally, Uncle Zhong reluctantly shook his head, “We don’t know.”
Mei Qing was stunned but, seeing their expressions, knew they weren’t lying. After a moment, he asked, “What about my father? Who is he?”
Sixth Master hesitated for a moment before replying with difficulty, “Your father was the former Prince Xingxian, who is now the reigning emperor.”
“What!?” Although Mei Qing had considered that his background might be unusual, this answer was far beyond his expectations. He jumped up, pointing at Sixth Master, “Are you saying that I am… the emperor’s son?”
Despite his impolite behavior, Sixth Master simply nodded slowly.
“You must be joking,” Mei Qing laughed dryly, “How could I be the emperor’s son? That old man Jiajing is my father? How? How? Haha, this must be a joke, right, Uncle Zhong?”
Uncle Zhong’s face showed a hint of sorrow as he softly said, “Young master, what Sixth Master said is true. You are indeed the son of the emperor.”
“How do you know?” Mei Qing shook his head, “Uncle Zhong, don’t be fooled by him. Can you really believe the words of the head of the Imperial Guards?”
As he spoke, Mei Qing kept shaking his head, insisting it was impossible.
Uncle Zhong sighed, “I didn’t hear this from him. Back then, I was the chief guard at the Prince Xingxian’s mansion in Anlu, Hubei, known as Ghost Hand Lu Zhong. Sixth Master and I are actually from the same clan. However, my family was poor, and I had some unusual experiences since childhood, learning some martial arts. Later, a clan elder recommended me, and I was favored by the old prince, becoming a guard at the mansion. I always followed the heir—who later became Prince Xingxian and then ascended to the throne as the emperor. You are indeed the emperor’s son; there is no mistake.”
“Then—if my father was the emperor, even if he was just the Prince Xingxian at the time, how could he have married my mother? Moreover, if he really became the emperor, how could he not know my mother’s whereabouts?”
Sixth Master sighed and slowly said, “That’s a long story.”
“Back then, I was the emperor’s study companion. At that time, the emperor was just the heir to Prince Xingxian. Although he was destined to inherit the title, the princes of our Ming Dynasty were mostly nominal, especially after the rebellion of Prince Ning. The court tightly controlled the power of the regional princes, not allowing any slack. Therefore, the emperor was quite idle at the time. With his youthful nature, he often took me and Lu Zhong out in disguise to wander around.”
“Lu Zhong was a few years older than us, and he always pretended to be a servant when we went out. In hindsight, Lu Zhong was practicing external energy techniques at the time, and he probably looked more like a bodyguard than a servant. I guess you knew that back then, but we just played along, right?” Sixth Master smiled.
“Not entirely,” Uncle Zhong shook his head, “The emperor loved to go out, and although we couldn’t stop him, we had to take precautions. Besides, we didn’t have enough manpower at the time. What if something happened? You know, back then, the Prince Xingxian’s mansion was only intimidating to ordinary people. Those with real power didn’t necessarily respect the mansion. If something happened, although we could handle it, it would still cause trouble for the mansion. By acting tough, I deterred those who might cause trouble. After all, not every family had a tough guy like me as a servant.”
“Indeed. No wonder we never ran into trouble when the three of us went out. Now that I think about it, you were quite thoughtful,” Sixth Master grinned.
“Unfortunately, we only had one incident, and it almost got out of hand,” Uncle Zhong said gloomily.
Sixth Master shook his head, “It’s hard to say. There might be some things we don’t understand. Anyway, let’s not dwell on that. At that time, I had already started my foundation in Taoism. My entry into the path of cultivation was somewhat accidental. Now that I think about it, it’s somewhat similar to your experiences, Mei Qing. However, I was much younger than you when I started, and I didn’t learn anything substantial at the time; it was all quite muddled. Later, I met Bi’s mother, and we became cultivation partners. Under her guidance, my progress was quite rapid. If the emperor hadn’t gone to the capital, I might have abandoned worldly affairs and been cultivating in some mountain by now.”
“Back then, with my youthful nature, I couldn’t help but want to compete after learning something. Coincidentally, there was a time when a bastard prince provoked me, and I couldn’t directly teach him a lesson. In a fit of anger, I used a spell to make him suffer.”
“Unfortunately, the emperor witnessed this. At that time, he was still the heir, just a teenager, and naturally curious about everything. When he saw this, he was eager to learn. I had to tell him that the key to the path of cultivation is fate. I also explained that I practiced dual cultivation, and what I learned was taught by my partner. Due to sect rules, I couldn’t teach him.”
