Chapter 81 The Grand Finale (Part 2) The Last Cycle...
Chapter 81
Ye Xiren rode off on Changfeng!
She really wasn't very brave. She had stolen the head of the Northern Yan King; what if she was hunted down by the Northern Yan people? She didn't know martial arts, and with such a small frame, how could she possibly withstand it?
"Changfeng, hurry up!" Ye Xiren gripped the reins, lying on her horse, her face filled with anxiety. "We're heading to the Huai'an Canal, hurry, they're catching up!"
Changfeng, usually so docile, snorted and then took off running.
However, Ye Xiren was overthinking it.
Who's pursuing her?
In the eyes of the Northern Yan, it was as if the head of the Northern Yan king had "flown away" out of thin air. In a land that worshipped the gods and spirits of heaven and earth, the people of the Northern Yan were terrified. They all thought that they had been punished by heaven and had encountered a ghost. They didn't even have time to hide, let alone dare to chase after him.
She looked terrified, yet she scared everyone around her into screaming and howling...
Ye Xiren rode away from the Northern Yan royal tent, galloping all the way to the Northern Yan city closest to the capital, searching for something to preserve his head.
Having witnessed how the imperial physicians handled Chi Zhanlan Ce's corpse, she knew exactly how to "smuggle" some medicinal herbs back, then picked out a suitable box to pack them in and hung it on her horse with a rope.
Thus, to those who saw them, it was just a horse carrying a small box, galloping along. Although somewhat surprising, it wasn't too conspicuous, and there were no more screams of terror.
Ye Xiren pulled on the reins.
Where to go?
"Changfeng, let's go to the Huai'an Canal to find Chunzhou." Ye Xiren's lips curled up slightly. No one could see her, but it didn't matter. She was finally going home.
Changfeng seemed to know where home was, and he ran with her there.
One man and one horse, one illusory, one real, but both are heading home, taking the shortest route along the vast grasslands at breakneck speed...
Huai'an Canal
Ye Xiren had heard the name "Huai'an Canal" countless times, but this was her first time here. There was a city by the river that divided the Huai'an Canal in two. The canal nourished the land and also naturally formed a conflict between the two.
Once, the Great Liang and the Northern Yan were locked in a stalemate across the Huai'an Canal, a war zone that the people of Great Liang dared not approach.
The Northern Yan people have now withdrawn.
She is alive, and she will live.
The demolished houses and the still-red soil after a rain testify to the past suffering. Above the city gate of the Huai'an Canal are written large, bright red characters:
"Drive out the Yan invaders and protect our Great Liang!"
The faces of the people walking through the city gates were once again filled with smiles. The refugees had long since returned. Officials from the Huai'an Canal organized the clearing of the war zone, registered the returning people, allocated land, and urged them to cultivate it.
In the vast fields, families are busy with spring planting; whether they can survive this autumn depends on themselves.
Ye Xiren stared blankly at the rice seedlings in the field. She hadn't expected that the Huai'an Canal had completely resumed spring plowing, and that people were digging for wild vegetables everywhere on the hillside.
The government started by providing two meals a day, then recently reduced it to one meal, and now they can't even provide that. But no one complains; everyone's face shines with an unusual light, and their eyes are bright.
Ye Xiren understood that it was hope.
The cessation of war, the expulsion of the Northern Yan people, and the crops in the fields are their hope. The people of this land are so resilient; after the storm, they start anew. As long as they see hope, they have boundless courage.
Ye Xiren wanted to go find Yan Danqing...
"What? Yan Jiajun has already left?!"
Ye Xiren was shocked and almost jumped up. However, none of the people around could see her, so naturally no one answered.
They were digging for wild vegetables while talking.
"Where are we now?"
"I heard that the Northern Yan army is currently in Weishui City, and they are quite numerous and difficult to deal with. I wonder if General Yan can drive them out?"
"Of course! Once they've all been driven out of the Huai'an Canal, Weishui City will be a piece of cake. General Yan, you're awesome!"
"Yes, indeed a member of the Yan family, a hero of our Great Liang!"
...
Of course!
That's Yan Danqing, from her family Chunzhou!
Ye Xiren smiled, took out a map, pointed it at the sun to determine the direction of Weishui City, mounted Changfeng, and continued to chase after it. She didn't need to eat or drink, and didn't feel too tired. The wind, rain, and sunshine had no effect on her, and she continued on her way.
