Looking at the Sword by Lamplight (Part 9)

The wind's lingering rhythm lingered, and the magnolias lingered, refusing to leave. Meng Shi, with his hair and makeup done, was a delicate, alluring spring. His dark hair fluttered slightly, swirling with tiny magnolia petals. He reached out and brushed the petals off his shoulder, his voice perplexed, "I've seen spring. I don't need your gift."

The joy that filled Bian Hongqiu's heart was blocked behind her lips and tongue before it could burst out.

His expression froze, and he was unusually at a loss for words.

At this moment, he suddenly thought of Qi Ziyu, who was also a nuisance.

However, General Qi's style of spoiling the fun is different from Meng Shizhuang's. If it were General Qi, he would probably "roar" "Thank you, Your Highness" in a voice as loud as a golden bell and with righteousness, and might even roar people deaf with excitement.

Bian Hongqiu's mind drifted off for a moment. He lowered his eyes, and Meng Shizhuang, who was busy letting the flowers fall into the dust, happened to look up. The fierce wind had died down, and the gentle breeze of spring flowed into the courtyard again. The afternoon light was bright and gentle. Bian Hongqiu saw Meng Shizhuang's face more clearly than he had that night.

He would never forget what Meng Shizhuang looked like in the past; he had described it countless times.

He felt that back then, the young man always had a frown on his face, his brows drooping, his eyes and brows filled with an unconcealable anger and death. But because of those eyes that never extinguished the spark of fire, he looked very strong. But now, all the resentment in his face has dissipated, and even the death has turned into a pool of stagnant water, quietly showing through every inch of his face.

But his eyes are still bright.

Bian Hongqiu couldn't help but curl up the corners of his mouth.

How could he have thought that Ah was going to sink silently like this? A man who could stand tall and proud would not give up on himself. He just needed a little time.

Bian Hongqiu's heart was once again filled with emotions far beyond the simple word "admiration." The belatedly falling petals swayed against the armor of his arms. The strong wind seemed to have never blown. He thought: Ah Shi is right. Spring doesn't belong to him alone. Why would he say he's "giving me a little spring"? He's so self-righteous.

Thinking about it, he felt that it was inappropriate for him to compare Qi Ziyu's hammer.

With the patrol officer imprisoned, General Qi began to display his unparalleled singing voice every day. It was Qi Ziyu's voice that kept stirring in his mind, causing him to have wild thoughts and want Shao Zheng to send him out to do something.

Meng Shizhuang wanted to leave here as soon as possible.

The way Bian Hongqiu looked at him was indescribably strange, as if she was looking at her admired lover.

He coughed lightly and said, "Your Highness Prince Liang, I need to rest now. Please go back."

Bian Hongqiu nodded, removed the armor from both arms, and stepped forward to help, but Meng Shizhuang brushed his hand away. He said bluntly, "I can do it myself. Your Highness," he paused, probably because he didn't usually offer compliments, so he didn't have much knowledge on the subject. "Your body is precious, so there's no need for this. I'll take my leave in a few days."

Bian Hongqiu's affection was almost unspoken. He finally realized that his gaze was too explicit, so he immediately looked away and tried his best to control the ups and downs of his voice: "Ah, Huangquezhou has been recovered. You have worked very hard over the years. Do you still want to continue running Renjitang here?"

His question stumped Meng Shizhuang.

Huangquezhou had been recaptured, and they no longer had any excuse to ask for money from the Liang Palace to show their kindness. Bian Hongqiu's words were meant to save his reputation, but in reality, he had no idea how to run a business. In any case, he had been living beyond his means for the past few years and hadn't earned a penny.

Meng Shizhuang was no longer the naive young man who believed he could traverse the world with a single sword, transcending all hardships. Since Liu Lang had called him "brother," and he had promised to accompany Liu Lang to the capital to support his studies, he was determined to keep his word. But he also knew his own limitations. Even if he returned to his old job in the capital and became a stingy person, he needed the capital.

He pondered for a moment and decided to ignore the look Bian Hongqiu had just given him.

"Is there anything else you can ask of me, Your Highness?"

Bian Hongqiu felt a little relieved and smiled flawlessly: "A lot, but you have to recover from your injuries."