“The heir was naturally unhappy, but he knew I was telling the truth and had no choice. However, after that, whenever he went out, he insisted on going to remote mountains and valleys, hoping to encounter his own fate and enter the path of cultivation. Additionally, the mansion secretly sent people to seek out cultivators.”
“In fact, major sects also had branches in the secular world. The heir’s search naturally attracted self-proclaimed immortals who came to the mansion to teach Taoist techniques. However, these techniques were often too shallow, and some of the so-called immortals were nothing more than charlatans. After a few days of learning, the heir naturally made no progress and became impatient. One day, he decided to run away from home and go directly to Longhu Mountain to seek the teachings of the Celestial Master Sect.”
“Lu Zhong and I tried our best to dissuade him, but the heir was determined to learn Taoist techniques. Eventually, we had no choice but to let him go, fearing that he might really run away. At that time, Prince Xingxian was seriously ill, and there was no one to take charge at home. We couldn’t come up with a plan. Just as we were at a loss, Prince Xingxian passed away.”
“That was in the fourteenth year of the Zhengde era, when the heir was only thirteen or fourteen years old. Although the old prince had passed away, the heir, still in mourning, couldn’t officially inherit the title but had to manage the state affairs as the heir. This time, he couldn’t act recklessly. Lu Zhong and I breathed a sigh of relief, thinking that the heir would no longer indulge in wild fantasies. However, we were mistaken.”
“I remember clearly, it was the fifteenth day of the winter month that year. For some reason, it was exceptionally cold.” Sixth Master turned to Mei Qing, “You might not know, but the cold there is different from here. Here, it’s a dry cold, but there, it’s a damp, bone-chilling cold. That year was unusually cold, and it had snowed heavily a few days before. On the fifteenth, it finally cleared up. That day, as we were directing the servants to clean the courtyard, a Taoist priest suddenly arrived at the mansion, claiming to have heard that the heir was seeking Taoist masters and offering himself as a teacher.”
“At that time, I was still under twenty, and my judgment wasn’t great. I couldn’t quite figure out this person, so I brought him to see the heir. The heir was in mourning and couldn’t appear in public often. When he met the Taoist, the man introduced himself as Mao Yang, a real Taoist from Maoshan, a member of the Shangqing Sect, skilled in exorcising ghosts and demons, and turning stones into gold, and so on. At first glance, he seemed like a charlatan, but he actually turned a stone the heir had found into gold, which convinced us.”
“At that time, being young and impulsive, after learning some techniques, I naturally had a competitive spirit. It so happened that once, a prince from a concubine provoked me, and I couldn’t directly teach him a lesson. Alas, in a fit of anger, I used a magical technique to make him suffer.”
“Unfortunately, this incident was discovered by the Crown Prince. At that time, he was still a prince, only about a dozen years old, and full of curiosity about everything. Seeing such a situation, how could he not want to learn it? I had no choice but to tell him that the key to the cultivation path is opportunity. I also told him that my cultivation was a dual cultivation technique, learned from my cultivation partner, and due to sect regulations, I couldn’t teach him.”
“The Crown Prince was naturally unhappy, but he knew I was telling the truth and could do nothing about it. However, from then on, whenever he went out to play, he insisted on going to remote mountains and deep valleys. I knew his intention was to hope that he might accidentally encounter his own cultivation opportunity and thus enter the Taoist path. In addition, the mansion secretly sent people to search for cultivators.”
“Although the Plum Blossom Sect’s movements are quite secretive, their actions of challenging various Taoist sects one by one inevitably become known. What particularly draws attention is the unique Taoist techniques of the Plum Blossom Sect, which are completely unbound by the Five Elements and Yin-Yang principles. Consequently, their members in magical confrontations almost disregard the characteristics of their opponents’ techniques, completely free from the usual constraints of mutual generation and restriction. This aspect has become a matter of great interest to the Taoist sects across the land,” said Sixth Master, frowning as he turned to Mei Qing.
“I’ve heard from my subordinates that you have performed forbidden techniques several times, which closely resemble the methods of the Plum Blossom Sect. Although I am not entirely clear on the details, it’s likely not baseless. As for your mother, we once witnessed her Taoist techniques. At that time, our understanding was insufficient, and we couldn’t comprehend them. Looking back now, they were exactly like the legendary techniques of the Plum Blossom Sect, completely different from any other sect in the world,” Sixth Master paused for a moment before continuing, “Moreover, your mother never revealed her real name to us, and we couldn’t trace her origins. However, the name she asked us to call her by inevitably reminds us of the Six Plum Blossoms under the Plum Blossom Sect.”
“What did you call her?” Mei Qing asked curiously.
“She asked us to call her Five Blossoms,” Sixth Master said with a sigh.
