El amor de un mortal a través de la dinastía Song del Norte

Capítulo 105

Wei Zijun remained silent for a long time before calling out, "Miaozhou, go and bring the silver back."

"Yes, Fourth Young Master."

A little while later, Miaozhou returned, carrying two coins and a letter.

"Savior! Look at us! More than a thousand of us whom you rescued have come to see you. They all want to meet you!" the shouts continued from outside. The onlookers craned their necks with increasing interest, hoping the carriage would stop and the person inside would come out to satisfy their intense curiosity.

The commotion around them grew louder and louder, but the voice continued to shout relentlessly, "My benefactor, I went to Juyun Tower to look for you, only to find out that you had gone to the Western Turks. Later, I organized a caravan to go to the Western Turks, but I still couldn't find you."

A sigh came from inside the carriage, followed by a melodious middle voice, "Young Master Zhang, there's no need to dwell on the small favor you did back then. I appreciate your kindness, but it's crowded now, so please don't get trampled. Go back quickly." The voice caused a stir among the crowd. It was gentle and warm, soft yet magnetic, stirring a tingling sensation in everyone's hearts and further fueling their curiosity to see the person in person.

“My benefactor, I have been searching for a long time before I learned that you would be arriving today. Our caravan has been delayed for five days just to see you. After today, you will go to Daxing, and we will embark on the Silk Road. We don’t know when we will meet again. If you are unwilling to see us lowly people because of your high position, then we, a thousand of us, will have to return disappointed.”

A moment later, a deep, resonant male voice rang out from inside the imperial carriage, "Stop."

At that sound, the procession stopped. The onlookers all stared intently at the palanquin, and the surroundings fell silent.

After a long while, the curtain of the carriage was lifted, revealing a face as clear and beautiful as the cold moon. The light emanating from that face stung the eyes of everyone.

When that peerless figure in a black robe embroidered with gold stepped out, everyone was stunned.

In an instant, the wind suddenly stopped, the flowers lost their fragrance, and the world darkened, as if all the light of heaven and earth was focused on that peerless figure.

Even if all the stars and moon shone together, they could not compare to the brilliance of that person.

That graceful figure arrived, dressed in a black robe with wide sleeves, her clothes fluttering in the wind, moving as if in a dance, exuding an air of elegance, pride, and dashing charm.

Her clear, azure eyes swept over the crowd, her brows and eyes sparkling with a radiant glow. She smiled gently as she led the way, exuding elegance and grace.

The onlookers held their breath, letting out satisfied and amazed sighs, which were followed by a stir and shouts.

"My benefactor!" Zhang Zhisheng exclaimed excitedly. However, he was blocked by the guards and could not get closer.

Wei Zijun pushed past the guards and stepped forward. Zhang Zhisheng immediately knelt down, and instantly, more than a thousand people behind him also knelt down. "Benefactor! Please accept our bow."

Wei Zijun hurriedly went to help him up, saying, "Get up quickly." Then she called out to those behind him, "Everyone, get up quickly."

After everyone had performed the grand ceremony, they gradually rose to their feet.

At this moment, a woman carrying a four-year-old child stepped forward and said, "Benefactor, thanks to your money, I was able to cure my child's illness. You are our great benefactor."

Upon seeing the little boy, Wei Zijun's expression softened instantly. She stroked his face and smiled gently. Her smile was like peach blossoms dancing in the moonlight—warm and intoxicating, pure and elegant yet captivatingly alluring.

That elegant and gentle smile was as bright as the spring sunshine, so dazzling that it was hard to open one's eyes. The onlookers gasped in amazement once again.

Wei Zijun leaned forward, bringing her jade-like cheek close to the child's face, and nodded in acknowledgment. The child immediately understood and kissed her cheek. Wei Zijun's lips curved into a smile, a smile as bright, warm, and radiant as the sun.

Sitting inside the carriage, Li Tianqi looked at her smiling face through the window and found it hard to look away.

As she approached, the people behind her surged forward, saying, "My benefactor, this is a gift I prepared for you."

Wei Zijun looked down and chuckled. It was actually a huge brocade couplet that read: "Namo Guanshiyin Bodhisattva, the Buddha who saves from suffering and distress."

Seeing Wei Zijun laugh, Zhang Zhisheng said embarrassedly, "My benefactor, he hasn't read many books, so this is the best thing he can say."

Wei Zijun smiled and nodded.

“My benefactor, this is for you.”

“My benefactor, this is mine.”

Porcelain, jade, local specialties, hand-sewn cloth dolls—all came rushing in at once, and there was even a piece of a woman's hair that had been cut off at the last minute.

Wei Zijun looked up at the woman who had just cut off her black hair, unsure of what to say. Fortunately, the woman only cut her hair and said, "My name is Yue'e," before saying nothing more.

The guards were busy collecting the gifts, and the crowd of onlookers desperately pushed their way to the scene, creating chaos.

Wei Zijun said worriedly, "The scene is crowded, folks, please go back quickly."

