Extra three
Xue Heng would not let him wait too long. Li Rong believed this from the beginning, and it turned out to be true.
He had no idea what kind of deal Xue Heng had completed with them. The researcher in charge of him these days had only been checking his physical health condition over and over again.
When I wanted to ask them something else, they just shook their heads, said they couldn't explain clearly or simply evaded the question.
It wasn't until he was pushed out of the research center in his wheelchair, following their instructions, that Li Rong felt a greater sense of reality. The sun shone on him with warmth, and the wind rustled the leaves.
The silvery-white building towered above the ground, its structure tight yet surprisingly simple. He knew full well that it contained the most advanced instruments, constantly measuring things he couldn't fathom.
Li Rong just glanced back subconsciously, and behind him were only researchers in white coats or protective suits coming and going.
He recalled a moment when he came to the research center for a physical assessment for the first time, and this was the first scene he saw.
It was still New Year, and the surrounding trees had not yet sprouted new buds, so it stood there bare, tall and lonely.
Now it was lush and leafy, with broad leaves stained with a hint of yellow, tightly fitting together. He smiled, watching Xue Heng walk towards him step by step, and greeted the researcher who was pushing him.
The remaining greeting came from Xue Heng as he pushed him along the path leading away from the research center. His voice was lower than the one in Li Rong's mind, but it didn't even have the awkwardness of their first meeting.
The early autumn wind blew a yellowing leaf down before them, and a moment of silence fell between them. Li Rong felt that this could be attributed to a feeling of being lost. He seemed to have been inside for too long, and his physical perception had become dulled.
Now, it was already autumn. He belatedly realized that the place where they were now should also be part of the old Chang'an.
"I've memorized the map of this place before, but now that I'm out here, I realize that it's indeed very different from what it was back then." When Li Rong heard Xue Heng speak, he reached out and picked up the half-broken leaf that fell on his knees.
How could it be the same? Walking out from the small path, I was surrounded by tall buildings. There were just as many people on the street, but they were all busy with their own things. Even at noon, there was no such constant bustle as in Chang'an.
Occasionally someone would glance at them sideways, and if Li Rong noticed, he would also look over. More often, he would introduce the buildings written on the map to Xue Heng.
Even though he hadn't been out and about for a long time, he was still able to tell Xue Heng about some of the buildings or technologies he was once familiar with. Li Rong didn't ask Xue Heng where he was going. In fact, they were not in a hurry to find a place to stop.
Just as Xue Heng said that day, they had all been away from the places they had visited for a long time.
Those things that were once familiar had long been replaced by the products of technological advancement. Li Rong himself couldn't put his finger on it, let alone Xue Heng.
The palace that could no longer see the Chang'an moon was reduced to ashes in the fire, and the sand and gravel scattered on the ground must have been replaced again and again over the past thousand years, and no one could have told them apart.
Li Rong finished speaking, having already told Xue Heng everything he knew. It seemed as if he had finally touched upon an area he didn't understand. Xue Heng simply listened quietly, making no sound.
Without the sound of the rollers, Li Rong would have felt, for a moment, that he was the only one left here. Without Xue Heng, there was no one who could tell him the line between truth and falsehood.
The experiences written on paper are just by-products of the experiment. If there are no problems with the potion in the end, I will forget those things.
Only occasionally I would wake up in the middle of the night and hear my heart beating rapidly amidst endless confusion. I would mistakenly think that I was not here, but after a blink of an eye I would become dazed again and comfort myself that it was just a dream.
It was just a dream that even he himself could not remember, but he would always remember the feeling of palpitations - as if he had forgotten a lot of things, and even when he stretched out his hand, he didn't understand why his fingertips were trembling so violently.
Li Rong withdrew his gaze and suddenly wanted to reach out to check his fingertips, but the roller suddenly hit a stone, making a crunching sound. The person behind him had a firm grip, so he didn't feel any particular bumps.
Did he really remember? Did he really forget? Did he really feel confused? These things would eventually have definite answers. Li Rong exhaled, his thoughts as if interrupted by the accident just now, forcing himself not to think about it.
They walked a long way, himself and Xue Heng doing the same. Li Rong moved his lips, feeling as if he should continue to say something, yet not knowing what else he could say.
While imprisoned in the research center, he hadn't had the opportunity to read historical materials about the Later Shang Dynasty. Now that he was with Xue Heng, he had even less reason to read a story from a thousand years ago from just a few lines.
If he wanted, he could piece everything together from those painful and panicky memories.
And now, the person standing behind him was the witness, promoter, and even creator of those events. He should say something, Li Rong thought, and planned to do so, feeling that he probably just couldn't stand the quiet atmosphere at the moment.
