"Master Yan, Master Yan?"

Yan Sikong, who was sleeping in the carriage, opened his eyes. He didn't know when the carriage had stopped. He saw the light coming in through the gaps in the curtains and knew that it was almost dusk.

The voice belonged to Fu Zhanqing, a student of Shen Hexuan. Yan Sikong asked calmly, "What's the matter?"

"The weather is getting colder. I will bring some thick bedding and clothes to you."

"Come in." Yan Sikong's hands and feet were tied, so he could only support his body with his elbows and sit up with great effort.

The car door was locked and then opened from the outside. Fu Zhanqing came in with a thick stack of things. He looked at Yan Sikong who was curled up in the corner and said respectfully, "Junior, can you spread some thick bedding for me?"

"Um."

Fu Zhanqing unfolded the mattress, laid it in the carriage patiently, tucked in the corners, and smoothed the quilt. From his serious yet clumsy look, it was clear that he had never done any work before.

Yan Sikong couldn't help but tease: "Whose rich young master are you? Why did you follow Shen Hexuan, a blockhead?"

Fu Zhanqing smiled and said, "My father is a cloth merchant in Jiangnan. He has always hoped that I would pass the imperial examinations and bring honor to the family. The wandering doctor who saved my teacher has been a close friend of my father for many years. My father has always admired my teacher's name. It is my great honor to be his student."

"Cloth merchant? Fu family from Luanxiufang?" That was a famous cloth shop in Jiangnan.

"Exactly."

Yan Sikong sneered: "Your father is very rich, you could have lived a carefree life, why do you have to enter this dirty and sinister officialdom?"

"Every man has his share of responsibility for the fate of his country. At this time, the country is in turmoil. I, the younger generation, hope to follow my teacher and devote my wisdom and loyalty to my country."

"Young people are so ambitious, that's good, very good." Yan Sikong showed a lonely smile on his face. He was born in a scholarly family. His father's highest ideal in life was to serve as an official in the court and sacrifice his life for the country. He was also educated in this way since he was a child. But I don't know if his father ever blamed the Chen family emperor who was willing to risk his life for him when he left his hometown and died of illness on the street.

Yan Sikong's face was hidden in the dim light and was a little blurry, but his eyes were like stars in the sky, shining brightly, and the shadows of his brow bone and nose bridge were like mountains lying on the earth, breathtakingly beautiful.

Fu Zhanqing stared at Yan Sikong in a daze, a little infatuated.

Yan Sikong suddenly raised his eyes and looked at Fu Zhanqing. Fu Zhanqing shuddered slightly and lowered his head.

"How did you recognize me?"

"In fact, I have been among the people who come to treat horses for seven days. The teacher has difficulty walking, so he told me about your figure, appearance, temperament, and most importantly, you must really know how to treat horses." Fu Zhanqing thought for a while and said, "I have also seen your portrait, but..."

"But what?"

Fu Zhanqing said softly: "But it's not as graceful as your Eleventh."

"Oh." Yan Sikong said self-deprecatingly, "What you saw was a portrait that was on display?"

Fu Zhanqing was a little embarrassed: "When I met you, it was different from what was rumored."

"What's the difference?"

"Rumors..." Fu Zhanqing glanced at Yan Sikong secretly, and suddenly felt his cheeks getting hot. "Rumors cannot be true. It doesn't matter if you don't want to hear them, my Lord."

"What rumors say about me being insidious and cunning, changing my attitude according to the situation, and using my sex appeal to please my superiors?"

Fu Zhanqing lowered his head and said nothing.

"It doesn't matter. It's not like I haven't heard of it before." Yan Sikong said lightly.

"Are you hungry, sir? I will have dinner brought to you."

"good."

"grown ups……"

"You are Shen Hexuan's disciple, but you are not as rigid as him." Yan Sikong smiled, "Why, are you curious about me?"

Fu Zhanqing said somewhat embarrassedly: "Your Excellency is a world-renowned figure. I am flattered that you are willing to talk to me."

"I am a notorious traitor and rebel, how can you be favored by me?"

"Junior..." Fu Zhanqing's eyes flickered, "Junior also believed the rumors in the past and thought that you were so terrible, but the teacher often talked about you. After meeting you, I believe that what you did was definitely not for your own selfish desires."

