Chapter Thirty-Four
Mo Yinghuo slowly turned around, and Zhao Shu's gaze gently fell into his eyes. She tried to smile easily and said calmly, "Thank you." After a pause, Mo Yinghuo continued, "Zhao Shu, those soldiers just now were probably deliberately released by them, so that the soldiers would return their deputy general's head. That's a ruthless declaration of war."
Zhao Shu nodded slightly, a strange light flashing in his eyes. Mo Yinghuo's brows had completely returned to their usual deep expression, as if the deceased Gongliang Zhong was just an ordinary soldier in the Yunzhao Army, as if Gongliang Zhong had been dead for a long time, as if her relationship with Gongliang Zhong was just a normal superior-subordinate relationship, as if the grief she had just suppressed was not actually hidden, and had never truly existed.
Mo Yinghuo pondered for a moment, then stared intently at Zhao Shu and asked sternly, "Why did the Northern Barbarians ambush Dongliang without leaving a trace, Young Master Zhao?"
That day at the gates of Suzang City, didn't you also suddenly disappear, then suddenly open the city gates and appear inside the capital of Dongliang? Mo Yinghuo recalled the black sphere that had almost devoured all her vision back then, and vaguely guessed in her heart, but did not say it aloud.
Zhao Shu knew that Mo Yinghuo had roughly guessed it. He walked a few steps to the table, picked up the wolf-hair brush, rolled up his sleeves slightly, dipped it in the inkstone, and slowly applied pressure with his slender fingers to draw simple lines on the yellow paper.
Mo Yinghuo was curious about what he had drawn. Last time, in order to explain the concept of dimensions to him, Zhao Shu had painstakingly drawn a straight line on the paper.
A straight line is easier to draw than a circle, but Zhao Shu imbued it with a dimension of meaning, giving it a mysterious and unique quality. Now, however, what will he write or draw to tell himself that, unlike scenery or dimensions, there are other things that will surprise him and perhaps be difficult to understand?
Mo Yinghuo, filled with speculation, unconsciously walked to Zhao Shu's side. The two were only a palm's distance apart. Zhao Shu slightly turned to the side and tightened his grip on the wolf-hair brush.
On the yellow paper, there are two perfectly round circles, and between the circles, there is a perfectly straight line.
Mo Yinghuo glanced at Zhao Shu discreetly and suddenly felt that the person beside him was truly unfathomable. Speaking of which, the straight lines he drew were so straight and powerful, and the circles he drew were so perfectly executed. Could it be that Zhao Shu actually only knew how to draw these two things?
Zhao Shu, holding a wolf-hair brush, pointed at the yellow paper and said thoughtfully, "General, you see, if a person wants to walk from this circle to another circle, the fastest and most convenient path is to walk along the straight line between the two circles, right?"
Mo Yinghuo nodded. There was something vague in her mind, like a calm lake with shimmering waves that couldn't quite come together.
Zhao Shu glanced at Mo Yinghuo, noticing her slightly furrowed brows and a gentle touch to her nose. After a moment's thought, Zhao Shu set the wolf-hair brush aside, picked up a piece of yellow paper, folded it in half along the two circles, and continued patiently explaining, "General, look again. Now, the same person, moving from one circle to another, only needs to take a small step to arrive."
Mo Yinghuo's body jolted, and she immediately grasped the meaning behind Zhao Shu's words. "You mean, at the foot of the Suzang city wall, you used this to cross the city gate directly; and..." She paused, sorted out her thoughts, and her voice became somewhat excited, "And, those Xiongnu people were not lying in ambush in Dongliang from the beginning, they came directly from the northern border."
Furthermore, those Northern Barbarians who appeared out of nowhere in the palace and the princess's residence also used this device to cross thousands of kilometers. Mo Yinghuo slowly understood, but she wondered if there was any connection between the Stone Spirit Kingdom people and the Nightfall Star people, and why they both knew this. She just thought about it in her heart, but didn't ask any further questions.
Zhao Shu nodded.
Mo Yinghuo stared directly at Zhao Shu, "That black sphere can instantly transport a person from one place to another, right?"
