Xu Zhuohua raised her eyes, looked away from the map, her brows furrowed slightly, and her voice was calm: "What's wrong? Why are you in such a panic?"
Xinghua, leaning against the edge of the table, gasped for breath before managing to stammer, "Miss...Young Marshal...Young Marshal he..."
Her throat bobbed as if something was blocking it, and she almost shouted, "The young marshal has been arrested! The newspapers, the newspapers say he'll be executed in three days! And...and there's also the young marshal's suicide note!"
The last few words exploded like thunder in Xu Zhuohua's ears.
She felt a sudden clench in her chest, followed by a sensation as if countless fine needles were piercing her internal organs, causing her to gasp for breath in pain.
The pain spread along my blood vessels, and even my fingertips began to tremble uncontrollably.
She opened her mouth, wanting to question, wanting to confirm, but her throat felt as if it were blocked by a boulder, and she could only make broken, breathy sounds.
After a long while, he managed to squeeze out a few words through clenched teeth, his voice trembling uncontrollably: "What...what did you say?"
Before she could finish speaking, tears welled up unexpectedly, rolling down her cheeks and splashing onto the spread-out map, leaving a small water stain.
Seeing her tears, Xinghua's own eyes reddened, and she hurriedly spread the crumpled newspaper on the table: "Miss, look... I... I don't know many words, the young marshal's last letter... I can't understand what it says..."
Xu Zhuohua stared blankly, then stiffly lowered her head. The newspaper headline, printed in bold black font, read: "Cheng Muyun, guilty of treason and multiple crimes, will be executed by firing squad in the western suburbs in three days."
Those words were like a red-hot branding iron, burning her eyes with intense heat.
Moving your gaze downwards, in the most inconspicuous corner of the bottom right corner of the page, there is a small article, about the size of a tofu block, titled "A Letter to My Wife".
Those were Cheng Muyun's words, his deep longing that he never spoke aloud, and his burning declaration of love hidden between the lines.
“
A Letter to My Wife:
Dear Sir/Madam Zhuohua, I write this letter to you to express my heartfelt thoughts.
In the spring of 1920, my heart was filled with hardship. I met you at Huian Temple in Dongzhou. You were like the bright moon and the dazzling sun, like spring sunshine spreading across the land.
Knowing you are a daughter of the Xu family, I am comforted; knowing you are a Buddhist nun, I feel pity; knowing you are imprisoned, I feel sorrow.
I love you deeply, yet I cannot bear to see you confined to this world. But a serendipitous opportunity has presented itself, and you are truly my benefactor.
You are passionate, flamboyant, innocent, and romantic, which all mothers dislike, but I love you deeply.
You understand the truths of the world, never clinging to the dross, with a virtuous heart. When you walk the streets, your hair stands on end in anger, and you shout from the railing.
I do not understand your intentions, but observing your expression and listening to your words, my heart is stirred.
A sudden inspiration struck me, and my nature underwent a great change. Ordinary people do not understand this and see me as a demon, but you alone can understand me.
Amidst the menacing gazes of tigers and wolves, and the pervasive stench of blood, with our nation on the brink of collapse, I love you deeply, and this thought gives me the courage to fight.
My husband and I are of one mind and one heart; I am so fortunate.
But the world is full of injustices, and to provoke such deep-seated grievances with blood is a grave mistake! The mob will set you ablaze.
Does it hurt? Does it hurt? Does it hurt...?
I examine myself; I owe you my life, a debt heavier than Mount Tai, yet my affection for you is as light as a feather.
You often speak of the future's glory and endless pleasures, yet you find no peace for even a day.
Another year, the kapok flowers bloom, their five-pointed petals like crimson blood, swaying gracefully. Do you remember? The first time I saw them, a kapok flower beneath the steps in the courtyard, and I fell in love with them from that moment on.
Two years and three months have passed since then.
I love you deeply, and I will do my utmost to fulfill your aspirations. I will shed my blood on the ground, drive away tigers, leopards, wolves, and jackals, kill foreign powers, and support the backbone of China. This is also my ambition.
This journey has been extremely difficult, and now my life ends here...
Fortunately.
Mu Yun lived up to the expectations of the nation, and alone bore the glory of the nation.
I wish to reach the other shore, on the Bridge of Helplessness, to meet you alone, and with just one glance, end my life.
"
Xu Zhuohua read those few hundred words for a long time, until her eyes were red, like a caged beast that had been trapped for a long time.
This was not only a letter to his wife, but also a farewell letter. Cheng Muyun's meaning was simple: he was tired, and he longed for death.
Xu Zhuohua clenched her hands tightly, her nails digging deep into her palms. She thought that Cheng Muyun was alright after her last words of persuasion.
In retrospect, it was nothing more than a last gasp before the storm.
The wooden door was suddenly pushed open, and Xu Zhuohua's hair was slightly disheveled. The hem of her usually impeccably styled cheongsam was covered in dust, indicating that she had rushed downstairs.
She immediately spotted the apricot blossoms under the eaves, their backs to her. The girl was wiping away tears in front of the pomegranate tree in the corner of the courtyard, her shoulders trembling slightly.
"Apricot blossoms!"
Xu Zhuohua strode over, grabbed Xinghua's wrist, and felt an astonishing heat in her palm.
Her voice still trembled slightly, but every word was clear: "I want to go back to Xinhai City, right now."
Xinghua looked up abruptly, her tear-streaked face filled with astonishment, which quickly turned to anxiety: "Miss, this is too risky! You still..."
“There’s no room for negotiation.” Xu Zhuohua interrupted her, his eyes shining with an astonishing light, like stars that had been tempered into fire. “To the docks, we’re leaving right now!”
Late on the fourth night, the telegraph machine at the Xu residence suddenly started beeping, breaking the silence.
The telegram contained only a few words: "Someone has requisitioned a cargo ship near Nanhu and is heading towards Xinhai City. The leader is a woman with a beautiful appearance."
Xu Jixin's fingers trembled slightly as he held the telegram, and he suddenly looked up at Cheng Muyun opposite him.
Cheng Muyun's jawline tightened instantly. He took the telegram, and when his gaze swept over the words "young woman" and "beautiful appearance," his Adam's apple bobbed almost imperceptibly.
The moment their eyes met, no words were needed; the surging excitement in their eyes said it all.
"Prepare the boat," Cheng Muyun said first, his voice filled with barely suppressed urgency. "Let's go to South Lake now."
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