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On the top floor of Moon Pavilion, in a quiet corridor.
A maid in a light blue gauze dress lightly stepped to the carved sandalwood door, her slender fingers slightly bent, tapping three soft knocks on the door.
The sound of her knuckles touching the wood was clear and pleasant, like the gentle chime of a jade chime.
"Come in."
Tang Yuehua's voice came from inside the door, like a clear spring washing jade, warm and with an innate nobility.
The maid gently pushed open the door, and a faint, calming fragrance immediately wafted out.
Sunlight filtered through the sheer curtains, casting dappled shadows across the room.
Tang Yuehua sat gracefully before her dressing table, a jade comb in her hand slowly combing her waterfall-like black hair.
In the bronze mirror, her elegant face seemed to be enveloped in a hazy glow.
The maid moved with light steps, her hands clasped in front of her abdomen, and bowed gracefully to Tang Yuehua: "Madam, Prince Xue Xing and the Fourth Prince Xue Beng are requesting an audience outside."
Her voice was soft, but it caused the air in the room to solidify.
The jade comb in Tang Yuehua's hand paused slightly.
In the bronze mirror, her delicate willow-like eyebrows furrowed almost imperceptibly.
Although she had lived secluded in Moon Pavilion for many years, based on her understanding of Heaven Dou nobility—the reputation of this uncle and nephew in aristocratic circles was like summer decaying meat, something to be avoided.
"Oh?" She put down the jade comb, her fingertips lightly tapping the dressing table.
The blue smoke in the incense burner twisted slightly with her movement, making her gentle eyebrows flicker between light and shadow.
"Xue Xing… Xue Beng…" Tang Yuehua murmured to herself, her fingers lightly tapping the dressing table, producing a crisp sound.
A bold guess suddenly surfaced in her mind, but she immediately dismissed it—given the usual conduct of this uncle and nephew, they shouldn't possess such cunning.
She looked up into the bronze mirror, placing the last phoenix hairpin into her cloud-like bun, her voice flowing like a clear spring: "Treat the distinguished guests well, and serve them this year's new tea."
Her jade hand lightly brushed her skirt as she rose, the sachet at her waist gently swaying: "I will be there shortly."
"Yes, Madam." The maid clasped her hands in front of her abdomen and bowed respectfully.
She slowly backed out of the room, her embroidered shoes making no sound on the soft carpet.
Once the door gently closed, Tang Yuehua's fingertips brushed her temples, ensuring every strand of hair was perfectly in place.
She took down the moon-white sheer shawl hanging on the screen, the waist ornament clinking pleasantly as she moved.
Passing through the velvet-carpeted corridor, Tang Yuehua paused briefly before the reception room door.
She took a deep breath, the crisp scent of the calming incense clearing her mind.
Her jade hand gently pushed open the carved door, a proper smile already on her face: "I apologize for keeping Your Highnesses waiting."
Sunlight filtered through the glazed window, casting a soft halo around her.
Inside the reception room, Prince Xue Xing's recently placed teacup left a shallow ring of water on the table.
Upon seeing Tang Yuehua enter the hall, Prince Xue Xing immediately rose to greet her.
His face was wreathed in a warm smile, his purple python robe rippling with his exaggerated bow: "Years have passed, and Madam Yuehua's charm is even greater than before!"
A flicker of almost imperceptible coldness flashed in Tang Yuehua's eyes, but it transformed into a radiant smile the moment she looked up.
She bowed gracefully, her moon-white skirt spreading like a lotus on the green jade floor: "Your Highness's presence honors my humble abode."
Although she concealed it extremely well, the fleeting ardour in Xue Xing's eyes was still keenly caught by her.
She straightened up calmly, her fingertips lightly caressing her temples, using the movement to create a slight distance.
Xue Xing seemed oblivious, maintaining his solicitous posture: "Madam is too kind…" His voice unconsciously softened, his gaze lingering for a moment on Tang Yuehua's delicate collarbone.
Tang Yuehua's gaze shifted slightly, sweeping gently between the uncle and nephew: "I wonder, Your Highness and the Fourth Prince, what brings you here this time…" Her fingertips lightly caressed the rim of the teacup, her voice flowing like a clear spring, "What is the purpose?"
Silence fell upon the hall.
