Жизнь сельских жителей в городе во времена династии Сун

Глава 150

A tall, slender figure stood by the window, his white robe fluttering gently in the wind. His elegant and graceful demeanor was like a delicate white orchid, exuding a subtle fragrance. Such a beautiful young man seemed so gentle that one wanted to wrap him in their arms, yet the deliberately restrained arrogance and sharpness seemed to be hidden in his sleeves and clear, snow-white face. In his cold, disdainful gaze and resolute turn, it inadvertently emanated from his body.

Night fell. The October night was chilly, and Wei Zijun shivered. Even without internal energy, her body was sensitive to the cold.

The candlelight flickered in the room, a wisp of smoke rising slowly from the flame. A pair of clear eyes reflected the candlelight, the flame within them leaping and dancing, mirroring her current mood. She stared intently at the candlelight, lost in thought, for a long while, before finally taking a deep breath and picking up the candlestick.

The Potala Palace is a stone and wood structure, filled with a vast amount of timber—roofs, eaves, pillars—and draped with numerous curtains. Once ignited, it would be unstoppable. She gazed at the magnificent and beautiful building, and sighed deeply. The thought of personally destroying this ancient civilization was too painful to bear; perhaps it would be better to bury many innocent lives. But this was the only effort she could make.

If the Potala Palace catches fire, it will inevitably cause chaos. At that time, the guards will flee in all directions, and she will have a chance to escape and take advantage of the chaos to rescue them.

She gripped the candlestick tightly, gazing at the quilt. Before she could turn around, a voice suddenly rang out from behind her, "Khan, are you staring blankly at the bed? Do you want to go to sleep? Or do you feel too lonely sleeping alone in your bed?"

The sudden sound startled Wei Zijun. Because she had lost her martial arts skills, her hearing seemed to have become less sensitive, and as a result, she hadn't been able to get a good night's sleep for dozens of nights.

Wei Zijun subtly put down the candlestick and turned around calmly. "I do wish to retire for the night. Prince, is there something you need at this hour?"

"Can you really sleep? I want to see if you're hiding in your room in pain." Gongsong Gongzan's hawk-like eyes fixed on Wei Zijun's face.

"Why are you crying?" Wei Zijun was somewhat annoyed by his tediousness.

"These former lovers have just met, and now they are suddenly separated again. Isn't it sad? So close, yet unable to meet, their fates unknown. Isn't this the most heartbreaking thing in the world?" Gongsong Gongzan sighed insincerely. "I never imagined that the Emperor of Dayu would be such a devoted lover, risking his life for you. But I am skilled in disguise, so how could I not see through him?"

Upon hearing this, Wei Zijun's heart sank. Had he discovered her second brother's identity? She steadied herself, "What do you mean by the Emperor of Dayu? I don't understand what the prince is referring to?"

Gongsong Gongzan smiled knowingly, "The matter has been exposed, so why bother to hide it? We already knew he was coming, but how did he know you were here?"

Did he know beforehand? Could there be a spy planted in the palace? "How did the prince know that the Emperor of Dayu was coming here?" Wei Zijun glanced at Gongsong Gongzan's meaningful expression and tentatively asked, "Could it be Li Beiji?" Seeing the fleeting surprise in his eyes, she became certain of her suspicions. "He wanted you to imprison the Emperor of Dayu, so that he could take advantage of the chaos to sit on the throne?"

"Nothing can be hidden from you. It's a pity that although he promised to restore our Tibetan territory and give us the Four Garrisons of Anxi, our appetites are not limited to that. How could he sit on the throne so easily? How could Li Tianqi's power give in? A battle for the throne is inevitable. When the palace is in chaos, Goryeo will invade, and Dayu will be in grave danger. That will be the time for our Tibetan Empire to take control of the Central Plains. Dayu will be doomed!"

These words ignited a burning passion within Wei Zijun. She couldn't believe her second brother had come personally, knowing the Tibetans harbored ill intentions. Did she truly hold a place more important to him than the fate of the nation? Thinking of his wounds and the pain in his eyes—all because of her—her throat tightened. She would rescue him at all costs. In his heart, she was more important than the nation, but in hers, the nation was more important than her. She would protect the land and people of Dayu and the Western Turks, preventing the world from falling into the hands of traitors. For this, she would stop at nothing to save her second brother; otherwise, Dayu would be in grave danger.

