"Sixth Brother..." His ears drooped listlessly.
"How old are you to still act like a child? It's so ugly."
That's cruel, Seventh Brother. He's heartbroken, truly heartbroken. Using the eldest to suppress the youngest, making the youngest do the dirty work. Junior Brother, when are you coming back? He doesn't want to be the scapegoat anymore!
Watching him leave dejectedly, Rong Ye chuckled to himself from behind his fan. Well done. But the thought of someone else caused his smile to falter. Rong Ye slammed his hand on the fan ribs and glanced to his side: "You've heard everything you needed to hear. What are you still doing here?"
Ji Junze looked displeased and got up to leave.
"Have you ever considered that, for an adult, that swaddled baby is the best choice?"
Ji Junze's foot faltered as he stepped over the threshold, and he turned around. Fu Xian stood in the hall, smiling warmly, the "Hundred Entertainments in the Market" painting behind him moving as if in motion, making Ji Junze's eyes dazzle.
“Even the Holy Emperor, who shared the same ideals, could change, let alone a young man whose mind is still unsettled. In that case, why not choose a ‘blank sheet’ and let him write and paint as he pleases? Wouldn’t you like to give it a try and raise a great dragon of the Great Wei who is worthy of your heart?”
"He won't try to take advantage of Eleven again, will he?" Rong Ye asked, watching Ji Junze's departing figure.
Fu Xian nodded slightly. The man was clearly tempted, otherwise he wouldn't have lost his composure like that. Putting all that aside, he looked at Rong Ye: "Has Butler Yu sent a letter?"
Back when Shangguan Yi left the capital, he had asked Yu Luo, who accompanied him, to send them a message as soon as there was any news about the youngest son. Today, seeing that the seventh son had returned in such a hurry, he knew that there was news.
Rong Ye pulled the letter from his chest, his handsome face twitching slightly. "Look for yourself, look for yourself!"
Seeing him grit his teeth in anger, Fu Xian knew everything was alright. A great weight lifted from his heart. He unfolded the letter and examined it intently, then again, and then once more. His gentle expression crumbled—
"Nonsense!"
Chapter Twenty-Three
The official in charge of receiving guests had changed. Yu Zigui was slightly surprised to see the thin, short figure exchanging pleasantries with Shangguan Yi with a fake smile.
"I heard that the gray-eyed ghost is dead."
Dead? She looked at Cong Luan, who seemed to have gotten the news from who-knows-where.
"He died suddenly last night. He was in a brothel... um, you know, a place where someone snapped his neck in one go."
"Political feud?"
Hearing Wei Zhuofeng's guess, Yu Zigui also felt it made sense. After all, this place was a gathering place for various forces of the Northern Di, and it was only natural that officials lived and died for power.
Cong Luan was about to agree when she caught a glimpse of her childhood sweetheart's sighing expression. Her inner gossip queen was instantly aroused, and she grabbed the man who was trying to avoid her. "Could it be you?"
Those around him were all highly skilled with keen senses; before Cong Luan had even finished speaking, several sharp gazes pierced through him. Xiao Kuang felt a pang of guilt, but he forced a glare at Cong Luan and said, "Don't spread rumors!"
“Ah Kuang, you blinked. You always do this when you lie.” Cong Luan chuckled as she approached. “Tell me quickly, what exactly happened to that gray-eyed ghost? I noticed you didn’t like him yesterday, didn’t I, hmm?” She made a mysterious gesture.
"I didn't!" Xiao Kuang cried out in protest. "Although I dislike him, it's not my place to lay a hand on him!"
"If it's not you, then who is it?"
“Yes…” Xiao Kuang looked at Yu Zigui, who had floated over at some point, and suddenly realized, “Future aunt, you’re trying to trick me into talking.”
How cunning! That silent sound almost made him lose his composure. Although he wasn't entirely sure, considering he was the only one left in the yurt he shared with his uncle when he got up last night, it was probably true...
"Oh? Ah Kuang did this?"
A soft voice came from behind, and Xiao Kuang froze. "Uncle... Uncle."
"Ah Kuang, how could you be so reckless?" Shangguan Yi glared at him disapprovingly. "Don't do it again."
