Chapter 53. Do you still remember why I named you Song Nanyan?

Before raising the red veil, embroidered with mandarin ducks playing in the water, Song Nanyan did not feel particularly worried.

Mandarin ducks: a symbol of affectionate married couples

After all, he had taken several concubines. This one was an orchid jade of a humble family, but nothing more than that. He always treated his concubines well, and they lived in the back courtyard until they grew old and started to wither. If they wanted to leave, Song Nanyan did not stop them, so he always felt that he was an extremely generous and tolerant person compared to those high-ranking officials of prominent families, who beat and scolded their wives and concubines without reason.

An orchid jade: a beauty

If the woman was gentle, agreeable, clever and tactful, he would pamper her for some time.

But, when Song Nanyan raised the veil, he was taken aback.

Although he had experienced many great upheavals, he could not help but retreat a few steps and open his mouth, ready to shout.

But his voice seemed to have been blocked by a stone. He made a futile attempt, but his voice did not come out.

Changming waved his sleeve, lifting the illusion.

Under Song Nanyan’s eyes, the wedding robes on the person in front of him disappeared. The man, whose hair was tied up high on his head with a grey jade crown, and dressed in robes with wide sleeves, was as handsome as an immortal.

But, more importantly, he seemed a bit familiar.

No, rather very familiar.

“Do you still remember me?” he asked.

Song Nanyan was gifted with an extraordinary memory, so of course, he could not have forgotten about him. But he did not dare even consider that possibility.

Obviously, that man had died many years ago, so how could he appear in front of Song Nanyan, appearing to have come back to life?

“You…” Song Nanyan realized he could talk again. “Are you my teacher?”

You: the first ‘you’ was a casual ‘you’, and this second one is respectful

After he voiced that conjecture, his expression turned even more incredulous.

Changming nodded: “I thought you would’ve forgotten about me after all these years.”

“Aren’t you already…” dead?

Song Nanyan still remembered that after he went to the Liuyi Academy, he often wrote letters to Changming, telling him about his experiences and his studies of classics.

Changming replied rarely, usually because he had doubts about some matter and wanted Song Nanyan to ask for advice from the darus of the Liuyi Academy. His letters only had a few mild comments, and he replied to at most one letter out of ten.

But later Song Nanyan suddenly stopped receiving messages.

He felt it was strange. He had left his home many years ago, and had no one he could consider close to him except for Changming. But Song Nanyan could not return from afar to investigate the matter. Only after a few years, when he became an official, he sent people to look for Changming, and they reported that Changming had long since disappeared somewhere without even resigning, and not a trace of him could be found.

At first, Song Nanyan was sending people to inquire about it. But the years passed by, and he did not receive a word from his first teacher. After more than ten years, Song Nanyan firmly believed that he had already died. After becoming an influential official, he returned to his homeland, and built a grand tomb containing his teacher’s personal belongings, erected a memorial tablet, and worshiped him with an air of importance. He even shed some tears, recalling their friendly sentiments, thus showing his grief and filial piety.

Who would have known that now his shifu would come here in the sedan chair that was supposed to belong to his new concubine, sit on the bed in his bridal chamber, smile at him and say, “Do you still remember me?”

He felt as if he was struck by lightning, or a Buddha had descended into the world.

A Buddha descended into the world: “one Buddha comes into the world, and two Buddhas cross over to Nirvana”: feel more dead than alive

Song Nanyan could not put into words the emotions he felt at that moment.

“When did I tell you that I was dead?” Changming raised his eyebrows.

“But…”

Given how long humans lived, even if Changming had not died by now, he should at least be an aged person.

But he had not aged even a little bit, and his appearance seemed no different from how it was when they first met.

Song Nanyan learned some Daoist techniques from his teacher, but he was uninterested, so he only got the basics. Later, he was fortunate enough to receive a certain Buddhist pill. It is said that a cultivator would make great progress after taking it, and people without a cultivation base could stay youthful and show no signs of getting older. Therefore, an ordinary person would have long since aged, but Song Nanyan seemed to be around thirty. If nothing out of the ordinary happened, even if he could not reach the lifespan of a cultivator, he would live much longer than ordinary people.

