Chapter 1281 - 327: The Imperial Princess’s Mysterious Disappearance Shocks Heroes, Candle Shadows in Dian Nan Disturb the Sovereign’s Heart (Part 5)

"Your Majesty, according to the secret archives of the Japanese Imperial Family, Xu Fu once refined a Longevity Immortal Pill on an Immortal Island somewhere in the East Sea." Fuma Xiaoyezi unfolded the map and pointed her slender fingertip at the northeast corner, "This place is perpetually shrouded in mist, causing ordinary ships to lose their way as they approach."

Zhu Yijun’s breath became rapid, and his hands trembled slightly under his dragon robe: "I have heard that the Immortal Pill can grant eternal life. If I can find it..."

He suddenly looked up, a fierce gleam flashed in his eyes, "This matter must be kept secret. Once the Island is found, I must let this world..." His voice abruptly stopped, causing cold sweat to break out on Shi Feiyang’s back.

At that moment, Fuma Xiaoyezi suddenly turned her head and smiled slightly in the direction where Shi Feiyang was hiding.

Shi Feiyang was greatly shocked, immediately activating the "Supreme Forgetting Emotions Ice Soul Cold Prison" of the Bright Jade Technique, forming an ice shield around him.

But she merely bowed her head lightly: "Rest assured, Your Majesty, apart from you and me, there will be no third person to know of this matter."

Zhu Yijun nodded satisfactorily, reaching out to place the map into a secret box: "Tomorrow I will issue a decree to appoint you as Commandery Princess. When you return to Dianzhong, give my regards to Prince Mu."

His voice carried an undeniable authority, "As for that Immortal Island..." He looked out the window at the night sky, "I will make the arrangements."

Immediately, Shi Feiyang’s mind roiled like waves. Xu Fu’s alchemy, the secrets of Japan, the royal ambition... all these intertwined were even more complex than he had imagined. And the true identity of Fuma Xiaoyezi took him completely by surprise.

In the South Study of the Qianqing Palace, the golden beast-headed censer exhaled the mist of Dragon’s Saliva Fragrance, dyeing Zhu Yijun’s bright yellow dragon robe a misty golden red.

His fingertips repeatedly caressed the "Xu Fu’s Eastern Journey Map" on the desk, the candlelight flickering in his eyes, revealing a touch of fanaticism and suspicion: "Mu Qing’s Family, my decision is made. Tomorrow, I shall issue a decree to close the seas, cutting off all exchanges between the Great Ming and overseas countries."

Mu Tong, who was kneeling on the ground, suddenly looked up, the silver belt of her crimson ninja attire making a crisp sound.

Cold sweat dripped down her forehead, but she forced herself to lift her danpowder-stained fingertips: "Please reconsider, Your Majesty! Closing the seas not only cuts off the Maritime Trade Office’s annual tax revenue of millions but also would alienate the Great Ming from neighboring countries!"

Her voice carried the clarity of the southwestern forests, but now it trembled slightly with anxiety, "The spices from Siam, the ivory from Luzon, the pearls from Ryukyu... these products not only fill the national treasury but also sustain the lifeline of the maritime Silk Road!"

Zhu Yijun waved his dragon sleeve, flipping through the "Yongle Encyclopedia" on the desk: "Humph! What use are those trifling and inferior skills to me? Since Emperor Hongwu, there has been the ancestral policy of sea bans. Now that the Japanese pirates are wreaking havoc, only by fortifying our defenses can we ensure the peace of the Great Ming!" His gaze swept over the sandalwood box that Mu Tong held, "The matter of Xu Fu’s Immortal Island should be conducted secretly. If the sea is not banned and news leaks, wouldn’t it make the world mock me as foolishly conceited?"

Mu Tong moved half a step forward on her knees, her forehead hitting the blue bricks with a muffled sound: "Your Majesty! The policy of closing the seas is truly a remedy worse than the disease! In the past, when Zheng He sailed the Western Oceans, wherever his treasure ships arrived, all countries submitted. This was the way of ’proclaiming virtue and embracing the distant.’ If the seas are closed, it is no different from destroying the Great Wall by oneself!"

When she raised her head, her eyes were already bloodshot, "Moreover, speaking of Japan, superficially it appears as pirate harassment, but in truth, it is their Shogun coveting our Great Ming’s wealth. Closing the seas would only drive them to act secretly, breeding even more smugglers!"

Shi Feiyang hid in the shadow of the corridor, the Bright Jade Technique operating to the extreme, his skin like glazed jade blending with the moonlight.

He watched Mu Tong’s frail back, recalling how this woman, using the alias "Fuma Xiaoyezi," had wreaked havoc in the Jianghu, yet now she stood before the emperor, valiantly contesting for the greater good of the nation.

The ninja saber at her waist gleamed coldly under the candlelight, yet never had it appeared more heroic.

