Chapter 103 Descending the Mountain My only wish in this life is to be with Your Highness. ...
The night was deep, with only a faint trace of moonlight. The area below the cliff was pitch black. Chen Liangyu, holding only a short sword with eagle and cloud patterns, plunged it into the crevice of the rock and gritted his teeth as he climbed up from the bottom of the cliff.
Even with her skillful lightness technique, the eagle-patterned short sword still managed to chip and warp.
Chen Liangyu climbed over the cliff, her throat parched. She untied the water pouch from her waist, took a swig, and swallowed. She pulled out an oil paper package from her bosom, cradled it in her palm, and unwrapped it. Inside were several broken pieces of lotus root candy. "I bought these in the town southeast of the North Suburb Camp. It's a pity they got crushed while climbing..."
Just as she was feeling regretful that she hadn't been able to bring Xie Wenjun a whole piece of lotus root candy, a slender figure stumbled and fell into her arms.
Her waist was wrapped very tightly.
With sugar crumbs all over her hands, Chen Liangyu was afraid that the sugar stains would stain Xie Wenjun's moon-white silk dress, so she subconsciously raised her hands and spread her arms out to Xie Wenjun's sides.
A sudden gust of wind rose from the cliff, sending sugar crumbs flying wildly.
Only the faint lights of the distant Taihuang Temple illuminated the precipice; she was surrounded by darkness, unable to see Xie Wenjun's face. Xie Wenjun couldn't see her either.
In the wind, the sweetness of lotus root candy mingled with the lingering aroma of fermented rice wine in the wild fence courtyard.
So close, she looked down, her lover within arm's reach.
All that remained before Chen Liangyu was the empty wooden house and the person in her arms. She dared not disturb anything, as if the person in her arms were a startled bird.
Even though they had once shared the deepest and most intimate moments, Xie Wenjun's every approach still made her heart tremble involuntarily.
Chen Liangyu thought that she would always be moved by her.
Until the warm heart in my chest stops beating.
Xie Wenjun still had the hideously ugly willow hairpin she had carved tucked into her hair. She kept thinking of carving a better one for her, but kept putting it off. She kept putting it off, and then it was time to go to war again, and she could only wait for her next return.
Chen Liangyu needed to return to the northern suburban camp before dawn. She had sneaked over after nightfall, and by the time she climbed up from the bottom of the cliff it was already midnight. She would only stay briefly on the mountain before turning back. She didn't have much time left; just enough to see Xie Wenjun one last time, just enough to catch a glimpse of her.
Xie Wenjun seemed to have timed it perfectly. After cuddling with Chen Liangyu for a while, she led her to sit together on the wooden tub that Monk Jingjue was drying. She picked up a slightly larger piece of candy wrapped in oil paper from Chen Liangyu's hand, put it in her mouth, and praised it, saying, "Delicious." It was worth bringing it all the way here.
Chen Liangyu said, "I tried it, and it doesn't taste as good as the candy from that shop in Liangxi City."
"It was brought by you, all is well. When will we set off?"
"At three-quarters past dawn today," Chen Liangyu said, "The Emperor of Beiyong has passed away. His death was timely. Zhai Ji is busy seizing the throne. Otherwise, given his nature of wanting chaos, he would have taken advantage of the chaos in our dynasty to garrison troops in the north and gather a bunch of insignificant rebels. At most, I would have returned in six months. I do not want to leave without saying goodbye, so I must come to see you."
When Xie Wenjun brushed away the sugar crumbs blown off Chen Liangyu's black iron wrist guards, she noticed that Chen Liangyu's palms were covered in bloodstains from being rubbed by the rough cliff rocks.
Chen Liangyu quickly hid her hands behind her back, saying, "It's nothing, just a little scratch."
"It needs to be dealt with."
Xie Wenjun put down the candy wrapper and searched for something among the wooden house, the stove, and the wooden barrels and jars of wine.
Suddenly, she spotted a wine jar, took Chen Liangyu's hand, and walked over to it.
Chen Liangyu then realized that the wooden house and fenced yard were actually where Taihuang Temple brewed wine, which explained the strong smell of alcohol in the air. Some sorghum wine remained at the bottom of the jar, and Xie Wenjun, soaking a handkerchief, gently wiped Chen Liangyu's wounds.
Burns to the palm are generally painful.
