The Old Stories of the Qing Kingdom
Zhong Yujing felt like she had missed a step and woke up. She opened her sleepy eyes, got out of bed and opened the door. The inn girl smiled brightly at her and said, "Sir, please come downstairs for dinner."
She smiled and nodded, then followed the girl downstairs.
Zhong Yujing and Yi Shi sat down in the living room. The girl brought the last dish to the table. Yi Shi asked, "Do you have any wine?"
The girl smiled and said, "Yes, they are all homemade rice wine. It's stronger, but the flavor is rich."
"Have a jar first!" Yi Shi waved his hand generously.
The girl came over with a jar of wine and two wine plates, placed them on the table, and pulled off the red cloth covering the jar. She asked Zhong Yujing, "Miss, can you drink?"
Zhong Yujing stretched out his hand and pushed the wine dish in front of him. "I don't dare to drink with brother, but I can drink a few bowls to cheer you up." He gestured to the girl to pour wine for him.
Although these four dishes and one soup are farm dishes, the ingredients are fresh and the taste is delicious, leaving a lingering aftertaste.
The girl sat on a stool at the opposite table, smiling as she watched them eat and drink. The old man, leaning on his cane, walked over to the girl, picked up the teapot on the table, poured a cup, took a sip, and said, "These are all vegetables grown in the backyard, and Qiu Shan stir-fried them. This child's cooking skills are quite good."
Zhong Yujing and Yi Shi praised the food while eating, saying it was really delicious, much better than the buns they had at the teahouse at noon!
Yi Shi wiped the oil from his mouth and pointed at the dishes on the table, "The imperial meals His Majesty eats in the palace aren't even as delicious as this!"
Qiu Shan laughed out loud, as clear as a silver bell. "You are teasing me, my hero. Have you ever eaten the imperial meal that His Majesty eats?"
Zhong Yujing looked at Yi Shi wolfing down his food and said to Qiu Shan, "My brother used to be a royal guard in the palace. He has seen the delicacies in the palace. He said that the food you cooked is better than the ones in the palace, so it means you can compare with them." He gave Qiu Shan a thumbs up.
Qiu Shan laughed even more happily, and the old man stroked his beard happily beside him.
Yi Shi took a sip of wine and suddenly asked, "Old man, this place is deserted. Why did you two choose to open an inn here?"
The old man sighed, "It's all for a living."
"Judging from your accent, you don't seem to be from Qi State." Yi Shi said.
"We are fleeing here." Qiu Shan whispered.
"We fled here from Qing Country." A look of sadness filled the old man's eyes. "My ancestors were craftsmen for generations. When they built a house in the village, they would attract crowds of onlookers. They were true artisans. We used to live a good life. We weren't rich, but we had enough food and clothing."
The old man glanced at Qiu Shan and sighed. Qiu Shan's eyelashes trembled a few times and his expression was gloomy. He picked up the teapot on the table and said, "I'll go refill the tea for grandpa." He hurriedly ran to the backyard.
The old man continued, "When Qiu Shan was five years old, someone from the palace came and said they wanted to recruit people to build a mausoleum for the emperor. They took Qiu Shan's parents away. The guards said that building a mausoleum was a great achievement and that the emperor was kind and would reward them handsomely and let them go home after the work was done."
The old man clenched his cane. "My family has been craftsmen for generations. How could I not know the rules? Whether I can return depends entirely on the emperor's words. If I meet a merciful emperor, I can live a peaceful life after the imperial mausoleum is completed. Otherwise..." The old man's hands trembled violently. "For several years, there has been no news from my son and daughter-in-law. A few years later, the imperial mausoleum was completed, but I didn't receive a reward, let alone a return. The imperial guards came to our house again, saying that my son and daughter-in-law tried to escape and were executed on the spot. Such traitors should be treated as criminals, and their bodies abandoned in the wilderness to be devoured by wild dogs."
