Chapter Thirty-Four: Leaving Home and Embarking on the Return Journey
"What?" Cen Xun froze on the spot, and Yang Xiaobaiming beside him was also surprised. Cen Xun turned around and looked at everyone in surprise, then looked at Cen Fei in disbelief, "I'm going with them?"
Cen Fei looked at his daughter, smiled and nodded, "Yes, you should go with them and join Lord Lun Hong."
"Really? But..." After the initial joy, a lump immediately rose in Cen Xun's throat. "What will you do?"
"What do you mean, what am I supposed to do?" Cen Fei waved his hand with a smile, but his voice trembled slightly. "I'll stay here and hold out with He Yuan for another two days. By the way," he patted Cen Xun's shoulder and laughed, "I'll pave the way for you in Jiangnan."
“How can I leave you here alone?” Cen Xun took Cen Fei’s hand, his eyes welling up with tears. “To abandon one’s master and father is an act of disloyalty and filial impiety. How could I…”
Cen Fei clicked his tongue in reproach, patted Cen Xun's arm, and coaxed him gently, "A good bird chooses a good tree to perch on, and a wise minister chooses a good lord to serve. Lord Lun Hong has great talent and far-sightedness, he is respectful to the virtuous and treats the people like his own children. I have spent my whole life in Jiangnan, how could I use that as an excuse to keep you by my side?" He patted Cen Xun gently and couldn't help but laugh, "That He Yuan, you've criticized him a lot behind his back, how can he compare to Lord Zhongli?"
"And besides, Tongxi, now is the perfect time for you to head north," he said, smiling at Cen Xun. "Do you know why?"
Cen Xun's eyes glistened with tears as he gently shook his head.
“When Mr. Qi and the others were negotiating with He Yuan, you scolded Ling Yu countless times. So in He Yuan’s eyes, you were the one who opposed her the most in the court at that time,” Cen Fei pulled Cen Xun aside and explained softly, “If I said that I would send you to keep an eye on the movements in Jizhou to ensure the alliance between the two sides, He Yuan would not only send you but also have no doubts about you. If we miss this opportunity, it will be difficult to join forces with you in the future.”
Cen Xun held Cen Fei's hand, head down, silent. Xue Chang looked at her, sighed softly, and shook his head, "Tongxi, go with peace of mind. I'll take care of Old Master Cen, so there's no need to worry."
“That’s right, there’s also Cheyan and Chen Mo,” Cen Fei patted Cen Xun’s back reassuringly. “Besides, Lord Zhongli has Lingyu with him, and I trust her character.”
Yang Xiao smiled and nodded, then stood up and patted her chest to assure him, "Uncle Cen, don't worry, Tongxi will be fine with me. You've met Zhao Qing, and the lord is kind and gentle. He will definitely not mistreat Tongxi. As for Zhong Lishuo, if he dares to say a word to Tongxi, I'll punch him."
Everyone laughed upon hearing this. Cen Xun wiped away the tears from the corners of her eyes with a smile, then squeezed Cen Fei's hand. "I understand what you're saying. I also want to go with Lingyu, but..."
Cen Fei looked at Cen Xun, sighed softly and shook his head. He reached out and pulled her into his arms, patting her gently. "You don't need to worry about me, Tongxi. I'm fine. Your master is also taking care of things in the officialdom. Jiangnan is in chaos. I feel uneasy if you stay here."
Cen Xun leaned on Cen Fei's shoulder and sighed deeply, "I wonder when we will meet again after this parting today."
“That’s easy,” Cen Fei said with a smile, patting Cen Xun’s head. “If you miss me, just write a letter and send it to Jiangnan, and I’ll set off to find you immediately.”
What if I miss Jiangnan?
Yang Xiao held the tea and looked at Cen Xun, then suddenly seemed to remember something and tilted her head, smiling at her, "Tongxi, do you remember what you said to me when I left?"
"What did I say to you?" Cen Xun wiped her tears on Cen Fei's shoulder, then looked up at Yang Xiao with a soft laugh. "Which sentence?"
Yang Xiao cleared her throat with a smile, adopting Cen Xun's usual demeanor, and slowly said, "As long as you have mountains and rivers in your heart, everywhere is the real Jiangnan." She leaned down to look at Yang Xiao and said reproachfully, "I've remembered these words for more than half a year, but I didn't expect you to forget them in the blink of an eye."
