Chapter 106: Black City
Wen Yao's teeth clenched shut instantly, and a mouthful of water mixed with air gurgled into her stomach, choking her and nearly causing her to cough. She raised an eyebrow, stunned. "Him? Isn't he working as a clerk in the South?"
"He also serves as the envoy of the Northwest Recruiting Office." Zhao Xuanxu touched Wen Yao's thin back, feeling the slightly raised vertebrae and the vigorous warmth coming from her body. He increased the pressure of his thumb slightly. "He is highly regarded by the Emperor of Northern Liao."
"Oh," Wen Yao replied dryly, thinking that Lou Chengyi had some skills. The Northern Liao clan had been dominant for so long, and he'd actually gotten ahead by just charging in like that, now serving as both the Detailed Hidden Affairs Commissioner and the Recruiting Envoy, among many other official titles.
But the most important thing right now isn't this. The most important thing is that my boyfriend looks a little unhappy. Although his tone is gentle, he's obviously gloomy!
Wen Yao glanced around. Above her, Jinyun and Hao Chunhe were mumbling something, paying no attention. She snuck down to Zhao Xuanxu's wide sleeves, took his hand, and solemnly assured him, "I declare again and again that I have no feelings for Lou Chengyi. It's clear as day! If you're unhappy, I won't see him again!"
Zhao Xuanxu lowered his slender eyes slightly and said, "Hmm," "I know."
The wind is light and the clouds are thin, and it's gone.
Wen Yao looked at his expression but couldn't tell anything, so he had to shut his mouth.
The journey to Heichengzi was still a long one, passing through numerous towns along the way. The procession would stop for a day at temple fairs in towns, slowing the pace even further. After passing Fengxiang Prefecture, the sandstorm intensified, and the number of Hu people on the road increased. Camels, bundled with hay, walked the road, while Wen Yao accompanied Jinyun as they selected tinware from a red cloth spread on the ground. The bearded Hu man, speaking in his half-baked Tianshui dialect, delighted Jinyun, who bought everything with a wave of his hand.
She happily picked up the things and went to look at Wen Yao, but saw her standing beside her, looking up slightly and concentrating on looking into the distance.
In the dim sky, a city submerged in the floating yellow sand is barely visible.
"That's the Black City you and Third Brother are going to." Jinyun came up to Wen Yao holding something and said, "What's wrong with you? We've walked for so long and are finally getting there. Why do you look unhappy?"
Wen Yao came back to his senses and said in silence, "I'm not unhappy, I just don't know why, I feel a little nervous."
"I see. Homesickness can be frustrating." Jinyun nodded, offering an understanding reassurance: "It's okay. Just head into the city. Is there someone you want to see there? Talk to them. When you're with someone you care about, you can instantly become close, no matter how long you've been away."
"Commander Wen," someone came over and called out, "The horses are well fed, and the water bags are full."
They weren't stopping here solely because Jinyun wanted to buy something. There was a small lake nearby, offering water for the horses. A large number of merchant caravans had been parked nearby, but upon seeing the mighty imperial troops approach, they all moved several circles back, retreating to a distant corner and whispering to each other.
Wen Yao's feet had gone numb from squatting at the stall, so he trudged back to the caravan. He happened to see Zhao Xuanxu bending over to clear something from a carriage. He pulled out a round mahogany basin filled with cakes and dried goods, a jar of wine, and a stack of paper money.
It's obvious who the item is for.
Zhao Xuanxu hadn't taken out the things along the way. Now he counted them one by one and carefully pressed yellow paper on the pile of dried fruits.
Wen Yao walked over: "So many?"
"We still need some cooked food." Zhao Xuanxu closed the lid. "What does he avoid?"
"No, I just love eating meat. I have no dietary restrictions." Wen Yao thought carefully and said, "There's a place at the city gate that sells delicious roasted mutton. I'll buy some later."
Zhao Xuanxu nodded, confirmed that there was nothing wrong with the contents of the red basin, and carefully closed the lid.
Now there are people from Northern Liao in Heichengzi. In order to avoid complications, Wen Yao and Zhao Xuanxu leave on horseback, while Qianying and Hao Chunhe escort Jinyun forward with the Lingyu Guards.
As they approached the desolate and old city walls of Heichengzi, Wen Yao's palms were wet with sweat again. He couldn't hold the reins several times. A stabbing pain spread through his heart, and a thick and indelible smell of blood filled his nose.
Zhao Xuanxu suddenly approached, gently hooked his fingers around hers and shook them, his tone showing a hint of nervousness for the first time: "Only eating mutton? How about buying some more?"
Wen Yao came back to his senses: "...Okay, all is fine."
Although it is a city, no pass is needed to enter Heichengzi. It is a barren and desolate place, and no one is in the mood to care whether the visitor is a human or a ghost.
There was no gate at the city gate, only yellow earth and a few ragged people leaning against the shadows beneath their feet, their faces covered with cloth to shield them from the scorching sun. The person lying on the outermost edge heard the noise, twitched her ears, and removed her veil. With her eyelids half drooping, she spoke in a hoarse, weak voice, "To enter the city, one ounce of silver per person."
Wen Yao squatted down and said, "It's clearly ten cents."
"Ten cents for a poor man. You're dressed so well, so you have to pay more." The man threatened without disguising his blackmail, drawling out his voice: "Give it to me or not, or get out of here."
Wen Yao smiled and said, "Old fool, you really are confused. Do you want to take a closer look at who I am?"