Yan Sikong stared at Fu Zhanqing and sighed, "It's rare that you have such a clear mind."

Fu Zhanqing smiled.

Yan Sikong recalled the past and couldn't help laughing, "Back then, we were all students, and now he has become a teacher."

"Teacher and you were taught by the chief minister of the inner cabinet, Yan Zilian. I am ashamed to say that you are not as good as me."

"You are more liked by the teacher than your teacher. My teacher appreciates Shen Hexuan's talent, but he has some complaints about his bluntness and rigidity. However, he chose someone as smart and clever as you as his student. I think he has really become smarter in recent years." Yan Sikong said sarcastically, "But how can you stand him, huh?"

Fu Zhanqing said sincerely: "The teacher taught me, 'If one's conduct is upright, he will act without being told; if one's conduct is not upright, he will not act even if he is told.' The teacher set an example and taught by words and deeds. In the hearts of the younger generation, the teacher is a role model for the world in both his conduct and as an official. If the younger generation can emulate one or two of his examples, it will be enough to benefit from them for the rest of their lives."

"I'm very pleased that Shen Hexuan has a student like you." Yan Sikong sighed in his heart, because he couldn't help but think of his only student, but now they have become enemies.

——

After a month of travel, they finally arrived in Guangning.

At this time, Guangning had fortified its defenses and cleared the countryside. The entire city was on alert, and anyone entering or leaving the city was strictly interrogated for fear of spies sneaking in.

Yan Sikong looked at the city with high walls and deep moats from afar, and felt a little hazy. Is this his Guangning? In the past, Guangning was just a small pyramid-shaped city, but now there is not even a trace of the city twenty years ago.

In those days, he and Yuan Mao stood on that city wall and repelled the Jin army of 100,000 three times, making the small city of Guangning famous throughout the world. Unfortunately, Yuan Mao could repel foreign enemies but could not guard against internal enemies. He could protect the 40,000 soldiers and civilians of Guangning but could not protect a small family.

How many people in Guangning today still remember the bloody battle twenty years ago, and remember Yuanmao?

Yan Sikong got off the carriage. Shen Hexuan was sitting in a wheelchair and was pushed in front of him by Fu Zhanqing: "I have sent a secret letter to General Liang, telling him that I am coming to Guangning, but I didn't mention you."

Yan Sikong understood Shen Hexuan's concerns. It had been twenty years, and even if Liang Huiyong still remembered him, he was no longer the second young master of the Yuan family, but a criminal and traitor who was condemned by thousands of people. It was hard to predict how Liang Huiyong would react when he saw him.

Yan Sikong nodded: "I will tell General Liang when I see him."

Shen Hexuan gestured to Fu Zhanqing, who said, "Remove Master Yan's torture instruments."

The guards untied the shackles on Yan Sikong's hands and feet.

"We have to keep a low profile when entering the city, so we'll let you go for now." Shen Hexuan stared at Yan Sikong, "But don't try to escape, the guards will always follow you."

Yan Sikong shook his hands and feet that had been bound for too long. He felt that his limbs were not his own anymore. They were stiff and painful. He said, "I was going to Guangning in the first place. Now Guangning is right in front of me. Where can I escape to?"

"Okay, let's go into the city."

The group disguised themselves as cloth merchants and entered the city smoothly.

Yan Sikong now truly understood what it meant to be homesick. When he heard the familiar Liaodong accent and looked at the familiar street scenes, the memories of his youth came flooding back, almost drowning him. He remembered how he had walked through the streets and alleys of the city countless times, where he bought rice, where he listened to music, and where he saw merchants from other places selling fresh things on the street. When he was a teenager, he and Yuan Nanyu ran through every inch of the small Guangning City on their own two legs. To them at that time, Guangning was the whole world.

And his "world" indeed collapsed in Guangning - the moment his adoptive father was sent to the guillotine.

Once again setting foot on this homeland that made him feel mixed emotions, people and things have changed. Yan Sikong felt his heart surging and full of mixed feelings.

They found an inn and planned to rest there.

Yan Sikong asked the store to bring hot water and took a good bath.

The inn he stayed in looked old now, but twenty years ago, it was the largest inn in Guangning. He and Yuan Nanyu often ran outside the inn and shouted at the top of their voice like the waiter: "Room No. 1, two distinguished guests." Then they ran away laughing amid the curses of the innkeeper.