This final statement sealed the blame. Seeing the others' expressions of understanding, Xiao Kuang felt a surge of anger and almost vomited. "Yes..." he gritted his teeth and admitted it. Actually, it wasn't a big deal; he'd taken the blame many times before, so one more, two more... ten more wouldn't make a difference.
"The King of the Northern Barbarians will receive us at the Hulun Assembly," Shangguan's words drew everyone's attention away from Xiao Kuang.
The Hulunbuir Conference? Yu Zigui's heart skipped a beat as he met those deep eyes.
The word "Hulun" means "whole body." The Di people, having nothing to do in winter, love to engage in "whole body" activities—whole body courtship, whole body sexual intercourse, and a man and woman who have a whole night together call each other husband and wife. Ah Niu, this is not mere idle talk from your foolish father. The cunning and barbarity of the northerners are unparalleled. Drinking mare's milk wine is equivalent to accepting a courtship. Poor you, your foolish father, unaware of the truth, was forced to drink eighteen bowls. If it weren't for your mother's extraordinary bravery compared to the Di women, your foolish father would have remained in the north, suffering nightly "bullying." "A tree that stands out in the forest will surely be felled by the wind," Ah Niu, remember this!
Looking at the mournful handwriting on the pages of "The Wandering Swordsman," Yu Zigui's gaze slowly moved, completely unaware that she had read those few lines over and over again. It wasn't until the light of day dimmed and the words on the paper were no longer clearly visible that she finally looked up.
In the distance, the indigo sky and lilac-colored snow were painted between the mountains. A newly lit bonfire burned in the open space enclosed by the Ordo enclosure, the air filled with the rich aroma of milk, and enthusiastic young men and women could be seen everywhere. The night had only just begun, but she had no time to enjoy it.
She carefully tucked the book away, staring intently at her chest for a long time before standing up. Unexpectedly, a girl stumbled towards her. Yu Zigui first reached out to help her, but then remembered her men's attire and withdrew her arms. The girl swayed, and Yu Zigui smiled apologetically, only to meet a pair of warm eyes. "Jiri Gala."
The steam from the mare's milk wine wafted across her face, and Yu Zigui hesitated for a moment before politely declining. The girl, thinking she was just shy, laughed heartily and urged her to drink even more enthusiastically. Yu Zigui was truly speechless, unable to express her bitterness. She smiled wryly, then saw a wide sleeve come into view, and was pulled into someone's arms.
“She is mine,” Shangguan Yi said in the Northern Di language, then looked down at the person in his arms. “I said you don’t like women from other tribes.”
Yu Zigui nodded vigorously, and the girl's eyes nearly popped out of her head. "What?" the girl asked, staring at the two intimately acquainted people.
A glint of light flashed in Shangguan Yi's eyes, and she sighed helplessly, "She doesn't believe me."
"Don't believe me?" Yu Zigui murmured softly, leaning against him, unaware of how intimate their posture was. In the end, it was the girl who came to her senses first.
"Oh my God, two men!" Most of the mare's milk wine was spilled.
“Unless you can prove it, I will make him my Nehuri.” Shangguan Yi “faithfully” translated the Northern Di girl’s words as she ran away with a startled cry, adding at the end, “Nehuri means husband.”
“Nehuri?” Seeing that he still nodded, Yu Zigui smiled. “She didn’t pronounce ‘Nehuri’ in what she said just now.”
Seeing that his lie had been exposed, Shangguan Yi wasn't embarrassed at all. He raised an eyebrow and stared at the handsome face that looked a little strange with the stubble stuck to it. "Finally back to normal," he said with a smile.
Yu Zigui was taken aback.
"Do you think I didn't notice?" His gaze swept over her slightly surprised eyes, then slowly moved downwards, finally settling on the book she carried on her chest. "You always read this travelogue when something happens, both in the capital and now in Zhongdu. Zigui, what are you afraid of?"
She instinctively clutched her chest, feeling the books beneath the fabric through her fingertips. Was she afraid? Afraid of what? Yu Zigui was slightly confused. She looked up and saw those deep black eyes. Shangguan Yi wouldn't let her go; she couldn't escape.