Zhu Yijun’s face was as dark as water, his dragon-patterned boots heavily grinding against the floor tiles: "The Mu family has guarded Yunnan for generations, and now even they defy my decree?"

His voice contained the unique pressure of an emperor, "Since you brought back the ’Xu Fu’s Eastern Journey Map,’ you should know my determination for the art of longevity! After closing the seas, all sea vessels shall be burned, leaving only my ’Immortal Boat’ to venture out in search of the elixir!"

"Your Majesty!" Mu Tong suddenly untied the Commandery Princess Jade Token from her waist, raising both hands high above her head, "If the sea closure happens, I am willing to relinquish my position as Commandery Princess, and the Mu family is willing to return the Duke Qian title!" Her voice echoed in the South Study, startling the night owls on the beams to startle away, "Our Great Ming governs with benevolence and virtue. If all relations are severed due to personal desires, how shall future historians critique Your Majesty in their meticulous records?"

Shi Feiyang’s heart was shaken. He had witnessed Mu Tong’s ruthlessness in the Jianghu, yet at this moment, she was willing to oppose her family glory for the sake of the people’s welfare. Moonlight streamed through the window lattices onto her blood-stained fingertips, marks left from fierce battles with heroic opponents, now shining brighter than any jewel.

Zhu Yijun suddenly stood up, his dragon robe sweeping off the bronze paperweight from the desk.

He paced back and forth, the sound of his boots clashing with the blue bricks particularly piercing in the silence.

After a long while, he suddenly sighed, "Enough, enough... how could I not know Mu Qing’s Family’s sincerity?" He reached out to receive the Jade Token, gently placing it back into Mu Tong’s hands, "The matter of closing the seas, let us not speak of it for now. Tomorrow you shall depart for Dianzhong and keep a vigilant watch over the southwestern gateway for me."

Mu Tong prostrated herself on the ground, tears dripping onto the blue bricks: "Thank you, Your Majesty! The Mu family has been blessed for generations, we shall give our all!" When she stood up, her posture was still straight, yet she could not hide the fatigue in her eyes.

Shi Feiyang watched her departing figure, his heart a mix of emotions—this woman called "Fuma Xiaoyezi" in the Jianghu had, in her own way, been protecting the Great Ming Empire all along.

The candlelight in the South Study gradually dimmed, and Shi Feiyang melted into the night.

He gazed at the cold moon over the Forbidden City, pondering silently: It seems the entanglements of the Jianghu and the temple court are far more complex than imagined. And Mu Tong, this extraordinary woman with dual identities, what further waves will she stir in the future?

The night of the Capital City was divided into shades of ink by the palace walls, Shi Feiyang employed Lightweight Technique to glide over the rooftops, his skin like glaze flowing with a warm glow under the moonlight. When he landed on the eaves of Lu Hongye’s "Tingxue Inn," a waft of sandalwood mingled with sweet rouge instantly dispelled the heavy atmosphere of the Forbidden City.

"Husband!" Yang Xue’Er’s crisp voice was like a yelloworiole emerging from the valley, and the carved wooden door opened in response.

She wore a moon-white ruqun, with recently picked crabapple flowers trembling gently in her hair as she ran, the ends of her hair still carrying traces of not-yet-dried rouge, "You finally came back; Sister Hongye worried so much that the tea cooled three times!"

Lu Hongye leaned against the carved doorframe, her water-red gauze robe faintly revealing silver-thread embroidery of twin lotuses.

Her fingers played with a mutton-fat jade bracelet, her eye waves flowing with blame, "Hero Shi is so busy, how could he remember us small women?"

In saying this, she gracefully moved forward, her slender hand reaching for his wrist, "Just earlier you overexerted yourself, your breath seems a bit disordered..."

Shi Feiyang allowed her cool fingertips to touch his pulse gate, suddenly drawing both of them into his embrace with a long arm.

Yang Xue’Er playfully hid in his shoulder, the fragrance of crabapple in her hair wafting to his nostrils; Lu Hongye’s earlobes turned red, yet she did not pull away, only softly remarking, "You should take better care of yourself..."

"With you two here, even a steel man would turn to tenderness," Shi Feiyang lowered his head to leave a kiss on each of their hair, causing Yang Xue’Er to shyly pound his chest, while Lu Hongye turned her face away, her earlobes red enough to bleed.

Suddenly, a thud sounded from downstairs; it was the shop assistant who, shocked by the romantic scene, had overturned the tea tray.

Amidst this commotion, the messenger pigeon in Shi Feiyang’s arms spread its wings and flew in.

As he unfolded the message slip, Lu Hongye had already peeked over his shoulder, frowning slightly at the sight of the words "Mu Tong": "Are you leaving again?" Yang Xue’Er clung to his waist more tightly, her voice tinged with tears, "It’s always like this... no sooner are we reunited than you have to part again..."