When Mo Xi opened his eyes, the first thing he saw was a dark green curtain with flowing clouds. The curtain gently fluttered, breaking the hazy sunlight outside.
He was at a loss for a moment. Where was he?
Then he realized that he and Gu Mang had been sucked into the Mirror of Time. This was the past projected by the Divine Mirror of Antiquity.
Although this was not a real time journey, the world in the mirror was no different from the real world. He could talk to the people of the past and change the events of the past … In a sense, he had already returned to the past.
And it was a past that was extremely painful for Gu Mang.
This realization made Mo Xi's heart beat faster. He immediately sat up from the bed, his black jade-like hair flowing over his shoulders. He lifted the curtain — this was his own bed in Xi He's residence. He looked around. The layout of the room was not much different from what it was now. It was just that a few swords were missing from the weapon rack. There was also a painting of Guangling's peach blossoms hanging on the wall.
He walked to the sundial on the windowsill. This sundial was made by the Yue residence. It flowed with golden spiritual energy all year round. With a light touch, it would appear what year it was and what time it was. Mo Xi raised his hand and lightly touched the surface of the sundial. Like ripples spreading out, a line of small seal script appeared on the sundial.
Mo Xi looked at the year shown on the sundial. The organ in his chest was beating more and more violently, and his face was getting paler and paler …
It was indeed this year.
He had returned to this year …
He suddenly closed his eyes. His eyelashes trembled slightly, and his Adam's apple bobbed up and down.
He would never forget this year. Gu Mang was demoted because of the defeat at Feng Ming Mountain. Lu Zhanxing was beheaded, and the remnants of the Tortoise Army were detained.
It was the year when Gu Mang decided to betray them.
And on this day … Mo Xi's pale and slender fingers stroked the spotless sundial and the flowing words on it. The bitterness in his heart was like yellow clouds covering the sun, pressing down on him until he could not breathe.
Today was the day he was ordered to head north and leave the imperial capital.
At that time, Gu Mang was already being persecuted. He spent his days laughing and joking around in the brothel. He tried to dissuade him several times, but to no avail. Thus, he could only wait for time to heal Gu Mang's pain. He had been too naive at that time. He had thought that Gu Mang would pull through like he had in the past. He had thought that there would be such a day.
But he miscalculated.
Gu Mang didn't make it through. When he returned to the capital after completing his mission, Gu Mang had already left Chong Hua. A few months later, news of Gu Mang's betrayal came from the frontlines.
He didn't even notice Gu Mang's disloyalty. He didn't understand Gu Mang's intentions and have a good talk with Gu Mang.
He didn't even have time to say a few words to Gu Mang. He didn't have time to persuade Gu Mang to stay before Gu Mang stepped into hell.
But at this moment, he had returned to this day of this year. He had returned to the time he had returned to countless times in his midnight dreams. He had returned … returned to this moment when he might be able to change his fate.
Even though he knew that the Time Mirror couldn't really change the past, Mo Xi's heart still clenched as if it had been scalded. He didn't even have time to put on his clothes properly before he suddenly pushed the door open and went out. The bright sun from eight years ago suddenly shone on his face, piercing his eyes until they were sore and painful, but he was unwilling to close his eyes. He resisted the urge to cry, greedily looking at every blade of grass, every tree, every stone, every corner of the courtyard.
Suddenly, a soft cry of surprise came from the corner. "Oh," and then a panicked voice said, "Greetings, Master!"
Mo Xi turned his head. There was another strange tumble in his chest.
This year, Li Wei hadn't come to his residence. At this moment, the person who greeted him was a servant girl called Shuang Qiu, who had been taken in by Xi He at that time. This girl was a pitiful child beggar that Mo Xi had seen on the side of the road. Mo Xi couldn't bear to see her being bullied by men with bad intentions, so he took her in. Mo Xi saw that she was clever and quick-witted. He once had the idea of making her the chief housekeeper of Xi He's residence. But soon after, he found out that she was a spy sent by the Murong Lian and had the intention of seducing and murdering him. So he drove her out of the residence.
Shuang Qiu held a basin of water and gently bowed, "Master woke up early today. I'll go and ask someone to prepare tea and snacks for you."