Prince Xue Xing did not answer immediately, but instead slowly and meaningfully shifted his gaze to Xue Beng beside him.
This subtle movement caused Tang Yuehua's eyebrow to raise almost imperceptibly—it seemed that today's main character was this Fourth Prince, who had always had a bad reputation.
Sunlight filtered through the glazed window, reflecting a soft glow on the jade pendant at Xue Beng's waist.
Meeting Tang Yuehua's scrutinizing gaze, he suddenly revealed a composed smile, entirely different from his usual frivolous demeanor.
Xue Beng suddenly rose, his face shedding its usual frivolity.
His right hand on his chest, his left hand behind his back, he bowed at a precise angle—the most standard noble etiquette.
The teacup in Tang Yuehua's hand paused slightly.
This movement was too perfect, so perfect that it reminded her of the unruly youth who, years ago, when studying at Moon Pavilion, couldn't even manage the simplest curtsy.
At that time, she had personally written "beyond redemption" in his evaluation.
Sunlight shimmered on Xue Beng's hair, and his jade pendants clinked crisply.
When he looked up, his eyes held an unfamiliar composure.
"Madam Yuehua." His voice was low and restrained, a stark contrast to the arrogant wastrel she remembered.
The surprise in Tang Yuehua's eyes flashed and was quickly replaced by a proper smile.
But her knuckles unconsciously tightened—this Xue Beng was worlds apart from the boy who used to trip over his own clothes even when bowing.
Xue Beng straightened up, his eyes like torches, looking directly at Tang Yuehua: "Madam Yuehua, does the Clear Sky Sect have any plans to re-emerge in the Spirit Master's world?"
This sentence was like a clap of thunder, echoing in the elegant hall.
The teacup in Tang Yuehua's hand suddenly paused, and a hint of undisguised shock flashed across her delicate face.
She re-examined the reborn Fourth Prince before her and suddenly understood something.
"Clear Sky Sect…" She slowly put down the teacup, the porcelain clinking crisply against the sandalwood, "has been secluded for many years and no longer interferes with worldly affairs."
When she looked up, her eyes had regained their calm, "I'm afraid I will have to disappoint Your Highnesses."
Sunlight filtered through the glazed window, casting fragmented shadows on her downcast eyelashes, concealing the fleeting sharpness in her eyes.
Upon hearing this, Xue Beng's face remained as calm as water.
His fingertips gently rubbed together, his voice low and firm: "Madam Yuehua, although I was once your most unpromising disciple, I understand that the Clear Sky Sect and I are both the same—"
He looked up, his eyes sharp: "Both are biding their time."
Tang Yuehua lightly caressed the teacup, a faint tea aroma wafting up.
She gazed at this reborn prince, her voice like frost: "Your Highness's time may have come…" The teacup in her hand suddenly paused, "But that doesn't mean the Clear Sky Sect's time is also ripe."
Xue Beng gently waved his hand, his gilded cuff tracing an elegant arc in the air: "Madam Yuehua misunderstands."
A self-mocking smile played on his lips, "Xue Beng knows his place; how dare I presume to ask the Clear Sky Sect to emerge from seclusion?"
He leaned forward: "All I ask for is a kind of… support."
Tang Yuehua's delicate willow eyebrows furrowed slightly, and the rhythm of her hand rocking the teacup unconsciously slowed.
She gazed at Xue Beng, as if trying to see through his composed eyes to his true intentions.
"Support…?" she repeated softly, her voice like ice beads falling onto a jade plate, crisp with a hint of chill.
Xue Beng pressed his hands lightly on the table, making a dull thud against the sandalwood: "Precisely, support."
His gaze was like a torch, every word resonating clearly, "Xue Qinghe relies on nothing but the power of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School.
If I can gain Madam's assistance…"
He suddenly lowered his voice, yet each word was forceful: "When the Clear Sky Sect once again stands on the continent, the Heaven Dou Imperial family will repay it with all its might."
His fingertip traced a mark on the tabletop, "At that time, both Tang Sect and Moon Pavilion will receive the Empire's full support."
Tang Yuehua covered her lips with her teacup, a flicker of emotion in her eyes, though her expression remained calm: "Your Highness's words are mistaken.
The Crown Prince is a stable person and has already provided much support to the Tang Sect.
Why should we—"
She paused deliberately, then lightly tapped the teacup on the table: "—abandon a bright pearl for a stubborn stone?"
