On the day Gu Xichao returned to the capital to meet the emperor, the emperor himself came to the city to welcome him.
Qi Shaoshang accompanied him and, from horseback, could see the young emperor below the city gate in the distance.
The man was tall and straight, with a smiling face and an air of nobility, like a young master who was untouched by worldly affairs.
Gu Xichao stopped in front of the young man, jumped down, and strode forward. They hadn't seen each other for several years, but the moment their eyes met, Gu Xichao suddenly remembered the young man with a carefree smile under the moon after the clouds had parted that night.
"You're back."
Yan Liang spoke, his smile unchanged.
"Your subject... has returned."
Gu Xichao was lost in thought. He lowered his eyelids and bowed respectfully, but Yan Liang helped him up halfway through.
Yan Liang always tried to avoid the courtesy others showed him. This was the first time Gu Xichao had bowed to him, but Yan Liang stopped him, leaving Gu with a subtle feeling.
Gu Xichao returned to the capital to report on his duties. After everything settled down, Yan Liang saw him again in the inner palace, along with Qi Shaoshang who was with him.
When the two met Yan Liang, he was sitting on a low stool fiddling with the oven. He greeted them with a smile and asked them to sit down on a small stool nearby.
Yan Liang had a white thing hanging around his neck. Gu Xichao stared at it for a while and then recognized that the white thing was the white cat that the Crown Prince had kept back then.
The young emperor, who stood ethereal and otherworldly beneath the city gate, now sat here, utterly reeking of worldly concerns. Qi Shaoshang was astonished by the emperor's transformation, a surprise that reached its peak after the emperor grilled fish for them.
"I know you've been craving my grilled fish, so I specially grilled some for you. How about that? Aren't you very touched?"
Holding a fire poker in his hand, Yan Liang asked the question in a serious tone.
Gu Xichao twitched his lips and replied, "I am very grateful, thank you."
Yan Liang waved his hand: "Why should we be so distant? Even though we haven't seen each other for so many years, to me you are still Gu Xichao, the one I drugged that night."
Gu Xichao: "..."
Qi Shaoshang was intrigued by Yan Liang's words, a hint of curiosity showing on his face. Yan Liang then pulled him aside and told him the whole story of how he and Gu Xichao first met. Finally, the two of them looked at Gu Xichao and laughed. Gu Xichao ate his fish with a cold expression, but inexplicably felt a little happy inside.
He couldn't quite explain why he was happy. Perhaps it was because of the sunny weather, or because Yan Liang was as cheerful as ever, or perhaps it was because he was enjoying time with his friends.
When news of Yan Liang grilling fish for his friend reached Zhao Ji's palace, the retired emperor, who was engrossed in painting and calligraphy, immediately decided to go and have a meal there, and rushed to the place where they were grilling fish.
This time, not only Qi Shaoshang was surprised, but Gu Xichao was also astonished.
Zhao Ji, familiar with the place, moved a small stool and sat down next to Yan Liang. He then expertly instructed Yan Liang to grill fish, and took Da Xue from his neck. He then huddled to the side, petting the cat while chatting with Gu Qi and the other man.
Gu Xichao responded stiffly. Zhao Ji stared at him for a while, then suddenly realized, "You are Gu Xichao? I hadn't even had a chance to meet you when the Crown Prince mentioned you to me back then."
In fact, the two had met before. Back then, Gu Xichao was stripped of his academic honors because of his lowly birth, and Zhao Ji didn't even remember his face. Now that he had met him in person, he couldn't recall that there had ever been a third-place scholar who had his academic honors stripped by him.
Gu Xichao felt bitter. The scene of being humiliated by his family background in court was still vivid in his mind, but Zhao Ji clearly did not remember him, this insignificant person.
At this moment, Yan Liang finished grilling the fish, called out to Zhao Ji, and stopped talking.
Qi Shaoshang watched as Zhao Ji and the emperor conversed like ordinary father and son—Zhao Ji complained about how to make things more realistic in his paintings, and the emperor nodded in agreement and offered suggestions—he couldn't help but sigh. People always said that royal fathers and sons had no real feelings for each other, but this father and son were very close.
