In the spring of the tenth year of Jinghan in the Wu dynasty, in Zhenjiang.
When the sun was setting, it looked like the wind was blowing flower petals across the sky. The weather had not completely warmed up, but people could no longer feel the coldness of winter. The willow trees were sprouting, the poplar flowers were dancing, and the peach trees had turned pink. This spring was gradually entering its best time.
This was a city with a mountain on one side and a river on the other. It was already nightfall, and most of the ships sailing near the pier had already gathered. It was very lively. The cormorants stood on the wooden rafts and watched all this. The fishermen called out, the herdsmen clamored, and the boatmen came and went. Sometimes the cabins of the boats touched the nets, causing chaos and cursing. When the bell of Jinshan Temple rang from afar, the lights in the ancient city behind them were already lit up.
The setting sun dyed the corner of the distant mountains red.
"It was summer when we left. When we came back, it was already the second spring."
At the door of the house with lit lanterns and looking at the spring scene outside, Ning Yi sighed with emotion to Lu Hongti.
The heroine in plain clothes clapped her hands. Not long after, she sat down on the threshold without caring about her image. She tilted her head and watched the pedestrians going back in groups of twos and threes.
Ning Yi smiled and also sat on the threshold for a while. Then he heard Xiaochan shouting inside, "Young Master and Miss are looking for you." Then he got up and went in.
It was February 27th when they arrived in Zhenjiang.
Compared with the leisurely journey to the south, they did not spend much time on the way back. When the city was breached, Su Tan'er was already more than eight months pregnant. Although she was taken care of by Wenren Buer, anything could happen in a newly breached city. Therefore, under the protection of Wenren Buer, Su Tan'er, Xiaochan, and the others went north to Zhenjiang as soon as possible, waiting for the dust to settle. When the matter of the Tyrant's Blade Camp was finally settled, Ning Yi and Lu Hongti rushed over.
Since July of last year, the trip to Hangzhou had been fraught with crisis after crisis, and it had almost never stopped. During the most difficult times, even Ning Yi was a little confused about the fact that he could still return. However, at this moment, the entire matter had finally come to an end. This was especially so after settling the issue of where the Tyrant's Saber Camp would end up. He had finally put down a huge burden in his heart and could finally heave a sigh of relief. Being able to feel the peaceful atmosphere of the streets of Zhenjiang, it really felt like a lifetime had passed.
For Lu Hongti, perhaps it was a different feeling.
The Lüliang Mountain where she used to live was not much better than Hangzhou when it fell into the enemy's hands. There was Liao in the north and Tian Hu in the south. When she arrived in Hangzhou, she saw a group of people who had the same goal as her rise up. No matter how you looked at it, Zhenjiang was not like another world to her. Instead, it was like Jiangning, another world that was difficult to reach.
For Ning Yi, whether it was Zhenjiang, Jiangning, or the original Hangzhou, the degree of prosperity was only tolerable. As for those remote and remote areas, where many people lived on bran, drank porridge, and did not even have clothes to wear, he could understand and imagine it, but it was naturally impossible for him to empathize with them.
The situation in Lüliang Mountain was generally so miserable. The farmers planted the land, but they could not guarantee a year's harvest. Sometimes, the Liao people would invade the border. Occasionally, the villagers could not avoid them in time, and often the land would be turned into barren. After the Liao people left, an unknown official would appear to collect taxes and rent. Those who could leave with a saber would die under the saber after a period of glory. Those who had fallen to the grass would kill their enemies in groups, peel off their skin, and hang them on the flagpole. After Tian Hu's uprising, there were more forces participating in the robbery, but no one seemed to feel more sad. It was just that they were used to it.
Being able to come here and see the stable life of these people, it was really like coming to another world. Even when Hangzhou had been occupied, people could still see the prosperity of the houses and buildings not long ago. All they could think of was nothing more than saying, "What a pity …".
Nowadays, Lüliang Mountain was a little better, at least much better than the stockade, but it was still incomparable to this place. She sat at the door and watched for a while. When Juan 'er came to call her for dinner, she got up and went in.
During those days in Hangzhou, she did makeup every day. Although she had her own methods, it was also very troublesome. Except for some necessary trips out, she just stayed in the courtyard. During this period, she was relatively quiet. Ning Yi would occasionally talk to her about Lüliang Mountain. He would also give her some simple ideas, but he did not make any decisive decisions. During those days, she also watched everything that Ning Yi did, trying to remember them and understand them.
This time, as she came here, she was no longer dressed like a woman in her thirties. Instead, she revealed her original beautiful face, which made Xiaochan, Juan 'er, and the others a little surprised. At this time, Su Tan' er, who already had a big belly, looked normal, but she could not help but look at Ning Yi and then at her.
These people did not think that there was something wrong with me and Ning Yi, did they?
As she thought of this, her mood also made her smile. On the way south last year, she thought about some things with a somewhat complicated mind. These things included the possibility of her persuading Ning Yi to go to Lüliang, and even … the possibility of something happening between them. After all, she was not young anymore. There were many things that she needed to force herself to think about seriously.
She was already used to the customs and customs of the north. On the way here, the atmosphere in the south was too soft, and there were some that were a little more forceful, and they leaned toward the coldness that she did not like. Only this man named Ning Liheng was very strange. He had the elegance and calmness of a scholar, but he did not lose the magnanimity of a strategist. Even when fighting in close combat, he was ruthless to others and himself. Perhaps many outlaws near Lüliang, who were known for their fierceness, would be frightened. If there was such a hypothesis that she would be with such a man. She thought that she would not mind.
