This time, He Yan went to Changmao Blacksmith Shop very early. As for the chaos after she left, Chi Wu would probably appease Qing Mei. The first time was unfamiliar, the second time was familiar. Now that she knew the way, her journey would be much smoother.
However, she did not expect that there would be guests at home today.
When Xiao Jue arrived at the He Residence, there was not a single person at home. Qing Mei was not there, Chi Wu was not there, and He Yan was definitely not there. The He Residence's main door was tightly shut. It was already dilapidated and looked like an abandoned old residence that no one lived in.
Xiao Jing and Bai Rongwei had visited once before. After returning home, Bai Rongwei tactfully asked if they should find another residence for the He Family. Xiao Jue refused. Although this was not a difficult matter, with He Yan's temperament, he would probably say something like "I don't deserve a reward for nothing". Emperor Wen Xuan was also an Emperor who did not eat the hardships of the world. He was given the title of Marquis, but he was not given a residence. Even his salary was suspended for a year. However, when he was in the Liang Province Guards, He Yan also received some silver as a reward. This silver should be enough to buy a residence for the time being.
He Yan lived on a street that was surrounded by ordinary people. During the day, they all had to go out to work. It was unlike the previous night when everyone came to watch. There was no one at home. Xiao Jue pondered for a moment and was about to leave. Just as she turned around, she bumped into someone.
This person saw Xiao Jue and was shocked. "Military Governor Xiao, why are you here?"
It was Jiang Jiao.
Jiang Jiao did not wear the robes of the new recruits today. He only wore a bamboo colored brocade robe. Xiao Jue did not immediately recognize him. However, as soon as Jiang Jiao spoke, he secretly scolded himself. He Yan was now Xiao Jue's fiancée. It was natural for Xiao Jue to come to find her. Why was he surprised?
"Military Governor Xiao is here to find Brother He … Miss He, right?" Jiang Jiao wanted to redeem himself a little, but he looked at the tightly shut door behind him. "I just passed by here and asked a fruit vendor. He said that this is the He Family … Why, is there no one in their house today?"
Xiao Jue shook her head and looked at him. "Why are you here?"
"Oh, I'm here to give Miss He a sword." Jiang Jiao scratched his head, "The soldiers in the camp who live in Shuo Jing have one day a month to go home to visit their families. I went home yesterday, so I should return to the camp today. Before I go back, I want to give this sword to Miss He. "
Xiao Jue raised her eyebrows slightly. Jiang Jiao snapped out of his daze. He was afraid that Xiao Jue would misunderstand, so he explained, "It's because Miss He was assassinated in Shuo Jing a few days ago. Everyone in the Liangzhou Guards knows about it. My brothers are worried that something might happen to her. My family runs a martial arts club, so I wrote a letter to my father asking him to find a sword for Miss He. " He weighed the long sword wrapped in cloth in his hand and seemed to be surprised. "It's not a precious sword, but it's light and sharp. Since Miss He has a sword with her, if she goes out in the future, even if she is attacked by blind assassins, she will still have a suitable weapon in her hand."
"Sword?" Xiao Jue frowned. "Why would you want to give her a sword?"
"Ah?" Jiang Jiao didn't expect Xiao Jue to ask such a question. "Miss He's swordsmanship is exquisite. If I want to give her a weapon, of course I should give her a sword. Although her whip and knife skills are good, I think her swordsmanship is better, so I chose this sword. "
Xiao Jue stared into his eyes. "How did you know that He Yan's swordsmanship is exquisite?"
"It was when we were in the Rundu." Jiang Jiao suddenly understood. "Oh right, when Miss He used the sword, the Commander in Chief wasn't in the Rundu yet, so he didn't see it. Wang Ba, I, and the others all saw it. That day, Miss He led us to attack the Uto camp. We all wore devil masks. The mask Miss He wore was different. According to Lord Li, it was exactly the same as the mask General Feihong wore. That day, Miss He wore the mask and pretended to be General Feihong to defeat the Uto. At that time, she used a sword. Although I haven't seen General Feihong use a sword, I feel that Miss He's swordsmanship isn't inferior to his. "
Jiang Jiao finished speaking in one breath and realized that he had said too much. Although he and He Yan were friends and had nothing to do with each other, now that He Yan was Xiao Jue's fiancée, it was better to avoid arousing suspicion. Thus, he coughed lightly. "I came here today to deliver the sword. I didn't expect Miss He to be home alone. Since we met Military Governor Xiao here, why don't Military Governor Xiao give this sword to Miss He?"
