Untouchable Lovers

Chapter 257: Chapter 234: The Past Has Become a Wound Chapter 257: Chapter 234: The Past Has Become a Wound Guan Canghai was seated not far in front of Chu Yu. It was night, and since no lamps were lit inside the carriage, it was pitch-black. Chu Yu could barely make out the proper and handsome contours of his face and the arc of his lips, which were uplifted in an amiable smile.

If Chu Yu hadn’t seen it for herself, she would have struggled to imagine that this friendly and affable man could possess such terrifying authority.

He appeared to be only in his late twenties, with a slender rather than robust physique. However, having witnessed his capabilities on a few occasions, Chu Yu would never again think him weak or powerless. In fact, from his fingertips to the tips of his hair, he radiated an incomparable strength unlike Amman’s barbaric power–this was pure, essential force.

The reason he could force Empress Dowager Feng to give in without a fight wasn’t that he was particularly eloquent, but rather that every word he uttered was backed by his own presence–his very being was a guarantee of overwhelming power, both in strategy and combat, with a chilling component to it.

Upon hearing Chu Yu’s question, Guan Canghai smiled casually, a smile quite different from the powerful ones he wore at Empress Dowager Feng’s Mansion, “What do you want to know?”

Chu Yu was momentarily at a loss for words. She had too much she wanted to know, and Guan Canghai’s casual invitation only made her unsure of what to ask. Collecting her chaotic thoughts, Chu Yu decided to inquire about what she was most concerned with, “What’s the deal with you three? Start from the beginning, tell it in detail–the more details, the better.”

In the darkness, Chu Yu saw Guan Canghai’s smile seem to blur for a moment, but soon she thought it was her own misperception, as everything returned to normal.

Then, she heard Guan Canghai’s soothing voice, which flowed along the slowly passing time, bringing the old days to the surface, climbing over countless undulating thoughts, and taking her back to a time long past–the time unknown to Chu Yu.

Chu Yu listened quietly, rocking gently with the slight jostling of the carriage, the scent of the carriage’s wood and the medicinal smell from Guan Canghai’s body mingling together and lazily drifting in the dark.

It was a very cliched story. Twenty, or perhaps eighteen or nineteen years ago–it was not clear exactly when–a lonely father and son duo settled in Luoyang City.

Of course, they were no ordinary father and son. Although even the son harbored some doubts about his father’s character, he always admired his father’s talents.

Before long, a stranger came uninvited to the residence of the father and son, bringing two children, a boy and a girl, to be educated by the father. However, the girl was taken away before long, leaving only the boy to grow up alongside the son.

The father imparted all his knowledge to the boy, teaching him even more strictly and attentively than he did his own son. Although the elder son, as a ‘senior brother’, felt some jealousy, he was not the type to brood over it; he would be envious momentarily, then everything would return to normal.

Time passed and the pair of master-students grew up. They were close in age, had the same mentor, and grew up together. They became each other’s closest companions yet also the most vigilant of rivals.

People naturally compare themselves with others. Because the master-brothers shared much of their knowledge, they often competed in various fields, each having countless victories and defeats. This gave rise to a habit: whenever one needed the other to do something, they would first compete, and the loser would agree to do one task within their abilities for the winner–an unspoken agreement that existed even until now.

But the good times didn’t last…

Guan Canghai paused, then continued with a gentle smile, “Actually, the good times were quite long, but whenever I reminisce, I always feel it wasn’t long enough. Later on, that younger student had some disputes with his master and senior student; they parted on bad terms. The junior student went to his destined place to do what he was meant to do, while the senior student and his father left Luoyang and settled in Jiangling. A few years later, the father passed away, leaving the senior student alone under the guise of mourning in a hermit-like existence outside Jiangling City.”

As he spoke, his tone was very tender. Though his eyes were covered with a silk band, Chu Yu believed that if his eyes were sound, the light in them would surely be filled with immense nostalgia and tenderness.

Guan Canghai said indifferently, “Having told you so much, you should be able to guess that the senior student is me and the junior student is Rong Zhi. As for the girl who was brought along with Rong Zhi and left swiftly, she is the Empress Dowager Feng Ting of Northern Wei that you saw today.” He never considered himself a subject of any country, not Southern Song and neither Northern Wei; thus, he spoke of the so-called Empress Dowager without much reverence.