Having spent a few decades building his official career, he had long since learned how to fight and plot against others, crawl into Chencang in the darkness, destroy the bridge after crossing the river, and all different kinds of schemes. But deep inside, he was still grateful to his teacher. Perhaps because he left early, and Changming disappeared so soon, the latter’s image in Song Nanyan’s estimation was very grand, as of a high mountain he was looking up and could only yearn to climb. He had never thought that he would see his shifu alive again in this life, and in his bridal chamber at that.

Crawl into Chencang in the darkness: do one thing under cover of another. Originates from the war activities of some generals back in BC

A high mountain he was looking up and could only yearn to climb: of a prominent person people admire but can’t surpass. From “Book of Songs” (edited by Confucius)

That is to say, his shifu must be a cultivator as well?

Otherwise, how could a common man remain unchanged for decades?

“You guessed it right, I’m a cultivator indeed,” Changming seemed to have read his thoughts.

After getting over the shock, Song Nanyan still had many complicated emotions: “Why haven’t you been looking for me all these years? Do you really see me as a disciple unworthy of mentioning? Years ago, this disciple couldn’t get three meals a day and was starving, clothed in ragged garments, but was fortunate to meet shifu. After that, it was as if I had reached heavens in a single bound, regaining my human dignity. This disciple still remembers how excited I was when you gave me permission to study in your residence…”

Changming interrupted him: “Do you still remember why I gave you this name?”

This name: Nanyan, “wordless”. CM wanted him to talk less

Song Nanyan: …

Changming was very satisfied with this abrupt silence.

“I encountered something years ago, was stuck in a certain place, and only recently came out. I had to come to you because I was trying to solve something. When the issue is resolved, we can still talk about old matters.”

Song Nanyan: “Please, tell me, Shifu.”

Changming described to him the origins of the Nine Layers of the Abyss, and told him that demons might have mixed into the world, waiting for an opportunity to strike, and also mentioned the Moonlight on the Blue Ocean on the head of the Zhaoyue Princess.

“The princess of Zhaoyue was probably supposed to stay in the emperor’s harem for a long time. If she has malicious intentions, she can easily hurt the Emperor. If you can’t find out who the threat is now, I can follow you to the palace and check it out.”

It was hard for Song Nanyan to digest so much new information that had appeared all of a sudden.

After all, cultivators were respected everywhere in the world. Although he held much authority, he still had to be careful when dealing with cultivators so as not to offend them, although regular cultivators did not dare be uncourteous towards Song Nanyan, and even cultivation masters, who knew Song Nanyan’s identity, could not ignore his existence. The ways of the world complemented each other. Although cultivators were detached from worldly matters, they still sought mundane power from time to time. For example, the Wanlian Buddhist Temple, the official religion of You, who were already respected as arhats in the country. Influential officials, in turn, needed cultivators to protect them, just like Song Nanyan, who had more than ten cultivators in his mansion to guard it from thieves at night in secret.

But these cultivators still did not manage to stop his teacher from taking the place of his bride.

That did not mean that his guards were a waste of money, but rather that his teacher was too strong.

Song Nanyan did not think that he had bad eyesight when it came to selecting people, so he prefered to believe in the second version.

“Teacher, I’ve heard about disasters caused by demons. In the last years of the previous dynasty, I was an official in the court; although I hadn’t entered the central administration yet, I also heard some secrets. It was said that the last emperor was seduced by a concubine, who was possessed by a demon, and ate something that shouldn’t be eaten. Only then did he get confused and started behaving abnormally. After the new dynasty was founded, the first emperor was guarding the court strictly and tried his best to prevent the old problems from recurring. There are no less than four masters guarding the palace all year round, not to mention the frequent visits of guests. If the people of Zhaoyue are really that bold, I can only say that they are seeking death.”

