Chapter 63 From Heaven (3) She was with me.
"This is Luzhou," the old woman said, looking into the misty, snow-covered distance, and sighed, "I heard there's going to be a war here soon! Alas, war every day, when will it end?"
Luzhou is about to be attacked. Zhu Qing connected two key pieces of information and recalled the Battle of Luzhou.
The historical Battle of Luzhou lasted for nearly half a year, from autumn and winter to the following spring.
I never expected that after suddenly leaving and returning, it would be at this point in time.
Zhu Qing suddenly felt a chill under her feet. Looking down, she realized that she was standing barefoot on the snow.
The old woman followed her gaze and noticed her too, saying, "Come home with me, at least I have straw sandals for you to wear."
She hesitated for a moment and said, "However, I don't have any extra food at home to feed you."
Zhu Qing thanked him, saying that it was already a great blessing that he had taken her in and given her a pair of straw sandals; how could she dare to ask for anything else?
Zhu Qing followed the old woman back. The old woman had come to the river to fetch water, but she was old and weak, so she only carried half a bucket. She slowly led Zhu Qing back.
After walking about half a mile, Zhu Qing's feet were so frozen that they could barely move. Finally, two thatched huts appeared in the vast expanse of white snow.
The old woman was leading the way, pushing open the door to fetch water. Zhu Qing followed her and saw a home that was even poorer than her own in Qingxi Village.
There wasn't even a proper bed. The only thing in the room was a wooden plank that was half-raised and covered with a few thin layers of cloth, which served as the place to sleep.
There wasn't even a wooden table; all of the old woman's belongings were simply placed on the ground. The paper windowpane was torn, letting in a gust of cold wind.
Although the house was bare, it was kept clean and tidy.
The old woman put down the bucket, rummaged through the corner and found a pair of cloth shoes, which she handed to Zhu Qing. "I wanted to give you straw sandals, but you're not very old. If your feet get frostbite, you won't be able to walk. When the soldiers come, you won't even be able to run."
"This is what I wore when I got married. It has a few holes, but it's still better than straw sandals. You can wear it."
Zhu Qing accepted it, so grateful she didn't know what to say. In these chaotic times, everyone was in danger and struggling to survive, yet they were still willing to take her in.
The old woman carried a bucket of water out the door, her aged voice drifting back slowly: "I only have a few pieces of firewood left. I originally intended to save them for New Year's Eve to burn for my sons who died in battle. But now I think I should give them to the living first. Come with me, let's get some firewood and start a fire to keep warm."
Zhu Qing quickly put on his shoes and followed the old woman to the thatched hut next door.
There was a dozen or so pieces of firewood piled up in the corner of the room. Zhu Qing picked them up and stuffed them into the dilapidated stove. The old woman lit a fire, and the cold room finally had some warmth.
Zhu Qing sat by the stove, pondering how to contact his brothers. If he could get in touch with them, perhaps the old woman's life could be a little better.
But Zhu Qing didn't know the way, and didn't have a map. He only remembered the war routes from his studies and had no idea how to get around.
She wanted to write a letter, but with the chaos of war, it was questionable whether she could even send it. On the way here with the old woman, she hadn't seen any other houses. Who would send it to her?
The old woman was right next to Zhu Qing, her wrinkled eyes squinting comfortably in the warmth, and she muttered to herself, "I wonder if we can make it through this winter."
Zhu Qing snapped out of her daze and looked at the old woman. She was about seventy or eighty years old. Her eyes were narrowed by wrinkles, and she had lost all her front teeth. Only a few scattered white hairs were visible under her headscarf.
Time has left many cruel marks, but her eyes remain warm and peaceful.
Zhu Qing couldn't help but ask, "Old man, what's your surname?"
"I forgot."
Zhu Qing paused for a moment, then asked without much hope, "Do you remember the way to town?"
If she could go to the town, where there are more people, she could find out more information, and maybe even find out where Li Cunxu was fighting. If she went with him, she could find her elder brother.
Meeting my elder brother was like coming home.
“I remember that when my sons joined the army, I was the one who saw them off. They would go to town every time, and I went there many times. I still remember it.”
Zhu Qing's eyes lit up, and the old woman continued, "I remember they said they would go home for the New Year this year after the ceasefire, but they didn't come back. They all died in battle! I heard they died in Chang'an. Do you know where Chang'an is?"
"..." Zhu Qing nodded.
"I really want to see what kind of place it is, leaving my husband and children behind!" the old woman sighed. "Is it beautiful?"
"It used to be very beautiful."
Zhu Qing suddenly couldn't say if she wanted to go to town. But the old woman was silent for a while, then said, "I'll take you to town after this pile of firewood has burned out. It would be a waste if it didn't."
Zhu Qing thought for a moment and decided not to let her take her to town. She only asked her for directions.
The old woman was getting on in years; if she took him to town, she would have to come back alone, and Zhu Qing was worried about her.
The old woman didn't insist and explained the route to Zhu Qing in detail. After the firewood pile burned out, Zhu Qing set off.
The old woman saw Zhu Qing to the door and said to her, "If you have nowhere to go, you can come back. I don't have many days left anyway, so you can fix these two small houses and live in them."