Chen Liangyu hissed, "Murdering your own wife?"
Does it hurt?
"It hurts."
"Bear with the pain for now," Xie Wenjun said, but her movements became even gentler.
Chen Liangyu pressed her advantage, saying, "It really hurts."
Xie Wenjun took Chen Liangyu's hand, leaned down slightly, and gently blew on the wound on her palm.
Chen Liangyu's palm suddenly contracted.
The warmth of my palm actually lessened the burning pain considerably.
"What did you just say?" Xie Wenjun suddenly asked her.
Chen Liangyu smiled. She still thought Xie Wenjun hadn't heard those words.
Chen Liangyu's heart was almost stopped beating.
"Your Highness, I wish to drink the fruit wine you brewed yourself."
Xie Wenjun agreed, "Alright. From now on, for every year you go on a campaign, I will personally brew a jar of fruit wine and bury it for you, okay?"
"Just one jar?"
"Just one jar."
“I am a little greedier than you think. I not only want the fruit wine that Your Highness brewed by hand, but also…” Chen Liangyu nervously swallowed, “…the Heqin wine.”
"In this lifetime, I only wish to be with Your Highness."
"Once the world is at peace, Your Highness, would you please brew the finest fruit wine and wait for me to come and marry you?"
Chen Liangyu had been preparing for this trip, even reciting several pretentious poems and essays to her under the bright moonlight.
The preparations were very thorough, but I forgot to look up.
There is no moon in the sky tonight.
She couldn't even recite her poems. All that remained were these few sincere and simple words.
That was all she wanted to say to Xie Wenjun.
"Once the world is at peace and the flames of war have ceased, I will accompany Your Highness on an inspection tour of the fields, traveling across the vast land. We will go to the shops in Liangxi City to buy candy, go hunting in the dense forests of the northern border, and visit Jingrong. May my sister-in-law sit in the high hall and officiate our wedding?"
Chen Liangyu heard the crisp sound of the copper bells on the eaves of the main hall of Taihuang Temple, and the sound of the imperial guards changing shifts coming from the front.
"I have to go now."
The clanging of the imperial guards' armor startled crows that filled the mountainside.
Gao Guan arrived before Jiang Andong because Xi Qing threw a tantrum and tried to stop Jiang Andong for a while, but couldn't hold him off for long, and now he arrived overnight.
Frosting also clung to Chen Liangyu's eyelashes, and Xie Wenjun raised her hand to wipe it away with her fingertips. "Be careful in everything you do..."
Before she could finish speaking, she was swallowed by a kiss that was slightly cool.
Gao Guan, who was guarding the entrance and exit of the back mountain, heard the commotion and heard someone arguing with him. The person who could shout and curse at Gao Guan was undoubtedly Jiang Andong, the commander of the Imperial Guards.
Lips and teeth separated.
Chen Liangyu said, "I will descend the mountain today. I will wait outside the city until Your Highness returns safely to your residence before I leave."
Chen Liangyu tucked a stray strand of Xie Wenjun's hair behind her ear and then looked at her face one last time. It seemed as if this one glance was meant to see through all the vicissitudes of life and to transcend the years to stay with her forever.
Gao Guan's voice grew louder and louder. He was the type to compensate for a lack of imposing presence by raising his voice, trying to appear as arrogant and domineering as possible. Clearly, he had already lost ground in his confrontation with Jiang Andong.
Chen Liangyu said, "I'm leaving."
She hid behind the wooden house, found a steep slope, and planned to jump down the way she came.
“Ah Li.”
Chen Liangyu turned around and looked at her one last time.
"It's a deal," Xie Wenjun said. "I'll brew the finest fruit wine and wait for you to come and marry me."
She wished to have Chen Liangyu by her side for the rest of her life.
But the rest of my life is too short to stay with her forever.
"I also want you to promise me that a hundred years from now, we will be buried in the same coffin."
May we live forever and ever, until death do us part.
The Imperial Guards lit torches and began searching the back of the mountain.
Chen Liangyu stood at the edge of the cliff, her hair disheveled by the wind. She opened her arms and said, "Hug me."
Hug me one more time.
The torches of the Imperial Guards illuminated the fenced courtyard, and Chen Liangyu's figure disappeared below the cliff.
