Chapter Ninety-Three: Flowers Ignite, Vermilion Bird Gazes Southward
"Is this... the surprise you left for me?"
Cen Xun looked up at the sky and saw countless petals flying towards her. The drifting petals brushed against her cheeks from afar, gently enveloping her along with the breeze.
"Bracelet, keep it..." She nodded and gently placed the table before the grave, tears involuntarily falling onto the zither on her lap. She sighed deeply, raising her hand to cover the seven delicate yet resilient strings. "But Yude, how could I... not be able to keep you?"
A mournful and desolate melody suddenly arose, causing several branches to tremble. The petals that had fallen before the grave trembled with the movements of Cen Xun's fingertips, as if echoing the familiar tune.
"The sunset glow... the rain is about to stop, the flowers fall, and the ripples spread."
A few glimpses of Jiangnan sails flashed across her reddened eyes.
"The fragrance lingers in the streets, permeating...the boats and barges."
On the banks of the clear stream, a gentle midsummer breeze carried the scent of fruit mixed with the fragrance of flowers. The clear, flowing sound of the zither and the laughter of the crowd suddenly echoed in Cen Xun's ears.
Unconsciously, she tightened her grip slightly, as if trying to grasp something. Tears blurred her vision, yet it was as if several people from the past were reappearing before her eyes.
A faint smile graced her face as she softly murmured to herself.
"Taking advantage of the wine's effects, I composed a hundred poems."
"Let's roam freely on the rippling waves..."
Her throat tightened instantly, and she felt as if it had only been yesterday that she had personally taught Zhong Lishuo to play the zither.
Cen Xun's eyes were slightly closed, and as she leaned forward, she could still see Zhong Lishuo gazing intently at the zither. The lingering warmth of his hand seemed to still remain on the strings, and she tightened her fingertips slightly, greedily searching for that lingering scent that had long since dissipated into the wind.
"Flowing into...the hearts of...old...friends."
She opened her eyes abruptly, only to find a desolate scene before her. The last vestiges of hope in her mind had vanished, and there was no warmth left on her fingertips, only the cold, resilient strings deeply embedded in her flesh.
Her voice was already filled with sorrow and incoherent sentences. Hot tears fell onto the back of her hand, lingered for a moment, and then slowly flowed to her fingertips, mingling with the blood that had been stained on the strings.
A piercing pain suddenly shot through her fingertips, her pale fingers trembling uncontrollably, drops of blood falling onto the violin. But the strings only vibrated, showing no sign of snapping.
She looked up at the gilded inscription and said, "Listen to the piece I taught you one last time."
"If you can hear me."
A rustling sound came from beside her ear. Cen Xun braced herself against the ground in front of her, took a deep breath, and turned her head to look. She saw a little girl carrying a large bouquet of flowers, stumbling towards her.
Suspicious, she moved the violin from her lap to the grass and went to meet the little girl.
“Sister Tongxi,” the girl ran to Cen Xun, stuffed the flowers in her hand into Cen Xun’s arms, then stood on tiptoe and wiped away Cen Xun’s tears, “Sister, don’t cry, General Yude hasn’t left. I know, he’s always been here.”
“You…” Cen Xun was taken aback for a moment upon hearing this, then chuckled softly and tilted his head gently, “What do you mean by that?”
“The general has always loved flowers,” the little girl said, tilting her head back and looking earnestly at Cen Xun with her bright eyes. “If the flowers in this world still remember him, then he will always be in their hearts. When the flowers bloom next year, won’t he come back?”
Cen Xun gazed into the girl's eyes, then looked down at the large bunch of flowers in his arms. The petals trembled gently in the breeze, their fragrance filling his lungs.
“If this flower still remembers him,” she murmured, raising her hand to gently brush the pure white petals, “then he will live on forever…”
The bright red bloodstains on the fingertips stained the petals, instantly giving the flowers a new lease on life, making them glow with intense heat.
This drop of blood, like inexhaustible firewood, rekindled the remaining spark in Zhongli Shuo's heart.
“You’re right.” Cen Xun nodded with a smile through her tears, and reached out to touch the girl’s head. She turned to look at Zhong Lishuo’s tombstone, gently placed the bouquet of flowers in front of it, then gently picked up the translucent jade bracelet, closed her eyes, and pressed it to her heart.
As long as someone remembers you, you live on.
Your journey is not yet complete; you have not yet personally witnessed the golden age of Chang'an.
Then you can borrow my hands and my eyes to continue to personally experience all things in this world and all its aspects.
And I will think what you think and do what you do.
Your spirit and soul will never perish, and I will carry your will and live on with you. In this way, your soul, which resides in the hearts of people, can also accompany me to the end of the road ahead.
In this way, you will remain as before, with a trace of your spirit, existing in this world as if you had never disappeared.
Yude, you will always live in my heart.
