Chapter 130 Ma Yue Sui's Twenty-Year Agreement
Soon, it will be New Year's Eve.
Amidst the deafening sounds of gongs and drums and the crackling of firecrackers, the entire city of Chang'an burst open like a firework in the vast night sky. Countless fireworks and sparks of iron fell down, illuminating the bright lights between the houses on the ground.
Yang Xiao stood atop the city wall, holding her silver spear, gazing at the dazzling scene on the street. The sight before her gradually merged with her past memories. She gave a bitter smile, sighed softly, leaned against her spear, and looked at the harmonious and happy families in the streets and alleys.
"Ah Xiao?"
Lost in thought, Yang Xiao suddenly heard footsteps behind her. She turned around, still holding her gun, and saw Yang Song standing behind her, smiling at her.
"Why are you here all alone during the Chinese New Year?"
"Let's enjoy the breeze and watch the fireworks," she said with a smile, picking up her gun and walking towards Yang Song. "Let's go home too."
Yang Song nodded, his eyes full of smiles as he looked at Yang Xiao, "This year, our family will finally be able to reunite for the Spring Festival."
Hearing this, Yang Xiao felt a bittersweet warmth well up in her heart. She patted Yang Song on the back and said, "Not just this year, but every year from now on, we will be reunited. Besides, after this year," she looked up at the fireworks in the sky, "the whole world will be reunited."
“Yes,” Yang Song said, holding Yang Xiao’s hand and following her gaze, “After tonight, the year of pacifying the world will arrive. Father has gone to reward the soldiers of the Imperial Guard, and Fan Kun is also busy preparing the New Year’s Eve dinner. When we get home, we will also light some fireworks to celebrate.”
“Alright,” Yang Xiao mounted her horse, tugged on the reins, looked back at Yang Song, and tilted her head casually. “Haven’t we not fought since our last encounter? How about we have a contest to see who gets home first?”
"Didn't you say you don't know the way?" Yang Song smiled and shook his head, then mounted his horse. "Since you put it that way, then I have no choice but to accept the challenge. Come on, let's give it a try."
Yang Xiao, holding the reins of his gun, laughed and said, "Are you ready? Three, two!"
The two warhorses seemed to realize something as well, and eagerly trotted their hooves, raising their heads high and exhaling bursts of hot air.
"drive!"
As soon as he finished speaking, two warhorses galloped out like arrows released from a bow. The two men on horseback, full of vigor, swept past like eagles soaring through the wind, attracting the attention of the surrounding people who stopped to watch and cheered.
The little girl, nestled in her mother's arms, watched the two figures soaring past with bright eyes. "Mommy," she said, reaching out to tug at her mother's hair, "they can fly! How amazing!"
“They,” the woman hugged her daughter and pointed to the two men with a smile, “are Generals Yang Song and Yang Xiao of the Chixiao Prefecture. They are very capable and have been fighting for the peace and prosperity of all of us.”
"Wow," the girl exclaimed, gazing at the two dashing figures, then tugging at her mother's hair. "But Daddy said their ideas are different, so how can they play together?"
The woman smiled upon hearing this and affectionately ruffled her daughter's hair. "You know, even though they haven't seen each other for twenty years, they are still siblings. Even if General Yang Xiao's surrender here wasn't entirely heartfelt, she and His Highness Xiao have genuinely done a lot for us. They both care about the people, so how could they not get along?"
"So, will they fight?"
"Yes, but..." The woman looked at the two warhorses chasing each other, "The battlefield is a dangerous place, not something to be taken lightly. You'll understand these things when you grow up."
"Whoa!" Yang Xiao saw the plaque of Chixiao Mansion, and suddenly reined in his horse. Chi Lian, as if knowing he had won, reared up and neighed. Yang Xiao raised his hand to rub the horse's head, turned around and smiled at Yang Song, "How about it, are you convinced or not?"
"Alright, you win, I admit defeat." Yang Song smiled, reined in his horse, jumped off, and handed the reins to Fan Kun who had come out to greet him.
Looking at the two eager warhorses, Fan Kun couldn't help but ask Yang Song, "General, did you two just... have a horse race?"
Yang Song nodded and smiled, "I went to the city tower to find her just now, and she insisted on having a race to see whose horse was faster."