Gu Xichao looked at the two of them and thought to himself that it was fortunate that the current emperor was Zhao Huan and not Zhao Ji. If it were Zhao Ji, he would probably never have a chance to rise to power.
Gu Xichao was not the only one who felt this way; all the loyal ministers of Zhao Huan had felt the same way.
The emperor did not love beautiful women, nor did he indulge in fine wine. He was not arrogant or extravagant. Apart from raising cats and grilling fish, he had no other hobbies. Although he was sometimes lazy, he was more serious than anyone else when it came to important matters.
Fair and selfless, benevolent and just.
With such an emperor, the Song Dynasty is truly fortunate.
Su Mengzhen has been in a good mood in recent years. Yan Liang's policies are very much to his liking. Even though they sometimes disagree, Yan Liang always finds a way to persuade him.
His health was poor; he had been ill for a long time and was barely clinging to life. After taking his pulse, Yan Liang prescribed a medicine, saying that following the prescription would guarantee he would live for another forty years.
At that time, Su Mengzhen was twenty-five years old. Hearing Yan Liang's boastful words, he simply laughed it off. He had been ill for many years, seeking out famous doctors all over the world without success, and had long since given up hope, but he gladly accepted Yan Liang's kindness.
Su Mengzhen didn't ask about the source of Yan Liang's prescription, but Bai Choufei kept pressing him for details. Yan Liang gave a mysterious smile and said that a friend of his had taught him the prescription.
What kind of friend?
Bai Choufei asked again, but Yan Liang just smiled and didn't speak.
—A friend I'll probably never see again.
Watching from the side, Wang Xiaoshi felt that Yan Liang's expression was a complex mix of sadness and nostalgia.
The entanglement between Jinfeng Xiyu Tower and Liufenban Hall was inextricably linked. After Yan Liang ascended the throne, he intervened forcefully, preventing the two sides from arguing—because he also brought in a third party.
In response, Fang Yingkan, the young master of Youqiao Group, said he had something to say.
There's a saying that goes: triangles are stable. With three sides in a balance, any attempt to cause trouble by any of them will have to think twice.
Yan Liang talked to each of them one by one, patiently and kindly, and in a friendly manner. Under the emperor's tyrannical power, Lei Sun had no choice but to make a promise not to cause trouble easily.
At that moment, Di Feijing sat quietly to the side without saying a word. Daxue was kneading on Yan Liang's lap. After a while, she noticed Di Feijing, climbed onto Yan Liang's body, crawled up his arm to Di Feijing's arms, rubbed against him, and meowed.
Lei Sun's face darkened. He had never known that Di Feijing would be interested in cats. Even though he knew that Di Feijing would not betray him, he was still furious at the Emperor's method of using cats to seduce people.
As Di Feijing himself said, he was loyal to Liufenbantang. Now that Liufenbantang was forced to give up its entanglement with Jinfeng Xiyulou due to circumstances, he no longer bothered to fight Jinfeng Xiyulou. He even occasionally met Su Mengzhen on the street, and the two would walk side by side for a while.
Although Fang Yingkan did not explicitly agree to do things for Yan Liang, he was willing to lend a helping hand when they encountered difficulties.
Yan Liang teased him, saying he said no but secretly wanted it. Fang Yingkan laughed it off. Those things were beneficial to him, so he naturally had to do them.
Shortly after Yan Liang ascended the throne, Pang Jin left the capital and returned to his hometown of Shanzhou. He had come to the capital for two reasons: to witness the prosperity of Bianliang and to pay respects at his grandfather Yan's grave. After returning home, he ventured out into the martial world, and within ten years had made a name for himself. Everyone knew that Pang Jin was a disciple of the Imperial Cat Zhan Zhao. In a short time, the names of the Imperial Cat and the Golden-haired Rat were once again spreading throughout the martial world.
Yan Liang was in the capital and occasionally received letters from Pang Jin. Pang Jin was different from his grandfather in this respect. Pang Yu tried his best not to cause trouble, while Pang Jin always caused trouble without anyone noticing.
Yan Liang looked at Pang Jin's words in the letter and, combined with the rumors circulating in the martial arts world, couldn't stop laughing.