Mei Qing couldn’t help but turn his gaze to Uncle Zhong. The head maid in his room was named Duo Yun, and the little maid was called Wu’er. He had never thought much of it before, but now it seemed that these names, likely given by Uncle Zhong, carried a different meaning.
In those days, the practice of avoiding the use of ancestors’ names for descendants was strictly observed, let alone using them for maids.
Sixth Master, seemingly aware of Mei Qing’s thoughts, shook his head and said, “I know the names Wu’er and Duo Yun. They were originally the names of two maids by your mother’s side. That’s why we all thought the name Five Blossoms couldn’t be your mother’s real name, but just a casual nickname she used.”
Mei Qing felt a bit strange upon hearing this. In his heart, he didn’t think that the names of relatives needed to be avoided as strictly as others did. However, his mother’s behavior was indeed unusual.
“Where is my mother now? Could she have…” Seeing Sixth Master and Uncle Zhong lost in thought, Mei Qing anxiously pressed for an answer.
Sixth Master and Uncle Zhong exchanged glances, and finally, Uncle Zhong shook his head with difficulty, “We don’t know.”
Mei Qing was stunned, but seeing their expressions, he knew they weren’t lying. After a moment of thought, he asked, “Then who is my father?”
Sixth Master hesitated visibly. After a while, he said hoarsely, “Your father was the Prince of Xingxian, who is now the reigning emperor.”
“What!?” Although Mei Qing had thought his background was somewhat extraordinary, this answer was completely beyond his expectations. He jumped up straight, pointing at Sixth Master, “You’re saying I’m… the emperor’s son?”
Despite his rude behavior, Sixth Master acted as if he didn’t see it, just slowly nodding.
“Are you kidding me?” Mei Qing laughed dryly, “How could I be the emperor’s son? That old man Jiajing is my father? How? How? Haha, isn’t this just a joke? Right, Uncle Zhong?”
Uncle Zhong’s face showed a hint of sorrow as he softly said, “Young master, what Sixth Master said is true. You are indeed the son of the emperor.”
“How do you know?” Mei Qing shook his head, “Uncle Zhong, don’t be fooled by him. Would you believe the words of the head of the Imperial Guards?”
As he spoke, Mei Qing kept shaking his head, insisting it was impossible.
Uncle Zhong sighed, “I didn’t hear it from him. Back then, I was the chief guard at the Prince of Xingxian’s mansion in Anlu, Hubei, known as Ghost Hand Lu Zhong. Sixth Master and I are actually brothers from the same clan. But my family was poor, and I had some unusual encounters since childhood, learning some martial arts. Later, it was through the recommendation of our clan elders that I was valued by the old prince and became a guard, always following the crown prince—who later became the Prince of Xingxian and then ascended to the throne as the emperor. You are indeed the emperor’s son, there’s no mistake.”
“Then—if my father was the emperor, even if he was just the Prince of Xingxian, how could he have married my mother? Moreover, if he really became the emperor, how could he not even know my mother’s whereabouts?”
Sixth Master sighed and slowly said, “That’s a long story.”
“Back then, I was the emperor’s study companion. Actually, at that time, the emperor was just the crown prince of the Prince of Xingxian. He was destined to inherit the title, but the princes of our Ming Dynasty were mostly just nominal. Especially after the rebellion of the Prince of Ning, the imperial court tightly controlled the power of the regional princes, not allowing any slack. Therefore, the emperor was quite idle back then. Being young, he often took me and Lu Zhong out in disguise to wander around.”
“Lu Zhong was a few years older than us, and he always played the role of a servant when we went out. Now that I think about it, Lu Zhong was practicing external energy release at that time, almost like he had ‘bodyguard’ written on his face. How could he possibly pass as a servant? I guess you knew that back then, but you just played along to humor us, right?” Sixth Master said with a smile.
“Not entirely,” Uncle Zhong shook his head, “Back then, the emperor loved to go out, and although we couldn’t stop him, we had to take precautions. Besides, we didn’t have enough manpower back then. What if something happened? You know, our Prince of Xingxian’s mansion was just a facade to scare ordinary people; those with real power didn’t necessarily take the mansion seriously. If something really happened, although we could handle it, it would still cause trouble for the mansion. Being a bit rough actually deterred those troublemakers, as not every family had a tough guy as a servant.”
“Indeed. No wonder we never ran into any trouble when we went out. Now that I think about it, it was all thanks to your careful planning,” Sixth Master grinned.
“Unfortunately, we only got into trouble once, and it almost got out of hand,” Uncle Zhong said gloomily.