Zhao Shu: "Yes, General." He picked up the wolf-hair brush again and poked a hole in the middle of the two circles on the folded paper. He said patiently, "This looks like a circle on the paper. General, do you remember that paper is a two-dimensional space? What if this hole appears in a three-dimensional space? General, it won't be a circle anymore..." Zhao Shu listened, seemingly waiting for Mo Yinghuo's answer.
Mo Yinghuo unconsciously reached out and touched the hole in the yellow paper, and said softly, "It is now a sphere."
Zhao Shu folded the yellow paper neatly and placed it back on the table. "That sphere is what we call a wormhole. In the three-dimensional universe, we can use wormholes to pull two distant places closer together, just like a whirlpool can bring the surface and the bottom of a body of water closer. The Stone Spirit Kingdom used a wormhole to bring the two distant countries of Eastern Liang and Northern Barbarian Kingdom very close together in a certain place. Of course, the two places that are pulled closer are not aware of each other."
Mo Yinghuo placed one hand on Zhao Shu's neatly folded yellow paper and suddenly asked, "What if the wormhole is in the four-dimensional universe?"
Zhao Shu showed a rare look of surprise. "General, as you guessed, wormholes can traverse the universe and also take people through time. In fact, we have already entered wormholes several times."
"When entering each different scene, right?" Mo Ying asked, puzzled.
Zhao Shu: "Yes. In Chen City, at the point where the Xuan Stone Array connects with the outside world, there is actually a wormhole. It was created by the people of the Stone Spirit Kingdom. It's not a complete wormhole, so it's invisible to the naked eye and doesn't last long. The Rotten Chessman recorded in ancient books may have unknowingly traversed a two-way wormhole. General, you must remember that in the future, two places with relatively different appearances can only be connected through a wormhole."
Mo Yinghuo suddenly realized, "So, when you said the Xuan Stone Array had a flaw back in Chen City, you were referring to this." Mo Yinghuo also realized that she had traveled back in time through a wormhole and met her father and the 100,000 surrendered soldiers of Xijin.
Now, reflecting on it again, Mo Yinghuo suddenly realized it was a very peculiar experience—going back to the past. It turned out that people could indeed travel back. A long-dormant greed suddenly sprouted in her heart, quietly taking root. If people could travel back to the past through wormholes, could they use it to change something?
Zhao Shu nodded slightly, completely unaware of the vast expanse of mist secretly hidden beneath the shimmering surface of the person beside him.
Mo Yinghuo seemed to remember something else, "And that, the white jade coffin, that's one too."
Upon hearing the name "white jade coffin," Zhao Shu's breathing rippled slightly, almost imperceptibly, but only for a moment, barely noticeable unless one paid close attention. He quickly calmed down and replied softly, "Yes, General, you are much easier to teach than I imagined before I came. The white jade coffin is also a wormhole created by the people of Shiling Kingdom, and it is not a perfectly intact wormhole."
Mo Yinghuo was stunned when he heard this, and thought to himself, Zhao Shu said he was going to teach, could he really be a teacher?
Zhao Shu didn't notice Mo Yinghuo's absent-mindedness and continued to patiently explain, "Although the white jade coffin is more complete than the wormhole that appeared in Chencheng and has become more stable, it can only carry a maximum of..." As he said this, his ears suddenly turned slightly red again, as if someone had touched a particularly sensitive part of his body. He lowered his eyes, a few strands of hair fell loosely, and he looked three or four parts at a loss, seven or six parts hesitant to speak, and half a bit of faint grievance.
Seeing his sudden loss of composure, Mo Yinghuo vaguely sensed something and sighed inwardly. The people of Yelan Star were good in every way, almost the same as here, but this was particularly awkward and difficult for them, and they were men.
"The white jade coffin can only hold two people at a time, is that right?" Mo Yinghuo considerately answered his question, naturally dispelling the slight embarrassment Zhao Shu felt.
Zhao Shu nodded slightly and responded softly with an "Mm".
“Oh, right.” Mo Yinghuo suddenly remembered something. “No wonder we couldn’t find the two people in black and white on the Su Zang city wall. It turns out they were hiding in the white jade coffin and ran away to another place, just like us.”
Zhao Shu: "Yes, I originally wanted to chase after them, but I discovered that the white jade coffin could actually lead to Yunxiu Kingdom, so I wanted to take a look..."