I wonder if his Yu'er still remembers it.

After taking a shower and changing into dry clothes, Yan Sikong wanted to go for a walk in the city. There were too many memories surging in his mind, making him want to look for the places in his memory.

But as soon as he opened the door, he was stopped by the guards at the door.

"I want to see Lord Shen."

"Please wait a moment, sir." The guard went to report.

After a while, Fu Zhanqing came: "What do you want, Master Taifu?"

Yan Sikong said, "I want to go for a walk in the city to relieve my homesickness."

Fu Zhanqing said gently: "The teacher will not agree."

"You can follow me. I'm... right here on this street, not far away."

Fu Zhanqing hesitated for a moment and said, "Then I will accompany Master Taifu, and let the guards follow behind us. We will only go on this street."

"Thank you." Yan Sikong said as he was about to leave.

"Wait." Fu Zhanqing stared at Yan Sikong's face, "Please make some disguises for me, sir."

"I've been gone for 20 years. No one will recognize me."

Fu Zhanqing looked at Yan Sikong without blinking, "Your Excellency has an extraordinary appearance, so it is inevitable that you will attract attention."

Yan Sikong had no choice but to put on a hat and glue on a beard.

"Your Excellency."

The two of them went downstairs and asked several guards to follow them. They strolled along the street of the inn. This street was the main street of Guangning City and was still the most lively place in the city.

Twenty years have passed, and the streetscape has changed a lot. Yan Sikong has a very good memory and can almost completely describe the scene back then. He pointed at the shops and said, "This used to be a rice shop, that one sold shoes, that one used to grind tofu, and this area is a new building. There was nothing there before."

Fu Zhanqing listened carefully: "Your Excellency remembers it very clearly."

"I walked this street countless times when I was young..." Yan Sikong stretched his neck to look forward, "At the end of the street, there is a steamed bun shop called Blind Zhang's Steamed Buns. It's a time-honored brand in Guangning. My father often bought buns for us." As he spoke, he suddenly slowed down his pace. He was afraid that when he reached the end, he would find that the steamed bun shop was gone.

"It seems to be still there." Fu Zhanqing saw through Yan Sikong's thoughts and squinted his eyes to look forward, "Let's go over and take a look."

The two of them walked over and saw that the flag of the steamed bun shop was still hanging on the small building. Yan Sikong was overjoyed and even a little excited: "It's still there, this steamed bun shop is still there." He took two steps at a time and walked forward.

Before he got closer, the aroma of the buns had already filled his nose, making him salivate. Yan Sikong walked into the shop and looked around. The shop had not changed much. In a trance, he seemed to have really returned to twenty years ago.

Fu Zhanqing took out his wallet and bought some of each type of buns: "Take them back and let the teacher taste them."

Yan Sikong picked up one of his favorite pork buns. The bun had just come out of the pot and was still a little hot. He held it in his palm, feeling the warmth, which immediately dispelled the winter chill. He shivered as he moved it to his mouth and took a big bite.

The delicious taste brought the distant memories even clearer. The harmonious scene of the Yuan family appeared in front of Yan Sikong's eyes. His whole body was shaking and his eyes were filled with tears, but he tried hard not to let them fall.

He returned to his hometown, but he no longer had a home.

The world is so big, but he is alone and has no home anymore.

Fu Zhanqing felt awkward when he saw Yan Sikong's tearful look.

Yan Sikong lowered his head and walked out of the steamed bun shop.

"My Lord." Fu Zhanqing walked to Yan Sikong's side, "If my Lord likes to eat..."

"Let's go back to the inn." Yan Sikong said in a low voice.

"ah?"

"Let's go back to the inn." Yan Sikong said again. He couldn't go any further. After crossing this street and turning another corner, he would reach the execution ground where Yuan Mao Xingmei collapsed. That was the beginning of his lifelong nightmare. He didn't have the courage to go back.

"……good."

The two of them walked back along the way they had come. When they passed a big tree, they saw several children playing around an ancient well under the tree, singing nursery rhymes.

At first they didn't take it seriously, but when they passed by each other and heard the words "Three Dukes Riding on the Wall, the Thief Yan Sikong" rushing into his ears, Yan Sikong froze.

Fu Zhanqing also heard it, and his face changed slightly: "Sir, let's go back to the inn."

Yan Sikong paused.