He pretended to be thoughtful. "Mr. Zhou said you need to rest, but lying down all the time isn't good either. Liu Lang has already gone back to his study to study. Would you like to go with him?"

Meng Shizhuang couldn't concentrate on reading, and she didn't want to go to the study to disturb Liu Lang's reading. She simply shook her head and said, "I'll just take a walk in the courtyard."

He couldn't think straight at two things at once. While he was talking to Bian Hongqiu, she led him inside. After they sat down on the couch, Bian Hongqiu pulled out a stick of incense from under the desk and placed it in the incense burner. Wisps of green smoke drifted out. Meng Shizhuang had been out for some exercise and was already exhausted. She couldn't hold on any longer and wanted to collapse onto the pillow.

Bian Hongqiu was wearing armor weighing dozens of pounds, but he walked over lightly and supported Meng Shizhuang.

Meng Shizhuang still didn't want him to hold him, and he tried to break free, holding his eyes open. Bian Hongqiu held his waist, his mouth opening and closing. Meng Shizhuang didn't hear a single word, and everything he heard gradually blurred and dimmed. Then, the tightly erected hair on the back of his head suddenly relaxed, and Bian Hongqiu's five fingers, the perfect temperature, pressed against the acupoints on the back of his head.

His consciousness sank again, and the last impression he had was that Bian Hongqiu used one hand to pick a flower from the crabapple branch and seemed to have put it in his hair.

Meng Shizhuang's natural alertness reminded him that His Royal Highness Prince Liang was a big trouble.

Alertness could not overcome the effect of the calming incense. The thought flashed through her mind quickly, and Meng Shizhuang forgot everything when she woke up.

After that day, Bian Hongqiu deliberately reduced his visits, tying Qi Ziyu to his back and making several trips daily across Huangque Island. Meng Shizhuang was gradually recovering, and even if he wanted to sneak in after someone fell asleep and hide on the roof, he couldn't. Given Meng Shizhuang's vigilance, he'd be knocked down instantly by Meng Shizhuang's Mulan Sword if he stepped on the beam.

He made no progress on Meng Shizhuang's side, and was full of energy that had nowhere to go, so he used all kinds of methods to train his subordinates.

Qi Ziyu became so haggard that he turned into Bai Wuchang.

The most important thing is that he can no longer sing. King Liang himself said: "When General Qi sings, even bluebirds descend to earth. However, my savior back home bursts into tears upon hearing him. This is not conducive to his recovery. I have no choice but to ask General Qi to be patient for the time being."

The kind-hearted General Qi readily agreed, and then asked why his savior was crying after hearing it.

Bian Hongqiu lied calmly, "All you sing are love songs full of lingering love and hate. Even the bluebird flew over to explore the way, let alone someone who is in a bitter and fruitless love?"

The men below didn't want to hear Qi Ziyu's voice. They all burst into compliments, shouting out things like "The blue bird is so diligent in visiting," which made General Qi blush. They all shook their heads privately. General Qi had a rough love life. At the age of thirty, Song Jingyan, Mr. Liu, and Bian Hongqiu had all personally acted as matchmakers for him, but each one had failed.

Of course, in addition to General Qi's wooden head and wooden words, it is also related to the awkward position of Prince Liang's Mansion.

But this group of people are used to hanging out together. It is one thing to comfort General Qi when he is drunk and sad, but it is another thing to sing loudly and disturb people's sleep.

Qi Ziyu reined in his horse and stopped behind Bian Hongqiu, his spirit half drained. Seeing Bian Hongqiu about to return home, he immediately called out to him, scratching his head as he thought about how Bian Hongqiu addressed his savior: "Your Highness, is the beauty in your mansion healed? When can I sing again?"

Bian Hongqiu looked at Qi Ziyu's listless face and did not feel guilty at all.

"The beauty is seriously injured. General Qi is wronged."

Qi Ziyu lowered his eyebrows and shook his head, "Your Highness's benefactor is my benefactor. I will take my leave."

Bian Hongqiu waved his hand gracefully, and when he turned around, Song Jingyan was standing at the gate of the mansion, looking at him quietly without saying a word.

Bian Hongqiu felt a little uneasy, but he kept a calm face: "Jingyan, everything in the island has been settled. I heard from Hengbo that you go to bed very late at night. You should take care of your health and put aside other worries." He didn't realize what he was talking about, but he stopped talking when he saw Song Jingyan's unchanging eyes.