He thought that once he had some free time, he would definitely go and hang out with Pang Jin.
＊
Yan Liang reigned as emperor for ten years. When his term was up, he decided to abdicate in favor of Zhao Kai.
The crowd was puzzled. The young emperor from ten years ago had grown up, with a dignified bearing and the same youthful spirit in his eyes as before.
"Ten years is a long time." The young man smiled and said, "I want to travel around this beautiful country and see my friends in the next ten years."
Su Mengzhen thought he was talking about Pang Jin, but Yan Liang knew that the friends he was referring to included other people.
“If you want to do it, then do it,” Su Mengzhen replied. Yan Liang shouldn’t have been confined to the deep palace; he yearned for freedom by nature, yet he still reigned as emperor for ten years. Ten years is neither long nor short; it was enough for Yan Liang to gradually eliminate the corrupt officials and implement new policies.
Now, on the eve of the abdication ceremony, they gathered in the former Crown Prince's residence. Yan Liang, holding the increasingly lazy Da Xue, smiled at everyone.
“My younger brother is quite familiar with you all, so please help him,” Yan Liang said.
Zhao Kai is becoming increasingly outstanding. He is gentle in nature, willing to listen to the opinions of others, and will be a good emperor.
However, Zhuge Zhengwo still felt regret. He had worked with Yan Liang for ten years to fulfill his youthful wish: to recover lost territory and enhance the prestige of the Song Dynasty. Yan Liang was the emperor he had always dreamed of.
However, Yan Liang's mind was made up, and the Song Dynasty was developing well. Zhuge Zhengye was also getting old, so he did not try to dissuade him.
On the eve of the abdication ceremony, Yan Liang invited them to a gathering at the old Crown Prince's residence. As in the past, he grilled fish for them. Compared to the past, there were many more people at the Crown Prince's residence. They understood that this was Yan Liang's intention.
The Crown Prince's residence was bustling with activity. Zhui Ming skillfully took out wine from the cellar, only to be caught and questioned by Wu Qing, while Zhuge Zhengwo and his two other disciples watched from the side. Su Mengzhen and Qi Shaoshang were having a pleasant conversation, while Gu Xichao and Di Feijing sat silently to the side. Bai Choufei and Wang Xiaoshi were still being directed to help out, keeping them very busy.
It felt like the old days had come back to life.
Daxue lay lazily in Yan Liang's arms, its fur glowing orange-red in the firelight from the stove.
Fang Yingkan squatted down beside Yan Liang. The firewood in the stove crackled continuously as he and Yan Liang stared at the firelight.
"You're going to explore this beautiful country for the next ten years, but what about after those ten years?"
Fang Ying asked him.
"...Who knows?" Yan Liang replied lazily, the warm fire making him drowsy. "It's hard to say."
Fang Ying glanced at him sideways, then looked away and said, "I'm doing this for you, not for your brother."
Yan Liang: "No, please... If you're going to help someone, you can help my brother too."
Fang Ying remained silent. Yan Liang turned his head to look at him and laughed: "If you don't speak, I'll take that as a yes."
Fang Yingkan turned his head and smiled at him. The two of them smiled at each other, competing to see who could smile more innocently.
Fang Yingkan emerged victorious, while Yan Liang rubbed his face and conceded defeat.
"Ten years from now, I want to see you alive."
Fang Yingkan said.
Yan Liang nodded in agreement: "Okay."
Zhao Kai found it somewhat unbelievable that his elder brother, the emperor, had so decisively abdicated, yet it also felt somewhat expected. Having studied under his brother for ten years, Zhao Kai had come to understand his brother's character.
Faced with Yan Liang's entrustment, Zhao Kai nodded in agreement, his feelings complicated. Seeing how much Yan Liang was loved and respected, he also hoped to become like his elder brother, so he made a decision in his heart - he must become a good emperor who will be remembered for all time.
＊
With his burden lifted and feeling relieved, Yan Liang packed his bags and, taking the heavy snow with him, bid farewell to his friends and drove away from the capital the day after the abdication ceremony. Before leaving, he said something rather irritating, telling everyone not to think about him because he would still come back, which earned him a glare from Bai Choufei.