Zhu Qing nodded: "I will definitely come back."
We will bring plenty of firewood and grain so that the old woman can live a life where she has enough to eat and wear, as a way of repaying the kindness of these shoes.
Zhu Qing followed the path the old woman had described. Even though the path was clearly marked, the heavy snow made it difficult to see the way. Fearing that he would get lost, Zhu Qing walked very slowly and left marks along the way.
Zhu Qing was hungry and cold, and several times she was afraid that she would die of hypothermia. She didn't understand why she had returned to such a place, but now was not the time to think about these things. She had to get to the town before dark.
After going around in circles, it was getting dark.
Zhu Qing got her wish, but got lost.
All the paths with any memorable landmarks were covered by snow and could not be identified. Zhu Qing wanted to follow the footprints back the way they came, but then it started snowing again and quickly covered all the footprints.
Zhu Qing was completely at a loss as to where to go next.
As the sky grew darker, she became increasingly anxious. If she couldn't get out, she would either starve or freeze to death.
Zhu Qing was running around like a headless fly when, as darkness fell, he suddenly heard faint lights appearing in the distance.
Fire means there are people, there's hope!
Zhu Qing was overjoyed and strode over. Before she was even fully close, the person on the other side noticed her and shouted loudly, "Who goes there?!"
As soon as he finished speaking, Zhu Qing saw four or five people stand up in front of him. They were wearing military armor and had the character 'Liang' written in large letters on their chests.
It's Liang Jun! Zhu Wen's soldiers!
Zhu Qing was jolted awake. Oh no, he should have been more vigilant. Who else could be making a fire in this desolate wilderness so late at night, besides soldiers on their way? Could they be primitive people?
With a whoosh, the leading soldier drew his sword, the blade flashing past Zhu Qing's eyes. Startled, she hurriedly raised her hands, stammering, "Don't be impulsive! I... I was just passing by..."
"Zhu Qing?"
Another gentle voice, tinged with surprise, rang out, and Zhu Qing's voice abruptly stopped. Among the four or five people, the one who had been sitting with his back to her by the fire stood up and looked at her.
The warm, reddish-yellow firelight shone on his face, and his phoenix eyes, no longer gentle, now had a sharper, more piercing look as he stared directly at Zhu Qing.
"What are you doing here?" Zhang Yin asked, looking at Zhu Qing with a strange expression.
Despite the freezing weather, she was only wearing a thin autumn dress, her cloth shoes were soaked with snow, her hair was disheveled as if she had just woken up, and she stood not far away looking exhausted.
Her face remained as beautiful as I remembered, with bright, clear eyes and radiant skin, as if she were glowing even in the wilderness.
Zhang Yin stopped the soldier beside him who was about to draw his knife, saying, "He is an old friend of mine."
“You didn’t say that before we left,” the soldier said. “Could you be an informant for your former master? If His Majesty finds out, hmph.”
The emperor he referred to was no longer Emperor Zhaozong or Emperor Ai of Tang, but Zhu Wen.
After Zhu Wen forced Emperor Ai of Tang to abdicate, he established the Later Liang dynasty. Subsequently, Prince Li Keyong of Jin died, and Li Cunxu succeeded him, which led to the Battle of Luzhou.
Zhang Yin said gently, "The deputy general is overthinking it. What kind of informant would send such a weak woman? Even if you report this to His Majesty, he may not believe it and might even think you are trying to sow discord."
Upon hearing this, the lieutenant pondered for a moment, but ultimately had no evidence. He sheathed his sword, sat back down by the fire, and ignored him.
The other soldiers followed him and sat back down.
Zhang Yin then walked towards Zhu Qing.
Zhu Qing subconsciously took a step back. "Are you preparing for the Battle of Luzhou?"
Before the battle of Luzhou even began, they had already started preparations, and on such a remote road, it was contrary to their previous life and history.
It's clear that Zhang Yin really wants to win.
Zhang Yin stopped in his tracks. "Are you afraid of me? Why are you backing away? If I wanted to hurt you, why would I speak up for you? I could just have my deputy kill you."
Zhu Qing thought about it and realized that made sense, but he still didn't dare to be careless.
Zhang Yin said, "Alright, I won't come near you, but you must be cold. Come to the fire, and I'll find you some warmer clothes."
This time, Zhu Qing did not refuse. If she refused again, she would not be able to survive. She kept a distance of three or five steps from Zhang Yin and sat down by the fire.
When the soldiers saw a beautiful woman suddenly appear, their eyes involuntarily glanced at her, but Zhu Qing's temperament was too pure, like an ancient history book, which prevented them from having any lewd thoughts; their eyes were full of admiration.
Zhu Qing didn't feel offended. The main reason was that the fire was so warm that it relieved her stiff body from the cold, and she became so comfortable that she forgot about the people around her.
A short while later, Zhang Yin brought Zhu Qing a men's winter coat in the style of a nomadic style, and Zhu Qing went to the military tent to change.
Zhang Yin stood guard outside the military tent and had her blow out the lamp inside.