Song Jingyan stepped back, motioning Bian Hongqiu to go ahead, half a step behind him. The two of them walked towards the palace together. Then she heard her voice faintly: "Your Highness has become very capable. He even fooled General Qi. Are you going to fool a three-year-old child tomorrow?"

Bian Hongqiu listened to the lecture in silence.

Song Jingyan behind him used both soft and hard tactics: "I don't have any other worries, but it's your Highness's lifelong affairs that make me anxious."

Bian Hongqiu: "This kind of thing can't be rushed."

Song Jingyan: "There's no rush, so Your Highness is doing nothing?"

Bian Hongqiu stopped and said, "If I don't do anything, you guys shouldn't do anything either."

Song Jingyan's tone remained the same: "I will follow your Highness's orders."

Bian Hongqiu's heart immediately became blocked after being scolded by Song Jingyan. He turned around and said, "I'm going to see how the training ground in the mansion is doing. Sister, you don't have to follow me."

Angry again.

Song Jingyan sighed and replied, "Yes. Your Highness, don't forget that the Lanzhou governor will host a banquet tomorrow and invite you to come."

Bian Hongqiu's voice drifted away: "I understand."

Bian Hongqiu walked around the newly expanded training grounds within the palace. The original garrison was none other than Li Yan's husband, who had died during the siege of Huangquezhou. He made no secret of the recent death. This was the largest mansion besides the Jingxi Palace and the provincial capital, barely enough to accommodate the Liang Palace staff, so he requisitioned it. He wandered around aimlessly, then, undeterred by Song Jingyan's words, he headed for the study.

There was a small couch in the study, and some bedroom items were added at the back that didn't make sense.

The garrison was still not big enough. Mr. Liu, though old, was not picky, and his dream of living in a "golden house" was realized naturally. He had no less affairs to deal with in the city than Bian Hongqiu, and he was so busy that his eyesight was blurry. When he finally took a breath, Bian Hongqiu threw Liu Lang to him.

Having just found an excuse to give Liu Lang a day off today, he saw someone coming from afar. Without even swallowing the fragrant tea in his mouth, he nimbly jumped up from the table and wanted to hang the "No Guests" sign outside. Unfortunately, due to his age, he couldn't match the speed of the strong and healthy Bian Hongqiu, so he had to regretfully invite the person in.

Bian Hongqiu sensed Mr. Liu's unwelcome attitude and said, "I'll just take the book and leave."

He paced back and forth before the vast, smoky library for a long time before his mind wandered again. Seeing him motionless for a while, Mr. Liu calmly strolled over, his hands behind his back, asking, "What book are you looking for, Your Highness?"

Bian Hongqiu suddenly came back to his senses and couldn't even remember what he was daydreaming about.

He hesitated to respond. Mr. Liu, who had already heard those "monkeys" in the mansion stripping his underwear clean, said nothing. He smiled and said meaningfully, "Your Highness, if you can't read, don't force yourself. Life is short, enjoy it while you can."

As expected of Mr. Liu Lang, he always says the same thing.

Bian Hongqiu said unhappily, "What happens after the fun? How does it end?"

Mr. Liu was very single: "Why should it end? Fate brings people together even though they are thousands of miles apart. It's not often that fate can bring people together again and again. Am I really going to watch this happen to me? We've had our fun, and whether or not it ends, and how it ends, is up to fate."

Bian Hongqiu looked away, "I don't believe in fate."

Mr. Liu nodded in agreement. "Then Your Highness believes that success depends on human effort. If that's the case, what is there to worry about?"

Bian Hongqiu really can't communicate with this group of people!

He angrily threw up his sleeves and left, leaving Mr. Liu with a triumphant smile on his face and a long sigh of relief: "Finally, they're all sent away."

Bian Hongqiu wandered the mansion, unable to find anyone he liked. He had given his own residence to Meng Shizhuang to recuperate, and he'd been busy for the past few days. When he occasionally returned, he'd only sit by Meng Shizhuang's bed. Now, he didn't even have a place to sleep. It was truly unforgivable! He had no choice but to ride his horse to the camp by the Huai River, venting his anger on the target. The next day, he maintained a calm demeanor and went to a banquet at the restaurant reserved by the Lanzhou prefect.