Weishui City
Finally, she caught up with them and arrived at Weishui City.
This is the border between North and South, and it looks just like it did after the war. Large pots are cooking horse meat porridge. These are the horses of the Northern Yan army that died in battle. Yan Danqing left them here as temporary food.
"Everyone, eat quickly, and then get back to tilling the land!"
"Those without horses should go to the government office to get one. The seeds must be planted as soon as possible. His Majesty has granted a three-year tax exemption. What you plant now will be your own harvest!"
The newly appointed young official shouted at the top of his lungs.
After finishing their horse meat porridge, someone laughed loudly, "Sir, now we're only getting one meal! We're starving!"
The young official paused, unsure how to answer. The imperial court was short of food, and the horses and provisions left behind by General Yan would only last a few more days…
Although the imperial court had no choice, it was truly heartbreaking for him, as the local official, to see the people under his jurisdiction starve.
Nearby, the local official rolled his eyes and snapped, "You're hungry? I'm hungry! If you're hungry, why don't you send your wife and kids to the mountains to dig for wild vegetables?"
"Hahaha!" The man put down his bowl, laughed, and ran away. "I'm gone now, sir. Don't be angry. I have to go plow the fields."
After saying that, the man waved his hand and left with the group of people.
The young official was still pondering how to ensure that the people under his jurisdiction could survive until the harvest of the vegetables they had planted.
Just then, the sound of horses' hooves and the rumble of wheels came as a group of people pulled carts loaded with grain toward them. The young official paused for a moment, then went to greet them, smiling:
"Old Liu, you've finally arrived!"
"Fortunately, we have fulfilled your mission and managed to collect enough grain from all the local gentry to last us a while."
"This is truly a lifesaver, Mr. Liu, please accept my deepest bow." The young official bowed, but his eyes narrowed slightly, a triumphant smile flashing across them.
Before they took office, the imperial court gave them special instructions on how to provide disaster relief, comfort the people, and restore farming. This was only part of the instructions. Another part was how to cooperate with veteran officials and how to deal with local gentry and wealthy people.
Lord Ye and Lord Liu said that the cellars of those local gentry and wealthy people could not possibly be without grain. Whether by coercion or bribery, they would eventually have to be made to hand it over when they could no longer hold out...
Let's get through this most critical moment together.
Young Master Ye had quietly told them, "Extraordinary times call for extraordinary measures," a sentiment he deeply agreed with.
The imperial court did not even erect monuments for merchants, gentry, and wealthy households who voluntarily donated grain. Those who donated more were even granted honorary titles by the court.
Anyone with eyes can see that this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
If we miss this opportunity, once the Great Liang Dynasty has fully recovered, such a good thing will not happen again. It will be recorded on the monument as an eternal achievement that will be remembered for generations to come and bring glory to our family.
Compared to that, what is the grain in the cellar?
Now that General Yan has won a series of great victories, the situation in the world is about to improve, and the Great Liang is gradually recovering. As for food, there will be plenty again this autumn.
Ye Xiren smiled upon seeing this.
Weishui City is a beautiful place, especially when you look around and see everyone busy farming, with rice seedlings already sprouting in the fields, it's even more beautiful!
These tender rice seedlings are several times more beautiful and incomparable than the finest clothes and jewels.
The hoes that the people of Weishui City wield again and again, and the sickles that cut through the weeds, represent their future.
So here's the question...
What about Yan Danqing?
Ye Xiren overheard people talking nearby: "Where have General Yan and his men fought to?"
"I heard it was Baiping Plain, and the Northern Yan army was retreating in defeat."
Ye Xiren: "..."
She struggled back, climbed onto Changfeng's back, and said weakly, "Let's go, let's go to Baipingyuan."
White Plains
Ye Xiren hurried along the way and finally arrived at Baiping Plain in the shortest possible time. At this moment, the local officials and clerks, along with the people from the government office, were dealing with the horses that had died in battle.
Heat the pot over high heat and start cooking the porridge.
"Go register first! Only those who register can receive porridge. No one in the family should be left out. Everyone gets a share because everyone is allocated land. If you're left out, you won't get any!"
"Hidden households? No problem. The imperial court said that they are short of people right now. Whether you are servants or hidden households, as long as you register, your slave status will be cancelled, and you will have the same territory."
"Don't rush, come and get the porridge after you've collected it."
"You can choose, but the land closer to the city is less. The land in the villages further away will be more. You can choose for yourselves."
