Chapter 119 Chapter 119 Past Life
The letter was delivered by fast horse from Yanshan Prefecture, and even the messenger was someone Jiang Ru knew, because for the past two years, he had been the messenger responsible for delivering messages.
Moreover, he also possessed Pei Wu's token, which was genuine and did not appear to be fake.
At that moment, Jiang Ru was unable to react. She stared wide-eyed at the letter in front of her, and as if she still couldn't believe it, she turned her head to look at the messenger beside her.
Time passed second by second. Jiang Ru's hands and feet were ice cold, and it felt like there was cotton stuck in her throat, making it hard to breathe. She opened her mouth, but couldn't say a word.
A long time passed before Jiang Ru suddenly came to her senses and hurriedly tried to sit up. However, because her legs were numb, she almost fell to the ground. The messenger next to her quickly came over to help her up, but Jiang Ru supported herself on the table and waved her hand at him. Only then did the messenger hesitate and stop.
Jiang Ru finally stood up straight. She clutched the letter in her hand, the edges of which were crumpled. From initial disbelief to utter disorientation, she quickly composed herself. Jiang Ru took a deep breath and simply said, "Let's go."
Without having time to pack her things, Jiang Ru rushed out and bumped into Cheng Hao, who was also rushing over. It wasn't until she saw Cheng Hao that Jiang Ru felt like she had finally found a savior. She opened her mouth, but Cheng Hao spoke first: "I also received the news. I'll go to Yanshan Prefecture with you."
Jiang Ru's gaze suddenly relaxed. She wanted to nod, but in reality, she said, "Governor should stay in Bianjing given the current situation."
Concern can cloud judgment, and Cheng Hao thought about rushing to see Pei Wu one last time, but at a time like this, Cheng Hao should not leave Bianjing.
Jiang Ru's breathing became rapid: "If Pei Wu dies, we will all die. But if he lives, the emperor will take advantage of his critical condition to attack us, giving him an opportunity."
They all understood this principle: if anything happened to Pei Wu, the emperor would be the first to target them. Cheng Hao had to stay put in Bianjing so that no matter what happened, they would have someone to rely on and wouldn't be caught off guard.
Even if the worst happens, they still have to find a way to save their own lives first, because the lives of many people are on their shoulders, and they have to be extremely cautious with every step they take.
Jiang Ru added, "Besides, Lord Song is also in Yanshan Prefecture. With him around, there shouldn't be any major problems."
Cheng Hao didn't think for long before finally nodding.
Before leaving, Jiang Ru looked at Cheng Hao. Both of them seemed to want to say something but hesitated. Cheng Hao seemed to want to tell her something, but in the end he only said, "Come back safely."
Jiang Ru hummed in agreement, lifted her skirt, and walked out. The time she had given the maidservant enough to pack her belongings. After hanging up her bundle, Jiang Ru arrived outside the mansion, where the carriage was already prepared.
Although the trip was urgent, there were plenty of guards. Jiang Ru refused without even glancing at the carriage: "I won't take a carriage. Carriages are too slow."
At this moment, Jiang Ru once again expressed her gratitude for having specifically learned to ride a horse. Riding a horse is much faster than a carriage, allowing her to reach Pei Wu's side as quickly as possible.
Before they could stop her, Jiang Ru had already mounted her horse. Holding the reins, she lowered her eyes and said, "Let's go."
The group set off from Bianjing and traveled at breakneck speed, barely resting, and arrived at Yanshan Prefecture six days later.
After days of traveling, even the guards behind her looked tired, but Jiang Ru was full of energy. Song Shu was the first to greet her. Although they hadn't seen each other for several years, the two friends didn't have time to catch up. Song Shu quickly grabbed her wrist and led her to Pei Wu's tent.
On the way to Pei Wu's camp, Song Shu hurriedly said, "He's still alive."
With just this one sentence, Jiang Ru's anxiety of the past few days finally subsided, and she was almost in tears: "Then..."
Song Shu patted her hand reassuringly: "She's still unconscious. Although the injury isn't fatal, it will be difficult for her to recover in a short time."
