Chapter 84 She bit his tiger's mouth fiercely...
His limp body was pinned to the stone wall, like a scarecrow, so light and so frail.
Blood seeped from his chest, quickly staining his blue clothes.
The damp fabric clung to his body, revealing that Xie Qingyun, worn out by overwork, was already emaciated, his hunched, skin-and-bones body resembling that of a child.
Only his hands, calloused and swollen from years of writing, seemed disproportionate to his body, as if all his strength had been stored in them.
At that moment, his hand trembled violently, on the verge of death.
The bowstring in Wei Zhang's hand vibrated in unison, the extremely high-frequency vibrations transmitted through his palms into his blood vessels.
His hands trembled slightly.
"Ah Zhang, hold the pen steadily."
Suddenly, he recalled how Xie Qingyun held his hand and taught him to write the two characters "Wei Zhang" when he was young.
He said, "If Ah Zhang can master calligraphy, he can become Xuan Ge's deputy in the future. If Xuan Ge becomes a civil official, you can become his secretary. If Xuan Ge becomes a military official, you can become his chief clerk."
He asked, "Does this mean that we are brothers in harmony and have done right by our family?"
He said, "Yes."
He replied, "Okay."
On the fifth day of the ninth month of the ninth year of Changde, in early autumn, Wei Zhang was five years old and learned to write his own name for the first time.
The Xie-style running script taught by Xie Qingyun was difficult to write, but the ink he provided didn't smell bad; it even had a faint pine scent and didn't cause ink jams.
Xie Qingyun's hands were very steady; he had seen his father do the same when he taught his older brother to write.
...
Wei Zhang curled his hand holding the bow and arrow, and pulled the trembling string.
But the arrow had already left the bowstring, and the trembling could not be suppressed.
Xie Qingyun seems to have died from his arrow.
His brow was furrowed, as if he was trying hard to suppress some emotion.
A piercing gaze suddenly shot over.
"Wei Zhang, you're a beast!"
In the distance, Xue Lanyi's eyes were bloodshot and her vision was blurred, but her gaze toward Wei Zhang was sharper than ever before.
She was bright, gentle, and delicate, but at this moment she was covered in thorns.
They thrust their swords at Wei Zhang, wishing they could tear him to pieces.
Overwhelmed by emotion, she lunged at him.
Yue Niang pulled Xue Lanyi back, "Sister, don't go over there!"
Yue Niang glanced disdainfully at the person looking down at her, and patted Xue Lanyi's back, "What's the use of talking to such a cold-blooded and heartless person, sister? What could he possibly feel?"
Xue Lanyi collapsed to the ground.
Yes, Wei Zhang was an absolute beast, killing and arson with ease.
Killing an old friend is as easy as snapping his fingers; now he doesn't even blink an eye.
Talking to him is like trying to be affectionate with livestock.
It's both laughable and pathetic.
Xue Lanyi sneered, stopped giving him a look, turned her back to him, and wiped the blood from Xie Qingyun's mouth.
Xie Qingyun, still breathing, smirked, “Yiyi, Xuan, Brother Xuan, I brought you a wedding gift.”
Wei Xuan noticed that he had another oil paper package hidden in his sleeve.
It was stained with blood, still hot, but wrapped up thickly. Inside was a copy of "The Biography of General Zhaoyang and Princess Zhaoyang," the book was clean and spotless.
This is the cleanest history ever written, but unfortunately, the book is only half finished.
The last sentence was written by Xie Qingyun when he came to attend Wei Xuan and Xue Lanyi's wedding banquet today. It reads: "General Wei Xuan who crossed the Liao River, Princess Li Zhaoyang, may they be forever united in marriage."
The second half of the book is still blank Xuan paper.
"From now on, this biography will be left to you to write yourselves."
"No!" Xue Lanyi shook her head repeatedly. "We are not as knowledgeable as Qingyun. We promised each other when we were young that we would do something earth-shattering, that we would be remembered in history, that Qingyun could write about it for a lifetime and still not finish..."
Xie Qingyun also wants to write for a lifetime.
Unfortunately, things didn't go as planned.
He wouldn't see the rest of the story.
"History records rise and fall, but it's hard to continue the cycle of rise and fall. You..." Xie Qingyun looked at the two of them with some reluctance, "The story of General Crossing the Liao River and Princess Zhaoyang will ultimately have to be written by you yourselves."
