Death of Song Hu
The chill of the early morning was like a layer of gauze, wrapping the small courtyard deep in the narrow alley of the capital.
The flames in the stove greedily licked the black bottom of the pot. The orange halo danced in the low kitchen, illuminating Song Yaoer's still childish profile.
She squatted in front of the stove, adding firewood carefully. Her mother, Chen, stood in front of the chopping board with a hunched back, breaking up the hard-wheat bread left over from last night and throwing it into the boiling porridge, making noises as the spoon stirred it.
The wooden door of the main hall creaked, and Song Hu emerged, rubbing his aching neck. He wasn't tall, but had a sturdy frame and a dignified appearance. He was dressed in a half-worn dark brown military uniform and looked to be in his thirties or forties.
He first called out "Dad" vaguely to Old Man Song who was chopping wood in the corner of the yard, and then walked to the kitchen door.
"Is the meal ready?" He glanced at the porridge in the pot.
"That's good." Chen responded without raising her head, scooped out a few large bowls of thick porridge, and brought a small plate of black pickled vegetables to the small table in the main hall.
The whole family gathered around. Old Man Song drank his porridge silently, while the old lady took small sips. Song Hu's younger brother Song Bao, with a sleepy look on his young face, haphazardly picked up the food in the bowl.
Song Yaoer sat beside her mother with her eyes lowered, drinking porridge in small sips. Occasionally, she secretly raised her eyes and glanced at her father's sullen face. There was a boy next to her, Song Yaoer's younger brother, who was only a few years old.
Song Hu ate very quickly and scraped the porridge in the bowl clean in a few mouthfuls. He put down the bowl. The sound of the rough porcelain hitting the wooden table was not loud, but it made Chen's hand tremble, and the pickles on the chopsticks fell back into the plate.
Song Hu wiped the corner of his mouth with his rough fingers and his eyes fell on the top of his daughter's head.
"I'm thinking, I should tell Captain Wang about Yao'er."
Chen raised her head, her lips trembling. "Master, Miss Yao is only fifteen, and Captain Wang is even older than you. His family has had several wives! How can this be a second marriage?"
Song Hu's face immediately darkened. He slammed his chopsticks on the table with a "bang", causing the dishes to jump. Song Yaoer was so scared that she shrank her shoulders and buried her head even lower.
"Fifteen is not young anymore! Which girl doesn't get married at this age?" Song Hu glanced at his younger brother who was eating with his head down.
"How good do you think our family is? Open your eyes and take a look! Leopard is getting old, shouldn't he be looking for a partner? Shouldn't he spend money?"
He grew increasingly angry as he spoke, stabbing the table with his finger. "My whole family depends on my salary! Captain Wang is my immediate superior! If I could establish a connection with him, how many things would go more smoothly?"
Chen's face turned from gray to liver color, her chest heaving violently. She wanted to say something, her lips moved a few times, but in the end, she couldn't utter a word.
The main room was dead silent. Even Song Bao put down his chopsticks. Old Master Song sighed heavily.
Seeing that his wife had lost her temper, Song Hu snorted heavily.
"It's settled!"
He threw these words away, no longer looking at anyone, turned around, grabbed the sword hanging behind the door, tied it around his waist, and strode out of the door.
The dishes were piled up in a mess on the table. Song Yaoer walked to the table and started to clean up the dishes. She didn't dare to look at her mother. She just gently stacked the dishes together and went to the kitchen to wash them so that her mother wouldn't have to work so hard.
Everyone left, and Chen stood up, groping and continuing to work. The needle and thread in her hand had somehow changed and she couldn't thread the needle.
The sun was setting in the west, stretching the shadow of the palace wall long and cold. Song Hu held the hilt of the sword at his waist, standing guard in the familiar palace gate corridor.
Several guards wearing the same uniforms gathered not far away. Their voices were neither too loud nor too soft, just loud enough to be heard clearly.
"Oh, isn't this Master Song from our East Palace? Wow, this leather is so clean after washing, it's so shiny!" A man with a pointed chin and monkey cheeks crossed his arms, glanced at Song Hu sideways, and spoke in a strange tone.
A fat man nearby chuckled and said, "Of course, who is Mr. Song? Back in the East Palace, he was a respectable man who could have a say in front of the Crown Prince! Unlike us, we are born to work hard and this is the end of our lives."
"Talk? Haha!" Another tall and thin man laughed exaggeratedly, "Of course, but it's a pity that where is the prince talking now? In the Western Garden? I'm afraid if he talks there, he won't even hear an echo!"
The laughter pierced Song Hu's ears like needles. He stared at the gaps in the blue bricks under his feet, as if he wanted to stare through the stone.
The fuss was about to start. This job, the salary that the whole family depended on for survival... He closed his eyes, swallowed his saliva, and said nothing.
The night was like thick ink, completely soaking the palace.
The time for the night watch had passed, and only their team of former East Palace guards were left in the deep corridor. Some of them leaned against the cold palace wall, their eyelids twitching.
Suddenly, there was a sound of approaching footsteps. It was their former captain in the East Palace, whose surname was Sun.
Captain Sun's face could not be seen clearly in the dim light, only his eyes were frighteningly bright. There were shadows behind him, and it seemed that there were several dark figures following him.
