The war between Songhua Kingdom and Liudan Kingdom lasted for nearly a year, and finally Songhua Kingdom won a great victory. Liudan Kingdom was hundreds of miles away, and the border was able to recuperate and the people could live and work in peace and contentment in the near future.
Yesterday, Song Yu returned with his troops. Song Heng went to greet him personally and also met Song Rushuang, whom he had not seen for a long time.
Song Rushuang's originally fair skin turned wheat-colored, and her usually chubby face became thinner. Song Heng was relieved that she returned safely. When he was about to send someone to pass a message to the empress dowager, he saw Song Rushuang burst into tears with a "wow".
Song Heng frowned, thinking that the harsh life on the battlefield had frightened the little girl. Just as he was about to step forward to comfort her, he heard Song Rushuang crying out and begging him, "Brother Heng...you must send someone to find Doctor Jiang. Brother Heng, go, please!"
Song Heng turned to look at Song Yu, who frowned and nodded, "When we were coming back, we unexpectedly found remnants of the Liudan Kingdom soldiers, who ambushed us in the forest. Doctor Jiang and his group were accidentally separated by the remnants, and their whereabouts remain unknown to this day."
In order to protect Song Rushuang's safety, Song Yu stayed with Song Rushuang when they returned. Doctor Jiang treated the wounded and stayed behind with some wounded soldiers. However, they never expected that such a thing would happen when they had won a great victory and everyone was relieved.
"This matter was my negligence. Please forgive me, Your Majesty." Song Yu lifted his robe and knelt down.
"You have won a great victory and made many contributions, which can make up for your mistakes. Get up." Song Heng said in a deep voice, turning to comfort Song Rushuang: "I will immediately send elite troops to search for Doctor Jiang and will definitely bring him back. You are tired from the journey, so return to Liuzhu Pavilion and rest well first."
After Eunuch Afu sent someone to send Princess Song Rushuang back to Liuzhu Pavilion, Song Heng dismissed everyone and only left Song Yu in the room to discuss things.
"Now that Rushuang is not here, Song Yu, tell me, how is Doctor Jiang doing?" Song Heng asked the person in front of him.
"My Royal Highness, I'm afraid it's more dangerous than good," Song Yu sighed. "The barefoot are not afraid of the shoes. They are at their wit's end. I'm afraid they won't show mercy. I've already sent troops to search for them, but there's been no news for several days."
Song Heng also frowned: "The fact that Rushuang dared to leave the palace without permission because of Doctor Jiang that day shows how deeply she loves him. If we can't find Doctor Jiang this time..."
The two brothers were speechless for a moment.
"I'll do my best and have General Li arrange for the best troops right away," Song Heng rubbed his brow. "The court has another matter at hand right now, so we'll stick to the previous deployment. Do you have any suggestions?"
"I think it's great," Song Yu said after a pause, "but before I leave, I have to meet Consort Mu..."
"Huh?" Song Heng was stunned: "She is already Concubine Mu, how come?"
Song Yu hesitated for a moment before finally saying, "Duan Xiao died in battle. I was entrusted by him to personally deliver something to Concubine Mu."
Song Heng was stunned, thinking of the comatose person he had been accompanying whenever he had time recently: "She... accidentally fell down the old stairs of Wangyue Tower during the Mid-Autumn Festival last year, and she hasn't woken up yet..."
"This..." Song Yu was also stunned. He didn't expect that so many things would happen in just a few months.
"I'll send someone to pass the word," Song Yu finally said, "I'll leave Beijing the day after tomorrow as planned."
Song Heng lowered his eyes as a sign of agreement.
Song Heng leaned on the wooden chair, looking very tired. His daily routine had been almost completely disrupted by his recent handling of government affairs and frequent visits to Chenxiang Pavilion.
He vaguely recalled the day when he heard the news of Duan Xiao's death in battle. He did not go to Chenxiang Pavilion that night, but went to the backyard with a jar of wine and asked Ah Fu to guard outside.
He met Duan Xiao when he visited the Qixia Kingdom. The two hit it off immediately and were very compatible.
He had fought on the battlefield himself, so he naturally knew that swords had no eyes and that a single blow could end a life.
But after learning what happened, he was so angry that he laughed: Duan Xiao, how could he die at the hands of the enemy? He clearly died at the hands of his jealous elder brother.
He took Duan Xiao's favorite drink, "Chen Xin Zui", and sat in the yard. Yes, Duan Xiao looked so carefree and unrestrained, but the name of his favorite wine was so restrained and subtle.
He poured a cup of wine onto the loess, then raised another cup to the moon and drank it all.
Duan Xiao once asked him to drink alcohol, but Song Heng insisted on drinking tea, and the two had argued about this many times.
Thinking about it now, Song Heng felt a little regretful.
In his daze, he felt even more regretful.
Duan Xiao's bones were turned into yellow earth and buried on the battlefield.
Chen Shuang has been in a coma for many months and has not woken up yet.
Shouldn't he have let go earlier and given Chen Shuang freedom when Duan Xiao visited Song Huaguo?
At least this way, maybe, just maybe, at least two of the three of them are good.
He was unwilling and insistent at the same time, and wanted to hold on tight for a while longer.
God did seem to have mercy on him and gave him a period of free and leisurely years with Chen Shuang.
But, but in the end it ended up in this situation.
It seems that none of the three of them is good.
Sometimes he wondered how great it would be if he was the one who fainted.
Being alive seems to bring more freedom, but being alive means you have to watch and endure things with your own eyes.
Song Heng closed his eyes.
Golden glazed tiles, white marble steps; the country, the people...
At least he has to persist in finishing this task.
*
The next morning, he felt dizzy and it must have been Ah Fu who helped him to bed.
After changing clothes and washing up, he went to the Taihe Hall for the morning court. Since Chen Shuang fell into a coma, he had no interest in going to the harem to be a "tyrant". Being a "tyrant" does not necessarily mean being "obsessed with beauty".
What's more, now that Song Yu is back, what he wants to do is to make Hua Xiang feel anxious and oppressed.
Rewards were given to good generals, commendations were given to brave warriors, and all the ministers sang praises of his merits. However, Song Yu did not show up as planned, as news came that he was seriously ill.
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