He collected himself, gradually getting over the fact that “my shifu turned out to be an immortal instead of being dead”.

“It’s been many years, but your graceful bearing is still the same. This disciple has been longing for you day and night. Please, teacher, rest here for several days, let me fulfill my duties as your disciple.”

Changming smiled faintly: “Don’t you want to know where your new bride is?”

Song Nanyan choked. He had actually forgotten about this matter.

“I’m almost certain you haven’t caused her any trouble.”

Changming: “She and her maid fell asleep under the bed, and you should ask someone to wake them up in a while.”

Song Nanyan used the chance to inquire: “That person at the doors…”

Changming smiled: “Are you interested in her?”

Song Nanyan gave a hollow laugh: “If you are willing to pull the strings, I can give her the position of the legal wife…”

“You can ask her yourself, I’m not a matchmaker.”

Changming thought that although his disciple was doing well in the secular world, there was something very wrong with his taste for women. He actually dared to show his affection to Xu Jingxian. Clearly, he was acting recklessly.

Xu Jingxian was only acting obediently in front of him because Changming used his strength to make her do as told. Since the very beginning, Xu Jingxian was not good at talking. If Song Nanyan thought that she could be manipulated easily and got along with people simply because of her forced behavior, then he must have been completely blind.

“Returning to the main subject: among the demons, there are many with advanced cultivation levels, and they have some connections with cultivators. Even a grandmaster can’t easily detect them. I don’t believe in others, only my own eyes. You have to find a chance to help me enter the palace. If you can’t, then I’ll think of another way.”

Changming was speaking indifferently, but the thoughts he was voicing were very conceited.

Song Nanyan did not know what his master’s cultivation level was, or about the honorable status he used to have. He only listened to the other’s plans, and upon hearing that Changming was going to force his way into the palace if he provided no help, Song Nanyan said hurriedly: “You misunderstood me. It’s not that this disciple doesn’t want to help, but the political situation in the palace is really complex right now. The cultivators attending to the emperor were all picked by either the previous emperor or the empress dowager, and no one was allowed to interfere. I’ve worked hard to become involved in politics these years, yet I can only talk to one or two of them. But you also know that those masters have strange temperaments, so they won’t obey all my orders.”

Changming said thoughtfully: “You are at odds with the empress dowager, and the arrangement of the cultivators around the emperor is your way to compete against her secretly?”

Song Nanyan smiled bitterly: “The teacher is as sharp as always! Yes, the imperial family and ministers have been at odds since ancient times. The empress dowager was born into a powerful family, and always felt I was beneath her. But I was appointed by the last emperor, and have many supporters in court, so she can’t easily remove me. However, when it comes to dealing with the palace’s cultivators, this disciple can’t easily find a way forward. The master who has a good relationship with me is called Han Ye, he is an elder of the Donghai Sect. Let this disciple go and ask for his cooperation first, maybe he can help with the investigation in the palace. He is a very frank and righteous person.”

Changming: “Haven’t you thought of a possibility that demons have infiltrated the palace through the cultivators, and thus they are even harder to detect?”

Song Nanyan froze: “It’s… isn’t it impossible?”

Although he had had many ups and downs in the palace through these years, he was usually dealing with the common people after all. Even though he had witnessed the power of cultivators, he did not understand its depth, and he could hardly grasp the situation.

Cultivators and the common people seemed to live in different worlds.

Changming said: “Masters have deployed many barriers around the palace walls. I tried to break in through them, but realized that it would only alert them, which is quite troublesome. If you don’t have a way to get me into the palace, don’t get too concerned about what happens next.”

Song Nanyan was indeed afraid that he would leave to break into the Imperial City by force after a single jarring note in their conversation, and, if the trouble Changming caused escalated, he would be held responsible. So, he might as well sincerely try to find a way to help his shifu.

“Teacher, there is no rush. I have a way, but it might cause you to feel wronged.”

Changming: “There is nothing wrong with voicing it anyways.”