Mo Xi pitied her in the past and had always been very polite to her. But when he looked back at her now, he felt extremely disgusted. So he flicked his sleeve and said, "No need."
"Master, do you have no appetite? I've brewed some refreshing plum wine a few days ago. If you don't mind … "
Mo Xi said coldly, "I said no need."
Shuang Qiu finally felt that Mo Xi's state was a bit strange. She didn't dare to be rash. So she lowered her eyes and bent her knees, bowed, and said softly, "Yes." She paused and said unwillingly, "But I, I … I'm just concerned about you. I hope you don't blame me."
Although Mo Xi was quite annoyed with her, he wasn't a person who would seek revenge for the smallest grievance. He didn't want to bicker with a woman, not to mention that he had more important things to do now.
"Prepare a set of casual clothes for me. I'm going out."
"Master, are you going out of the city?"
Mo Xi paused and said, "To the palace."
According to the records of the Mirror of Time in the ancient remnant scroll, those who entered the Mirror of Time would completely return to their original state. Their body, appearance, and thoughts would all be restored. The reason why he still had memories of the present world was probably because he was forced into the Mirror of Time with Gu Mang. He was just a person who entered the Mirror of Time by mistake.
As for Gu Mang … he was probably completely reversed to his original state. He didn't even know that he came from outside the Mirror of Time, let alone know what happened later.
In other words, if Mo Xi went to the city to look for someone now, he could only find the Senior Brother Gu from back then — the Senior Brother Gu who was at the bottom of his life and was extremely down and out.
What did this mean? It meant that he actually had a chance to talk to Gu Mang on the eve of his betrayal!
Thinking of this, Mo Xi's fingertips trembled slightly. Eight years later, he had traveled through time and was about to meet the Gu Mang from eight years ago.
He could ask Gu Mang a lot of things. He could clearly see Gu Mang's mental state on the eve of his betrayal. He could find out what Gu Mang's mood was at that time. He could know the specific details before the betrayal …
He could even find out what he should have done back then to avoid Gu Mang's betrayal.
Even though this attempt was useless and all the changes would disappear after Jiang Yexue rescued them from the Mirror of Time, Mo Xi at least felt that the questions, difficulties, pain and confusion that had troubled him for eight years could all be explained through this conversation.
But before that, he had to make a trip to Wang City.
"Lord Xi He!"
"Greetings, Lord Xi He!"
Entering the palace, the imperial guards bowed with their heads lowered and arms crossed. The bright red pheasants on their heads rustled and the light from their armor was dazzling under the rising sun. It was a very subtle feeling. Even though Mo Xi's mind was in a mess, he couldn't help but notice some familiar faces.
The soldier at the corner of the corridor became the guardian elder of the school eight years later.
The right general of the imperial guards standing next to the stone beast was later given to Wang Shu Manor by Jun Shang and became the Murong Lian's personal guard.
The young man wearing the seven pearls and red tasseled hood was later killed because of a demon fire in Wang City of Chong Hua. It was Mo Xi who personally put on the heroic ribbon for the person in the coffin.
There were also some soldiers who were later selected by him to be part of the Northern Frontier Army.
These people would be poor or rich in the future, alive or dead. At this time, they didn't know their future and fate. Only Mo Xi walked among these living old friends, as if he was walking through the dreams he had over the years. He looked at these faces one by one, as if he was looking at wandering souls from eight years ago. It was so unreal.
Finally, he came to the throne room.
Jun Shang, who had just ascended to the throne, was leaning on a soft pillow embroidered with dragon patterns. He supported his chin with one hand and closed his eyes to rest. The pearl crown swayed slightly in front of his delicate face, making his expression more and more difficult to distinguish.
Compared to now, Jun Shang from eight years ago seemed thinner and more perverse. It was no wonder. At that time, the previous emperor had passed away and the country was unstable. Both internal and external troubles were very troublesome. Naturally, Jun Shang's expression was much more vicious than later.
"Greetings, Jun Shang."
"Oh, Lord Xi He has come." Jun Shang's eyelids moved and he opened his eyes. His eyes were deep and cold as they locked onto Mo Xi who was standing in front of the hall.