Mo Yinghuo felt a chill run down her spine. After a moment, she said coldly, "You mean that someone in Yunxiu Kingdom has been in contact with Wugu Kingdom for some time." She paused, took a breath, and slowly said, "There are spies in the Yunxiu Kingdom's court."
Zhao Shu glanced at Mo Yinghuo and said, "Yes, that's what I thought too. I thought we would go directly to that person's mansion, but I didn't expect to end up in a bamboo forest."
Mo Yinghuo smiled slyly, the vermilion mark on his eyebrow standing out vividly red. "This man is quite shrewd. Zhao Shu, think about it. If the route leads directly to that man's residence, and the Dongliang incident comes to light, wouldn't his identity be exposed immediately? Deliberately choosing a secluded paradise is indeed quite deceptive. Back in the bamboo forest, I was curious why they didn't bring the white jade coffin anywhere else, but instead led us to Yunxiu Kingdom. Now that you mention it, it all makes sense. If I'm not mistaken, that bamboo forest is where they secretly meet."
Zhao Shu's gaze lingered on Mo Yinghuo's lips for a moment, then he turned his head slightly and said, "It's just a pity that we didn't find any clues."
"By the way," Mo Yinghuo rubbed his temples, glanced at Zhao Shu, and asked in confusion, "Why did you pull me into the coffin back then? How did you know I was outside?" Mo Yinghuo wasn't upset that Zhao Shu had pulled him into the wormhole, but based on what he had just said, it was clear that he was planning to go alone to find the spy.
Zhao Shu was taken aback, clearly not expecting Mo Yinghuo to suddenly ask this question. With a slight smile, he carefully explained, "Perhaps because the white jade coffin has been placed in the Xuan Stone Array for several years, I discovered that an unstable and invisible wormhole, similar to the Dust City Stone Array, has faintly formed around the coffin. It can bring people to the place the coffin arrives at at the same time, but it will take longer than being inside the coffin."
Mo Yinghuo was still puzzled, "Does that matter?"
Zhao Shu said calmly, "I'm not familiar with Yunxiu Kingdom. It will be easier if you lead the way."
Mo Yinghuo agreed, noting that Zhao Shu had spent most of his time with him since his arrival, and when he disappeared, it was to investigate the affairs of the Wugu Kingdom.
After spending more time together, Mo Yinghuo discovered that Zhao Shu was a typical pragmatist who didn't like to talk too much. Therefore, she rarely asked Zhao Shu where he went or what he did. Only when the two of them were too quiet and she had to bring up a topic would she stir things up and force something out of him.
However, what he said earlier made sense. But why did Zhao Shu sound a little guilty? It was as if he had never acted that way before. Was I just overthinking it?
However, Mo Yinghuo immediately realized something with excitement. She stared at Zhao Shu and asked, pretending to be calm, "By the way, Zhao Shu, I remember you seem to have a wormhole. Under the walls of Suzang City, right?"
Zhao Shu nodded slightly, not giving it much thought, and replied casually, "Mm."
Mo Yinghuo continued, seizing the opportunity, "In that case, could we use your wormhole to return to the capital?"
Zhao Shu remained silent, his expression unchanged. Mo Yinghuo guessed that his wormhole could only carry one person, and was about to ask when Zhao Shu seemed to have made a great decision, "General, it's possible, but I'm afraid your body can't handle it. However, we can try."
Mo Yinghuo immediately recalled that the soldiers had mentioned the Xiongnu people in Dongliang all wore black armor. The fact that wormholes could instantly transport people between the universe and beyond, and what they were made of and how much they affected the human body, was indeed not to be underestimated. Therefore, the black armor worn by the Northern Barbarians was probably not just for combat. However, he had entered a wormhole before, and his body didn't seem to feel much...
“The wormholes from before are nothing compared to the wormholes of Yelan Star.” Zhao Shu seemed to have guessed what Mo Yinghuo was thinking. “The wormholes created by the people of Yelan Star are for interstellar travel. Zhao Shu came to Yunxiu Kingdom through a wormhole created by Yelan Star. Even if the people of Shiling Kingdom spend thousands more years, they will not be able to create a wormhole as intact as that of Yelan Star.”