"Every place has changed its name now. Chang'an will be more familiar to you, right?" He said this, but it felt like an unnecessary consolation. Xue Heng was afraid he would laugh at him, so he made up for it by saying, "Chang'an has become much bigger than before."
The Later Shang Dynasty failed to leave behind anything, and even the few pitiful historical materials were all confined to a small exhibition hall.
He heard Xue Heng hum softly, and took the initiative to avoid the topic, "Let's go to the tea-tea place and sit for a while. You've been sweating a lot."
Li Rong couldn't see what he looked like, but he nodded anyway and followed Xue Heng to a quiet shop to sit down. The skilled tea artist performed the complicated process of pouring and brewing tea.
He just raised his eyes to look at Xue Heng opposite him. They were sitting opposite each other in a private room, with the aroma of tea wafting in the air.
Only then did Xue Heng seem willing to say something, something he was about to tell Li Rong. No matter what the other party thought, in his eyes, he was naturally worthy of being called an old friend.
"Things have indeed changed a lot now. Even if I see those names on the map, I can only understand a little bit when you explain them to me." Li Rong first held the small and exquisite teacup. The porcelain style imitated the old teacups, but it was still far from what he remembered.
So he felt that he vaguely understood why Xue Heng had not taken any action, and was willing to hear some old stories from him.
"If I hadn't met Ziqu in the mountains of Linyi, I would never have thought of coming to Chang'an in my life," Xue Heng's voice was very soft, and embedded in his low voice were his thoughts that he had never had the chance to talk about before.
"After careful consideration, I found that the gentleman who chose my name was the only one who had no interest in Chang'an. After he passed away, I had already understood the connection between the Xue family case and Chang'an.
At that time, Ji Chi had just ascended the throne. I really don’t know what the situation was like at the time, but I just feel that whether or not one’s parents are alive or dead is irrelevant.”
Li Rong looked at Xue Heng and remembered his appearance in white clothes. Xue Heng never cared about the world. He could best recognize himself between the lines and the ruler.
But he still arrived in Chang'an. It was like this before and it is still like this now.
"After discussing Taoism with Ziqu in Linyi, I originally just planned to accompany my friend on a study tour. The snow in Chang'an is no different from the snow in Qi and Lu."
Li Rong took a sip of the tea. The boiling hot liquid had not yet cooled down completely, so he could not taste anything when he drank it.
"I never imagined that on this journey, I would first see corpses soaking in the burst Yellow River. Then, in the heart of the Shang Dynasty, in Yingchuan in the Central Plains, it was my turn with Li Ziqu to discuss whether there was food in the warehouse."
Xue Heng smiled bitterly and shifted his gaze slightly, as if it was in the distance.
"Chang'an really has heavy snow every year. Since the year I personally arrived in Chang'an, there have been natural disasters and man-made disasters every year. The Taoist magic soaked in bamboo scrolls can't solve the natural disasters, nor can it solve the man-made disasters."
He reached out and picked up the teacup in front of him, his eyes scanning every inch of it, and then held it between his fingers with an unmistakable sense of certainty.
"Classics are useful, and they are also useless. I don't enjoy playing chess, and I've never thought about it. From the moment I set foot in Chang'an City," he shook his head, wanting to deny the half-spoken words he had said earlier, "from the moment I decided to travel far away, Xue Heng has already existed in this world, becoming a piece in the chess game of the world."
"Entering the world or leaving it is just a matter of thought for Xue. There is no question of whether he is willing or not." Xue Heng finally let out a sigh.
"Ever since the spring of my coming-of-age year, I've been inseparable from Chang'an. Under the pretext of an old case, and with the secret instructions of Ji Chi and Shan Yun, I was summoned to the court and busily worked to seize power."
"After the battle of Longxi, the son of Marquis Jianxin, whom I met later, also died in Jiangnan, just like Li Ziqu." He took a sip of hot tea, savoring the taste which was very different from before.
"I had already anticipated all of this. The twists and turns involved are more man-made than natural."
White steam drifted upward, and the tea slowly cooled. Li Rong had no intention of speaking, but was willing to listen until Xue Heng finished speaking.
"Winter in Chang'an is getting colder every year. I shouldn't have said that a gentleman is not a tool. Swords have no eyes, and with the disputes in the court, Xue Heng really doesn't deserve to be called a gentleman."
"Even the final change of the new dynasty was just a result of previous planning and the help of the Shen and Huo families. When I say two families, I can only say that they were the help of Young Marquis Shen and the Shen family."
He sneered and drank the warm tea in the cup.
"After sitting in a high position for several years, I wonder if there are fewer natural disasters in the world, and I wonder if there are still scholars who say that there is no food in the granary."
"Today's tea is much fresher than it was then, and Chang'an today is completely different from the Chang'an City of the past."
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