After Leng Feiyan's Swallow's Nest started operating, Murong Yan never visited it again. At the same time, he also forbade Zuo Canglang from going over. He was unwilling to let anyone other than Leng Feiyan get involved with this place.
That's why every time Zuo Canglang would sneakily go there, she would only enter over the rooftops and leave via the roof tops, never going through the doors, and never appearing in front of people.
Leng Feiyan was pretty much clueless towards the affairs in Great Yan, so the task of establishing an information network, recruiting manpower, even though she had the coin, was not an easy task.
Zuo Canglang knew this, and this was also why she defied Murong Yan's orders, and stealthily came over.
Under the solitary lamp light, there was wine and food. Leng Feiyan drank wine with her, while Yang Lianting sat by the side. Leng Feiyan had really be frustrated with this problem until she got a headache, "Right now, I'm a nameless nobody, so how am I supposed to recruit my own forces!"
Zuo Canglang replied, "There are so many local gangsters on the streets, you should first find a few agile ones. Controlling these people, you at least have this level of capability, right?"
Leng Feiyan was annoyed, "What crap are you saying! In that case wouldn't my Swallow's Nest become a gathering place for bullies!"
Zuo Canglang said, "First, if these people are left free outside, they will become a harm to the civilian population, but over here, they will be under your control. You are performing heaven's work. Secondly, these people have good news networks, and will be useful for informing various matters. Some things, will be extremely easy for them to accomplish. Thirdly, they don't require very high salaries, so the cost is low."
Leng Feiyan thought for a bit, saying, "Sounds like it makes some sense. Capturing a few gangsters, I still have that type of capability." Speaking thus, she pat Zuo Canglang's shoulder, finally revealing a bit of a smile, "Come, come, drink."
Zuo Canglang drank a cup with her, and Yang Lianting, who was at the side, said, "At the beginning these people are probably not going to be that honest, I can help you mix some medication that can help you control them."
Leng Feiyan finally relaxed, "Good little brother, looks like elder sister didn't waste her affection on you!" Once she started speaking, her hands flew up towards Yang Lianting's face. Yang Lianting retreat back a few steps, saying, "Leng Feiyan!"
Leng Feiyan had a face filled with a creepy smile, as Yang Lianting was indeed a noble house's descendant, as he matured, he grew increasingly handsome. If he just randomly stood in front of people, he look cool and refreshing, civilized and knowledgeable. Once could hardly blame Leng Feiyan for sexually harassing him all the time.
The three were all people of action, and the next morning, Yang Lianting immediately bought some herbal components, and mixed a type of white mpill. The pills weren't fatal, but the formula was extremely complicated, and normal doctors could definitely not cure it. After a normal person ingested it, within twenty four hours, they would need to ingest the cure, otherwise, when the poison acted, it was pain that would permeate the body.
Leng Feiyan and Zuo Canglang also didn't sit around, but rather covered their faces and went about searching for gangsters. A day later, there were not enough gangsters left to use!
After forty some gangsters were tied up into a pile of sticky rice balls, piled up at Swallow's Nest, Yang Lianting also passed the pills to Leng Feiyan. Afterwards, there wasn't a need for the other two, so Zuo Canglang and Yang Lianting left Swallow's Nest, and to avoid people noticing, they went their separate ways.
Suddenly, walking a while, Yang Lianting stopped walking. Zuo Canglang turned around, and saw him staring at a restaurant's window. The window had a fat man who was drinking wine and listening to music. Zuo Canglang went over, asking, "What's the matter?"
Yang Lianting's hand was tightly clenched into a fist, and said two lines, "Nothing much. It's not early, let's return."
Zuo Canglang took another look at that person, asking, "Wen Weishu?"
Yang Lianting tightly clenched his teeth, veins popping out of his forehead. Zuo Canglang said, "I feel that, taking vengeance right now, is too irrational."
