(To correct a mistake in the setting, Wanyan Qingjue's father was originally written as Wanyan Sugai. It should be Wanyan Jaya's mother who was conferred the title of King of Wu.)
*****
The evening breeze carried the warmth of a summer night. The lights were bright, and the stars twinkled. The southwest and Deng County were entering a warm night.
Looking down from the mountainside, the lights spread along with the foothills. In the distance, the square at the foot of the mountain was crowded with people. In the theater on one side of the square, a new play called "A Whirlwind of Autumn" was being performed. Huaxia soldiers from Blair County came in groups. Merchants, workers, and farmers from Ji Shan gathered here with their families, waiting to enter the theater. Above the theater, a complicated windmill dragged a huge lantern and slowly rotated.
Although Takeshi initially used storytelling, singing, juggling, and other martial arts to promote the intelligence network, compared to the outside world, the entertainment activities within the Huaxia army were relatively rich. However, the theater in Hedeng was still the most formal of all the entertainment.
The theater was open to everyone within the Huaxia army. The ticket price was not expensive, mainly because of the quota. It was already good enough for each person to get a ticket once or twice a year. In the beginning, the people who lived a poor life treated this event as a big day. They traveled over mountains and rivers to come here, making the square lively every night. Recently, it had not been interrupted because of the tense situation outside. People in the square were laughing and chatting. The soldiers chatted with their companions while paying attention to suspicious situations around them.
The attempted arson that had happened two days ago seemed to have never happened at all.
Perhaps the people who had experienced the baptism of war had found the trick of living in such a situation.
The family area on the mountain seemed much quieter. The lights were gentle, and the occasional sound of footsteps could be heard from the street. In the newly built two-story building, a window on the second floor was open and lit up. From here, one could easily see the scene of the square and the theater in the distance. Although the new play was well-received, the woman who participated in the training and was in charge of this play did not go backstage to check on the audience's reaction. Under the flickering light, a somewhat haggard woman sat on the bed, her head lowered as she sewed a small piece of clothing. As she sewed, her hand was pricked twice.
The sound of footsteps could be heard as someone pushed the door open. The woman looked up and saw a woman with a gentle smile on her face. She was dressed in light black clothes and her hair was tied up behind her head. She looked like a man, but she looked valiant and heroic. "Sister Red Ti." The one who came was Lu Hongti. Although she was highly skilled in martial arts at home, she had the most gentle temperament. She was the kind of person who could be bullied occasionally, so Jin'er was able to get close to her.
"How's your body? I was passing by, so I came to see you. "
"I've been fine for a long time."
"That's good." Hongti sat on the edge of the bed, closed her legs, and looked at the cloth in her hands. "Making clothes?"
"My craftsmanship is terrible." Jin'er blushed and hid the clothes in her arms. Hongti smiled. She roughly knew the meaning of the clothes, so she didn't say anything. Jin'er then took out the clothes again. "The child died without saying a word. I remembered that I didn't make anything for him …"
"En." Hongti was silent for a moment. "Anyway … I just got pregnant, so I don't know anything. Let Liheng conceive another child with you."
"I want a boy."
"Uh …"
Hongti pursed her lips, probably wanting to say that it wasn't a random choice. Jin'er burst into laughter. "Alright, Sister Hongti, I'm not sad anymore."
Hongti showed a helpless expression as if she was teased. Jiner rushed forward and hugged her hand, "Sister Hongti, you look so handsome today. Why don't you have a baby with me?" As she said that, she wanted to put her hand into Hongti's clothes. Her other hand landed on the waist of Hongti's pants. Hongti smiled and shrank her legs to avoid it. After all, Jin'er didn't have much energy recently, so she didn't continue this kind of womanly joke.
"This is a night suit. I'm relieved that you're so energetic." Hongti tidied up her clothes and stood up. "I still have something to do. I have to go out first."
"Be careful, Sister Hongti." Jin'er waved her hand. "If you come back late, I'll seduce your man."
"My man is dealing with something. It will take some time." Hongti smiled and reminded her, "Drink more water." After leaving the room, Jiner looked out of the window. At the place where Hong Ti's figure gradually disappeared, a small group of people came out from the shadows and left with Hong Ti. The highly skilled Zheng Qiming and the others were among them. Jiner gently waved her hand at the window, watching their silhouettes disappear into the distance.
Occasionally, when everyone had something to do, the warm-hearted Xiaoning was taken to the office by Ning Yi to serve tea after taking care of her mother for a few days. Yunzhu stayed in the library to organize the ancient books that had started to come back. Tan'Er was still in charge of some internal affairs of the Huaxia Army. Even Xiaochan was quite busy recently. Of course, the main reason was that Jin'er also needed to rest and recuperate during this period, so not many people came to disturb her today. The night passed quietly. When Ning Shuang was almost done, a small quarrel came in from outside.