Thinking of this, she gently tapped her long fingers on the desk, then suddenly looked up at Gongsong Gongzan beside her, "Does the prince want me?"

Gongsong Gongzan was stunned by what he heard and couldn't react for a moment. Anyone would be surprised to hear such a surprising and sudden question.

Seeing him standing there in a daze, Wei Zijun smiled and leaned closer to him. A delicate fragrance wafted over her, and her breath, as sweet as orchids, brushed against his face. "But the prince doesn't dare, does he? Because the king forbids it, right?"

Unexpectedly, she suddenly acted this way. Gongsong Gongzan's body stiffened, and the corner of his mouth twitched. "What's there to be afraid of? Do you want to give it a try?"

Wei Zijun chuckled, "How dare the prince disobey the king? Although I am imprisoned, your father still respects me. However... if the prince really wants, it is not impossible... I can have you! However, there is a condition: let me see them." As she spoke, she pressed her soft body against him, until she pressed Gongsong Gongzan against the desk.

Gongsong Gongzan, as if possessed, let her press down on him, his upper body leaning back against the desk. Wei Zijun looked down at his face, which held an unusual confusion, his longing eyes seeming to beg her to press him even tighter.

Wei Zijun raised her long eyebrows slightly, her eyes revealing a captivating and wicked charm, a faint smile playing on her lips, a smile tinged with an almost imperceptible cunning. She pressed her face against his, licking Gongsong Gongzan's lips with the tip of her tongue, eliciting an involuntary groan from him. She felt his body tremble slightly, and with a slight upturn of her lips, she covered his lips with her own.

Her kiss was passionate, with a touch of force. As if he had never tasted such a kiss before, Gongsong Gongzan felt dizzy. He tightly wrapped his arms around Wei Zijun's neck, closed his eyes, and was completely lost in the moment, so much so that he did not feel her hand quietly grasping the candlestick on his head.

Her pale hand gripped the candlestick tightly, squeezing it again and again, before striking the head of the dazed man with force. Gongsong Gongzan let out a muffled groan and fell unconscious.

Wei Zijun straightened up, patted her long robe as if trying to shake off his scent, and wiped her lips with her sleeve. "If I had known this trick would work, why wait until now?"

Gongsong Gongzan, who was in a coma, kept twitching his eyelids, as if he wanted to wake up. Wei Zijun was a little anxious when she saw this. With her current arm strength, she could not press his acupoints. So, she grabbed the candlestick and forcefully stabbed the pointed end of the candlestick into his Tanzhong acupoint.

A sharp pain made Gongsong Gongzan open his eyes abruptly, but at the same time, his blood and qi stagnated, and his body instantly became numb and unable to move.

Fearing he would cry for help, Wei Zijun pressed on and stabbed the candlestick into his mute acupoint.

Satisfied, Wei Zijun tossed the candlestick aside, a smirk playing on her lips. She slapped Gongsong Gongzan's face hard. "Gongsong Gongzan, I never imagined your father, so cunning and shrewd, would produce such a big idiot like you." Looking into his fiery eyes, she reached out and forcefully pinched his chin. "Want to get your revenge? I'm afraid you won't. Not only will you not get it back, but you'll probably only incur interest. Too bad, there's not a single spectator."

Wei Zijun leaned down, her fingers tracing the area above his lips. "Why didn't you grow a beard? Were you afraid I'd pluck it out for you again?" Her slender white fingers slid along his face. "Without a beard, what would you ask me to pluck?" Her long fingers stopped when they reached his eyebrows. "How about plucking my eyebrows?"

She said she would pull them out, and with her long fingers she pinched a few of Gongsong Gongzan's eyebrows and pulled hard, but she couldn't pull them out. Gongsong Gongzan groaned in pain.

"It's too short, it's hard to pluck. How about we pluck it somewhere else?" Wei Zijun muttered to himself, as if he was studying how to pluck his eyebrows.

Gongsong Gongzan's face was contorted, turning a deep liver color, and his eyes were filled with barely suppressed rage and fire. He stared intently at Wei Zijun, as if he wanted to devour her whole.

