Чистое сердце в нефритовом сосуде - Глава 91
I took out my binoculars from my bag and looked at the white-robed general. I could only see his profile, but he looked very young, only in his twenties. I couldn't help but sigh, "What a young general!"
“That’s not a real general, he’s a lieutenant general. But since General Du went to Bozhou, he’s the one training the soldiers here,” Song Zhixuan explained from the side.
I put down my binoculars, said "Oh," and then added, "You're still young and promising."
Shen Haoyu suddenly reached out and said, "Give it to me." I looked at him, puzzled. He gestured toward the binoculars in my hand and said, "That one."
"Don't you have one too?" I handed the binoculars to Zinuo beside me, saying I had one but wanted mine.
“In the room.” Shen Haoyu stubbornly stretched out his hand, refusing to retract it. Zi Nuo looked into the distance with the binoculars, then placed them back in Shen Haoyu’s hand: “Please use them, Your Highness.”
Shen Haoyu then smiled arrogantly and examined the telescope. Using it to monitor the Second Prince's residence back then was a waste of its potential; now, it would be perfectly useful for observing military intelligence and commanding operations on the battlefield. It's a pity there's no glass; otherwise, it would be good to make more of these.
We were engrossed in watching when a familiar voice came from behind us: "Yu, may I borrow your binoculars, Your Majesty?" It turned out that Shen Zexuan had also come upstairs at some point, his red robes fluttering in the wind, exuding elegance. Shen Haoyu handed the binoculars to Shen Zexuan, who stepped forward and carefully examined the area downstairs.
After a long pause, Shen Zexuan said, "This must be the telescope Nightingale mentioned before. Seeing it today, it is indeed wonderful." I then remembered that when I went on dates with Shen Zexuan, I always gave these accessories to Nightingale. It seemed Nightingale must have told him about this long ago, yet he never asked. His patience is truly remarkable…
Shen Haoyu glared at me with displeasure. I gave an awkward laugh. Back then, I had falsely accused Nightingale of clinging to me because she thought I was a man. Now, sigh, I've brought this upon myself. I quietly retreated behind Zinuo, keeping a little distance from them, afraid of causing any more trouble.
After watching for a while, Shen Haoyu said, "It won't be finished anytime soon, let's go down first." I guessed that he must have practiced his sword for so long early in the morning, and now that he had been standing on the city wall for so long, he must be hungry, so I suggested, "Young Prince, Huai'en noticed that you didn't have a good appetite on the way, so yesterday he specially inquired about what good food there was in Ningzhou City, so why don't we..." But I accidentally saw the disdain on Zinuo's face, so I had to pretend not to see it and continued, "Why don't we find some good food outside today?"
Shen Haoyu snorted softly, a faint smile appearing on his lips: "Lead the way." I happily walked ahead, and Lin Zhao quickly followed, laughing: "You really did run away yesterday."
After descending the city wall, I asked Shen Haoyu whether he wanted to have a grand meal at a restaurant or eat street food. Shen Haoyu said it was up to him, and then turned his gaze to Song Zhixuan and Lin Zhao. Song Zhixuan smiled indifferently, and I knew he wouldn't be picky. But then I heard Lin Zhao say, "If you want to eat authentic food, you should go to a street stall."
So they asked passersby for directions to Dushui Lane, and the group of five headed there. They had thought Dushui Lane was just a small alley, but when they arrived, they found that its width and bustling atmosphere were no less than the main north-south thoroughfare in the city. Both sides were lined with small eateries, and even though breakfast time had passed, it was still packed with people.
The group split up in several shops, waiting to rush in as soon as a seat became available. After a while, a table finally opened up in the shop where Zinuo was. Excited, I used my light-footed skills to pull Shen Haoyu towards the table, afraid that someone else would snatch it first. Even though Zinuo was already seated, there was no guarantee that others wouldn't want to share with him. I smiled contentedly once we were seated on the bench, while Zinuo still wore a look of disdain.
Honestly, it's been a long, long time since I've been so eager to grab a bite to eat. I used to do this all the time back in high school, otherwise, if I got there late, I'd only have instant noodles left...
Shen Haoyu casually lifted his robe and sat down. His appearance in such a small shop did not attract much attention. In any case, almost every shop had a few young men in fine clothes, so Shen Haoyu was not an anomaly. It seems that the food culture in this water alley is really widespread, with people from all walks of life.
Song Zhixuan and Lin Zhao arrived quickly. The group ordered several bowls of noodles, a plate of shepherd's purse spring rolls, a basket of soup dumplings, a plate of fried cakes, and a plate of crystal dumplings, and began to eat. These were all dishes I had carefully memorized yesterday; they were indeed delicious!
Seeing that Shen Haoyu was also enjoying his food, I couldn't help but say, "Young Prince, as far as I know, there are even more snacks at the night market. How about tonight..."
"We'll see," Shen Haoyu interrupted, taking a sip of noodle soup.
