Chapter 106 Two Hearts United "If one day I die, will you forget..."
When Xue Chan and Jiang Ce returned to the Marquis of Wu'an's residence, it was already past midnight, and the spring breeze was even more chilly at night.
He led her down from the carriage and they entered the house side by side.
In the distance, a series of hoofbeats could be heard approaching, followed by the clear voice of a young boy.
"Erlang!"
The two turned around and saw a young man in a long robe riding a horse toward them.
As he drew closer, they could see that it was Zheng Shaoyu by the light of the lantern at the door.
"It's a rare opportunity to meet, so why don't you all come to my residence and catch up? I'll head back now," Xue Chan said softly.
Jiang Ce gripped her hand tightly, his expression already filled with remorse, as if he wanted to say something.
Xue Chan, however, grasped his hand first and smiled gently, "I understand what you want to say, there's no need to say anything more."
Zheng Shaoyu bowed to her, and Xue Chan smiled and nodded before leading the maids inside.
Only two people remained on the stone steps at the entrance.
Jiang Ce sized up the travel-worn man before him, whose hair was disheveled. He swallowed hard before asking, "Why are you back?"
Before Zheng Shaoyu could even wipe his sweat, he strode forward and punched him in the chest, making him stagger.
He gasped for breath, "I knew it! I knew this day would come!"
Jiang Ce rubbed his aching chest and gave a bitter smile: "It's not even decided yet, how do you know I have to go?"
"Don't I know? I've known you for so many years, don't I know you!" Zheng Shaoyu stood with his hands on his hips, both angry and upset, his voice choked with sobs. "The things you said when you were drinking with me at Xuefengzhai a couple of years ago. I knew then that this day would come eventually, it was just a matter of time."
He was furious, and started complaining as if his fur had been standing on end.
"I was so engrossed in my studies at Dongxian Academy that I never expected that the war would have been going on for months by the time I found out. As soon as I got the news, I jumped over the courtyard wall and ran down the mountain, and I was on the run for many days."
Zheng Shaoyu lifted the hem of his robe to show him: "Look at me, I haven't changed this outfit in who knows how many days. I haven't even gone home yet. If I go home, my parents will definitely beat me out with a broom and call me a 'wild man'."
He was a complete mess, but his eyes were brighter than moonlight, and he kept complaining and whining.
"If I wasn't worried about not making it in time to see you off, would I have done this? Jiang Erlang, you have to buy me new clothes. And if I fail the exam, you have to cover my tuition at Dongxian Academy!"
"You'll definitely pass the high school entrance exam." Jiang Ce coughed twice, patted the tears welling up in his eyes with his knuckles, and then smiled and said, "It's kind of you to come all this way to see me off, I should treat you to a drink."
"Hmph! Drinking? Drinking isn't enough!" Zheng Shao retorted angrily. "Let me tell you, when I get to high school, you're going to throw me a three-day cherry blossom feast at Ningcui Tower, or I'll write insults about you every day and burn them for you, so you'll—"
He stopped mid-sentence, his momentum suddenly faltering, tears welling in his eyes: "You...you...you have to come back safe and sound..."
Jiang Ce didn't respond to such an uncertain request, but sighed and said, "It's a pity Xiao Huaiting went to escort the bride; who knows what will happen next—"
"Pah! Pah! Pah!" Zheng Shaoyu rushed over and slapped his mouth. "Don't say such things! If you say it again, I'll beat your mouth to a pulp so you can never speak again. Then Madam Xue will be happy to have someone who will never nag again."
Zheng Shaoyu hit him for a while, and Jiang Ce managed to withstand it.
After venting your anger, complaining, and playing around, all that's left is pure sadness and reluctance.
The atmosphere suddenly fell silent.
Jiang Ce laughed and put his arm around his shoulder, leading him inside: "Alright, to make up for your long journey, I'll reluctantly boil water for your bath and then treat you to a drink."
