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In the third year of Yonghui, the sky was high in the north.
The setting sun casts its last rays, sparse grass and trees stand desolate. The wind at the border is much colder than in Mujing, carrying the dry scent of vegetation that stings the face. In the distance, undulating mountain ridges rise, their color like dark iron. A stream flows through the valley; the sun is high in the west, and twilight presses down from the mountain pass, dyeing the entire stream golden.
Several brown horses lowered their heads to drink water, occasionally snorting, their manes fluttering in the wind.
"Mommy, my little brother has been secretly collecting stones again! Look, I've found several bags full of them, all heavy with stones..."
"Splash—"
Accompanied by the girl's discontented voice, countless pebbles were dumped onto the riverbed in a short time, quickly rolling into countless similar stones and disappearing completely.
The girl wore an apricot-yellow short jacket over a dark blue outer garment, with a thin belt embroidered with cloud patterns tied around her waist. Her hair was tied high in a double bun with a red satin hair tie, and her eyebrows and eyes were lively. At this moment, she was righteously rebuking her younger brother.
The boy was a head shorter than her, wearing a dark blue robe with a neatly pleated collar and dusty cuffs. His face was stern, and he just pursed his lips without saying a word.
A woman not far away stopped washing herself. Her long, black hair shone brightly in the sunlight, like a dazzling galaxy. She frowned as she watched the children playing, then couldn't help but glance at the figure bending over and filling the river with water.
The man removed his outer cloak and half-squatted by the riverbank. Sunlight slanted down from above, casting a warm but cold white glow on his shoulders. The river was very shallow, but the current was swift. He reached into the water, listening intently to the rushing sound filling the entire bronze kettle. The wind blew through the mountain crevices, ruffling the hair at his temples. Yet his features remained as gentle as ever.
The man straightened up, picked up another empty water bottle, and said to the boy behind him:
“Che Xuan”.
“Give back the hair tie you hid at your waist to your older sister.”
The boy's shoulders twitched slightly.
Che Xuan slowly raised his head, his expression almost too calm, his eyes reflecting tears. He didn't argue, but simply took out the red satin hair tie from his pocket and quietly placed it in his palm.
The girl became even angrier when she saw it; it was her favorite hair tie! She snatched the hair tie back quickly, jumping up and down in anger, "Dad, Mom, look at Chexuan, he's always like this! He likes to take revenge on me when he's angry!"
Dou Yanxun hung the filled water jug on the saddle before walking over in the afterglow of the setting sun.
He bent down, looked into the eyes of the boy who was level with him, and said in a voice only the two of them could hear:
Why hide it?
Chexuan slowly lowered his head. "My older sister reported me. I wanted to hide her favorite thing to make her anxious."
“I mean those heavy pebbles.”
Chexuan's shoulders twitched almost imperceptibly. After a long while, he lowered his head and spoke in a voice as soft as a mosquito's buzz:
“My mother said that people turn into stars after they die, but they are too far away from us… I wonder if I could collect enough stones and pile them up as high as a mountain, then I could climb up to the sky… and see my aunt… see my maternal grandfather… and my cousin whom I’ve never met. Everyone says he’s a great hero…”
Dou Yanxun stared at his son quietly for a long while before speaking:
No, it won't.
Che Xuan suddenly raised his head.
"Because your aunt, maternal grandfather, and cousin... are not in heaven. Although they are gone, they have never left. Perhaps they are watching over you from somewhere right now."
"……really?"
Chexuan tilted her small face up to look at her father, who was taller than mountains, and her eyes sparkled again.
Dou Yanxun nodded. "If you don't believe me, shout it with me."
He scooped his son into his arms, cupped his hands to his mouth, and shouted into the deepest part of the valley.
"Hello--"
Hello--
Hello--
A melodious echo reverberated from all directions, each note growing longer than the last. Che Xuan's eyes widened with excitement, and he whispered to his father, "Hey—"
Dou Yanxun glanced at his son, then looked towards the endless valley in the distance, and asked, "How are you—"
Are you OK--
Are you OK--
And then, a continuous sound echoed in the empty valley.
"It's Grandpa! Aunt and the others heard it!" Chexuan clapped his hands happily, then couldn't help but shout excitedly along with his father. "Grandpa, Aunt, Uncle... how are you!"
"I am Che Xuan—I also want to fight in the future—to protect my home and country—"
How are you?
Standing to the side with his hands on his hips, Ji Chu watched the father and son shouting towards the valley. For a moment, he was at a loss for words and could only sigh. He turned to his mother and said, "Sigh, men."
But when he saw the two glistening tear tracks on Lin Xu's face and her moist eyes, he froze on the spot.
Am I the only mature and sensible person in this family?
Ji Chu shrugged in disappointment and helplessness.