"Ox? What ox? It's just like a horse! This is a warhorse that General Yan captured; it can even pull a field and guarantee a harvest..."
...
Ye Xiren: "..."
Looking at the chaotic registration scene, she knew perfectly well that Yan Danqing had won yet another victory and had already left Baipingyuan for the next destination.
She squeezed into the crowd of refugees, gathering information amidst the murmurs of conversation.
"We need to hurry up and plant. Right now, we can only plant beans and wheat, and we don't know if we can survive the winter."
"Of course we can. Our Baiping Plain has always had fertile soil, so how could anyone go hungry? Besides, the imperial court has allocated so much land this time, and they're all exempt from taxes for three years. How could we not survive?"
"We must never start another war."
"The Northern Yan army has now been driven to the Sixteen Prefectures, and General Yan is about to completely drive those Yan dogs out..."
...
Ye Xiren climbed onto Changfeng, patted its head as it chewed on hay, and raised the corners of her mouth: "Changfeng, let's go, we're going to the Sixteen Prefectures."
She felt a little thirsty, took off her water pouch, and took a big gulp. Water droplets rolled down her lips, which she wiped with her sleeve.
Then, she tightened the reins, carried the head of the Crimson King on her back, and continued on her way.
From the Southern Capital to the Northern Yan, from the Huai'an Canal to the Wei River City, and then to the Bai Plain, she is now heading to the Sixteen Prefectures, walking the same path that Yan Danqing once walked.
However, back then he was experiencing the "loss" of Daliang, while she is now experiencing the "gain" of Daliang.
She rode the "Changfeng" that the emperor had bestowed upon Jiang You, carrying her home and leading her to find Yan Family Army.
Along the way, she saw the rice seedlings in the Huai'an Canal, the hoes and sickles in Weishui City, and the farmland in Baiping Plain... She saw the vastness of the world and the revival of the mountains and rivers.
Time remains, and the land is safe and sound.
"Changfeng, we're almost there."
Sixteen states
In the army camp, Yan Danqing, clad in full armor, stared at the sand table before him, his fingers fumbling for a plum blossom hairpin hidden in his sleeve, his eyes sharp as knives: "How many Northern Yan troops are left?"
“There are at least 150,000 left.” Ma Shan shook his head. “This Chi Zhan Cheng Ye is not very capable, but he is obedient. He still has a few people left behind by Chi Zhan Lan Ce. If they can’t win, they keep avoiding battle and retreating while fighting. There is no sign of a rout.”
Zhao Wu couldn't help but mutter, "If only there were another Ucho."
The Northern Yan army would rather suffer defeats and deaths along the way than engage in a direct battle with them. They lack both strong fighting spirit and the will to break down...
"Killing the Northern Yan National Preceptor will not bring divine punishment, but Northern Yan, by fabricating a holy son to deceive the masses, has already lost the favor of the heavens!"
After that, they fought a great battle and won a resounding victory.
Compared to now, it's just missing something.
Ma Shan said helplessly, "There's nothing we can do about it. It's more important to send Chi Zhanlan Ce's body back to Northern Yan. We can't possibly intercept and kill the King of Northern Yan again, can we?"
The King of Northern Yan is far away in his own camp; they can't possibly fly there, can they? Even if they did, they wouldn't be able to get his head, and the others aren't of that use.
Zhao Wu sighed as well, it seemed this method wouldn't work.
Just as Yan Danqing was about to speak, someone ran in and reported, "General, the scouts report that someone is heading towards us!"
"How many people?" Yan Danqing asked.
"It looks like it's a person, but I'm not sure. The scout said he only saw the horse, not the person..."
As soon as he finished speaking, Ma Shan and Zhao Wu were puzzled.
one person?
What is someone doing here?
For some reason, Yan Danqing's heart skipped a beat, as if it were about to leap out of his chest. In an instant, something pulled him back, making his breathing rapid. He suddenly stood up and strode out of the camp.
Ma Shan and his companions followed, puzzled.
After sending the signal, there was no obstruction. A black dot appeared on the horizon and then ran towards them. The group squinted and could vaguely see that it was a beautiful white horse.
But it was still dark, and the distance was too great to see clearly what they looked like, let alone the people on horseback.
As the sun rose from the east, the white dot drew ever closer, galloping towards them towards the sun. The rising sun shone on the earth, as if drawing back a layer of shadow that obscured the land, gradually shining its light onto the horse.