Zheng Shaoyu said indignantly, "This is what you should do, it's what I should do!"
"Okay, okay."
The two walked side by side.
The Lantern Festival moon cast a pale, cold yellow light behind them, stretching their shadows long and thin.
The large expanse of pale yellow gradually coalesced, gathering into a small patch of intense light that shone onto the lamp.
Xue Chan carried the lantern and slowly crossed the bridge.
Without Jiang Ce by her side, she let go of her smile and allowed her sorrow to surface, drifting like mist in the night.
She suddenly stopped as she was about to cross the bridge.
"Why are you sitting here so late?"
Yu raised his head and saw Xue Chan standing behind him with a lantern.
Second Sister-in-law
He stood up, head down, and mumbled, "I can't sleep."
Xue Chan said softly, "There are just too many people who can't sleep."
After he finished speaking, silence fell as thick as ink, with only a small, cold yellow candlelight burning within it.
"The situation is very bad, isn't it?"
Yu looked up at her, thinking that Jiang Ce probably couldn't bear to say it.
He said, "We lost a battle, and my third uncle was seriously injured."
"What?"
She had actually guessed it, but she hadn't expected it to be like this. However, Yu only mentioned this much, and she probably already knew that the reality was much more serious than that.
Xue Chan took a deep breath, the icy wind filling her lungs like piercing ice thorns.
"His Majesty intends to appoint a general to lead an expedition to provide support, and the reason for summoning him to the palace today is to discuss this matter."
Xue Chan closed her eyes and pressed her temples.
"You want to go too, don't you?"
"Um"
She nodded, but said, "It's getting late, and it's very cold outside. Be careful not to catch a cold. Go back to sleep. I'm leaving now."
Xue Chan carried a lantern and walked down the bridge, while You Yu remained seated there.
She returned to the house and dismissed everyone.
Yun Sheng Chu Tao didn't say anything, and they all left quietly.
Xue Chan sat on the edge of the daybed, the warm steam from the charcoal stove gently caressing her.
The water dripped slowly, marking the passing of time, but she had no idea how much time had gone by, and Jiang Ce still hadn't returned.
She looked up and, through the gauze screen, saw the swords and spears hanging on the wall.
Xue Chan got up, walked around the screen, and reached out to take it down.
The knives and spears were heavy, but she could barely lift them.
Following her memories, Xue Chan searched for the cloth Jiang Ce used to wipe his knives, and she moved her own writing brush and ink from her desk. Then she sat down, took the cloth, and began to carefully and slowly wipe her knives and spears, just like Jiang Ce had done.
The water dripped on and on, and she kept wiping it up.
With a creak, the door opened, and a cold wind rushed into the room.
Xue Chan looked up and saw Jiang Ce already standing in front of her, having taken a cushion and sat down on the floor.
He smiled slightly: "Why aren't you asleep?"
Xue Chan replied to him, "Today is the fifteenth, a day for family reunion."
Jiang Ce then asked her, "If I die one day, will you forget me?"
Xue Chan wiped the tip of her gun and said calmly, "Yes, and I will forget you very soon."
Jiang Ce pouted and gently punched her: "You cold and heartless woman."
She smiled slightly, a slight curve to her lips.
"You've known me for a year, haven't you gotten used to it yet?"
Jiang Ce paused for a moment, then his smile faded.
They've only been together for a year.
It was all too short.
Jiang Ce spoke up, gently asking her, "You said that when the weather gets warmer, I'll ask His Majesty for leave and we'll go to Yangzhou. Haven't you always wanted to go?"
Before Xue Chan could speak, he started talking to himself again.
"How about we go in March? 'In the third month of spring, fireworks bloom in Yangzhou.' We can also visit Hangzhou, West Lake, and Lingyin Temple along the way."
He kept rambling on and on, counting the time on his fingers.
The room was quiet, except for his constant muttering.
Xue Chan asked, "Then what about the war?"