After speaking, Zhao Shu's eyes subtly revealed an air of arrogance. Mo Yinghuo saw in him the same naked domineering aura he had shown when they first met, ignoring him and the many soldiers, his eyes full of disdain and a sly smile.
Furthermore, beneath the gates of Suzang City, a chilling aura enveloped the collapsed city gates and the soldiers' astonishment. He seemed to only reveal that innate warrior's aura during battle, yet why did Mo Yinghuo always have a strange feeling about their usual interactions—this man had once been a teacher.
"Princess." Zhao Shu saw that Mo Yinghuo did not react, as if she was lost in thought.
At Zhao Shu's soft call, Mo Yinghuo snapped out of his daze. "It's alright, let's give it a try. Tonight, we'll head back to the capital."
"Okay," Zhao Shu said.
Mo Yinghuo's eyes were as deep as water as he quietly looked towards the tent entrance and said softly, "Zhao Shu, wait for me a moment, I'll go and talk to Shu Rong."
Zhao Shu nodded slightly.
Just as Mo Yinghuo reached the door, she suddenly heard Zhao Shu call out to her, so she stopped in her tracks.
"General, I'm sorry, it was too late when I arrived." Zhao Shu said softly, watching Mo Yinghuo's retreating figure.
“I know. My father said that it is a great blessing that you could come. I dare not ask for too much.” After saying this, Mo Yinghuo strode out of the tent without looking back.
Zhao Shu gazed at her retreating figure, a fleeting, intense light flickering in his pale, glassy eyes.
At the entrance of Gongliang Zhong's camp.
"General," the soldier said, bowing.
Seeing that the guards' eyes were red-rimmed, Mo Yinghuo raised a hand and patted them hard on the shoulder. The soldiers had been preparing for a joyous return, but this unexpected event left many feeling like they were dreaming. At first, they didn't quite believe it until they saw Deputy General Shu carrying a wooden box, looking dejected, slowly walk into Deputy General Gongliang's tent and not emerge for several hours. Only then did they truly believe it.
"Shu Rong." Mo Yinghuo walked to his side, her eyelids lowered.
Shu Rong tightly hugged the wooden box whose bloodstains had long since dried, huddled in a corner, her shoulders trembling uncontrollably, her head almost buried in the box.
Mo Yinghuo sighed silently, sat down beside him, and called out again, "Shurong."
"Your Highness, this shouldn't be the case. Why? Didn't we win the battle?"
"Shurong, there are many things that are beyond our control."
"Stone Spirit Kingdom, right?"
"Um."
"So, what exactly happened that made you give up on the throne and even the title of Princess?"
"Um."
“I’ve always found it strange that after each victory, there’s always a hint of melancholy in your smile. Actually, I know you’ve always had something on your mind. You weren’t like this before.”
"Shurong, I didn't expect it to be like this right from the start."
“Princess, ever since I followed you to the battlefield, I have disregarded life and death. But I forgot that I should have disregarded the life and death of others as well.”
Mo Yinghuo patted his shoulder. "Living isn't necessarily better than dying." She thought to herself, but didn't say it aloud. After all, those who are alive, no matter how difficult or aggrieved, have to give it their all; otherwise, wouldn't they be mocking those who died and wanted to live?
“Originally, I was the one who went to follow those fragrant maidens. Originally, it was mine. Originally, it was mine. Originally, it was mine…” Shu Rong clutched her hair tightly with both hands, buried her head deeper, and kept repeating.
"Shurong, there is never anything original on the battlefield." Mo Yinghuo slowly stood up, his gaze falling on the box that Shurong was holding tightly in her arms. After a moment, he turned away, gripped the Duanshuang at his waist, and instructed as usual, "Settle Gongliang Zhong properly, and I will set off for the capital with Zhao Shu tonight. All military affairs will be temporarily entrusted to you."
"Yes, General." Shu Rong forced a trembling, sobbing voice and said very softly.
Mo Yinghuo lifted the curtain, looked up in that familiar direction, buried her grief in her eyes, and silently fell into the starry river submerged by the raging storm. She waved her hand, took the soldier's umbrella, and resolutely walked towards Zhao Shu's tent.
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