“I’m afraid tonight,” she said. “What if we fail? My unwillingness has brought Xiao Kuang, Cong Luan, Wei Zhuofeng, Gao Dashan, and you.” Her moon-like eyes trembled as she looked at him. “Ziyu, this isn’t just my win or loss. It’s a gamble on the Central Plains’ martial arts world, a bet on six lives. I’m afraid, I’m so afraid.”
Shangguan Yi bent down and said gently, "It's not too late to stop now."
Moon's eyes were somewhat confused.
Shangguan smiled slightly and smoothed her beard. "Just like that little boy who gave you the Guanyin clay, even if you save the Great Wei once, you can't change the fate of its impending collapse. Those officials, that Great Wei—overthrowing them and starting over might not be a bad thing. Zigui, you and your master actually guessed the ending but were afraid to accept it. If no one holds on, the Great Wei will surely perish within a few years, and it will be these northern barbarians who will crush it."
His deep, penetrating eyes saw right through her, leaving her nowhere to hide. "You're afraid, afraid that even if you risk all six lives, even the entire martial arts world of the Central Plains, it will only delay the day your horses trample the Central Plains." Seeing the look on her face, as if her secret had been exposed, Shangguan Yi couldn't help but speak with pity: "Fool, instead of worrying about a crumbling dynasty, you should focus your attention on something else." He hinted.
Hearing this, she raised her head and looked into his dark eyes with a hint of distress. "Ziyu, you don't know martial arts, I'm afraid I'll implicate you."
A strange light flickered in his handsome eyes. Shangguan Yi took her small hand in his and coaxed, "Since that's the case, Zigui, why don't you put everything down and come back to Jinling with me? Life is but a few decades long, so we should enjoy it while we can. Zigui, in the past I only wanted to find someone I could look at, but now I only want to be looked at by you."
His eyes sparkled like waves, shimmering in the sunlight, making her slightly tipsy and almost agree—but only almost.
Yu Zigui withdrew her hand and gazed intently at him: "I once told Cong Luan that there are people like Ziyu, people like my senior brother, and people like me in this world. Faced with the same dilapidated mansion, Ziyu was willing to tear it down and rebuild it, my senior brother chose to shoulder the burden, while I would rather repair it, preferring to live under a crumbling roof than be a homeless dog. Ziyu, I admire your carefree spirit, but I can't do it. Because I've been a 'dog' before, and I know that being crushed to death by rotten wood is better than having no home to return to."
As she spoke, she slightly lifted her eyelashes, forcing back the glistening tears that had been visible beneath them. "Does Ziyu remember Liu Wushuang?"
"She is now the mother of the young prince, the current Consort Liu."
Yu Zigui nodded. "Liu Wushuang's path should have been mine. She lost her parents at a young age and was raised like a dog by Abbess Sanqing. Her heart was filled with hatred and the will to survive. Ziyu, I have thought, if I hadn't met my master back then, if I hadn't regained a home and so many family members, do you think I would have become another Liu Wushuang?"
Shangguan Yi stared at her intently, his deep, still eyes rippling with emotion. "No, you are not her."
Upon hearing this, she was taken aback at first, then smiled slightly: "You really trust me."
She felt a little happy inside, when she heard him call out, "Zigui".
"Hmm." She looked up.
"If this succeeds, what will you do then?"
Preparing for the worst beforehand was a habit she had developed since she was ten. She hadn't really considered the possibility of success. Staring into those strangely bright black eyes, she pondered for a moment and said, "Naturally, I will return to the capital and help my senior brothers succeed."
Her small face was full of righteous indignation, which made Shangguan Yi coldly snort: "Putting the cart before the horse."
Putting the cart before the horse? She was puzzled. When she looked up again, she saw Shangguan looking away with a slightly pale face.
It turned out that officials from the Northern Di had come to summon them.
Yu Zigui had no doubts. After confirming that the fake beard on her face was in the right place, she quickly stepped forward and followed Shangguan Yi toward Wuerduo.
There's no moon tonight, and if it weren't for the roaring bonfires, the valley surrounded by mountains would be utterly dark. This morning, upon learning he would be received by the Northern Di King, the well-informed King of Gossips calculated—no, he observed the clouds and the heavens—that tonight's dark and windy night was the perfect opportunity to strike. If they could extinguish the light, in the pitch-black darkness, they would be more than halfway to victory.
