La vida de la gente del campo en la ciudad durante la dinastía Song

Capítulo 144

I sighed softly: "The human heart is too vast; it can hold countless loves and hates, past grievances, and memories of many people and events in life, never fading. But the human heart is also too small; in the most important place, it can only house one person, even if it has wavered, hesitated, or coveted, ultimately only one person can remain. Because that's fair. For the other heart that completely embraces only me, that's fair. Xu Lie, don't you think?"

The heavy silence was suffocating, and it saddened my heart. But I still had to continue: "Yihan, as long as he's by my side, I feel at ease; as long as I hold his hand, I long to walk with him to the end of my life; as long as I'm in his arms, it feels like the world is just the two of us, clinging to each other. I love this feeling of having him by my side. I crave his love and his protection. Because I've tasted the pain of being so close yet so far, I cherish it even more and love him even more deeply."

“Xu Lie…” For the first time since we met, I was finally able to smile openly at him. Although there was pain, it was a cathartic pain; although there was reluctance, I had no regrets about my choice. “Xu Lie, you and I are like two straight lines destined to intersect. Once the only point of intersection is over, we can only go further and further apart. No matter how much we miss the time we spent together, we can never go back.”

"Galan..." Xu Lie asked me, seemingly trying to sound calm, "What do you want to say?"

I said, "Xu Lie, love is a unique and exclusive emotion, and my unique one... I gave it to someone else."

"Galan! Wake up!" Xu Lie suddenly grabbed me, shaking me violently by the shoulders. "You're from the 21st century! You're my wife, a student at Fudan University! Have you ever thought about whether that world truly belongs to you? That person, the one you promised yourself to, truly belongs to you? What if one night you find you can never go back? What if one night you find it was all just a dream? What will you do then? What will happen to the one you so resolutely promised yourself to?! You—"

The standard ringtone of a cell phone interrupted Xu Lie's angry words. I heard him breathing heavily, yelling at the other person in an extremely hostile tone. Then, silence fell for a moment.

"Okay, I understand. I'll go back to China right away." Xu Lie said this after a long pause. His weary voice, sorrowful tone, and despairing state of mind clung to him, filling the entire room.

My heart was pounding, not rapidly, not erratically, but with a dull thud. I pursed my chapped lips, and suddenly a sharp pain shot through my forehead: "What's wrong?"

Xu Lie suddenly hugged me, holding me tightly as I tried to push him away, like a drowning person grasping at a straw. He said in a hoarse voice, "Grandpa passed away in the countryside, the day before yesterday."

I silently opened my mouth slightly, listening to his shallow breathing and his slowly rapid heartbeat, unable to utter a sound.

The old man who treated me better than his own grandson, who stubbornly pushed for my marriage to Xu Lie, who beamed with joy whenever he saw me, the old man I called Grandpa, has passed away. Has he really passed away...?

"Galan..." Just as my whole body was numb from being hugged, Xu Lie suddenly called my name.

“Galan…” he said, “Come back with me.”

He buried his face in my hair, his voice deep and sorrowful: "Even if it's not for me, at least go back and see Grandpa. He must... really want to see you. And our parents too..."

I hesitated for a moment, then finally uttered in a low voice, "Okay."

In the room, apart from heavy breathing, the only sound was the air conditioner whirring tirelessly.

Oh, Shanghuai! That city that holds so many of my joys and sorrows, that city that has been with me for twenty-one years, am I finally going back? I will never see the gray-blue sky again, never see the wide tree-lined avenues again, never see my beloved parents and friends again. For me now, is it still the same there?

I've thought about Xu Lie's words, and I've been afraid of them. What if one day I suddenly discover that everything in that world, including my life-and-death love with Yi Han, was nothing but an illusion? What if one day I can never return to the continent of Yi Xiu? But I still have no regrets. Meeting Yi Han, falling in love with Yi Han, choosing Yi Han—I have no regrets.

At that time, I certainly didn't know that Xu Lie's words would become a self-fulfilling prophecy. I also didn't know that happiness always requires relentless pursuit to hold onto, while misfortune, like a venomous snake, is insidious and impossible to guard against. It was the accumulation of countless wounds that made me understand: the deeper the unwavering love, the greater the pain that carries with it.

Longing has spun the hourglass in my heart, and memories have etched the trajectory of my life. So, many years later on the continent of Ishu, we met again, and when we thought of our unwavering devotion, tears streamed down our faces.

Xiao Yi

2008.4.18 15:34

Chapter 23, Beloved (End).

Next update: Sunday, April 20th

Ahem...please don't throw things at me, everyone. In this chapter...I think I'm just stating the facts. Galan does have feelings for Xu Lie, but not love. The saying goes, "Love in dreams, affection in reality..." And please don't throw things at me for the prophetic statement later on either. SO, that's it...

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Chapter 24 A Thousand-Mile Rescue (Part 1)

Chapter 24 A Thousand-Mile Rescue (Part 1)

The air was slightly damp, the lights were dim, and the passageway was narrow. I walked step by step through this environment until I stopped in front of a small room that looked cramped and simple on the outside, but which, when viewed through the wooden fence, was fully equipped inside.