Cen Fei smiled as she looked at Yang Xiao, who was teasing her, and then at Cen Xun, who was rubbing his eyes with a light laugh. She asked softly, "By the way, Tongxi, did Chen Mo confess his feelings to you today?"
Cen Xun was taken aback upon hearing this, and shook her head helplessly, "Father, why are you bringing him up again?"
"So, you didn't agree?" Cen Fei continued to press for details.
“I have no feelings for him whatsoever, so how could I possibly agree?” Cen Xun chuckled and sighed. “Perhaps you wish for my consent?”
Cen Fei shook his head. "When it comes to matters of the heart, you should follow your heart. I won't interfere." He smiled and patted Cen Xun's shoulder. "I'm just afraid that you might impulsively agree to his proposal, and then have another person to worry about when you go north. Wouldn't that make it even harder to leave?"
Everyone laughed upon hearing this. Cen Xun smiled, shook Cen Fei's hand, and nodded to Yang Xiao, "Alright, Lingyu, I'll go with you."
"Really? You've made up your mind?" Yang Xiao's eyes gleamed with undisguised joy as she sat up abruptly. "Are you really sure?"
Cen Xun smiled and nodded, then looked back and saw Cen Fei also smiling and nodding with satisfaction. "Good, good." He turned to look at Qi Kun and the other two. "I'll have to trouble you all to take good care of Tong Xi as she heads north."
"Don't worry," Yang Xiao nodded confidently to Cen Fei, "Trust me, with me here, there will absolutely be no problem."
Seeing this, Xue Chang leaned on Qi Kun's shoulder and said, "Hey, Qi Gu Fan, if my disciple gets into any trouble in the north, I'll hold you accountable."
"Don't you trust me?" Qi Kun replied with a smile to Xue Chang, then breathed a sigh of relief, stood up and clasped his hands in a fist salute to Cen Fei, "Although I am still young, I have taken care of Lingyu for many years, just like Cheyan took care of Tongxi. After going north, I am willing to accept Cheyan's order to take good care of Tongxi and Lingyu. From now on, the two of them will be no different from each other in my care."
Upon hearing this, Cen Fei nodded gently, "With your words, sir, I am relieved. I will need to trouble you again in the future."
“Gu Fan, you put it well,” Xue Chang looked up at Qi Kun with a smile. “Before you said that, Mr. Cen and I had already been taking care of Lingyu for you for several years.” He turned to look at Cen Fei. “Right, Mr. Cen?”
"Hey, hey," before Cen Fei could speak, Yang Xiao raised her hand to stop Xue Chang, "That's not right. It's true that Mr. Cen has been kind to me, but you're making it sound like Tongxi and I can't survive without you and my master." Yang Xiao leaned gently against Cen Xun, "Right?"
The tear tracks at the corners of Cen Xun's eyes gradually dried. She smiled and nodded to Yang Xiao, then looked up at everyone. "Thank you all for your concern, but there's no need to take it so seriously. Although I don't know martial arts, I want to establish myself in Jiangbei based on my own strength, just like Ling Yu did back then."
"Don't worry, Tongxi, you don't need to worry about this," Yang Xiao said with a smile, putting his arm around her shoulder. "We're all family, why be so particular? With your talent, if you go to the North, not only will the lord not mistreat you in the slightest, but even the soldiers below the stage won't dare to disobey you."
Cen Xun nodded, then looked back at Cen Fei, her eyes filled with tenderness yet also with determination and hesitation. After a moment of contemplation, she said softly, "Father, I'm really going."
“Go ahead, go boldly,” Cen Fei stood up and patted her shoulder, “That’s the world you should be exploring.”
Bai Ming looked at Cen Fei and his daughter with emotion, then exchanged a glance with Yang Xiao beside him. "How about this, we write a letter of introduction for Tong Xi, so that our lord can be prepared?"
“Okay,” Yang Xiao nodded, looked at Bai Ming, and then tilted her head and pondered for a moment, “but the letter of introduction can’t be written in full yet, we have to keep him in suspense for a while.”