Lin Zhao's expectant face immediately fell. It seems that only Lin Zhao and I are like-minded. Lin Zhao and I exchanged a glance, then buried our heads in our food again.
Regardless, I was in a great mood after a hearty meal. Seeing that everyone was full, Song Zhixuan got up to pay the bill. I looked at him with some surprise, only to see him secretly point a finger at Shen Haoyu. I then realized it was Shen Haoyu's money. No wonder he was so unhappy about what happened later…
On the way, Song Zhixuan asked, "Young Prince, shall we return to the city and guard the mansion, or shall we look around?"
Shen Haoyu shook his head and said, "Let's go back. There's nothing for us to do outside." His expression was already indifferent. Thinking of our awkward position in the army, I couldn't help but smile bitterly.
Reaching into my satchel, I touched the still-warm roasted chestnuts I had just bought, and I couldn't help but exclaim, "Your Highness, where are my binoculars?"
Shen Haoyu spread his hands and said calmly, "I didn't take it."
"You..." I was a little angry, and took a deep breath, saying, "Wasn't it you who gave it to the Third Prince?"
Shen Haoyu said innocently but with a hint of mischief, "I gave it to him, and then it wasn't in my possession anymore."
I gritted my teeth. Honestly, I was so focused on eating that I completely forgot to ask for the binoculars back when I came down from the city wall. That Shen Haoyu is so irresponsible! Doesn't he know what it means to finish what you started? Shouldn't he be the one to get back what he took from me? And that Shen Zexuan too, he borrows things and never returns them. I knew it! He always hangs out with Shen Haoyu, doesn't he? We went to breakfast together, why didn't he come along? Oh, I see!
I said angrily, "Young Prince, if we can't get that telescope back, you'll have to come with me."
“That’s mine too.” Shen Haoyu raised an eyebrow at me and said smugly, “You’ve sold yourself to me, so your things are mine too.”
Here we go again. They always use this trick when they try to take things from me, and they're doing it again with this.
"Also, from now on, you can only do what I tell you to do," Shen Haoyu continued.
I glared at them angrily.
"For example, you can only play the flute if I tell you to, and you can only reply to the Third Prince if I tell you to." The voice suddenly turned cold.
I looked at Shen Haoyu with some surprise, shocked by the storm brewing in his eyes.
"I will get what's ours back," Shen Haoyu said, then strode towards the city garrison. Zi Nuo glanced at me but didn't seem inclined to speak, quickly following Shen Haoyu, leaving Song Zhixuan and Lin Zhao to accompany me behind.
Lin Zhao looked at me and hesitated before asking, "Last night, were you playing the flute in the courtyard?"
I looked at Lin Zhao blankly. It's just playing the flute, why does everyone have to be like this? But then I heard Song Zhixuan speak calmly: "The music seems to carry tender feelings of love, yet it's about unrequited love. In the end, will we stay together, or will we return to the beginning?"
That made it clear. Even if they didn't know about the Butterfly Lovers, those of them who understood music could probably grasp seventy or eighty percent of the meaning in the piece. Did they all understand my story with Shen Zexuan yesterday? Since they hadn't heard that kind of music before, did they think I was just expressing my feelings out of heartbreak? However, although the sentiment in the music wasn't entirely similar to ours, it did reflect some of my own feelings…
I smiled helplessly and said, "That's just a tragic story that was turned into a song. Two people fell in love but faced countless obstacles, and in the end, they both committed suicide for love..."
"You can't be serious, can you?" Lin Zhao interrupted me, not letting me continue.
"It's just a legend, what does it have to do with me?" Since it has nothing to do with him anymore, there's no need to let the people around him speculate and add to their worries.
Do not lean against the west railing to lock in the clear autumn. Chapter 76 of the main text.
Chapter word count: 3632 Update time: 09-08-22 17:04
That evening, Shen Haoyu brought the binoculars back to me, looking quite pleased with himself. I was too lazy to argue with this rebellious teenager anymore, so I respectfully accepted them, thanked him, and that was the end of it.
After spending two more days in Ningzhou, he received a military order from General Du in Bozhou, appointing General Cui Lang to lead 80,000 Iron Army soldiers to Bozhou, leaving 20,000 Iron Army soldiers to garrison Ningzhou along with 40,000 Ningzhou garrison troops, in case of emergency. Only then did he learn that since General Du and his men arrived, Xuan Ying's offensive had been thwarted, and they had now retreated to Yunzhou. Youjing was about to launch a counterattack, preparing to reclaim their territory.
As the army marched out of Ningzhou City, the rolling mountains that had been seen from the city walls suddenly became distant, and all that remained on both sides was flat grassland that seemed to have no end. The lush green grass was quite lovely, and I kept reining in my horse, not wanting it to tread on the crisp grass.
The white-robed Cui Lang led the way, with Shen Haoyu and Shen Zexuan riding behind, surrounded by the crowd. The terrain was flat, and the procession moved relatively quickly. Looking at the armored soldiers walking behind them, it was a distance of two or three thousand li from the capital to here, yet they had walked it step by step.