Jiang Ce paused, then said in a low voice after a moment, "Anyway, there are still so many generals in the court, and so many people. It won't make a difference if I'm not included."
"We've only been married for a year. If I leave you, wouldn't I be letting you down?" He grasped Xue Chan's hand tightly, looked up at her, his eyes bright. "Wouldn't it be nice if I stayed with you, went sightseeing, and painted together?"
Xue Chan's gaze fell on his reddened nose and the corners of his eyes. The hands that were gripping hers were so tight that they were trembling slightly.
Jiang Ce urged her, "Say something, hurry up and say it."
Xue Chan's eyes welled up with tears, and she slowly shook her head.
"Why, why, why!" he cried out anxiously, moving closer to her and looking up at her. "Why don't you want to? Don't you want to spend your life with me?"
Xue Chan took a breath and exhaled a trembling breath.
She spoke softly.
"If the Western Rong cross the Changping Mountains and traverse the Qinglan River, the land will be shattered, the people will starve, and children will have nowhere to go. Can you turn a blind eye to this?"
Jiang Ce immediately replied, "Sure! What does this have to do with us being together?"
She continued softly, "When the nest is overturned, no egg remains intact. If it really comes to that, how long can we stay together? Even if we abandon everything and hide in the mountains, can you really accept being subservient to foreign tribes, living a life of ignominy, and even watching them harm their own kind?"
Are you willing to accept this? Can you accept it? Can you turn a blind eye to it?
But I can't.
Besides, it's you.
The two of them just stared at each other.
Jiang Ce was utterly defeated by her relentless questioning and could only hang his head low.
A tear slid down her face.
Xue Chan curled her fingers and gently wiped away his tears.
She reached out and gently cupped Jiang Ce's face in her hands.
"If the land is shattered and the people suffer, what will I paint? If I can't paint..."
"Then I will perish too."
Jiang Ce grasped her wrist and buried his face in her palm.
His tears filled his entire palm, and those that couldn't be held back dripped down between his fingers.
"Drip drip drip"
The water from the water clock had already dripped several times, and dawn was breaking.
Jiang Ce kowtowed to Old Madam Qi and Madam Yu, but neither of them said anything.
Yu Niangzi turned her face away and remained silent, while Old Madam Qi waved her hand.
"Go, go."
A few days after he entered the palace to volunteer, the emperor issued an edict.
This was not a spur-of-the-moment decision, so it took only ten days from the time the troops were assembled to the time they set off.
During these ten days, Jiang Ce was so busy that he hardly slept in bed. Even when he was busy until late at night, he would still go home and go out again after an hour or two until dawn.
Xue Chan was also very busy. She collected all of Pei Jinglan's paintings from this period and looked at them together. At the same time, she also had to think about what shortcomings she still had in her teaching that could be made up for.
Because of this, the number of letters sent to Xue Chenghuai seeking advice increased significantly.
The army set off on the 27th of the first lunar month, but Jiang Ce did not return to the Marquis of Wu'an's residence until the hour of Chou (1-3 AM) on that day.
He first encountered Jiang Ji, who was waiting for him.
The two didn't say much. Jiang Ji patted him on the shoulder and said, "Peace is the most important thing, you know?"
Jiang Ce smiled and said, "This is the first time I've heard you say something like that."
Jiang Ji did not argue with him.
Jiang Ce said, "I'm entrusting my mother to you."
"Don't worry." Jiang Ji nodded, then asked, "What about your wife...?"
Jiang Ce said, "She has her own plans and doesn't need anyone else to make arrangements for her. Whatever she wants to do, please let her do it. If she wants to leave, then send her back to Yuchuan."
Jiang Ji agreed.
Jiang Ce waved to him, "I still need to find her, so I won't waste any more time."
The two then parted ways.
When Jiang Ce returned, it was just getting light. Xi Tuan stretched and yawned like a rascal.
It jumped onto the lantern and stealthily extended its claws toward Blue Feather.
