#540 - farewell
November 1st.
On the eleventh day after returning to Shu Province, and the sixth day after marrying Liang Qin, Wei Changtian was finally about to set off again to do something he probably should have done long ago.
This time, he still didn't bring too many people to Huailing. The only ones traveling with him were Yang Liushi, Du Chang, and Zhang San, who was acting as the coachman.
As for the ten thousand Sky Dog Army soldiers he had transferred back from Yang Province...
Three days ago, the entire army had already re-entered the Shiwan Mountains, and since then, no one knew their movements.
...
“Changtian, you must come back safely.”
“Brother Changtian, I and Father are in Yang Province, so you can rest assured.”
“Yes, Changtian, if there is a need, send me a letter, and I will immediately lead troops to rescue you!”
“呸 呸 呸! Father! What nonsense are you talking about!”
“Ah, this...”
...
The sky is cold, the sun sets, the river maples fall, the leaves go, bid farewell to the wind, and the water flows on its own.
Beside a small river outside Shu Province, several carriages were parked askew, and everyone was seeing Wei Changtian off.
Because Liang Zhen accidentally said the "wrong" thing, Liang Qin looked displeased at this time and immediately retorted a few words.
Liang Zhen didn't dare to argue back, stammering and feeling a little embarrassed for a while, which instead eased the sad atmosphere of parting.
“Hahaha, Qin'er, alright.”
Wei Changtian laughed twice, gently patted the back of Liang Qin's hand, and looked at Little Xu Tongzhi.
Finally, his gaze fell on Lu Jingyao, who seemed to be hesitant to speak behind the crowd.
Without saying anything, he just glanced at the latter and nodded slightly.
“Alright, it's getting late.”
Withdrawing his gaze, he turned and walked to the side of the carriage.
As soon as these words were spoken, the atmosphere, which had been relaxed a lot, suddenly became oppressive again.
“Changtian...”
Little Xu Tongzhi's shoulders shrugged, and she silently turned around.
“Brother Changtian...”
Liang Qin waved her small hand, her eyes filled with tears.
“Husband...”
Lu Jingyao finally uttered two words, but the voice was so soft that probably only she could hear it herself.
The three women's expressions and personalities may have been different, but at this time, their worries and reluctance were the same.
After all, although Wei Changtian didn't say anything, they could guess that what the former was going to do this time must not be simple...
“Changtian, remember that there are still more than a hundred thousand soldiers in Shu Province available at any time!”
Suddenly, Liang Zhen's shout pulled the three women back to reality from their hearts filled with parting emotions.
Because he had just been rebuffed by Liang Qin, Liang Zhen didn't say it so bluntly.
But the meaning was still the same.
Don't be brave when you encounter problems, just say a word, and I will immediately lead the army to support you!
“Haha, Uncle Liang, I know.”
After replying with a smile, Wei Changtian didn't dawdle and turned to get into the car.
Zhang San timely lifted the curtain, and the afterglow of the setting sun shone horizontally.
“Da!”
Stepping on the crossbar at the bottom of the carriage, Wei Changtian's figure suddenly paused.
He didn't turn around, but just turned his head and glanced at Chu Xianping, who was standing not far away.
And the latter was naturally looking at him too.
The expressions of the two men were very calm, and the nodding was also imperceptible.
It's just that they didn't say anything.
Or rather, everything was already understood without words.
“Hula ~”
The heavy curtain fell, also blocking everyone's sight.
As Zhang San raised his whip high and dropped it again, the wheels rumbled and started, and the carriage slowly drove towards the north.
The setting sun pressed down on the mountains, and the light red sunset actually added a bit of unspeakable tragic meaning to this scene.
The wind is bleak, the Yi River is cold, and the hero will never return once he leaves?
Well... it may not be appropriate to use this "Yi River Song" written by Jing Ke to describe Wei Changtian's trip.
Although he was indeed going to assassinate the emperor, it shouldn't reach the point of "never returning."
But as said before, this time, Wei Changtian actually didn't have full confidence.
