Chapter 137 Goodness

Du Qian's words echoed in the ward, his hoarse voice carrying an anger that seemed to have transcended a thousand years, and an indescribable desolation.

There was no wind in the room, yet his blue robe moved without any breeze, and the ink stains on his robe appeared and disappeared with the fluctuations of his emotions.

Pei Xubai felt a surge of pressure under his sharp gaze, but he showed no sign of letting up. Instead, he took a deep breath, cupped his hands again, and said in a clear, sincere, and firm voice, "I understand your anger, senior. I am well aware of my mistakes. My performance was exaggerated and unrealistic, and I have not captured even a fraction of your spirit. This is our fault."

Pei Xubai raised his head, his gaze meeting Du Qian's scrutinizing eyes with composure, and continued, "Xubai is well aware of his limited knowledge and talent. Playing the role of a sage is not a joke, but rather to promote the customs of the dynasty in which our predecessors lived and to guide people today to explore history."

At this point, Pei Xubai paused, "If our ignorance has caused the true history to be obscured, I am willing to accept your reprimand. I only beg you, senior, to give us a chance to make amends, so that the true history and the true character can be seen by the world."

Lin Yan'an nodded upon hearing this, gently tucked Zhong Wan in, turned to look at Pei Xubai, then at the illusory figure, and said in a deep voice, "Mr. Du, Wanwan exhausted herself painting for you and fell into a coma, all because she understood your obsession and wanted to communicate with you."

"We are also willing to do everything we can to help you fulfill your unfinished wish."

The others who had been watching in disbelief quickly nodded in agreement.

Pei Xingyu couldn't wait to ask, "Yes, Mr. Du, what is your wish?"

Upon hearing this, Du Qian trembled, looked around at the clean and bright room before him, and then at the flickering lights outside the window.

His expression was complex, a mixture of laughter and tears, but in the end it all turned into a heavy sigh.

His eyes held reminiscence, doubt, and joy; even the last vestige of his conviction seemed to waver slightly.

After a long silence, he sighed deeply, his voice low and hoarse: "The Record of Folk Customs is not the work of one person or one book, but the voice of the suffering of the people. Behind the red gates, meat and wine go to waste, while on the streets, the bones of those frozen to death lie..."

“Every word is written in blood and tears, every sentence is a wound.”

He paused slightly, looked around at the crowd, and when he saw Pei Xingyao, looking at her clean and tidy clothes and the fair and plump faces of the crowd, a trace of envy and regret flashed in his eyes.

Du Qian withdrew his gaze and looked at Lin Yan'an and Pei Xubai, asking in a deep voice, "I observe the lavish lifestyles you lead; would you still wish to hear such things?"

"Of course I'd like to!"

Lin Yan'an nodded and said without hesitation, "In this prosperous era, the world is full of wonderful things, but that doesn't illuminate every corner."

"The 'truth' that our predecessors sought is also what we pursue."

"If Mr. Du doesn't mind, I would like to ask you to be my consultant to help me rewrite the script and restore the true historical story."

He paused, looked down at his wife lying on the hospital bed with a pale face, and said in a deep voice, "At the same time, we will also find people who truly study and understand history to help you reconstruct the 'Records of Folk Customs' so that the true history can be seen and passed down, living up to your hard work and perseverance."

Upon hearing this, Du Qian remained silent for a moment, a hint of tears glistening in the corner of his eyes. He turned his head to look at the painting hanging in mid-air, raising his hand to gently brush over the brushstrokes on the paper. The ink marks before him were clean yet hastily written.

Perhaps it was because she was exhausted, but it had a unique charm and a vibrant vitality emanating from within.

Just touching these things with his fingertips seemed to solidify his hands slightly.

Du Qian withdrew his gaze and looked at Zhong Wan, his voice much lower and more subdued.

But his words became firm: "Good."

His voice rose slowly, like an ancient painting unfolding gently, carrying with it a profound sense of history.

He spoke of his ideals, how he used his pen to measure the world and write biographies for the people, rather than just praising emperors and generals.

He recounted his experiences along the way, from his humble origins to his appointment as an official in Chang'an.

He recounted his observations along the way, the prosperity of Chang'an and the desolation of its people.

He spoke of his grief and helplessness upon hearing of the outbreak of the An Lushan Rebellion and the fall of Tongguan.

“I am not afraid of death... I am more afraid that the true history will be forgotten, and that future generations will only see the splendor and prosperity, but not the countless bones beneath.”

Du Qian's voice was agitated, his eyes were helpless and sorrowful, and his figure swayed slightly. In the end, he could only let out a deep sigh that could not be dispelled.

The room was quiet. Du Qian calmed his mind, and the illusory figure gradually calmed down.

His eyes met Pei Xubai's and Lin Yan'an's, and he said in a low but clear voice, "I did not mean to obstruct you, but..."

"What you write and perform must conform to its style and spirit."

"That man was concerned about his country and its people, and his life was full of hardships. His life, his poems and writings, his words and deeds were all stained with blood and tears!"

"You write about his pain, portray his struggles, but you must also uphold his pure and unwavering heart, which he would never regret even if it meant dying a thousand deaths!"

Everyone present felt a jolt in their souls upon hearing this.

Pei Xubai and Lin Yan'an exchanged a glance, then bowed respectfully to him, saying, "Don't worry, senior."

Lin Yan'an then continued, "I will revise the script outline as soon as possible, and I will ask for your guidance on the details of the script later."

"good."

Du Qian nodded in agreement, a hint of relief flashing in his eyes, which had witnessed the passage of time.

He lowered his eyes to look at Zhong Wan lying on the hospital bed and said in a low voice, "This woman used her mind and spirit as a guide to depict my form and soul. It is no easy feat. Thank you."

After he finished speaking, he looked at Lin Yan'an and Pei Xubai and said, "I may stay in the painting for a while and observe what you are doing."

After saying that, his figure instantly turned into a wisp of green smoke and disappeared into the painting.

The instant his figure disappeared, a few flashes of light appeared on the drawing paper.

Then the drawing paper hanging in the room slowly floated towards Zhong Wan's direction.

Seeing this, Lin Yan'an reached out and took it, looking down at the worried eyes in front of him, and said softly, "Mr. Du, don't worry, you should rest well first."

"I look forward to your guidance in the future."

Du Qian didn't speak, but the person on the drawing paper slowly nodded, and the sorrow between his brows seemed to have faded a lot.

Seeing that he had closed his eyes, Lin Yan'an turned around and neatly placed the drawing paper on the bedside table.

In an instant, as his figure disappeared, the temperature in the room rose considerably.

Pei Xingyao was shocked, but also unconsciously breathed a sigh of relief.

She became quite excited, gripping Pei Xingyu's arm tightly with both hands, and asked excitedly, "Brother, did you see that? This is simply unbelievable."

"I saw it. Calm down, this is nothing."

Pei Xingyu looked at Pei Xingyao helplessly and said in a low voice, "Keep your voice down, Aunt and Mr. Du are resting."

"Uh-huh."

Pei Xingyao nodded quickly, her eyes sparkling as she looked at Zhong Wan, then at the drawing paper on the bedside table, and said with great admiration, "Brother, Auntie is so amazing!"

Pei Xingyu nodded and urged her in her ear, "It's getting late, you should go back to sleep early so you'll have the energy to catch up on your homework tomorrow."