"Alright, I don't want to miss either of you." Jiang Ce picked it up, and Xi Tuan left dejectedly.
Unexpectedly, Lan Yu seized the opportunity to fly out and stomp on its head, pecking it twice and cursing, "Bad cat! Bad cat!"
The group of happy people started fighting with Lan Yu in the yard, sending white-haired and blue-feathered creatures flying everywhere.
Jiang Ce sighed heavily at the sight of this daily battle, thinking that it would probably last a lifetime.
He shook his head helplessly and gently pushed open the door to enter the house.
The bed curtains were still in place; she had not yet gotten up.
Jiang Ce lifted the bed curtain and sat on the edge of the bed to look at Xue Chan, who was sleeping on her side.
He touched her temples and then leaned down to give her a light kiss on the cheek.
Xue Chan still hadn't woken up.
Jiang Ce sat for a while, and the window gradually brightened.
He coughed twice, his Adam's apple bobbing, suppressing the soreness and pain in his throat, and leaned against Xue Chan's side, laughing.
"While I'm away, take good care of our kids. When the weather is nice, let's get together with a few friends, ride our Green Eyebrow bikes, and take Xituan and Niannian out for a ride."
But Xue Chan was still sleeping, sleeping peacefully without making a sound.
I'm leaving.
He reluctantly got up, lifting his heavy legs to walk outside. But his body froze in place, unable to move forward. He turned back, and found that the hem of his robe was being pulled.
Xue Chan sat up abruptly, tears welling in her eyes, and tugged at her robes.
Jiang Ce finally couldn't resist and strode forward, kneeling by the bedside to embrace her.
She leaned against his shoulder and reached out to hug him back.
The two embraced tightly, savoring this brief moment of tenderness.
"Leave that goose-feather saber to me."
"good"
Jiang Ce lowered his head and kissed her temple.
"I'm leaving. Take care of yourself."
The sound of the water clock was extremely clear, urging him to leave with each tick.
Jiang Ce released his grip on her, stepped out from under the bed curtains, and immediately turned and strode out the door.
He didn't slow down until he left the courtyard.
By this time, it was already broad daylight, and the willows by the small pond were sprouting buds, welcoming spring with their blossoms.
Jiang Ce thought for a moment; he also needed to say goodbye to someone else.
So he quickly stepped off the bridge.
Yu Niangzi got up very early and sat on the daybed to compose a new zither piece.
The piece has been in the works for a long time, but the score is still not finished. Every time I try to compose it properly, I end up making corrections and revisions, unable to produce the notes I want.
"Knock knock knock"
Someone knocked on the door.
She said, "Come in."
The door was pushed open, and Jiang Ce walked in.
Yu Niangzi looked at him and put down her pen.
Jiang Ce took a few big steps, lifted his robe, knelt down in front of her, and kowtowed.
"This parting is our last, and I do not know when we will meet again. Please forgive my unfilial son, Mother."
Lady Yu tilted her head back, blinked, and asked him, "Did you bring everything?"
Jiang Ce said, "I know that you prepared all those things, and you brought them all along."
She gently wiped away her tears: "Although spring has arrived, it's still cold day and night. Now that you're away from home, you must learn to take good care of yourself. Only in this way..."
Yu Niangzi took a breath, trying to calm herself down, and said softly.
"Only then can the family be reunited."
Jiang Ce suddenly raised his face, and Yu Niangzi smiled gently at him.
She looked much like her usual gentle and calm self, but that was all.
He choked up instantly and asked her softly, "Mother, can you... can you hug me?"
Just like when we were kids.
Jiang Ce knelt forward a little, until he was completely kneeling in front of her, and tentatively reached out to hug her knees and bury his head in her hands.
She didn't push him away, nor did she resist. She bent down and put her arm around him, patting his back.
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Author's Note: Friendly reminder: This story has special interpretations; please do not keep cats and birds together in real life!!!
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