Yang Lianting slowly said, "I know. But, my enemy is right before my eyes, and he is still living frivolously and garrulously! And my grandfather, my mother, everyone from my Yang family is already......" His voice slowly rose, but Zuo Canglang held his shoulder with her hand, and he finally calmed down, responding, "Ah Zuo, you can't understand my feeling. When Yang family was entirely executed, my grandfather was already sixty-six years old. You don't have any idea how good of a person he was......my father suffered all form of torture, and before he was even executed he had already perished in prison. I saw him being beaten to death from a perfectly alive state......"
He lowered his head, not letter her see the light in his own eyes. Zuo Canglang lightly said, "Don't cry."
Yang Lianting's tears were like shattered pearls, hanging on to his long eyelashes, saying, "I won't cry, I want him to pay the blood debt with his blood."
Zuo Canglang raised her face, looking into the building, lightly saying, "It will happen."
Leng Feiyan's Swallow's Nest, kept growing in number, but it seemed as though her words came true, as it really turned into the gangster's gathering place. These days, Yang Lianting lived in the other estate, having perused many medical journals, but Murong Yan had not yet assigned him any assignment. But had rather gone all over the place with Zuo Canglang, buying medical ingredients or pretending to get sickness diagnoses.
Zuo Canglang, towards his intent, could already guess a few degrees; upon exiting another medicine hall's gate, she asked, "Does lord master want to have Yang Lianting start a medical hall in Jinyang city?"
Murong Yan took a look at the medicine hall's sign behind him, saying, "Currently, in Jinyang city, the number of medical masters practicing in the city is not small, and he is still young, so one fears that he will have difficulty rising above the masses. Additionally...... we don't actually have time, to spend ten or twenty years to accumulate the reputation of a godly doctor."
Zuo Canglang said, "That's why, lord master has been going around searching, and plans on spending some money, to give him an opportunity to become famous overnight, right?"
Murong Yan was startled, and took another look over her, slowly asking, "How did you arrive at this conclusion?"
Zuo Canglang said, "Even though Jinyang city indeed has many godly medical practitioners, but Yang Lianting's medical abilities are not weak. At least, towards any normal sickness or conditions, he has no problems. What he needs is only a opportunity. If there is a somewhat famous doctor that is willing to risk his reputation, a wrong diagnoses, and letting Yang Lianting diagnose the difference...... these days, your highness has pretty much visited every large medical hall, so this subject has thought, your highness has probably been searching for a doctor that values riches more than their reputation."
Murong Yan's lips curled into a bright smile, slowly spreading, and then said a phrase, "It's still you that knows my heart."
Zuo Canglang lowered her head, and Murong Yan said, "Let's continue looking." Zuo Canglang said, "Currently, Feiyan's Swallow's Nest can be counted as having sufficient people, why not let them also help search."
Murong Yan said, "This thing needs absolute secrecy, and if there are more people, it would actually detract from our efforts. You three have always been good, and normally help each other out, that's not a problem. But, when thinking of the aspirations for the future, you have to seriously perform each step. Between you all, there should not be excessive interactions."
Zuo Canglang seriously acknowledged, saying, "Yes."
Two days later, in Tianping Xiang, someone suddenly contracted a crazed sickness, and doctor Xie from Huichun Hall just happened to pass by; after taking the person's pulse, he diagnosed that this person had already died. And told the family to go ahead and make arrangements for his funeral.
A young and handsome newcomer passed by, and diagnosed that this person had only contracted a fake death, and still had the potential of being saved. When the two met with conflicting opinions, the civilians began gossiping, and observing the action from afar.
After doctor Xie had his reputation besmirched by a younger lad, he was immediately angered, and began cursing harshly, that if this person could save the person, he would never again practice medicine in his life. And that person, upon using his golden needles to perform acupuncture on the man's nerve, two hours later, the person's sickness turned around.
In a short while, news of this event was spread by word of mouth, pretty much becoming known by everyone in Jinyang city.