You will live forever through my heart.
Cen Xun let out a long breath and looked up at the tombstone. "Let this bracelet be the matchmaker. You will protect me, and I will, with your eyes and your heart, protect the raging fire in your heart."
A pink dragon meandered around Cen Xun's wrist. She bent down and touched the tombstone with her forehead, then stood up.
"Just watch closely, I will walk the rest of the way with you, step by step."
Cen Xun looked up at the falling petals, chuckled lightly, and turned around to see Zhong Li'an walking slowly towards her from behind.
“My lord.” She stood before the tomb and called out as she turned around.
Zhong Li'an nodded, stood beside her, and looked at Cen Xun with a look of satisfaction.
"Shall we...plant a willow tree here?"
“It seems we’ve thought of the same thing.” Zhongli An nodded with a light laugh, then took two steps forward and raised his hand to touch Zhongli Shuo’s tombstone. “He loved all things that bloom, so let these flowers of the four seasons bloom along with his life on this land of Hebei and Henan.”
As the clouds churned, a small seedling slowly rose behind Zhong Lishuo's tomb, appearing vibrant against the backdrop of countless falling blossoms.
Cen Xun glanced at the sapling, smiled with relief, and patted the soil off his hands. "When it grows tall, the country will be at peace."
“Next spring,” Zhong Li’an stood before the tomb, his eyes as gentle and resolute as ever, “this place will surely be full of blooming flowers.”
A gentle breeze swept by, and the crowd gradually dispersed. The towering sun bathed the garden in its full bloom and shone upon the gates of the governor's office.
After lunch, the governor's office was filled with the aroma of tea again. Zhong Li'an raised his hand to hang the situation map on the wall, took two steps back to look at it a few times, then sat back down and took a sip of hot tea.
Xue Chang looked at the picture on the wall, then at the door. "The picture is all hung up, why isn't Tongxi here yet?"
“No rush, let’s wait patiently,” Zhong Li’an blew on the tea leaves in his bowl and looked up at Xue Chang. “We just planted trees this morning, so a short rest will help us recover.”
“Speaking of which, Cheyan,” Qi Kun propped his head up and glanced at Xue Chang, “did you secretly go to see the lord behind my back last night? Why didn’t you ask me to come with you?”
"This..." Xue Chang was stunned for a long time, then looked back at Zhong Li'an, shook his head with a light laugh, "If I were to bring you along, I'm afraid you could beat me up."
Zhong Li'an couldn't help but laugh upon hearing this, "You know, even if Gu Fan likes to tease you, he wouldn't hit you, would he?"
“How could it not be?” Xue Chang shook his head with a smile. “If you had seen me calling my lord by his name and snatching his wine cup last night, I would probably be beheaded by now.”
“Xue Cheyan,” Qi Kun looked at Xue Chang in disbelief upon hearing this, and pointed at him, “You’ve only been here for one day. Even if the lord treats you well, you can’t take advantage of it, can you?” He sighed helplessly, “Your lack of respect for elders isn’t a new problem. It’s fortunate that the lord doesn’t mind, otherwise I would have kicked you out.”
“My lord,” Xue Chang said with a smile, spreading his hands, “you see.”
“Call me whatever you like.” Zhongli An chuckled and added some tea to his pot. Then, as if remembering something, he sighed softly and frowned as he looked at Xue Chang. “By the way, Cheyan, I forgot to ask last night.”
"Please speak, my lord." Xue Chang put down his teacup and looked up at Zhongli An with serious eyes.
"You saw Zhaoqing when you went there, right?" Zhongli An looked at Xue Chang with concern. "How badly are his injuries? Is his life still in danger?"
Upon hearing this, Xue Chang shook his head with relief. "My lord, please rest assured, Zhao Qing's fever has subsided, and he is getting more energetic every day." He sighed with concern. "According to the physician, Zhao Qing was on the verge of death when he was rescued, and his pulse was also a death pulse. It was thanks to Ling Yu's tireless care that he was brought back to life."
“If it weren’t for Lingyu, even Zhaoqing would have…” Zhongli’an clenched his fist with heartache, then looked up at the sky and sighed, “It seems that launching a revenge campaign is now more urgent than ever.”
"However, I've also been fortunate to have Lingyu these past few days." He looked at Qi Kun and sighed, then picked up the tea on the table.
Before he could finish speaking, footsteps came from outside the door. Looking up, he saw Cen Xun running to the door, clasping his hands in a salute to the inside, "My lord, master, Mr. Qi, I'm late."
“It’s not too late,” Zhong Li’an looked up at Cen Xun and gently shook his head. “Sit down and rest for a while. There’s no rush. Take your time.”
"Hey, Tongxi," Xue Chang asked curiously, noticing Cen Xun's unusual attire, "Why did you suddenly roll up your sleeves?"
