Chapter Thirty-Eight: The Stove Warms and the Soup's Sweetness is Hard to Decipher
"What is this?" Zhong Lishuo curiously took the leaf from Bai Ming's hand. He saw that there was a crack in the center of the fiery maple leaf, clearly left by some sharp weapon.
Bai Ming handed the last leaf in his hand to Yang Xiao, "Aren't these the leaves that fell after being pierced by Lingyu?"
“Alright,” Qi Kun couldn’t help but smile as he looked at Zhong Lishuo, “Yude, it seems you two are evenly matched again.”
Zhong Lishuo looked at the leaf in his hand and laughed. He no longer cared about winning or losing. He looked at Yang Xiao with a carefree expression and said, "I was hoping to show off my skills in front of Miss Cen, but I didn't expect this."
“Your strength has already impressed me,” Cen Xun said with a smile, looking at Zhong Lishuo’s youthful yet carefree expression. “Especially General Yude, not only is his swordsmanship superb, but he also has a good understanding of throwing darts.”
Upon hearing this, Zhong Lishuo's previous arrogance vanished instantly. He chuckled and waved his hand at Cen Xun, "Miss, you flatter me. With such praise, I don't know what to do." He nodded and scratched his head, then looked at Yang Xiao and changed the subject, "By the way, Lingyu, is this really your first time practicing darts?"
“Of course it’s true,” Yang Xiao said, hands on her hips, looking at him. “What, you’re not convinced that we tied?”
“How could that be?” Zhong Lishuo chuckled and shook his head. “It’s just that I’ve never seen such a talent for darts before.”
Qi Kun, watching the two from the side, couldn't help but raise his hand and tap Yang Xiao, "Is this really your first time practicing?"
Upon hearing this, Yang Xiao turned around and gave Qi Kun a playful wink, "Of course it's the first time, Master, this is a dart."
She deliberately emphasized the word "dart," and tilted her head with a knowing smile.
"Alright, alright," Qi Kun chuckled helplessly, "You really know how to apply what you've learned."
“Right?” Yang Xiao proudly raised her head, then turned to look at Bai Ming with a smile, “and thank you, General Bai, for turning the tide of the battle for me.”
Everyone couldn't help but laugh, and Bai Ming nodded and smiled, turning to look at Zhong Lishuo beside him. He saw Zhong Lishuo trotting around Cen Xun, riding Fei Mo, with a carefree and unrestrained smile on his face.
He had originally intended to take this opportunity to show off his skills in front of Cen Xun, but Yang Xiao stole the spotlight. However, he wasn't angry at all, and was even more convinced of Yang Xiao's abilities.
He trotted alongside Cen Xun on horseback like a child, deliberately avoiding eye contact so as not to let others guess his thoughts. A once-mighty and invincible general was now showing a touch of naivety.
"Well, Yude," Bai Ming teased, looking at him with a smile, "you underestimated Lingyu, didn't you?"
“Yes,” Zhongli Shuo nodded cheerfully, then stretched lazily in the setting sun. “But look, with our strength and Miss Cen working with us, isn’t taking Chang’an just around the corner?”
Yang Xiao also raised her gun towards the sunlight, "Yes, it's just around the corner!"
The group spurred their horses towards the setting sun, laughing and shouting, "The day is just around the corner!"
-
The group laughed and joked their way back to Jizhou and arrived at Zhongli An's residence in a few days.
"My lord!" Yang Xiao jumped off his horse in the courtyard and ran into the tent before the scout could report back. "We've returned with Tongxi."
Upon hearing this, Zhong Li'an raised his eyes and smiled at Yang Xiao, who was rushing to the door. He then pressed his hand on the table and slowly stood up. "Our hero is back," he said, looking at the group of people who had entered. "Please sit down, everyone. I heard that you all rushed back recently, and I have been waiting for you day and night."
Yang Xiao took off her cloak and then noticed the small stove on Zhongli An's table. She smiled and warmed her hands by the stove, teasingly saying, "It's only been a few months, and you're already using a stove, my lord?"