No matter how restrained his gaze was, it still revealed the aura of a tiger and wolf. It hid vigilance, fierceness, and sharpness.
Mo Xi was pierced by this overly cold gaze. He suddenly felt a long-lost familiarity, both anger and pain. In the past, Jun Shang would intentionally or unintentionally reveal this attitude to him. Later, he swore a heavenly tribulation oath that he would never betray Chong Hua or the people on the throne again. Only then did Jun Shang gradually relax his guard against him.
But now, the one standing in front of the hall was Mo Xi who had never swore an oath.
Jun Shang looked at him as if he was looking at a tiger or wolf that had never been shackled. Back then, he was still young and didn't feel it so clearly. But now, looking back, the vigilance in Jun Shang's gaze made him feel cold all over.
"Lord Xi He should be leaving for the northern territory today to teach magic." Jun Shang said slowly, "Coming to the palace to see me at this time, is there something wrong?"
Mo Xi bowed and said, "Yes. There is indeed something. I want to wait a few days before going to the northern territory. "
"Oh?" Jun Shang narrowed his eyes. "Why?"
"Because I'm not feeling well."
With Jun Shang, this fox, no other reason would work. The only reason Jun Shang would find it hard to refuse was that he was not feeling well. In addition, Mo Xi had never lied in the past. If he said one thing or two, he said two. He had no record of claiming to be sick for no reason, so it was more believable.
Sure enough, Jun Shang was slightly startled. After a while, he straightened up and looked at Mo Xi from his high seat while muttering, "Is that so … is it serious? Why don't I choose an excellent medicine practitioner from Shennongtai and go to Lord Xi He's residence to treat Lord Xi He? "
"I'm just tired and have many dreams. I can't sleep day and night." Mo Xi said, "I'll be fine after a period of rest. There's no need to trouble Shennongtai."
"I see." Jun Shang looked at him thoughtfully and asked seemingly carelessly, "Then how long does Lord Xi He need to delay?"
Mo Xi calculated in his heart that Gu Mang's betrayal was seven days after he left the imperial capital. This time, he didn't want the same thing to happen when he wasn't around. So Mo Xi said, "Ten days."
Jun Shang didn't answer immediately. His cold eyes stared silently at Mo Xi's face.
After a long time, he smiled softly and said, "Lord Xi He has been fighting on the battlefield for so many years. How many times did he get injured and go into battle? Why is it that because of insomnia, you're delaying my official business with you for ten days? This time limit is really too long. "
Mo Xi didn't argue with him and only said, "If it weren't for the fact that I'm mentally exhausted, I wouldn't have come to ask Jun Shang to delay it."
"Lord Xi He has been fighting in the east and the west. It's rare for him to want to rest. If I don't agree, I'll be too unkind." Jun Shang fiddled with the string of beads around his wrist and said leisurely, "However, Lord Xi He is an important minister of the Chong Hua. Naturally, there are many important tasks that I want you to complete personally. If I delay your rest for ten days, I'm afraid it won't be easy to arrange the rest. "
He paused and said with a smile, "Three days. What do you think?"
"…"
Three days?
Three days later, Lu Zhanxing will be executed in the east market. Why did it have to be on this day? After Lu Zhanxing's death, Gu Mang's reaction must be very intense. However, Jun Shang wanted him to leave at this time …
Mo Xi asked, "Jun Shang, please give me two more days. Is five days okay?"
"No." Jun Shang smiled faintly, "If it's more, I won't be able to adjust the important matters after."
"Jun Shang …"
Jun Shang had already made up his mind. He interrupted Mo Xi's words, "Lord Xi He, you don't need to say anymore. Since you're not feeling well, you should return to your residence and rest."
He paused for a moment and said meaningfully, "Insomnia should nourish the heart. Some people will make Lord Xi He impatient. Lord Xi He, it's better for Lord Xi He to be less in the near future."
Mo Xi looked at Jun Shang who was sitting on the golden throne. Jun Shang was also looking down at him through the swaying crown.
Mo Xi said softly, "Is Jun Shang talking about Gu Mang?"
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