Chen Ping's Sword

The key issue does not lie here.

It lies with King Jinghai Ji Changlie.

Compared to his own sources of information, my father’s would only be stronger, not weaker.

Therefore, he couldn’t possibly be unaware of who Yuwen Hao truly is.

Even so, he still agrees to this engagement.

Isn’t he just pushing me into a pit of fire?

Whether it’s an engagement or not, let’s not talk about it for now.

What Ji Mingyue finds most unbearable is that Father even allied with the Profound Yin Sect, plotting against Seventh Brother, setting a trap to kill him.

Thus, that day, Ji Mingyue single-handedly fought her way out of the barracks, one sword for the bright moon, one sword to sever the past.

To cut off robes and break ties, she cuts the hem and severs familial bonds.

She is no longer sure, when she was young, whether her father ever truly loved her.

True feelings and false pretenses, warmth and coldness, she can no longer distinguish them.

But regardless, there are always blood ties and the gratitude of upbringing.

Although Ji Mingyue is in pain, she swears to have nothing more to do with the Jinghai Prince’s Mansion by even a fraction.

Yet when she saw King Jinghai’s head separated from his body, she couldn’t help but cry like rain.

She and Master Qiuye collected Ji Changlie’s body, buried it in an unnamed mountain ridge, burned three sticks of incense, the deceased are gone, and more grievances, more memories, hold no further meaning.

Ji Mingyue is a very sensible child.

Although her heart was mixed with emotions, feeling indescribable discomfort, she didn’t show it at all.

She merely followed behind Chen Ping, silently dealing with many things.

The main task, of course, is to discern loyalty and betrayal and eliminate traitors.

No force is immune from infiltration or sabotage, and now that Chen Ping’s territory is expanding day by day, and the number of people under his rule is increasing, combined with his policy of employing talent without discrimination, anyone with a skill can find a place in Xingqing Prefecture’s power structure.

In such a situation.

If there were no spies from other forces, no ill-intentioned people, even Chen Ping himself wouldn’t believe it.

Therefore, Ji Mingyue volunteered for this task, and he found no reason to refuse.

In fact, he felt that, among the people he knew, apart from Zhou Huchen, the old fox, there was no one more suited for this position than Ji Mingyue.

Clearly Zhou Huchen was not going to be available at all times by Chen Ping’s side to handle intelligence.

Chen Ping also couldn’t fully trust this elder of the Cui Family from the Thirteen Noble Families.

Of course, as the power initially formed and a great war loomed, he couldn’t possibly keep such a talented general by his side; that would be a great waste.

But Ji Mingyue did not have this issue.

Not only did she have enough ability to protect herself, but she was also meticulous, capable of reading expressions, seeing through everything.

This was very good.

Most importantly, Chen Ping also felt that he needed to find this little girl something very important to do, to keep her from overthinking all day. If she accidentally turned herself into a Lin Daiyu, that wouldn’t be good.

"The affairs of the Celestial Heart Pavilion can proceed slowly, especially the matters regarding external spies; they can be postponed, just focus on training the personnel first."

A trace of concern flashed in Chen Ping’s eyes as he made a point.

While intelligence is important, Ji Mingyue has been putting her whole heart into it lately, selecting personnel, teaching martial arts, clearing scouts, finding and eliminating traitors...

She is using herself as three people.

Sometimes Chen Ping even discovered that this little girl wouldn’t sleep at night, only meditating for a couple of hours when tired, then getting up again to analyze cases.

A few days ago, after escorting Master Qiuye to garrison at Celestial Gate Pass, she immediately made a trip to Ling Mountain Prefecture to hunt a Demoness of the Profound Yin Sect. Just having returned, she ran into the children’s rhyme incident.

Chen Ping could see her dark circles.

"It’s nothing, Seventh Brother."

Ji Mingyue clenched her fists, held them to her chest, made a gesture of strength, and smiled, "I am no longer that powerless Hua Lian’er, I am now a Grandmaster too. Such little things can’t be a problem for this Female Hero."

"The children’s rhyme issue cannot be taken lightly. From its content, the author clearly understands the current situation in Xingqing Prefecture and may have even inquired about your temperament, Seventh Brother.

Of course, at this moment we don’t need to consider who is spreading the rumors, only to understand the purpose behind composing the children’s rhyme."

"Then tell me, what is the purpose of this children’s rhyme that praises me to the heavens?"

Chen Ping was quite satisfied with Ji Mingyue’s sharpness.

If it was another person, they might have thought this children’s rhyme was singing praises to Chen Ping.

On the surface, it does seem so.

The first half goes:

"Look to Xijing, weeping blood souls,

In fire carries the lotus, azure waves rise..."

It might be somewhat obscure, but by connecting the second half and the current chaotic world, it becomes clear that this sentence refers to people weeping in anguish, unable to survive.

Xijing is Yujing, the Great Li Royal Family stands high above, turning the entire world into such a mess? Leaving the common people unable to live... Then, wouldn’t it be better for the Great Li Dynasty to burn the palace and let a lotus grow?

Through metaphor, it actually suggests changing the dynasty.

Who will change the dynasty?

Of course, it is the azure wave.

To quell fire with water, in the cycle of the five virtues, who will the next Saint King be? The Azure Wave Dragon Seal or Xingqing Prefecture?

It nearly points at Chen Ping’s nose, saying, "It’s you, it’s you, it’s definitely you."

Alright, if the first half seems a bit obscure, the latter half is quite straightforward.

"Kill the Hu decree, distribute the land evenly,

Righteousness reaches the heavens and opens up peace."

Who doesn’t know about the righteousness reaching the heavens, that the top of the Hidden Dragon List, Chen Ping, is heroic and gallant?

What a Kill the Hu decree, what a peaceful reign.

Ji Mingyue was evidently aware of this too; her eyes turned slightly cold: "The person spreading the rumors appears to be flattering, but their heart is sinister. To kill the Hu, we and Beizhou are already irreconcilable, there’s nothing to say about it.

This [land distribution], however, is a killer move.

With this song, the noble families, prestigious major sects across the world, will see Seventh Brother as a thorn in the eye, a pierce in the flesh, and wholly incompatible."