Sixth Master shook his head, “It’s hard to say. There might be some things we don’t understand. Anyway, let’s not talk about that for now. Actually, at that time, I had already started to lay the foundation for Taoist practices. My entry into the path of cultivation was somewhat accidental. Now that I think about it, it’s somewhat similar to your experience, Mei Qing. However, I was much younger than you when I started, and I didn’t learn anything substantial at first; it was all quite muddled. Later, I met A’Bi’s mother, became her Taoist partner, and under her guidance, my cultivation progressed quite quickly. If it weren’t for the emperor’s ascension to the throne, I might have already abandoned worldly affairs and be cultivating in some mountain now.”
“Back then, being young, I inevitably had a competitive spirit after learning some skills. Coincidentally, once, a bastard prince provoked me, and I couldn’t directly teach him a lesson. In a moment of anger, I used a spell to make him suffer.”
“Unexpectedly, the emperor caught wind of this. At that time, he was still the crown prince, just a teenager, curious about everything. Seeing such a thing, he naturally wanted to learn it. I had to tell him that the key to Taoist practices is fate. I also told him that I practiced dual cultivation, and all my skills were taught by my Taoist partner, bound by sect rules, so I couldn’t teach him.”
“The crown prince was naturally unhappy, but he knew I was telling the truth and had no choice. However, later, whenever he went out, he insisted on going to deep mountains and secluded valleys. I knew he was hoping to encounter his own Taoist fate and start cultivating. Additionally, the mansion secretly sent people to seek out Taoist practitioners.”
“Actually, major sects also have their branches in the secular world. The crown prince’s search naturally attracted various self-proclaimed immortals to the mansion to teach Taoist techniques. However, these techniques were often too shallow, and some of the so-called great immortals were even just charlatans. After a few days of learning, the crown prince naturally achieved nothing and became impatient. Once, he gritted his teeth and said he would run away from home to directly seek cultivation at the Dragon and Tiger Mountain with the Celestial Master Sect.”
“Lu Zhong and I tried hard to dissuade him, but the crown prince was determined to learn Taoist techniques. We had no choice and were afraid he might really run away. At that time, the Prince of Xingxian was seriously ill, and there was no backbone in the family. We couldn’t come up with a plan. Just as we were at a loss, the Prince of Xingxian passed away.”
“That was in the fourteenth year of Zhengde, when the crown prince was only thirteen or fourteen years old. Although the old prince had passed away, the crown prince, still in mourning, couldn’t officially inherit the title but had to manage the state affairs as the crown prince. This time, he couldn’t act recklessly. Lu Zhong and I breathed a sigh of relief, thinking the crown prince would no longer have wild ideas. However, we were wrong.”
“I remember clearly, it was the fifteenth day of the winter month that year. For some reason, it was exceptionally cold that year,” Sixth Master said, turning to Mei Qing, “You might not know, but the cold there is different from ours. Here it’s dry cold, but there it’s damp and freezing. That year was unusually cold, and it had snowed heavily a few days before. It only cleared up on the fifteenth. That day, while we were directing the servants to clean the courtyard, a Taoist priest suddenly came to the door, saying he had heard the crown prince was seeking Taoist masters and he was offering himself as a teacher.”
“I was not yet twenty then, and my judgment wasn’t great. I couldn’t quite figure out that person and felt unsure, so I took him to see the crown prince. The crown prince was in mourning and couldn’t appear in public often. Upon meeting the Taoist, the man claimed to be from Maoshan, named Maoyang Zhenren, from the Shangqing Sect, skilled in exorcising ghosts and demons, and turning stones into gold, etc. At first glance, the man looked like a charlatan. But then he turned a stone the crown prince had found into gold, which convinced us.”
“Lu Zhong and I tried to persuade him hard, but the Crown Prince was determined to learn Taoist techniques. Later, we had no choice but to fear that he might really leave home in a rush. But at that time, Prince Xian was seriously ill, and there was no one to take charge of the family matters, so we couldn’t come up with a plan. Just when we didn’t know what to do, Prince Xian passed away.”
“That was the fourteenth year of the Zhengde era. At that time, the Crown Prince was only about thirteen or fourteen years old. With the old prince’s death, although the Crown Prince couldn’t inherit the title immediately because he hadn’t finished mourning, he could take charge of state affairs as the Crown Prince. This time, we couldn’t let him act recklessly anymore. Both Lu Zhong and I breathed a sigh of relief, thinking that from then on, the Crown Prince would no longer indulge in wild fantasies. However, we were still too naive.”
