Chapter 71 On the arduous journey home, fame and fortune are like worn-out shoes; only the person in my dreams remains. ...
"After days of bitter fighting, hunger is unbearable; my steed, Wuzhui, has not even tasted water or grass. Wait! Pursuers are behind us, and the great river lies ahead. What shall we do? Eight thousand men have all scattered; there is a ferry across the Wujiang River, but I cannot cross it. How can I face the elders of Jiangdong?"
"Enough! Enough! I'd rather die and live a miserable life!"
I remember how triumphant I was when I broke through the Qin Pass, but now I am defeated at Gaixia and have no face to show anyone.
Hearing that Shi Qin was awakened suddenly, his forehead covered in a layer of cold sweat.
In his dream just now, he became Xiang Yu, besieged at Gaixia, his black horse neighing mournfully, the river flowing turbulently, and his eight thousand followers scattered.
In his dream, a woman was crying beside him, her cries breaking his heart. He reached out to wipe away her tears, but when he looked up, he saw Su Jinxiu's face, which was streaked with tears.
That one glance pulled him out of his confusion.
He gasped for breath, sat up, one hand bracing himself against the edge of the bed, the other pressing hard against his throbbing temple. The palpitations in his chest gradually subsided, but another thought surfaced.
Will she find the letter placed in the coffin?
But then she thought, given her personality, she probably wouldn't even be able to bear looking at his corpse, let alone rummage through the coffin.
Enough of this, there's no point in thinking about it anymore, let's just get this over with quickly.
Some generals are indifferent to fame and fortune, and are obsessed with returning home, but now they are facing the setting sun, and cannot decide whether to serve their country or their family.
Wen Shiqin was now inside the capital city of Shuomo. He had previously led eight hundred elite cavalrymen, feigning death in a battle, but in reality, the entire force had dispersed and integrated into the Shuomo marketplace.
The obituary announcing "the commander-in-chief has died in battle, and all eight hundred cavalrymen have perished" must have already reached the court, and his secret letter must have been delivered to the emperor.
The letter requested permission to send a princess to marry a foreign ruler in the northern desert region, using a marriage alliance as bait.
Seeing the princess's apparent weakness in the marriage alliance, the King of Shuomo will surely become arrogant and lower his guard. Little will he know that behind the princess's entourage, several thousand elite soldiers are secretly hidden. Once the marriage procession enters the city, they can launch a pincer attack from both inside and outside, and conquer the city in one fell swoop.
Within the city of Shuomo, the scenery and customs are quite different from those of Bianjing. The sun here is a bit more intense than in Bianjing, and the city walls, built of Gobi yellow stone, while equally magnificent, exude a desolate and majestic aura. The clothing of the city's inhabitants is also vastly different from the simple style of Bianjing, mostly featuring intricate colors and strangely layered patterns, carrying a strong exotic flavor.
Wen Shiqin was dressed in such an elaborate brocade robe, and his hair was tied up in the style of local men. He wore black leather elbow pads on his forearms, the edges of which were studded with fine iron nails, making him look fierce and providing self-defense. A wide animal skin belt was tied around his waist, from which hung various ornaments. There were jade pendants for warding off evil, dominoes engraved with runes, and a small fox mask with a smirk on its lips, revealing a hint of mystery.
The elaborate design on his body didn't appear vulgar at all; instead, it complemented his tall and upright figure, creating a strange and harmonious beauty that made him even more mysterious and handsome.
He and his men had already mastered the language of the northern deserts before they infiltrated, and now, as traveling merchants, their actions were flawless.
As dawn broke and the rising sun cast a warm golden glow, Wen Shiqin was gazing out the window, lost in thought, when a knock sounded at the door.
Helan Que made a show of knocking and then pushed the door open to enter. He was also dressed in the clothing of the Northern Desert. He had a delicate appearance and a slightly pale complexion, as if he were physically weak. In reality, he was meticulous and had profound wisdom.
"How much longer will the princess's procession last?" Wen Shiqin asked bluntly.
Helan Que walked to the window and said softly, "The princess's entourage will travel along the main road, receiving welcomes and farewells from various tribes along the way, so the journey will be slow. The two thousand elite soldiers will travel incognito, maintaining communication with the princess's entourage and calculating the distance to arrive together, so it won't be too fast, at least two months."
