96 Chapter Ninety-Six
◎Will she think of me in the future? Will she blame me for breaking my promise?◎
Chapter Ninety-Six
The situation in the capital has changed significantly in recent days.
Under the guise of war, undercurrents were stirring within the seemingly peaceful imperial court.
The young emperor's faction wanted to seize the opportunity to take back power from the regent, but the regent's people were bound to object, and the two groups were secretly fighting fiercely.
As the war intensified, more and more refugees gathered outside the capital.
All the prominent families and wealthy households in the capital began distributing porridge. The old lady was too old to do it, and Aunt Jia was not able to come forward, so Liu Qingqing took over the duties of the Marquis's family.
The porridge distribution shed was next to the Wei residence, so they were connected together.
Liu Qingqing and Xie Wanyan spent their days together, initially enjoying leisure time, but recently they have both fallen silent.
For the past six months, neither Wei Mingzhao nor Xie Lang has returned.
In the first few months, Xie Lang would send letters home to let Liu Qingqing know he was safe. He wrote a lot of them, and whenever Liu Qingqing received one, everyone would tease her until she blushed like a peach blossom.
For the past two months, there have been no letters from home.
As the number of casualties increased, the atmosphere in Kyoto gradually became heavy.
The people who came to collect porridge were like walking corpses, their eyes blank and lifeless, as if they had no souls left.
Earlier in the autumn, Liu Qingqing went to see the farmland.
There is still a lot of wasteland on the surrounding hillsides, which is not very suitable for growing grain, but some medicinal herbs are not so picky.
After thinking about it, she took the initiative to see the princess, which was quite unusual for her.
If the wasteland is temporarily allocated to refugees for cultivation, the Miao medicine clinic will provide the land.
Mud-brick houses aren't expensive, and they're quick to build.
They were then allowed to build their own small huts next to the newly cultivated medicinal herb fields.
If the refugees are settled near the medicinal herb fields, they will have something to do and hope for the future, and they can gradually start a new life, which will reduce the number of people causing trouble.
She could cover the initial funding.
However, even if she were to give away all her wealth, it would be a drop in the ocean, and she would still need to pool her resources and efforts.
Liu Qingqing discussed this matter with the old lady and Aunt Jia. They all praised her for her concern for the people and unanimously asked her to take the lead in doing something, while they would cooperate from behind.
Although she was reluctant to see the princess, the matter was of great importance, and there was no reason not to take advantage of the shortcut. She still sent her visiting card, then handed over the letter and explained the matter.
After discussing it with the prince, the princess entrusted the matter to Liu Qingqing.
Since returning to the capital, Liu Qingqing has not come to see the Princess.
Upon seeing her daughter face to face again, Yingyi's eyes were brimming with tears. How could she not respond?
As Liu Qingqing was about to leave, the princess couldn't help but call out to her, "Qingqing, stay and have lunch with us."
Upon hearing this, Liu Qingqing paused, but bowed respectfully to her, saying, "Thank you, Your Highness, but this matter is very urgent."
After saying that, he gracefully departed.
Yingyi watched her daughter's figure gradually disappear into the distance, feeling a deep emptiness in her heart.
She did wrong because of her own selfish desires, and eventually suffered retribution.
Has her daughter... completely lost her bond with her?
Liu Qingqing was unaware of Ying Yi's thoughts; she was very busy.
With winter approaching, people are more susceptible to colds. It would be bad if too many patients accumulated and it turned into an epidemic.
This needs to be done as soon as possible.
Liu Qingqing and Xie Wanyan worked together, and fortunately, Xie Lang and Wei Mingzhao's reputations were extremely useful, so the matter was carried out smoothly.
Initially, some people had doubts, but somehow the news leaked out that Madam Xie and Madam Wei were the very people who had distributed porridge under the guise of Jinshan Temple.
Some curious people went to the temple to verify this and received confirmation.
What are we waiting for? We've got a great opportunity to settle down in the capital! They were just afraid of being tricked by officials and wealthy families and working for nothing.
Food supplies were continuously transported to the front lines.
Having this busyness distracted Liu Qingqing, who found it somewhat better.
More than a month has passed, and things are on track, but there's still no news of Xie Lang...
With nothing to do, Liu Qingqing often drifted into a daze, feeling restless and uneasy.
