Chapter 279: Chapter 279: Only Later Did I Learn, This Was the Second Year After My Death
This is a secret Xie Xun has hidden for many years, so long that he’s even forgotten how much torment he endured over those years.
Now, when it comes to talking about it, he doesn’t even know how to start.
Under the flickering light, Xie Xun’s face is too different from that of Shen Zhi. However, Shen Hua doesn’t feel any strangeness at all.
Even though it is the same person, Shen Zhi had gentleness carved into his bones; his demeanor was pure, exuding the vigor of a young man and the peaceful, scholarly air of quiet years. But the present Xie Xun has an aura never seen before on him.
There’s the noble air characteristic of someone from a noble family, and the fierce sharpness of the battlefield. Even though he remains gentle in front of Shen Hua, it’s something he can’t entirely hide.
From the corridor, the uniform footsteps could be heard; these were the officials on patrol.
Shen Hua had heard such disturbances many times before.
The post station hosted the Emperor, as well as imperial relatives, and various important ministers from court.
Safety was of the utmost importance. Not even the slightest mistake was allowed.
This place... indeed wasn’t the right place for conversation.
Xie Xun seemed to be harboring too many secrets.
Shen Hua held her breath, pointed towards the door, then placed her index finger at her mouth, signaling to be silent. Then, she tiptoed in her embroidered shoes.
Seeing this, Xie Xun understood.
He enjoyed the intimacy from Shen Hua.
Once Shen Hua was ready, Xie Xun wrapped her up tightly.
Shen Hua then pushed the window and peeked out; the patrolling soldiers below were each holding a torch, turning back and forth incessantly, seeming to position someone every ten steps. The security was extremely strict.
She frowned and whispered softly, "There are so many people."
"No matter."
Xie Xun left her with these words and jumped out the window, cradling her in his arms.
Shen Hua was frightened, worried that those patrolling would swarm them, with every man hacking among them with their knives.
Indeed, upon hearing a noise, those men all turned to look. However, amidst Shen Hua’s panic and fear, they all shifted their gaze as if they had seen nothing and went back to their tasks at hand.
Some even considerately brought a horse over.
In her disarray, Shen Hua was helped by Xie Xun onto the horse-drawn carriage. The two of them brazenly left the post station on horseback.
"Those on patrol are Little General Jin’s men. He and I share a bond forged in life-and-death situations."
Naturally... they would obey his commands.
The surroundings were filled with the chirping of insects, as if accompanied by the howling of the wind.
Comforted by his words, Shen Hua from time to time touched the soft hairs on the back of the horse.
Xie Xun observed all of this.
"When you were five years old, you saw the Zheng Family’s daughter riding a horse and you clamored to do the same."
At that time, Ms. Shen Chun was worried about Shen Hua getting into an accident; how could she dare to let her touch [a horse]? She thought the little girl wouldn’t remember and would forget after mentioning it a few times.
But the little girl was extremely eager, even dreaming of horses.
Ms. Shen Chun would always say:
——"Once Yangyang is a bit healthier, Mama will go to the stable herself and pick out a gentle horse for you, and we’ll ride to our hearts’ content."
But Yangyang’s health never really improved.
One month, two months, three months... the condition kept relapsing.
She always carried a small stool over to the front of the Shen Family house to sit and eagerly watch the street.
The various traders’ cries, all selling snacks.
She swallowed her saliva, sitting quietly without asking anyone to buy, without crying or causing a fuss.
Ms. Shen Chun had said it would cause stomach pain if she ate them.
Once, she didn’t believe it and sneaked off to buy some.
She vomited throughout the night. As a result, she had a fever for days.
Therefore, she never dared again.
At last, the sound of horse hooves approached from the distance; the little girl’s tender hands pressed against her chest. She quickly stood up, her hair buns shaking with the motion.
With unwavering eyes, she watched the horse-riders dash past her, disappearing into the distance, yet her trance lingered long afterward.
At the mention of this, Shen Hua also recalled the memory.
"Brother couldn’t bear it and used all his savings to buy a little lamb for you."
Shen Zhi casually lifted his hand to fiddle with the little tufts on the girl’s hair. This was his most frequent gesture. Even if he forgot to do it, the little girl would still nudge her head closer by herself.
——This is for Yangyang.
The soft bleating of little lambs evidently pleased the little girl more than the towering horses.
She couldn’t even ride, yet she was so taken with it.
Xie Xun said irritably, "Yes, and as a token of gratitude, you named it Zhi Zhi."
All day long, it was Zhi Zhi this, Zhi Zhi that.
Three days later, Zhi Zhi was unfortunately nurtured to death by the little girl.
She was heartbroken, crying while holding it in her arms.
——My Zhi Zhi!
——How could you just leave like that!
Shen Hua laughed, her eyes swollen yet seeming to harbor sparks within.
"I don’t know who, out of spite, sent my Zhi Zhi to the kitchen."
Xie Xun helplessly said, "I remember you ate the most roast meat."
Eating while crying.
——Zhi Zhi!
——Boo hoo hoo, you are so delicious.
Recalling the past, the siblings both broke into laughter, dispelling the previously oppressive gloom.
In the deserted wilderness, after Xie Xun dismounted, he led the reins, walking through the mountains and fields with the girl on horseback.
Shen Hua looked up at the sky. It was studded full of stars.
The lustrous light pouring from the bright moon carried an etherial beauty that made people lose themselves, even greedily wishing for time to slow down, to move even slower.
Xie Xun, too, was lost in memories.
"Back when I fell off the cliff, I woke up as Xie Xun."
The moment before, Ms. Shen Chun’s shrieks were still ringing in his ears, the next moment it was the chaos of war, with smoke from gunfire filling the air.
Little General Jin was pacing back and forth in front of him, looking anxious. He would occasionally stop to inspect the maps on the table.
Those maps bore mountains and rivers, regions in all directions.
Mountains, landscapes, passes, cities...
"Our soldiers are exhausted, if the barbarian enemy attacks twice more, I’m afraid we won’t withstand it."
Little General Jin’s lips were moving incessantly, but Shen Zhi could not hear a single word.
He felt it was bizarre.
Such a high cliff, he should have died.
But what was this all about?
He looked down; a few days earlier, he had been scratched by the Xiao Family cat while visiting Xiao Sesu. The wound on his hand had disappeared.
"I..."
He had barely uttered a word when he realized his voice sounded strikingly unfamiliar.
Little General Jin, broad shouldered and formidable, heaved a sigh, "I know you’re worried too."
"In earlier years, did we not quell the wars in the Northwest? Are we scared we will die here?"
He roughly wiped his eyes with his sleeve and pointed at Shan City and Chi City on the map: "Here, my Daddy, General Cui, Brother Cui, all perished."
"Back then, we fought with all our might, but could only bring their caskets back home."
"This time, us two brothers must take back the lost Shan City. The cities and the people of Da Qi can only be protected by Da Qi, not by a bunch of thieves!"
The amount of information in these words was overwhelming.
He had become Heir Xie, the son of Duke Xie Mansion.
But Shen Zhi had never heard anyone mention that Little General Jin and Heir Xie had gone to war again.
Xie Xun had already forgotten how terrified he was when he became another person. He turned to glance at the girl on horseback.
Tell her.
"Later on, I came to know that I had died, and this was the second year since. I was stationed on the frontier, fighting against the barbarian enemies."