Homeward Bound

The sky was gray, the snow shrouded the ground in mist, and the withered trees were covered in white. Zhong Yujing was on a deserted road, surrounded only by withered and decaying branches, devoid of any sign of life. Gray snow drifted silently from the sky, like the ashes of burned paper from a sacrifice, so thin it was almost transparent. It drifted from the dark sky, but disappeared just before hitting the ground. The sky was devoid of sunlight, and the ground was covered with a thin layer of cool air. Every step left no footprint. The road was narrow, dark and deep, with no end in sight.

She walked forward tentatively for a while, but no matter how close she got, the road remained unpredictable, thick with gray-black fog. She couldn't see anything, not even a single person. She turned toward the dead trees that lined the road, and finally spotted a figure within the forest. The figure sat on a rock, dressed in dark clothes, with broad shoulders and a tight waist. A gold-encrusted jade crown adorned her hair. Only her back was visible.

It was a figure she was very familiar with.

Zhong Yujing's eyes were slightly sore. She ran over quickly and rushed behind the man. Without a second's delay, she hugged him from behind.

She pressed her cheek against his broad back, feeling both joy and grievance, clinging to him tightly from the brink of death, finally finding him... In that moment, she finally understood why Shangguan Yichen had held her so tightly when they saw her in the cliff cave. She had always believed in fate, but in this moment, she was grateful that she had finally broken free from its shackles and pulled him firmly back into her hands.

His body trembled noticeably. Zhong Yujing felt him slowly turning back, and then heard his surprised voice: "Yujing!"

She didn't let him go, nor did she immediately look up at him. Instead, she kept hugging him tightly and said, "It's me."

She heard his breathing quicken with joy, and then he slowly stood up. She stood up as he did, and then looked up at him.

His face was as pale as paper, as was his lips, but there were no wounds on his body, and his clothes were neat and tidy. She suddenly looked panicked and reached out to touch his hand. It was indeed cold and without any temperature. Her heart, which had just been beating rapidly, sank again.

He probably saw her panic and uneasiness, and smiled and said, "Why are you here?"

She asked anxiously, "Where is this?"

He looked at her with eyes as gentle as the tranquil sea, but his face was as pale as paper, and every time he smiled, he looked desolate. "I know you're not dead, but you came here, so I asked you out of doubt."

Zhong Yujing suddenly realized and asked in shock, "Is this the underworld, the Yellow Springs Road?"

He nodded slightly.

Zhong Yujing couldn't believe it. She grabbed his arms tightly and said, "You are not dead. I have been by your side all the time. Your wounds are healing and your condition is improving. You will definitely get better!"

His eyes were filled with confusion and frustration, and he said slowly, "I've been looking here for a long time, but I can't find a way out."

Zhong Yujing suddenly remembered that there was a folk saying that if a person fell into a coma for a long time but his body was not dead, it was because his soul had lost its way and could not find the way back. Over time, the soul would really perish, and the body would quickly decay, and the person would really die.

"I once saw two officers here, one in black and the other in white. I couldn't see their faces clearly. I approached them to ask for directions, and they said, 'Your karma in the mortal world hasn't yet been resolved, so you can't take this road. That's why you can't see where it ends. Only souls whose time has come can see the road clearly.' I asked them how to get out of here, and they said, 'That depends on your own luck.'" He forced a sad smile, "Yujing, I'm afraid I can't go back."

Zhong Yujing said gravely, "Look ahead!" She pointed to the Yellow Springs Road she had just seen and asked, "Is it as dark and unclear as I saw it?"

He nodded blankly.

Zhong Yujing continued, "Since you know I'm not dead, and you see the same thing I do, you should understand that you're not dead either! Have you forgotten that the heirs of the Zhong family all possess special abilities? I once saw Yaoxian and Yifei in the same way at the Pan of Naihe. If you can lead me out of the cliff cave, I can also lead you back from this underworld."

His eyelashes trembled twice, then quickly drooped again. He said in a calm voice, "Actually, as long as you're alive, it's all good. Even if I can't go back, I have no regrets."

"Don't you care about the Dowager's feelings? You are her only close relative!"

He twitched the corners of his lips again, smiled softly, and said, "My loved ones... now that my great revenge has been taken, if I can never go back, I will be able to reunite with them."

Zhong Yujing said in a deep voice, "Zishu Chenqing, you give up so easily. How can Emperor Huan and Concubine Rou feel at ease in their afterlife? Did Concubine Rou overcome all difficulties to send you out of Qing Kingdom just to avenge her and Emperor Huan? When we parted, she told you to live well, that living was more important than anything else. Have you forgotten?"

He looked at her in astonishment, then nodded slightly and chuckled, "You saw the mark on my body, and you know everything."