For the first few months, Liu Qingqing lived in the small courtyard she had bought before, but as the situation became more complicated, the courtyard, although close to the government office, was not considered safe.
The old lady and Aunt Jia made a special trip to pick her up and take her back to the Marquis's residence.
Afraid that she would be embarrassed, he directly offered her a way out.
“The Wei residence isn’t safe either. We’ll take Wanyan and her two children back together later. You’re together every day, keeping each other company, and you also need to do things together, right?”
Touched, Liu Qingqing returned to the Marquis's residence.
We returned to Jialan Garden.
Granny Li and the others hurried off to get busy. Qingju went to the small kitchen to start a fire, while Zhao Pansheng and Lin Mei went to tidy up the main room.
Liu Qingqing looked around and strolled around the courtyard, finding everything the same as before.
She entered the main room, only to find that Granny Li seemed hesitant to speak. Following her gaze, she saw the brocade shoes covered in mud placed on a separate high table.
As time went by, the wet mud on the shoes dried and cracked, settling on the table.
Seeing her lost in thought, Granny Li came over and whispered, "We all thought Miss was no longer alive. The master refused to acknowledge her and locked himself in the main room for several days, his eyes fixed on these brocade shoes. That's when the master became so thin."
Looking at the smoke rising from the small kitchen roof, Granny Li couldn't help but feel melancholy. "I wonder what the situation is like up ahead now. Why haven't we heard a single word from them?"
After saying this, he noticed Liu Qingqing was in a daze and quickly slapped his mouth, "Don't listen to this old servant's nonsense, don't listen to this old servant's nonsense. Your Excellency is a lucky man, and Heaven will protect you!"
These days, with Xie Lang not by my side, letters have been arriving frequently, almost one every other day.
At first, Liu Qingqing didn't think much of it, after all, they had been separated for more than half a year and she had adapted well.
I only occasionally wake up from a dream and touch my side, only to find it empty, but I turn over and fall asleep again.
Later, the correspondence gradually decreased.
She also found herself waking up for longer periods of time in the middle of the night.
Now, Liu Qingqing lies on the bed, reaching out to touch Yuehe, but she can't fall asleep no matter what.
Every time I dream, I see him shot and wounded, covered in blood, gazing at her with tears in his eyes.
When will he be back?
She actually...missed him a little.
One day, a disturbance broke out in the capital.
It is said that the high command of the Northern Qiang army has been poisoned by some unknown substance, and the generals are gradually falling ill. Our army has won a great victory, capturing fifty cities in succession.
The bad news was that after the army's supervising officer, Lord Xie, fought with the top general of the Northern Qiang, they both tumbled down a cliff, were hit by several arrows, and disappeared without a trace.
When the Marquis's residence received the news, the women were having dinner together.
The war dragged on, and the men in the family were at a loss, creating a tense atmosphere.
The old lady was easygoing; this was how it was when she joined the army.
In times of war, they live on the edge of a knife.
She has been through a lot, and has long since forged an iron will and a strong character.
But the two young girls were different; their faces showed an even deeper sorrow.
Just as they finished their meal and were about to get up, Xie Liu rushed over, his face pale with anxiety.
Xie Liu has always been elusive and unpredictable; when has he ever acted like this?
Liu Qingqing's heart skipped a beat when she saw him. Before she knew it, Xie Liu had walked up to them and knelt down with a thud.
All of them stood up.
"What is it?"
"Has something happened?"
Xie Liu choked up, his voice trembling, "A letter from the front lines says that while pursuing the enemy, you fell off a cliff with them and are now nowhere to be found."
"My lord? Which lord?"
Everyone asked anxiously.
"Lord Xie Lang."
The tension that had been building in Liu Qingqing's heart for days snapped in an instant. She felt dizzy and lightheaded, and she didn't even know when she fell down or who caught her before she was completely still.
It felt as if a giant hand was gripping her fragile heart, making it hard for her to breathe.
When Xie Wanyan wiped away her tears with tears in her eyes, she realized that her feelings for Xie Lang were more than just a trial.
frontier.
An ordinary mountaintop was soaked with layers of blood, obscuring the original color of the rocks and soil.
The greatest general of the Northern Qiang was a man of the eldest prince, named Tulan.
He was the strongest warrior of the Northern Qiang, with a physique as imposing as a small mountain. Contrary to the rumors of him being a simpleton, he was extremely cunning.