Song Nanyan coughed lightly a couple of times: “There is a eunuch in my residence who goes to the palace from this mansion regularly to relay messages. If you are not unwilling to be misunderstood, your taking his place could be easily pulled off…”

Changming: …

While they were talking, the sound of quick footsteps came from outside.

Xu Jingxian had disappeared somewhere, and that person knocked on the door directly.

“Prime Minister! Prime Minister!”

Song Nanyan frowned: “What’s the matter?”

“The palace sent a messenger. They say something urgent happened!”

Song Nanyan shivered and wanted to answer, but thought of Changming who was still there, and could not help looking at him.

Changming was not going to escape, and did not move at all.

Song Nanyan could only let the servant in.

The housekeeper’s face was already riddled with anxiety, but he was dumbfounded upon entering the room.

There was no beautiful lady in the bridal chamber decorated with red candles, instead, there was a man sitting next to the neatly dressed groom.

“What happened, speak quickly!” Song Nanyan urged.

The eunuch who entered the room together with the housekeeper was not elaborating that much, and said at once: “Prime Minister, things are taking a bad turn. His Majesty has contracted an acute disease suddenly, and won’t wake up from a dream. All the imperial physicians have looked at him, but no one knows what has happened. The empress dowager and the masters are with him now, doing every possible thing to help him regain consciousness. The empress dowager asked this servant to invite you to the court to discuss it as soon as possible!”

The Washing Autumn Festival was celebrated all over the country, and the imperial court took a three-day rest. The emperor held a grand ceremony yesterday to offer sacrifices to the ancestors, and he seemed completely fine. How could a grave disease strike him all of a sudden?

Song Nanyan and the empress dowager had never gotten along. If she had sent someone over, that meant the situation was so urgent and perilous that the empress dowager was unable to handle it herself, and needed Song Nanyan’s help.

The ambassadors from Zhaoyue had just entered the Northern Capital, and the emperor had not yet granted them an audience; in a few days, it would be the first day of the new year, and the emperor would have to go to the Treasured Celestial Library Pagoda to pray for blessings. Him falling ill so suddenly was truly like an earthquake.

The emperor having troubles was not in Song Nanyan’s interest, since what they needed the most now was stability.

In just a few moments, he weighed the stakes, and he said immediately: “I will change my clothes and enter the palace with you right now!

He was taking a concubine today, so he was wearing colorful clothes that were definitely inappropriate to wear into the palace.

Changming suddenly coughed.

Song Nanyan: …

He was silent for a moment: “You should get ready as well, we are going together. I can’t go without you.”

Song Nanyan’s intonation was so ambiguous it was easy to misunderstand.

But it was a common thing for high-ranking government officials to take a couple of trusted attendants with them, and the messenger from the palace was too worried to think about it much.

But the housekeeper had never seen Changming, and after hearing what his master said, he looked at this man carefully, and was startled, his heart full of countless terrible fantasies.

Changming took it very calmly, and let the housekeeper’s eyes pop out.

On their way to the palace, Song Nanyan kept warning Changming repeatedly.

“Teacher, this happened too suddenly, and we still don’t know the reason. There are many formidable opponents in the palace, four masters, and countless cultivators of high levels. Teacher should stay next to me, we can’t act blindly lest we attract danger to ourselves.”

He only knew that Changming was a cultivator, but he didn’t understand at all how high his cultivation was. He was very afraid that this teacher whom Song Nanyan had not seen for a long time would die in court.

Song Nanyan was an old fox manipulating the court for many years, so he could not just cater to any request of some other person. But, for some reason, when he had reconnected with his teacher, he agreed to the latter’s demands without thinking, as if possessed by ghosts or gods, which was nothing like his previous actions. But, since it was already done, Song Nanyan could only summon his courage and bring Changming to the palace.

Changming swept aside the curtains of the carriage and looked outside.

The sky was gradually getting dark, and the setting sun had disappeared. The sky above their heads had turned into a dark mass, like a stone rooftop pressing from above. A storm was brewing, making people feel uneasy.