Wen Shiqin frowned slightly.
As night falls, the northern desert sky is crystal clear, with sparse yet exceptionally bright stars.
At this time, the Guixu Festival was being held, and bonfires were lit in the sacred place. People drank mare's milk wine, sang and danced, and laughter filled the air.
Wen Shiqin and Helan Que leaned against the earthen city wall, looking down at the revelry below. He took only a small sip of mare's milk wine before putting down the wine bag, not daring to drink more.
"The King of Shuomo will be coming tonight."
Helan Que was engrossed in watching when he heard this, paused, turned his head to look at him, and said with a warning in his eyes: "Don't do anything foolish."
Wen Shiqin chuckled lightly: "In your eyes, am I such a reckless person?"
“That’s true.” Helan Que pondered for a moment and then understood. “None of us are as attached to our homes and our lives as you are.”
Wen Shiqin looked up at the sky. The night was deep, the Milky Way was dim, and Sirius was blood red, faintly revealing an ominous sign.
He withdrew his gaze, patted Helan Que on the shoulder, and said in a light tone, "Let's go."
Helan Que put away the wine flask and raised an eyebrow: "What are you looking at? Do you think you can observe the night sky?"
“Exactly.” A sly glint flashed in Wen Shiqin’s eyes. “Just now, I observed the celestial phenomena last night and saw an unusual light beside the Ziwei star, predicting that a holy maiden will soon be born in the Northern Desert.”
"Moreover, I have a hunch that whoever obtains the Holy Maiden will obtain the world in the future."
After Wen Shiqin finished speaking, he put on the fox mask at his waist and leisurely walked down the steps.
Helan Que did not follow him downstairs. He only watched his departing figure, shook the feather fan in his hand, and felt that his words were meaningful and intriguing.
The fragmented clues from the past few days suddenly connected in his mind, forming a complete picture.
The stunningly beautiful woman they rescued from the slum a few days ago was initially thought to be someone Wen Shiqin couldn't bear the loneliness and had taken a liking to, so he treated her well and even sent people to teach her various magical arts and tricks.
Looking back now, it turns out that the plan was to take that woman for himself and then use the Shuo Mo King's superstitious and fortune-telling nature to carry out a honey trap.
He chuckled softly, waved his feather fan, and quickly followed.
Before she knew it, it was already the seventh day of the fourth month. Su Jinxiu informed her relatives and friends in advance that there was no need to celebrate her birthday.
Today happens to be the last day of the two-year period recorded in the Embroidery Alley Chronicles, which is crucial to whether she can become the number one embroiderer in Bianjing, and even more so to whether she can continue to live.
However, the book is vague on this point and does not explicitly state whether she succeeded, which makes her uneasy and anxious.
So she decided to rest early at Soseki-ju and stop worrying unnecessarily. She would know the outcome when she woke up.
After bathing, Su Jinxiu changed into a light pink satin nightgown, closed the doors and windows, and lay down on her small moon-shaped bed. The curtains were drawn, the bedding was soft and carried a faint fragrance, and the sachets hanging from the top of the curtains emitted a calming aroma, all of which helped her to sleep.
Just as she was drifting off to sleep, there was a sudden, urgent knocking at the door, accompanied by Bu Yue's calls: "Miss! Miss!"
Su Jinxiu's beautiful dream was thus interrupted. She sighed helplessly, then got up, went to open the door, and asked wearily, "What's the matter that you're in such a hurry?"
Bu Yue, panting, said, "Miss, the eldest son of the Feng family has arrived!"
"Ah?" Su Jinxiu was startled, thinking that something urgent had happened. She didn't have time to think about it, and hurriedly put on a cloak over her nightgown. As she walked out, she instructed Bu Yue, "Quickly, take the eldest young master to the main hall to wait."
As soon as Su Jinxiu stepped into the main hall, she saw Feng Xun, dressed in a scarlet official robe, standing with his back to her, his hands behind his back, his posture as upright as a pine tree.
That cold, aloof figure exuded an invisible pressure. Su Jinxiu's heart tightened, and she inexplicably had the illusion that he was there to investigate a case. If she hadn't been completely innocent, she would almost have thought she had done something wrong.