When Xie Lang kicked Turan off the cliff, Turan nimbly spun in mid-air, grabbed Xie Lang's leg, and pulled him down with him!
Turan's triumphant laughter echoed through the air.
"It would be worth it to exchange my life for Lord Xie's! Anyway, I won't live for more than a few days!"
After being startled, Xie Lang immediately turned around, grabbed the spear in Turan's hand, and used it as a cushion beneath him.
The rocks were jagged and strange. The two men hit a boulder and bounced off, each landing on a different side.
Suddenly, Xie Lang heard a sound coming from the hair. He barely managed to lift his head and saw Tu Lan struggling to get up, spitting out his broken tooth to the side, and then picking up a stone next to him and heading towards him.
"They're still alive after all this?"
Xie Lang barely managed to support himself with his sword, turned his face away, spat out blood and saliva, and couldn't help but curse.
This person is like a bear, with thick, fleshy flesh!
Xie Lang's hands trembled as if he could not grip the hilt of the sword.
Turan even picked up a stone and jogged a few steps, while Xie Lang looked exhausted from the fight.
His cheeks were splattered with blood, and he had cuts on his forehead and jaw.
Compared to Turan's bear-like physique, Xie Lang was more like an immortal.
So what if he's a celestial lord?
Turan sneered and shouted as he lunged at Xie Lang.
Xie Lang moved swiftly to the side to dodge, but accidentally stepped on some gravel and fell to the ground.
In the blink of an eye, Turan had followed closely behind, kicking away the longsword and then grabbing Xie Lang's shoulder before swinging the stone in his hand.
The stone was sharp as a knife on all sides. If it were to fall heavily, one would either die instantly or have their brains splattered out!
But at that moment, Xie Lang suddenly revealed a dagger in his sleeve and plunged it straight into Turan's neck!
A sharp pain shot through him, and Turan froze instantly.
"Heh...heh heh..."
Hot blood splattered all over Xie Lang's face again, and Turan, clutching his neck, slammed into Xie Lang. Blood flowed like a babbling brook from between Turan's fingers.
I never expected that Lord Xie, with his gentlemanly demeanor, would have such a hidden trick up his sleeve.
Xie Lang pushed Tulan away. Tulan stared intently at Xie Lang, his eyes bloodshot, seemingly extremely resentful.
"Lord Lao Xie told me something."
Xie Lang glanced at him.
"Lord Xie is quite shrewd; he spared Fu Xiuzhu's life and allowed him to return."
Blood gushed from Turan's mouth as he spoke with difficulty, his amber eyes wide open. "Lord Laoshe, tell me... the truth, why all our generals have been poisoned by this strange poison."
"That was a gift from Fu Xiuzhu to your generals."
Xie Lang said calmly.
So that's how it is.
Turan hadn't expected it to be so simple; he grinned silently.
But his eyes were not closed, as if he died with his eyes open.
In an instant, all life ceased.
Xie Lang bent down to wipe his eyes, but when he raised his hand, the already dim eyes were still wide open.
He truly died with his eyes wide open in disbelief.
Such a loyal man is an honest and upright opponent, yet he was betrayed by a foolish and incompetent ruler.
It's such a pity.
After doing all that, Xie Lang was exhausted.
Exhausted, I lay on the uneven pebbles, feeling as if my whole body was being torn apart.
He looked up at the sky, and it started to rain. This reminded him of the first time after their marriage when he was tricked by the Governor-General of Huguang and was stuck in the mud, unable to move. But he survived because he ate the pastries she gave him.
I'm reminded of the rain that caused me to fall off the cliff.
What is she doing now? Does she miss him these days?
Today's setup will lure Turan into a trap, and victory is within reach.
But it seems he can never go back...
She finally forgave him, returned to the Marquis's mansion, returned to their home, and finally softened her attitude towards him.
I really hate to part with it...
It really hurts...
If she saw this, she might genuinely feel sorry for him.
But then she thought of her red eyes. She looked like a hedgehog, but she was actually the softest-hearted person.
Forget it, if I don't want her to cry, I'll just let her not see it.
Will she think of me in the future?
Will you blame him for breaking his promise?
My eyelids felt heavy, and rainwater mixed with blood flowed into my eyes, turning my vision a blood red.
Xie Lang slowly closed his eyes.
[Author's Note]
Next chapter preview:
"Xie Lang, you're all I have left."
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