Chapter 23
The courtyard became empty again, and the faint chirping of insects gradually faded away. Shen Yi closed the window, blocking the cool breeze. Without the Huo family's care, the Marquis's mansion had only casually purchased some new clothes this year, as per previous years' custom.
He stood up and took out the wooden box beside his pillow. The accumulated silk cloth inside was almost full. Shen Yi reached out and fiddled with the lock on it, rereading the secret code and some insignificant trivia on it.
He didn't care that much about what Xue Congzhi was going to do in Chang'an City, nor did he care about the trouble he stirred up in the court. However, if he was promoted and valued by the royal family, he couldn't help but feel suspicious.
Fortunately, he was alone now, and Shen Qian had his own plan to protect himself. Shen Yi folded each piece of silk cloth one by one and put the wooden box back beside his pillow.
Winter was approaching in Chang'an, and he had just visited his ancestral tomb outside the city yesterday. Unfortunately, there were very few caravans arriving from Longxi this year, and when asked about the fermented rice wine, they simply bought a few jars of it from taverns along the way to keep themselves awake during the journey.
The poor old man had to wait another year. He really couldn't find any strong liquor as pungent as the one they drank at the Huo Mansion. He reluctantly picked out two small jars of muddy wine and placed them in front of Huo Yue's monument.
Shen Yi read the less than 100-word inscription again and wiped away the fallen gravel with his wide sleeves. Nowadays, with the streets bustling with activity, it was rare to hear anyone talk about his grandfather.
This is good, the old man will finally no longer be disturbed, but I don’t know where he is now.
He opened the window again, and the occasional chirping of white pigeons returning to their nests was heard. The clouds sank into the night, and only the moon over Chang'an was hard to see.
So he didn't know whether the moon was full or crescent tonight. He outlined the recent news in the court in his mind. No matter what Xue Congzhi wanted to do, it would be either this year or next year.
Shen Yi didn't know how long Xue Congzhi could wait, but he himself couldn't wait any longer.
Whenever he entered the court and saw someone sitting in a high position, he could no longer see the emperor's face clearly. He could only lower his head, stare at the embroidery thread with dragon patterns engraved in relief, look at the dark robe, and listen to his judgment.
But ordinary people are born and die every day. No matter whether it is the sword of light or the sword of darkness, they have not yet moved the root. Whether it is Chen Qian, Xue Heng, or the one from the Heavenly Family, it seems that
I won't tolerate this for a few more years.
He undressed and lay back on the couch. For most of the past six months, he had slept little and dreamed little, so he didn't expect to have any sweet dreams that night.
Shen Yi closed his eyes and kept his mind focused. It took a long time before he felt sleepy and slowly fell asleep.
The dream seemed to be a place he had never been to. There were no bustling crowds, no singing halls or taverns, just mountains stretching out one after another. But it was not the Longxi he had heard so much about. There was no biting north wind here, nor was there any yellow sand covering the sky.
He seemed to be sitting astride a horse, with no reins between his fingers, letting the horse go as far as he wanted, completely without his control. He simply followed the bay horse, going wherever it wanted to go.
Perhaps there were fresh flowers and plants in the distance that it could smell, or perhaps the horse was just walking around casually in a dream.
After winter came, the bitter smell of herbs filled Huo's room again, which continued every day. This winter was as cold as in previous years. Shen Yi opened the window and reached out to catch the white dove that was perched on the window railing.
Guessing that the pigeon was used to being manipulated, it tilted its head as if wanting to take a look at what was tied to its claws. He parted the long feather that was about to fall off and took out the note from the bamboo tube.
Shen Yi didn't care about the white pigeon that delivered the message. He clutched the note tightly and lit a candle in the room. He took one last look at the contents before letting the flames curl up the edge of the cloth.
The black ink and the white silk cloth were burned to ash by the fire. The wind coming in from the window blew the remaining embers to the ground. It flickered for only a moment, and when Chen Yi lowered his eyes again, he could no longer find any possible trace of it.
Xue Congzhi finally delivered the message, inviting him to a meeting. The brief words concealed the fact that the day indicated by the Heavenly Family was not far away, the day when Xue Congzhi would make his move, the day he had been thinking about and looking forward to day and night, was not far away.
Shen Yi went to the stables and looked at the horses inside. The white horse hadn't survived the cold winter. He had come to see it that day, but he had only combed its mane again. He ordered his servants to find a high place outside the city, cleared the weeds, and then carried it to a place to bury it.
Of course, he didn't have time to look for that place again, but it was not too far away. Among the many things that happened this year, he could still remember this fierce horse that refused to admit its age, and the last words Wei Qianyu said to him.
Even if he looked back, he couldn't see the way home.
The banquet was held after sunset. Although it had not yet snowed, the stove in the restaurant was already lit. When Shen Yi stepped into the side room, he saw Xue Heng sitting by the stove.
The servant who led the way responded and left the room, closing the door. The fire was warming the room. "The young marquis is here."
He met Xue Heng's still smiling eyes and sat down opposite him, reaching out to add warm wine for himself with ease. He took the wine cup, tasted it, and nodded in response to his words.
"It's really a good mood to follow it."
Xue Heng didn't answer this. He closed the window before speaking slowly, "The war in Longxi hasn't ended yet, and Shan Yun has been using illness as an excuse to delay his visit to the court. No matter how many strategies the Marquis uses, he won't be able to cut through this deeply rooted tree."
The warmed wine lost its bitter aftertaste, releasing the sweet aroma of its brewing time. "We've known each other for years, yet no one knew it came from the south of the Yangtze River?"