Zhong Yujing replied sternly, "I saw the marks on your body when I was dressing your wounds. I also saw how Concubine Rou sent you out of the palace and how... you were murdered." She paused, then continued, "Is this the reason you sent everyone away to save Yi Shi, who was seriously injured and unconscious, leaving you alone to struggle in the tent?"

He nodded and whispered, "Everyone in the Zishu family has this mark on their body, but it only appears when the body temperature drops suddenly. That's why I don't allow anyone to get close to me when I'm seriously injured."

Zhong Yujing pondered for a moment, then smiled and said, "So when Marquis Dingyuan came to Qi, you deliberately clamped his arm in the hall to expose it to the cold so that people would discover the mark on the inside of his arm?"

He sighed and laughed, shook his head slightly, and said, "I can't hide anything from you."

He sighed again, as if reminiscing about the past, "Xingzhi is my cousin. We've been good friends since childhood. For many years, he thought I was dead."

"He knew the Emperor of Feng intended to use him as bait and send him to Qi, so you coordinated your efforts from within and without to counter their plan. You rescued him from the prison and hid him somewhere. You then seized the opportunity to launch your army and defeat the Emperor of Feng, avenging his father's death.

"Now that I think about it, you never lied to me from the beginning. It was just that I was confused and not smart enough to understand the truth early enough."

Zhong Yujing felt a little dejected.

This made him suspicious. After pondering for a moment, he asked, "So now, how does Prime Minister Jing think he will face me, the prince of Qing?"

Yes, now that she knew everything, she knew that she was the Prime Minister of Qi State and he was the Prince of Qing State, so he and she were in opposition to each other.

Zhong Yujing remained calm and said firmly, "In times of great contention, nations are hesitant. The strong prey on the weak, just as animals and animals obey the law. The same is true when nations go to war. If a building is hollow from the inside, corroded by termites, and barely holding on, it will collapse one day, and it will harm even more innocent people underneath. It is better to follow the will of heaven, return to a stronger support, and rebuild a more indestructible building, so that prosperity can last forever. If a powerful country can flatten China, it will surely be powerful. The success or failure of other countries will only benefit the imperial family, not the people of the world. How can those who care about the world abandon the peace of the people for the sake of their own political power?"

She added, "Furthermore, I always remember the prince's promise to me that he would establish a nation without national distinctions, without language differences, and with unified rules, laws, and standards. Back then, I was willing to follow the prince in realizing his grand vision, and I am still willing to do so today."

There are stars in her eyes, shining brightly.

His heart was surging. He stared at her for a long moment before slowly saying, "This has always been my father's ambition, to unify the Central Plains of China and bring peace to the world."

Zhong Yujing took advantage of the situation and tightly grasped his arms, looking at him firmly. "Since you remember Emperor Huan's vision, you must also remember his expectations of you. His virtues, integrity, wisdom, and bravery are all passed down in you. Even from the age of six, in such a harsh environment, you grew up safely and became what you are today. This is the blessing of your father and mother. They hope that you grow up safely, realize your dreams, and one day return to the Qing Kingdom."

He stared into her eyes for a long time, then nodded solemnly, "Xingzhi is also waiting for me to take him home."

Zhong Yujing smiled and said to him, "And I'm waiting for you to come back too."

At this moment, a ray of light suddenly appeared in the sky behind them, as if the sunlight suddenly broke through the clouds in a place where there was no sunlight, and split a crack, allowing the sunlight to shine in. The light formed a long river between the sky and the earth, like the Milky Way falling from the sky.

Zhong Yujing was overjoyed. She took his hand and said, "Look! That's the way out you found! We can finally get out of this underworld. I'll take you home."

Like an ignorant child, he obediently let her lead him and followed her forward.

They walked into the light, and Zhong Yujing felt that his whole body was filled with a strong warm current, with a sense of rebirth from the ashes. He must have felt the same way.

At that moment, she suddenly saw two people standing on the road ahead, beyond the bright light. The man was tall and imposing, wearing a black brocade robe embroidered with dragons and auspicious clouds, and a long, wide-sleeved robe. He stood dignified, his brows etched with dignity, his thick, sword-like brows reaching deep into his temples. He was a perfect match for the man beside her, except this man was much older. Needless to say, Zhong Yujing knew this man was none other than the legendary emperor, Zishu Chenqing's father, Emperor Qinghuan. Only then did she realize that his innate imperial bearing was inherited from his father. The woman standing beside Emperor Huan was gentle and graceful, with an air of transcendental grace. She was the Concubine Rou whom Zhong Yujing had met before. They were gazing at each other with smiles. Zhong Yujing turned to look at Zishu Chenqing. Tears welled in his eyes, yet a smile played on his lips. Zhong Yujing couldn't help but tighten her grip on his hand.

Emperor Huan and Concubine Rou gently waved their hands at them. The light shining on them suddenly flashed, and in the vastness of white, the surroundings returned to silence.