Of course, this kind of feeling was just beginning to germinate, but it was washed away by many things. It was not that she rejected it, but … it was not good to think about it anymore.
Everything that happened in the Tyrant's Blade Camp, everything that Ning Yi did, she saw it all, whether it was overt or covert. She saw how others were lost in open schemes, how they were deceived, how they were infected by his instigation, and even how the girl named Liu Watermelon fell in love with him. It made her feel that what this man did was something that she could not do. It was even difficult for her to guess what he was thinking.
Previously, when they met in Jiangning, when Ning Yi wanted to ask her for martial arts advice, there were not too many schemes in it. At that time, he showed his sincere side. Occasionally, he told some stories, and did some messy "experiments" in his little "laboratory." Sometimes she was amazed, but at that time, she could admire him. This was based on the self-awareness that "everyone looked the same."
Now, it was different. She did not dislike what Ning Yi did, but after watching for a long time, she only marveled and even felt that she was looking up to a mountain. Especially the whole plan that he had made for Liu Watermelon, the idea of letting everyone live a better life. She did not know how much of it was a lie, and how much of it was his serious thinking. However, when these things were completely unfolded, the breadth and depth of the man's thinking was beyond her reach. It was not good for her to think about more things.
However … she suddenly felt a little disappointed.
She had heard a similar story from Grandpa Liang.
It was like a Jianghu person meeting a true Confucian scholar. The kind of person who was like a saint for the country and the people was subdued by his ideas. He was even infected by the other party and wanted to do something. However, in the end, the Jianghu person could only return to the wilderness. There was still a difference between the two of them.
She did not think that Ning Yi was a saint, but her emotions were similar.
That night, after dinner, she sat in the courtyard and felt bored. She went to the roof and sat for a while, watching the thousands of lights. Her internal force was exquisite. Intentionally or unintentionally, she heard the conversation between Ning Yi and his wife, Su Tan'er. Su Tan'er would give birth in more than a month. Zhenjiang was not very far from Jiangning, so she wanted to return to Jiangning as soon as possible. After all, there were more familiar doctors and midwives at home, and the environment was better.
Su Tan'er usually ran here and there, so she was in good health. After she was pregnant, she had experienced many things. Recently, except for the occasional movement of the baby in her belly, she did not have too much difficulty. If it was only a day's journey, it was not unbearable. Ning Yi must have nodded and agreed.
After all, it was not good to eavesdrop on other people's privacy. Lu Hongti had heard a few words and wanted to leave, but then the two people talked about her. Su Tan'er said, "This Heroine Lu is a little different from the other Jianghu people I met in Hangzhou."
She stopped on the roof and heard Ning Yi say, "She is not a Jianghu person." This made Lu Hongti a little curious, so she turned and sat down.
"Why? She is very good at martial arts, right? "
"The Jianghu people I met in Hangzhou are related to the level of martial arts, but not much. Their Jianghu is the same as the merchants. They just live. They see what kind of people they meet, what kind of words they say, what kind of etiquette they follow, and what kind of rules they follow. These are all seen and touched by them. If you learn martial arts, it is more likely that you will have to live according to this way. For Miss Lu, martial arts is to survive. It is used to cut trees and cut vegetables. Learning martial arts is to live a life. As for how to live, it is a matter for the future. "
"Husband, if you say so … it seems …"
"Yes?"
"It seems that Miss Lu is a little pitiful …"
Lu Hongti frowned on the roof, but heard Ning Yi say below, "Not pitiful, I think it should be … cute." He thought about it for a while before making this definition softly. Lu Hongti, on the other hand, blinked her eyes while Su Tan 'er was a little surprised. "Hubby, you …"
But Ning Yi's words were a little solemn. "In that kind of harsh environment, she used her own strength to kill her way out of a mountain of corpses and a sea of blood. To be able to survive like this, I think this kind of person is … very powerful … In some ways, I think she is similar to people like Qian Xiwen."
Su Tan 'er probably did not expect that Ning Yi would have such an evaluation. Lu Hongti was also a little absent-minded for a moment. Was she similar to Qian Xiwen … She had heard Ning Yi talk about the old man's story in Hangzhou, and she had also heard his evaluation of the old man. But she did not think that she was similar to the old man. She heard Su Tan'er think for a moment, then said, "In that case, Husband thinks that Miss Lu is … admirable?"
"No." This time, Ning Yi's answer was very straightforward.
"Yes?"
"She is a woman," Ning Yi said.
Su Tan'er hesitated for a moment. "So what?"
"She is a woman," Ning Yi emphasized. Ning Yi emphasized. After a while, perhaps seeing that his wife didn't understand, he said, "She's a woman. How could I admire a woman? Of course, women are cute, right …"
Su Tan'er probably laughed unhappily. Ning Yi's voice slightly lowered. "Aren't you the same? A woman is always thinking about doing men's things, being a housekeeper and doing business. At the beginning of the marriage, you were always thinking about how to accommodate me. I was a little tired watching you. Why bother … I don't intend to admire you, so it's fine as long as I think you are cute."
"Now that the child is about to be born, if I had known earlier … Ha …"
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