"Qingyun..."
Before Xue Lanyi could say anything more, Wei Xuan grabbed her hand.
Wei Xuan had seen countless life-or-death situations and separations on the battlefield.
He could tell that Xie Qingyun was dying.
When a person is about to die, the most important thing is to put their mind at ease.
Wei Xuan patted Xie Qingyun on the shoulder, "Yes, I will continue writing, and it will definitely have a good ending."
Xie Qingyun smiled with relief.
Without the burden of these old, weak, sick, and disabled people, with Wei Xuan's intelligence and Yi Yi's wisdom, they would surely have overcome all obstacles and become a couple.
Xie Qingyun felt relieved, and his increasingly dark gaze slowly fell on Mu Qinghong, "Crown...Crown Prince..."
Mu Qinghong stood stiffly, her pupils dilated as she stared at the ever-growing pool of blood on the ground.
Moon Maiden pulled him up.
He then knelt down beside Xie Qingyun.
Xie Qingyun, with all her might and trembling hands, grabbed Mu Qinghong's wrist.
His hands were cold but his blood was hot. Mu Qinghong turned pale with fright and withdrew her hand.
But he finally swallowed his breath and didn't shake off the bloody hand. "Thank you, my dear minister. What is it?"
"I……"
Xie Qingyun paused, then changed his words, saying, "Your Majesty, I have studied history for twenty years and written history for ten years. I have seen and heard of more than a hundred emperors. There are countless instances of brothers killing each other and ministers and rulers rebelling against each other in order to ascend the throne. As the saying goes, no one is perfect, and emperors are no exception."
Mu Qinghong looked at Xie Qingyun's eyes with suspicion and nervousness.
People on their deathbeds often have an exceptionally clear understanding of people and things.
Xie Qingyun had seen through his thoughts.
But he did not show any hatred. He said calmly, "It is understandable for an emperor to be in a position of power to be torn between personal feelings and righteousness. As long as he works hard to govern the country and benefits the people, he does not need to be perfect. He only needs to make his merits outweigh his faults. Then he can be called a good ruler."
Mu Qinghong's pupils contracted slightly as she stared blankly at Xie Qingyun.
He seemed to understand Xie Qingyun's words. He opened his mouth as if to say something, but then swallowed it back down.
He just shook his head silently, repeatedly.
Seeing that he was stunned again, Yue Niang held his arm and said, "Ah Hong, what do you want to say to Qingyun? Tell me quickly."
"I...I..." Something was stuck in my throat.
Xie Qingyun didn't pursue the matter further, and gave Yue Niang a slight smile, saying, "The Crown Princess is the best Crown Princess I have ever heard of or seen."
"Huh? Me?" Yue Niang pointed to herself, a little embarrassed. "I'm not the Crown Princess, and A Hong isn't the Crown Prince anymore."
Xie Qingyun didn't explain things clearly.
His gaze swept over the faces of everyone around him.
Lu Lin, Wei Xuan, Xue Lanyi, Mu Qinghong, Yue Niang...
Before he died, he wanted to remember them all.
Finally, his gaze fell on Wei Zhang in the distance.
A slender hand gripped the saddle from the horse's back.
Wei Zhang's expression was calm, but his back, beneath his black robes, unconsciously straightened a little.
The two stared at each other for a moment.
Xie Qingyun's gaze swept over him.
Indifferent, as if looking at every blade of grass and every tree around them.
He had nothing to say to a treacherous and treacherous official.
He leaned against the stone wall, looking up at the sky.
Smoke and dust still filled the sky, but fortunately a ray of sunlight pierced through the clouds, revealing a patch of azure blue.
He looked up, bathed in sunlight, choosing to face the clearest and purest sky, and closed his eyes forever.
"Qingyun! Qingyun! Wake up, wake up!"
Xue Lanyi could not accept it.
Overnight, both of his friends were gone.
Today is their wedding day, the day they reunited, how did it turn into a final farewell?
"Doctor, is there a doctor?"
Xue Lanyi looked around blankly, her phoenix crown falling off her head, her black hair falling loose, her face dazed, "Ah Xuan, Ah Xuan..."
Wei Xuan quickly embraced her, stroking her back, "Yiyi, calm down, calm down."
"Ah Xuan, Ah Xuan..." Xue Lanyi mumbled incoherently, her hands flailing about, her eyes unfocused.
