A Wandering Youth

Chapter 105

Yelü Bao grew increasingly alarmed with each battle. He roared and commanded his troops to break through the encirclement. Soldiers trampled each other, countless dead. Just as the last three horses managed to escape and run a few feet away, a light cavalryman rushed up to him like the wind, his voice trembling violently: "Reporting to the commander-in-chief! Xincheng has fallen!"

Yelü Bao roared, spurring his horse closer and grabbing the reins of the approaching man: "Say it again!" His bloodshot eyes glared at the captain, causing him to stoop and tremble on his horse: "Reporting to the commander, Iron Lion just went out of the city to meet the enemy, when a white-clad young man with extremely high swordsmanship arrived. He single-handedly killed all the soldiers left behind, then charged in with a cavalry unit and burned our supplies to the ground..."

Yelü Bao felt dizzy and muttered to himself, supporting himself with his sword: "Fire to lure the enemy... a continuous array of camps... a three-sided encirclement... a feint to the east while attacking the west, seizing Xincheng and cutting off our retreat... Who is it? Who could possibly have such powerful methods?" His blood rushed to his head, and he roared into the endless darkness: "Could it be Qiu Ye, who has been resurrected from the dead?"

Behind him, a fierce battle raged. His trusted men cut off Xueying's charge, tearing a bloody gap for him to escape. But ahead lay a dense mass of fire, the orange-red light illuminating the clear sky. And he had nowhere to go.

The scorching night wind blew relentlessly, causing cold sweat to pour down, only to instantly turn into ice beads and dry in the wind.

Yelü Bao had cut off several pursuing attacks and was gradually becoming bloodthirsty when suddenly the sound of galloping hooves came from ahead.

He looked up.

A snow-white figure pierced the night, its brilliance as dazzling as a startled swan on snow. With a whoosh, the figure and its horse charged forward. Just before reaching him, the white robes flashed, and the figure soared into the sky, moving with the grace of a phoenix, like an immortal. A pillar of cold light rose into the air, and an icy aura descended from the heavens, the sword energy so powerful it seemed to devour the very fabric of the world.

Yelü Bao was shocked and rolled off his horse to avoid the attack. He heard the warhorse neigh in pain, and then the body, split in two, fell to the ground with a thud.

A figure in white slowly emerged from the shadows, his face incomparably handsome, the tip of his sword as cold as snow, a sliver of cold light slicing through the deep night.

"Long time no see, General Yelü." Qiu Ye said coldly, still holding the broken sword, and lightly raised her left hand to wipe away her mask.

"It really was you." Yelü Bao wiped away the blood that had been shaken out by the sword energy and said, supporting himself on the ground, "It's hateful that I only found out now that you were the one who had been secretly manipulating everything all along."

Qiu Ye stood coldly by the sword, his face pale as snow. Shang Que slowly slid down, the tip of the sword gleaming coldly. He raised his sword and pointed it at Yelü: "For today's battle, I have endured long enough. If I don't employ a clever strategy, how can I lure you, so wary, into my trap?"

Yelü Bao coughed up blood, his remorse evident in his expression. Qiu Yeyi smiled coldly and said, "If you reveal Xiao Feixu's whereabouts, I might spare your life."

"You..." Yelü Bao hissed, grabbed his broadsword and lunged forward. Qiu Yeyi remained motionless, but Shang Que unleashed a cold slash, unleashing a powerful sword aura that soared through the air like a flying dragon.

"Overestimating his abilities." These were the last words of mockery Yelü Bao heard. He had been defeated twice by the same person in his life, and he had no face to return to face the court officials. Having made a military pledge, he could only die with regret.

Qiu Ye stood atop the hill, sword in hand. The night wind billowed his white robes, and his figure remained motionless, like a cold, indifferent sculpture.

The sky was a dusky yellow, the cold wind howled, and the mournful cries of the crowd echoed from the shadows.

He stood solemnly, silently watching the two armies fighting a bloody battle below. Horses with severed legs neighed, knights in gleaming silver armor fell to the ground, waves of blood meandered and rushed into the Baigou River, the cold night wind could not carry away the rolling cries... all living beings withered and died like fallen leaves and branches.

The vast wilderness stretches to the horizon. Heaven and earth are boundless, with only this one hill standing out.

Many people died. Zhao Yingcheng's body was missing, and Leng Shuangcheng was nowhere to be found... It was as if fate was playing a joke on him, making him witness the scene he saw on the first day of the Lunar New Year.

