Zhou Tong put down the file and turned to his subordinate. "Is it confirmed?"
The subordinate took out a portrait from his bosom and said, "It's absolutely true."
Zhou Tong did not take it. He only glanced at it, saying nothing.
The subordinate continued, "According to the records in the file, in the year that Chen Changsheng came to the capital, he never mentioned this person."
Zhou Tong gazed at the light outside the window in silence for a very long time. Suddenly, he said, "Tell me, is Crown Prince Zhaoming dead, or was he secretly taken away by those fellows of the Imperial clan with evil intentions?"
The subordinate didn't know how to answer and was very nervous. In a slightly hoarse voice, he asked, "Sir's meaning is?"
Zhou Tong shook his head. "I don't mean anything. I just subconsciously thought of this matter."
The subordinate did not dare to respond.
"There are some matters that can't be investigated clearly for now, but there's no need to care about them." Zhou Tong drew back his gaze from the window and said, "Why was Liang Xiaoxiao willing to make a deal with a devil like Black Robe, willing to commit suicide just to deal with Su Li and his daughter? Because he wanted revenge. Why did Su Li go to the Longevity Sect and kill so many people, and then run to Xunyang City to start a massacre, thereby greatly damaging the Liang clan's strength? Because the southerners wanted to take advantage of the Great Zhou's internal strife to invade the north and capture his wife to threaten him, making him go crazy. Why is the Great Zhou in internal strife? Because of that bloody incident in the Orthodox Academy, it's said that all things have a source. In the end, everything is the problem of the Great Zhou's imperial throne. As long as we can clearly understand this point, our direction will not be wrong. "
The subordinate said, "In five days, Prince Chen Liu went to the Bureau of Ecclesiastic Education three times."
"Don't forget, although the Empress has no sons of her own, Emperor Xian still had many sons and grandsons. Even if the Empress really did abdicate in the future and return the imperial throne to the Chen Imperial clan, Prince Chen Liu is so young. Just what chance does he have? It's only natural for him to be anxious. "
"Milord's meaning is that Prince Chen Liu wants to fight for the Orthodoxy's support?"
"Archbishop Mei Lisha is about to return to the sea of stars. If he doesn't show his face at this time and fight for the favor of the priests of the Li Palace, how can he live in the capital until now, and even live better and better?"
… …
… …
"Although you don't care about the throne, everyone else cares about it except for you. That's why I believe that in the end, or in other words, the root of all problems is the throne. Dean Shang's thoughts will ultimately fall on that throne."
After hearing Tang Thirty Six's words, before Chen Chang Sheng started thinking, the first thing he noticed was the title.
"Who … is Principal Shang?"
"Your teacher, Shang Xingzhou."
Chen Chang Sheng was silent for a long time.
This was the first time he had heard this name, and he had lived with the owner of this name for fifteen years.
In this recent period of time, he originally had many opportunities to learn this name, but he did not ask, whether it was Bishop Mei Lisha or the Pope, because he did not want to know this name. He did not want to face some problems that he did not want to face because of this name. At the same time, he also did not want others to know that he did not know this name, because this made him somewhat sad.
Tang Thirty Six vaguely guessed his current mood. He didn't know why he disliked his teacher and asked, "Have you ever thought about why he took you as his disciple?"
Chen Chang Sheng was a bit confused and asked, "Master picked me up by the stream, what other reason could there be?"
Tang Thirty Six stared into his eyes and said, "Your surname is Chen."
"And?" Chen Chang Sheng still did not understand.
Tang Thirty Six said, "Have you never thought … that you might be from the imperial family?"
Chen Chang Sheng was startled and shook his head, "No, I floated down from the mountain stream inside the Cloud Grave. My birth parents might be the descendants of the sinners."
Tang Thirty Six said mockingly, "How old were you back then? You don't know shit."
Chen Chang Sheng said, "This is what senior said. Senior has never lied to others, and he definitely would not lie to me. “
He said this sentence with certainty. There was no hesitation in his clean eyes.
Tang Thirty Six still wanted to say something, but looking into his eyes, he couldn't bear it and changed the topic, "How do you plan to go next?"
From Xi Ning to the capital, Chen Chang Sheng originally thought that his path was very clear. It was to find the secret to defy the heavens and change his fate, and thus escape from the shadow of death. But now, he suddenly realized that before this, he already had to face many forks in the road.
"I don't know."
"You need someone to help you."
"Who can help me?"
"Me."
"Okay, then you help me."
It was a very simple conversation, but it was very warm and trusting. Because they were both youngsters.
They were either calm and mature, or arrogant and frivolous, but they were both youngsters.
Youths were sometimes so hot-blooded and naive that it was annoying. However, compared to those elders who had been through hardships for a long time, their lives were much simpler, and their interactions with each other were much simpler.
Tang Thirty Six said, "No problem. First, let's understand the cause of this incident."
Chen Chang Sheng shook his head and said, "Help me do something first."
Tang Thirty Six didn't think and said without hesitation, "Say it. What is it?"
Chen Chang Sheng said to him, "Can you go take a shower and brush your teeth first?"
… …
… …
What was the saying again? I haven't even brushed my teeth yet ….. Anyways, Tang Thirty Six was annoyed and kicked out of the library by Chen Chang Sheng. He used two big buckets of hot water and washed himself from head to toe. After making sure that there was no dirt from the Mausoleum of Books, he changed into a clean set of clothes and took the steamed bun that Xuan Yuan Po just made and went to the lake.