Wei Zijun picked up the candlestick and waved it in front of his eyes. "If you keep glaring at me like that, I'll gouge your eyes out."

She tossed aside the candlestick, placed her hand on his chest, and groped around for a while. Then she reached into his robes and pulled out several small porcelain bottles. She knew these were sleeping potions, something they always carried for emergencies. Tibetan sleeping potions were extremely potent; she had been drugged once before in the Western Turkic Khaganate, and she was certain that person was Nangong Que. Back then, he hadn't killed her, but had kissed her, and she had burned off his long black hair.

Wei Zijun held the small bottle with the red cap in front of Gongsong Gongzan. "Is this a sleeping potion? If so, blink twice. If not, blink three times."

Gongsong Gongzan stared intently at her, then closed his eyes tightly and refused to open them again.

"You won't talk? Do you believe I'll strip you naked and throw you out the window? Not only would that be a gruesome death, but most importantly, it would let everyone see what the Tibetan prince's butt looks like?" Despite this threat, Gongsong Gongzan still didn't open his eyes.

"Are you really taking my words to heart?" Wei Zijun clumsily pulled open his collar and actually began to take off his clothes. Before the outer robe was fully opened, Gongsong Gongzan suddenly opened his eyes and then blinked three times forcefully.

Wei Zijun smiled triumphantly, "No? Then what about this? The antidote?" She asked several times and confirmed repeatedly. Then she suddenly pinched Gongsong Gongzan's nose. Just as he was about to suffocate, she released her fingers and put the drug under his nose at the same time.

Gongsong Gongzan took a deep breath, inhaling all the sleeping pills, and instantly lost consciousness. Wei Zijun then placed the antidote under his nose, and Gongsong Gongzan regained consciousness. Wei Zijun patted his face, her expression very satisfied.

Using this drug, Wei Zijun lured the guards outside the door in one by one under the pretext of summoning Gongsong Gongzan, drugged them, and stripped them of their purplish-red outer garments.

Then she closed the window and went into Gongsong Gongzan's room. She hesitated, the candlelight flickering in her eyes. Looking at his face, she sighed, "Most things in life are beyond our control, and things can never go as we wish. Perhaps you shouldn't have invaded my Western Turkic Khaganate, perhaps you shouldn't have met Wei Feng, perhaps if you hadn't killed my father... I don't want to kill you, but if I don't, I'm afraid I'll be letting my parents down. But you did save me with all your heart. Wei Feng owes many favors in this life, but he never owes favors to outsiders, so I won't kill you with my own hands. It's a way of repaying your kindness in saving me. But perhaps you will burn to death, or perhaps you will suffocate from the smoke. I only wish that this is the last time we meet, and that in all our future lives, we will never see each other again."

As soon as he finished speaking, Gongsong Gongzan's eyes widened, all the anger on his face vanished, and an unprecedented sadness appeared in his eyes. He made a whimpering sound, as if he wanted to say something to her.

Wei Zijun couldn't bear to look at him anymore. She reached out and picked up the candlestick, lighting the brocade quilt on the bed. The flames grew larger and larger until the entire bed was ablaze. The flames spread rapidly, enveloping the entire room in thick smoke.

Wei Zijun changed into the outer garment of a personal bodyguard, smeared some ash on her face, glanced at Gongsong Gongzan, and slowly turned to walk out.

"Waaah...waaah..." The person behind her made a wailing sound, it was hard to tell if it was a plea to stay or a sob. Wei Zijun stopped, turned her head slightly, and then resolutely walked out, never looking back.

She didn't see the two lines of tears rolling down Gongsong Gongzan's face...

In the long corridor of the Potala Palace, a young guard in a purple-red coat was running around. His face was covered in soot that his features were obscured. When questioned by the guards on duty, he would take out his waist tag and anxiously say, "Fire! Go put out the fire!" When no one was around, he would take out his homemade tinderbox made of rolled-up paper and set the corridor ablaze.

Before long, the corridors and palaces were bustling with people rushing about, some putting out fires, others fleeing for their lives. No one questioned Wei Zijun anymore.

The raging fire continued to spread, and thick smoke billowed through the corridors. Palace servants screamed as they tried to put out the fire, but under such conditions, the few large vats of water were simply not enough.