"It's only been a few months?" Zhong Lishuo chuckled and pointed at Yang Xiao. "It's already late autumn. Jiangnan is warm, unlike here." He picked up the teapot on the stove and poured it into a small bowl. "You've all come from Jiangnan, remember to wear more clothes so you don't catch a cold." After saying that, he handed the bowls of hot soup to the group. "Here, drink some pear juice to warm yourselves up."
“Brother, you are so thoughtful,” Zhong Lishuo stood up and stepped forward, carrying a bowl of pear water. He carefully handed it to Cen Xun, “Here, Miss Cen, be careful, it’s hot.”
"Thank you, thank you," Cen Xun hurriedly stepped forward, holding the bowl in both hands, and nodded with a smile to Zhong Lishuo.
Zhong Li'an rolled up his sleeves, put the teapot back on the stove, dusted his hands, and clasped his hands in a fist salute to Cen Xun, saying, "Miss Cen, you have traveled thousands of miles north without hesitation. I am sorry for not being able to greet you properly."
"I have long admired your reputation, Your Excellency, and with Lingyu here to look after you, I have come all this way to seek your patronage. I hope you will not find me unworthy." Cen Xun returned the greeting to Zhong Li'an and asked, "I wonder if Your Excellency has received General Bai's letter of recommendation?"
“Received, received,” Zhong Li’an nodded with a smile. “With such a talented person as Miss coming to seek refuge, I would be more than happy to accept her. How could I possibly look down on her? But speaking of this letter of recommendation…” Zhong Li’an pointed at Bai Ming reproachfully, “Why does it only say that there is a virtuous person assisting her? Tell me, was it Ling Yu who did it?”
Upon hearing this, Bai Ming and Yang Xiao exchanged a smile. "My lord, it is impolite not to reciprocate."
“You,” Zhong Li’an shook his head with a smile, “why are you still holding a grudge? I was just trying to keep you in suspense back then.”
Upon hearing this, Yang Xiao crossed her arms and looked at Zhong Li'an, "My lord, you still have to say it. You didn't tell General Bai back then, and you didn't even tell me, which caused us to fight as soon as we met."
"Alright, alright, it's my fault," Zhong Li'an said with a conciliatory smile, looking at the group. "This pear soup is my way of apologizing, isn't it?"
Yang Xiao nodded vigorously while seated, then picked up the pear soup in front of her and took a sip, exclaiming with delight, "It's delicious, my lord! Did you make it yourself?"
“Of course,” Zhong Li’an rolled up his sleeves and sat back down. “I’m taking a break from my busy schedule to make some pear soup for when you come back.”
Yang Xiao put down her bowl and nodded approvingly, "I thought you would have your subordinates help with the cooking."
Zhong Li'an chuckled and waved his hand, "It's easy to get distracted when there are too many people around, so I usually don't leave anyone with me when I'm busy."
“That’s how it is,” Yang Xiao nodded in understanding, then looked back at Zhong Lishuo who was drinking pear juice. An idea suddenly came to her mind, and she teased him with a smile, “Yude, did you hear that? The lord thinks you’re too noisy.”
"Hmm?" Upon hearing this, Zhongli Shuo put down his bowl and teased with a smile, "Lingyu, put your hand on your heart and tell me, how are you any better than me?"
The two chatted and laughed, the tent filled with the bubbling heat from the stove, creating a warm and cozy atmosphere.
Zhong Li'an looked at the two noisy people and couldn't help but sigh with a smile, "No matter how much I love peace and quiet, I would never complain about the two of you being noisy. If you two stopped making a fuss one day, I can't even imagine how quiet this tent would be."
"By the way, my lord," Qi Kun took a sip of soup, then put down the bowl and looked at Zhongli An, "did Xiao Yan make any moves when we headed south?"
Zhong Li'an also dropped his joking expression and looked at everyone seriously, "There really is."
As they traveled south, they remained concerned about Jizhou, fearing that Xiao Yan might take advantage of the situation and launch an attack. However, the reality was that Xiao Yan not only did not send troops, but news also spread from Chang'an that the palace was under repair.
Even more, some say she plans to rebuild the entire city of Chang'an.
“I didn’t believe it at first when I heard that Xiao Yan was repairing the palace,” Zhong Li’an sighed. “But now that everyone has gone south, the city is empty, and Xiao Yan has remained inactive. Now it seems that there really is such a possibility.”