She composed herself and hurriedly stepped forward to greet him, but suddenly her foot was caught on something. Looking down, she saw little Qingyi, who looked like a little dumpling, with his arms outstretched and tightly wrapped around her legs, his big eyes blinking.
Su Jinxiu felt a warmth in her heart, smiled, bent down and picked him up, then walked gracefully to Feng Xun's side and softly called out, "Brother?"
Feng Xun then turned around.
Seeing that his official robes were neat and his black gauze hat was properly tied, as if he had just finished his official duties and come directly over, Su Jinxiu assumed that he must have something important to discuss, so she asked, "Brother, what brings you here so late?"
Feng Xun, however, did not answer the question directly, but simply nodded slightly and said, "Your Shushi Residence, though not as grand and spacious as those on the Imperial Street, has its own unique tranquility and elegance."
"Thank you for the compliment, brother." Su Jinxiu smiled shyly, "It is certainly not comparable to the Feng family mansion. Your courtyard is probably as big as my two Shushi Residences."
"Did you buy this courtyard yourself?" Fengxun asked again.
“Yes,” Su Jinxiu nodded, “I did some embroidery work at Huayun Pavilion and saved up some money, so I bought it myself.”
Upon hearing this, Feng Xun's eyes flashed with approval, and he nodded slightly.
After this conversation, the two were speechless, and the atmosphere became somewhat awkward.
He clearly came with something to discuss, yet he remained silent. Su Jinxiu looked down at Qingyi, who was obediently wrapping his arms around her neck, also silent.
She had no choice but to speak again, repeating her previous question: "So, brother, what urgent matter brings you here so late?"
Feng Xun did not answer, but instead took the lead and walked out. The two of them walked out of the main hall one after the other and strolled around the courtyard of Soseki Residence.
As the moon set and the stars faded, the courtyard was adorned with a charmingly arranged stream, artificial hill, and strangely shaped rocks. Wisteria climbed the eaves, and several pots of orchids sat on the stones, emitting a delicate fragrance. Looking at these meticulously arranged scenes, Fengxun knew that she was a person who loved life.
When I first met her, I thought she was just feeling sorry for herself, but now I realize that was the biggest misunderstanding I ever had about her.
They toured the entire Shushi Residence from front to back. Quite some time had passed since Su Jinxiu last asked the question, and Feng Xun cleared his throat and slowly replied, "It's nothing. You've been away from the manor for the past two weeks, and the children missed you and insisted on visiting Shushi Residence. I couldn't refuse them, so I brought them here."
Upon hearing this, Su Jinxiu looked down at Qingyi in her arms, reached out and gently rubbed his chubby little face, and asked softly, "Did you miss your aunt?"
Qingyi seemed a little shy, tightened his arms, buried his face in her neck, and remained silent.
Seeing his adorable appearance, Su Jinxiu couldn't help but laugh out loud. She patted his back and said, "If you miss your aunt in the future, just come to Shushi Residence to find me. The coachman in the manor knows the way."
She paused, then asked, "Brother just said that both children are here. Qingyi is here, but where is Qingluan?"
No sooner had the words left her lips than another clear voice came from the doorway: "Here I am!"
They looked in the direction of the sound and saw the long-absent Shi Yunyu being led inside by a servant, with Qingluan by her side.
Su Jinxiu and she had always gotten along well, and she was overjoyed to see each other again after so long. She quickly went forward to greet her.
Upon seeing Su Jinxiu, Qingluan immediately broke free from Shi Yunyu's grasp and, along with her brother Qingyi, rushed to throw themselves into her arms. Su Jinxiu was momentarily caught in a dilemma.
Just then, Feng Xun stepped forward, his tone calm yet carrying an undeniable authority: "Stop making a scene, let your aunt rest for a while."
The two children, who always respected their father, immediately fell silent upon hearing this and stood obediently on either side of Su Jinxiu.
Shi Yunyu then explained with a smile, "I recently accompanied the Empress Dowager on a Buddhist pilgrimage south and only returned today. Upon hearing that my cousin was coming, I decided to come along as well." As the group was chatting, a servant from the Ye residence hurried over and respectfully reported, "Miss Su, my mistress says she has something important to tell you, but it is inconvenient for her to come in person. Please come to the Ye residence."
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