Xie Wenjun put the packet of lotus root candy into her clothes, and the Imperial Guards surrounded the fenced courtyard with torches. Rong Jun stood in front of Xie Wenjun, his hand on his sword.
Jiang Andong looked down the cliff and shouted, "Search the bottom of the cliff!"
A group of imperial guards detached themselves and descended the mountain from the temple, heading towards the bottom of the cliff.
Xie Wenjun sat on the edge of the cliff behind the wooden house, "Jiang Andong, I think you're tired of living."
Jiang Andong then bowed and greeted the Princess. "This humble official greets the Princess. Whom does the Princess wish to see at this late hour?"
Rong Jun immediately drew his sword. "Is Commander Jiang questioning the Princess?"
"This humble official dares not."
You dare to do that!
Xie Wenjun stood up from the edge of the cliff, and Rong Jun quickly placed his body between her and the high cliff. A piece of loose rock at their feet was accidentally kicked off and rolled down the cliff.
Xie Wenjun said, "The Empress Dowager's rituals are complete. Rongjun, prepare the carriages and horses to return to the manor."
Rong Jun summoned two Changning Guards dressed in chainmail and gave them his orders.
The imperial guards drew their swords and stopped the soldier leading the horse.
Jiang Andong stepped forward and reported, "Your Highness, His Majesty has not yet ordered the Imperial Guards to withdraw and return to the palace."
Xie Wenjun gave a cold laugh. "Then Commander Jiang will remain here and await the Emperor's decree. I will take my leave first."
Xie Wenjun walked out step by step.
Although the Imperial Guards were holding swords, they only dared to stand in front of Xie Wenjun and retreat step by step.
Xie Wenjun took a step forward, and the Imperial Guards took a step back.
"I will descend the mountain today and see if Commander-in-Chief Jiang can stop me."
Jiang Andong shouted, "Gao Guan, why aren't you stopping him!"
Gao Guan didn't even draw his sword, just held onto the hilt. "It's none of my business. The Emperor didn't issue an order for me to stop the Princess from going down the mountain."
"Then what are you doing here?"
"I heard that someone went missing from your Northern Office, so I came to find them for you."
"If someone goes missing from the Northern Office, do you need to find them for me?"
This is exactly what I wanted to hear; I was just waiting for Jiang Andong to say it.
Gao Guan said, "I don't need to look for you? Who cares about your business? You're not even grateful. If I don't need to look for you, I'm leaving."
He then withdrew the guards on the left and right sides of the back mountain.
Chen Liangyu clung to the cliff face, hiding in a hollow.
As the noise subsided, she climbed the vines along the cliff edge, carefully finding the right slope, and leaped down the cliff step by step.
Gao Guan ordered the elite guards to withdraw, but did not rush down the mountain. The Right Guard led the way, while the Left Guard rode in a circle around Xie Wenjun.
Jiang Andong squeezed in front of Gao Guan, grabbed his collar, and hissed angrily in a low voice, "Gao Guan, what do you mean?"
Gao Guan also grabbed Jiang Andong's collar, "It doesn't mean anything. The Princess is returning to her residence, and the Imperial Guards are returning to the palace. They can travel together on the way and look out for each other."
"His Majesty has not ordered the Princess to return to her residence!"
"Has His Majesty issued an order forbidding the Princess from returning to her residence?"
Jiang Andong was dumbfounded for a moment.
Gao Guan pried his fingers off and freed himself from the pliers that were holding his collar. "Then it's settled? The funeral rites for Empress Huixian are already finished. If the Princess doesn't return to the manor, does she intend to live on the mountain from now on and become a nun at the Taihuang Temple?"
The warrior monks of Taihuang Temple were pinned to the side of the road by Changning Guards, who held swords at their sides, rendering them unable to move. The personal guards, clad in chainmail, carried torches and cleared a path along the stone steps and mountain road.
Xie Wenjun walked outside Yongning Palace, stood on a high place, and glanced at the serpentine fire dragon below.
"Welcome back to the palace, Princess!"
...
With both the Changning Guard and the Left and Right Valiant Guards present, Jiang Andong could not stop them no matter what.
The further they went outside the temple, the more the Imperial Guards were at a disadvantage.
Jiang Andong, in a fit of impatience, chopped down a bunch of branches from the trees by the roadside. He clenched his fists and cursed Gao Guan, that bastard, in his heart. Fortunately, the situation wasn't hopeless; several hundred imperial guards were still lying in wait at the mountain pass leading to the town at the foot of the mountain.
