Ich verkaufe meine Kleidung und kaufe etwas Wein, den ich mit dir trinken kann

Kapitel 60

"So that Young Master Ye may know, my lord will be making a surprise visit to Kaifeng Prefecture tonight and has arranged to meet you at my humble abode at midnight!" Zhao Qingwen's round face was full of excitement as she announced this momentous news to me with a mysterious and joyful expression.

"Really?!" I was overjoyed and excitedly grabbed Zhao Qingwen's chubby hand—hehe! I'm finally going to see my wise and mighty older brother again! It's been so long since we last met, how have you been, brother?!

With a satisfied smile, I walked out of Zhao's Antique Shop. Suddenly, I felt the smoke of war that had filled the air above Bianjing transform into the sweet fragrance of flowers, filling my chest. I hummed a cheerful tune and almost skipped as I walked back.

"Young Master Ye, I've been looking for you for so long!" A clear male voice suddenly rang in my ears, and a young man in fine clothes, accompanied by several guards, blocked my way.

"Eh! Your Highness Prince Kang?!" I looked at the slightly haggard, handsome young man in fine clothes in surprise. "Why aren't you commanding the resistance against the Jin? What are you doing here looking for me?!"

"Young Master Ye! You must help me this time!" Zhao Gou ignored my questions and grabbed my hand as if I were grasping a lifeline.

"Take your time, let me go first!" Now, I was truly bewildered. How could someone as ordinary as me possibly help a prince, the Grand Marshal of the Song Dynasty? Wasn't this a colossal joke?!

"We can't let you go! Brother Ye, you must come with me!" Several guards who emerged from behind Zhao Gou, though they didn't dare to pull me away, made it clear to me that not going was definitely not an option!

But who can tell me? What's going on here? I've been kidnapped? Or rather, kidnapped by the Song Dynasty's military strategist and brought to the Jin army's camp?! —Although Zhao Gou euphemistically claimed he invited me to accompany him to the camp to negotiate peace and a ceasefire with the Jin army, as the emperor's brother and the Song Dynasty's marshal, it's his duty to negotiate peace; but why should I, a commoner, get involved? Am I just wasting my time?! Me?!

The most ridiculous thing was that they dressed me up as one of his attendants, a peace negotiating official. Wearing that laughable official robe, I had to endure the suspicious gaze of the deputy envoy, Zhang Bangchang, who later became the infamous puppet emperor of Chu. In my mind, I had already cursed Zhao Gou's ancestors eighteen generations over.

The Jin army was already on high alert, with soldiers holding gleaming broadswords and spears that flashed coldly, arranged in two rows hundreds of meters long, forming a chilling, intersecting corridor as they 'welcomed' them—alas! How could it be just like in the movies? So utterly unoriginal!

What's most hateful is that when we finally made it past that gleaming 'scenery' and arrived at the Jin camp, we were taken to a dilapidated and shabby little house, where we were thrown there like a rag and never bothered again.

Please, if you want to show off your power and intimidate us, Jurchens, don't choose this time! Good heavens! If you're going to mess with me, at least consider the timing! Poor Huaiyuan, if he suddenly discovers I've disappeared again, I wonder if he'll go crazy...?!

Time relentlessly ticked away, and before I knew it, night had fallen. I was frantic, restless, and could no longer bear the suffocating silence. Under the astonished gazes of Zhao Gou and Zhang Bangchang, I rushed to the door, pounding on its thin panes, shouting, "Let us out! Let us out…!"

PS: The information in this section is from the internet; I forgot to copy the address, oh dear.

[Volume 4 Finale: Chapter 4 The Dream Shattered, the Mouse Peeks at the Lamp]

With a loud crash, the wooden door was kicked open viciously from the outside. A tall, burly Jin soldier with a ferocious face glared at me, brandishing a thick-backed broadsword that gleamed coldly, and muttered a string of curses—even an idiot would understand that he meant I should shut up or he would chop off my head!

Zhang Bangchang, bowing tremblingly to the soldier, pulled me into the room. His face was ashen, and he hissed in a low voice, "Are you out of your mind?!"

“Young Master Ye, please calm down.” Zhao Gou looked at me awkwardly. “Let’s wait a little longer. Perhaps, uh, perhaps General Wanyan has something to attend to.”

"Of course you have the time and reason to waste here with him, but please tell me, why should I suffer here with you?" At this moment, I didn't care whether he was a prince or not, and directly vented my dissatisfaction—my life was about to be in danger, who had the leisure to be polite with him?