The current prefect of Kailanzhou is Cui Yue, a thirty-year-old man single-handedly promoted from among the sons of aristocratic families by Emperor Xue after the defection of the Western Border King. He is both talented and hardworking, and over the years he has developed a friendly relationship with the Western Border troops stationed in Kailanzhou. Now that Bian Hongqiu is about to lead the Western Border troops forward, he's chosen a time when it won't interfere with their schedule to serve some wine.

He hadn't even grown a beard yet, and stood tall and handsome. He held the cup and offered a toast to Bian Hongqiu first: "Your Majesty has devoted all your energy to this matter, but ultimately, you are in the court, and the affairs of the Eighteen Continents are entirely dependent on you, Prince."

Of course Bian Hongqiu didn't dare to accept it. Whether the other party's words were sincere or not was one thing, but since Emperor Xue was placed in front, he, a prince, could not accept the credit.

Cui Yue, though born into an aristocratic family, possessed none of the arrogance of aristocratic sons, nor did he intend to set a trap for Prince Liang with his words. He shook his head slightly, "The actions taken by the Huangquezhou prefecture before the prince entered the city clearly showed that they knew they could not resist the imperial court, yet they refused to give up, forcing these innocent people to risk their lives to fuel their final flames. How despicable!"

The turmoil in Huangquezhou did not last long. After Shao Zheng readmitted the people in the city, he promulgated the new laws and regulations established by Emperor Xue in the tenth year of Shengyuan, which aligned the land tax and military tax with those of the states that returned to the central government, and declared that this place had returned to Dayu. Then Song Jingyan sent a few people to blend in with the people and act as intermediaries. They acted a tearful scene and successfully coaxed away the military supervisor who was going to the court to report.

If it were the years when King Jingxi just controlled the Eighteen Continents of Zuodan, the people who experienced it firsthand would still be grateful to the court as if they had escaped from a sea of ​​fire.

At that time, the King of the Western Border treated the Eighteen Continents like chickens that couldn't lay eggs, focusing solely on slaughtering them for meat. His methods, as he passed through the various states from the capital to the western border, included murder, arson, and looting, as if the people were mere leeks to be harvested only once. His actions were even more barbaric than the barbarians from outside the Great Wall who had invaded Dayu and massacred the city.

Later, seeing that the eighteen continents could not satisfy King Jingxi's appetite and he was unable to cause trouble to other cities, his subordinates finally persuaded him to let the people of the eighteen continents recuperate.

Cui Yue: "Fortunately, the prince acted decisively. His Majesty is at the helm of the court, and the prince and General Xi are working together seamlessly. I believe the rest of Zuo Dan's cities will be recaptured soon. By then, we won't have to worry about any medicinal herbs or minerals being blocked in the western border."

The praise in his words was so sincere that Bian Hongqiu felt ashamed to accept it.

It can only be said that King Jingxi is at the end of his rope. Otherwise, the hasty cooperation between him and Xi Zhongting would have so many loopholes, how could they have trapped King Jingxi and his party in the Western Territory?

The second half of the sentence made his heart sink.

Meng Shizhuang was recovering from his injuries at the Garrison Headquarters. He had returned to Renjitang with Liu Lang and had seen Lao Ju's spirit tablet. However, as the Jingxi King's men were still stationed in the western suburbs of Huangquezhou, they hadn't had the opportunity to truly pay their respects to Lao Ju.

He knew that the situation was tense at the time and Lao Ju's illness had been delayed because the pharmacist was unable to deliver the medicinal materials from the western region.

When Bian Hongqiu let go of his thoughts, the helplessness and guilt deep in his heart floated out freely, so he held cup after cup, not only accepting everyone who came, but also the generals of the Western Frontier Army stopped at the limit. Only Qi Ziyu, who fell down after just one drop, was still singing, and was carried to the garrison by others.

At the end of the drinking, even Cui Yue tried to persuade Bian Hongqiu, but he brushed him off with a smile as if he was not drunk yet, and continued to drink.

Cui Yue stood aside, worried: "Is His Highness too happy?"

Bian Hongqiu smiled as he sipped his wine. After swallowing it, he repeated to Master Cui, "See you later."

Lord Cui had no choice but to nod repeatedly. He was also very drunk, and Song Jingyan sent someone to arrange for him to go to an inn near the restaurant.