Zhang Zhisheng grabbed her hand. "My benefactor, will you always be in Daxing?"

Wei Zijun shook her head. "It's hard to say. For the time being, I think it will be."

“My benefactor, I will come to Daxing to find you when I return. I know where my benefactor is. I will go to the General’s Mansion to find my benefactor…” Before he could finish speaking, the hand that was tightly holding his benefactor’s was pried open by a large hand, and he was pulled aside.

Another huge commotion broke out in the crowd.

"Oh my, it's His Majesty! My goodness, he's so handsome!"

When Zhang Zhisheng saw Li Tianqi, he was surprised for a moment. Just as he was about to speak, Li Tianqi grabbed Wei Zijun's hand and pulled her back to the imperial carriage.

With a shout of "Let's begin!", the ceremonial procession started moving forward again.

“My benefactor—wait for me—” came Zhang Zhisheng’s shout from behind.

The army marched and stopped intermittently, and after six days, they finally arrived in Daxing.

Daxing City, built by Emperor Wen of Sui, Yang Jian, was located southwest of the old Han Dynasty city of Chang'an. The entire city consisted of three parts: the palace city, the imperial city, and the outer city wall, and was magnificent and imposing. Its layout was symmetrical from east to west, and perfectly uniform. Canals were dug and lakes were excavated within the city, providing ample water resources. It was the largest and most prosperous international metropolis of its time.

The well-planned and massive city of Daxing was seven times the size of the capital of the Byzantine Empire at the same time, three times the size of Rome at the other end of the Silk Road, 6.2 times the size of Baghdad, and four times the size of Beijing during the Ming and Qing dynasties.

As the ceremonial procession marched along the 155-meter-wide Zhuque Avenue, Wei Zijun felt a surge of emotion. The majestic spirit of the Chinese nation, the imposing presence of this great power, deeply moved her. Chang'an! This is the ancient city of Chang'an! The largest city in the world at this time!

The magnificence of this place is truly indescribable. Seeing the rows of trees on both sides of the street, the white walls and red pillars, the flying eaves and brackets, and the magnificent buildings standing tall, I couldn't help but sigh again.

"How does it compare to your Western Turkic blankets and tents?" Li Tianqi asked jokingly.

Seeing that she remained silent, he chuckled again: "Not convinced yet?"

Wei Zijun glanced at him and said, "I have no complaints, I just feel that the people of the Western Turks... are suffering a lot."

After a moment of silence, he said, "I want to go back and see my mother first."

Li Tianqi looked at her for a long time, then said, "Alright, I'll grant you two days' rest at home. You must come to the court on time two days later to await your conferment of a title."

The General's Mansion of the Left Valiant Guard is nestled behind a grove of green trees, in an elegant setting. With white walls, vermilion gates, and gray-tiled roofs, the entrance leads to a garden, and through a covered corridor, one reaches the main hall. It is summer, and the peonies in the garden are in full bloom, their large blossoms releasing their fragrance.

Before the group could even enter the main hall, a middle-aged woman with a face as beautiful as a lotus flower rushed out, "Jun'er—my Jun'er!"

Wei Zijun stared blankly at the woman rushing towards her, at the face that resembled her by about 60%. That face, exactly like her birth mother's, instantly blurred her vision with tears.

"Zijun—I've missed you so much!" The woman rushed over and hugged Wei Zijun tightly, sobbing.

"Mother?" she murmured softly at first. Then she burst into tears, "Mother—waaaah—" She cried so hard that the world seemed to turn upside down, her heart breaking. She cried out all the grievances, hardships, exhaustion, regrets, and longing she had accumulated over the years.

The people nearby couldn't bear to watch her crying and all moved away.

The mother and daughter cried until they almost fainted before realizing that there was no one around them.

The two returned indoors and cried for a while longer.

"Jun'er, tell your mother how you've been these past few years?" Mu Xiaoya stroked Wei Zijun's head, which was lying on her lap, and kept asking questions.

"Mother, I'm doing very well. I haven't been bullied, I haven't gone hungry or cold, I've always been doing very well." Wei Zijun looked up at her mother. "But Mother, I'm sorry, I often make you angry." As she spoke, tears began to well up again.

"My darling, it breaks my heart." The mother and daughter burst into tears again.

"Mother, why have I always dressed as a man?" Before her tears had even dried, Wei Zijun was eager to find the answer to her question.

Mu Xiaoya sighed, "Alas, to talk about this, we have to blame the late Emperor Li Luan. Everyone knows Li Luan was a womanizer. When my true identity as a woman was revealed, Li Luan wanted me to enter the palace, but your father forced me to marry him first. Li Luan was very angry, but considering your father's numerous military achievements, he had no choice but to give up. But Li Luan had already decided on the child in my womb, saying that as long as it was a daughter, she had to enter the palace. Fortunately, the first two children were boys."

"My dad was really brave, hahaha, and my mom was quite the ladies' man back then."

