“Oh? Is that so?” Zhong Shu was somewhat surprised as well. Suddenly his eyes lit up and he asked, “He refuses to acknowledge which one? You or Lu Bing?”
“Am I not Lu Bing?” Lord Liu angrily replied, “What’s the difference?”
“This is certainly different,” Zhong Shu earnestly explained, “Lord Liu is Lord Liu, Lu Bing is Lu Bing. They are two different people and matters, everyone in the capital knows this. Therefore, the daughter of Lord Liu and the daughter of Lu Bing are also two different people. If Lu Bing’s girl wants to be a Taoist nun, let her be one. Lord Liu’s daughter can choose not to be, and marry Mei Qing instead.”
“What do you mean?” Lord Liu was somewhat confused, “I don’t quite get it.”
“You’re so dumb!” Zhong Shu looked frustrated, “Back then, before the Three Purities, you were Lu Bing, the commander of the Imperial Guards. Naturally, the one Ah Bi refused to acknowledge was that Lu Bing. However, as long as we can get her to accept Lord Liu as her father, it wouldn’t be considered breaking her vow, right?”
As he spoke, Zhong Shu leaned closer and whispered to Lord Liu, “Liu Zi, to be honest, isn’t being Lord Liu quite satisfying? As Lu Bing, the commander of the Imperial Guards, you had to follow protocol and couldn’t step out of line, maintaining the image of a righteous gentleman. But as Lord Liu, you can do whatever you want. You can deal with anyone you like, without worrying about your reputation or being impeached by censors. You can act freely and without restraint. I think you enjoy being Lord Liu much more than being the commander of the Imperial Guards!”
“Nonsense!” Lord Liu frowned, “I’m also trying to ease the Emperor’s concerns…”
“Alright, alright,” Zhong Shu was unconvinced, “Save that speech for the Emperor himself. I’m discussing serious matters with you. If we can explain this clearly to Ah Bi, then on this side, there’s a girl named Zhen Er who will acknowledge you, Lord Liu, as her long-lost father, and then marry Mei Qing properly. On the other side, Bi Zhen, the Taoist nun, can continue her path, maintaining her refusal to acknowledge her father, Governor Lu Bing. Isn’t this a win-win situation?”
“Zhen Er? …You shouldn’t give my daughter a name like that. Besides, do you think Ah Bi will agree to this?” Lord Liu was still uncertain.
“Zhen Er is the name Mei Qing chose, and your daughter is quite happy with it. I’ve seen your daughter, and she’s very much like you, clearly a troublemaker by nature. As long as Mei Qing explains the matter to her, she’ll jump at the chance to agree, especially since it’s such an exciting opportunity to get married properly. Then you, Liu Zi, will gain a good daughter and a fine son-in-law for free.” Zhong Shu grinned mischievously.
“It does sound feasible… But why are you grinning like that? You’re not planning some trick to screw me over, are you?” Lord Liu frowned.
“What are you talking about!” Zhong Shu said seriously, “Let me ask you, isn’t my plan perfect? You get to fulfill your wish of having a daughter, Ah Bi doesn’t break her vow and still gets married, the Emperor doesn’t have to revoke his decree, and Mei Qing gets a wife. It’s a quadruple win. Where in there am I thinking of my own interests?”
Lord Liu hesitated, opened his mouth, and finally said weakly, “Even if everything goes as you say, there are still some difficulties…”
Zhong Shu laughed, “I know. The matter of marrying off a daughter is something even Lu Bing, the commander of the Imperial Guards, can’t decide. Our Lord Liu can’t decide either. We still need that mad… we still need Ah Bi’s grandmother to make the final decision, right?”
“How do you know that?” Lord Liu was shocked, “How did you find out about Ah Bi’s grandmother?”
“You don’t need to know how I found out,” Zhong Shu said mysteriously, “I have my ways to handle this. So, are you willing to listen or not?”
Lord Liu stared intently at Zhong Shu, who remained calm and met his gaze without flinching.
“Alright then,” Lord Liu finally gave in, “Let’s hear what kind of devilish idea you’ve got. To be honest, I still find it hard to believe. I remember you used to be the dumbest of us all.”
“You should see who’s living a peaceful life now,” Zhong Shu sighed, waving his hand, “Listen to this ‘dumb’ person and see what he has to say.”
“Is that really your plan?” Lord Liu was stunned after hearing Zhong Shu’s explanation, “You’re not trying to mess with me, are you?”
“This is the only way to ensure it works. You know better than anyone what your old Tai’an’s temper is like, right?”
“Fine… I’ll go along with you. But if it doesn’t work out, just wait and see how I deal with you, old man!” Lord Liu growled through clenched teeth.
Mei Qing woke up in the morning feeling refreshed. In fact, with his cultivation level, he only needed to meditate for half an hour each day and didn’t really need to sleep. However, since he had only recently reached the level of a true cultivator, a bit of sleep was still beneficial for recovering from psychological fatigue.
Duo Yun had been exhausted from their lovemaking the previous night and was still sleeping soundly. Mei Qing looked at Duo Yun’s rosy face and couldn’t help but smile wryly. No wonder Bi Zhen wasn’t jealous of Duo Yun; in fact, Duo Yun’s constitution couldn’t withstand his insatiable desires. Although Duo Yun had been determined to give herself fully to him the previous night, she had quickly succumbed under Mei Qing’s relentless advances. Eventually, Mei Qing, out of pity, had to end things quickly, leaving Duo Yun feeling apologetic. However, she soon succumbed to extreme fatigue and fell asleep in Mei Qing’s comforting voice.
