Chapter Ninety-Two: A Heartfelt Devotion and a Bond of Friendship
"Cheyan? What brings you here?" Zhongli'an saw Xue Chang walking towards him with a frown, a rare look of embarrassment on his face. He hurriedly put down his wine glass on the table and stood up somewhat awkwardly. "Cheyan, I'm really fine, I..."
“Lun Hong”.
Xue Chang stared intently at Zhong Li'an as he walked towards him step by step. Zhong Li Shuo, seemingly having not heard anyone address him by his courtesy name in a long time, was momentarily stunned before lowering his eyes and humming in response.
"Didn't we agree that the ruler and his subjects of Qi and Lu would be as close as family?" Xue Chang looked up at Zhongli An. "Why are you so wary of me?"
"Why would I be on guard against you?" Zhong Li'an was defeated in this confrontation. He chuckled self-deprecatingly and bent down to pick up the bamboo slip that had been rubbed off.
“You’ve been keeping all your emotions bottled up inside, drinking alone here by yourself.” Xue Chang took the bamboo slip from Zhong Li’an’s hand and placed it on the empty table beside him, then teased, “Am I the first person under your command in recent years to address you by your given name like this?”
Zhong Li'an looked up at Xue Chang with a relieved expression, then nodded in agreement, "Yes."
"So, what are your feelings towards your subordinates, Zhao Qing, Ling Yu, and Gu Fan?"
“I…” Zhongli An hesitated for a long time, then leaned against the table, looking down as he followed Xue Chang’s train of thought. “I have never regarded them as my subordinates. In my eyes, from the moment they came to me, we have been family who are of one mind. Rather than being masters and subjects, it is more like…” He looked up at Xue Chang, “They are my brothers and sisters, just like my hands and feet, and none of them can be missing.”
Xue Chang tilted his head slightly, as if his plan had succeeded, and asked, "What about me?"
“That’s true.” Zhongli An looked up at Xue Chang sincerely. “Although you are in Jiangnan, we have only met three times, but the things you have helped me with are countless.”
Xue Chang sighed softly and leaned against the table with Zhong Li'an. "If that's the case, then in your heart, I can be considered a close friend, right?"
Zhong Li'an nodded. "That's natural."
“Then let us temporarily set aside our roles as master and subject and address each other as friends,” Xue Chang picked up the wine cup that Zhongli An had just placed on the table, and poured him a full cup of hot wine. “You are no longer the ruler of the five states, but Zhongli An, the real Lun Hong, and I,” he placed the hot wine in Zhongli An’s hand, “am just a friend who has come from Jiangnan to visit you.”
He looked into Zhong Li'an's clear yet tear-filled eyes. "Now, cast aside all your burdens, forget about prestige and responsibility. You don't need to restrain yourself in any way, nor do you need to force yourself in the slightest." He sighed softly and looked solemnly at Zhong Li'an. "After so many days, you should have released all the emotions that have been building up for so long."
Zhong Li'an gave a bitter laugh, and a hot tear immediately rolled down his cheek. He closed his eyes, tilted his head back, and drank the liquor in his glass in one gulp. "You said..." he said, his fingertips stroking the glass. "If only all of this were a dream."
Tears streamed uncontrollably down his cheeks, but he never raised his hand to wipe them away.
“I know he risked his life to capture Lujiang County, a place that seemed impossible to conquer. I also know he is a victorious hero, the most glorious person at this moment. I also know he once said that dying on the battlefield is the purest destiny for every soldier, the final outcome that should have been predetermined before taking up arms… But…” Zhong Li’an’s voice trembled involuntarily, tinged with sobs, “I understand all the reasons, but I…”
Before he finished speaking, Xue Chang unconsciously patted Zhong Li'an's back and nodded slightly in agreement.
"Sometimes I wonder, if I had never devoted my heart to the world, and if Yude hadn't become this general, all these calamities would have naturally left us, and we wouldn't have experienced such pain of separation." Zhongli An looked up at the round moon outside the window, and unconsciously tightened his grip on the cup.
“But that’s impossible,” Zhong Li’an laughed self-deprecatingly, then shook his head with a smile as he lowered his eyes. “In these chaotic times, it’s hard for anyone to protect themselves. How many millions of people have been displaced by war? Putting aside my so-called heart for saving the world, just looking at Yu De’s personality, he doesn’t seem like someone who can live out the rest of his life in peace.”
When Zhong Lishuo was mentioned, Zhong Li'an's eyes shone with boundless light.
"Yude, he was born to stir up trouble." He put down his wine glass, tilted his head back with a carefree air, and looked at the hazy scene before him, feeling his face burning hot.
“Or perhaps, for him, this is the best ending.” Zhongli An closed his eyes, then turned to look at Xue Chang beside him. “Thank you for today.”
Xue Chang rolled up his sleeve and gently wiped away Zhong Li'an's tears. He sighed softly and shook his head. "Look, it's starting again."
“No, I’m serious.” Zhong Li’an also shook his head with a light laugh. He looked up at the moon and sighed, “You came in tonight when I was at my most vulnerable. It can be said that you gave me an opportunity to face my inner self.”
Upon hearing this, Xue Chang quickly pressed his hand down and explained, "No, my lord, I didn't mean it."