Shen Yi put down his wine glass and watched Xue Heng drink a glass of wine. He just shook his head. "To be honest, Xue Congzhi came from the mountains, how can he be worthy of the wealth of Jiangnan?"
He suppressed his earlier smile, and his voice was softer than usual. "The eagle is sick, the fox is cunning, but the wind and sand have been getting stronger these days, so it's time for someone to investigate."
He paused, then refilled his glass of warm wine. "The Zhao family has had another happy event recently, and that person still has some concerns. What the young marquis wants will probably take place in the new year."
Chen Yi let himself laugh out loud, his fingertips dipped in wine as he wrote the date on the table, then slumped back into the soft chair and looked at Xue Heng, "I now know what Congzhi said. It's rare for you and I to meet, so you, Xue Congzhi, should have something to tell me, right?"
Xue Heng didn't bother to read what he wrote specifically, but took in his trembling fingertips. "I know the young marquis may not believe me completely, but now that it's the will of the royal family, I can't hide it from everyone in the court."
"Everyone in the world is in a state of panic. The only people who can be used are those who can be selected from the newcomers as a chess piece. The chess piece can also be a chess piece in the dark."
He understood the implication of Xue Heng's words. The clan leaders and their ilk all came from the Zhao family. Wei Qianyu also agreed with the Minister of Justice and was holding on in the court so that the family would not be overthrown by the strong wind.
He became the target of public criticism and the whole court was in panic. Chen Qian tried to win him over, but that person had already privately decided on the candidate.
That’s why we are gathering here today and have these few words with you today.
He wanted to make a move, regardless of who was in charge. He drank the warm wine he had prepared tonight, savoring the aroma of Jiangnan. "Even a cunning rabbit has three burrows. So, let's guess where the greedy fox might live."
"A man who knows his destiny will not stand under a rock wall with tangled roots. I have heard that the sun is warm in the south of the Yangtze River, but it is very far away from Chang'an, very far away." Xue Heng just took a sip of the wine, and it seemed that he could not get used to such a tasteless sweet wine.
“Thus, those seeking fame and fortune came to Chang’an to seek official positions and to learn the truth, while merchants went south to accumulate wealth and live in peace.”
Chen Yi opened the door again and asked the shopkeeper for a few more jars of wine. He filled the wine vessels himself and placed them on the stove to warm them. "Unexpectedly, my words have come true. I am afraid I will have to wait until spring and autumn pass. I will take whatever I want from you."
"I've never left Chang'an. If I ask the Heavenly Court for a reward, perhaps I can get a verbal order from His Majesty." He looked at the still roaring charcoal fire and reached out to warm his sweaty fingertips. "Thank you for your help."
Xue Heng remained seated, softly responding, "The Jiangnan water towns, Nanjing and Suzhou are quite famous, and their customs are quite different from those in the north." He lowered his brows, as if remembering something, "If it weren't for the inconvenience of leaving, I would be willing to go on this journey for the young marquis, never returning to Chang'an, and never worrying about the affairs of the court again."
Shen Yi let out a soft laugh, untied the laces of his cloak and approached the stove. "Congzhi and I are both here, we have no choice, no control over our fate."
He tasted the wine, but felt unhappy. He opened a jar of cold wine he had just requested and drank from it for a while. "Originally, you and I were different, but now it seems that we have similar interests. It's human nature to avoid disaster and seek fortune."
He choked, letting the liquor run down his neck and soak his shirt. The room was warm, warming his body until he began to sweat. "Spring and autumn have passed, and all things are about to begin. Last year, Chen Zixing, in previous years, would never have imagined that only Xue Congzhi was left by his side."
He seemed a little drunk, and felt that he could not see Xue Congzhi clearly, and immediately fell into the prosperous dream, "Fame, wealth, gold and silver, rare treasures and exotic animals, you are indeed worthy of ten thousand taels of gold and the gratitude of the Huo family."
Shen Yi didn't hear clearly what Xue Heng said, but looking at his expression, he probably didn't say anything. A slight nod was his answer.
He paid no attention to any of this. He stood up and opened the window. Inside, the stove was warm and wine was brewing. Outside, the moonlight was the same as yesterday. Snow fell in the city of Chang'an, on the deserted streets.
Light snow was blown into the house by the wind. Shen Yi caught the incoming snow and pushed the window completely open. He sat back in his chair and pushed the unopened wine jar to Xue Heng, "Now that we have nothing to do and it's the first snow, let's drink until dawn."
He didn't care whether Xue Heng answered or not. He drank half a jar of wine before staring at the person sitting opposite him. The coldness of the snow allowed him to see more clearly.
Xue Heng simply picked up the wine cup, sipped the few drops of sweet wine that were left, and stood up to salute, "Young Marquis can drink a thousand cups without getting drunk, but Xue Congzhi doesn't have such a tolerance. He's already drunk by now."
He was indeed talking nonsense. Shen Yi saw it clearly. He did not avoid Xue Heng's sight. "It's just a glass of wine. You are obviously not drunk. Why don't you stay?"
Xue Heng bowed again stubbornly, flicked his sleeves and filled Shen Yi's glass with wine, "I am indeed drunk."
The snow outside was falling heavier and heavier, flooding the window bars in front of the eaves and even being blown into the charcoal fire by the north wind.
Hearing this, Shen Yi laughed even more wildly, no longer suppressing the conversation as before, "You are the same as me, Xue Congzhi, you are still awake."
Xue Heng left in a white shirt, leaving only his back. "Congzhi is indeed drunk."
When Shen Yi looked down again, he could not see any human figures. The snowy night left no trace. Xue Congzhi, I am afraid, has never been drunk before.
Shen Zixing was ultimately in Chang'an City, unable to get drunk or dream.
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