The majestic city walls of the capital cast huge shadows in the spring morning light, like a lurking beast. Dust rose slightly on the official road outside the city, where a well-trained cavalry force was ready to go, their black armor gleaming, exuding a chilling aura.
Lu Zheng reined in his horse at the head of the procession. His dark armor accentuated his upright and sturdy figure, but a deep, unyielding weight lingered between his brows. He glanced back one last time at the towering city walls, his gaze sweeping over the layers of buildings, as if trying to pierce through the invisible barrier and look towards a familiar mansion. A fleeting, intense struggle and pain flashed deep within his eyes.
He instinctively reached into his robes, his fingertips touching a soft silk handkerchief lining the garment. Through the cold armor, the familiar handkerchief seemed to still carry a faint scent of apricot blossoms—the very handkerchief a resolute figure had left at his feet before departing. He finally bent down and picked it up, as if picking up a burning heart that had to be hidden deep within.
A rapid sound of hooves came from behind. Xiao Chengjing, dressed in black casual clothes, galloped up and reined in Lu Zheng's horse. The horse neighed, its front hooves kicking up a cloud of dust.
"Ah Zheng!" Xiao Chengjing's voice carried the weariness of travel, his gaze fixed intently on his close friend on horseback.
A complex emotion flashed across Lu Zheng's eyes, which quickly turned into his usual composure. He cupped his hands and said, "Your Highness, what brings you here? The journey to the border is long, so there's no need for you to see me off."
"Don't give me that!" Xiao Chengjing nimbly dismounted, walked a few steps to Lu Zheng's horse, and slapped his sturdy arm armor heavily, making a dull thud. "Between you and me, is there any need for such formalities?" He looked up at Lu Zheng on horseback, his voice low, carrying a solemnity only they understood. "This journey is fraught with danger, unlike in the capital. Although the Northern Barbarians have been lying low for years, their wolfish ambitions remain. The border towns are suffering from the cold, and strong generals are needed to guard them. Take care of yourself!"
Lu Zheng felt the power emanating from the arm armor, a warmth spreading through his heart. He looked down at the Crown Prince, a man of noble birth who treated him like a brother, the concern and trust in his eyes genuine. He took a deep breath, suppressing the complex emotions churning within him, and said in a deep voice, "Your Highness, rest assured. Lu Zheng is going here for two reasons: first, for the sake of the nation, to guard the borders and not fail Your Highness's trust; second..." He paused, his voice lower and hoarser, carrying an almost self-imposed hardness, "...to see my own heart clearly. Some things, some people, perhaps... can only be seen clearly when we are far away."
Xiao Chengjing, with his keen insight, immediately grasped the deeper meaning in his words. He recalled the stubborn and proud daughter of the prime minister in the capital, and Lu Zheng's recent unusual behavior, and understood. He remained silent for a moment, and finally simply patted Lu Zheng's arm armor forcefully again, everything understood without saying a word.
"Good! When you return victorious, we'll drink three hundred cups of wine!" Xiao Chengjing said loudly, then took a step closer, lowering his voice so that only the two of them could hear, "I'll take care of everything in the capital. Once I... have settled some matters, perhaps... I can get away completely." A sharp and resolute glint flashed in his eyes, like a shooting star streaking across the night, too fast to catch, yet carrying a certain earth-shattering meaning.
Lu Zheng's heart skipped a beat, and he looked at Xiao Chengjing in disbelief. Completely free? The profound meaning behind those four words instantly reminded him of that supreme position! He was about to ask a question when Xiao Chengjing took a step back, his face regaining its usual composure, as if those breathtaking words were just an ordinary farewell.
"Let's go! Don't be late!" Xiao Chengjing mounted his horse and waved vigorously at Lu Zheng and the entire team.
Lu Zheng gave Xiao Chengjing a deep look, suppressing all his questions and shock. He suddenly pulled on the reins, turned his horse around, and shouted to the cavalry behind him, "Let's go!"
The iron hooves thundered, raising clouds of yellow dust, like a long, dark dragon winding its way towards the desolate northwest border. Lu Zheng's figure gradually blurred in the dust, only his straight back revealing a resolute determination to go all in.
Just as the dust kicked up by the procession had not yet completely settled, in an inconspicuous corner of a teahouse not far from the city gate, a thin figure quietly rose. The man wore a worn, coarse, grey-blue short-sleeved tunic and a similarly drab grey felt hat pulled low, obscuring most of his face, revealing only a pointed chin and slightly pale, chapped lips. He carried a rather heavy-looking coarse cloth bundle on his back, yet his steps were unusually steady and firm.
Luo Qing raised her head, her unusually bright eyes, now bloodshot, fixed on the direction where Lu Zheng's group had disappeared, hidden in the shadow of her felt hat. In those eyes was reluctance, pain, and an almost frantic stubbornness. She raised her hand and pressed down hard on the brim of her hat, as if to crush even the last trace of weakness, then without hesitation, she strode forward, merging into the sparse crowd heading north on the official road outside the city.
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