Yu Zigui carefully looked around to make sure the four people in charge of extinguishing the lights were in their positions. When she looked up, she saw Shangguan Yi glaring at her.
Still angry? But what is he angry about?
Yu Zigui thought and thought, only to realize that Shangguan Xin was like a needle at the bottom of the sea, not someone a fool like her could possibly win over. After staring at the young men and women dancing passionately in front of the Ordo for a long time, she finally mustered up her courage and said, "If Ziyu hadn't come to my rescue just now, I'm afraid I would have been dragged into this kind of love dance as well."
She was just making conversation. Ziyu had done enough for her. Even if she didn't understand what he was angry about, she was broad-minded enough to give him a way out.
But why were those dark eyes glaring at her with increasing ferocity?
Yu Zigui was puzzled when she saw Shangguan Yi suddenly smile, a smile that made her feel a little uneasy.
Leaning down, Shangguan said, "Actually, I wasn't that kind. If you hadn't realized I was lying to you, I really would have continued." Seeing her wide, angry eyes staring at him, Shangguan's mood suddenly improved. He glanced at the crowd around him, who were immersed in their joy, and his tone became even more sly: "I will continue to lie to that girl because she doesn't believe me and wants you to prove it. Then I will kiss you until your legs go weak and you collapse on me, and then I will passionately return the kiss."
His dark eyes were so deep and intense that they made her feel as if she were drowning, a shiver running down her spine, and she could hardly breathe.
"No..." She froze as soon as she opened her mouth; how could that soft tone be hers? Her heart skipped a beat, and she glared at him, both ashamed and angry.
His eyes, like ink spreading, first a single drop of water, then a sky full of clouds. Shangguan Yi looked at her with a slightly infatuated expression, a joyful smile playing on his lips. "I truly love the way you look at me, your eyes only on me, unlike just now."
What happened to her just now? Yu Zigui was completely bewildered. Just as she was about to ask, she saw Shangguan Yi raise his eyebrows, and she looked up as well. By the roaring campfire, the official leading the way was waving to them. The curtain was about to rise, and the northern wind blew away the lingering heat from her face. She lowered her eyes and followed behind Shangguan.
The night was as dark as an abyss, not a single star or moon visible in the sky. Without the crackling campfire, there would be no light on the ground. In this cold winter, the Northern Di people gathered around the fire, drinking and eating heartily. Once flushed and tipsy, they invited the enthusiastic girls, saying that on such a mesmerizing night, they should share a yurt. The long, drawn-out song echoed, the night wind howled, and Yu Zigui shifted his gaze to the high seat.
Of the eight seats and seven kings, although the Southern King was not present, the two factions were clearly divided across the empty seat, and the one sitting in the center was the Northern Di Emperor.
"Are you the special envoy from North Korea, sir?"
"Yes, Your Majesty, I, Park An-jin, greet you." Shangguan Yi bowed deeply, and Yu Zigui followed suit.
Looking at the two seated figures, the Northern Di emperor did not remove himself from the formalities. He picked up the official letter beside him and glanced at it. "Special Envoy Park once served in the Great Wei."
Shangguan replied, "Yes, I served as an envoy to the Great Wei for over five years and just left this month."
"So, Envoy Park seems to know a lot about Great Wei. Then let me ask you, how is Great Wei now?"
Without hesitation, Shangguan Yi replied, "The Great Wei is in turmoil due to the famine and the court is in chaos. His Majesty is seriously ill and may soon pass away."
The Northern Di emperor nodded in satisfaction: "Envoy Pu is indeed from the Great Wei."
"Your Majesty, I dare not deceive you."
"Envoy Park, please rise. We Northern Di people are straightforward and don't understand the three kneelings and nine kowtows of the Great Wei. Someone, please have a seat!"
Unable to understand what the two were saying, Yu Zigui only realized that Shangguan Yi had gained the trust of the Northern Di King after a servant brought over a warm stool. Feeling slightly relieved, she stood behind Shangguan, carefully observing her surroundings.