Song Nanyan took a look as well: “It seems that the weather is bad today. These clouds are really hanging too low, as if they can fall any time.”

Those were not clouds, but visions.

When demons gathered enough strength to invade, since they did not belong to this world originally, their energy would definitely change the weather.

There was no doubt that demons were hiding in the Luo Capital, and their cultivation level probably was high.

A Liuhe Zhutian Formation must have Soul Gathering Pearls to support it.

The massacre of the Jianxue Sect certainly allowed them to refine a Gathering Souls Pearl, but the souls of the Jianxue Clan were definitely not enough to set a formation on the mountains and rivers of the whole Nine Provinces. Only when countless souls are merged together, and the resentful energy is strong enough to shake the world, would the Gathering Souls Pearls be effective in supporting the formation’s pillars.

And the Luo Capital, a prosperous place with a huge population, was a container for gathering souls that the other party could only dream of.

They did not even need to kill anyone, only summon a severe natural disaster, and countless souls would fall into their hands.

The Luo Capital was located in the Central Plains, and the climate was outstanding in this region. Usually, let alone hailstones, even heavy rainstorms causing a flood did not happen. Autumn had just begun; the sky was clear and the air was crisp. It was a bit dry, but overall the weather was favorable, and the days were peaceful.

Generally speaking, there was no way for a natural disaster to occur.

But what if some people created special circumstances?

“The wind is blowing, Prime Minister, close the curtains quickly!”

A strong gust of wind followed at once, and everyone raised their sleeves to cover themselves. Even the carriage shook slightly, and the horses whinnied restlessly.

Their guardian hurriedly warned them.

Changming let the curtains go, but the wind, which had been carrying sand, had already blown some into Song Nanyan’s eyes. He lowered his head and massaged them while complaining.

“What happened, such strong sandstorms have never occurred here before!”

Very soon, their carriage entered the Imperial City.

The previous emperor had granted Song Nanyan special privileges, and the latter was not obliged to dismount upon entering the city, so their carriage drove straight in. When they arrived at the stairs of the main palace, Song Nanyan finally got off the carriage together with Changming. They got up the stairs, bypassed the main hall with their escort, and came to the palace where the emperor stayed in his daily life.

The entrance was carefully guarded, with two or three times more people around than usual. Song Nanyan had no time to look at them much, and only said to Changming: “Things look pretty bad.”

His long years of serving at the court let him quickly determine many things from the number of guards and their expressions.

Song Nanyan did not have to say much, as the general standing at the doors recognized him.

But Changming’s way was blocked.

Just when Song Nanyan wanted to explain Changming’s status, he heard the empress dowager’s anxious voice coming from the inside.

“Is it Minister Song? Please, come in quickly!”

Naturally, the general would not dare to obstruct their way anymore, so the two of them entered unhindered.

Many people were standing around the dragon’s bed.

The empress dowager, imperial doctors and cultivators.

All the present cultivators had impressive backgrounds. Just as Song Nanyan said, there was an elder of the Donghai Sect, as well as Kuhe of the Qingyun School, the one in charge of defending the Luo Capital. They were both polite with the empress dowager, expressing a respectful attitude.

Changming was standing behind Song Nanyan with his head slightly lowered, and did not draw attention.

A eunuch quickly described to Song Nanyan what had happened.

This morning, palace servants had come to wake up His Majesty. But, no matter how loudly they shouted for him, he did not get up. His Majesty’s expression was nothing out of the ordinary, and his breathing was steady; the night before, he showed no signs of falling ill.

The empress dowager came to take a look. She called for the imperial doctors at once, but they used every possible method yet still could only fold their hands helplessly. She quickly asked for the cultivation masters who were guarding the Imperial City.

Zen Master Kuhe and the others took a look at the emperor as well. Although they belonged to different sects, they shared a common goal, and that was to find the emperor’s fleeting spirit.

But, as for how to retrieve the emperor’s soul, they had different opinions.

Moreover, their disagreement was quite serious, and they were almost ready to attack each other with daggers.