The night passed quietly. When Xiao Yi was almost done, a small quarrel came in from outside. Then Ning Shuang and Ning Shuang pushed the door open and came in. The four-year-old sisters always played together because they were about the same age. At this time, because of a small quarrel, they came to Jiner to reason things out. Usually, Jiner was lively and lively, just like the elder sister of the younger generation. She had always been loved by the little girls. Jiner couldn't help but mediate between the two. After the atmosphere was harmonious, she let the female soldiers who took care of the two children take them away to rest.
The night was getting late. In the square below, the performance for the day had already come to an end. People were coming out of the theater one after another. Jin Er picked up a set of clothes and wrapped them in a small bundle. She then walked out of the door. The middle-aged woman who was guarding outside stood up. Jin Er smiled at her and said, "I want to go to the back of the mountain. Sister Qing, please follow me."
"Yes." The female soldier named Li Qing nodded and picked up the miaodao, gun, and other things she carried with her. This was a Miao woman from Miaojiang. Originally, she had followed the Tyrant's Saber Camp and was a master who had been taught by Liu Dabiao. If assassins really came, a few Jianghu people would definitely not be able to take advantage of her. Even a grandmaster like Red Ti would have to spend a lot of effort to take her down.
As they walked through the streets of the family area, there were not many people on the street since the people who had watched the play had not returned yet. Occasionally, a few young people walked on the street, and they also carried weapons with them. They greeted Jin'er, and Jin'er smiled and waved at them.
"Aunt Jin'er, you have to be careful and don't go far. There are bad guys recently."
"I know."
"Don't worry. Even if bad guys come, we won't let them cause trouble!"
"It's all thanks to you guys."
"Oh, Aunt Jin'er has Aunt Li Qing with her. She doesn't need you guys …"
They walked on in such an atmosphere. Not long after, they passed the family area and went to the back of the mountain. The back of He Deng's mountain was not big. It was connected to the Cemetery of Martyrs, and the patrols on the periphery were actually quite strict. There was a military camp further away, so there was not too much worry about enemies infiltrating. But compared to before, it was much quieter. Jin'er walked through the small forest and came to the pond in the forest. She put her bag there, and the moonlight shone down quietly.
Li Qing had already disappeared from sight. Jin'er sat on the grass in the forest with her back against a big tree. In fact, she did not know why she had come here. She sat like this for a while, then got up and dug a hole. She took out the small clothes from the bag and gently placed them in the hole, burying them.
Then she sat for a long time. "You … when you get there, you have to live a good life."
Tears reflected the soft moonlight and fell down her fair cheeks.
This child did not even have a name.
After that, Jin'er thought about the child. She didn't know how long she had thought about this and that. Footsteps came from the forest. Jin'er turned her head and looked. Ning Yi's figure passed through the forest and walked to her side for a moment. Then he also sat down.
"Amitabha." He put his palms together and shook them twice toward the small cenotaph.
Jin'er wiped the corner of her eyes and smiled. "Why are you here?"
"I have to take a break from my busy life." Ning Yi reached out and touched her hair. "The child is gone. It's less than a month. He is not even the size of your fingernail. He can't remember things, and he won't feel pain."
"I know." Jin'er nodded. After a moment of silence, she said, "I think of my sister, my brother, my father and mother."
"Hmm …" Ning Yi knew about Jin'er's past. Her family was poor. When she was five years old, Jin'er's parents sold her to a brothel. Later, when Jin'er went back, her parents and brother were dead. Her sister married a rich man as a concubine. Jin'er left behind an ingot and never went back. Apart from mentioning these things to Ning Yi once or twice, she never talked about them again. "My parents and brother died so early.
I hate them and don't want to miss them anymore, but just now … "She rubbed her eyes." Just now … I thought of the dead baby, and I suddenly thought of them. Husband, you say, they are so pitiful. They lived that kind of life and even sold their daughter, but no one sympathized with them. My brother was so young, but he died of illness. Tell me, why didn't he wait for me to bring the ingot back to save him? I hate my parents for selling me, and I don't want him, but my brother is very sensible. He never cried or made a fuss since he was young … Uhhhh, and my sister, you say, how is she now? In the chaos of war, she is stupid, is she already dead?
They … they are so pitiful … "She hugged Ning Yi's neck, opened her mouth, and cried like a child. Ning Yi thought she was sad about the miscarriage of the child, but he didn't expect her to think of her family because of the child. At this moment, hearing his wife's words, his eyes became slightly moist. He hugged her for a while, and said in a low voice," I'll get people to help you find your sister, I'll get people to help you find your sister … "Her parents and brother, after all, had died long ago. Perhaps, like the miscarriage of the child, they had gone to another world to live.
The moon was bright, and the stars were sparse. Jin 'er hugged her husband, and by the small lake, she cried for a long time.
Under the same night sky, black figures walked and stopped in the shadows of the mountain like ghosts. At the foot of the cliff in front, there was also a small group of travelers hidden in the darkness. This group of people all held weapons, and their faces were fierce. Some wore gold earrings, and their hair was draped over their heads. Some had tattoos on their faces, and their weapons were strange. There were also people who had tamed Dongqing, and ordinary wolves were mixed among them. These people didn't light a bonfire at night, obviously to hide their tracks.
At a certain moment, the wolves started barking!
