From this exchange, Zhengyangzi could see just how dearly the Residence of King Yan cherished their youngest son. Not a single unfavorable truth had been allowed to reach him, and they had done everything they could to try to change Yan Yihuan’s predetermined fate.
After all, ever since the scroll was lost, no one could say for certain whether that missing soul could ever be found again. And if it truly could not be recovered, how could Yan Yihuan’s fate possibly be altered by human hands?
Looking into those eyes, helpless and anxious yet still clear to the core, Zhengyangzi gave it some thought and chose not to reveal everything. He even reassured Yan Yihuan that Xu Xinyao’s death was not caused by him. Only then did Yan Yihuan’s heart, which was on the verge of collapse, finally steady somewhat.
“Did Yuzhenzi once give you a small stone?” Seeing that some color had finally returned to Yan Yihuan’s face, Zhengyangzi asked. “Do you keep it on you?”
“Ever since Daoist Yuzhen gave it to me, I’ve worn it every day.” Yan Yihuan’s curiosity stirred, “When I was little, I only knew that wearing it could cure my illness. There’s more to it, isn’t there?”
“That’s a soul-locking stone, but it’s only an empty one right now. Although it still offers some benefit, its effect is limited to that,” Zhengyangzi said. “May I take a look at it?”
“Of course.” Yan Yihuan nodded hurriedly. “It’s just that I don’t have any strength right now, so I’ll have to trouble Daoist Zhengyang to retrieve it for me. It’s in the pouch hanging from my belt.”
When the belt was brought over, Yan Yihuan quickly took it. But with just one glance, he let out a small sound of surprise. His eyes widened as he frantically searched through it, his whole body plunging into icy dread.
“The pouch… the pouch is gone!”
Panicked, Yan Yihuan searched again and again, but there was only so much to check. His chaotic hands suddenly stilled, and he looked at Zhengyangzi for help, his eyes filled with distress, “What should I do? It’s really gone.”
As he spoke, Yan Yihuan seemed to remember something. “It must… it must’ve been lost on the road, but I don’t remember anything at all.” He murmured to himself, forcing himself to calm down and think back to where it might have been lost.
Yan Yihuan knew how important that unremarkable little stone was. But after wearing it for so long, it had become a habit, and he paid far less attention to it than he once had. Especially since the pouch that held it looked ordinary on the surface, yet even the cord was made of an extremely special material, resistant even to fire and blades. It couldn’t possibly have broken on its own.
“Daoist,” Yan Yihuan’s voice trembled uncontrollably. “Please help me call Lord Ming.”
Seeing this, Zhengyangzi also frowned deeply. The importance of the item went without saying. He said nothing and had Ming Zhang summoned.
Upon hearing that something had been lost, Ming Zhang also appeared extremely anxious. “What was it like?”
Yan Yihuan was already extremely flustered. Gripping Ming Zhang’s sleeve tightly, he described the appearance of the pouch in detail, “On the way back to the residence, I glanced down and confirmed it was still on me. But everything got chaotic afterwards, and I can’t remember clearly.”
Ming Zhang’s concern was evident. He asked in great detail, yet Yan Yihuan knew very little of the truth. He only knew that the small stone could keep his body healthy.
As for what he had just discussed with Zhengyangzi, he understood that it must not be spoken of lightly, so he kept it a secret.
“At that time, the surrounding streets had already been sealed off. Apart from people from the Youluo Jian and the Court of Judicial Review, there could not have been any bystanders. Not to mention a pouch, even a sheet of paper would not have gone missing.” Ming Zhang’s gentle tone was deeply reassuring, “Don’t worry. I will send people to look for it at once.”
Zhengyangzi was still in the room. His gaze remained calm and unruffled throughout, as though he were an outsider observing the two of them. Only after Ming Zhang had soothed Yan Yihuan did he speak.