"How much potential a horse can unleash depends on the state of the rider," Yang Xiao said arrogantly, stroking Chi Lian's neck. Chi Lian immediately understood and proudly raised its head.
Yang Xiao chuckled and patted its head. "Brother's horse is also a fine steed, but when you ride it, you're not only thinking about winning, but also about whether I can find the manor. If you lose focus, the warhorse will no longer understand your purpose."
"There's such a saying?" Yang Song smiled and stroked his horse. "My mother loved warhorses very much and had a far deeper understanding of horses than most people."
Yang Xiao held the reins and sighed softly, "What soldier doesn't love his horse? Besides, my mother was from the Northern Qiang, so she naturally had a deep understanding of warhorses. It's a pity that I didn't even have the chance to meet her."
A pang of sadness welled up in Yang Song's heart, but he quickly changed the subject with a smile. "But I didn't inherit any of my mother's bloodline in that area," he said with a wry smile. "When I was learning to ride a horse, I fell every single day."
“Me too. I was very good with the gun on the ground before, but once I was on horseback, I couldn’t get the gun to work properly. So when I first went to Jizhou, I almost injured a comrade because of it.” Yang Xiaowei paused almost imperceptibly, then smiled and shook her head, handing the reins to Fan Kun. “If it weren’t for Bai Ming giving me some pointers…” The words were about to come out, but she couldn’t help but pause. She turned her head and smiled, then sighed softly, “I’m afraid I would not have been able to make such rapid progress.”
“I’ve fought against him, and he is indeed a brilliant general.” Yang Song continued, following her words.
Yang Xiao nodded, her fingertips tracing the shaft of the spear, as if the silver spear could understand her. Only the part of the spear shaft where her hand gripped it slowly warmed up.
Another Spring Festival has arrived. Yang Xiao stood there, looking up at the long, dark night, and couldn't help but sigh.
Just as the two hesitated, they heard the sound of horses' hooves, and Yang Zhen galloped over. Yang Xiao turned around at the sound, quickly placed his gun against the door, and went forward to greet him.
“Ah Xiao is back,” Yang Song said with a smile, handing the reins to Fan Kun. “Why are you two standing outside? Aren’t you cold? Hurry up and go back inside to prepare dinner.”
After saying that, he took the two of them into the house and put his cloak aside.
A sumptuous meal was laid out on the table, including crescent-shaped wontons with thin wrappers and generous fillings. Yang Xiao smiled as she looked at the steaming wontons.
Thankfully, it didn't turn into a soup.
“Come on,” Yang Zhen said, standing at the table with his glass raised, “to celebrate the end of the year, the approaching decisive year, and,” he looked kindly at Yang Xiao, “our family is reunited for the first time in twenty years. Come on! Let’s drink to this!”
"Thank you, Father," Yang Song and Yang Xiao said in unison. Yang Xiao watched the two men finish their drinks in one gulp, then picked up his own cup and drank half of his own.
After being toasted repeatedly, Yang Xiaolin only drank one cup in total. She was always afraid that she might drink too much and make a fool of herself at Chixiao Mansion.
"Miss." Fan Kun raised his wine glass and looked at Yang Xiao, instantly bringing her back from her reverie.
"Miss?" Before the two could say anything, Yang Zhen turned to look at Fan Kun. "Our Chixiao Mansion has been a general for generations, it's our destiny." He smiled kindly at Fan Kun. "I don't have any young masters or young ladies under my knees, only two majestic young generals."
"I'm truly sorry, General," Fan Kun bowed his head, the wine in his hand swaying slightly, "I..."
"Alright, alright," Yang Xiao said, seeing the respect he showed Yang Zhen, and quickly took the wine from his hand. "I think Father doesn't blame you. It's just that the title 'General' carries the weight of family, country, and the world, the supreme justice, and high hopes placed on me and my brother. On this festive day, we are all family, so why be so distant?"
“Ah Xiao is right,” Yang Zhen nodded approvingly, “Relax a bit, there’s no need to be so reserved.”
Fan Kun looked up at Yang Xiao and Yang Zhen, "Thank you for your understanding, General."
Yang Xiao smiled and shook her head, handing the wine glass back to Fan Kun.