“Although the Plum Blossom Sect’s movements are quite secretive, their actions of challenging various Taoist sects one by one will inevitably become known. What particularly draws attention is that the Taoist techniques of the Plum Blossom Sect are extremely distinctive, completely unbound by the Five Elements and Yin-Yang principles. Therefore, their members in magical confrontations almost disregard the characteristics of their opponents’ techniques, with no hindrance of mutual restraint. This has become a matter of great interest to the Taoist sects across the land.” At this point, Sixth Master frowned and turned to Mei Qing.
“I’ve heard from my subordinates that you have performed forbidden techniques several times, which closely resemble the methods of the Plum Blossom Sect. Although I am not entirely clear on the details, it is likely not baseless. As for your mother, we have occasionally witnessed her Taoist techniques in the past. However, our understanding was insufficient at the time, and we couldn’t comprehend them. Now, upon reflection, they were exactly like the legendary techniques of the Plum Blossom Sect, entirely different from those of other sects in the world.” After a pause, Sixth Master continued, “Not only that. Your mother’s real name was never revealed to us, and her origins remain untraceable. However, back then, she asked us to call her by a name that inevitably reminds one of the six plum blossoms under the Plum Blossom Sect.”
“What did you call her?” Mei Qing asked curiously.
“She asked us to call her ‘Five Blossoms’,” Sixth Master said with a sigh.
Mei Qing couldn’t help but turn his gaze to Uncle Zhong. The head maid in his room was named Duo Yun, and the little maid was called Wu’er. Previously, he hadn’t found anything unusual about it. But now, it seems that the names of the maids were most likely given by Uncle Zhong. These two names, when compared now, carry a different meaning.
At that time, the custom of avoiding the names of ancestors was quite strict, and it was unthinkable to use the names of predecessors for descendants, let alone for maids.
Sixth Master, as if knowing Mei Qing’s thoughts, shook his head and said, “I know the names Wu’er and Duo Yun. They were originally the names of two maids by your mother’s side. It was precisely because of this that we all thought the name ‘Five Blossoms’ couldn’t be your mother’s real name, but just a casual name she used.”
Hearing this, Mei Qing also felt something strange. In his heart, he didn’t think that the names of relatives needed to be avoided as strictly as others did. But no matter what, his mother’s behavior was indeed unusual.
“Where is my mother now? Could she have already…” Seeing Sixth Master and Uncle Zhong deep in thought, Mei Qing anxiously pressed for an answer.
Sixth Master and Uncle Zhong exchanged glances, and finally, Uncle Zhong shook his head with difficulty, “We don’t know.”
Mei Qing was stunned, but seeing their expressions, he knew they weren’t lying. After thinking for a moment, he asked again, “Then what about my father? Who is he?”
Sixth Master’s expression clearly hesitated. After a while, he said with a strained voice, “Your father was the former Prince Xingxian, the current emperor.”
“What!?” Although he had thought his background was somewhat peculiar, this answer was still far beyond Mei Qing’s expectations. He jumped up straight and pointed at Sixth Master, saying, “You mean, I am… the emperor’s son?”
Although his behavior was quite rude, Sixth Master acted as if he didn’t see it, just slowly nodding.
“Are you joking?” Mei Qing laughed dryly, “How could I be the emperor’s son? That old man Jiajing is my father? How? How? Haha, isn’t this just a joke? Right, Uncle Zhong?”
Uncle Zhong’s face showed a slight sadness, and he said softly, “Young master, what Sixth Master said is true. You are indeed the son of the emperor.”
“How do you know?” Mei Qing shook his head, “Uncle Zhong, don’t be fooled by him. Can you believe what the head of the Imperial Guards says?”
As he spoke, Mei Qing kept shaking his head, repeatedly saying it was impossible.
Uncle Zhong sighed, “I didn’t hear it from him. Back then, I was the chief guard of Prince Xingxian’s mansion in Anlu, Hubei, known as Ghost Hand Lu Zhong. Actually, Sixth Master and I are brothers from the same clan. However, my family was poor, and I had some unusual encounters since childhood, learning some martial arts. Later, it was through the recommendation of our clan elders that I was valued by the old prince and became a guard in the mansion, always following the crown prince—who later succeeded as Prince Xingxian and then became the emperor. You are indeed the emperor’s son, there’s no mistake.”
“Then—if my father was the emperor, even if he was just Prince Xingxian back then, he was still a prince. How could he have married my mother? Moreover, if he really became the emperor, how could he not even know my mother’s whereabouts?”
Sixth Master sighed and slowly said, “That’s a long story.”
