A master of metaphysics is farming.

Chapter 168 Something happened

As the sun sets, people gradually gather in front of the palace gates to wait.

It was the same people they met this morning. The Tang family carriage was parked beside them, and Tang Yixue had already run to the palace gate to wait. Xiang He and Xing Ji were waiting by the carriage.

Whether it was the anxiety of waiting or the unease of being here all day, Xiang He felt restless, with a heavy pressure in her chest, making it difficult to concentrate.

She sat in front of the carriage, gazing at the palace gates. Within those towering city walls lay countless palaces, and the Imperial Preceptor, who had been hiding in Longguang Temple all along…

Now, she and the Imperial Advisor are separated only by a city wall.

The setting sun was so heavy that those in front of the palace gate could hardly see anything.

Xiang He looked away and rubbed her temples. Xing Ji and Zhu Nan were watching her closely, but they didn't know what to say.

As the two turned their heads, the sound of horses' hooves approached from behind, accompanied by familiar footsteps. Xing Ji turned around and said, "Miss, Young Master Liu is here."

Xiang He got off the carriage and turned around, forcing a smile but freezing up. "What happened..."

Liu Shixing arrived with a grim face and a letter in his hand: "Enemy troops have invaded the border, and Houde Pass has fallen."

The three of them froze simultaneously. Xiang He's eyes widened as he picked up the letter and examined it closely. Houde Pass had fallen, two cities had been captured in quick succession, and the enemy army had already reached Jiayang Pass...

"How long ago was this letter sent?"

"Eight days ago, we were already working at full speed."

Xiang He suddenly looked up and met Liu Shixing's heavy gaze. The heaviness in her chest intensified. She turned around abruptly and looked towards the palace gate, where He Sui'an's figure was walking in the distance.

"Zhu Nan, unload the horse."

"girl……"

Xing Ji had already started to untie the straps off Da Ma's body, and Zhu Nan didn't dare to lag behind.

When He Sui'an saw Liu Shixing talking to Qi Xin from a distance, his smile vanished. Seeing that Xiang He had already mounted his horse, he quickened his pace.

Sitting on his horse, Xiang He's gaze fell upon the city wall. The orange-yellow setting sun shone on the wall, emitting a golden light. However, a different aura lingered in the air above the city wall.

"Longguang Temple..."

She murmured, and He Sui'an had already dismounted, raising his hand to grasp the reins.

Xiang He looked down at him, the setting sun shining on her, making her eyes glow with starlight and gold.

“Something is amiss; I must go there myself.”

Their eyes met, and He Sui'an's restrained dark eyes were filled with worry. "Zhu Nan will go with you. Shi Xing will arrange for you to travel by water for a while, which will shorten the journey."

A flicker of surprise crossed his eyes, quickly replaced by tenderness, and he gave a thumbs-up, "You'll definitely be back safe and sound."

With their thumbs touching, the two made a pact. He Sui'an grasped her hand firmly and said, "I will catch up with you soon. Remember not to be impulsive."

Her hands were already cold, but when he covered them, the warmth of his palm dispelled the coldness.

Her hands tightened unconsciously, and her bright eyes filled with tenderness. She took out a palm mirror from her cloth bag. "Illusory Flower in the Mirror Water will stay by your side. I'll take the Four Ghosts with me."

The mirror was cold. He Sui'an carefully held it, then withdrew her hand from hers. "Be careful on the road."

Liu Shixing pulled on the reins, and the horse turned around. Xiang He also pulled on the reins, and as it turned around, he took one last look at the city gate and imprinted it in his heart.

"drive!"

The three of them left the palace gate one after the other. Suddenly, a dark shadow flew out of the carriage, cried out, and followed Xiang He, hovering and soaring around her.

The three figures disappeared in no time under the afterglow of the setting sun. In the heavy atmosphere just now, Qi Xin and Tang Yixue did not dare to speak.

He Sui'an stood still, clutching the letter tightly in his hand.

"surface……"

He Sui'an interrupted her, "I need to take a break from my journey. I won't have any free time these days. I need to take good care of my grandfather."

After saying that, he turned and walked away quickly, leaving Tang Yixue calling out anxiously, "Cousin!"

Seeing He Sui'an leaving in a hurry, Qi Xin quickly chased after her, "What happened? Where is Miss Xiang going? Why aren't you with her?"

Seeing his imposing presence, Qi Xin felt even more worried. "Can't I say...?"

"Young Master Qi has gone to summon the young master to the He residence; he has important matters to discuss."

"Row!"

-

As night fell, the three rode their horses to the dock. Liu Shixing pointed to the large ship ahead and said, "Please be careful on your journey, young lady."

Xiang He gripped the reins tightly, leaned close to the horse, and the horse leaped into the air, carrying him and the horse onto the large ship.

The burly men resting on both sides applauded as they watched. In contrast to their jubilation, Liu Shixing stood on the shore with a stern face, bowing his head and instructing the boatman beside him, "Set sail."

"Yes."

The large ship in front of them removed its footboards, and the boatmen immediately began to work. Xiang He and Zhu Nan dismounted, and Black Crow had already landed on Xiang He's shoulder.

The sky had completely darkened, and the moonlight illuminated the shimmering water. Zhu Nan rested one hand on the edge of the boat and asked, "Miss, is there some other hidden story behind what happened at Houde Pass?"

Xiang He's eyes reflected the moon in the water. "There was a letter earlier saying that the border was peaceful, but now, just a few days later, war has broken out. First, I'm worried about the safety of my family, and second, the outbreak of this war is really strange."

She leaned closer to the edge of the boat and looked down, her eyes filled with worry. "March is the busy season for farming, so why would they suddenly launch a large-scale invasion? The strangest thing is that I had already calculated before I set off, and there were no unusual signs on the border. It should have been peaceful and auspicious."

Although there are countless hexagrams and the world is unpredictable, hexagrams do not change easily unless someone does so.

With this doubt in mind, Xiang He felt more and more that things were not simple.

Adding to this the recent events in the capital, and that perplexing imperial advisor…

Where do we disembark?

"It should be at Hongkang Wharf, and then we will have to travel by land."

Xiang He turned around and saw boatmen feeding horses.

"How long will it take for this news to reach the capital?"

Zhu Nan turned around, his eyes also filled with worry, "Because Young Master Liu has someone on the border, he was the first to receive the news; even if the courier were to ride at full speed, it would still take two or three days."

Upon hearing this, Xiang He slowly squatted down, placed the large umbrella across her lap, and sat cross-legged. "When will the results of the palace examination be released?"

"The papers are graded in one day, and the results are announced the next day."

“That’s the day after tomorrow…” Xiang He slowly closed his eyes, “If the news gets back to the capital, how long will it take to send troops?”

"The situation is urgent, and troops should be dispatched within a day."

"Arriving in the capital in two or three days..." she murmured softly, "The day the results are announced... the day the troops are dispatched..."

Suddenly she opened her eyes, “Zhou Ziyue is back from guarding the border, and there’s a high probability he’ll lead troops into battle!”

Zhu Nan, standing to the side, stiffened. "You mean, young lady, that all of this was orchestrated?!"

A cold glint appeared on her brow as she pondered a myriad of thoughts in her mind. "That's the only way to think about it, but I don't know what the purpose is, or whose scheme this is..."

After much deliberation, she came to only one conclusion: the Imperial Advisor.

But why would a national advisor do this? What was his purpose in switching souls? And was the war actually related to him?

Everything seemed to be spiraling out of control.

The more Xiang He thought about it, the dizzier he became. He decisively gave up meditating and leaned against the side of the boat, gazing at the sky.