The mud on the mountain road was left unattended. The boots of hundreds of soldiers had trampled it, turning it into a muddy sludge that resembled a quagmire, making it easy for vehicle wheels to get stuck.
Xie Wenjun simply ordered his men to remove the carriage shafts and rode down the mountain on horseback.
Yuan Rong and Dai Qing each mounted a horse.
The road was lined with cliffs and precipices, so marching at night required extreme caution. The group descended the mountain very slowly, and by the time they reached the pass leading to the town at the foot of the mountain, it was already 3:45 AM.
Upon reaching the pass, Jiang Andong felt a chill run down his spine.
Xi Qing, leading a group of rough and unruly men, waited there, shouting that they wanted to welcome them with utmost respect. The imperial guards lying in ambush were thrown into disarray by their commotion.
The group passed through the mountain pass, and ahead lay a flat valley entrance. The town was not far ahead.
Xi Qing looked on anxiously until he saw the person riding on horseback behind Xie Wenjun, and only then did he feel a little relieved.
The Ximano people shouted even more joyfully.
Xi Qing shouted, "Shut up, you'll frighten Ke Zun."
This only made them more excited. They brandished their machetes and hammers and shouted even louder, their voices echoing through the mountain pass and hurting people's ears.
Xi Qing laughed loudly and went to help Dai Qing take her horse.
Yuanrong laughed so hard on horseback that she couldn't straighten up, which embarrassed Daiqing so much that she complained to Xie Wenjun, "Your Highness, look at Yuanrong. After I leave, Your Highness will be arranging a marriage for you, so go ahead and laugh."
Yuan Rong burst into laughter: "I won't marry him. I want to stay with His Highness."
Xiqing chattered away in the grassland dialect with Daiqing, looking at Xie Wenjun with expectant eyes. Daiqing blushed.
Xie Wenjun understood the word "marriage".
Xi Qing asked Princess Jiangning if she could immediately act as their witness upon descending the mountain.
Xie Wenjun nodded and said, "Granted."
Xi Qing, speaking in broken Central Plains dialect, said, "Thank you, Your Highness." He then pulled out an ivory plaque with gold trim and placed it back in Dai Qing's hand, telling her to keep it safe. It was the very plaque that Xie Wenjun had instructed the monk Jingjue to give to Xi Qing.
When delivering the token, Daiqing also gave Xiqing a note: "Wait for me to come down the mountain and pick me up at the end of May, otherwise I won't marry you."
If she doesn't get married, that would be terrible.
Yongdu has plenty to eat and drink, wine and meat, so there's no rush to go back to the grasslands.
Xi Qing never expected that her younger brother would die for her. Overwhelmed with grief, someone else said that to express Da Lin's remorse, Dai Qing would give Xi Manuo six books on farming, water conservancy, iron casting, pottery making, tailoring, and commerce when she got married.
These six books are the foundation upon which the Central Plains established its nation.
With these, more people in their tribe were able to survive.
The people and horses emerged from the valley and spread out along the flat pipes, heading towards the capital.
On the drill ground of Beidaying, the assembled soldiers, dressed in military uniforms and wielding swords, bows, and arrows, their armor gleaming coldly in the pale light of dawn. Military flags fluttered wildly.
Chen Liangyu stood at the highest point, wearing a black cloak and eagle-head armor, gazing at Shangyong City from the hilltop. In her palm lay the tiger tally for mobilizing troops.
As the first rays of dawn broke through the clouds, she saw a procession stretching for miles slowly making its way from the direction of Taihuang Temple.
That was Xie Wenjun's carriage on her return journey.
At 1:15 AM, the troops rode onto the long street, and three signal flares were fired from the city wall of Yongdu.
It means everything is going smoothly.
At 3:45 AM, Chen Liangyu promptly mounted the Jade Lion's back, pulled on the reins, and the Jade Lion let out a long neigh.
Behind them, the massive army resembled layers of dark, raging waves.
She turned back to look in the direction of Yongdu, a hint of tenderness flashing in her eyes. Then, she continued westward.
Author's Note: Thanks to Gu Ji Qian Shui. Apologies for the slow typing speed. Enjoy reading! [Orange Candy]
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