“Back then, I was the emperor’s study companion. Actually, at that time, the emperor was just the crown prince of Prince Xingxian. Although he was destined to succeed as Prince Xingxian, the princes of our Ming Dynasty were merely nominal. Especially after the rebellion of Prince Ning, the power of the regional princes was tightly controlled, with no room for any looseness. Therefore, the emperor back then was quite idle. Especially with his youthful nature, he often took me and Lu Zhong out in disguise to wander around.”
“Lu Zhong was a few years older than us, and every time we went out, he would pretend to be a servant. Actually, now that I think about it, Lu Zhong was practicing external energy release at that time, and he probably had ‘bodyguard’ written all over his face. How could he pretend to be a servant? I guess you knew it back then, but you just used this to humor us, right?” Sixth Master said with a smile.
“Not entirely,” Uncle Zhong shook his head, “Back then, the emperor loved to go out, and although we couldn’t stop him, we had to take precautions. Besides, we didn’t have enough manpower at that time. What if something happened? You know, back then, our Prince Xingxian’s mansion only intimidated ordinary people. Those with real power didn’t necessarily take the mansion seriously. If something really happened, although it wasn’t unsolvable, it would still cause trouble for the mansion. Being a bit rough actually made those troublemakers think twice, after all, not every family had a tough guy as a servant.”
“Indeed. No wonder we never ran into any trouble when we went out back then. Now that I think about it, it was all thanks to your careful planning.” Sixth Master grinned.
“Unfortunately, we only got into trouble once, and it almost got out of hand.” Uncle Zhong said gloomily.
Sixth Master shook his head, “Hard to say. There might be some things we don’t understand. Let’s not talk about that for now. Actually, at that time, I had already started to lay the foundation for Taoist practices. It was somewhat accidental that I entered the path of cultivation. Now that I think about it, it’s somewhat similar to your experience, Mei Qing. However, I was much younger than you when I started, and I didn’t learn anything substantial back then, just muddling through. Later, I met A’Bi’s mother, became her Taoist partner, and under her guidance, my progress was quite fast. If it weren’t for the emperor going to the capital later, I might have already abandoned worldly affairs and be cultivating in some mountain now.”
“Back then, with my youthful nature, after learning something, I inevitably had a competitive spirit. Coincidentally, there was a time when a prince of a concubine provoked me, and I couldn’t directly teach him a lesson. In a moment of anger, I used a spell to make him suffer.”
“Unexpectedly, this was discovered by the emperor. At that time, he was still the crown prince, just a teenager, and naturally curious about everything. Seeing this, he naturally wanted to learn. I had to tell him that the key to Taoist practices is fate. I also told him that what I practiced was the dual cultivation method, taught by my Taoist partner, and due to sect rules, I couldn’t teach him.”
“The crown prince was naturally unhappy, but he knew I was telling the truth and had no choice. However, later when he went out to wander, he insisted on going to deep mountains and secluded valleys. I knew he was hoping to encounter his own Taoist fate and enter the path of cultivation. Additionally, the mansion secretly sent people to search for Taoist practitioners.”
“Actually, major sects also have their branches in the secular world. The crown prince’s search naturally attracted self-proclaimed immortals to the mansion to teach Taoist methods. However, these techniques were often too shallow, and some of the so-called immortals were even just charlatans. After learning for a few days, the crown prince naturally achieved nothing and became impatient. Once, he gritted his teeth and said he would run away from home to go to Longhu Mountain and seek cultivation from the Celestial Master Sect.”
“Lu Zhong and I tried hard to persuade him, but the crown prince was determined to learn Taoist methods. Later, we had no choice and were afraid he might really run away from home. But at that time, Prince Xingxian was seriously ill, and there was no backbone in the family. We couldn’t come up with a plan. Just when we didn’t know what to do, Prince Xingxian passed away.”
“That was in the 14th year of Zhengde, and the crown prince was only thirteen or fourteen years old. Although the old prince had passed away, the crown prince, still in mourning, couldn’t officially succeed, but he could manage the state as the crown prince. This time, he couldn’t act recklessly. Lu Zhong and I breathed a sigh of relief, thinking that the crown prince would no longer have wild ideas. However, we were still wrong.”
“I remember clearly, it was the fifteenth day of the winter month that year. For some reason, it was exceptionally cold that year.” Sixth Master said, turning to Mei Qing, “You might not know, but the cold there is different from the cold here. Here it’s dry and cold, but there it’s damp and freezing. That year was unusually cold, and it suddenly started snowing heavily a few days before. It only cleared up on the fifteenth. That day, while we were directing the servants to clean the courtyard, a Taoist priest suddenly came to the door, saying he had heard that the crown prince was seeking Taoist masters, and he was volunteering to be the crown priest’s teacher.”