"Sir, it seems Madam's hysteria has relapsed. The doctor said it was caused by witnessing a hanging corpse and the resulting fear. The most important thing is that she cannot see any blood..."
Qingyang reported this from behind Wei Zhang.
Before he could finish speaking, Wei Zhang had already spurred his horse forward.
Xue Lanyi, who was still muttering to herself in Wei Xuan's arms, was suddenly pulled around the waist.
She was very light, and Wei Zhang easily lifted her onto the horse's back with one arm.
The familiar scent of cold pine resin filled the air.
Xue Lanyi's back was stiff with fear, and her pupils were filled with terror.
She was disgusted by his approach.
He is a murderer.
He was the executioner who killed her friend.
Xue Lanyi struggled and pushed him away in his arms.
"Wei Zhang, you bastard! You beast!"
A person who has never sworn a word since childhood is like a madwoman.
Wei Zhang remained unmoved, holding her waist firmly with one hand while turning the reins away with the other.
Xue Lanyi was trapped in front of the horse by the mountain-like figure, unable to move at all, let alone escape.
All she could do was keep nudging his chest with her elbows.
"You killed Lu Lin, and you killed Xie Qingyun too. What did they ever do to wrong you?"
"Have you forgotten that everyone says you're cold and indifferent, and that no one wants to be your friend? Only they... only they, they only pay attention to you, you beast, because of Ah Xuan!"
"Are you really heartless? Don't you feel any pain?"
When I get excited, I blurt out all the things I've been keeping to myself.
As Xue Lanyi cursed, she kept ramming into Wei Zhang, each time hitting the old wound on his chest.
With each impact, the wound beneath the fine clothes would tear deeper by an inch.
Wei Zhang lowered his eyes and glanced at the clothes that had been soaked by her and were pressed against his heart.
He didn't speak, but silently drove the horse away from the crowd.
As Xue Lanyi watched her lover and friends disappear from sight, all that remained before her eyes was a utterly repulsive darkness.
She struck with even more force with her elbow, almost using all her strength in a sudden, powerful blow.
"Wei Zhang, do you know how painful it is to have your lungs pierced? Do you know how much pain Qingyun felt before he died?!"
Xue Lanyi roared fiercely, her voice echoing.
At the same time, Wei Zhang's old wound in his heart completely ruptured, piercing through his lungs and internal organs.
The wound hidden deep within his heart and lungs was bleeding profusely, staining his chest and back.
The location is exactly the same as the spot where the scroll was originally pierced.
He suddenly remembered that year when he was lying on his bed, on the verge of death, and heard laughter in his ear.
They rushed towards Wei Xuan, overjoyed, "It wasn't Brother Xuan! Our Brother Xuan is alright!"
...
Does he know what it feels like to be pierced to the bone?
You probably don't know.
How painful is it when a sharp weapon pierces your lungs?
He chuckled dismissively, slightly raising his chin as he looked down at Xue Lanyi's icy gaze. "I don't know, and I don't want to know."
You're worse than an animal!
How can people be so indifferent?
Sitting next to him, Xue Lanyi felt like she was sitting on pins and needles, utterly disgusted.
She struggled again, but Wei Zhang grabbed her arm as she lunged at him again and pressed her down onto the horse's back.
He was very strong, and Xue Lanyi was forced to press her entire front body against the horse's back.
She became obedient, losing all means of resistance.
But she didn't want to go with this beast, so she looked back for Wei Xuan's figure behind her with pleading eyes.
Just as the horse was about to leave the dense forest, a red figure suddenly appeared in the depths of the mist.
Wei Xuan, wielding a soft sword, leaped after him.
He possessed exceptional lightness skills, enabling him to slay enemy leaders amidst hundreds or thousands of men.
Ah Xuan came to save her!
Xue Lanyi saw a ray of hope, and her eyes lit up.
In the blink of an eye, Wei Xuan was already behind the two men, the tip of his sword aimed directly at Wei Zhang's nape.
Just as the needle was about to pierce Wei Zhang's skin, at the last second, Wei Zhang suddenly tilted his head.
The arrow grazed past her temple and struck Xue Lanyi's forehead.
Wei Xuan's expression hardened, and he immediately withdrew.
However, Wei Zhang effortlessly clamped the gleaming silver blade between his two fingers.
Wei Xuan paused in mid-air for a moment.
