Looking at the Sword by Lamplight (Part 4)
When the fire broke out in Huangquezhou, Meng Shizhuang was trapped in her own nightmare.
The panicked sounds of people running for their lives in the streets and alleys were drowned out by the earth-shaking sound of the twelve mechanical gates opening on Sujian Mountain. The well water in the courtyard, affected by the impact, stirred violently, transforming into rapidly falling drops from a clock. Meng Shizhuang stood alone outside the mountain gate. The sword, whose name he had forgotten, returned to his frail arms. He saw his intact right hand and looked up to see the blood-soaked figure of Lao Hu waiting for him behind the twelve gates.
This is a dream.
Meng Shizhuang knew it clearly.
He didn't want to face it. He could never tell who was right and who was wrong in this matter.
Meng Shizhuang was deceiving himself, wanting only to wake from this dream. Just as he had done before, he abandoned his sword and turned to run down the mountain. He rushed into the rain, ablaze with flames all over the mountain. The downpour grew heavier, and as he darted through it, his right hand grew heavier. When it became so heavy that he could no longer feel it, the rain stopped.
He looked down and saw Lao Ju, whose face was haggard and lifeless, holding his hand.
Meng Shizhuang was immediately horrified by this dream, and even her neck became stiff.
Lao Ju died peacefully, and Meng Shizhuang never shed a tear for him. He first traveled south with Lao Ju, searching for medicinal herbs in vain, but ultimately, they gritted their teeth and managed to sneak into the Western Territory. He couldn't understand why, after Lao Ju had clearly held out for so long on Sujian Mountain, he simply gave up when he was ready to take him down.
In fact, they both had a premonition in their hearts during their last days in the Western Territory.
Meng Shizhuang refused to give in, and Lao Ju gave in, but he couldn't snatch the person from the clutches of the King of Hell. He wanted to resent Lao Ju, resent the people who had trapped them on Sujian Mountain, resent the useless court, and resent Bian Hongqiu, who, despite all his boasts, hadn't yet opened the gates to the Western Territory. But before he could transform himself back into the child Lao Ju worried about, the man who was about to blow out the candle and draw out the candle tugged at his hand and said, "Ah Shi, I have nothing else to ask. If possible, please ask Lao Hu to come see me."
But Lao Hu died a long time ago.
He died in Meng Shizhuang's arms, and kept repeating "Go away" before he died.
Meng Shizhuang was overwhelmed by great fear. He didn't even answer, and Lao Ju closed his eyes without any regrets.
He couldn't do it. He even deceived a dead person.
At that moment, Meng Shizhuang began to resent herself.
When he was young, he didn't know right from wrong, and he felt better by blaming all the mistakes on others. But he always knew in his heart that the suffering he and Lao Ju endured on Sujian Mountain should be blamed on himself. He blamed his tactless birth and the fact that he was still incompetent after holding a sword for several years. Until now, he also realized that he was a person of low character.
The two elders who had watched him grow up were both sent away by him personally. But the dead must have been unable to rest in peace, as they had exhausted all their energy and efforts to raise a liar.
Meng Shizhuang struggled at the border between reality and dream, finally awakened by his own heartbeat, which practically resounded throughout the room, and the dampness of his temples. He had taken a sleeping pill before telling Liu Lang to leave, and now, being forcibly awakened by the clamorous outside world, even if it was a nightmare, waking up wouldn't be a pleasant experience.
He covered his chest with one hand and pressed his aching head with the other, and the scene before his eyes was spinning and shaking.
After opening the door, he realized the noise he'd heard earlier wasn't a dream, and a sense of foreboding washed over him. He called out "Liu Lang" as he searched the courtyard. The old willow tree in the courtyard stood silently in the darkness of the night. Besides the candles still burning in his room, there was only the sudden fire in the city.
Liu Lang never came back.
Meng Shizhuang knew Liu Lang quite well. Since he said he would pick out the most beautiful lantern, Liu Lang would hang the lantern in the most conspicuous place regardless of whether he was asleep or not.