"This is Heichengzi, no matter who you are, it won't work—" the man said with a hint of sarcasm, raising his eyelids to see which outsider was so arrogant. His eyes touched Wen Yao's face lightly, and the unfinished words disappeared in his mouth, and the last tone turned into a distorted exclamation: "Oh my god, isn't this that! Isn't this Wen Yao!"
A few words exploded, and the brothers lying beside him also widened their eyes. The next second, seven or eight heads gathered around and came to look at Wen Yao carefully.
"Really? I thought you got confused from sunbathing!"
"You haven't been back for so many years, why are you suddenly back now?"
Wen Yao smiled and said, "I'm married now, and I brought my husband to visit Lao Yue."
Then the seven or eight heads all looked at Zhao Xuanxu behind her.
The old fool exclaimed again: "Wow, the boy is so handsome! Good, he deserves you!"
The people of Heichengzi were known for their toughness. Although Zhao Xuanxu was imposing, he couldn't stand up to him. He was carrying two large wooden boxes, and he followed Wen Yao with his head lowered and his eyes lowered, looking like a hardworking and willing husband. The people who gathered around him were not afraid of him, and they looked him up and down.
"You're back, you're back. Come on in! It's so hot, go drink some tea at the herbal tea stand, don't just stand there!" The old fool, who usually guarded the city gate, waved his hand and let them pass. After Wen Yao took a few steps, he remembered something and pulled her, lowering his voice and saying, "A few Liao people have come to the city recently."
They didn't know that those Liao people were from the Northwest Recruiting Division, nor did they know what Wen Yao's situation was like outside. But the people of Heichengzi knew that Wen Yao had followed the people of the Central Plains Wulin and that Tianshui and Northern Liao were about to go to war, so Laohutu made a special mention of it.
The old fool is very smart to be assigned to guard the gate.
Wen Yao smiled with a smile: "Oh, I see."
After many years, Heichengzi, hidden by the wind and sand in the desert, remained unchanged. Wen Yao held Zhao Xuanxu's hand and walked slowly down the street, counting the shops one by one as they remembered. Finally, they stopped by a shop where herbs were drying, looking at the weed-covered ruins beside it. "This is my old home."
The place where Yue Changtuan was burned clean by Mo Hui after his death.
Zhao Xuanxu's eyes fell on one place, and he suddenly said, "There's paper money there."
The collapsed ruins took up a lot of space, but no one had bothered to move a single brick or tile. Near the entrance, there was a large stone, with a few old pieces of paper money weighed down by smaller stones.
Wen Yao looked at it for a while, then walked over and moved the stone aside. "They don't know where I buried Yue Chang Tuan, so they probably just come here every year to check it out."
She suddenly felt comforted. Although she was a jerk and didn't dare to come back to see him after several years, at least Heichengzi had not completely forgotten Yue Changtuan.
Suddenly, the gentle curve on Wen Yao's lips suddenly retracted, and the hand that was silently touching the big rock turned in a direction, picked up two hard stones, raised his hand and threw them out.
Two muffled groans and a burst of subtle and messy footsteps were heard, and the surroundings returned to silence.
He knows martial arts, is he from Liao?
Wen Yao frowned: "He ran away."
A feeling of unhappiness and anger of being violated suddenly rose in her heart.
Heichengzi was a deserted city, uninhabited by anyone, and of little value. Lou Chengyi had risen through the ranks quickly in Northern Liao, and Wen Yao didn't believe the Northwest Recruiting Division's presence had nothing to do with him.
What was the purpose of sending people to Heichengzi? Did they want to burn down this place like they burned down Qiongyu Tower, or did they change their minds and plan to shoot her in the face as well?
Zhao Xuanxu walked forward and squatted in front of the big stone, his clothes hanging in the dust. He reached out to straighten the big stone that served as Yue Changtuan's tombstone in Heichengzi.
Wen Yao looked at his curvy and superior profile, and the anger in her heart slowly subsided.
"The sun is setting soon, and it will be hard to find your way in the desert." She said, "Let's go to the horse inn ahead and buy some dry food and meat. If we can't get back tonight, you can sleep in the wool blanket. I'll take you to meet some people tomorrow. They're all very nice."
Wen Yao did not leave Yue Changtuan in the city that year. Her mind was filled with confusion and buzzing. When she came to her senses, she was already carrying Yue Chang's body into a poplar forest in the desert. The shallow water around her was cool and splashed on her face like a shower of rain.
Wen Yao used to come to this poplar forest often. It was the place she spent most of her time besides Yue Changtuan's home. She started out collecting firewood for Yue Changtuan's fire pit, and sometimes, when she couldn't make it home, she'd just pack up and sleep.
Later, it was purely out of love. In the summer, the desert was desolate and uninhabited, and the Milky Way above was a dazzling, ever-flowing, magnificent sight. Lying here, she was easily reminded of the uninhabited area by the Congo River in her previous life, which was similar, clean and beautiful.
She left Yue Changtuan in this beautiful place.
Wen Yao took a deep breath and walked forward. When she saw the mound hidden among the trees, her heart began to beat violently and her breathing became rapid.
Zhao Xuanxu changed the angle and strength of his tightly clasped fingers with hers, so that he led Wen Yao forward, and with his other hand he placed the packages of varying sizes in front of the mound.
His Royal Highness Prince Yan skillfully set out the red basin for offerings, lifted his skirt, and sat down to fold paper money. He folded out round, plump coins and ingots, piling them up on one side.
Wen Yao squatted down next to him and lit the tinder. A faint blue flame ignited on the yellow paper money and shone directly in front of his old friend.
"Lao Yue." She placed the paper money in the copper basin and opened a jar of wine. Then she looked up at the pile of earth in front of her, exhaled lightly, and smiled: "I'm back to see you."
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