066.Drowning
There are too many chance encounters in this world.
The owner of the bookstore is surnamed Luo, and the bookstore has been standing here for nearly forty years. Qingling is just a passer-by here, but he has also experienced a few moments of human joys and sorrows.
After selecting two travel notes, Qingling left with Shang Changheng. The sun was shining brightly as they walked down the street, but with Shang Changheng by his side, Qingling didn't feel the heat was unbearable.
"Nowadays, the handwriting in books is very neat." Shang Changheng suddenly said.
Qing Ling explained to him: "The books circulating in the market nowadays are all copied, just like rubbings, not copied by human hands."
Shang Changheng was silent for a moment, then nodded, "I see."
Qing Ling didn't take it seriously at first, but before he took two steps, he realized that Shang Changheng must have... never seen engraving. After all, in ancient Zhou Dynasty, only nobles could afford paper and pens. Even military letters were carved on wooden pieces. Bamboo slips were the most commonly used tool for recording text.
He raised his eyes and saw Shang Changheng looking at the surrounding buildings and stalls.
"Qingling." Shang Changheng asked again, "Does the current emperor still offer sacrifices to heaven?"
"Yes, we do. We offer sacrifices to the heavens at the winter solstice, to our ancestors at the end of the year, and to spring at the beginning of spring." Qingling actually learned all this from books and Yu Bo. He tilted his head and thought for a moment before adding, "It's just a prayer. No human sacrifice is needed. However, people were still sacrificed in the previous dynasty, but in the Great Xia Dynasty, it was not allowed to bury people with the dead."
"That's great." Shang Changheng glanced at the restaurant he passed by. The pavilions were tall and the eaves were exquisitely carved. He said softly, "This is what the country will be like a thousand years from now. Qingling, what do you think of Daxia?"
This question made Qingling ponder for a long time.
How about it?
There were corrupt officials and people who took human lives lightly. What Qingling had experienced along the way was not really that good, but he had also seen wise ministers like Zhou Zizhong, Miao Yuan and Zhu Lezhi who tried their best to help Princess Wang to attain reincarnation. Qingling glanced at the vendors hawking their wares and the passers-by around him. They lived a peaceful and simple life in this land.
"Not bad, isn't it?" Qing Ling retracted his gaze. "Compared to the chaotic times in the books, the current stability is so rare. Once a war breaks out, it's not just money that's burned, but also human lives."
He didn't know why Shang Changheng asked these questions, but Qingling would feel uneasy whenever he thought about the divination that Zhu Lezhi had said. Even though there is injustice in the world, there is always law and order. During the 23 years of the current emperor's reign, merchants have traveled everywhere, farmers have reduced taxes, there have been few wars, and the people are living in peace. Even if it cannot be called a prosperous age, it can be called peaceful.
Qing Ling lowered his voice and asked back: "What do you think?"
Shang Changheng looked at the bustling streets and said softly, "In the past, the Great Zhou suffered from natural disasters year after year, and the harvest was poor. In autumn, the Dongyi often invaded and plundered people. The capital was fine, but the people in the border areas... When the war was won, it was won with the flesh and blood of the soldiers and the blood of the people. When the war was lost, the soldiers shed blood in vain, and the people were taken away by the Dongyi people. They kept people in captivity and made them work day and night. If the season was bad, the captive people would be their meat and food."
His voice was low, without too much sadness or melancholy, but it was this straightforward narration that made Qingling feel as if he had seen the miserable situation of the Zhou people at that time.
Shang Changheng added: "The young men in the capital also left home for conscription. The letters received by the soldiers said that every time we fought a battle, many courtyards would be hung with white mourning clothes. No matter whether they were men or women, they could be used as food by the Dongyi people and take up arms to defend the country. Here... the land was beaten. We fought here for a long time. The mountains and plains were full of corpses, and carrion birds circled day and night. Unlike now, we wear softer clothes, eat all kinds of snacks that I have never seen before, and live such a stable life."
Qingling knew that women in the ancient Zhou Dynasty could also become generals. For example, Wei Qingxia was also a female general with military merits. Shang Changheng was right. Instead of becoming someone else's meal, they could pick up axes, swords and halberds and go to fight. The people nowadays do not have to suffer from the pain of war.
Qingling looked into the distance, to the place where heaven and earth met, as if the past and the present were meeting.
"The cycle of reincarnation in the underworld is complete. Perhaps those soldiers who fought for their country have been reincarnated." After saying this, Qingling thought of Wei Qingxia and Zuo Baichuan who were guarding the mausoleum at the foot of Huangshan Ridge. Their souls were forever imprisoned in their flesh, and even had been involved in the cause and effect of human life.
No longer able to enter the cycle of reincarnation.
Qing Ling wanted to slap himself on the mouth, he was just talking about something irrelevant. He glanced at Shang Changheng who looked calm and said softly, "I'm sorry."
"I don't blame you. It's not your fault." Shang Changheng said in a relaxed tone, "No wonder you want to live so much."
Who doesn't want to live in a peaceful world?
.