Bai Ming chuckled softly upon hearing this. "Alright, we'll keep him in suspense for now. We'll just say another virtuous person has come to join us, and we won't tell him the details." He turned to Cen Fei. "Mr. Cen, may I borrow your paper and pen?"
Cen Fei smiled and nodded, "Then I'll trouble you two generals." After speaking, he turned to the servants and instructed, "Bring me pen and ink."
Bai Ming took the paper and pen, and began to write at the table. Yang Xiao also stood up and came closer to him to watch. After writing a few short sentences, Bai Ming rested the brush on the inkstone and looked back at Yang Xiao inquiringly.
Yang Xiao glanced at the completed letter of recommendation, then looked at Bai Ming, who was eagerly waiting, and smiled and nodded at him, "It's well written."
“Alright,” Bai Ming nodded upon hearing this, stood up and handed the letter on the table to Cen Fei with both hands, “Please take a look, sir.”
“No need, no need,” Cen Fei waved his hand with a smile. “If you two think it’s fine, then there’s no need to show it to me.” He sighed softly, then patted Cen Xun beside him and gazed at her. “On this trip, you must protect yourself well, and you must fully display all your knowledge under the governor’s command. Although Jiangnan is in chaos, your master and I will mediate and pave the way for you in Jiangnan.”
Cen Xun's eyes welled up with tears. She took a deep breath, forced a smile, nodded, and then snuggled into Cen Fei's arms, refusing to let go for a long time.
The smoke from the incense had long since dissipated, leaving only wisps of sandalwood fragrance lingering in the room.
Yang Xiao looked at Cen Xun, momentarily lost in thought, then sighed deeply and smiled with satisfaction.
-
Within a few days, Yang Xiao and his party bid farewell to Cen Fei and Xue Chang and prepared to set off north.
The warship sounded its horns, and a dozen oars slapped the water's surface, instantly turning the calm, mirror-like river into a shimmering golden light. Yang Xiao stood on the deck, taking a deep breath of the moist, fresh air from the river, and stretched languidly. Turning around, she saw Cen Xun walking towards her with a carefree air.
“Mr. Xue is really capable,” Yang Xiao smiled as she greeted Cen Xun, “He actually managed to persuade He Yuan to send us a warship.”
“Yes,” Cen Xun nodded with a smile, “Although I grew up in Jiangnan and have been on countless boats, this is my first time on a warship.”
Yang Xiao smiled, grabbed Cen Xun's hand, and ran towards the railing.
Seagulls soared, their golden scales scattering across the river's surface, the mist mingling with the fragrance of fallen petals, a truly refreshing sight. Yang Xiao closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and leaned back comfortably against the railing, gazing up at the clear blue sky, then unconsciously glancing at Bai Ming, who was sitting and talking with Qi Kun beside her.
“I really didn’t expect this,” Yang Xiao turned around and smiled at Cen Xun with emotion, “Now that things have come to this, you’ve actually come north with us.”
Cen Xun glanced at Yang Xiao and teased, "What's wrong? Don't you want me to come?"
"What are you saying?" Yang Xiao waved her hand reproachfully. "I think about you and miss you every day in Jizhou. How could I not want you to come?" She sighed softly, her joking expression fading. "To be honest, in the past six months, coming to serve the lord is a million times better than following He Yuan."
“That’s right, that’s why I’m worried about my father being alone there.” Cen Xun leaned against the railing and sighed softly, then shook his head with a hearty laugh. “But there’s nothing I can do about it. At least he still has his master, and at least Lingyue Pavilion can support him.”
"At least Jiangnan is still a scenic spot." Yang Xiao stretched again, immersing herself in the green mountains and clear waters before her.
The water churned and splashed with the oars, and the bugle call echoed incessantly in the air. Though devoid of any fighting spirit, it inexplicably brought a sense of peace. Yang Xiao glanced back at Bai Ming and Qi Kun, who were chatting idly nearby, chuckled, and jogged towards them.
“Master, Zhaoqing,” she ran to the two of them and looked down at them, “We can chat anytime, but this beautiful scenery on the river is hard to come by once we miss it.” She stood up and waved to the two of them, “Don’t just sit there, come and look at the railing too.”
"Okay," Bai Ming nodded with a smile, "I'm coming."
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