"You little devil, still laughing. Aren't you worried about not being able to get married?" Mu Xiaoya pinched Wei Zijun's nose and continued, "Later, Li Luan issued an order that all daughters of officials of the fourth rank or above must enter the palace to participate in the imperial concubine selection at the age of fifteen. At that time, I was pregnant with you, and I felt it was a girl. Your father and I were so worried. There was no way to avoid it, so we came up with this idea: we registered you as a boy as soon as you were born. Only in this way could we prevent you from entering the palace. Zijun, you won't blame your mother, will you?"

"How could that be? Jun'er should thank her mother for letting me into the palace. I would rather be a man for the rest of my life."

“Alas, we thought it would be good to wait until things calmed down, then you could be a girl again, marry into a good family, and live a happy life. But we never expected Li Luan to keep this up for so long, and your father’s enemies are watching us every day. If we were to deceive them by having an adopted daughter or something, they would definitely investigate thoroughly. If this were exposed, it would be a crime of deceiving the emperor. So we’ve been keeping it a secret. Now, it’s getting more and more difficult. Jun’er, how can your mother bear to let you continue like this, unable to enjoy even a little bit of the joys of being a girl, bearing so much like a man every day? How can your mother bear it?” As she spoke, her eyes reddened again.

Wei Zijun took her hand and said, "Mother, aren't you the same? When you joined Father's forces, you also disguised yourself as a man. Mother is a heroine among women and shouldn't have such narrow-minded thoughts. Zijun doesn't feel bitter."

“Yes.” Mu Xiaoya stroked Wei Zijun’s forehead. “I didn’t feel bitter back then, but when it comes to you, your mother just can’t bear it. To be fair, the current emperor is a good person. If he knew, he probably wouldn’t punish us too severely. However, your father’s mortal enemies will definitely not let us go. This is blatant deceiving the emperor. If they keep pressing us, His Majesty can’t ignore their feelings.”

"Mother, don't worry, we won't tell anyone, and no one will find out."

“But Zijun, you’re of marriageable age. How can your mother bear to delay your marriage?” Mu Xiaoya said with a worried expression.

"Mother—what do you mean by 'getting married'? It sounds awful! I won't marry!" Wei Zijun's face flushed.

"Hehe, our Ziju is shy now. Why wasn't she shy before?"

"Mom~ ...

"Alright, alright, Mother won't say anymore. We'll talk about it when Jun'er wants to get married."

"Mother~~~~~"

Volume 3, Dayu Chapter 94: Conferring Titles

The back garden of General Zuo Xiaowei's mansion was shrouded in a thin mist. The flowers in the garden, covered with dew, unfolded their sleeping faces in the morning light, marking another beautiful morning.

"He Lu, did you sleep well?" Wei Zijun, who had just gotten up, went to the back garden and saw the figure who had gotten up early to practice martial arts.

"Not good." He Lu turned around and walked over.

"Hmm?" Wei Zijun didn't expect He Lu to answer like that, and then said with some relief, "I know you must be lonely after leaving your hometown, and so must you. Why suffer like this? You will be even lonelier without your own tribe and without responsibilities. He Lu, go back."

He Lu did not answer her question, but instead asked, "Wouldn't it have been better if I had surrendered to him? Why did you drag me away?"

Wei Zijun stared at him for a while before sighing and saying, "How could I let you suffer his humiliation? Do you think he would treat you as generously as he would treat someone who surrenders?"

He Lu's cold expression softened slightly. "He allowed you to bring those ten thousand elite troops to Dayu, so why did you send them back? Isn't it better to have your own army here?"

"It's good, but their wives, children, and elderly parents are all in Western Turks. How can I bear to leave them in a foreign land? In the end, their homeland is still the best. Even if the land of Western Turks is barren, it is still their homeland. But you, why stay here and abandon so much?"

He Lu remained silent, only smiled faintly, and lowered his head to grasp Wei Zijun's hand.

"Hmm—cough cough—" Just then, Wei Shulan walked over, saw the hand holding his daughter, and coughed twice.

This kid is too bold, how dare he grab his precious daughter's hand? This kid, why can't I stand him? He's such a big man, yet he looks like that, and he's always clinging to his Jun'er, it's really annoying!

"Zijun, come play a game of chess with your father. Ah, when you were home, we used to play several games every day."

Wei Zijun smiled and said, "Hehe, Dad, you can't take back your moves. You might not be able to beat me now."

"We'll only know if it works after we try." Wei Shulan chuckled and gave Wei Zijun a flick on the forehead. "I used to let you win every time."

“That was before. How could your Jun’er still be so useless?” After saying that, she seemed to remember something, “Father, why do I call myself both Zijun and Weifeng?”

“Wei Feng is your given name, and Zi Jun is your courtesy name. We were going to give you those names when you came of age, but we've been calling you by them since they're your nicknames.” Then, a hint of melancholy appeared on her face. “You should be coming of age this October. After that, you'll be an adult, and people will be lining up to propose marriage.”

Upon hearing the last sentence, He Lu's hand trembled almost imperceptibly.

After several games of chess, Wei Zijun still smiled and said, "Father, I'll allow you to take back one more move."