“Repairing the palace…” Yang Xiao nodded and pondered for a moment, then suddenly came to her senses. “It’s impossible, isn’t it? This is too absurd. Logically speaking, Xiao Yan is no ordinary person who has risen step by step. Why would he waste his time and money on such a trivial matter?”
Xiao Yan rose from an insignificant concubine to gradually ingratiate herself with treacherous officials, corrupting the already crumbling court. Not only did she survive, but she also ascended to the position of Empress while remaining a virgin. Such ambition was beyond the comprehension of most, and the hardships she endured were unimaginable.
Yang Xiao and she were sworn enemies, but deep down, she couldn't help but feel sorry for her.
For a woman to overthrow the imperial court with her own power, she must possess extraordinary talent and endure hardships that are difficult for ordinary people to bear. If Xiao Yan hadn't placed Yang Zhen under house arrest and ordered Yang Song to comply, Yang Xiao would likely have also favored her and praised her highly.
Thinking of this, Yang Xiao felt a surge of contempt and resentment. She snorted coldly and clenched her fist secretly.
She insisted on going to Chang'an in person to ask her for an explanation.
“I didn’t believe it at first either, but it seems to be true.” Zhong Lishuo chuckled and shrugged. “By the way, although Xiao Yan is repairing the palace, her younger brother Xiao Yun seems to really want to send troops.”
“Xiao Yun?” Qi Kun pondered for a while, propping his head up. “It seems that when Xiao Yan rose to power, it was because of Xiao Yun’s endless collusion with powerful figures.” He chuckled twice. “I have to say, Xiao Yun’s ambition is no less than his sister’s.”
"Given such a chaotic situation, Xiao Yan cannot simply sit idly by and wait for his doom." Bai Ming looked solemnly at Zhong Li'an. "I'm afraid that building the palace is just a pretext; he's probably plotting something behind the scenes."
Upon hearing this, Zhong Li'an nodded approvingly, then looked up at Cen Xun, "Tongxi, what do you think?"
Cen Xun gently stirred the pear soup with a spoon, then looked back at Zhong Li'an. "In my opinion, General Bai is right, but Xiao Yan's commencement of construction is probably not just a pretext."
"Oh?" Yang Xiao looked at Cen Xun with interest upon hearing this. "What do you mean by that?"
Cen Xun put down his spoon and leaned against the table. "It has only been a year since the imperial power was overthrown. Moreover, the entire Chang'an is full of treacherous officials and sycophants. Who is there to use? Although the power has been put into Xiao Yan's hands, it is actually a disorganized mess with no cohesion and no way to fight against the world."
"You mean, Xiao Yan is reorganizing his forces and rebuilding his power?" Yang Xiao tilted her head and looked at Cen Xun inquiringly.
“That’s right,” Cen Xun nodded. “This renovation of the palace is perhaps its outward manifestation.”
“I think it’s more than that,” Yang Xiao nodded thoughtfully, arms crossed. “She just murdered the emperor and seized power, her foundation is unstable, and she thinks her subordinates are all treacherous and unreliable, so she put my father under house arrest and forced my brother to work for her… Then why is she building palaces in the first place?”
Cen Xun smiled and shrugged, "I don't know about that."
“She not only repaired the palace, but also moved many ordinary people’s houses. It seems that she is determined to change the layout of the entire Chang’an.” Yang Xiao frowned and closed his eyes in thought. “Xiao Yan is definitely not a concubine who usurped power in the previous dynasty and is only interested in fame and fortune. Her thoughts are beyond the understanding of ordinary people.”
“Xiao Yan is busy making plans for Chang’an, and Xiao Yun is eager to fight a war…” Zhong Li’an sighed softly and lowered his eyes in deep thought, “But on the surface, there is no sign of Bingzhou and Sizhou sending troops.”
“My lord,” Qi Kun looked up at Zhong Li’an, who was frowning and silent, and said softly, “You can think about how Xiao Yan rose to power.”
Zhong Li'an looked up at Qi Kun, pondered for a moment, and then suddenly understood something, "You mean..."
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