The old man burst into tears, unable to speak. After sobbing for a while, he continued, "How could I not know the inside story! Those who were summoned to build the imperial mausoleum together, not a single one ever returned safely. Some died of exhaustion there and were buried on the spot, or like my son and daughter-in-law, they said they had defected, but in fact they were all killed to prevent them from revealing the location of the imperial mausoleum in the future!"
After hearing this, Yi Shi slammed the table in anger and said, "This Emperor Feng is truly incompetent, cruel and ruthless!"
Qiu Shan returned with a teapot and placed one on the table where Zhong Yujing and the others were sitting. She then picked up another and filled the old man's cup. "Grandfather, have some tea to moisten your throat."
The old man nodded when he heard this, picked up the teacup and took a sip, then said helplessly: "In the past, when Emperor Huan was in power, the country was rich and the people were strong. Emperor Huan was fighting wars everywhere, but the people of Qing State were still well-fed and well-clothed, and lived in peace and comfort. Ever since this Prince Duan became emperor, he has been levying heavy taxes, wasting people's money and labor, and the foundation of Qing State is about to be rotten by him." As he spoke, he angrily knocked the ground a few times with his crutch and sighed heavily.
Zhong Yujing asked, "Did you find life difficult in Qing Country and flee here?"
The old man said, "After the death of my son and daughter-in-law, there is no more labor force in the family. After this incident, I have seen through the world. It was this craft that ruined both my son and daughter-in-law's lives. So I abandoned all my ancestral property and took Qiu Shan to find another way to make a living. It's a pity that we widows, the elderly and the young have a hard life. The Emperor Feng also imposed heavy taxes, requiring every household in Qingguo to pay heavy taxes every year. This is to force people like us who can hardly make a living to death!"
Qiu Shan's face was heavy, he pursed his lips and grabbed his grandfather's hand.
"We couldn't survive in Qing Country, so we had to flee. There's always a way out. As long as you're hardworking and willing to work, you won't starve to death and you'll always be able to survive. Grandpa and I arrived here. Although the path here is remote, people often pass by, so we built an inn. Qiu Shan worked hard and planted vegetables in the backyard. People who came to stop by could stay overnight and have a meal. We just thought that earning some tolls was enough to make a living."
The old man looked at the moonlight outside the window through the lattice. "After leaving Qingguo, although life has been hard, my heart is at peace. It's just that occasionally I think of the moonlight in Qingguo, and I can't help but feel homesick."
Yi Shi also said with deep emotion: "It's hard to predict the future. Maybe one day the old man will be able to return to his hometown with his granddaughter. It's not impossible for fallen leaves to return to their roots."
The old man smiled and said, "I would like to borrow your kind words."
Zhong Yujing put down the teacup and asked, "Old man, have you ever heard about the reason why Emperor Huan was assassinated?"
The old man smacked his lips and stroked his beard. "Emperor Huan's sudden death shocked the nation. Rumors circulated that an assassin had stormed the palace at night, managed to break through numerous guards, and slew Emperor Huan on his bed. He then managed to escape, appearing and disappearing without a trace, like a ghost. Emperor Huan died suddenly in his prime, leaving no will. For a time, the Qing Kingdom was leaderless and the people were in turmoil. The elders in the court all supported the young prince's ascension to the throne, but Prince Duan suddenly stood up and said that the prince was too young to take the throne at this time. The Qing Kingdom's ambitions were yet to be realized, and a more capable successor was needed to live up to the empire Emperor Huan had built."
"Prince Duan took the opportunity to usurp the throne?" Yi Shi said with his eyes wide open.
The old man nodded. "Prince Duan has been with Emperor Huan on campaigns for many years and commands a large army. All the ministers in the court are wary of him. The little prince is young and not the Empress's son, so the Empress will certainly not support him. Therefore, she supports Prince Duan in usurping the throne and becoming Emperor."
"Won't the little prince end up in a miserable state?" Yi Shi asked again.