If it hasn't healed after all these days, then the injury must be really serious. Jiang Ru couldn't speak, only feeling her hands and feet were ice cold. She was helped by Song Shu to Pei Wu's tent.
Song Shu had already left on her own initiative. When Jiang Ru saw the person sleeping on the bed, she hurriedly ran towards Pei Wu.
Perhaps because of the severity of his injuries, Pei Wu's face was excessively pale, and his lips were completely bloodless. In the two years since they last met, Pei Wu had become much darker, and even his demeanor was completely different from before.
Jiang Ru initially ran towards Pei Wu, but the closer she got to Pei Wu's bed, the lighter her footsteps became, afraid of waking him.
Jiang Ru lay beside his bed, staring blankly at Pei Wu's face.
She had thought this day might come, but when it actually arrived, Jiang Ru realized she simply couldn't accept it.
She resented Pei Wu for being seriously injured and lying in bed, resented the war, resented the state of the world. How joyful their reunion should have been, but instead Pei Wu could only lie in bed.
Jiang Ru stared at Pei Wu's face, and the tears she had held back for so long finally flowed out the moment she saw Pei Wu.
Tears streamed down her face. Jiang Ru bit her lip and couldn't help but complain, "Didn't you promise you wouldn't get hurt and would come back safe and sound?"
No one answered.
Jiang Ru lowered her head and pressed her face against Pei Wu's palm, which was lying to the side. Pei Wu's palm had rough calluses and scars of all sizes. The calluses on his hands could even rub Jiang Ru's face until it stung. But Jiang Ru still buried her face in Pei Wu's palm.
She nuzzled against Pei Wu's palm and whispered, "Pei Wu, please wake up soon."
She didn't want to see Pei Wu lying in the hospital bed; she just wanted him to recover quickly.
It had been so long since they last met that Jiang Ru felt a little unfamiliar with Pei Wu's face. If Pei Wu hadn't been injured, she might have felt shy, but Jiang Ru didn't feel that way at all.
She pulled open Pei Wu's clothes and saw the thick gauze covering his chest and waist, which gave her an idea of how dangerous the situation must have been.
Jiang Ru should have been scared, but looking at Pei Wu's injury, she showed no fear whatsoever. She simply reached out and touched the skin around the wound. Knowing that Pei Wu couldn't hear her, she comforted him, "It doesn't hurt anymore."
She helped Pei Wu put on his clothes, then knelt beside him. It seemed like the perfect time to talk, so Jiang Ru held Pei Wu's hand and whispered a lot of things, talking about herself, how she missed Pei Wu, and how thankful he was still alive, otherwise she would have gone with him.
All she wanted was for Pei Wu to wake up quickly. After saying this, Jiang Ru's eyes reddened again. She kissed Pei Wu's palm and murmured, "Didn't the peace charm I got for you work?"
Pei Wu did not answer.
This scene has happened twice before. The last time was when Jiang Ruzhen was assassinated in Caizhou. She thought Pei Wu was going to die, so she confessed her feelings to him.
This time, they had already confessed their feelings and gotten married. After thinking for a moment, Jiang Ru whispered to Pei Wu again, "Pei Wu, I like you."
Clinging to this faint hope, Jiang Ru thought that this time, Pei Wu could hear her too, so he should wake up eventually.
Pei Wu slept for a very, very long time.
At first, there was only endless darkness. He kept thinking about Jiang Ru, so he kept walking towards the light in front of him.
He saw the light, pushed open the door, and saw a sky full of firelight.
In the fifth year of the Yuantai era, the State of Lu invaded the State of Xia, and Pei Wu volunteered to lead the army into battle.
In the sixth year of the Yuantai era, the State of Lu surrendered and became a vassal state of the Xia Dynasty.
At that time, Song Pingzhang had already been demoted, and he went to Zhen Ding Prefecture with Xie Jun.
Pei Wu traveled from Jiangdong to Zhending Prefecture to support Xie Jun.