Throughout the entire process, Wei Zhang did not turn his head, his sharp eyes fixed on Wei Xuan's astonished expression reflected on the sword blade.
"Brother, don't you know?"
Wei Zhang suddenly exerted force with his two fingers, and the sword was snapped in two.
Pingbang—
Wei Xuan and the broken sword fell to the ground together.
Wei Zhang, perched high on his horse, leisurely looked down at the people on the ground, saying, "Brother, you haven't been on the battlefield for a long time. Others have long since figured out your ways."
Wei Xuan was once a peerless warrior with numerous military exploits, and he was also invincible in battle, fighting alone.
But that was six years ago.
For more than three thousand days and nights, he was troubled by love, far from the court and the battlefield, unaware that the strategies of the enemy and his own had long since changed.
The general's sword is no longer sharp and has lost its luster.
The general who crossed the Liao River is a thing of the past.
Wei Zhang chuckled lightly, tightened the reins, and slowly drove away from the man who had fallen to the ground.
Wei Xuan lay on the ground, watching the horse's hooves pass by, momentarily lost in thought.
Holding the broken sword, he realized that he might not be as powerful as he had imagined.
Otherwise, how could someone have destroyed their home, killed their friend, and taken away their lover?
My mind was in turmoil, and a metallic taste rose in my throat.
Suddenly, he vomited a mouthful of blood.
"Ah Xuan!"
Xue Lanyi's gaze remained fixed on Wei Xuan for a long time.
In his mind, she was invincible; how could she be so easily defeated?
Why is his face so pale?
Why can't I get up?
Xue Lanyi stared wide-eyed at the ever-growing pool of blood around Wei Xuan, in disbelief.
"Wei Zhang! What did you do to Ah Xuan? Did you do something to him again?"
She kept shaking Wei Zhang's arm, trying to escape from under his arms.
The man's arms were strong and powerful, like a barrier; she couldn't break free, and instead, the man tightened his grip on her arms.
Xue Lanyi was pulled into Wei Zhang's arms around the waist, her back pressed tightly against his chest.
Beneath his lean and upright figure, his heartbeat was steady and powerful, each beat striking Xue Lanyi's spine.
“I didn’t do anything to him, but if you look back with lingering affection, I can’t guarantee I won’t do anything to him.”
A heavy aura sprayed down on their heads, carrying an oppressive force.
But things have come to this point, and he's already gone. What does Xue Lanyi have to be afraid of now?
She insisted on turning back to look at Wei Xuan, Xie Qingyun, and Lu Lin, who lay in pools of blood.
Crimson blood filled her entire field of vision, constantly assaulting her senses.
Her breathing became rapid, and her body grew increasingly stiff.
Knowing full well that it's impossible, they still insist on provoking themselves.
Wei Zhang sighed inwardly. Seeing her increasingly unfocused expression, he shielded her eyes with his hand.
The man's hands were fair and slender, with well-proportioned knuckles and no gaps between his fingers. With a light touch, he could completely cover Xue Lanyi's eyes.
Xue Lanyi's vision was as if veiled in white, and the bloodstains faded.
It was pitch black all around, and the only sound was the clatter of hooves, which carried her further and further away.
The smell of blood gradually dissipated, and even the human scent faded.
All she heard was Yue Niang shouting from behind the dense forest, "Ah Hong! Xuan Ge's poison has flared up again? What should we do? What should we do?"
"Ah Hong! Say something!"
When they were on their great escape, the six of them were laughing and joking, but now only Yue Niang's panicked and helpless voice remained.
She said: Wei Xuan's poison has flared up again.
When was Wei Xuan poisoned?
How come I've never heard of Xue Lanyi?
Who poisoned them?
Did you poison him?
Xue Lanyi immediately thought of Wei Zhang. She shoved Wei Zhang's hand and struggled several times.
Finally, it was Wei Zhang who let go.
By then, they had already left Peach Blossom Valley.
Outside the valley, the western border garrison stood in formation, a vast and imposing sight.
Golden spears and iron horses, curved bows and broadswords.
Who can escape?
Xue Lanyi was stunned for a moment. When she came to her senses, Wei Zhang had already picked her up and carried her through the ranks of soldiers.
She kept hitting and punching him.
The soldiers were so shocked that they all lowered their heads.