With a long road ahead, Yan Liang once again took out his charlatan and, just like in a previous world, began to uphold justice, quickly earning the title of "charlatan".
The person who named his black iron staff "Divine Clerk" was also a fortune teller.
People in the martial arts world who challenged him to a duel always ended in defeat. That man was also incredibly annoying, telling fortunes for the losers, some good and some bad, and all of them were later proven to be correct.
Rumors circulate in the martial arts world that if you see a young man dressed in gray clothes holding a white cat, he will suddenly pull out a black staff from his sleeve. That young man must be Yan Liang, who is known as the "Divine Swindler".
When Yan Liangyuan’s friends in Beijing heard the name “charlatan”, they all remained silent.
They had certainly seen Yan Liang's mysterious staff, which he always pulled out of his sleeve. Its name was strange, and even its material was quite peculiar. They had also witnessed Yan Liang's fortune-telling skills and were speechless at his open and honest behavior under the guise of a fortune teller.
If I had to sum it up, I'd say I have so many complaints I'm speechless, I don't know what to say.
Back then, Bai Choufei, with thoughts he couldn't quite explain, asked Yan Liang how he would survive if he weren't the Crown Prince and didn't have this prestigious status. Yan Liang replied: He would make a living by fortune-telling.
Now that Yan Liang has truly become a fortune teller, Bai Choufei's feelings are quite complicated.
After paying respects to Bai Yutang and Zhan Zhao, Yan Liang went to Danzhou to find Pang Jin, where he met Pang Jin's father, Pang Yu's son, Pang Zheng.
Pang Yu's son was more composed than his father. If one were to say who he resembled in temperament, Yan Liang felt that he was very similar to Grand Tutor Pang.
Pang Zheng knew Yan Liang's identity and was always very reserved with him. Although they were of different ages, whenever Yan Liang tried to get a little closer, Pang Zheng would politely decline.
Yan Liang had no choice but to continue associating with Pang Jin. However, Pang Jin noticed the way Yan Liang looked at his father and found it strange, as his father looked at him the same way.
Yan Liang followed Pang Jin to Pang Yu's grave to pay their respects. The tombstone was spotless, showing that someone had taken great care of it.
Pang Jin offered incense and talked about some family matters in front of Pang Yu's tomb. He wanted to look up at Yan Liang, but he stopped when he saw the expression on Yan Liang's face.
He had seen this expression on Yan Liang's face several times: when they first met while sheltering from the rain under the eaves, when Yan Liang mentioned the Imperial Cat Zhan Zhao and the Brocade-haired Rat Bai Yutang, when Yan Liang took out the Giant Sword and the Nameless Blade, and when Yan Liang worshipped "Yan Liang" at Mingyue Mountain. Yan Liang's face had shown this expression in all of these instances.
Pang Jin looked away and did not disturb him.
Yan Liang is sometimes hard to read, but at other times his emotions are readily apparent and easy to discern.
＊
Ten years ago, Pang Jin was unknown in the martial arts world. Ten years is enough time for him to become a great hero. Now that Yan Liang has come out to roam the martial arts world, the two of them travel together and uphold justice.
Every year he would visit the graves of his friends. Zhan Zhao had no descendants, and Yan Liang went to great lengths to find his grave.
Bai Yutang was buried in the Bai family cemetery. Yan Liang first went to pay his respects secretly, and the second time he showed his face to the people guarding the Bai family cemetery with Pang Jin. After that, no one stopped him from coming alone.
Time has passed, and things have changed.
These eight characters best describe the current situation.
In the martial arts world, people only knew that the charlatan Yan Liang and Pang Jin hit it off immediately, but no one knew that they had known each other for a long time.
Pang Jin and Yan Liang traveled together for two years. Pang Jin met a girl he liked and took her back to marry her. The girl was straightforward, cheerful, and lively. When she was with Pang Jin, the two of them laughed so hard their eyes disappeared every day.
Yan Liang went with them to the Pang family's wedding to offer his blessings.
He himself wouldn't fall in love with anyone, but he was happy to see lovers finally get together.