Zhu Qing was reminded that if the lamps in these military tents weren't blown out, her shadow would be cast onto them, and for a moment she was grateful to Zhang Yin for reminding her.
He blew out the lamp and, using the dim yellow light filtering in from outside the tent, Zhu Qing put on his clothes.
In the quiet of the night, Zhang Yin's calm voice drifted over: "Did you sneak away from him?"
Zhu Qing paused for a moment, realizing who Zhang Yin was referring to as "he".
"No," she said. "Then what about you? Zhang Chengye let you go, right?"
“Yes, he is my godfather.” Zhang Yin then asked, “Why are you here alone? This place is quite far from Jinyang City.”
Zhu Qing casually told a lie, "I was traveling with my third brother as a merchant, but I lost my way and got lost."
Zhang Yin said quietly, "Is that so?"
But then he heard that Zhu Qing had disappeared. The Zhu family was frantic. Feng Huaihe refused to admit that he had hidden Zhu Qing, and they couldn't find any clues, so they assumed that Zhang Yin had done something.
Zhu Feichuan and Chen Sangguo came to Kaifeng to question him, but Zhang Yin had already set off for Luzhou and they did not see him. It was Tian Jiuzhu who told him the news.
Now he and Tian Jiuzhu are both assisting Zhu Wen, and the two have become colleagues.
Perhaps because she and Zhu Qing were once colleagues, Tian Jiuzhu had repeatedly tried to find out if Zhang Yin knew where she was.
Zhang Yin already knew about Zhu Qing's disappearance, but then he suddenly encountered her here.
Zhang Yin didn't know what this meant for fate, but he really wanted to know one thing.
"Qingqing, are you back too?"
Zhu Qing paused in tying her clothes, realizing what he meant, and casually hummed in agreement.
"No wonder." Zhang Yin's inner turmoil was relieved; no wonder she hadn't believed him back in Jinyang.
Is it something from a past life that she holds a grudge against?
"Actually, back then..."
Zhang Yin wanted to explain, but Zhu Qing had already dressed and walked out of the military tent, her dark eyes fixed on him: "It's all in the past, there's no need to mention it. You don't need to prove to me what kind of person you are. I just need to know that I made the wrong choice once, and I won't make the wrong choice a second time."
Zhu Qing walked past him and headed towards the bonfire.
Her receding figure, illuminated by the glow of the bonfires, appeared dreamlike and ethereal, as if it might vanish into nothingness at any moment.
Zhang Yin's throat suddenly felt dry. "Choosing me was wrong. So this time, you think choosing him is right, so you're going to choose him?"
Zhu Qing stopped, still with her back to him: "I don't know either."
She was suddenly transported back to civilized society, choking on water as she woke up by the river. She thought that leaving Feng Huaihe and this dark era would be a wonderful future, which was her original wish.
But if that's the case, Zhu Qing won't come back.
That society had things she loathed even more, and she preferred to stay there rather than go back.
But escaping that place doesn't necessarily mean she has to choose Feng Huaihe.
Zhang Yin said from behind, "If I win the Battle of Luzhou and prevent the Sixteen Prefectures from being ceded, we won't let the tragedy of last time happen again..."
"cannot."
Zhu Qing turned around and looked at him from five steps away. The rustling snowflakes between them seemed like an insurmountable chasm.
“You can’t change history,” Zhu Qing said in despair, his voice now calm. “History is a destiny unfolded by the collective efforts of thousands of people. Individual strength can never resist or change it. Even after being reborn, can’t you see that even a brilliant strategist like Feng Huaihe is just a speck of dust in the torrent? He may have worked hard his whole life, but he still couldn’t change anything.”
"I don't believe it," Zhang Yin stubbornly said. "We have to try to know, otherwise, what's the point of our existence?"
Zhu Qing smiled helplessly. She didn't want to have a philosophy lesson with him and simply said, "Whatever."
"If I do it, will you...?"
“No,” Zhu Qing said calmly, looking at him. “What you miss is not me, but the thrill of competing with Feng Huaihe and winning against him.”
Snowflakes fell on Zhang Yin's hair and eyelashes. He was only nineteen years old. If he hadn't come back, he would still be the innocent and handsome young man in Zhu Qing's memory.
She will resent and hate him; he will always be the Zhang Yin from her previous life.
What a pity.
The only filter I had was shattered.
Zhu Qing didn't want to say anything more to him, so she turned and left.
Zhang Yin clenched his fists, his heart filled with growing resentment. He couldn't believe that heaven and earth had given him life and allowed him to be reborn without any meaning.
Zhang Yin thought that he must bear the mission of this era. He had to correct the mistakes of his past life, save the Sixteen Prefectures, and make Zhu Qing return willingly.
And let Feng Huaihe suffer a crushing defeat.
Thinking about all this, Zhang Yin returned to his military tent and took out the letters of questioning written by Tian Jiuzhu.
He didn't reply to a single letter, because he felt that without knowing Zhu Qing's whereabouts, any reply would be of no use.
But things are different now. Zhang Yin picked up his pen and replied to Tian Jiuzhu with only a few words: "I wish Qing to be with me."
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