Without giving it time to think, he hurriedly fastened the loosened belt of his white undergarment, returned to his room, casually threw on a green outer garment, and fished out the dagger from the bed, which had never been unsheathed or stained with blood. He had bought this sword for himself a few years ago, when he hadn't yet adapted to the days of his right hand being "soft as a boneless sword." Furthermore, he had held a heavy sword for so long that he had always considered it inconvenient.
At this age, it seems a bit childish to bring it up now.
He rushed out, thought for a moment, and then went to the room where Lao Ju's memorial tablet was placed. He placed his dagger before the tablet and removed the two swords that Lao Ju had always carried. He looked out. The fire in the city continued to grow, and the screams were about to shake the sky down. He didn't bother looking for a bandage at this moment. He pulled out the belt of his coat and tied his right hand to the sword handle with a loose bandage.
Meng Shizhuang made sure that her undershirt was tied very securely and her breasts would not be exposed, so she stopped worrying about whether her clothes were neat and ran out to the street with a knife in her left hand.
He had just woken up, the effects of the drug still lingering, and the thick smoke filling the city had left him almost disoriented. However, he had a plan in mind. Liu Lang wouldn't choose a lantern for him in a small or narrow street market. If he needed to meet someone from Prince Liang's mansion, he had a rough idea of where to meet them.
Meng Shizhuang ignored those who were swimming upstream with him, forging ahead. Aside from helping a few ordinary people who had fallen in the street, he remained focused on tracking Liu Lang's shadow. The streets became increasingly crowded with civilians, and thick smoke billowed, leaving no trace of the provincial government officials and soldiers grazing on the streets. A magnificent lotus lantern rolled to his feet and burst into flames, and then a child, several years old, leaped out from behind the thick smoke.
He lifted up the scabbard and hooked it around the collar of the young child. He was just wondering what unorthodox means might lead to his downfall when a middle-aged man holding a child of about the same age came running out from behind the thick smoke. The man, covered in dust, was protecting the child's mouth and nose. Perhaps because of the father's protection, the child in his arms was still crying wantonly, and was mumbling to his father for a lantern.
Recognizing that the man was the owner who often sold steamed buns in front of Renjitang, Meng Shizhuang put the scabbard back and picked up the other child who had fallen.
The other party thanked him repeatedly and distracted himself by scolding the two children who didn't know the danger of the fire.
Meng Shizhuang didn't want to delay, but was stopped by the other party: "Doctor Meng, are you looking for Liu Lang? I saw him on West Street before the fire started."
After hearing the reminder from the other party, Meng Shizhuang hurriedly thanked him and headed straight for West Street.
In this way, they arrived directly in front of the Jingxi Palace.
The once-imposing Jingxi Palace now collapsed, its gate, once rivaling that of an imperial palace, on its threshold. The two iron lions at the gate, unaffected by the smoke and fire, cast an eerie hue in the nightlight. Bian Hongqiu and his companions arrived too late, leaving behind countless officials, and the most important occupant of the palace had already fled through the secret passage.
He frowned and met Shao Zheng's equally unpleasant expression.
Shao Zheng shook his head at him, "No." There were too many people around, and there might be spies lurking among them, so Shao Zheng didn't say much. When he went in to search, all the secret rooms and compartments in the palace were open. In the "Tongyunhai Hall," he saw a few words dripped with wax: "The world is united."
This was left behind by a spy sent directly by Emperor Xue in the capital.
This means that when the city was in chaos and the palace was under siege, they had dug deep into the ground to search for him but still couldn't find him. So they had to pretend to escort the King of Jingxi away and wait for the next opportunity.
Bian Hongqiu understood Shao Zheng's signal and was furious. He almost wanted to curse at Xi Zhongting who gave him the urgent order!
Last year, news of Emperor Xue's illness frequently reached the capital. His illness hadn't been going on for a single day or two. Although the Crown Prince had previously been appointed Regent, many government orders still came from His Majesty, so those of us who were listening outside the capital had a rough idea of the severity of His Majesty's illness. Until now, only the Crown Prince's decree had reached the capital.
Bian Hongqiu had a plan in mind, and knowing the obsession of Emperor Xue's trusted ministers to reclaim the Zuo Dan Eighteen Continents, he had already accelerated his pace. He hadn't expected Xi Zhongting, the wolf, who had just finished taking care of Ming Hunzhou and who knew if he had a hundred men sneaking into the western border by water, to actually send a letter directly to him as an "imperial envoy" to put pressure on him.
