In the middle of spring, there was a Daoist temple surrounded by peach blossoms. Although it was drizzling, many visitors had come up the mountain to take a stroll and offer incense. There were quite a number of devotees waiting in line. Madams had brought their serving maids with them, and several young ladies followed them. It was a very lively scene. Pei Zi Yun had wanted to enter the temple as well, but stopped after sweeping through the crowd. He then took a look around the main hall, which had fewer people.
Feeling bored, he turned around and walked out the door. He saw Official Zhao appearing and gesturing to Pei Zi Yun. Pei Zi Yun then walked to a secluded spot. The official then said, "Young Master, the information you wanted me to find out has arrived. Please take a look!"
Pei Zi Yun received the letter and opened it. There were many names written on it, and there were even annotations at the bottom. He then closed the letter and said, "I shall take this first. If there's something else, I shall speak to you about it."
The official then replied, "Yes, the Crown Prince has something to say. If Young Master has anything to say, feel free to instruct me."
"Alright, if there's anything, I shall come and find you." Pei Zi Yun then turned around to leave. He paused for a moment, as if deep in thought. He then asked, "I've heard that the Canton Princess isn't feeling well. Is that so?"
The official then thought about the rumors and replied, "I've heard that she's caught a cold."
"Is that so?" Pei Zi Yun sighed, "Arrange for an ox-cart for me. I shall go to the Grand Princess's Mansion."
The official wanted to say something, but swallowed his words. He then arranged for an ox-cart for Pei Zi Yun to enter. He then heard a shout as the ox-cart started moving. It went from the outskirts of the city to the inner city. After a while, it arrived at the inner city. He could hear the sound of the hooves of the donkeys clattering against the muddy water, and the drizzle falling on the tarpaulin. Pei Zi Yun opened up the document and started reading.
The document was written in a booklet, and could be read as soon as it was opened. At this point, he scanned through the high ranking officials. Only the Crown Prince would personally recruit them, or else they would not be willing to help the Crown Prince. However, he could gain some understanding of them, or perhaps he could borrow their influence. There was no harm in knowing.
He continued reading. Chen Pin could not be used, as his official position was too low.
Although He Meng was an official, he was meticulous and vigilant, so he couldn't be used. His gaze continued down the list until he saw a name: Zhou Qi.
Zhou Qi, a sixth ranked Imperial Censor. He had an upright personality and hated evil. He had read some of Pei Zi Yun's memories. This person's rank was not high, but in the previous life, when the incident happened, he was the only one who protested against the Emperor. He had almost slammed his head into the throne room and died.
However, this person wasn't one of the Crown Prince's men. He had his own plans and could be used.
Pei Zi Yun flipped through the files and found a list of names of King Lu's people. Seeing this list, Pei Zi Yun laughed, "Looks like the Crown Prince isn't completely useless after all. He's managed to gather information."
He flipped through the name list of King Lu's Palace and noticed that Ren Wei was nowhere to be seen. He couldn't help but feel strange. Looking at the order of the name list, could it be that Ren Wei hadn't been discovered by King Lu yet?
As he flipped to the back, he saw his name. Although Ren Wei was talented, King Lu's Palace was filled with talents and there was no unrest. How could a newcomer like him have the right to stand out?
However, he could only make a concrete judgment after meeting all of them.
Xiang Yun Inn
It was afternoon, and rows of shops were open for business. However, at the end of an alley, there was a inn. There was a huge banner with the word "Liquor" fluttering in the wind. Several customers were drinking wine, and some were drinking wine from their gourds.
The inn wasn't big, and had two floors. There were six tables on the ground floor, and people were staying above. Because it was raining, oil lamps were lit, and seven or eight customers were drinking and chatting.
The innkeeper was calculating the amount of money that a customer had paid. At this point, an Elementary Scholar wearing a faded green robe walked in.
A waiter looked up and greeted him, "Old Ren, you seem to be in a good mood today. Have you received an assignment? Do you still want to change the food you've been eating? "
This person was Ren Wei. He pointed at Pei Zi Yun and laughed, "You're really smart. I haven't received an assignment, but I've got a chance."
He thought for some time and hesitated before replying, "Same old rules. Rice, vegetables, and tofu will do."
"Alright, please wait!" The waiter was about to leave when Ren Wei thought for some time and shouted, "Give me a chicken leg today."
When the waiter heard this, he noted it down and walked towards the kitchen.
Pei Zi Yun had already put on his makeup. At this point, he was a young man who was dressed rather well. He had followed Ren Wei all the way to the inn. Pei Zi Yun sat far away, and did not approach him.
"Dear customer, what would you like to order? Our Xiang Yun Restaurant has a lot of specialty dishes, such as sliced chicken, beggar's chicken, braised chicken, duck soup, braised fish, sliced beef, etc. Fresh fruits are also available in our restaurant. What would you like to eat? "
When Pei Zi Yun heard this, he felt a little hungry. He thought for some time before replying, "Give me a portion of beggar's chicken, a flask of wine, and some vegetables."
"Dear customer, please wait a moment." The waiter turned around and left. After a while, he returned with the dish. He held a hammer and knocked on the shell of the beggar's chicken. When the shell was pried open, steam could be seen, and a strong aroma could be smelled.
Just as the waiter was about to leave, Pei Zi Yun looked at Ren Wei and asked, "That man looked like a High Scholar, and seems to be a regular customer of your inn. Why does it seem like he's having a hard time? Why is he hesitating to eat a chicken drumstick?"