Xue Beng suddenly chuckled softly, his fingertip lightly tracing the rim of the teacup, creating a faint ripple: "Madam Yuehua truly believes…" He looked up, a hint of sharpness flashing in his eyes, "that Xue Qinghe's ascension to the throne would be a blessing, not a curse, for the Clear Sky Sect?"
He slowly rose, casting a shadow in the sunlight: "The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School has operated in Heaven Dou for decades, its roots deeply intertwined."
His finger lightly tapped the table, "Do you think Ning Fengzhi would be happy to see—"
His voice suddenly deepened: "—the Clear Sky Sect emerge to share the spoils?"
Tang Yuehua's slender hand paused, and the blue smoke from the incense burner twisted for a moment before her eyes.
Xue Beng suddenly leaned forward, placing the untouched teacup on the table: "Sometimes…" The table and the bottom of the cup clinked crisply, "having nothing…"
He straightened up, his silhouette exceptionally sharp against the light: "is instead the most powerful bargaining chip."
Tang Yuehua gazed at her reflection in the tea, her thoughts swirling like a tide.
Indeed, if Xue Qinghe were to inherit the throne, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School's influence in Heaven Dou would surely grow like wild grass.
Although the Clear Sky Sect was strong, as long as it remained on this land, it would never escape the invisible net woven by Ning Fengzhi.
Emerging from seclusion? Easier said than done.
It required not only the right timing and circumstances but also years of covert planning.
And how could the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School sit idly by while the former number one Sect in the world regained its glory?
Even without open conflict, the undercurrents in Heaven Dou City would be enough to exhaust anyone.
But what if… they supported Xue Beng?
A glint flashed in Tang Yuehua's eyes.
Her slender hand unconsciously tapped the table—at that time, even if Ning Fengzhi was utterly unwilling, he would have to share half of his cake.
The art of emperorship valued balance above all else.
An emperor supported to power by the Clear Sky Sect would naturally…
This plan, for the Clear Sky Sect, was undoubtedly an excellent opportunity with only benefits and no harm.
Prince Xue Xing keenly noticed the glint in Tang Yuehua's eyes, and his hands, hidden in his sleeves, unconsciously tightened.
For how many years had he seen a glimmer of hope in this nephew for the first time—Xue Beng's words just now had truly moved the mistress of Moon Pavilion.
Xue Xing and Xue Beng exchanged a subtle glance, both seeing suppressed joy in each other's eyes.
Prince Xue Xing leisurely picked up his teacup, his thumb caressing the gilded pattern on the rim: "Madam Yuehua, this is an opportunity not to be missed…" He took a light sip of the fragrant tea, "If Xue Qinghe gains power, the most we uncle and nephew can hope for is to be idle princes."
The teacup clinked crisply as it was set down: "But for the Clear Sky Sect…" He drew out his words meaningfully, "unless Spirit Hall's army is at your doorstep, Ning Fengzhi will never sit idly by and watch you regain your former glory."
"Today he can support Tang Sect…" Xue Xing's fingertip lightly tapped the table, "tomorrow he can make it impossible for Tang Sect to move an inch."
Tang Yuehua remained silent for a long time.
Suddenly, she looked up and met Xue Beng's gaze: "What kind of support do you need?"
Xue Beng's lips curved slightly, his eyes sparkling: "Naturally, the power of high-level Spirit Masters.
The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School can maintain its position as the world's foremost auxiliary Sect… isn't it precisely because of those two super Douluo?"
Tang Yuehua lightly nodded: "This matter is not something I alone can decide."
She looked out the window, "But I will convey your intentions exactly as they are to the Sect."
"If the Sect Master assents…" Tang Yuehua's voice paused slightly, "Yuehua will naturally comply."
Upon hearing this, Xue Beng immediately performed a standard bow: "Thank you for your assistance, Madam."
As he straightened up, a glint of determination flashed in his eyes, "Then Xue Beng awaits good news."
Seeing this, Xue Xing's face creased into his characteristic smooth smile, and his purple python robe rippled with his exaggerated bow: "Then we shall not disturb you further."
Tang Yuehua elegantly raised her hand, her moon-white wide sleeve slipping down like water, revealing a section of her jade-white wrist: "Allow Yuehua to see Your Highnesses out."