“At that time, I was not yet twenty, and my judgment wasn’t very good. I couldn’t quite figure out that person, and I wasn’t sure about him, so I took him to see the crown prince. The crown prince was in mourning at the time and couldn’t appear in public often. When he met the Taoist priest, the man claimed to be from Maoshan, named Maoyang Zhenren, from the Shangqing Sect, skilled in capturing ghosts and demons, turning stones into gold, and so on. At first glance, the man seemed like a charlatan. But he turned a stone the crown prince had found into gold, which convinced us.”
“Although the Plum Blossom Sect operates with great secrecy, their actions of challenging various Taoist sects one by one inevitably come to light. What particularly draws attention is their unique Taoist techniques, which are entirely unbound by the Five Elements and Yin-Yang principles. Consequently, their members are almost impervious to the characteristics of their opponents’ techniques in magical battles, completely free from the constraints of mutual generation and restriction. This aspect has become a subject of great interest among all Taoist sects in the world.” As Sixth Master spoke, he furrowed his brows and turned to Mei Qing.
“I’ve heard from my subordinates that you’ve performed forbidden techniques several times, which closely resemble the methods of the Plum Blossom Sect. Although I’m not entirely clear on the details, it’s likely not baseless. As for your mother, we once witnessed her Taoist techniques. At the time, our understanding was insufficient to comprehend them. Looking back now, they were strikingly similar to the legendary techniques of the Plum Blossom Sect, entirely distinct from those of any other sect.” After a pause, Sixth Master continued, “Moreover, your mother never revealed her true name to us, and we couldn’t trace her origins. However, the name she asked us to call her by inevitably brings to mind the Six Plum Blossoms of the Plum Blossom Sect.”
“What did you call her?” Mei Qing asked curiously.
“She asked us to call her ‘Five Blossoms,'” Sixth Master said with a sigh.
Mei Qing’s gaze shifted to Uncle Zhong. The head maid in his room was named Duo Yun, and the younger maid was called Wu’er. He had never thought much of it before, but now it seemed likely that Uncle Zhong had named them. Considering the names now, they seemed to carry a different meaning.
In those times, the practice of avoiding the use of ancestors’ names was strictly observed, especially not for servants.
Sixth Master, seemingly aware of Mei Qing’s thoughts, shook his head and said, “I know the names Wu’er and Duo Yun. They were originally the names of two maids who served your mother. That’s why we believe ‘Five Blossoms’ wasn’t her real name, just a casual alias.”
Mei Qing found it somewhat peculiar. Personally, he didn’t think it necessary to avoid using ancestors’ names as strictly as others did. However, his mother’s behavior was indeed unconventional.
“Where is my mother now? Has she…” Seeing Sixth Master and Uncle Zhong deep in thought, Mei Qing pressed anxiously.
Sixth Master and Uncle Zhong exchanged glances, and finally, Uncle Zhong shook his head with difficulty, “We don’t know.”
Mei Qing was stunned but could tell from their expressions that they weren’t lying. After a moment, he asked, “What about my father? Who is he?”
Sixth Master hesitated for a while before speaking with difficulty, “Your father was the Prince of Xingxian, who is now the Emperor.”
“What!?” Although Mei Qing had suspected his origins were unusual, this answer was beyond his wildest expectations. He jumped up, pointing at Sixth Master, “You’re saying I’m… the Emperor’s son?”
Despite his rude behavior, Sixth Master ignored it and slowly nodded.
“You must be joking,” Mei Qing laughed dryly, “How could I be the Emperor’s son? That old man Jiajing is my father? How? How? Haha, this must be a joke, right, Uncle Zhong?”
Uncle Zhong’s face showed a hint of sorrow as he softly said, “Young Master, what Sixth Master said is true. You are indeed the Emperor’s son.”
“How do you know?” Mei Qing shook his head, “Uncle Zhong, don’t be fooled by him. How can you trust the words of the head of the Imperial Guards?”
As he spoke, Mei Qing kept shaking his head, insisting it was impossible.
Uncle Zhong sighed, “I didn’t hear it from him. Back then, I was the chief guard of the Prince of Xingxian’s mansion in Hubei, known as Ghost Hand Lu Zhong. Sixth Master and I are actually brothers from the same clan. However, my family was poor, and I had some unusual encounters in my youth, learning martial arts. Later, thanks to the recommendation of our clan elders, I was favored by the old prince and became a guard in the mansion, always following the heir—who later became the Prince of Xingxian and then the Emperor. You are indeed the Emperor’s son, there’s no mistake.”
“Then—if my father was the Emperor, even as the Prince of Xingxian, how could he have married my mother? Moreover, if he really became the Emperor, how could he not know my mother’s whereabouts?”