He handed the cloth bag in his hand to Xiao Jue. "It's getting late. I have to leave the city and return to the camp. I'll have to trouble Military Governor Xiao with this matter. Thank you." He cupped his hands in salute to Xiao Jue, then carried the cloth bag from home and turned to leave.
Jiang Jiao's figure disappeared at the end of the long street. Xiao Jue lowered his head and looked at the long sword in his hand. The long sword was very light and looked thin and small. He lowered his eyes and seemed to have thought of something. After a while, he turned and left in another direction.
That day, He Yan returned empty-handed.
The old master of Chang Mao Blacksmith Shop told He Yan that Blacksmith Niu had not appeared in the past few days. Even the ten iron sickles that he ordered last month had not been delivered. The old master and Blacksmith Niu had some friendship. Although the iron sickles were important, Blacksmith Niu would not miss the appointment if there was nothing urgent.
He Yan asked the old master if he knew where Blacksmith Niu lived. The old master shook his head and said that Blacksmith Niu lived on a barren mountain. As for the specific location, no one knew. Blacksmith Niu did not like to tell others about his family matters, so it was inconvenient for others to inquire.
The matter was very clear. Blacksmith Niu and Mother Qin had most likely been found by Xu Zhiheng's men before she did.
This was, indeed, a depressing business.
When she returned home, He Sui and He Yunsheng had not returned because she had left early today. For the time being, they did not discover her sneaking out. On the other hand, Qing Mei was sitting on the doorstep waiting for him. When she saw He Yan leading the horse to the door, she immediately stood up happily and said, "Miss, you're finally back!"
"I just went out for a stroll and lost track of time." He Yan continued to brush her off.
"Miss He went out before dawn. May I ask which market he went to?" Chi Wu walked out from behind the door and asked in an unfriendly tone. He and Qing Mei had just arrived home not long ago. To be honest, Chi Wu did not think that going out to look for them would yield any results. If He Yan wanted to hide from them, who would be able to find him? However, whenever he revealed the slightest thought that there was no need to go out to look for them, the young maidservant in front of him would immediately cry. Chi Wu almost suspected that Qing Mei was so persistent in looking for He Yan for an entire day because she wanted to go out for a stroll.
It was a pity that a grown man like him had to be dragged around the streets by a young maidservant for an entire day. Xiao family's secret guards were not few in number in the capital. Who knew what rumors would spread in the Nine Flags Camp tomorrow? What made him feel even more defeated was that not only did He Yan leave by himself, he even took a horse with him. It was right under his nose, yet he did not discover anything. He was even mocked by Qing Mei for his lack of skills.
Who knew how He Yan managed to escape.
However, He Yan was even more defeated than Chi Wu today. He left early and returned late, without any results at all. What made his heart ache even more was the money he spent bribing Fu Wang. It was not easy to find a clue, but now it was all gone. It was truly a loss of both the money and the person.
She mumbled a few perfunctory words and said, "I'm a little tired after strolling around for an entire day. I'm going back to my room to rest." Without waiting for Qing Mei's reply, she went straight into her room.
Qing Mei stood outside the door and blinked her eyes. She said to Chi Wu, "Imperial Bodyguard Chi Wu, don't sleep too soundly today. Pay attention to the sounds coming from Miss's room at night."
Chi Wu, "…"
Now, she did not even call him Young Master Chi Wu and directly called him Imperial Bodyguard Chi Wu. What did she mean by that? Was she telling him not to sleep at night?
Heh, what a joke.
At night, when the lanterns were lit, the sound of drunkards singing could be heard from the distant market.
Shuo Capital finally welcomed the first snow of this winter.