A perfectly appropriate shallow smile played on her lips as she gestured for them to proceed.
The three walked through the velvet-carpeted corridor and arrived at the main entrance of Moon Pavilion.
In the morning light, the aristocratic-patterned gate glowed with a soft halo.
"Madam, please stay." Prince Xue Xing turned before his carriage, his purple python robe gently swaying in the breeze.
Tang Yuehua nodded slightly, standing on the stone steps at the Moon Pavilion entrance.
The sunlight gilded her delicate silhouette, and the embroidery on her skirt swayed gently in the wind.
The carriage gradually moved away, finally disappearing around the street corner.
Tang Yuehua remained standing, the shallow smile in her eyes slowly turning into deep thought.
Her slender fingertips unconsciously caressed the jade pendant at her waist—every word of the information to be sent back to the Sect needed careful consideration.
Meanwhile, at Heaven Dou Royal Academy, by the emerald lake.
Feng Xiao, dressed in a plain white robe, sat on a bluestone.
His slender fingers gently plucked the strings of the Fuxi Zither, and the melodious zither music rippled out with the ripples on the lake.
A gentle breeze brushed past, stirring a few loose strands of his black hair, which gleamed faintly in the sunlight.
Several water birds swam nearby, occasionally emitting clear calls that harmonized with the zither music.
The weeping willows on the bank gently brushed the water, breaking up the reflection of clouds in the pond.
Such peaceful moments were what Feng Xiao cherished most.
He closed his eyes and played the zither, a faint, almost imperceptible smile on his lips, as if he had merged with the tranquility of the world.
There was no unusual movement from the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School, which clearly indicated that Ning Fengzhi had not given up hope.
There was always an unspoken understanding between intelligent people; though far apart, the two seemed to be engaged in a silent dialogue.
They were both waiting, waiting for the opportune moment that would satisfy them both.
It was like the delicate balance between hunter and prey; whoever lost patience first would reveal a flaw.
At noon, the Heaven Dou Royal Academy cafeteria was bustling with noise.
Feng Xiao and Ye Lingling sat at their usual window-side table.
Sunlight filtered through the glazed window, casting dappled shadows on the plates before them.
Ye Lingling was carefully serving food to Feng Xiao, her slender hands gracefully wielding the chopsticks.
"Oh?" Feng Xiao suddenly raised an eyebrow, his gaze landing on Xiao Wu not far away.
Feng Xiao couldn't help but chuckle softly, his fingertip lightly tapping the table: "Why does our Sister Xiao Wu look like a frost-bitten eggplant today?"
His voice held a hint of teasing.
Upon hearing this, Ye Lingling's fair cheeks immediately flushed.
She nervously twisted the napkin in her hand, her voice as soft as a mosquito's buzz: "That day… I merely mentioned casually that raising a rabbit might ease his longing…"
She stole a glance at Xiao Wu not far away, continuing awkwardly: "Who knew Tang San actually…"
"Pfft—" Feng Xiao suddenly burst out laughing, almost dropping his chopsticks.
He scooped up Xiao Wu from the nearby table, held her up, and shook her gently: "Our Sister Xiao Wu…" His eyes were full of mischief, "Is this… out of favor?"
Xiao Wu's ruby-like eyes widened, her three-lobed mouth rapidly wiggled, emitting tiny "cooing" sounds, as if she were verbally abusing Feng Xiao in rabbit language.
Feng Xiao didn't get angry; instead, he laughed, lightly tapping her fluffy forehead with his fingertip: "Falling in love with a human…" His voice suddenly softened, "was always a beautiful mistake."
He looked out the window, his gaze distant, "Actually, accompanying those two forest kings isn't bad, is it?"
Xiao Wu's ears suddenly drooped, and the anger in her red eyes gradually turned into a hint of sadness.
Feng Xiao gently placed her in the center of the dining table and pushed over a freshly served plate of osmanthus cake: "For now…" He flicked Xiao Wu's nose with his finger, "take care of yourself first.
Don't let your Third Brother be fine while you're gone."
Xiao Wu sniffled, her front paws clutching a piece of pastry larger than her face, and she began to gnaw at it with a "crunch, crunch" sound.
Crumbles of pastry clung to her whiskers, twitching with each chew, making Ye Lingling unable to help but laugh.