Mistakenly Connected to the Jade Flower Branch

Chapter 303 Azure Dragon

After leaving the palace, Nianyao asked Su Wuming to accompany her to Xuanzhi Mountain. The two chatted as they climbed the steps.

Nianyao asked, "Didn't you have a formal name when you were little, so everyone called you Wuming (meaning 'nameless')?"

Su Wuming said, "My father named it: The perfect man has no self, the divine man has no merit, and the sage has no name."

Scholars are just different. Nianyao was dumbfounded: "Why doesn't your brother call himself Wugong or Wuji?"

Su Wuming said, "My brother's biological father is named Qi Feiyang. After my mother married my father, she changed her name to Qi Fei and named my brother Qi Yang."

Nianyao felt a little ashamed: "I'm sorry, I was just chatting casually."

Su Wuming didn't care at all: "The older generation knows these things, and Uncle Xue and the others know them even better than I do."

My mother was extremely strict with my brother. He was learning martial arts under Uncle Xue, and whenever he didn't come in first place, my mother would beat him with a ruler.

My father couldn't offer any advice, because my mother would say, "I can teach my son however I want." That's why Yun Ting always lagged behind him when practicing, for fear of upsetting my mother.

My mother always thought I favored my father, and she was usually quite cold towards me. Actually, my father didn't care much about me either; it was just that I was quite talented and did well in my studies, which is why the emperor and the crown prince took a liking to me.

Uncle Xue was strict with the children, but he had a good relationship with Aunt Xue, and the family atmosphere was quite nice. I loved going to his house to play when I was little. As I grew up, I went less often because I was concerned about my mother's feelings.

Born into a wealthy family, I never lacked food or drink, and was always pampered wherever I went, yet I always felt a sense of regret. Sometimes, walking down the street and seeing ordinary people's homes, I felt quite envious.

Every family has its own troubles, and Su Wuming's family situation was surprisingly complicated. Yet he spoke of it so casually, making Nianyao hesitate whether to continue the conversation.

Su Wuming glanced at Nianyao and smiled to comfort her: "So I understand my brother-in-law. I was quite surprised that he was able to bring my sister back."

Nianyao relaxed a lot: "He's pretty good, it's just that sometimes... he's a bit awkward. Isn't it said that sons side with their mothers and daughters side with their fathers?"

Su Wuming said, "I didn't side with Dad either. Children all hope to ease the tension between their parents and mothers. Sometimes I speak up for Dad and my brother. My mother thinks that I side with Dad and my brother instead of her, but I understand her quite well."

I just said I understood Luo An, now I understand his mother.

"You're not that old, but you're quite mature for your age." Nianyao finally asked, "That time Yunyao wrote you a letter, wanting you to send someone to intercept Yunting, but you didn't receive it. Did your mother take it and not give it to you?"

Su Wuming stood on the steps and looked down. From here, he could see the lush vegetation covering the mountains and the busy farmers in the fields in the distance.

He paused for a moment before saying, "She was originally a palace maid in Dongyang. It is said that when the late emperor left Dongyang, he wanted to take his brother-in-law back to Nanyue."

Uncle Xue was handsome and charming when he was young. He said he would marry her if she brought her brother-in-law out of the palace.

She was young at the time and believed it to be true, so she actually stole her brother-in-law from the palace. Later, the child was left behind, and my mother naturally couldn't go back, so she had to go to Nanyue with Uncle Xue.

As a result, Uncle Xue married Aunt Xue but not her. Heartbroken, she got together with General Qi, and later married my father. Her life was quite bumpy.

Nianyao was stunned. Her usually serious uncle was actually being so glib.

The gossip of the older generation is truly unbelievable, one story after another. First, there was the story of the grandmother eloping with the Prince of Dongyang, and then there was the story of the uncle deceiving the palace maids of Dongyang? The entanglements between Nanyue and Dongyang are really complicated.