The snowflakes were like salt floss. The wind blew in from outside the city, sending snowflakes flying everywhere. On the pomegranate tree in front of the window, the pomegranates had long been ripe and weighed heavily on the branches. It was as if they would fall off by themselves and fall into the snowy soil with just a light touch.
Green tea was simmering on the stove in the room. The four square windows just happened to reflect the snowy scene. Someone stood in front of the window, looking at the snow outside in a daze.
"Although I have not seen how General Feihong uses a sword, I feel that Miss He's swordsmanship is not inferior to his." Jiang Jiao's words appeared in his ears again. He turned around, walked to the table, and picked up the long sword on the table.
The silk cloth wrapped around the sword had already been pulled open, revealing the complete appearance of the sword. The sword was very narrow, probably to make it easier for a woman to hold. It was completely black, and the scabbard was engraved with fine patterns. It was also very light.
Everyone knew that the two famous generals of Da Wei, General Fengyun's Autumn Drinking Sword and General Feihong's Qinglang Sword, were the sharpest weapons in the world. They could cut through gold like mud. What was more precious than their swords was their swordsmanship. The tip of the sword was sharp and had already reached perfection.
When he was young, he met He Rufei. He Rufei's swordsmanship really could not be considered beautiful. Later on, he secretly taught him, and it was better than before. However, ever since He Rufei joined the army, he had not had the opportunity to see He Rufei use a sword. Therefore, he had only heard of He Rufei's swordsmanship.
There was a thick stack of letters on the table. Xiao Jue casually picked it up and flipped through it a few times. His eyes narrowed slightly.
He Rufei and Xu Wanru were born at the same time on the spring equinox. He Rufei entered the Xian Chang Guan when he was 14 years old. He Rufei joined the Fuyue Army when he was 15 years old. He Rufei's military achievements became more and more prominent. Not long before he returned to the capital to receive his reward, the He Family's Second Miss, "He Yan", also returned to the capital.
He Rufei received his reward and was conferred the title of "General Feihong". It happened almost at the same time as the He Family's Second Miss and Xu Zhiheng's engagement.
The He Family's Second Miss became Xu Wanru. Three months after Xu Wanru married into the Xu Family, Xu Wanru became blind. A year later, she lost her footing and drowned.
Regarding this deceased Xu Wanru, there were pitifully few things that could be found about her life. Other than marrying Xu Zhiheng, she did not do anything noteworthy in the He Family. It was as if she was an inconspicuous speck of dust that few people paid attention to. The only thing in her life that could be tainted with a bit of brilliance was that after returning to the capital, she had a good marriage that everyone was envious of. Unfortunately, this little bit of good fortune seemed to have used up all of her luck. After that, she became blind and died. Like a speck of dust, she returned to nothingness.
Her birth and death, compared to her brother He Rufei, were like tiny pebbles thrown into the ocean, unable to cause the slightest splash. When people heard it, at most, they could only sigh.
A pitiful, lowly woman who no one paid any attention to.
He picked up another letter. This letter was different from Xu Wanru's. It was densely packed with records of all the interesting things that happened to a girl with the same name and surname since she was born.
She was the daughter of He Sui, the military officer of the city gate. Although her mother died when she was young and her family was poor, she was pampered and spoiled by her father's care. She was lively and lively, just like any other young girl who grew up in an ordinary family in the marketplace. She loved rouge, fragrant powder, and beautiful clothes. Her hands were unable to lift her shoulders, and her biggest wish was to marry into a well-off family. If this family also had an official position in their hands and a handsome husband, then she would be thankful to the heavens and earth.
Her dispute with Fan Cheng was known to all of the neighbors. If they wanted to know about a little girl who grew up on the street, they could easily go door to door and ask about her past. It was precisely because of this that the "Lady He" that the neighbors spoke of and the "He Yan" of the Marquis Wu An were like two different people.
Lady He loved to be beautiful and charming, but He Yan only wore men's clothes all day long. Lady He was particular about clothing and residence. He Yan could even squeeze into a large bunk with a dozen or so other men. Lady He had a delicate and weak body. She would pant after taking two steps. He Yan ran on time every day in the Liang Province Guard. She could easily throw a hundred jin stone weight.