This death defying youth, was soon recognized. His name also became quickly recognized-- Yang Lianting, the three words, also appeared before the masters of medicine. And doctor Xie of Huichun Hall also passed the medical hall to Yang Lianting, his whole family from old to young, leaving Jinyang city, returning to their ancestral home.
Yang Lianting changed the name of Huichun Hall to Receive Righteousness Hall, and the first day of their grand opening, there were a hundred people that lined up for treating their sickness.
Zuo Canglang followed Murong Yan to stand by a different segment of the main street, and watched as Receive Righteousness Hall couldn't accommodate all the sick patients, and many people had to line up outside of the medical hall. Murong Yan said, "Following this, the rest will depend on him." Zuo Canglang pondered, then replied, "He won't disappoint lord master."
Murong Yan turned around to look at her, resting his two hands on her shoulders, lightly saying, "Of you three, you are all dragons and phoenixes among men. I also won't disappoint you all."
At the end of the three months of spring, the whole city was covered with brightness, and the rays of sunlight were passing through. When he said these words, followed them in, and passed by his cold and discerning face, and his face was filled with a soft and compassionate, but also determined gaze. Even if someone was forced into desperate situations, there would still be people that would hope to take hold of it.
Yang Lianting truly didn't disappoint the hopes placed upon him, and although everyday the number of patients that went to see him were numerous beyond measure, he never prescribed the wrong medication. And, the young person had written letters, that if there were poor people that were asking for medicine or medical advice, if he could lower his diagnoses fees, he would, and if he could not take fees, he would.
Even though Receive Righteousness hall hadn't been established for a long time, its reputation kept growing. The name of godly doctor Yang, was just like Yang Xuanhe's back then, and was spread out throughout the populace.
Yang Lianting couldn't do everything on his own, so he naturally also hired some assistants. Leng Feiyan and Zuo Canglang would often secretly come over, but being seen by other people would also be very bad. Luckily, they would always come in from the sky and leave through the sky, and the assistants in the medical hall had a very low chance of discovering them.
For these two... things, Yang Lianting could only live in a yard by himself. And normally forbade anyone from entering his yard.
In the blink of an eye, it was now the fourth month, the politics were clear, and in the palace, they were busy preparing for honoring the ancestors. In the past, when they were honoring the ancestors, they still had to invite actors to perform a few plays, and there were also shamans who came to perform rites, etc.
But this time, the Western Jing emissaries not only brought away five hundred Yan women, but also a non-insignificant sum of gold, silver, and precious stones. The national treasury was empty, and under the pressures of a critical populace, king Yan didn't decide to put on an extravagant ceremony. He only ordered Bai Yu Sect's sect leader to perform the ancestral honoring ceremony.
This Bai Yu sect was Great Yan's state sect, and had long been experts in medication. And the holy girl, could resurrect a dead person from a pile of bones, and had the capability to pierce the heavens. Outsiders hearing it, would all be respectful, and afraid to offend.
The members of Bai Yu sect were considered demons by the people of Persia, and were prohibited from mixing. Being thus persecuted, they fled to Yan country. At that time, Murong Yuan was still a prince, and adopted this sect, and extended his aid towards them. Not just allowing them to gather in Yan country, but also marked out a mountain north of Jinyang city, Gu She mountain, allowing the sect to treat it as their main center.
Thus, from top to bottom, all members of Bai Yu sect could be considered as wholeheartedly loyal to Yan country, and after Murong Yuan had ascended the throne, Bai Yu sect would go around performing charity and medicine, so their reputation gradually rose. And thus he had made Bai Yu sect the national religion. And from top to bottom, none of the civilians had any objections.
The members of Bai Yu sect normally never entered the palace, unless there was some important person that was sick, or if they were conducting some ceremony. This time, the one that came to perform the ceremony was none other than Bai Yu sect's sacred maiden.