Everyone knows that Qi Fei doesn't want to associate with the Xue family. Qi Yang had no choice but to join the Xue family, and he didn't dare tell Qi Fei that he liked Le Xi.

Su Wuming's expression turned solemn and sad: He hadn't asked Qi Fei about Yun Yao's letter, because he really didn't want to argue with her.

Nianyao quickly pulled Su Wuming to Xu Nanqiao's grave: "Wuming, are you familiar with gossip?"

Su Wuming pointed to the Bagua circle made of stones: "Sister, are you saying that this Bagua is incomplete? This was drawn by the late emperor before he passed away, and Your Majesty laid it out personally."

Nianyao said, "Don't you have any questions? For example, that the late emperor drew it wrong?"

Su Wuming shook his head: "In Nan Yue, no one questions the late emperor."

Nianyao circled the Bagua diagram a few times, then broke off a twig, squatted down, and drew a diagram: "Do you recognize this?"

Su Wuming tilted his head slightly: "...About what?"

Nianyao said, "I'm not good at drawing, come over here and take a look."

Su Wuming squatted down next to Nian Yao, took the twig and traced it: "Eastern Azure Dragon?"

"Eastern Azure Dragon?" Nianyao repeated, "That sounds familiar, like I've heard it somewhere before?"

Su Wuming said, "The Seven Mansions of the East are the seven constellations in the eastern sky..."

Nianyao suddenly realized and continued, "...The seven constellations are Horn, Neck, Root, Room, Heart, Tail, and Winnowing Basket. Horn is the dragon's head, Neck is the dragon's neck, Root is the dragon's chest, Room is the dragon's belly, Heart is the dragon's heart, and Winnowing Basket is the dragon's tail."

Nianyao took the branch and ran it back and forth, smoothing out the pattern, then stomped on it a few times: "Let's go back."

Seeing her so cautious, Su Wuming asked, "What's wrong?"

Nianyao said, "I saw this picture in a book. It looks very familiar, but I can't remember what it is. You're amazing. You truly deserve to be called a great talent."

Su Wuming said "oh" and thought to himself: You just said that the prince was not sincere, aren't you just as bad?

Xue Longpan paced back and forth in the courtyard, while Madam Xue sat beside him holding the child. When they saw Nianyao return, the two of them came forward at the same time: "Are you alright?"

Nianyao felt a warmth in her heart and smiled, "I'm fine, how could I be in trouble? Uncle and Aunt, I'm all grown up now, you don't need to worry about me."

Madam Xue's eyes were red: "We have three children. Yunting is gone, and Yunfan and Yunyao are not by our side. We heard that Qiyang is injured. If something else happens to you, we will have no face to meet our ancestors in the afterlife."

Nianyao, there were too many people yesterday, so it wasn't convenient to say many things. Regarding this war, your uncle volunteered to lead the troops in court, but before the Emperor could say anything, the Prince rejected him.

He said that now is the era of young people, and that if your uncle, who is so old, goes to the battlefield, the world will laugh at the fact that Nan Yue has no successors. He suggested sending Yun Fan and Yun Yao instead.

I can accept Yunfan going, but Yunyao is a girl. The prince said that in ancient times there was Hua Mulan who went to war in place of her father, and now the Xue family's daughter is going to war for the country. Women are no less than men..."

Xue Longpan said, "Keep your voice down, you're scaring the child."

Madam Xue patted the child: "Our Xue family has been loyal and virtuous for generations. I don't know what we did to offend him, that he has such a big problem with our family. He now holds absolute power, and all the officials in the court dare not speak out against him."

Looking at the child in Madam Xue's arms, Nianyao suddenly understood why Madam Xue always held the child and was reluctant to let go.

Nianyao said softly, "Don't worry, Aunt, Yunfan and Yunyao will be back soon."

Madam Xue looked surprised and doubtful: "Really? Did the Prince tell you?"

Xue Longpan, being meticulous after all, asked: "What did you talk about when you went to the palace to see the emperor?"