Chu Yu remained silent for a long time before asking, “So the thing you told me before, that you were Rong Zhi’s enemy, was that a lie?”

Guan Canghai gave a slight smile, “Not entirely. Back in the day, Rong Zhi and I had a falling out. He poisoned my eyes, and I have been unable to recover since then. Our bond turned into enmity. However, Feng Ting was almost my junior student. She was in a rush to replace someone and enter the palace and didn’t have time to be taught by my father. Now, taking over my father’s role as her teacher, I assist her–that has nothing to do with Rong Zhi.”

Although she held the prestigious title of Empress Dowager, Feng Ting’s current situation was far from favorable. She had helped the late Emperor’s son ascend the throne, yet there were powerful ministers in the court who were overbearing and despotic. To truly grasp power, she had to eliminate that influential minister first.

Feng Ting left the Emperor in Ping City, the capital of Northern Wei, as a figurehead while she herself traveled thousands of miles south to Luoyang to seek help from Guan Canghai.

Guan Canghai had long decided not to serve anyone, so even though Feng Ting invited him with the dignity of an Empress Dowager, he only took on the role of a mentor, teaching her the real tactics of power and strategies for governing the nation, giving her a chance to protect herself and even to further control power.

This was precisely why Guan Canghai had earlier said, “She could only trust him.”

Guan Canghai’s explanation was detailed, complete, and length, spoken throughout the entire journey, clarifying the relationships among the three people, including the fact that he was originally sent by He Ji to assassinate her but was intercepted by Rong Zhi on the way. Afterward, upon arriving in Luoyang, he changed his mind and settled down next to Chu Garden.

It took Chu Yu a good while to fully digest the information Guan Canghai had provided. By the time she did, the carriage had already arrived and stopped in front of her home.

Guan Canghai smiled again, saying, “Go back, your family is waiting for you. It was they who came looking for me today, and that’s how I learned about your disappearance.” Then he naturally thought of Empress Dowager Feng and went to request someone.

However, Chu Yu hesitated, her lips parting as if she wanted to say something then stopping. After a moment, Guan Canghai, unable to help smiling, said, “You also want to know where Rong Zhi is now, right?”

Chu Yu spoke softly, “You should know, shouldn’t you?” She had to admit, that name still held influence over her, especially after she learned that it was Rong Zhi who had stopped Guan Canghai from killing her.

==============================================================
Second update today.

I spent the whole afternoon checking sources, but I just couldn’t find the exact real name of Empress Dowager Feng. My resources are quite limited; the Book of Wei only states her surname as Feng, and other records also mostly refer to her as “Empress Dowager Feng.” There are a few names on Baidu, but there are several @_@
I’m still unsure which one is correct… There’s a name found online, “Feng You,” which I think doesn’t sound nice… Since I can’t determine which one is real, I’ve simply made one up… If later on, I discover the truth, I’ll slowly change it.+(-V-)+
This woman can be said to be quite legendary. She assisted two generations of Emperors and also once took charge of the court affairs herself. History records her “upon ascending to supreme power, made decisions on important matters,” “her influence and fortune were both significant, impacting both the inside and outside of the court,” and she was described as “intelligent, strategic, patient and able to handle major events, life and death, rewards and punishments, all decided in an instant”… Heh, cool, huh~~
Empress Dowager Feng just happens to be from this era, so I couldn’t resist writing about her, thus I found a way to link her with Rong Zhi~~ By coincidence, her age is also quite fitting, which is truly a remarkable coincidence.

…

Well, since I’ve already rambled so much, I’ll ramble a little more:
Recently, some people have asked me when the story will end, so I might as well talk about the upcoming plans here.

If nothing unexpected happens, it should be finished by November, or at the latest December. The new book is still in the conceptual stage, and I’m not sure when it will take shape, so I currently plan to participate in the PK (face-off) in December. If it is not ready in time, it might be postponed till January, but whether I can catch up depends on my efforts. >_<
The new book is tentatively in the fantasy genre, but I also have ideas for historical and immortal heroes as backups, so I can’t firmly say what genre the new piece will be here.

Um, so anyway, here’s a heads up for everyone. To those who have a monthly subscription until December, I hope you’ll save your PK votes for me o(_)o…