She was long rumored to be an incarnation of a heavenly being, but nobody had ever seen her. Zuo Canglang tried all manner of methods to see her face, but she wore a shroud before her face, and really could not be recognized. When the ceremony had concluded, it was already night time. King Yan prepared a feast in the palace, and the officials all entered their seating assignments. The crown prince, Murong Ruo, fifth prince, Murong Qing, and young princess Murong Shu all made an appearance.
But when Murong Yan appeared, the eunuchs all had a face full of awkwardness-- it turned out there actually wasn't a seat for his second highness, Murong Yan! The eunuchs were so scared they couldn't say anything, and a while later, a chief steward eunuch by queen Li's side came over, saying with his effeminate voice, "Second highness, please don't blame us, this was really wasn't because us servants were careless, but because his highness, King Yan, didn't actually set a seat for you in the feast. As servants, we also don't have the nerve to take it on ourselves to change the decisions......"
Zuo Canglang lashed out with a foot, "What trash! His highness passed an order for all court officials to enter the feast, why does he still need to single out......" but before her words were finished, that eunuch said, "His highness said the civil and military officials, but currently second highness neither has an office nor position, how could he be counted as a civil or military official?"
Zuo Canglang wanted to kick him again, but Murong Yan lightly said, "Okay." Zuo Canglang's anger rose up to her throat, as she could tell that eunuch wasn't anything good. In this kind of situation, as long as he wasn't beaten to death, beating him was pointless. He just turned around, and left, leaving Murong Yan alone here with his servant.
Zuo Canglang was angry, but Murong Yan just smiled, his face gazing at the smile, "Why bother with picking a fight with this type of person."
Zuo Canglang said, "But......"
Murong Yan cut her off, saying, "Let's go." Zuo Canglang angrily replied, "We'll just let it off like this?" Murong Yan said, "He doesn't have this level of gall, so it must be the queen's intention. If we really made a ruckus out of this, it would actually be fulfilling the queen's desires."
Zuo Canglang raised her head, looking at him, he calmly smiled, saying, "After my mother consort died, I stayed within the palace for half a year. These things, I'm already numb towards them. But it actually caused you to get angry over nothing."
In that moment, Zuo Canglang felt for the first time in her life, the feeling of her heart hurting. She gazed at him, slowly saying, "This servant really hopes, beginning from that time, to accompany by lord master's side."
Murong Yan was startled, but his lips revealed a slight smile, enough to melt the chill. He lightly said, "Right now, it's not late yet."
The pair of master and servant slowly walked out of the palace, the cold moon spinning high above, lighting up the scenery in the middle of the night. In the great and expansive palace, it was silent, cold, and desolate. Murong Yan said, "I've passed by here countless times, but this time, is better than any previous time." Zuo Canglang was startled, as he said, "This time, at least there's still you."
There is such a time, that Zuo Canglang wanted to walk up and grab his hand. But she didn't. He had a woman he loved, and not long later, she would become her female master.
Some things look like they are just before your eyes, but you cannot attain them, and you will never attain them. Leng Feiyan thought she might do something irrational, but actually....... she feels that she wouldn't.
I just want to be like this, to watch over you by your side, to watch you take over the world, to watch you recover Great Yan, to fulfill the promise of a reign of peace. Those that you have seen, those you have loved, those you have wanted, as long as it's under one of your orders, I will personally deliver it before your eyes on a platter.
Even if I dissolved into dust in the wind.
Thank you for the chapter!.... can't wait for the next..
ReplyDeleteI feel sad for her :(
ReplyDeleteWhen did Zuo Canglang get the foundation of understanding to be able to come up with ideas abut using gangsters? From her tiny village? From the wolves? From her martial arts instructors? From the prince? There has been nothing said thus far that shows she has any education other than martial arts or how to be a bodyguard. Even geniuses need knowledge to come up with ideas.
ReplyDelete