"So this is what you were like back then." Qiu Ye Yijian neither avoided nor glared at him, silently looking at the vicissitudes of life. "So this is what you insisted on avoiding, Leng Shuangcheng."

On the 21st day of the seventh month of the fifth year of the Jianlong era (1566), at the hour of Guihai, Qiu Yeyi, the heir of the Southern Prefecture of the Song Dynasty, appeared in the new city of Beijiang with a sword. He commanded the Snow Shadow Battalion in a surprise attack, annihilating the entire Liao army. Overnight, the situation in Yanyun changed dramatically. Subsequently, the Snow Shadow Battalion reclaimed the lost territory in one fell swoop. From then on, the heir of the Southern Prefecture became even more famous and dominated the political scene for many years.

During the war, Zhao Yingcheng, the son of the Northern Chancellor, disappeared without a trace, and Xiao Feisu, the Liao deputy general, vanished without a trace after handing over his military power. For a long time, these two strange cases have been the focus of people's conversations.

The war in the northern frontier has been settled, and peace has been restored to the land.

130 returned

The Yangzhou Crown Prince's Mansion is magnificent and imposing, covering an area of twenty hectares, and firmly situated in the eastern part of the ancient city. Through the four-zhang-high walls, one can vaguely see a corner of the Emerald Feather Pavilion in the distance, its staggered structure resembling layered mountains.

Its imposing elegance is awe-inspiring. The gilded and vermilion gates open to a wide and straight jade street. When Qiu Ye walked back to this east street with his sword, it was mid-August, just as dusk was falling. The surroundings were shrouded in twilight and filled with mist.

Upon reaching the outskirts of Yangzhou, he abandoned Hualong and silently entered. Silver-clad knights sped like the wind, forming four columns of barriers that cleared the road ahead.

With the situation in the northern frontier settled, Yin Guang led everyone back to Yangzhou, eagerly awaiting the young master's triumphant return. He instructed them daily to sweep the courtyard and leave a seat vacant in anticipation of his arrival. Now, all the smoke and hardship have dissipated with the wind, and it seems they have come full circle, returning to where they started.

Apart from some people who left.

Yin Guang suppressed his turbulent emotions and led the people of Yangzhou to prostrate themselves in worship, respectfully welcoming the young master back to his residence.

Qiu Yeyi stepped onto the first jade brick step, his pace slowing. Only then did he realize that perhaps many years ago, someone had also walked silently down this long street, piercing through the night.

"Rise, light the lamps!" He lowered his sleeves, stood in the pale night, and coldly instructed the guards and people around him. "From this day forward, the curfew in Yangzhou is lifted. I want every household to hang streetlights, and the candles must not be extinguished before dawn."

Contrary to her rumored noble and reserved demeanor, Qiu Yeyijian spoke for the first time before the crowd, and the surging crowd echoed her words, discussing the matter:

"Your Highness, Yangzhou has never set such a precedent before..."

"It seems Yangzhou has become a city that never sleeps." A man in a short-sleeved shirt couldn't help but look around in surprise. "Is it to celebrate the victory in the war?"

Qiu Yeyi's dark eyes slowly swept across the crowd, the coldness in his eyes calming the slight ripples. He said in a deep voice, word by word, "If Yangzhou is as bright as day, my wife will be able to see every street when she returns."

The street was straight and long. Qiu Yeyi walked alone, his white clothes spotless, his cold expression unchanged. He glanced at the side of the street and coldly called out, "Light."

Yin Guang stepped forward and bowed, saying, "Young Master."

Qiu Ye, her sword barely touching his footing, swept past him without turning back, coldly saying, "Du Bing, downstairs at the Zuojie Teahouse." Her figure moved with a chilling gait, her white robes flashing past the ancient, imposing gate before finally disappearing from view.

Yin Guang turned around and saw Du Bing, dressed in a pale yellow dress, standing under the teahouse signboard, her fingers clutching her cuffs, gently biting her cherry lips, exuding a girlish charm. She stared at Yuan Chuan for a long time before turning her gaze back.

Yin Guang cupped his hands in a respectful gesture and called out in a loud voice, "Please welcome Miss Du."

As twilight deepened and the lanterns were lit, the Prince's residence was brightly illuminated. Qiu Yeyi, facing the winding stream in the courtyard, felt the cool evening breeze, but it could not dispel the deep emotion in his eyes.

I heard light footsteps behind me. There were two people approaching, their movements both casual and cautious.

As Du Bing stepped into the villa, her eyes fell upon a stern figure. She twisted her body slightly, and upon meeting the warning gaze in the silver light, she had no choice but to bow her head and greet him: "Your Highness."