Sabers flashed, and blood splattered along with severed arms. This group of people pounced in the darkness. Behind them, Lu Hongti's figure broke through, and the message of death suddenly opened up a path. The Wolfhound charged forward like a lion cub. Weapons and shadows clashed chaotically with each other ….
Bianliang.
Xue Guangcheng, covered in blood, was carried out of the prison cell. He sat down on a chair in the middle of the room, and spat out a mouthful of blood.
He looked ahead, and finally, he saw the leader of the Jurchen people.
"General Ali, you're becoming more and more like a woman. Have you ever seen someone who knows it's a dead end, but still wants to come? Is there anyone who is afraid of death?"
The Jurchen General Ali was in his sixties, and was famous for his bravery.
"You Han envoys think that you're good with words, but there are too many who beg for mercy after being punished."
"Have you ever seen such a person in the Huaxia army?"
Ali looked at him with a gaze as sharp as a steel knife. Xue Guangcheng spat out another mouthful of blood, and with his hands on his knees, he sat up straight. "Since I'm here, I've already disregarded life and death. However, there's one thing I'm sure of. If I don't go back, Wanyan Qingjue will be buried with me. This is a promise Mister Ning once gave me."
"Wanyan Qingjue alone in exchange for the lives of all the people in Bianliang, and you. Aren't you thinking too highly of yourself? "
"Because the people in Bianliang aren't important. When you and I face off, we'll do anything. It's also an honorable thing to do. Capture Liu Yu, and you'll lose to me. " Xue Guangcheng pointed at him. "Killing the people of Bianliang is a way for you losers to vent your anger. The Chinese army is saving people out of morality, and it's also giving you a way out. General Ali, you're old friends with the Wu Kingdom's King, Wanyan Qingmu. Saving his son will be beneficial to you. "
"Don't speak as if the people of Bianliang aren't important to you at all." Ali laughed. "If that's the case, you wouldn't have come today. You Black Flags instigated a rebellion, and in the end, you abandoned them and left. These deceived people all hate you! "
"The Chinese army killed the king and rebelled. If we want morality, we can leave a good reputation. Even if we don't want morality, it's still the act of a man. General Ali, you're right. Capturing Liu Yu was my decision, and it left a bad reputation. I'm risking my life to do the best thing I can. You Jurchens went south to conquer the Central Plains, not to destroy it. Today, you can also go on a killing spree in Bianliang like a woman. Kill me to vent your anger, and then spread the cruelty of the Jurchens even more widely. "
"Or," Xue Guangcheng stared at Ali aggressively, "— or, one day in the future, I'll let you know what it means to beat you fair and square on the battlefield! Of course, you're already old, and I won't win fair and square. But sooner or later, the Chinese army will reclaim the Han Kingdom, invade the Jin Kingdom, and beat all your descendants to the ground — "
"You're courting death —" Ali flipped the table in front of him with one hand and strode over.
"I'll let you know what it means to truly be invincible —"
The figure moved forward, the steel saber slashing down. Angry roars and voices intersected. Facing the figure who had killed his way out of the mountains of corpses and seas of blood, Xue Guangcheng stood up with his head held high against the steel saber. With a loud bang, the steel saber landed on his shoulder. He had already been tortured, and his body tilted slightly, but he still stood upright.
The blade that was about to land on his neck turned into a blade at the last moment. With a loud bang, the blade stopped on his neck.
Xue Guangcheng took another step forward and stared into Ali's eyes. It was as if his blood was boiling. The atmosphere was tense, and the two tall figures faced each other in the room.
*****
It was already afternoon when Wanyan Qingjue entered the study under the guidance of the soldiers. Ning Yi stood in front of the window, looking at the sunlight outside with his hands behind his back.
"Little Prince, there's no need to stand on ceremony. Take a seat," Ning Yi said casually without turning around. No one knew what he was thinking. Wanyan Qingjue naturally did not sit down. He had been captured in the southwest for nearly a year, and the Chinese army did not mistreat him. Other than letting him do manual labor from time to time to earn a living, Wanyan Qingjue's life was many times better than that of ordinary prisoners.
However, after a long period of labor, he naturally lost the drive he had as a young prince — of course, even if he had, after seeing Ning Yi's domineering display, he would not dare to show it in front of Ning Yi.
"It's unfortunate to be born in this era." Ning Yi was silent for a long time, then tilted his head and said, "How good it would be if I were born in a peaceful era … Of course, Little Prince, you might not think so …"
Wanyan Qingjue looked warily at the man in front of him who had revealed a trace of weakness. Based on past experience, this kind of person in power would probably want to kill.
"I wonder … why Mister Ning is sighing like this."
"My wife lost a child." Ning Yi turned around.
Wanyan Qingjue had also heard of this matter and was stunned for a moment. "Wives are like clothes. Mister Ning wouldn't say that you are sighing because of this, would you?"
"A heartless man is not necessarily a true hero. You might not understand how a pitiful son is not a husband." Ning Yi looked at him and smiled warmly, then said, "I called you here today to tell you that you might have a chance to leave, Little Prince.
Or rather … I hope that you can leave this place safely … "
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