As night falls, the Milky Way is desolate.
Che Xuan, who had just discovered a new secret, was very excited. Gone was his usual curiosity about the dazzling starry river. Instead, he kept shouting loudly or whispering to the valley.
Lin Xu and Dou Yanxun set up a tent, lit torches, and coaxed the exhausted Ji Chu to sleep before lying down side by side on the grass.
The starlight on the frontier always seemed much brighter than in the city, and even the moonlight appeared exceptionally hazy. Bathed in its glow, it made everything feel like a dream.
This day last year was the day Princess Zhao'en was buried.
She wondered if anyone in Mujing, a thousand miles away, still remembered her. Thinking this, she couldn't help but sigh.
The world is ever-changing, and in recent years her strength has waned considerably. Since Kunrou ascended the throne, the Lin family has risen to prominence, and she has keenly sensed the hostility of the former Ninth Prince, Prince Xian. Shortly after her father retired, war broke out again. He City was in turmoil, and all the men of the Liang family perished in battle. Her father could not bear the blow and soon fell ill, passing away not long after.
Afterwards, Kunrou was seriously injured, and Prince Xian's henchmen ran rampant in the court, almost colluding with all forces opposing Emperor Ming, and soon forced Kunrou to the point where she had no relatives or friends.
At that time, whenever Lin Xu and Dou Yanxun tried to intervene, Liao Yan stopped them.
"I chose this fate myself. Wei Yan is only seeking revenge for the overthrow of the Wei family's imperial lineage."
However, Lin Xu knew in her heart that Liao Yan couldn't bear to see herself implicated by her and only wanted her to protect herself.
Later, on the day when the court officials remonstrated and forced Empress Liao Yan to abdicate, the old ministers who supported Liao Yan were either executed or surrounded. Lin Xu and Dou Yanxun were both trapped in their residences, surrounded by layers of imperial guards.
Wei Yan was indeed a true descendant of the former Emperor Su, and even his ruthless and ruthless methods of extermination were very similar to how the former Emperor Su treated Prince Mao and the deposed empress, who were successively demoted to commoners, when he was in power.
After all, Wei Yun's death was suspicious. Although he was buried with the honors due to a crown prince, there were rumors that there was no one in the coffin, that the crown prince's background was questionable, and that Emperor Su had discovered this long ago and secretly executed him.
At that time, Lin Xu knew that she and Dou Yanxun were destined to "die".
...
Gusts of wind swept in, bringing a chill to the air.
Dou Yanxun's soft voice landed in her ear.
"Are you sleepy?"
Lin Xu nodded.
His warm lips landed on her eyelashes. The man propped himself up with one hand, his long, gentle peach blossom eyes gazing at her quietly.
"You've only just learned to ride a horse, and you've been traveling all day, so you must be tired. Why don't you rest early?"
Lin Xu felt quite proud of herself when she thought about horseback riding. Not only had she learned how, but she could even hold her own against Dou Yanxun in serious competitions. These past few days, the two of them had traveled north from Mujing, passing through many prefectures and counties, which not only broadened their horizons but also made them feel more open-minded.
Such a magnificent land, yet only today did she see its full beauty. Before, all she had seen were rows of houses and a square patch of sky. She still knew very little about the world. The only thing she could do was continue, move forward.
"...By the way, did you know that I walked this road when I was young?"
That year, when his mother passed away, little Lin Xu was devastated. Lin Fu had no choice but to send him to Hecheng for a short stay.
They stayed there for more than half a year.
It was during that journey that she caught a glimpse of a lonely young man's dejection and resentment.
Dou Yanxun brushed her wind-blown hair behind her ear and gently kissed her.
"Know."
Lin Xucai slowly closed his eyes, then opened them again in confusion.
"Huh? How did you know?"
The man's eyes reflected her delicate features, gradually merging with the boy she had once glimpsed in her memory.
She was stunned. Dou Yanxun's lips landed heavily on her brow, smoothing out the questions that had not yet been uttered.
"Dou Yanxun!" Her face flushed, and she couldn't help but mutter a curse at him under her breath. The child was still nearby, and she really didn't want to be the kind of irresponsible parent.
But his low laughter silenced her lips.
What he didn't say was, "This is the same road I walked when I was young."
Unbeknownst to Lin Xu in her youth, during that journey, after she lowered the sedan curtain and continued on her way, the boy who had stopped by the roadside raised his head and slowly gazed in the direction she had left.
Actually, he had noticed her in the crowd a long time ago.
Bright and flamboyant, domineering yet endearing. He was like a wild grass growing in a crack in the rock, greedily enjoying every inch of sunlight, and almost desperately watching the direction she had once left in.
...Xuxu, you never knew that I had memorized everything about you a very, very long time ago.
I will never forget.
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