At breakfast, when Mei Qing saw Bi Zhen, her expression seemed somewhat unhappy for some reason. Mei Qing was surprised and thought, could it be that Bi Zhen, who had said the day before that she wanted him to return to his room, was actually upset that he had gone back to his bedroom?
“Zhen Er? What’s wrong? Are you upset because I didn’t spend time with you yesterday?” Mei Qing winked and secretly asked using his spiritual sense.
“Hmph, who cares about you,” Bi Zhen pouted, “I’m just angry at my old Taoist master! He keeps giving me junk to fool me…”
Her thoughts stopped abruptly, and Bi Zhen blushed, her eyes darting elsewhere for no apparent reason.
“This Ling He Fu is pretty good. Teach me how to play with it someday,” Bi Zhen said as she sat on the back of the Ling He, leaning into Mei Qing’s arms. Her long hair flowed in the gentle breeze, brushing against Mei Qing’s face.
“It’s quite easy. I’ll teach you when we get back,” Mei Qing said, somewhat entranced as he looked at Bi Zhen’s smooth and radiant face, her bright smile shining even more under the sunlight.
The two were currently riding on a giant white Ling He, leisurely flying through the empty valleys under the blue sky.
They were on their way to meet Bi Zhen’s grandmother. According to Bi Zhen, her grandmother wasn’t in the capital city but in a hidden and unknown location outside the city, the very place where she had been captured and imprisoned by Lu Bing.
This place wasn’t too far from the capital, but for an ordinary person, it would still be quite a journey on foot. For convenience, the two decided not to take a carriage but instead to sneak out of the city quietly. Once they were in a secluded area, they used their magical abilities, with Mei Qing summoning the Ling He to carry them on their flight.
“Actually, was it really necessary to be so cautious when leaving the city?” Mei Qing said somewhat dismissively, “I doubt your father would have such quick information.”
Bi Zhen smirked, “Better safe than sorry. You don’t know how twisted that old man’s subordinates are. If they found out about our movements and spread some rumors to my grandmother’s place, causing trouble, my grandmother might develop a bad impression of you, and that would complicate things. If Lu Bing knew how Bi Zhen was speaking of him, he might be so angry his stomach would burst.
The Ling He flew swiftly through the sky, and it was already early winter. Fortunately, the day was sunny and windless, not too cold. The trees around them had turned yellow, and the forest floors were covered with golden leaves, reflecting glimmers of sunlight.
“We’re almost there,” Bi Zhen pointed ahead with her delicate finger, “It’s just up that cliff. That house is it.”
Mei Qing looked up and saw a sudden cliff ahead, like an eagle soaring or a tiger crouching, with no path to climb. Yet on the cliff, several thatched huts stood against the backdrop of high mountains and white clouds, giving a sense of leisure and charm.
Following Bi Zhen’s guidance, Mei Qing maneuvered the Ling He through several loops in the air, passing sideways by the huts and then through a grass pavilion between two large trees behind them, revealing a hidden paradise behind the simple thatched huts.
These two large trees were like two generals guarding the gate. The grass pavilion behind them seemed ordinary at first glance but actually contained a simple illusion formation. Bi Zhen stepped forward directly, took out a small jade pendant, and chanted a spell, “Ji!” Suddenly, the space behind opened up, revealing a portal.
The two had already dismounted the Ling He and walked in. As they proceeded, the climate gradually became warmer, the mountain scenery remained green, and the mountain paths were flanked by towering peaks and lush trees.
A small stream meandered down from the mountains along the path, its water tinkling as it flowed. Flocks of birds often gathered by the stream, and white deer roamed leisurely, creating a serene and enchanting scene that captivated Mei Qing. Even Wukong, perched on Bi Zhen’s shoulder, was excited, occasionally chattering noisily.
“No wonder people in the mundane world often yearn for the Dao,” Mei Qing sighed, “Even the fabled Peach Blossom Spring might not have such scenery. This is truly a scene of celestial beauty.”
Bi Zhen giggled, “You make it sound like Penglai. If you like it, we can ask Grandma if we can stay here for a while. What do you think?”
As they talked and laughed, they followed the mountain path upwards, turning several bends and finding the scenery becoming even more serene and elegant. Suddenly, they saw a courtyard of blue-tiled, white-walled houses faintly emerging from behind a grove of bamboo.
When they reached the courtyard entrance, Bi Zhen gestured to Mei Qing and stepped forward. Mei Qing saw that the courtyard gate was wide open, yet there was no one in sight. Bi Zhen gently knocked on the side of the gate a few times, then took out the jade pendant again, forming several hand seals before smiling, “Big sister, it’s me coming back. How is Grandma?”
She paused for a moment, listening, then nodded, “I brought him. He’s right here with me.”
Mei Qing observed this and realized that Bi Zhen was likely communicating with her “big sister” through some sort of transmission technique. He couldn’t hear what the other party was saying, which made him somewhat curious. Bi Zhen had mentioned they were visiting her grandmother, but this “big sister” was a new element, and the generational relationship was a bit confusing.
After a while, Bi Zhen nodded again and turned to whisper to Mei Qing, “Let’s go in.”
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