It was the same face, but her temperament was completely different.
She knew how to memorize "Wu Zi's Art of War" and knew the drill of military formations like the back of her hand. She could see the weakness of Uto's military strategy at a glance, and she could also face the enemy's long blade without batting an eyelid. It was impossible for such a genius to exist in the world, and it was impossible for such a genius to appear in the Liang Province Guard. However, if this person wasn't a genius, but rather a valiant general who grew up in a treacherous battlefield, then it seemed that all those inexplicable things had a reasonable explanation.
Xiao Jue was silent for a moment. She put all the letters in her hands back into the drawer and turned to leave.
His courtyard was very large, and there were many empty rooms. Xiao Jue walked directly to the innermost room. There were guards at the door. When they saw Xiao Jue walk over, they made way for her.
Xiao Jue walked in.
Inside the room, Mother Qin and Blacksmith Niu were sitting on the edge of the bed, talking about something. When she saw Xiao Jue, Mother Qin was so frightened that she immediately stood up and said, "Sir."
Currently, Xu Zhiheng was searching everywhere for Mother Qin's whereabouts. The two brothers that he had brought back from outside the city were still in that courtyard. It would be troublesome for Mother Qin to stay there, so Xiao Jue ordered people to send them to their own courtyard. Even if Xu Zhiheng had the guts as big as the sky, he wouldn't dare to go to the Xiao family to look for them. There were guards at the door, so Mother Qin couldn't escape.
After Xiao Jue walked in, she didn't say anything. She only looked at Mother Qin.
Mother Qin's body trembled slightly. Up until now, she still didn't know anything about this handsome young man. However, every time she looked into his eyes, she couldn't help but feel a chill run down her spine.
"How did Young Mistress Xu die?" Xiao Jue asked.
Mother Qin was stunned for a moment, then she subconsciously replied, "Concubine Mother He killed her."
"I'm asking, how did she die?"
Only then did Mother Qin return to her senses. She swallowed her saliva and said, "This servant isn't too clear about what happened that day. I only know that Young Mistress's maidservant first gave Young Mistress a cup of tea with something in it. Young Mistress knew martial arts, and her martial arts weren't bad. They were probably … afraid that Young Mistress would escape. After that, Young Mistress couldn't move. Those servants used a stick to beat Young Mistress. They dragged her to the pond and pressed her head into it … "
As if recalling the tragic situation that day, Mother Qin felt a chill run down her spine as she spoke.
Young Mistress Xu died too tragically. She didn't struggle, didn't scream, didn't beg for mercy, and didn't break down like those who were on the verge of death. She only stubbornly resisted fate. She was clearly blind and couldn't see anything, but there was a fire in her eyes. She was determined, tenacious, and worked hard to resist. It was precisely because of this that when the body was pressed into the pool and gradually stopped moving and losing its breath, it was so frightening.
Mother Qin closed her eyes. "Young Mistress drowned. However, she didn't lose her footing and drown. She was pressed into the pond and drowned alive."
Xiao Jue's fingertips trembled.
The past gradually appeared in front of her eyes. On the billowing smoke of the canal, there was a sea of fire. The spring water was still cold. The girl underwater was not as lively as before. Although she could swim, her body gradually stiffened. Her expression was pained. Her long hair spread out in the water like fragile glass. It was as if she would disappear in the next moment.
Those who were burned by fire would avoid it when they saw it. Those who fell off their horses and got injured would never get on their horses again. As for those who died in the cold pond, when they entered the water again in the future, they would never be able to let go of the cold pond water and the despair of not being able to see the sun.
So that's how it was.
Mother Qin didn't know the deeper meaning behind his question. She continued to plead, "Sir, this servant really didn't participate! It was Concubine He who did it. No, it was Sir who ordered people to do it. This servant only stood among those servants. This servant didn't do anything … "
Before she could finish speaking, she saw the young man in front of her push open the door and walk out.