Cen Xun chuckled and sighed, then looked up at Xue Chang. "The army is short of a commander, and I... want to try my hand at martial arts."
Everyone was taken aback upon hearing this. Zhong Li'an's heart sank as he suddenly understood her thoughts. He frowned and looked at Cen Xun, "Tongxi, you wouldn't be thinking of... following in his footsteps and walking down his path, would you?"
"My martial arts skills are not good enough. Even if I master them in the future, I will never reach his level."
“But…” Zhong Li’an looked at Cen Xun with worry and seriousness, “You can never become him, you can’t live for him.”
Cen Xun pursed her lips, then looked up at Zhong Li'an. "I don't want to become him, but to make him a part of me. He and I are not the same kind of people, but if I try to see the world through his eyes and his thoughts in the future, I will surely gain something." Her eyes held a hint of hope. "Isn't the continuation of the spirit another kind of life?"
Zhong Li'an felt a pang of emotion. He closed his eyes, let out a long sigh, and asked, "Have you thought it through?"
Cen Xun nodded seriously, "Even if this road has no end, I will walk it steadily. Every step I can take is a step forward."
“Very well. In that case,” Zhong Li’an stood up and looked solemnly at Cen Xun, “I will keep Yu De’s Vermilion Bird Token for you. When you can take that weapon to the battlefield one day, I will put your name on the Vermilion Bird Token. As for Fei Mo…” He looked up at Xue Chang and finally sighed.
“Fei Mo refused to leave Yu De’s side for even a moment, and starved himself to death to serve his master.” Xue Chang also sighed softly, raising his eyes to meet Zhong Li’an’s expression.
“In the future, I will find you a warhorse that suits your temperament, so that you can go to the battlefield together.”
Upon seeing this, Cen Xun quickly bowed and clasped his hands in a salute to Zhong Li'an, saying, "I thank you for your understanding, my lord. I will certainly live up to your expectations."
“Your courage to take this step is worth more than a thousand words,” Zhong Li’an said with a smile, helping Cen Xun up. “But you must prioritize your health and not push yourself, okay?”
Cen Xun looked up at Zhong Li'an gratefully and nodded emphatically, "Thank you, my lord."
"Alright, no need to thank me." Zhong Li'an chuckled and patted Cen Xun's shoulder before returning to his seat. He pointed to the map behind him and said, "I'm planning to send 200,000 troops south. What are your thoughts?"
Qi Kun leaned against the table, frowning as he looked at the map on the wall. "Although this is a battle for revenge, we must not just seek revenge."
“To take revenge and establish authority,” Xue Chang glanced at Qi Kun, then looked up at the map. “At that time, I can write to Chen Mo and have him sideline He Yuan and seize real power in Jiangnan, just in case.”
Zhongli An nodded upon hearing this, "Then the matter of Jiangnan will be entirely entrusted to Cheyan. This time, when we march south, we can wipe out Nanjun and Jiangxia in one fell swoop."
“My lord, there is one more place.” Cen Xun looked up at Zhong Li’an. “Yingchuan must be recaptured this time. Previously, Xiao Yan sent them to test us, and now they are taking advantage of our vulnerability to send troops to make things difficult for Lingyu. If we do not eliminate them this time, they will surely cause trouble in the future.”
“Tongxi is absolutely right,” Qi Kun nodded in agreement. “However, Nanyang is the main problem between this place and Jiangxia. How to conquer it in one fell swoop is the key issue at present.”
Zhong Li'an frowned as he looked at the map, glancing sideways in thought. "We can station 50,000 troops in Nanyang, and then send the remaining troops south to Lujiang. We'll follow Ling Yu Zhaoqing all the way west to recapture the area, then return to Nanyang to rest for a day, and take Yingchuan and Hanoi in one fell swoop."
"This is the first time I've seen my lord use his troops so skillfully." Xue Chang smiled at Zhongli An and nodded approvingly.
“Apart from the battle to establish our business, we have always acted in accordance with the trend. But this time,” Zhong Li’an pressed on the table, “we must take control of this situation ourselves.”
After saying this, Zhongli An spread out a silk cloth and began to write on it in a flowing and elegant style.
"Gu Fan." He lowered his eyes and wrote with flowing strokes, calling out to Qi Kun without looking up.
"exist."
“The set of commands you created,” Zhong Li’an put down his pen, looked up at Qi Kun with a determined gaze, “is about to be put to good use.”
Upon hearing this, Qi Kun sat up straight. "My lord, do you mean...?"
"I will send Yude's token along with this challenge to Lujiang. All the soldiers who have followed Yude before will fight in Yude's name and fight with all their might to avenge their grievances."
Qi Kun sighed with emotion and nodded solemnly, "With this in mind, how can we worry about low morale?"
"Then let's see if the Vermilion Bird can emerge from the midst of a vast army..."
"Let's see how big a storm it stirs up."
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