The old man sighed and said, "Since then, no news has been heard from the little prince... Rumor has it that he was secretly killed by Emperor Feng."
Yi Shi listened with great interest and nodded, "That should be the case. Palace coups usually end like this. He's just a young boy without any adult protection. It's extremely difficult for him to escape. To eliminate future troubles, the only way is to kill him."
The old man continued, "There is also a rumor that he was secretly escorted out of the palace by Emperor Huan's trusted confidants and is still alive."
Yi Shi's eyes widened again, "How could such a strange thing happen?"
The old man shook his head. "They're just rumors, completely fabricated. How can we believe them? The little prince was young and helpless at the time. Under the siege of so many powerful forces, he would have been killed long ago. How could he have survived? It's just a story made up by the people out of hatred for Emperor Feng's stupidity and grief for the Qing Kingdom's misfortune."
After drinking the wine and finishing the tea, Zhong Yujing and Yi Shi enjoyed the meal very much, especially Yi Shi. After drinking a jar of wine, he felt a little tipsy, but it did not affect his walking. He was in the most comfortable and relaxed state. He would take a good sleep and get up in time to set off tomorrow morning.
Yi Shi yawned and went back to his room first. Zhong Yujing went to pour a pot of tea for when she was thirsty in the middle of the night. The candlelight flickered under the oil lamp, and the light was dim. She accidentally spilled the water on the table. She picked up a rag to wipe it. Qiu Shan saw it and ran over, "Miss, let me do it."
Zhong Yujing nodded in thanks and took out a handkerchief from her sleeve to wipe her hands.
Qiu Shan noticed the lotus on the handkerchief and said, "Young lady, this handkerchief looks very familiar. A few days ago, a customer came to our shop and also had one."
Zhong Yujing looked at her in confusion, "What kind of guest is this?"
Qiu Shan scratched his head and recalled, "He was wearing armor, looked like a general, and was very handsome." His cheeks flushed slightly and he lowered his head.
Zhong Yujing asked, "Has this person also stayed at the inn before?"
Qiu Shan nodded in agreement. "He came with a group of people. There were quite a few of them at the door, all dressed as soldiers. They were probably on the march and passed by an inn at dusk. The inn was too small to accommodate so many people, so they couldn't stay overnight. So they could only order food, fill their stomachs, and then continue on their way."
Qiu Shan looked down at the handkerchief in Zhong Yujing's hand again and pointed. "When he stood up to leave, a white handkerchief fell from his body. I helped him pick it up, but I saw it was covered in dust and wanted to wash it for him, but he refused. I took it back, carefully patted it clean, folded it neatly, and put it in his arms."
Qiu Shan imitated the man's appearance and showed her, "There is a lotus embroidery on the handkerchief, and there is also a word embroidered on it. I don't recognize it, but I can tell at a glance that it was given by a woman. I think it must be something from his sweetheart." She shook her head and said coquettishly.
The oil lamp was dim and unclear, unable to illuminate Zhong Yujing's face. Her panicked eyes were hidden. She calmly put away the handkerchief and tucked it into her sleeve. She said to Qiu Shan, "It's getting late. Go to bed early. I'll go back to my room first."
Zhong Yujing tossed and turned in bed. When she closed her eyes, she could see the look in Shen Qingci's eyes before he died...
"So it's you..."
"I actually lost to you."
At that time, she only thought that Shen Qingci resented her for finding the hidden house through the handkerchief and rescuing Shangguan Yichen. She didn't know that Shen Qingci was just as Qiu Shan thought...
She suddenly felt upset, stood up and sat still for a moment, calming herself down before she could finally calm down.
The road that Yi Shi took her was the same road that Shangguan Yichen's army took a month ago. The victory report sent back to the palace did not mention any ambushes or accidents on the road. They should be able to reach Nansai smoothly.
After thinking about this, I slowly calmed down and fell asleep.
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