The waiter was about to leave when he heard this. He turned around and looked at Old Ren before whispering, "Hey, dear customer, you don't know about this. That man isn't a High Scholar. He's an Elementary Scholar. It's been said that he took the exams several times and failed. Hence, he decided to work for King Lu."
"You're saying that he's so poor, and only eats vegetables and tofu every day, he can rise to the heavens in a single step?"
"It's been said that the competition is very intense. This man couldn't get a job and could only work as an informant. He spends his days idling around and bragging to us that he's working for King Lu. I've never seen him get any good jobs. It's all hard work that nobody is willing to do, and the pay is low."
Hearing these words, Pei Zi Yun's heart skipped a beat. Ren Wei was having a hard time. If that's the case, this task would be much easier. He then continued asking, "King Lu should be rich right? Even if he's an informant, his salary should be high. Why is he living such a poor life? "
"Young Master, you're not from the capital city?" The waiter looked at Pei Zi Yun and asked. Before Pei Zi Yun could reply, he continued, "That's true, Young Master. Rice is expensive in the capital city, not to mention food and clothing. There are many informants in the King's Palace. This man even likes to buy books. Books are very expensive. Furthermore, King Lu's Palace isn't a mountain of gold or silver. Informants are divided into three to five classes.
This Old Ren belongs to the lowest class. "" King Lu's Palace is governed by military rules. Those who have merits will be rewarded, and those who have faults will be punished. This man is the lowest class informant, and has no merits. All he does is support the King's Palace. How would he have any money? He only earns about three to four taels of silver a month. You can rent a room in my shop now. Have lunch at King Lu's Palace, and come back to my shop for some vegetables and tofu at night. "
"Waiter, order."
At this point, someone shouted. The waiter didn't say much and hurriedly complied. Pei Zi Yun looked at Ren Wei from afar, "Looks like it won't be difficult. This man's life isn't easy. Let's add some fuel to the fire."
Pei Zi Yun slowly finished his meal and stood up, "Let's go to the lake beside the Grand Princess' Palace."
Before long, the ox-cart arrived. Rather than calling it a lake, it would be more accurate to call it a river. Only within the Grand Princess' Palace, there was a man-made lake. However, there were many willow branches along the river. Pei Zi Yun glanced at it before retrieving his flute.
At this point, the sky was already dark, and a light drizzle was falling from the sky. The Grand Princess' Palace was lit up, and the Canton Princess had lost a lot of weight. A serving maid was feeding her medicine when the sound of the flute could be heard. The Canton Princess was overjoyed when she heard the sound of the flute. She put down her bowl and listened.
The sound of the flute was faint and thin, like a strand of hair. As it got closer, it became quieter and quieter. It sounded like the whispering of a lover, as if they were whispering to each other. It got softer and softer, as if the night had fallen.
The Canton Princess thought that this was the end of the flute, and said, "It's so nice. Who's playing it?"
"Oh, who's playing it?" At the same time, the Grand Princess pointed at someone and asked. Someone replied, "It's not someone from my palace. It's someone from outside. The rain was a little hazy, and it's almost dusk. I can't see clearly, but it looks like it's a Young Master."
Before he could finish speaking, the Grand Princess waved her hands and laughed, "Young men these days are so bold, and there's still someone who would think of such a method?"
Before she could finish speaking, the sound of the flute suddenly changed, and became more intense. The sound of the flute was sonorous, like the sound of horses galloping. Everywhere it went, there was nothing but desolation. The sound of the flute changed again, but it sounded like the sound of crying. Fathers crying for their children, mothers crying for their daughters, elders crying for their children, and the young crying for their loved ones. The sound of the flute had a strange power to it, and even though it was the first time anyone heard it, they could feel the pain of this chaotic world.
The Canton Princess's face turned red, and then turned pale. She wanted to stand up, but she staggered and sat down. She felt like vomiting.
The Grand Princess was smiling and was about to enter the side hall when she heard the sound of the flute. Her face changed, "Not good, let's stop them. This flute sound is too sad. Hearing it will hurt the body. Your Canton Princess must not listen to it."
Soon after, the sound of drums, the sound of horses galloping could be heard. The sound of swords and crossbows could be heard. Blood flowed like a river, and millions of corpses could be seen. At this point, the flute was much longer than usual, and everyone who heard it was shaken to their core. Soon after, the sound of the flute reached the horizon.
Someone paused before replying, "Yes, I shall chase this person away."
"Don't!" The Grand Princess seemed to have understood something, "Wait a little longer."
The sound of the flute gradually melted the winter snow, and all living things sprouted and multiplied. If one listened carefully, one could hear the sounds of farmers plowing the fields, merchants selling their wares, boats moving, and children playing.
Gradually, this became a prosperous era. The farmers harvested their crops, the merchants profited, the officials were honest, and the King was wise. All of these happy events came together, and turned into a long song.
That wasn't all. Taking advantage of the peace and prosperity, the hearts of the people were united. Once again, an indescribable resonance could be heard.
This was the voice of millions and millions of people. Peace, happiness, and a carefree life. This was their dream.
The resonance became weaker and weaker, until it gradually disappeared. The Canton Princess opened her eyes, and a tear fell from her long eyelashes. However, she suddenly felt a sense of clarity in her heart. Her eyes were clear, and her body felt light.
"Crown Prince?" At this point, an ox-cart was listening by the side. The person inside was silent for some time, "What a good flute, and what's even better is the song. This song is the voice of the heart. I originally had some doubts about him, but it seems like this kid really has the heart of peace and prosperity."
"Ask him what this song is called."
"Yes!" The man hurriedly left and spoke to the official. The official then asked, "Crown Prince, this song is called 'Peace Without Worries'."
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