The master had taught him to be loyal to the emperor and to serve the country. Song Pingzhang said that his presence was unstable in the court and that it was understandable that the emperor was wary of him. He told him not to hold a grudge against the emperor.
So he stayed in Bianjing, clearing obstacles for the emperor and doing his utmost for him. He was granted the title of Prince of Liang and served as regent, all because he wanted to improve the lives of the people.
Yanshan Prefecture must be reclaimed. If Great Xia does not unite with Northern Yan, it will be annexed by Northern Yan sooner or later.
Therefore, Pei Wu went to Yanshan Prefecture.
He knew that powerful ministers never had a good end, just like Song Pingzhang.
Before setting off, he requested an audience with the emperor, saying that after Yanshan Prefecture was recovered, he would return to Jinzhou and no longer serve as an official.
The emperor held his hand and pleaded repeatedly, calling him "Brother Pei Wu" and saying that the Great Xia could not do without Pei Wu.
Pei Wu did not believe it. He bowed to the emperor and said calmly, "I have already taught Your Majesty everything that needs to be taught. When the army returns to the capital, I will not set foot in Bianjing again."
As he left, the emperor cried out, "Teacher!"
Over the years, Pei Wu, bearing the title of senior brother, fulfilled the responsibilities of a teacher. He taught the emperor everything he had learned in his life, including imperial strategies, how to govern the country, and the ways of a monarch.
The Great Xia Dynasty is impoverished and weak, and someone should bear the blame. Pei Wu is the one who can do that.
They had a very close teacher-student relationship, but behind his back, the emperor secretly ruined his reputation and made him infamous, which he didn't care about.
They assume the other party is the most malicious and are wary of them.
Knowing that the emperor was wary, Pei Wu requested to resign from his post. He believed that as long as Yanshan Prefecture was taken back, Great Xia would no longer be at the mercy of others, and the emperor would be able to govern Great Xia well.
He told Xie Jun that Yanshan would be recaptured another day, and then took Pei Wu's death notice to Bianjing, where the Prince of Liang had died in battle.
Only when he dies will the emperor no longer fear him.
But he didn't expect that these things alone would not be enough to dispel the emperor's suspicions.
During the attack on Yunzhou, the reinforcements were abruptly cut off. It seemed that the Northern Qi had seen through the strategy of the Great Xia. Pei Wu was ambushed and had no choice but to lead his troops to retreat to Youzhou.
After that, the letters sent out disappeared without a trace, and Pei Wu led his troops to guard Youzhou.
Xie Jun had sent a letter saying he would come to help, but after that letter was sent, there was no further news of Xie Jun.
If Youzhou is breached, the defenses of the Great Xia will be breached, and both the Qi and Yan states could easily enter the Great Xia.
After four years of arduous defense, Youzhou was no match for the State of Qi, and all five hundred soldiers remaining in the city perished in battle.
The Northern Qi dynasty captured Youzhou.
Pei Wu didn't know what happened after that; he was already dead.
He returned to the days of defending the city, his brothers dying one by one, and Pei Wu growing colder and colder. He was seriously injured and dying. Pei Wu closed his eyes.
But just then, a voice echoed in his ear. It was a woman's voice, clear and crisp, mixed with sobs. She whispered in Pei Wu's ear, "Pei Wu, I like you."
Pei Wu wanted to ask who she was, but he also wanted to say that he had no intention of getting married. He racked his brains to find the words to refuse her, but just as he was about to say them, he heard the woman crying very sadly.
The more he listened, the more familiar it became. Suddenly, it felt as if a heavy hammer had struck his mind, and Pei Wu woke up with a start. He realized that it was Jiang Ru's voice.
Jiang Ru came to find Pei Wu.
She was crying, Pei Wu thought, her face must be covered in tears again, so Pei Wu opened his eyes.
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Author's note: I'm so sorry, I really didn't mean to, but I really can't write the final chapter. There's one more chapter to be posted on Sunday night. Sorry, sorry.
I've been really busy lately, please forgive me, I'm such a procrastinator.
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