Wei Zijun, amidst the chaotic crowd, rushed to Lulangkang, where, according to the guards, Li Tianqi and the others were imprisoned.

Along the way, flames flew everywhere, and raging fire shot straight up to the rooftops. People whose clothes were on fire screamed and fled in all directions. The entire palace was engulfed in flames.

When Wei Zijun arrived at Lulangkang, she was stunned. The corridor leading to the palace was already engulfed in flames. In the past, she could use her internal energy to force the flames away, but now, wouldn't her body be buried in this sea of fire?

That hesitation lasted only a moment before she rushed into the sea of fire. At the end of the corridor, there were still the people she loved.

However, the instant she rushed into the sea of fire, an incredible miracle occurred: all the flames receded, forming a three-step square area around her free of fire. Wherever she went, the fire retreated, then closed in behind her. After a moment of astonishment, Wei Zijun understood. It seemed the jade pendant Duan Xin had given her was indeed true; even amidst the raging flames, her body remained cool and refreshed. She couldn't help but feel a surge of gratitude towards Duan Xin.

Finally, Wei Zijun kicked open the palace door of Lulangkang and rushed inside. Although there was no fire inside the hall, it was already filled with thick smoke. She searched desperately and finally found a few figures in a corner.

They were not treated badly, but they seemed to have lost all their martial arts skills.

When Li Tianqi saw Wei Zijun running towards him, he was stunned for a moment in disbelief, then rushed forward without hesitation. He stretched out his long arms and hugged her tightly, murmuring repeatedly, "Zijun... Zijun..."

Wei Zijun was somewhat surprised. How could he recognize him like that?

Before she could catch up with him, Wei Zijun pushed him away and threw the clothes that had been stripped from the guards to the others. "Hurry up and change into these clothes. We need to escape in the chaos."

(8160 words) Volume 4 Where Does Love Belong? Chapter 140 Tenderness

The autumn wind gently caresses the valley, causing the grass to tremble slightly. The yellow and green grass carpets the mountains and fields. In the distance, the valley stretches endlessly. Under the azure sky, the towering Nyainqêntanglha Mountains rise, their snow-white peaks gleaming with dazzling light.

A young woman, dressed in Tsinghua University attire, leaned lazily against a large tree. Her hair was slightly disheveled, and her clothes, though stained with a few lines, only made her appear more pure and radiant. It was as if no evil could taint her soul, no filth could pollute her purity, no hardship could dim her brilliance, and no burden could bend her upright back… Nothing could tarnish her clear eyes, not even a speck of dust…

A gentle breeze lifted her disheveled hair, which tangled against her fair and clear face. She gently tilted her head back against the tree, her eyelids slightly closed, her eyelashes trembling. Dappled shadows of the trees fell upon her, casting patches of light on her eyelashes.

It's been a long time since we've had such peace.

In her arms lay a young boy, his delicate face radiating contentment as he slept. In truth, neither of them were boys anymore; however, her appearance remained unchanged from years ago, untouched by any hardship. She had not yet reached adulthood. And the sleeping boy seemed destined never to grow up, for though older than her, he remained forever a child.

Wei Zijun opened her eyes, looked down at the person in her arms, a gentle smile playing on her lips, and softly stroked his cheek. This person, the one who gave her life, the first person she saw upon waking, was someone she would cherish for the rest of her life.

Her gentle movements woke Dieyun up. When he opened his eyes and saw her, he burst into tears again.

Taking advantage of the chaos of their escape, it seemed that only in this moment of relaxation did they truly recall the pain of losing her and understand how to release their emotions. Everyone was teary-eyed, even the usually stoic Third Brother and Miaozhou had wet eyes and turned away. Li Tianqi could only look at her, touch her face, and silently shed tears, unable to utter a single word. Such profound sorrow was beyond words; it was etched into his very heart. He would suffer for a lifetime, and love for a lifetime. Meeting her finally made him understand what it meant to be unforgettable. The deeper the love, the deeper the pain.

Only Dieyun cried so loudly that it shook the heavens and the earth. She cried out all the longing, resentment, and grievances she had felt since that departure, since that heartbreaking farewell, all the way she had carried on.

So much so that as soon as she woke up, she began to vent her resentment from the long separation and her panic and helplessness when she heard the news of her death.