"You must have gotten the item?" Qiu Yeyijian looked at Chu Shui Furong, her back to her, and said coldly, "As long as you complete the mission, name your reward."

Du Bing bit her lip, took out a memorial with a saffron cover, and handed it to Yin Guang: "Du Bing has already taken the imperial seal and stamped it on the memorial as requested by the Crown Prince, and only took it out last."

Yin Guang presented the memorial with both hands. Qiu Yeyi took the memorial, glanced at it, and said calmly, "Now that my marriage proposal has taken effect, even if His Majesty wants to back out, it's too late."

Du Bing frowned slightly, unable to hold back, and blurted out, "Isn't the young master using this to blackmail me...?"

Qiu Yeyi turned around and gave her a cold look.

Du Bing's eyes widened, and she bit her red lips, remaining silent. Yin Guang quickly stepped forward and respectfully asked, "What should we do next, young master?"

Qiu Ye turned around, leaning on his sword, and stood with his hands behind his back, gazing at the twilight sky. A thin mist veiled the night, and several white jade hairpins fluttered in the wind, drifting gently into the night.

Qiu Ye stood silently for a moment before coldly replying, "An Ye relayed Leng Shuangcheng's message that she would definitely return. In the past two months, the Dongting Shui family has been ordered to search for Leng Shuangcheng's whereabouts, but so far there has been no news. It seems they have failed to find any trace of her."

The secluded garden was quiet and secluded, with the sound of flowing water. Du Bing lowered his head, his silvery gaze falling silently.

Qiu Yeyi slowly looked around and said, "Such a large courtyard, and only now do I realize how deserted it is..." Yin Guang looked up and met those dark, cold pupils, and felt a pang of pain in his heart.

After a long while, he finally saw the young master walk away with his sleeves down, his white-clad figure as if etched into the night scene. The figure continued walking forward, leaving the entire garden desolate: "Since you want me to wait, I believe she will come back, but I can't wait that long. I want to tell the world that even waiting has a limit."

The following morning, as the thousands of lights quietly went out, the Crown Prince's residence sent out notices, which were posted in every corner of the Central Plains. The notices announced that one month later, on September 18th, the Crown Prince of the Southern Prefecture, Qiu Yeyijian, would hold a grand wedding ceremony.

After the news of the meteor shower spread throughout the Central Plains, Qiu Ye stood with his sword in the courtyard of the Prince's mansion, waiting day after day. The summer trees were lush and fragrant, and he stood silently before them, his purple robes as striking as frost on a weathered forest.

Hiding in the corner of the courtyard, Yin Guang turned around and looked at the person next to him: "Steward Hua, what should we do?"

After being diagnosed by the Medicine King, Hua Bitou returned to Yangzhou with Yin Guang and became the head steward of the Prince's residence. The war in the Central Plains and the northern frontier, the message relayed to Leng Shuangcheng in the dark, and Leng Shuangcheng's silent disappearance—these things gradually came to light. However, what she and Yin Guang did not expect was that the young master dared to gamble with fate and issued a proclamation throughout the Central Plains without any information about Leng Shuangcheng.

Hua Bitou frowned slightly: "The wedding day is getting closer every day, and there's still no word from the madam's side... Young Master has also invited the Three Dukes and Grand Tutor of the Imperial Court to be the officiant. Judging from this, he must be taking the wedding very seriously..."

Yin Guang couldn't help but interject, "How can the wedding proceed if the madam hasn't been seen for a whole day?"

Bi Tou sighed, her tone filled with unspoken emotion: "Besides Madam, who else dares to advise the young master? And who will the young master listen to? Let's not get involved, let's just wait for Madam to return with the young master!"

A rustling sound came from the back corner of the courtyard, followed by a clear and gentle voice: "Sister!"

Bi Tou smiled, her eyes crinkling, and turned around. Yin Guang made a shushing gesture and whispered, "Dewdrop is here!"

Hua Luxi emerged from behind the jade hairpin, her white gauze dress flowing gracefully in the breeze, pure and innocent like a flower fairy. Her round, dark eyes swept across the courtyard, like two glistening jade beads rolling onto her translucent face: "Sister, the wedding dress is finished! It's entirely covered in silk embroidery, embroidered with nine hundred large red peonies. When you wear it and walk around, it'll be dazzling and beautiful!"

Bi Tou lowered her eyes and sighed, "Young Master invited us out of the valley to sew a wedding dress for Madam, but given the current situation..."