It was even possible that he really wouldn't be able to come back...
Therefore, even if this wasn't the "Jing Ke Assassinating the King of Qin" with ten deaths and no life, it could at least be regarded as "Knowing that there are tigers in the mountains, yet heading towards the tiger mountains."
If such a heroic act was matched with a few heroic poems, it would undoubtedly be very appropriate.
But through the car window, Wei Changtian, looking at the sunset scenery outside the window, didn't have even half a sentence of "heroic words", but instead hummed a tune that sounded a bit "soft and weak."
“Outside the long pavilion, beside the ancient road”
“The fragrant grass connects to the sky”
“The evening breeze strokes the willow flute, the setting sun beyond the mountains”
...
Listening to this tune that they had never heard before, Yang Liushi and Du Chang looked at each other, their expressions both surprised and complicated.
Perhaps, they would never be able to understand Wei Changtian's mood at this time.
At Xu hour (7-9 PM), south of Shu Province, Fuyan Ward.
On the second floor of a teahouse, a small eunuch in plain clothes stood respectfully beside Ning Yuker, who was also dressed in plain clothes, and said softly:
“Your Majesty, Young Master Wei has already left.”
...
“Yes.”
Ning Yuker nodded lightly, silently looking at the crowded and lively crowd on the street outside the window, and poured herself a cup of wine.
Perhaps Wei Changtian had forgotten this day, this teahouse.
But she would not forget.
On this day last year, under Ning Qingyu's deliberate matchmaking, Wei Changtian had once come here with her to stroll through a temple fair.
The two solved twenty lantern riddles and even got a wooden comb because of it.
That day, she got drunk.
She took advantage of her drunkenness to beg Wei Changtian to write a poem, and the latter...
“After being drunk, I don't know that the sky is in the water, a boat full of clear dreams presses down on the Milky Way”
“A boat full of clear dreams presses down on the Milky Way”
Looking at the swaying boats on the river not far away, and listening to the drunken ramblings of the drunkards on the boats, Ning Yuker repeated this sentence over and over again, only feeling as if everything was still like it was last year.
However, she was no longer the Rou'an Princess who wore a veil all day long, and Wei Changtian was no longer the traitor who had been exiled to Shu Province.
“Pa da...”
Bean-sized tears fell lightly on the window sill, then broke apart and disappeared.
The little eunuch beside her didn't know why Ning Yuker was crying, and didn't dare to ask, so he had to lower his head tremblingly and pretend he didn't see it.
Until an extremely cold voice suddenly sounded in his ear.
“Get out.”
“Ah! Yes, yes, Your Majesty...”
As if pardoned, the little eunuch quickly walked out of the room.
And after he left, Ning Yuker no longer had the dignity of an empress, and tears instantly poured out of her eyes uncontrollably.
She took out a wooden box from her sleeve while crying, and then took out a wooden comb wrapped in layers from the wooden box.
“Young Master, if I can survive, would you be willing to marry me?”
“Let's talk about it after you survive.”
...
This was the conversation between the two a year ago.
At that time, Wei Changtian only regarded it as Ning Yuker's drunken ramblings, so his answer was also very perfunctory.
Little did he know that the latter actually remembered it very clearly.
But even if she remembered, Ning Yuker never asked Wei Changtian for confirmation of the answer to this question again.
Because she was afraid that Wei Changtian would reject her again.
So, it's pretty good like this now.
As long as she can often see Wei Changtian, and can help the latter with something, it's really pretty good...
Wine entered her throat, and a faint fragrance filled her sleeves.
Ning Yuker drank cup after cup by herself. After who knows how long, the current Empress of Shu Kingdom actually got drunk again like this.
The lights on the riverbank were brightly lit, and the water surface was calm, reflecting countless lanterns on the shore.
The sky and water were indistinguishable, merging into one in this vast night.
“The edge of the sky, the corner of the earth”
“Half of my close friends are scattered”
“A pot of turbid wine is all that's left for joy, tonight's farewell dream is cold.”
