La vie parfaite sous la dynastie Song

Chapitre 15

I patted my burning cheeks, then rubbed my lips, which still felt numb and itchy, with my fingers, before closing my eyes and leaning against the carriage wall.

Chiyu Tower was much more elegant and simple than I had imagined; from the outside, it looked almost no different from the mansion of an ordinary wealthy family. But as soon as I stepped through the gate, I was stunned.

Inside, it was a real-life version of an ancient garden, complete with artificial hills, all sorts of trees, pavilions, towers, flowers, birds, and a gently flowing stream. I walked along the pebbles by the stream, led by Yihan, deeper into the garden.

Every now and then, several maids and servants would appear on the road, bowing to me with delight and calling me "Young Master." I bowed in a daze, preoccupied with admiring the seemingly pristine natural scenery. I didn't even remember what the people looked like, let alone the winding roads.

"Young Master, this is your study." Yi Han gently pushed open the spotless wooden door, revealing a study with a simple and quiet ambiance. On the left side of the room was a large row of bound books, some new and some old, and on the right side of the bookshelf hung a bamboo curtain, presumably leading to Lin Yu's bedroom.

“Next door is the bedroom where you and your wife... rest.” Yi Han’s lips curled up slightly. “I’m right outside the door. If you need anything, young master, you can call me in.”

"Yihan." I called out to him as he was about to leave, staring intently into his indifferent, calm, and seemingly emotionless pure black eyes, and asked curiously, "Why did you become my guard? You just stand in the corner every day watching over someone, unable to do anything, unable to realize any of your ideals. Aren't you bored?"

A flash of dark green light appeared in Yi Han's eyes again, and the cold lines on his face softened slightly. His voice was clear and cold, yet rippled with emotion: "If there is anything you can't remember, you can ask me."

Huh? What kind of irrelevant answer is this? Before I could even ask, Yi Han added casually, "Young Master asked me the same question before."

"Ahem...Is...is that so?" I smiled awkwardly, avoiding his amused gaze, and sat down at the desk. I waved my hand dismissively and said, "I need to work now. You can leave."

The door creaked shut, and I heard a low, mocking laugh from mid-air. Annoyed, I glared at the ghost: 'What are you laughing at? How was I supposed to know what question Lin Yu would ask him!'

Zi Mo wasn't annoyed. He floated up to me with a smile on his lips and said, "I'm getting more and more curious about who the first woman to be called the daughter of the goddess Ishuel—Chifei—was.

"Chifei?" I blurted out in surprise, then realized I shouldn't have made a sound. I quickly muttered to myself, "Zimo, the goddess Ishu'er you mentioned, is she the one everyone here worships, the goddess of the Western Temple?"

Zi Mo looked at me, his lips twitching. It took him a long time to calm down before he said in a calm but undeniable tone, "You are not allowed to go back to your world tonight. I am going to teach you about the background and situation of this world."

"I don't want to!" I roared, glaring at him. "I want to go back! I want to see Xu Lie!"

Zi Mo frowned and said impatiently, "It's always Xu Lie, Xu Lie. Who exactly is he?"

'He's my husband!' The thought flashed through her mind, and her face flushed crimson. She lowered her head, her eyes narrowed, and murmured, 'Although it's only in name, although… it's just my unrequited love for him.'

The room was quiet, with only my own breathing. After a long while, I heard Zi Mo sigh: "Galan, I don't know what kind of world you live in. But here, you must remember that unless you are not Qin Linyu, you must never have even the slightest naive thought."

I looked up, bewildered and confused. "Zimo, what are you talking about? When have I ever had any naive thoughts?"

Zi Mo's delicate, mountain-like brows furrowed slightly, and her translucent brown eyes held a glimmer of guilt and pity as she spoke softly, "Galan, Lin Yu is a man. The path he has chosen means he has no right to love or be loved."

"You're talking nonsense! Everyone has the right to love and be loved, what gives you the right..."

The door was pushed open with a bang, and Yi Han looked at me with surprise, saying in a deep voice, "Young Master, what's wrong?" A cold aura gently spread in the room.

In an instant, my inexplicable anger was completely extinguished. Strangely, even if I felt sorry for Lin Yu, my reaction was far too intense. Taking a deep breath, I was about to say that I was fine when Zi Mo suddenly spoke up.

"Let him in, and while you're at it, ask him carefully about the state of the world, whether it's the imperial court or the martial arts world. Once you've figured it out, then I'll allow you to return to your original world."