However, Wei Zhang remained unmoved, standing tall and unyielding, and carried Xue Lanyi into the carriage.
The carriage emblem prominently displays the four characters "Zhenguo Duke's Mansion".
Just seeing those four words brought back the memories that Xue Lanyi had painstakingly buried in her mind.
Thinking of the excruciating pain of the silver needles, and the chilling aura emanating from behind in the darkness.
Thinking of those waves, one after another, like an endless spring tide.
Overwhelming fear overwhelmed the hatred.
She managed to fall from his arms with all her might, landing just inside the carriage.
She bumped her forehead on the edge of a low table, scraping her skin, but she didn't feel any pain. She grabbed whatever was at hand and threw it toward the car door.
"I'm not going back with you!"
"I don't want to go back! I don't want to go back!"
Her expression was tense, and her mouth was moving.
Wei Zhang's official documents, writing brushes, ink, paper, and inkstones were all thrown out and hit him.
Finally, she lifted the crane-shaped incense burner, which was half an arm's length tall, and threw it out with great force.
The incense burner was made of bronze and burned with incense year-round, so it was scalding hot, but she was completely oblivious and threw it out without a second thought.
Wei Zhang stood at the entrance of the carriage, calmly watching the madwoman scream and make a mess of her hair and clothes.
Actually, this was the first time he had ever truly seen her when she was acting crazy.
He did nothing wrong, so why is she so terrified?
Wei Zhang frowned, somewhat lost in thought.
The incense burner came crashing down on him, but he, always vigilant, did not dodge.
Her feet naturally stopped in place, letting her vent her anger.
The scalding hot ash from the incense burner rushed towards us, swirling and billowing.
Just as it was about to splash on his face, Yingqi quickly stepped forward and blocked the furnace with his arm.
Thud—
The trembling sound, accompanied by the cracking of bones, echoed in the carriage.
It's too harsh.
Xue Lanyi was startled, and only then did she regain her composure.
The man stood frozen in place, just in time to see that Ying Qi's sleeve had been burned through by incense ash, revealing a large area of bloody, mangled arm, with the white bone at his elbow vaguely visible.
She only realized later that she had hurt innocent people.
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry..."
Upon seeing blood, she became even more terrified, supporting herself on the ground as she repeatedly moved backward.
The air in the carriage was too thin; she couldn't breathe.
Why is it so difficult for her to even think about a little bit of fresh, free air?
Her unfocused gaze wandered aimlessly across the small space.
Suddenly, he leaped up and jumped onto the windowsill.
Outside the window, there was a bumpy mountain road covered with sharp gravel.
Wei Zhang's expression tightened, and he grabbed her ankle with his large hand, pulling her forward.
She was so light and graceful.
He didn't use much force, and she was in front of him.
Her petite figure was shrouded in Wei Zhang's elongated shadow.
Her skirt spread out, she supported herself with her arms behind her back, and looked up at him.
His eyes, brimming with shock, were brimming with tears, welling up in his eyes.
Her fair face resembled that of a frightened cat.
Wei Zhang's face was stern, and the words of rebuke were about to come out, but instead he let out a barely audible sigh.
He waved the crowd away, stepped onto the carriage, and pulled her, who was curled up in a ball, into his arms.
She was cold, but his body was burning hot.
As he warmed her, Xue Lanyi gradually stopped trembling, though she still muttered something under her breath.
Despite being terrified, he still dragged out a trembling voice and kept cursing "Wei Zhang".
She really cared about him.
Wei Zhang was too lazy to argue with her, so he pulled out a silk handkerchief from her collar and used it to wipe the blood from her fingers.
The cauldron not only scalded Yingqi, but she also suffered a burn, with blisters forming on her hands and blood beads oozing out.
Wei Zhang wiped away one drop, and another one appeared.
Her blood, like her, is quite troublesome.
Wei Zhang simply took her hand and tried to suck on her fingers.
Xue Lanyi placed one hand against his chest, while trying to free her other hand from his iron grip.
Unable to pull it out, she bit his tiger's mouth fiercely.
Who cares about even the slightest bit of his kindness?
Can the sin of murder be atoned for by wiping away two drops of blood?
Then I thought of my lover and friends lying in pools of blood.
Xue Lanyi couldn't help but feel a lump in her throat, and tears rolled down her cheeks.
The deeper you clench your teeth, the faster the tears roll down your cheeks.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