“Didn’t you agree that we would address each other by our given names tonight?” Zhongli An smiled through his tears and glanced back at Xue Chang before resting his elbows on the table behind him. “Sometimes, I feel that I… am not worthy of being called ‘Lord’ by you.”
"What do you mean?" Xue Chang frowned and turned to look at Zhongli An, who was leaning against the table, his usual elegant demeanor completely gone.
"Since we're already in such a sorry state, let's stay in this sorry state for a while longer." He shook his head with a self-deprecating laugh, then looked up and sighed, "In terms of strategy, I'm no match for you and Gu Fan; in terms of martial arts, I'm worlds apart from Yu De. What merit do I have that I could find you all to accompany me in this vast world, and make you all so recklessly scheme and charge into battle?"
He chuckled and sighed, propping himself up against the table. "To put it bluntly, I'm just an insignificant nobody with grand ambitions. In this world, I'm only being led forward by the prosperity of this era. All I can do is try my best to protect my own piece of land and rack my brains to fight against those powerful figures."
“Ambitious, courageous, and loving to the people like his own children, treating them like family. Among the heroes who have risen up, where else can you find a second one?” Xue Chang shook his head and looked back at Zhongli An. “With the help of Ji Province, he rose to power overnight, and the very next day he flexibly dispatched three generals to seize three provinces. He feigned defeat to break the alliance between Qing and Xu, and after capturing Langya, he took Xu Province in one fell swoop… All of this was done before Gu Fan came to you.”
"These achievements are all thanks to the three of my generals who risked their lives..."
"Did you give them the courage to forge ahead? Your tireless work day and night was not just empty talk." Xue Chang raised his hand and patted Zhong Li'an's shoulder. "Wherever you went, people lived in peace and the army was well-trained and well-fed. You gave us peace of mind and we can't live without you."
Zhong Li'an looked up at the vast sky outside the window. "Perhaps, the ambition I hold in my heart is the common dream of all people in this chaotic world." He sighed with relief and straightened up. "I found you in the vast sea of people, and you devoted yourselves to me without hesitation. This is a preordained fate and the greatest fortune of my life."
He walked to the window, slowly rousing himself. "If my ideal is just a spark, then when we come together, the fire can spread like wildfire. I believe that good will prevail over evil, and I also believe that the suffering of Yude, Zhaoqing, and those five thousand soldiers was not in vain. Just like Lingyu always says," he looked up at the full moon on the horizon, "what we lost is certainly valuable, but the things we encountered and the people we met along the way are all indispensable. The path we have chosen to embark on is far more exciting than the one we haven't taken."
"With a lord like you," Xue Chang also stood up, looked up and smiled at Zhongli An, who had perked up, "how could we not win?"
Zhong Li'an turned to look at Xue Chang, nodded and smiled lightly, "It's hard for you to still trust me. On my very first day here, I've shown you such a defeated side of me."
“But your will has never wavered, has it?” Xue Chang tilted his head slightly. “You have doubted yourself a thousand times, but you have never questioned the path you have taken.”
"Having traversed a difficult journey, I have no regrets; having you all, I am fortunate." Zhongli An raised his eyes and sighed softly to Xue Chang, "Thank you so much tonight for allowing me to thoroughly examine the depths of my heart."
Xue Chang gazed into Zhong Li'an's firm and sincere eyes, closed his eyes, chuckled, and shook his head. "It wasn't me, Lun Hong." He straightened up and walked forward. "If it were Ling Yu, Gu Fan, or any one of us who came here tonight, you could open your heart and tell us everything."
He stopped in front of Zhongli An, looking at him with a smile, "Just like you said, we are no longer just master and subject, we are close friends who share our hearts, aren't we?"
“Yes,” Zhong Li’an nodded with a relieved smile, “It seems that I will have to rely on you all more in the future.”
"My lord."
Zhong Li'an looked up at the moon in the sky and chuckled, "Gu Fan wanted to tell me not to be rash today, but you stopped him." He turned around and patted Xue Chang's shoulder, "It's getting late today. After we send Yu De over tomorrow, I will make detailed arrangements for the Blood feud. This battle must be foolproof."
“We all believe in you,” Xue Chang nodded to Zhong Li’an, “so you should believe in yourself even more than we do.”
“Yude…” He looked up at the moon and took a long breath, “There is never any pointless sacrifice in this world.”
The full moon responded to his words hazily, then gradually disappeared behind the thin mist.
The rain had long since stopped, and the damp, fragrant air, along with the rising sun, carried this sincere and passionate young man into the sea of flowers he loved.
Unspoken love flowed into Cen Xun's heart along with the warm, smooth jade.
As summer draws to a close in Jizhou, the mountain flowers bloom in profusion.
The blossoms fell from the trees in the wind, fluttering past Cen Xun and gently landing on Zhong Lishuo's grave.
Crimson petals drifted past the crystal-clear hibiscus jade bracelet, landing steadily on it. Carved on the translucent jade was a divine dragon with its head and tail intertwined, symbolizing endless life. That touch of crimson was precisely between the dragon's gently closed eyes, like a spark igniting the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, or perhaps like someone's heart, leaving behind a rhythm of life.
"Is this... the surprise you left for me?"
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