After strolling around the streets of Gujin City where vendors gathered, Qingling bought some food to bring back to the inn. Among them was a bag of crispy candies, which were crispy, sweet and lightly sweet. Qingling liked them very much and continued to eat them when he got back to the inn. He sat on a chair and chewed them with a crunching sound, his cheeks bulging.
Shang Changheng found it amusing, so he reached out and poked him while he was chewing, causing Qing Ling to almost bite his cheek. He glanced at Shang Changheng angrily.
"You..." Qing Ling hesitated, "I'll cook this for you, can you eat it?"
Shang Changheng was stunned for a moment, then shook his head, "My current appearance... is different from that of others. I am just maintaining the appearance I had before I died. Clothes can cover my body, but incense and food will... turn into something similar to Yin Qi, which I can use. I can't taste it."
Qingling rarely wanted to share the candy with him, so he said "oh" with some regret.
"But there is a way."
Shang Changheng changed the subject.
Qing Ling looked over again and asked with his eyes "What method?"
The next moment, Shang Changheng's face came closer. He leaned over, held Qingling's face, and said slowly, "You are my wife, the link between me and the world of the living. Qingling, I can taste you."
It was hard to tell whether what he said was true or not, and Qing Ling's mind went blank as he was so close to Shang Changheng and his cold breath. He uttered "ah" and hesitated: "Then...then..."
He felt Shang Changheng's hand touching his lower back. It was a hand that was used to wielding a long sword. It could easily hold his waist, very... powerfully.
"I want to try it." Shang Changheng relied on his handsome face to say this openly, and his tone seemed to be coaxing, calling out again and again: "Qingling, Qingling..."
Being called by a ghost like this is really a scary thing, but Shang Changheng no longer looks like a ghost. Although his eyes are still gloomy and cold, at least when facing Qingling, he will restrain some of his sinister and malicious expression.
Qingling was made even more confused by the soft and gentle call and nodded randomly.
In fact, Shang Changheng could have kissed him directly. He did all this just to tease Qingling. Another selfish reason was that he found that Qingling was very fond of his face. With the advantage in appearance, Shang Changheng sold his sex appeal without hesitation. Seeing Qingling's absent-minded look, he grabbed the back of his head and kissed him on the lips.
Qing Ling was still holding a piece of crispy candy in his hand, which had dropped onto the table at some point. He put his arms around Shang Changheng's neck, unable to control his emotions.
This evil ghost had forced him without any explanation and wanted to kill him all the time, but it was also because of this evil ghost that Qingling was alive to this day. He had seen Shang Changheng's ups and downs in the past and couldn't help but empathize with him. Qingling felt a pain in his heart and could only be barely comforted by this extremely lingering kiss.
Before he knew it, Qingling had been carried to the table. Shang Changheng was stroking his lower back, pressing him into his arms, and kissing him more fiercely.
Shang Changheng glanced at her from the corner of his eye. The man's fair and soft skin was flushed with a light pink, and his clear and elegant eyebrows were beautiful.
He is really good-looking, not in the feminine and pretty way, but in the elegant and clean way of Youtan, with a touch of softness and charm.
When Shang Changheng kissed him further down, Qingling finally came to his senses. He put his hands on Shang Changheng's shoulders, feeling so embarrassed that he almost fainted.
"...That's enough." Qing Ling whispered, "Isn't it just for a taste?"
Shang Changheng said "hmm" and pressed lightly on Qingling's lower back with his hand.
There is a small dimple under the clothes, not too obvious, very shallow and very cute.
Qing Ling shuddered, then shouted in shame and anger: "Shang Changheng!"
"Sugar isn't that great." Shang Changheng's voice was full of laughter and teasing, "I still want to taste you."
Qing Ling was so teased that he was speechless. He angrily hit his shoulder and said, "I don't want you to taste me. Stop touching me and let me go."
"It's up to you whether you want to or not." Shang Changheng's tone was not fierce, and he even said it with a smile. He trapped Qing Ling in his arms and on the table, and touched the waist under the clothes at the back of his waist again and again.
He was at ease and at ease.
Qingling felt like an ornament, being kneaded and played with by Shang Changheng.
He gritted his teeth and spoke, but he couldn't push away the bastard who was rubbing him slowly, so he could only blush and mutter: "I just don't want to."
"Yeah." Shang Changheng's hand finally went around the tie of the collar, and a kiss fell on the red earlobe. He smiled softly and said, "I think so."
Qing Ling never expected that he just asked casually, but it would turn out like this.
This evil ghost refuses to behave like a human being in broad daylight... He wasn't a human being to begin with, and he has no shame at all. Qingling has no way to deal with him.
When the "tasting" was over, it was already dark outside. Qingling was carried back to the couch by Shang Changheng and didn't even want to say a word.
Unlike him, Shang Changheng was very satisfied.
The sugar doesn’t matter, it’s Qingling who likes it very much after eating it.
With his eyes closed, Qing Ling could feel someone's gaze on his face, so hot that he could not ignore it. He didn't want to pay attention to it, but the gaze never moved away. In the end, he couldn't help but look over.
Shang Changheng was also looking at him.
Such focused eyes.
Even with...obvious love.
Qing Ling was a little stunned. He was not used to such eager gazes, so he asked for some unknown reason: "Shang Changheng, when you were alive...did you marry or take concubines?"
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