Wei Zijun gently coaxed Dieyun, wiping away his tears. "Still crying? You've turned into a cat. Look at you, you've scared all the girls away. Nobody wants to marry a crying husband."

"You... Waaah... You stinky woman..." Dieyun cried as he complained. This woman had hurt him so much, and she even dared to joke with him. What a stinky woman.

Wei Zijun hugged Dieyun tightly and gently patted his back to comfort him. "Don't cry, Dieyun, be good."

Her warm embrace instantly stopped Dieyun's crying. He smelled the fragrance emanating from her chest, a fragrance more intoxicating than wildflowers.

"I shouldn't have saved you the moment I saw you. I should have just let you die," he said sullenly.

"Fine, I deserve to die, I deserve to die. Dieyun wants me to die, so I'll die now."

"You're not allowed to say that." Dieyun raised her head and reached out to cover her mouth.

“Yes, Dieyun told me not to say, so I won’t say. I’m the most obedient.” Wei Zijun nodded seriously.

Dieyun finally burst out laughing.

Seeing him finally smile, Wei Zijun breathed a long sigh of relief, secretly marveling at how her coaxing skills had improved once again. She'd managed to coax someone as difficult as him; he was truly hard to coax. Unlike her second brother, who was easily appeased with a touch of his face, He Lu was fine as soon as she put her arm around his neck.

"Dieyun, how is Master?" She had wanted to go back to visit him several times, but hadn't been able to. She really missed him.

“My master misses you very much. He often talks about you and won’t let me sleep in your room. He says you’re clean and he’s afraid my manly smell will affect your room. He says he’ll save it for you in case you come back to sleep there someday, maybe you’ll suddenly come back someday…”

Before he could finish speaking, tears were already streaming down Wei Zijun's face. She hadn't expected her master to miss her so much. He kept saying he would go back, but he had never been able to. She really missed that little bamboo house and her master's wild vegetables...

Wei Zijun wiped away her tears. "Dieyun doesn't smell bad. Besides, that was originally Dieyun's room."

“When I learned that you had returned to Dayu, my master told me not to bother you, saying that you were going to do something important and that I would only cause you trouble. Later, when I heard that something had happened to you, my master comforted me, saying that you would be fine, that your face was definitely not that of someone who would die young, that you were an outstanding person and that nothing could happen to you. Even so, I could see that he was very anxious and could not sleep well at night. Then he brought us out to look for you.”

Wei Zijun was startled. "Master is here? Where is he?"

“We all searched for you separately. He led some martial arts figures to Tibet to gather information about you. I was with my cousin. You know about my cousin and that Li Tianqi... that's how we found out about you.”

"Alas, I am truly unfilial. My master is so old, yet he still has to go to such lengths for me." I must contact my master as soon as possible, lest he worry about me. But… Wei Zijun gazed at the endless mountain peaks. When will we be able to leave this mountain range?

Because the plains in front of the Potala Palace were filled with their soldiers, they fled from the rear of the palace, behind which lay the continuous Marpo Ri mountain range. Beyond the Marpo Ri mountain range lay the high and long Nyainqêntanglha region to the north of Lhasa.

After fleeing for a day and a night, they stopped to rest, believing they were safe. When they looked back from the back of the mountain, the wooden roof of the Potala Palace was already ablaze, thick smoke and flames shooting into the sky. The entire Potala Palace was bathed in a sea of fire; the raging flames were terrifying. At that moment, Wei Zijun's heart ached. The burning of the Potala Palace was like a knife to the heart of Tibet; presumably, in their current chaos, they wouldn't pursue them for the time being.

With this in mind, the group was able to rest peacefully for a day. Their meals for the past two days consisted of various game hunted by Wei Zijun, including eagles, wild yaks, and white-lipped deer. They had never tasted roasted meat without any seasoning before, yet it was exceptionally delicious. Wei Zijun's homemade tinderbox proved invaluable once again.

Because she was constantly appeasing Dieyun, Wei Zijun neglected certain people. And those people finally couldn't take it anymore and rebelled.

As dusk approached, Wei Zijun finally experienced firsthand Li Tianqi's jealousy. She had previously praised him for being easy to appease, but now he was throwing a tantrum.