It was a letter that used both soft and hard tactics, saying that if Bian Hongqiu did not cooperate, he would also attack the city from the other side. Without the help of his comrades, he would be like a mantis trying to stop a chariot, and would not go through the hole with you cowardly rats and wait for the King of Jingxi to destroy himself.
Bian Hongqiu really wanted to let this ignorant wolf get hit by a car and almost die.
It’s best to die together!
He gritted his teeth, hundreds of eyes watching his next move. He still had to finish the trick for Xi Zhongting, masked. He raised his chin, signaling Shao Zheng to begin the "torture," and Shao Zheng feebly drew his knife. Anyone who embarks on a task with little confidence of success, or rushes into it without success, and ultimately achieves nothing, would become irritable.
They'd lost countless soldiers and spies in this battle, and all they'd gotten was the Jingxi Palace, which they couldn't even tear down to exchange for military pay. Furthermore, it was unclear whether the Jingxi King would be driven to desperation by their actions today. Xi Zhongting, the emperor's trusted confidant, could still wring his nose and profess his loyalty, but only the Liang Palace had to take the blame.
At this time, Qiu He had received an urgent report. He pushed through the crowd and stood beside him, whispering in his ear, "Your Highness, General Xi failed to capture Yuechan Island..."
This half sentence made Bian Hongqiu's heart chill, and the veins on his forehead throbbed.
Fortunately, Qiu He had the second half of his sentence: "But the three coastal cities west of Yuechan Island are already under our control."
This is finally not too bad news.
At least the rebels won't flee to the sea again. Then they'll surround the Western Territory like an iron barrel, forming three circles. King Jingxi can use whatever leverage he wants against Emperor Xue. Xi Zhongting will definitely be even more furious than him.
Bian Hongqiu stood in the center, his hands behind his back, watching the Huangquezhou prefect, bound like a dumpling, weeping bitterly. Every word he spoke was a coercion from the King of Jingxi. He didn't want to see the "pork belly" sweating and crying. This was an official who had escaped from the capital, so it wasn't his turn to deal with him. With a wave of his hand, Shao Zheng was told to throw the "pork belly" into the prison.
After working all night in vain, Bian Hongqiu still had to figure out how to write a letter of apology and send it back to Beijing.
He turned around with his men to leave, but he was probably in a hurry and confused. When he turned around, he saw that the road in front of him was very different from the one in Lanzhou. Suddenly he realized from his tense state that this was Huangquezhou - the Huangquezhou where he had always wanted to come but was always stopped in his tracks over the past few years.
Bian Hongqiu turned around and glanced at Song Jingyan.
He had already retrieved the letter Liu Lang had sent a few days ago, reading it over and over again, finally realizing what he had been missing all these years. Song Jingyan probably didn't do anything extra besides not letting Liu Lang directly tell him that Meng Shizhuang was his "brother." But he still felt a certain way, like the rich young lady and the impoverished scholar in the picture book, forced apart by their elders.
Song Jingyan looked at his expression and sighed, "It's in a clinic in the west of the city called 'Renjitang'."
Bian Hongqiu couldn't help but lower his eyes and smile. He coughed lightly and patted the blood and ash off his armor. He felt this was not the right time to meet people, so he put on a sullen face and feigned composure. "Let's go to the provincial capital to rest for a day, then we'll sort out the people's livelihood on Huangque Island."
Song Jingyan had never noticed his "hometown apprehension" before. She glanced at Bian Hongqiu briefly, not exposing him. Meanwhile, the guards slowly formed a line back along their intended route, but Bian Hongqiu noticed a circle of ragged civilians still gathered there. Before they entered the city, he had not only sent a signal but even had his undercover men, risking their lives by disguising themselves as soldiers, disperse the crowd.
Moreover, a fire broke out in the city. Which common people would be so brave as to gather in front of the Jingxi Palace to watch the excitement?