The door was closed behind him. Xiao Jue walked forward a few steps. In the snowy night, the wind was especially cold. It blew away some of the suffocating feeling in the room.
He slowly walked along the long corridor. There was no moon tonight. Under the flickering lights, the past flashed past his eyes like a lantern. Those seemingly familiar scenes finally stabbed into his heart like a sharp sword. Gradually, a sharp pain spread out.
Time and space overlapped. Under the moonlight, a girl in tight clothes pulled a longbow with great effort. She didn't get tired of it. In the wilderness of the Liang Province Guards, she slowly blurred into a familiar figure. The masked youth clumsily swung the longsword in his hand. He fell to the ground with a bloody nose and a swollen face.
He sneered, "There's actually someone who works so hard and can't even withstand a single blow."
The girl was covered in the smell of wine. She angrily asked, "Why would you rather like Lei Hou than me! In terms of appearance, in terms of skill, and in terms of our past relationship, I'm very disappointed! "
In the Xianchang Dojo, the young man who stumbled when reciting "Great Learning" could now recite an entire chapter effortlessly after getting drunk. Yet, he still had to hug his father's waist and ask for his father's praise.
She looked down at the recruits training on the training field. She answered his questions fluently. When she was praised, she giggled and boasted, "Sometimes, I even feel like I was a female general in my last life."
The highest level a liar could achieve was to hide the truth behind a seemingly unintentional lie when telling the truth.
Hua Youxian asked him with a smile, "Is the girl beside you the little girl from back then?"
Was she the little girl from back then?
Was she the little girl who was a complete mess of horse archery and swordsmanship, serious, stubborn, hard-working, and unsociable?
Was she the one who said, "The person holding the sword in her hand should know where the tip of the sword was pointed? Was it pointed at the enemy in front of her or the weak behind her? The little girl who said, "I will never draw my sword against the weak?"
Was she the little girl who was forgotten by her classmates in the field and refused to betray them and tell them the whereabouts of her friends even when she was beaten black and blue?
Was she the fierce but inexplicably pitiful Young Mistress Xu who tried to kill herself a second time after failing to do so after Yuhua Temple and on Snow Lotus Mountain?
At that time, he held an umbrella for her, gave her a candy, and gave her a nonexistent moonlight. However, he did not know that she lived such a miserable life. She was so miserable that she could not even have her real name. On moonless nights, she hid behind a mask and spent many years alone and lowly.
He saved her once, but he could not save her a second time.
At the Water God Festival in Jiyang, He Yan's face was hidden under the legendary liar mask that was said to be punished for lying. He told ten secrets and ten truths.
"I was fated to be with the Governor in my last life."
"I was a female general in my last life!"
So that was it. So that was it.
He raised his head. The sky was dark. Tonight, there was no moon as bright as frost. The wind was as clear as water, and the scenery was endless. Tonight was so cold. He had only lied to her once, but she had lied to him for many years. When the lie was exposed, his heart ached.
Xiao Jue walked very slowly. She walked to the end of the long corridor, in front of the study, and under the pomegranate tree under the flower wall. There seemed to be a girl smiling like a flower, trying to reach out and pick the pomegranate that was still young. Again and again, her back view gradually overlapped with that of a spring day many years ago.
He was on the tree, and she was under the tree. The mask covered the little girl's face firmly, only revealing a pair of bright eyes and a comical posture of her trying her best to pounce on the yellow loquat. The white-robed young man landed lightly on the ground. He looked at the thin and short girl in front of him, and the corners of his mouth curled up slightly.
That day, the spring breeze was warm, the sky was blue, and the water was blue. It was just like the first time they met.
Someone's voice sounded in the sky, in the wilderness, by the spring water. It carried an indescribable sense of loss, and scattered in the night wind with countless fireflies in the depths of the dense forest.
"Sometimes, after being someone's substitute for so long, it's hard to avoid forgetting who you are."
"Governor, you must remember my name."
"My name is …"
The young man's beautiful and clear eyes gradually darkened. He lowered his eyes and looked at the sachet that was tightly held in his hand. He softly said two words.
"He Yan."
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