"Everyone, cheer up!" Captain Sun's voice was hoarse, with a kind of suppressed excitement, "Brothers! The days of hardship are over, and great wealth is right before our eyes!"
He stepped forward and said, "Follow me if you have the guts! Let's go to the West Garden and bring back our Crown Prince! Tonight is the night to fulfill the mission of supporting the Dragon! Glory and wealth are within your reach!"
Welcome back the prince? The prince is not...
Some stared with wide eyes, some with flickering eyes, and some subconsciously shrank back. An old soldier, who was usually a little timid, trembled with trembling lips and a trembling voice: "Captain, this, this is a death sentence..."
Before he could even utter the word "behead", a knife was stabbed into his stomach.
Captain Sun was drawing back his bloody sword. There were a few drops of blood on his face, but his expression was as ferocious as a demon crawling out of hell.
He used the bloody tip of the knife to poke the pale faces of all the remaining people one by one: "Those who are willing to leave, we will share the wealth and honor! Those who are not willing."
He kicked the corpse at his feet, "This is what happens! Choose now!"
In just a moment, Song Hu took a step forward and stepped on the edge of the slippery pool of blood: "I'll do it!"
"Count me in!"
"Follow the team!"
The cold night wind scraped across my face like a knife. The familiar palace wall alleys had become dangerous, and I might run into an ambush at every turn.
A loud shout came from the front: "Who is it? Stop!"
Captain Sun roared, "Kill them!"
Song Hu didn't even think about the long-standing humiliation, the bitter ridicule during the day, and the embarrassing situation at home...
All of this made him the first to pounce! He didn't even see the other person fall down before he turned to the next target.
He didn't know how many he had killed, three? Five? More?
Finally, the chaotic sounds of fighting faded behind them, and the view ahead suddenly opened up to a relatively spacious courtyard. Under the halo of lantern light, a figure in bright yellow uniform, surrounded by a group of court officials, walked quickly forward.
"Prince! It's the Prince!" Captain Sun's voice was filled with ecstasy.
Song Hu and everyone else fell to their knees. He was at the front of the procession of hundreds of men. He looked up, greedily gazing at the figure surrounded by the crowd, his heart pounding wildly in his chest. It had happened! It had truly happened! The Western Garden had been conquered, and the Crown Prince had been rescued! The merit of supporting the Dragon! Imposing wealth and honor!
Yao'er, Daddy has earned a bright future for you! You don't have to serve that old man anymore. Daddy will find you a great and wealthy family!
"Protect the emperor and go to the Purple Palace!" The voice of an official sounded.
The crowd surged again, guarding the bright yellow, and headed towards the Zichen Hall deep in the palace. Song Hu followed closely behind. There was still sporadic resistance along the way, but he swung the knife in his hand more fiercely. Anyone who blocked his way would die!
The majestic outline of the Purple Palace finally appeared before their eyes. After the Crown Prince and his loyal ministers entered, the Eastern Palace guards and other soldiers stood guard outside the door.
I don’t know how long it took, so long that Song Hu’s blood almost ran cold.
Suddenly, a faint chanting sounded from within the hall, penetrating the heavy palace door and echoing across the square: "Crown Prince Ning Yanqing... wise and accomplished, courteous and helpful to his ministers... he will succeed the great foundation and ascend the throne..."
It's done! The decree has been issued! The new emperor has ascended the throne!
The huge ecstasy was like a huge wave that instantly submerged him and washed away all his fatigue. Everyone was intoxicated as if they had drunk fine wine.
Song Hu straightened his back. He must have killed six or seven people tonight. His bravery was no less than any other soldier. The prince would surely reward such a loyal minister and capable general like him!
A bright future seemed to be unfolding before his eyes: a brand new official robe, generous rewards, the awe-inspiring gazes of his colleagues, and the proud smiles of his family...
Yao'er was married in a grand ceremony in a bright red wedding gown. He grinned, and the blood clots on his face were moved, which stung a little, but it couldn't stop the excitement that surged from the bottom of his heart.
To complete the affairs of the king and the world and win fame in life, this is what a real man should do.
At this peak of ecstasy, when his whole body and soul were bathed in the supreme glory brought by the reading of the edict.
puff!
With an extremely slight penetrating sound, an unimaginable force pierced through his armor. He looked down and saw it was an arrow. He could even feel his heart twitching against the iron.
The magnificent Purple Palace before him, the happiness of reading the imperial edict were covered in scarlet. Large streams of liquid with a sweet and fishy taste of rust surged in his throat, blocking all his sounds, and his vision quickly blurred uncontrollably.
The strength in his body was drained away in an instant, and he fell straight forward like a piece of rotten wood, his body hitting the blood-stained stone slabs in the square in front of the palace. Before he fell into darkness, the last thing he saw was countless pairs of military boots, passing over his still warm body and rushing towards the closed door of the Zichen Palace.
The shouts of killing, the clash of weapons, and the howling of the dying broke out again, but he was dead.
He has not yet enjoyed the benefits of serving the emperor, nor has he experienced the wealth and glory of the world. He has not waited for his son to grow up, nor has he passed his position to his son. He still has a lot of things to do.
But he died.
The last thought was that he had said in the morning that he wanted to marry Yao'er to Captain Wang. This must have scared Yao'er. Would Yao'er blame him?
He doesn't know because he is dead.
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