Lu Xi stroked the hem of her clothes and pouted slightly: "No matter what happened, all I know is that our Hundred Flowers Valley double-layered silk embroidery is unparalleled in the world."

Yin Guang quickly smiled and agreed repeatedly: "Hua Xi's double needlework is unparalleled in the world, and no one dares to doubt the skill of using colorful threads." A gentle breeze swept across his handsome face, softly scattering across his brows and lips.

Lu Xi stopped crying and smiled, gently tugging at Bi Tou's sleeve, gazing happily at her sister. Bi Tou stroked her soft, shiny black hair and quietly said, "When will our dewdrop grow up?"

September has just passed, and all the flowers have finished blooming, leaving only their last petals. In the Prince's mansion, daisies are in full bloom, accompanied by the fragrance of osmanthus. Being surrounded by a sea of flowers and trees is like enjoying a dream of fragrant blossoms.

Qiu Yeyijian remained standing still, like a shadow. His expression was indifferent, devoid of emotion, yet a slight ripple stirred within his vast pupils, a hidden pain lurking deep within their light. He had stood there, oblivious, for fifteen days, watching the flowers wither and the path strewn with fallen petals, watching the crape myrtle bathe in the moonlight and the hibiscus fade in autumn, but he had not received a single word from Leng Shuangcheng.

The city of Yangzhou was abuzz with excitement, with the unsuspecting populace decorating everywhere with lanterns and colorful decorations, eagerly awaiting the grand ceremony on the eighteenth. The Prince's residence was equally bustling, its pavilions and towers draped in red silk, layer upon layer of splendor like a mist. As the wind blew through the courtyard, the silk ribbons danced and swayed, truly making the vast mansion adorned with crimson and purple embroidery, an extravagant display of magnificence.

Silver Light rushed towards them, his face filled with fear. Before he could leap to Qiu Ye Yijian's side, he shouted, "Young Master, a carriage has come down the main street and brought back the Madam."

Qiu Yeyi's eyes trembled slightly, and the sculpted face seemed to come alive. Without uttering a word, he lightly spread his sleeves, and his purple-clad figure drifted by like a floating cloud.

A purple shadow swept straight toward the vermilion gate, the exquisite house serving as mere steps beneath his feet. He leaped up like a startled swan, his clothes not yet falling, his eyes already meeting those of a spirited and agile steed.

The guard lifted the curtain on the carriage, revealing a lone figure leaning against it, with a sword lying flat on the ground.

Leng Shuangcheng, draped in a camel-gray cloak, her eyes closed and face as pale as snow, lay quietly against the corner of the carriage, fast asleep. Shi Yang was placed beside her, its scabbard gleaming coldly. Qiu Ye, sword in hand, strode forward, reached out and lifted her out, lowering his head to kiss her frosty forehead: "Leng Shuangcheng..."

He tested the temperature of her cheek with his slightly warm lips, lingering on it for a long time. He used so much force with his palms that the base of his wrists turned bluish-white.

The white horse snorted softly. Qiu Yeyi glanced at the horse and then at the silver light that followed: "This horse has azure hooves, it is not a Central Plains breed. If I am not mistaken, it should be Nan Jingqi's mount."

"What does Young Master mean...?" Yin Guang met Qiu Ye Yijian's cold eyes and asked tentatively, "Did General Nan send the lady back?"

Qiu Ye Yijian smiled coldly and said, "Pass on my order to seal off the entire city. Nan Jingqi must be nearby. Follow his horse and you will find him." Yin Guang received the order, waved his hand, and led a team of silver-clad soldiers away on horseback.

Qiu Ye gazed at the crimson-gold plaque of the mansion, its base made of purple wood, adorned with two intertwined dragons, boldly proclaiming the two arrogant characters: Southern Mansion.

This is his true home, and now that Leng Shuangcheng has returned, everything seems perfect again.

He looked down at the quiet person in his arms; her face was expressionless, as if she had entered a meditative state.

Qiu Yeyi made up her mind, hugged Leng Shuangcheng tightly, and raised her deep eyes to face the silver-clad guards: "Summon everyone out to welcome Madam back to the manor."

The guards understood, raised their spears and halberds, turned around and shouted inside, "Welcome back to the palace, Princess!"

The voice was loud and clear, startling the heavens and carrying a chilling sound into the wind. As soon as the last note faded, a continuous stream of responses arose from within: "Welcome back to the palace, Princess!"

The waves rose and fell, like gentle waves, their resounding echoes reverberating above the Prince's residence.