Chapter 131: Hidden Secrets

Jiechen pondered for a moment and then nodded in agreement.

After dinner, Zhou Yi began to ask Princess Fu about the obscure secrets of the early Qing Dynasty. However, Princess Fu had been raised on orthodox history and had never been exposed to the unofficial chronicles outside the palace walls. Furthermore, having grown up in the palace, no maid or eunuch would have dared to whisper gossip in her ear. After a long conversation, Princess Fu knew even less than Zhou Yi.

Zhou Yi shook his head and said, "Never mind. I will go to the library tomorrow to see if I can find any useful information." With a slight smile at Princess Fu, he turned to return to his room to rest.

Seeing Zhou Yi’s disappointment, Princess Fu searched her memory for events from the early Qing period. Suddenly, she recalled something and quickly called out to him, "Wait! There is something I can tell you; you can decide for yourself if it’s useful!"

Seeing that she had stopped him, Zhou Yi turned back, sat down, and said with a smile, "Never mind whether it’s useful or not—tell me first!"

Princess Fu smiled, her eyes narrowing as she picked up the kettle, poured herself a cup of water, and took a deep drink before speaking. "This story goes back to the end of the Yuan Dynasty. The Yuan Dynasty’s fate was exhausted, and the empire was divided among Zhu, Chen, and Zhang. Zhu Yuanzhang’s ancestors were poor for nine generations, while Chen Youliang’s family had been virtuous for ten. At the time, Zhu Yuanzhang held no advantage and suffered defeat after defeat.

"It was then that Zhu Yuanzhang recruited Liu Ji. Liu Ji immediately offered a manuscript, which detailed the use of Feng Shui sorcery to suppress Chen Youliang. By then, Chen Youliang was already imbued with the aura of a dragon, so ordinary Feng Shui techniques were naturally ineffective."

Hearing this, Zhou Yi couldn't help but ask, "Do you know what was written in that manuscript?"

Princess Fu shook her head, indicating she did not know, and continued, "Although the contents remain unknown, Zhu Yuanzhang’s mother died ten days later. Legend has it that she was in excellent health, and her death was highly suspicious. After her death, the Ming army crushed Chen Youliang’s forces at Longwan. There is a strong connection between this and the strategy Liu Ji provided! That great battle at Longwan sapped Chen Youliang’s vitality and laid the foundation for Zhu Yuanzhang to eventually ascend the throne."

Zhou Yi nodded. He was aware of this; Chen Youliang’s army had won several major battles, first occupying Taiping and the Ma'anshan area. Had he won again, he would have reached Yingtian Prefecture. Yet, at Longwan, Zhu Yuanzhang suddenly reversed the tide of defeat, dealing a crippling blow to Chen Youliang.

"And then?" Princess Fu spoke logically and without unnecessary digressions. Zhou Yi was already hooked; regardless of whether it had anything to do with the Gen Mountain, he had to hear the rest.

"After Chen Youliang was weakened, Zhu Yuanzhang gained the dragon’s aura and built his empire. It wasn't until the end of the Ming Dynasty that our Later Jin conquered them." Princess Fu stopped there, noticing Zhou Yi’s impatience, as she had yet to reach the crux of the matter.

"Don't be impatient, listen to me," she said, pouring herself another glass of water to soothe her throat. "Initially, the Later Jin’s military and national strength were not superior, but our ancestor, Nurhaci, had accidentally heard of Liu Ji’s strategy and wanted to investigate the truth of it. He immediately dispatched ten Eight Banners warriors to look into the matter, but those ten warriors vanished for three years. Before they could return, Nurhaci was wounded by Yuan Chonghuan’s Red Barbarian Cannon. When Huang Taiji inherited the throne, he dispatched another ten warriors, led by Hela Narhan of the Bordered Blue Banner."

Seeing Zhou Yi staring intently at her, Princess Fu felt her cheeks flush with warmth.

Zhou Yi quickly averted his gaze, scratched his head, and chuckled, "Apologies, how rude of me!"

Princess Fu smiled slightly and continued. "Less than a year after those ten warriors left, the Ming general Yuan Chonghuan was executed by the Chongzhen Emperor! From that day on, the Ming army had no more capable generals. Our Later Jin drove straight for the heart of the empire and forced the Chongzhen Emperor to flee to the south."

Zhou Yi finally understood what Princess Fu was implying. The warriors Huang Taiji had sent were led by Hela Narhan of the Bordered Blue Banner. If her account was accurate, it was highly likely that Hela Narhan had brought the Gen Mountain to the Jiujiang area of present-day Jiangxi. If he could trace the movements of Hela Narhan from that era, he might be able to find the location of the Gen Mountain.

Zhou Yi needed to digest this information, so he bid Princess Fu farewell and returned to his room.

His first thought was that the location must be extremely dangerous; otherwise, two groups of people would not have disappeared without a trace. They must have met with misfortune, making his own strength all the more critical.

Since the battle against the old woman from Miao territory, Zhou Yi had felt his cultivation was insufficient. Combining his efforts with Baozi and Mu Chen had barely been enough to defeat her.

Sensing his limitations, he needed to seize the time to improve his cultivation. With Jiechen in the house, he didn't need to worry about safety, so he sat cross-legged on his bed, channeling his spiritual energy to circulate through his meridians.

Cultivation could not be rushed. As soon as he increased the speed of his circulation, Zhou Yi felt a wave of intense, uncomfortable heat. Not daring to be reckless, he quickly slowed the flow.

Zhou Yi sat for three days. His spiritual energy had been overflowing for some time, yet there were no signs of a breakthrough. Having already undergone a heavenly tribulation once, he had no bottlenecks to speak of; he realized he simply hadn't gathered enough energy. Cultivation was a gradual process; one could not greedily seek quick results.

Having reached this realization, Zhou Yi got out of bed and put on his shoes, wanting to go out for a stroll.

It was late autumn. As he stepped outside, a cold breeze hit him, and he instinctively pulled his clothes tighter. Though he didn't feel the chill, the habits of many years were hard to break.

"You're out!" Princess Fu said with a smile as she saw him leave his room.

Zhou Yi looked at the rising morning sun, feeling in high spirits. "Let me go back and wash up, then we can go for a walk."

Princess Fu agreed readily, turning back to call Xiao Cui. "Quick, style my hair."

Xiao Cui was puzzled and pouted. "Princess, didn't you just have it done? Why again?"

Princess Fu glared at her. "Style it if I tell you to! Talk back again and I’ll send you back to the capital!"

Xiao Cui pouted as she began to untie the Princess’s hair. Princess Fu picked up some rouge, applying it to her cheeks while making various expressions at her reflection in the mirror.

"Princess, what's wrong? Are you sick?" Ever since leaving the palace, the Princess had never worn makeup. Xiao Cui was bewildered, reaching out to touch the Princess's forehead to check for a fever.

Princess Fu squinted and looked back. "You silly girl, hurry up!"

By now, Zhou Yi had finished preparing and shouted from outside her door, "Are you ready yet, Princess?"

Seeing this, Xiao Cui finally understood. "Oh! So you're going to see your lover!"