Ye Xiren tightened the reins.
As she drew closer, she could feel the wind growing clearer and clearer. The sunlight shone on her face, making her squint. The smell of sand and dust, the fragrance of grass, every flower and leaf... all gradually came into her five senses.
My body is getting heavier and heavier, carrying the fatigue of days of running around.
But her smile grew even brighter. The wind whispered in her ears, the light was right before her eyes, and she could smell the pungent dust. She faced the sun, becoming clearer and clearer, completely merging with the world.
At this moment, Ye Xiren was perfectly clear-headed.
"Who's that?" Zhao Wu looked at the increasingly clear white horse with a puzzled expression, then exclaimed in surprise, "It looks like a girl?"
Ma Shan squinted, straining to see, and murmured, "What I'm seeing... doesn't it look like Miss Ye Er?"
Second Miss Ye?
Isn't that the general's wife, whom he was betrothed to by imperial decree?
Zhao Wu subconsciously looked at Yan Danqing beside him, but only saw a back view, which disappeared like a gust of wind. This usually calm and composed general completely lost his composure at this moment, rushing towards the shadow without regard for anything else, his armor shining brightly in the sunlight.
Yan Danqing saw it!
Ye Xiren rode a fast horse toward him, a bright smile on her face. She held something high in her hand and waved it at him. The sound of the horse's hooves grew clearer and clearer.
Yan Danqing ran away frantically, her eyes moist.
He thought about how to save her every day, but in fact, the Ye Xiren he knew was always gentle on the outside but strong on the inside. She didn't need anyone to save her; she would save herself.
Then, when others needed them most, they rushed to them, rewriting their own and everyone else's destiny.
She's always like this.
This is his Xixi.
One person runs across the yellow sand, while the other rides a white horse towards the other, traversing time and space, crossing thousands of mountains and rivers, and experiencing more than twenty cycles of life and death.
As they drew closer, they could see each other's moist eyes.
(End of text)
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Author's Note: The main story is now complete!
Congratulations everyone on finishing one book! Congratulations to Rabbit on finishing another one!
We're giving out red envelopes to everyone who comments on this chapter!
There are also side stories and some sequels, including Yan Wan's last cycle. I'll start writing them after I take a few days off. Updates may be a bit irregular. If you're interested, come check back occasionally. If you're not interested, just say goodbye here!
Thank you for accompanying me on this journey, and for sharing the story of Xixi and Danqing. Thank you so much (bowing)!
Looking forward to our next meeting. (づ￣3￣)づ
In conclusion:
I feel like crying every time it ends, it's so painful QAQ.
I've wanted to write this story for a long time, but I wasn't very confident. Although the story is short, it's not easy to write. I've been putting it off since last year, and I'm finally putting pen to paper to write about Xixi and Danqing in my heart.
Maybe some people are still not satisfied, but I really tried my best... If there are still flaws, then it's a matter of skill level QAQ, sob sob sob, I'll improve slowly.
[My life and the painting are but illusions, destined to turn to dust in this world. Know only that this is nothing else, and ask not whether the people of today are the same as those of the past.]
When I stumbled upon this poem, I felt my soul was touched. So, I started with "Yan Danqing and Ye Xiren," just like Chizhan Lance's lament when he died: Who isn't just living a dream? A life of vanity.
Later, when I started writing, I no longer wanted to call Xixi "the person of the past." She shouldn't be in the past; she is actually in the future.
In the story, they all uncontrollably follow their own destinies. I've always liked Mary Sue characters and rarely write about female protagonists who grow and mature, but I'm really growing to love her more and more. She is the future, watching her become braver little by little and grow step by step... She should be cherished and pitied.
Xixi, on the other hand, has always been good at cherishing herself.
She was so weak, so afraid of death, and even once naive and innocent, and didn't always make the right decisions. But she always saved herself and others. She went through life and death, while ordinary people went through life and death. The road is actually very long. She made progress again and again, a little bit each time. Eventually, she was able to get out of trouble completely.
Ye Xiren & Yan Danqing.
Cherish & Spring Day.
In their world, they shine brightly.
Thank you again for your support. Feel free to request any side stories you'd like to see, and I'll pick and choose which ones to write.
We met at the foot of the mountain, and we'll meet again at the foot of the mountain. See you again in Jinjiang!
Wishing everyone happiness every day and all the best!
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