Fan Kun took the wine from Yang Xiao with a smile, "I have witnessed your transformation from being extremely cautious when you first entered Chang'an to now showing your heroic spirit of going all out. I have gained a lot of insights along the way, so I would like to offer you a toast."
"General Fan, thank you for your kindness." Yang Xiao accepted the wine glass, clasped his hands in greeting, and then drank it all in one gulp.
“Alright,” Yang Zhen nodded, sitting in the main seat. “We’ve had our drinks, now it’s time to see if Xiao Fan’s cooking has improved.” He smiled and looked at Yang Xiao, who had just sat down. “You should try some too, he prepared all these dishes.”
"Really?" Yang Xiao picked up her chopsticks and looked at Fan Kun. In an instant, countless memories that had been suppressed for so long surged into Yang Xiao's heart. Her eyes welled up with tears, but she still smiled and said, "It's really amazing that you managed to organize so much all by yourself."
"General, you flatter me," Fan Kun nodded and smiled. "I cannot compare with you generals in martial arts, so I can only work on my cooking skills. Please do not find it offensive."
"No way." Yang Xiao waved her hand with a smile, sighed, shook her dizzy head, picked up her chopsticks and started picking up food. Before long, the big fish and meat in front of her were almost untouched, but the mung bean soup and peanuts in the other dishes were all gone.
A gust of cold wind swept through the hall, instantly clearing Yang Xiao's mind. She then carefully examined the dishes before her. Although there was fish and meat, it was certainly not a lavish meal compared to what wealthy families typically had. She turned to look outside; the entire city was celebrating and rejoicing. Leaning against the table, she gazed at the vibrant scene, a smile spreading across her face.
"Report!" Just as everyone was enjoying their drinks, a soldier suddenly appeared at the door. "I apologize for disturbing your enjoyment, sirs. His Highness has instructed General Yang to come to Zhu Yang Palace for a chat after the banquet. I wish you all a prosperous New Year and a long and happy holiday."
Yang Xiao nodded at the soldier, then, as if suddenly remembering something, she looked at the soldier, smiled, and pointed at the father and his two sons, "Are all three of us going?"
The crowd paused for two seconds, then burst into laughter. Even the soldier at the door couldn't help but laugh and correct himself, saying, "I'm really sorry, Your Highness invites General Yang Xiao to go. General Yang Lao and the young general need not come along."
Yang Zhen nodded, smiling all the while. As soon as the soldier left, he pointed at Yang Xiao, then at himself and Yang Song, "Young General, go. The old general and the young general don't need to go."
Upon hearing this, everyone burst into laughter again. Yang Xiao looked at Yang Zhen, who was laughing so hard he was doubled over, and couldn't help but shake her head with a smile, "Father, you..."
Yang Zhen patted Yang Xiao's shoulder with a smile, "Good child, stay with me a little longer before setting off to find Xiao Yan." Yang Zhen stopped smiling and sighed softly, "That child killed his own father, his mother died on the street, and his younger brother is unreliable. All these years, he has only relied on Lu Qi for survival."
He sighed and looked at Yang Xiao, "I heard that after you fought with Bai Ming some time ago, Xiao Yan had a good talk with you. I think that besides Lu Qi, you are the person she trusts the most in this palace."
Looking at her father's sincere expression, Yang Xiao sighed softly and nodded. "I understand. Then I'll head to the palace first." She stood up, clasped her hands in a fist salute to Yang Zhen and Yang Song, and said, "Farewell, everyone."
"General, I've come to see you off." Fan Kun put down his chopsticks and was about to get up, but Yang Xiao pressed him back down. "You've worked hard all year, so you don't need to trouble yourself on New Year's Eve. I've walked this road countless times, I've long since gotten used to it." Yang Xiao smiled and nodded at him. "You can rest well, don't worry about me."
Fan Kun wanted to say something more, but Yang Xiao put on his cloak, picked up his silver spear, and was about to mount his horse.
Stepping from the bustling, joyful mansion into the darkness, a sudden wave of loneliness washed over Yang Xiao. Holding the icy silver spear, she looked up at the crescent moon and sighed. Her breath instantly turned into white mist, rising upwards and obscuring the clear boundary between moon and night, only to return to its original clarity in an instant.
Yang Xiao stroked the warm gun in his hand, touched the warhorse's head, then mounted the horse and headed straight for the palace.
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