Sixth Master sighed and slowly began, “That’s a long story.”
“Back then, I was the Emperor’s study companion. At that time, he was just the heir to the Prince of Xingxian, destined to inherit the title. However, after the rebellion of the Prince of Ning, the imperial court tightly controlled the power of the regional princes, leaving them with little authority. Thus, the Emperor was quite idle in his youth. With his youthful curiosity, he often took me and Lu Zhong out in disguise to explore.”
“Lu Zhong was a few years older than us and always pretended to be a servant during our outings. Looking back now, Lu Zhong was at the peak of his martial arts training, and it was obvious he was a bodyguard. I guess you knew it was just a game to humor us?” Sixth Master smiled.
“Not entirely,” Uncle Zhong shook his head, “The Emperor loved to go out, and although we couldn’t stop him, we had to take precautions. Back then, we didn’t have enough manpower, and if something happened, it would be troublesome. You know, the Prince of Xingxian’s mansion only intimidated ordinary people; those with real power didn’t care much for it. If something went wrong, although it could be managed, it would still cause trouble for the mansion. My tough demeanor kept those troublemakers at bay, as not every family had a bodyguard like me.”
“Indeed. No wonder we never ran into trouble during our outings. Looking back, it was all thanks to your foresight,” Sixth Master grinned.
“Unfortunately, we only got into trouble once, and it almost spiraled out of control,” Uncle Zhong said gloomily.
Sixth Master shook his head, “It’s hard to say. Perhaps there were things we couldn’t understand. Anyway, let’s not dwell on that. At that time, I had just begun my Taoist cultivation. My entry into the world of cultivation was somewhat accidental. Looking back now, it’s somewhat similar to your experience, Mei Qing. However, I was much younger when I started, and I didn’t learn much at first. Later, I met A’Bi’s mother, and we became cultivation partners. Under her guidance, my progress was rapid. If the Emperor hadn’t ascended to the throne, I might have abandoned worldly affairs and retreated to the mountains for cultivation.”
“Back then, with youthful exuberance, I couldn’t help but want to prove myself. Coincidentally, a bastard prince provoked me, and I couldn’t directly confront him. In a moment of anger, I used a spell to teach him a lesson.”
“Unfortunately, the Emperor witnessed this. He was still the heir, just a teenager, and naturally curious about such things. He wanted to learn from me. I had to tell him that the key to Taoist cultivation was fate. I also explained that I practiced dual cultivation, and my techniques were taught by my partner, bound by sect rules, so I couldn’t teach him.”
“The heir was disappointed but understood my situation. However, from then on, he insisted on exploring deep mountains and valleys during our outings, hoping to encounter his own Taoist fate. The mansion also secretly sent people to search for Taoist practitioners.”
“In fact, major sects also have branches in the secular world. The heir’s search naturally attracted self-proclaimed Taoist masters to the mansion. However, their techniques were often shallow, and some were outright frauds. After a few days of learning, the heir made no progress and grew impatient. One day, he decided to leave home and seek cultivation at the Dragon-Tiger Mountain with the Celestial Master Sect.”
“Lu Zhong and I tried to dissuade him, but he was determined. We were at a loss, fearing he might really leave. At that time, the Prince of Xingxian was gravely ill, and the mansion lacked leadership. We couldn’t come up with a solution. Just as we were at our wits’ end, the Prince of Xingxian passed away.”
“That was in the 14th year of the Zhengde era, when the heir was only thirteen or fourteen. Although he couldn’t officially inherit the title until the mourning period was over, he had to manage the state affairs as the heir. This time, he couldn’t act recklessly. Lu Zhong and I were relieved, thinking he would no longer indulge in fantasies. However, we were mistaken.”
“I remember clearly, it was the 15th day of the winter month. That year was unusually cold.” Sixth Master turned to Mei Qing, “You might not know, but the cold there is different from here. Here it’s dry and cold, but there it’s damp and freezing. That year was exceptionally cold, and it had been snowing heavily for days. Only on the 15th did it clear up. That day, as we were directing the servants to clean the courtyard, a Taoist priest arrived, claiming he had heard the heir was seeking Taoist masters and offering to be his teacher.”
“I was still under twenty then, and my judgment wasn’t the best. I couldn’t quite figure him out and felt uneasy, but I brought him to the heir. The heir was in mourning and couldn’t appear in public often. The Taoist introduced himself as Mao Yang Zhenren from the Maoshan Sect, part of the Shangqing School, skilled in exorcising ghosts and demons, and turning stones into gold. He seemed like a fraud, but when he turned a stone into gold, we were convinced.”
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