Chapter 152: Arousing Suspicion

Inside the Prince Changwu's Mansion, after emerging from the secret chamber, Chen Sinian returned to the front hall alone. There, a servant was being reprimanded by the head steward for being too slow in clearing the snow.

Chen Sinian frowned and asked the steward, "What is going on?"

The steward smiled apologetically and replied, "Your Highness, this wretch hasn't even finished clearing a single courtyard after half a day. It is simply unacceptable, so I scolded him a bit."

Chen Sinian looked at the courtyard where more than half of the snow had already been cleared. It was obvious the servant had not been idling, perhaps just moving a bit slowly. He said nonchalantly, "What's the rush? Only this Prince has returned to the estate; there is no need to be in such a hurry."

Hearing the Prince of Changwu intercede for him, the servant hurriedly knelt in gratitude. "Thank you, Your Highness, for your understanding. Thank you, Your Highness."

The steward looked at the servant's lucky escape with some displeasure, but not daring to be presumptuous before the Prince of Changwu, he lowered his voice and explained to Chen Sinian, "It was my fault for being too hasty. I saw Young Master Yang return and assumed the Heir Apparent and the others had come back as well, which is why I began rushing him."

Hearing the steward's words, Chen Sinian's previously indifferent expression suddenly sank. His eyes narrowed slightly as he looked suspiciously at the steward and asked, "You said Yang Guang has returned?"

A few days ago, after parting ways with him outside the Prince of Beichang's domain, Yang Guang should have been heading straight back to the capital. Why would he return to this estate?

Hearing Chen Sinian's inquiry, the servant hastily cupped his hands and replied, "Yes, Young Master Yang even specifically asked this humble servant where Your Highness had gone."

"Where is Yang Guang now?"

"After asking this humble servant, the Young Master turned around and left the mansion."

He left?

A stronger sense of strangeness welled up in Chen Sinian's heart. Given Yang Guang's personality, unless there was an urgent matter, he would not have turned back midway.

Moreover, the fact that he had returned to the mansion was something he had done quietly, leaving the entourage behind. Yang Guang shouldn't have known about it.

Could it be...

A thought stirred in Chen Sinian's mind, but he quickly dismissed it as unlikely. After all, he had just been in the back courtyard and had sensed no abnormalities. After pondering for a moment, Chen Sinian waved his hand at the steward and the servant, then turned and walked toward the back courtyard alone.

Although Chen Sinian appeared rugged and coarse, his mind was exceptionally meticulous. While those familiar with the various vassal princes regarded him merely as a martial general unskilled in political maneuvering and schemes, only Chen Sinian himself truly understood the real reason behind it.

Schemes and political maneuvers ultimately depended on favorable timing, geographical advantage, and human harmony; man proposes, but heaven disposes.

The true reason Chen Sinian indulged in martial arts was his inner realization that political maneuvering was no different from killing on the battlefield. In the face of absolute strength, all tricks and formations are mere illusions.

Force subdues ten thousand techniques, much like his current realm—that of a Saint.

Had it not been for the restraint of those other Saints and the treaties that bound them, he would have long since marched straight to the capital and declared himself emperor.

Acting with caution, Chen Sinian still decided to go to the back courtyard to investigate.

At that moment, inside the secret chamber, Yang Guang was still quietly listening to Tiana recount the events that followed.

"The Coming-of-Age Ceremony arrived, and envoys from various nations came to visit one after another. He and I had already agreed that when the envoys of the Ye Dynasty arrived, he would disguise himself among them and return to the Ye Dynasty."

"Were you willing to let him leave? After all, you loved him so much."

Yang Guang looked into Tiana's eyes and asked with a trace of confusion, because he could sense that even as she recounted the tale, her eyes still revealed a lingering reluctance.

Tiana smiled faintly, looked at Yang Guang, and replied, "It is precisely because of love that I could bear to let him leave."

Frowning, Yang Guang asked skeptically, "I believe in your Senior's love for him, but he learned nearly all the martial arts of the Tidi tribe. Weren't you afraid that upon returning to the Ye Dynasty, he would instead lead an army to attack the Tidi?"

A subtle change flickered in Tiana's gaze as she looked at Yang Guang. It seemed this young man before her was remarkably similar to Chen Sinian of years past—even when listening to her story, he had not forgotten the broader principles of righteousness and loyalty.

"Indeed, I am the Princess of Tidi, after all; naturally, I would not let him return without conditions." Tiana nodded and spoke softly.

Yang Guang remained silent, continuing to listen to Tiana's narrative.

"At that time, I agreed to help him gather the martial arts manuals of the various Tidi tribes also because he had told me something.

He had ended up stranded here because he originally intended to lead an army to conquer the Tidi tribe, but unexpectedly encountered the Freezing Day, and in the end, ravaged by the harsh elements, only he survived.

He told me quite earnestly back then that even if the people of the Ye Dynasty conquered the Tidi tribe, it would be useless, for the climate of the Far North was simply something the Ye people could not endure.

Just as we Tidi people could never adapt to the climate of the south.

At that time, I believed his words and decided to support his endeavor to change the relationship between our two peoples. Thus, the subsequent discussions began."

"Although I loved him, I was unwilling to keep him trapped in the Far North forever for my sake. Furthermore, he had revealed his true identity to me by then—he was a vassal prince of the Ye Dynasty. In the end, he persuaded me: as long as I helped him return to the Ye Dynasty, he would urge the reigning emperor to secure peace between the two races."

Hearing this, Yang Guang wore a puzzled expression and pressed further, "Did some accident happen later then?"

If things had truly unfolded as Tiana described, the Tidi tribe's invasion of the eleven northern border cities would never have happened today. Evidently, something else must have occurred afterward.

Tiana nodded, acknowledging that an accident had indeed happened, and it was precisely this event that rendered everything irredeemable.

...

The Coming-of-Age Ceremony concluded, and Chen Sinian successfully accompanied the diplomatic delegation southward, heading back toward the Ye Dynasty.

However, during their return journey, a sudden avalanche struck. Not only the diplomatic delegation of the Ye Dynasty, but also those of Dongyi and Nanman, were all trapped deep within the glacier mountain ranges and the sea of snow.

Upon hearing news of the avalanche, I wanted to lead men to rescue him, but my father and imperial brothers all blocked me.

We had always known that when faced with an avalanche, leave aside other races unaccustomed to living in the Far North—even our own Tidi people stood little chance of survival.

At that time, heavy snow sealed the mountains, a world of ice and frost where the boundless white swallowed everything.

Unless they miraculously survived the avalanche and possessed enough provisions to last for months, not even the High Priest could have saved them.

In that kind of weather, entering or leaving the site of the disaster was impossible until the snow melted four or five months later; until then, everyone was powerless.

Ignoring the dissuasion of my clansmen, I took a few guards and secretly fled the tribe.

Through days and nights of arduous effort, I finally found him."

"You saved him once again."

Yang Guang looked at Tiana. By now, he had completely forgotten her tribal origins; listening to her story, he felt as though he were personally witnessing those very scenes unfold.

"Saved him?"

Hearing Yang Guang's words, Tiana emitted a self-deprecating laugh.