I simply waved my hand, and two jailers respectfully brought over the keys. The two keys were inserted into the lock simultaneously, clicked, and the door opened. I walked in alone; Yihan was standing outside.

As soon as I entered the cell, I saw a man sitting on the bed facing the wall, wearing a grey scholar's robe. From afar, he appeared thin, but up close, he was quite muscular. I smiled leisurely and sat down on the only wooden chair in the room. "Han Ning, don't you have anything to say? Or do you want to stay here forever?"

The man who had been sitting facing the wall finally turned around. His features were not particularly outstanding, except for his two thick eyebrows, which were quite striking. At this moment, a mocking smile was on his ordinary face: "How dare I speak casually in front of Your Excellency, the Prime Minister? It is my great honor to be able to hear Your Excellency's instructions."

Sigh! Dealing with clever people who like to beat around the bush is such a hassle. This person is Han Jue's second brother, Han Ning, whom Zi Mo asked me to keep a close eye on. Less than a month after Yang Yi's 70,000-strong reinforcement army arrived, Han Ning, as the supervising officer, also arrived in Fangling. Nominally a supervising officer, he was actually monitoring my every move. So, on the very first day his servant entered Fangling, I had the Blood Tribe members who had been watching him abduct him. That's why, without a leader, my 70,000-strong army was at my mercy. Ah, I wonder how furious Yang Yi is now.

I picked up the cups and saucers on the table and looked at them. My gaze lingered on the somewhat simple and rough table, and I casually asked, "Where is Han Qin's son?"

Han Ning was stunned for a moment, then suddenly burst into laughter: "So the Prime Minister spared my life to win over my third brother..."

"No." I interrupted him calmly. "Even if you don't say it, I can find the person Han Jue wants. I'm keeping your life because you deserve it."

Han Ning slowly broke into a smile, his thick, dark eyebrows furrowed as he looked at me.

I smiled casually, raising an eyebrow at him: "What, you don't believe me?"

Han Ning remained solemnly silent for a long time before shaking his head repeatedly with a mixture of fear and respect: "This humble official truly believes that as long as the Prime Minister is willing, there is nothing in this world that the Prime Minister cannot accomplish." He paused, a look of doubt on his face, "This humble official does not understand, if that is the case, why is the Prime Minister willing to spare my life?"

“I’ve said it before, you deserve it.” I looked directly into his eyes, eyes that seemed ordinary on the surface but were actually gleaming with ambition. “Because I can see the desire in your eyes and your talent. Once the world is unified, you, Han Ning, will be the best candidate for the position of Left Minister of the Ministry of Personnel.”

As his eyes widened in shock, I simply smiled calmly, gently stroking the tassels at my waist: "Han Ning, you chose to assist Yang Yi only because you believed he was likely the one destined to unify the world. Your loyalty stemmed from your belief that he was the strongest. However, great rulers and heroes emerge throughout the land. Now, can you truly be certain that he is the one destined to unify the world?"

From his bewildered yet restless expression, I could guess how alluring I looked, capable of seducing someone with a mere flick of my sleeve and a smile: "Han Ning, if I were to give you a chance to choose again, would you choose me or Yang Yi?"

"Why?" A brilliant flame burned in Han Ning's eyes, but his expression remained calm. This man's cunning was unfathomable, which was why I chose him. "Why choose me? You should know that Third Brother is more valuable than me."

"Ha..." I chuckled. Finally, he's willing to stop beating around the bush? I fixed my gaze deep into his eyes and spoke calmly and slowly: "Jingyuan is not suited for officialdom, and being adept at social maneuvering is not his forte. You, however, are different. Looking around at the people around me, there are mostly military generals and few civil officials. Among the civil officials, most are straightforward, so I need someone like you who is shrewd and calculating, yet will never lose sight of his goals."

Han Ning paused for a moment, then a mocking smile appeared on his face: "The Prime Minister would say that what we lack is a ruthless and vicious person like myself."

I straightened my expression and shook my head, saying, "I have no intention of mocking you. Which path to dominating the world is entirely clean? Scheming is the means, cunning is the foundation, and ruthlessness is a necessary condition. Everyone who embarks on this path knows this principle. But very few can be as steadfast and persistent as Xiu Ru, forging ahead without hesitation."

I slowly stood up, walked to him, and extended my hand to him. In my smooth, jade-like palm lay a black pill. The white jade-like hand made the pill appear even blacker, and the black pill made my hand appear even whiter. "This is the Danxin Haitang, personally prepared by my wife Yunyan. You must take the antidote every month, or you will suffer a fate worse than death."

I smiled at him, my voice as casual as if I were discussing the weather: "Does Xiu Ru dare to take it?"

Han Ning's eyes flickered rapidly, but her expression remained one of deep contemplation as she gazed at me silently. After a long while, she finally reached out and took the medicine from my hand. The medicine, almost in her mouth, suddenly stopped in mid-air. Han Ning looked up at me with an extremely complex expression. She asked slowly but firmly, word by word, "You are a woman?"