I was furious, glaring at the air: 'Why should I listen to you?!'

Zi Mo gave a smug, gentle smile, his voice pleasantly warm: "The person you're looking for must already exist in this world. Without me, could you find them?"

"Damn it!" I cursed inwardly, but there was nothing I could do. I angrily took two steps forward and pulled the somewhat bewildered Yi Han into the house, growling, "You're not leaving tonight!"

I suddenly realized that the room was too quiet. Yi Han's face showed a hint of embarrassment and helplessness. His dark eyes had a strange, flickering emerald green light.

I waved my hands haphazardly, my face turning bright red to the roots of my neck: "I... I mean, I want to ask you some questions. You... don't get the wrong idea."

A fleeting smile crossed Yi Han's eyes as he sat down beside the table, following my gesture: "Young Master, please ask whatever you wish."

I sat down awkwardly, listening to Zi Mo's narration, and then relayed it: "Besides Jin Yao, how many other countries are there on the Ishu Continent now? What is their strength?" Ishu Continent? I thought to myself, so this place is called the Ishu Continent.

“Young master, there are five countries and one island on the continent of Ishu. The five countries, from largest to smallest, are Jin Yao, Huo Ling, Feng Yin, Shui Wu, and Qi Mu. The island country is called Izumo, and it is the only country on the Tianhe Continent that does not worship the goddess Ishu’er.”

"Jinyao Kingdom is located in the central part of the Ishu Continent, bordering Shuiwu to the west and Fengyin to the east. It was already a hegemon of Ishu along with Huoling. After you, young master, assisted the emperor in ascending the throne, it expanded rapidly. Now even Huoling is a step behind Jinyao."

"Jinyao has abundant iron mines, a large land area, a large population, and a sufficient source of soldiers. Huoling, on the other hand, has fertile land, rich resources, and a prosperous people. Jinyao is governed by the humble, benevolent, and respectful Yang Yi, while Huoling is ruled by the mysterious and unpredictable young emperor Jun Wuhen. However, the life and death of Jinyao and Huoling are not in the hands of these two individuals."

At this point, Yi Han paused, his slightly lowered eyelids suddenly lifting as he looked at me calmly and continued, "If you still have memories, young master, you will surely know about the twenty-four-year-old Imperial Tutor of the Fire Feather Kingdom, the white-robed Grand Tutor whose name is Liu Cenfeng, whose life and death are decided by his word alone. If Jun Wuhen is the emperor, then Liu Cenfeng is the hidden master of the Fire Feather Kingdom."

I listened intently to Yi Han's calm yet articulate speech, which I found strange. He was supposed to be a reserved and taciturn person. But listening to him speak so eloquently, it didn't seem out of place at all.

"Fan Zhong, who tricked the young master into going to the Water Mist Kingdom, is one of Liu Cenfeng's disciples."

Yi Han uttered his words, which carried a hint of coldness, and I was startled. I hurriedly pulled myself back from my reverie and listened attentively.

"The Kingdom of Fengyin is weaker than the Kingdom of Jinyao and the Kingdom of Huoling, but it has close ties with the Kingdom of Chuyun. Therefore, it is good at naval warfare. The young master and the emperor have suffered losses against them in naval battles before. The emperor of Fengyin, Zhuo Shengchao, is over sixty years old and his physical strength is declining. The crown prince, Zhuo Qing, is kind and honest, but lacks wisdom and strategy. The affairs of the Kingdom of Fengyin are mostly in the hands of a woman and a child."

"Woman and child?"

Yi Han nodded: "This woman's name is Mu Shuangshuang, the daughter of the former Prime Minister Mu Chengying, and the future Crown Princess. And that child's name is Qin Gui..." At this point, Yi Han's lips curled slightly, revealing a half-smile, "You'll find out about this person later, young master. The remaining Shuiwu Kingdom is located at the border of Huoling and Jinyao, and has suffered from constant war and widespread poverty..."

I didn't hear what was said after that. I looked up at Zi Mo, who had a smile on his face but couldn't hide his sadness, and sighed.

"Yihan, are you a citizen of Jinyao Kingdom?" I suddenly asked.

Yi Han shook his head expressionlessly: "In reply to your question, young master, I am from the Water Mist Kingdom."

Xiao Yi

August 17, 2007

Chapter 10, "A Comprehensive Discussion of the World," is now complete.

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Chapter 11 Red Non-Star Soul

Chapter 11 Red Non-Star Soul