Zhao Gou looked at me, hesitant to speak, clearly wary of Zhang Bangchang. I sulked for a while, but there was nothing I could do—since I was here, I might as well make the best of it. Blaming Zhao Gou was pointless; it seemed that waiting was the only option left.

In any case, getting out of here anytime soon seemed like a pipe dream. I could only suppress my frustration and start looking around. It was a two-section room with a simple eight-immortal table with a broken leg, four long benches, and an earthen kang (heated brick bed) in the inner room with two tattered felt blankets. Our group, including Zhao Gou and his entourage, consisted of five people, but there was only one kang. I didn't know who should sleep on it.

Now, I can only pray to heaven that General Wanyan's act of putting on airs won't last too long—but even a fool could tell that his aim is to completely break down our psychological defenses, instill panic, and thus gain more favorable terms for himself at the negotiating table. And this period is unlikely to be short.

The long and cold night finally came to an end. As a result, none of the five of us went to sleep on the kang (a heated brick bed) – Zhao Gou was preoccupied, Zhang Bangchang thought it was too dirty, the other two were naturally not qualified, and I was worried about Huaiyuan and couldn't sleep at all.

I stared coldly at the plate of cold, hard steamed buns and a few pickled vegetables on the table, almost unable to believe my eyes—it seemed that Heaven was determined to torment my spirit and starve my body. I wondered what great task awaited me?

"Your Highness, I think you should make do with something to eat." I mumbled through a mouthful of steamed bun, my cheeks bulging. "These days probably won't end anytime soon. You can't solve anything by not eating or drinking." — To be honest, since arriving in the Northern Song Dynasty, I've always spoiled Huaiyuan with good food, drink, and sleep. I've never really suffered like this before. Sigh! I haven't returned home all night, and I can't even imagine what Huaiyuan is like now. — I'm sorry, Huaiyuan! Since I met you, it seems like I've only been causing you trouble! If, if we ever meet again, I will give my all to make up for the suffering you've endured today! But, will I even be able to leave this military camp alive? I really doubt it!

Neither Zhao Gou nor Zhang Bangchang had ever suffered such hardship in their lives. They lost their appetite, were filled with fear, and were on the verge of collapse.

Regardless of our feelings, time continues its unhurried, age-old rhythm, bringing us darkness once again. As if that wasn't enough of a desolate scene, at dusk, a heavy rain began to fall, and the howling north wind relentlessly seeped into the house through the window frames and door cracks, relentlessly ravaging our already fragile nerves.

Zhao Gou, unable to hold on any longer, disregarded the mess and jumped onto the only earthen bed in the room, squeezing in next to Zhang Bangchang and draping himself in a tattered felt blanket. I took a corner of the table, lay down on it, and gradually succumbed to the call of sleep, drifting off to dreamland.

The sounds of battle shook the heavens, and countless pursuers followed. I suddenly leaped into a raging river; the icy water quickly swept me far away. I floundered in the water, completely exhausted, drifting with the current. Huaiyuan rode up on a magnificent horse, but only watched coldly, refusing to offer me a helping hand. His eyes were icy cold, filled with too much resentment—I knew that my broken promise once again had broken his heart, and he would never forgive me!

"Huaiyuan!" My heart pounded, and I cried out, jolting awake. Opening my eyes, I saw a dark brown mouse less than a foot from my head, its small, dark eyes greedily fixed on the dimly glowing oil lamp on the table. My awakening must have startled it. It glanced at me unhurriedly before nimbly leaping down and disappearing into the corner. Looking around, I was still inside the dilapidated house. A faint glimmer of dawn was breaking on the horizon, and a sliver of sunlight peeked in through the window. The rain had stopped sometime ago.

I stretched my limbs, which were already stiff from the cold, and felt the pain that went deep into my bones—it seemed that even without the Jurchens killing me, I would soon fall ill in this dilapidated house.

I was wide awake. I stood up, went to the door, and tried to push it open, only to find it locked from the outside with a huge iron lock. Peeking through the crack, I saw a dozen or so spirited guards standing guard outside. Gradually, Jin soldiers began to emerge from their tents. They quickly assembled and soon began their day's drills—completely different from the Song soldiers I had seen in Cizhou. They were clearly well-trained; everything seemed so orderly and efficient, busy yet not chaotic.