Chen Chang Sheng placed Mister Xun Mei's notes on the bookshelf and registered them. Then, he went to wash Mister Xun Mei's bedding and Tang Thirty Six's fur. It took him an hour to wash them clean. Then, he hung them under the great banyan tree; they looked like two swings.
The rain in the morning had already stopped. The sunlight of early summer shone on the surface of the lake, but it didn't evaporate too much water. It didn't feel stuffy.
Tian Hai Ya Er's cursing could no longer be heard. The Tradition Academy was quiet and beautiful.
Standing by the lake and looking at the scenery on the other side, Tang Thirty Six said, "My grandpa said that the Pope is a good person, so you don't have to worry too much."
As he spoke, he was very focused on tearing the steamed bun in his hands into pieces.
The Pope was Chen Chang Sheng's martial uncle. Logically speaking, he should have been very happy to accept this statement, but from following Su Li to the south in the snowy plains of the demon realm, he had seen too many assassinations and plots. It was very difficult for him to convince himself that the Pope was really a good person.
"Zhu Luo and Guan Xingke should have been invited by the Pope."
Chen Chang Sheng looked at the blue sky and white clouds reflected in the lake. He wanted to touch the unreal sky of the Green Leaf World and shook his head. "How could a good person become the Pope?"
"This view of the world seems mature, but it's actually very vulgar."
Tang Thirty-Six threw the pieces of the steamed bun into the lake and said, "His Holiness the Pope has never been famed for his wisdom. He was able to become the leader of the Orthodoxy because he truly had a very close relationship with the Divine Empress. Of course, the most important reason is still because his venerable self's strength is truly unfathomable. Even your teacher, Principal Shang, ultimately lost to him."
Chen Chang Sheng said, "But … he wanted to kill Su Li."
"We've circled back again." Tang Thirty Six looked at him and jeered, "I'll say something you don't like to hear, but Su Li has killed so many people in his life, and countless people want him dead. Could it be that those people are all bad people? In reality, in their eyes, it was you who protected Su Li all the way to the south that was the truly bad person. "
Chen Chang Sheng thought to himself, could it really be like this?
"We still have to first understand why Principal Shang sent you to the capital."
Tang Thirty Six said, "You must know that my grandfather once said that in this world, there are only four and a half people that he truly fears. Your teacher is one of them."
Chen Chang Sheng was very curious. "Who are the others?"
Tang Thirty Six replied, "The Empress, the Elder of Heavenly Secrets, and Black Robe."
Chen Chang Sheng counted the most powerful figures of the continent and asked in confusion, "Then what about the Demon Lord?"
Tang Thirty Six replied, "The Demon Lord isn't a person."
"That half … who is it?"
"Black Robe. Since he's serving the demons, he naturally can't be considered a human. "
Chen Chang Sheng caught the important point in these words and asked, "Does the Tang Old Master know of Black Robe's identity?"
Tang Thirty Six did not answer.
Time gradually passed, the sun also gradually moved. The blue sky gradually turned red, the color of dusk filling the sky.
In the sky behind the great banyan tree, one could already see that a smear of darkness was about to arrive.
They stood on the shore of the lake, whispering about these matters that had no interest in them.
Back then, in the Plum Garden Inn, Chen Chang Sheng and Tang Thirty Six had truly met for the first time. At that time, they had subconsciously wanted to appear more mature, wanted to imitate adults in exchanging pleasantries and socializing, but they had seemed so clumsy, childish, and adorable.
Now that they had finally come into contact with these things, they suddenly realized that they did not want to be mature.
Because maturity often meant decay, meant complexity and exhaustion.
Several dozen koi fish swished their tails in the lake. Because they had eaten their fill of steamed buns, they seemed rather weak. One of the fattest koi fish was actually slowly sinking into the mud at the bottom of the pond.
The mood by the lake was rather heavy.
"The world has always been very large, and the hearts of people have always been very complex. When it's dark, it's better than the night, when it's boring, it's better than the Heavenly Dao Academy. Especially those old people who rule over this world, their bodies exude an aura of dust." Tang Thirty Six looked at him and said, "But those things are actually not important, because we are not those kinds of people."
Chen Chang Sheng looked at his reflection in the lake, looked at his own face, and felt somewhat uneasy. He said, "Have you ever thought … that in the future, we might become those kinds of people that we loathe the most right now?"
Tang Thirty Six sneered, "That's each person's problem. Could it be that if we become a pile of shit, we still have the face to blame the world?"
He continued, "You have to understand, the kind of people we want to become, the kind of people our world will become."
Chen Chang Sheng felt that these two words were far too reasonable.
Before leaving Xunyang City, Su Li had said a few things to him. Only now did he finally understand. He raised his head to Tang Thirty Six and said, "Thank you."
Given Tang Thirty Six's personality, he should have very indifferently replied with 'there's no need to be polite,' but for some reason, he did not.
A cool and refreshing night wind blew over, slicing the golden waves on the lake into countless fragments.
It was like he had returned to Xunyang City. On the long street amidst the torrential rain, there were cracks in space everywhere, and at the edges of these cracks was a dazzling light.
A metal blade stood before the wind and rain, unshakable.
"I want to become a person like Wang Po."
He said, "I want to live like him."
… …
… …
(There is a second chapter. The time for the update has not been set.)
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