Zhao Kai was diligent and conscientious, wholeheartedly serving as a wise and benevolent ruler for a prosperous era, and his name will be remembered in history. Under his rule, the Song Dynasty flourished and became famous throughout the world.
Da Xue died peacefully at the age of fifteen. When Yan Liang took it away from the capital, it was already old. For five years, it remained as lively and energetic as ever, but as it aged, it began to show signs of fatigue. Yan Liang looked down at Da Xue, who was fast asleep, and after thinking for a long time, he decided to take it back to the capital. They stayed in an inn for seven days, and then Da Xue closed its eyes.
Yan Liang chose to bury it next to Yan Liang's grave on Mingyue Mountain.
On the return journey, Fang Yingkan was waiting for him at the foot of the mountain, while Yan Liang stood on the mountain path, gazing at the young man at the foot of the mountain.
Who is Yan Liang?
Fang Yingkan looked up and asked him.
"It's me."
Yan Liang looked down at him, his eyes filled with a smile.
Fang Ying stared at him for a long time before looking away and not asking any more questions. He simply asked Yan Liang to go back to the city with him.
Yan Liang said jokingly, "The young marquis is so concerned about me and came all the way to bring me back to the city. I am very touched."
Fang Yingkan smiled innocently and earnestly: "Yes, I heard that you had returned to Bianliang City and thought you would come to see your friends, but I didn't expect you to just stay at the inn without saying a word."
Yan Liang was speechless, leaning against the carriage wall without saying a word, and gave an embarrassed smile.
Apart from Fang Yingkan, no one knew that Yan Liang had returned to Bianliang City. Yan Liang thought to himself that Young Master Fang was still the same as before, having planted people somewhere. It seemed that no movement in the martial arts world could escape his notice.
Yan Liang followed Fang Yingkan back to the capital. This time, they stayed directly at the Shentong Marquis's residence. Fang Yingkan did not make extensive renovations after being granted the residence. Traces of the Pang family mansion from back then could still be vaguely seen in the Shentong Marquis's residence.
Yan Liang greeted his friends one by one, and Bai Choufei complained about his charlatan-like reputation with a disdainful tone. Su Mengzhen, who rarely smiled, also smiled when she saw Yan Liang. Wang Xiaoshi seemed a little sad after learning that Da Xue had passed away peacefully, and Yan Liang comforted him.
Gu Xichao and Qi Shaoshang were not often in the capital. Yan Liang had encountered the two busy people while wandering around the martial arts world. They traveled together for a while before parting ways.
Yan Liang and Zhui Ming had a drinking contest, vowing not to leave until they were both drunk. After getting drunk, they lay on the table and laughed foolishly at each other.
He also went to the palace to see Zhao Kai. His younger brother's dark circles were very obvious. Yan Liang felt inexplicably guilty and thoughtfully made some calming and sleep-inducing incense for him and gave it to him.
Emperor Huizong was in excellent health and had a great appetite. When he saw Yan Liang, he dragged him to grill fish. He seemed to be getting younger and younger, and he spent his days writing and painting with great ease.
Yan Liang did not stay at the Marquis of Shentong's residence for long. After saying goodbye to his friends and staying for a month, he planned to leave the capital again and continue his travels in the martial world.
He won't live long in this world, so naturally he wants to live life to the fullest and do whatever he wants within his limited time.
The green hills remain unchanged, and the clear waters flow on forever.
After saying goodbye to his friends, Yan Liang set off.
Author's Note: This world is finished—
Actually, I'm not entirely satisfied with this chapter. I feel like there's still so much left unsaid, but I don't know how to express it...
Crab.
Haha, I want to write a sequel set in the future tomorrow! Let me write it!
Seriously, I've always wanted to try writing a sequel set in the future, so if we don't start a new world tomorrow, I'll talk about things from the future.
Thank you to all the little angels who voted for me or watered my plants with nutrient solution between 2020-04-03 22:08:45 and 2020-04-05 13:43:23!
Thank you to the little angels who watered the nutrient solution: Flower said he's not bald (32 bottles); Time Ferryman (1 bottle);
Thank you so much for your support! I will continue to work hard!
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