Bian Hongqiu was carried back to the garrison by Qinhe and Qiuhe, who never drank alcohol.

The closer he got to the mansion, the stronger his drunken bones seemed to become. He acted very elegantly and drunkenly, arguing with Qinhe and Qiuhe. "...I can walk by myself."

Qin He and Qiu He looked at Song Jingyan, who also didn't drink, for help.

Song Jingyan looked at the half-conscious Bian Hongqiu with complicated eyes: "Carry him. His Highness is too sad right now. If you let him go, I'm afraid he will jump into the lake."

Bian Hongqiu was drunk enough to still think, trying her best to hold on to her swaying body. The veins in her hand that were clutching Qiu He were bulging. She tried to pull Song Jingyan away with tears and laughter, "Sister, I really should jump into the lake."

"After all these years, why am I still so useless?"

Song Jingyan frowned and scolded: "Your Highness!"

Tears streamed uncontrollably from Bian Hongqiu's eyes, like falling pearls. Qin He and Qiu He were startled, their heads averted, not daring to look. He continued to sob, drunkenly unaware of his head and feet, mumbling over and over again, "Sister, why am I so useless? Am I, am I... I haven't fulfilled a single thing I promised."

"If my father were still alive, he probably wouldn't want me to be his child, right?"

Song Jingyan took him from Qiuhe and said in a low voice, "Your Highness, you can't blame yourself for not fulfilling the wishes of the people you care about most. You haven't let anyone down over the years. The late king...his greatest hope was that you would grow up safely."

She understood Bian Hongqiu's pain.

After leaving the protection of the Liang Palace, the first person he met was Lao Ju. He and this elder, who wasn't deliberately arranged for him, had been displaced and wandered through life, traversing a path many couldn't endure. Having been sheltered before, he naturally longed to wake up and support the Liang Palace. Starting with this person, like following the veins of a leaf, he would protect all the suffering he could see.

But he failed to achieve what he wanted most.

Ten years later, all he saw was the silent memorial tablet of his deceased friend.

Bian Hongqiu supported Song Jingyan's hand as they walked steadily toward the mansion. His gaze was drawn to the gleaming bluestone slabs, then he looked up to see the bright moonlight. He vaguely recalled how, many years ago, Lao Ju had sat cross-legged in front of the farmhouse, holding a knife, and had shared heartfelt stories with him about the children he had raised.

He pushed Song Jingyan away: "I want to go see Ah Shi."

Song Jingyan wanted to stop him, but the main courtyard was so close that any attempt to stop him would only embarrass Bian Hongqiu, so she had no choice but to stand there and watch him push the door open and barge in.

Meng Shizhuang had gone to bed before the drunkards from Prince Liang's mansion left. He was a light sleeper, and with a vigilance cultivated since his youth, he would sit up at the first sign of movement in the courtyard, clutching the Mulan Sword that had returned to his hands these days. He quietly got out of bed and waited behind the door, hearing the stumbling, unsteady footsteps approaching.

He thought about it and remembered that Liu Lang had told him that the prefect of Lanzhou would hold a banquet to entertain King Liang today.

It must have been a drunk who took the wrong path at the banquet.

So he simply opened the door.

Then, His Royal Highness Prince Liang, reeking of alcohol, fell into his arms.

Meng Shizhuang immediately sprained her waist.

He tried hard to control himself from grinning, and did not care about the identity of the person in front of him. He was about to knock the person to the ground, but Bian Hongqiu touched his waist and looked at him with a pair of watery eyes.

He immediately stopped pushing the person away.

His Highness is busy with many affairs every day, and Zuo Dan is burdened with important matters in the Eighteen Continents, so he must be very worried.

never mind.

He slung the Mulan sword against his back, pressing it against the stiff spot in his waist. He tried to help Bian Hongqiu onto the couch, but Bian Hongqiu seemed rooted to the ground, refusing to move, even tugging at Meng Shizhuang. Meng Shizhuang, sweating profusely from his exertions, finally ran out of patience. Just as he lowered his head to threaten her, Bian Hongqiu reached out and grabbed his collar.

Meng Shizhuang: "You..."

Bian Hongqiu opened his mouth in a startlingly drunken tone, "Ah, you don't like me, is it because I'm useless?"