As the first person tentatively approached, Bian Hongqiu thrust his knife away, clutching Song Jingyan's arm to shield her behind him. A head flew cleanly, the splash of blood evoking no cry of alarm. The exposed assassin, his dagger revealed, roared and slashed.
Bian Hongqiu retreated while carrying his load, his mind still calmly pondering. Shao Zheng had just reported that the King of Jingxi and his confidants had fled in a panic. Why, then, had all the secret rooms been cleared? Why had they spared the energy to leave these assassins to trouble them? Who was the one in charge of the King of Jingxi's palace now? Was the object they sought still in the King's possession?
This group of assassins rushed forward one after another, each of them staring at Bian Hongqiu, and would move forward even if they were split in half by the sword.
Bian Hongqiu stepped on the steps under the Jingxi Palace with his heels. He raised his left hand and was about to order his guards to shoot arrows when a group of unexpected rescuers came running from the other end of the street. The leader was a teenager, followed by a team of well-trained guards.
This is not something that their secret agents in the city can practice.
But Bian Hongqiu recognized the young man in the lead, it was Liu Lang.
In an instant, his mind split in two, wishing he could use two eyes to examine each of these people's faces one by one. In this life-or-death situation, he even touched his own face with his free hand. When he felt the stubble that had quietly grown on his face, a feeling of embarrassment and worry spread through him.
No one knew the "brilliant ideas" in the mind of His Royal Highness Prince Liang.
Liu Lang only learned of the ambush when he received a message from Madam Li. He then summoned all the men Madam Li had left behind as a gesture of goodwill. He wasn't a martial artist, after all, but being able to ride a horse with some skill was impressive. So, when one of the assassins, realizing the situation was hopeless, turned his blade against him, he stood on his horse, completely unsure how to react.
At the critical moment, a spinning rusty knife split all obstacles and fiercely stabbed the murderer through. A slender green figure swept over, scooped up the trapped Liu Lang in his arms, and landed on an empty field with him.
Bian Hongqiu's breathing stopped.
He saw the old man he hadn't seen in ten years, his hair disheveled and dressed in thin clothes. The large lapels of his clothes had slipped down from his violent movements, revealing a chest that wasn't quite strong but certainly not thin. He held Liu Lang in one hand and a knife in the other. The hand holding the knife was wrapped in pieces of coarse cloth that fluttered in the night wind.
The guards didn't know whether they were enemies or friends, and held their torches high.
The bright firelight illuminated the old man's face. It was still thin, with sunken cheeks. Perhaps the years of separation had weathered the weather. His complexion wasn't flawless, but the paleness remained unchanged, and the sharp angles of his chin made him look even colder. Unlike his youth, the brow ridges that had always seemed gloomy and drooping now revealed a calm and casual air.
Bian Hongqiu's eyes fell on the cold sweat dripping from the tip of his chin, and every beat was his own heartbeat.
Only Liu Lang, who was holding Meng Shizhuang's slender waist, could sense that something was wrong with her. He was drenched in cold sweat. Liu Lang looked up at her face and saw that she was forcing herself to hold on, her eyelids drooping uncontrollably.
Liu Lang screamed at that moment: "Brother..."
Meng Shizhuang had a terrible headache and no longer had the energy to scold the suicidal child. He interrupted in a hoarse voice, "Shut up."
He slowly raised his knife. Liu Lang knew that if he didn't stop them, they would start fighting among themselves for no apparent reason. So he simply pulled his hand away and held his right hand, which was wrapped around the knife. "It's Your Highness! It's one of us!"
Bian Hongqiu took a few steps forward expectantly, only to receive Meng Shizhuang's cold gaze.
But Meng Shizhuang was forced to put down the knife by Liu Lang's body. He was about to breathe out when the sweat on his eyelids finally fell to the ground, which made his vision clear for a moment. However, he had no time to look at the prince he had met again after a long time. With a flash of his eyes, he saw the assassin, who was breathing his last breath, light a fuse.
Immediately afterwards, angry roars came from the stomachs of the two lions in front of the Jingxi Palace.
No one expected this back-up plan.
Meng Shizhuang instinctively pushed Liu Lang, who was beside him, out of the crowd, and then rushed towards Bian Hongqiu, who was closest to the West Palace Gate.
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