A young man dressed as an officer walked over from a distance. He was talking to the sentry who was guarding the door furthest from us. I couldn't see clearly through the crack in the door, but for some reason, I felt that the figure looked somewhat familiar. Although I found it hard to believe—how could there be someone I knew in the Jin camp? I still subconsciously ran to the window, pushed it open, and looked outside.

What I saw next filled me with joy—good heavens! Was I seeing things? That person was actually Sang Man? The Sang Man who I used to bully so much in Jiangning that he would turn red in the face?! I didn't bother to figure out why he was here; I just wanted to grab him as quickly as possible—because he had obviously finished asking his questions and was turning to leave.

"Sangman! Sangman!" I shouted excitedly, afraid he wouldn't hear me, and waved vigorously at him, "Here, here! I'm here! It's me, Ye Qingyang!"—Obviously, my worries were unnecessary. In such a quiet morning, even a bird's call would be very clear, let alone my desperate shouting!

Sangman quickly turned around and immediately found my direction. He looked at me with a puzzled expression at first, then suddenly widened his big, round eyes and opened his mouth wide, looking as if he had seen a ghost.

The guards quickly unlocked the massive lock, and I stepped out of the room amidst the surprised and bewildered expressions of Zhang Bangchang and Zhao Gou. I gripped Sangman's hand tightly, refusing to let go. "How did you get here? Were you captured by the Jin army? Where is my elder brother? Where is he?"

"Young Master Ye, what are you doing here? My lord has been looking for you everywhere!" Sang Man looked at me with a mixture of surprise and delight, almost disbelieving his eyes.

Sigh! We were both talking past each other, neither of us paying attention to what the other was saying! Never mind anything else, I just wanted to get away as quickly as possible. "Sangman, can you think of a way to get me out of here? This place is no place for a human being!" I whispered to Sangman, my heart filled with unease. I wondered if Sangman was doing well here? Did she even have the authority to do this?

Sangman scratched his head awkwardly—Really? He doesn't have that ability? Sigh! Looks like I've given him a hard time. "Then get me something good to eat, okay? I'm starving! If not, get me a blanket, it's so cold here!" I rambled on and on, afraid he'd refuse—but why was he still shaking his head?! Sigh! What a waste of my time!

"Alright, I know I've been a bit unreasonable. You can go now!" I waved my hand weakly, feeling utterly deflated.

"No, Young Master Ye, listen to me... Hey! Come with me!" Sang Man couldn't get a word in edgewise. In his haste, he grabbed my hand and dragged me away.

"Wait a minute, where is this place?" I stared at the enormous tent nestled among countless smaller tents, feeling increasingly uneasy—I couldn't believe that Sang Man could be doing so well in the Jin camp. Just looking at its size, this tent was clearly of a very high level. Could it belong to Brother Yan? But didn't Manager Zhao say he had arranged to meet me in Bianjing? Then it couldn't possibly be in the Jin camp.

"Young Master Ye, you'll find out once you go inside," Sang Man said with a mysterious smile. He had even quietly led away the guards standing watch outside—I want to see if this place is truly a den of dragons and tigers!

Never mind, it's all the same whether I stick my neck out or not. After mentally preparing myself, I mustered my courage, reached out and lifted the curtain, and stepped inside.

The moment I stepped inside, I was paralyzed as if struck by a magic spell—seated before a long table in the tent sat a handsome young man in a light fur coat and loose belt, his head tied with a snow-white silk scarf. His sword-like eyebrows were slightly furrowed, his starry eyes half-closed, and he was deep in thought—wasn't this none other than my beloved elder brother, Yan Zongwang, whom I had longed for day and night?!

"What is it?" Perhaps because I hadn't moved for a while, he was slightly annoyed, frowning and looking up at me, his tone clearly impatient. —Seeing me, he blinked, hesitated for a moment, and then blurted out, "Qingyang?!"

"Big brother, big brother!" I snapped out of my daze and ran towards him, throwing myself into his arms and hugging him tightly, tears of joy streaming down my face. "Big brother, it really is you! I've finally found you, I've missed you so much!"

"Qingyang, is that really you?" Yan Zongwang held my shoulders, anxiously looking me up and down. "Didn't I tell you to wait for me at Zhao's Antique Shop? Why did you come here on your own? Who brought you here? Did they give you any trouble? Look at me, you've lost so much weight! Are you sick? Why is your face so pale?"