“I must enter the palace to report back to His Majesty, so I will take my leave.” Then he looked at Yan Yihuan with a smile and nodded slightly, “Third Young Master need not be overly anxious. That object belongs to you. No one else can take it away.”
At those words, Ming Zhang’s figure stiffened almost imperceptibly, yet his expression did not change. He gently soothed Yan Yihuan, then turned to face Zhengyangzi, still courteous and respectful, without the slightest trace of irregularity, “Then I shall see Daoist off.”
Once outside the door, the overly brilliant sun forced both men to narrow their eyes. Ming Zhang raised a hand to shield the light and inclined his head. “The carriage is ready. Daoist, please.”
“Lord Ming, allow this humble Daoist to offer you a sentence.”
“Daoist, please speak.”
“From the One comes the myriad things, and the myriad things return to the One.[mfn]一生万物，万物归一 A Daoist saying which points to the idea that everything comes from a single source and eventually goes back to it.
It originates from Dao De Jing, Chapter 42: “道生一，一生二，二生三，三生万物” (“Dao gives birth to One, One gives birth to Two, Two gives birth to Three, Three gives birth to all things”).
“One” symbolizes the Dao, the fundamental principle of the universe. “Two” refers to yin and yang, the dual forces. “Three” represents their interaction, producing harmony. “All things” are the manifested world.
Source: https://theqiflow.com/pages/tao-te-ching-chapter-42[/mfn]” At this moment, golden sunlight bathed Zhengyangzi, making him seem like an immortal, “If one clings to greed, one will ultimately end up in a dried fish market, beyond redemption.”
At these words, Ming Zhang’s expression shifted slightly, but only for a fleeting moment. When one looked again, he was still the unflappable and refined Grand Secretary. “I will bear the Daoist’s words in mind. However, it’s getting late. Daoist should enter the palace without delay.”
After watching Zhengyangzi depart, Ming Zhang returned to Yan Yihuan’s room. Seeing that he had already drifted into a hazy sleep, he lowered the bed curtains, sealing them tightly. Then he opened a drawer and took out the pouch. He weighed it in his hand for a moment, then slipped it into his sleeve.
—
At last there was some good news. The torrential rains in the south had finally begun to subside and had not caused excessive damage. The funds originally planned for relief could now be reduced by more than half and redirected to support the war effort. Yet even as the disaster situation eased, the fighting in the north had reached a stalemate.
King Yan had led the Heir Apparent to reinforce the front, and Du Cheng’en had also arrived in Changyun Commandery. But the course of battle had not unfolded as everyone had expected, with swift victories and a decisive turning of the tide. Instead, the opposing armies merely faced each other across the city walls, holding their positions in a tense deadlock.
Changyun Commandery, inside the Residence of King Qin.
King Qin slammed his palm onto the table, seething with fury. The tremendous crash shook the entire room. A cloud of fine dust burst from the solid wooden surface, even sending a few splinters flying.
“That Du Cheng’en! If not for Du Yunsong’s sake, I would have dealt with him by now!”
“Your Highness, please calm your anger. The two of us are here, we can simply sideline him.” King Yan, on the other hand, was unhurried. “Just be careful not to let him send back any military reports that shouldn’t be sent.”
“The original plan was perfect. Du Yunsong was to lead the troops here, and the Northern Di would turn to attack King Wei, catching him off guard. We could then march straight south, seize the capital, and drag Li Xuanming down from the throne.” King Qin drained his cup of tea in one gulp, yet it did nothing to quell the rage in his chest, “Just look at the situation now. Li Xuanming actually sent that hotheaded Du Cheng’en instead, who’s now stubbornly insisting on opening the city gates to fight Huyan Ke!”
“Speaking of which, shouldn’t Your Highness give me a proper explanation as well?” King Yan’s tone suddenly turned cold, his gaze sharpening like a blade as it pierced towards King Qin, thick with hostility. “You actually conspired with Huyan Xin behind me and Du Yunsong’s back. Are you not afraid of being attacked by Northern Di!”
