Ch147 - The Smoke Has Risen

A little hand held him.

Lin Shu lowered his head.

It was Yingying.

Yingying took his hand and raised her head. Her eyes were a little red, and so was her nose. Her beautiful black eyes were filled with tears.

Lin Shu slightly leaned over and stroked her hair.

Yingying grabbed his hand and wrote a few words on the palm of his hand.

Lin Shu’s steps faltered.

The words she had written were: “Just now, when you came in, Daddy woke up.”

Lin Shu turned his head, fixedly looking at Ling Fengxiao’s hazy sleeping face behind the heavy screen.

Was he already awake?

Did he also want to see him?

Lin Shu thought, this was indeed the case.

But it was better not to see each other.

It was better to be like this than to… torture each other.

It was okay for him to leave.

He had promised the Empress that he would stand on Ling Fengxiao’s side when the war would start between the Southern and Northern Xia. So now his focus should be on consolidating his cultivation and tempering his state of mind. In the days to come, on the battlefield, this could provide more opportunities for winning.

And then… Ling Fengxiao would be crowned Emperor, and the world would be peaceful.

Until then–

Until then……

But then… what about him?

Lin Shu looked at the boundless stars and the moon in the sky, and his heart felt empty.

Yingying tugged at the corner of his sleeve again.

He looked at Yingying, thinking of her previous complaints, and wrote lightly on the palm of her hand.

“Tell your Daddy.”

“Don’t… Overwork.”

“Don’t be angry with Xiao Lingyang.”

“Go to bed early.”

“Eat more food.”

“Take care of himself.”

Yingying’s tears swirled in her eyes, and then they slid down. Lin Shu reached out and wiped it off for her, and then wrote: “You too.”

Yingying bit her lip and nodded.

She wrote: “Can I still find you in the Dreamscape?”

Lin Shu wrote: “Yes.”

Yingying just looked at him like that, and then slowly let go of his hand.

Lin Shu knew that Yingying had always been very obedient and was not as stubborn as Xiao Wuque.

After his hand had been released, he continued forward and walked out of the palace gate.

After walking on for a while, he turned his head and looked back at the Wutong Garden, which was partially visible between the high towers and canopies of the trees and flowers.

The lights in the garden went out bit by bit, as if they were beginning to sleep.

Something in his heart crumbled apart slowly.

All of a sudden, he wanted to go back, but yet, he didn’t even look back.

He walked out of the palace gates and out of the willow-lined imperial street of the Old City.

At the end of the street, there was a lotus pond for people to enjoy. In April, the lotus leaves had not yet unfolded, and the surface of the pond was smooth as a mirror.

Lin Shu walked in and looked at his reflection in the water. He felt that this expressionless face was as bleak and repulsive as his previous life and years ago when he had first come to this world.

But again, it was impossible to break free.

This seemed to be his fate.

A rustling sound of clothing interrupted his thoughts.

Lin Shu looked up to the source of the sound, and saw a person staggering by the pool. The person walked up to a willow tree and held the trunk of the tree, the shoulders trembled, it seemed as if the person was retching.

After a while, the said person walked to the side of the pool again, just like him before, staring at the reflection on the water.

At this time, Lin Shu finally saw clearly that the one in front of him was an acquaintance.

Xie Zishe.

Lin Shu looked back in the direction she had come from.

He saw a spacious mansion, there were bright lights of lanterns, the sound of strings and bamboo orchestras could be heard, and one could imagine the lively scene inside.

As he was watching, he saw Xie Zishe approach and ask in a slightly erratic voice, “Xiao Lin Shu?”

But he saw that she was wearing a wide-sleeved black satin robe, embroidered with silver stripes. It was a very luxurious and formal style of clothing, but it was a man’s style.

Her head of black silk hair was not carefully combed like an ordinary woman, but simply pulled back. In the dark, he could only vaguely see her face. She was still as pretty as when she was in the Academy, but she was looking much haggard.

That year, amidst the heavy snowfall, the Eldest Martial Sister of the Confucian and Taoism Institute was dressed in an old green robe, carrying a lantern as she stepped on the snow, her vitality and spirit that was usually seen in the twinkle of her eyes, seemed to have been worn out a lot.

Lin Shu: “Yeah.”

Xie Zishe was indeed a little drunk, and she stared at him for a long time: “Immortal Lord…”

After she had said this, she bowed slightly and covered her mouth, as if she wanted to vomit but couldn’t vomit anything. It looked very uncomfortable.

Lin Shu handed her a detoxification pill.

In the theory of immortality, wine was also poison.

Xie Zishe took it and ate it, and after a while, she seemed to be much better: “Thank you.”

Lin Shu: “No need to thank me.”

Xie Zishe leaned against the willow tree, looked at the surface of the pool, and said, “I came out to hide.”

Lin Shu did not answer.

He didn’t know what to answer, and he really didn’t need to answer for Xie Zishe.

Sure enough, Xie Zishe didn’t wait for his answer, and continued to say in a tone similar to soliloquy: “The current trend is to enjoy banquets. Each faction has its own family. If I don’t join them, I’m afraid there will be no help from the court.”

She gave a low chuckle: “Tonight, I originally intended to compose a memorial to present to the Emperor, even failing that, I could have read some books.”

Obviously, her wish did not come true.

Xie Zishe said: “It’s just that.. people are panicking now, and Her Highness is decisive and resolute. In a few days, I am afraid that the remaining people of the Peace faction…will also be dispersed.”

In the night breeze, her originally clear voice was a bit dazed.

Lin Shu asked: “Why do you agree?”

“Those who have the capability of pacifying the world ..” Xie Zishe’s voice was like a sigh: “rely on virtues, not on their good looks.”

She took off a willow leaf, staring at it blankly and said: “The right way of Confucianism is in my Southern Dynasty. The Northern Xia and the barbarians are in collusion. Even if they have stronger soldiers, there is no charm of a Sage. After a hundred years.. it is not worth mentioning. If I could keep alive and keep my health, I would keep a low profile… ”

She held onto the willow tree, smiled low, and sighed again: “I could not speak.”

Lin Shu: “If the Northern Xia invades, what would you do?”

Xie Zishe said, “Go to a certain land and seek peace.”

After that, she laughed at herself, as if mocking herself: “But no one agrees with me, and I…don’t dare to say it.”

She staggered a few steps forward, looking at the bright moon in the sky: “The world will be chaotic.”

Lin Shu knew that she might never realize her wish.

Ling Fengxiao leaned towards the main battle faction, and the Empress… was even more so.

Lin Shu: “If there is a fight, what will you do?”

“The moon is cloudy and full …” Xie Zishe didn’t answer him directly, but looked at the moon with drunken eyes and muttered to herself: “rather than saying that the heavens failed to fulfill the wishes of people, it is better to say that the wishes of the world are often contrary to the will of heavens. After all, what the world asked for, was happiness and consummation, and this matter… had never been perfect since ancient times!”

She laughed a few times and looked at Lin Shu: “If it’s so unavoidable, haven’t I learned the art of war?”

The night wind brought over the noise from the courtyard over there, and there were few words vaguely saying, “Where is your Master Xi Zishe?”

“I need to go,” Xie Zishe said.

Her footsteps were still a little unsteady, but her spine was straight as a pencil. As she walked, she hummed like singing, more like chanting.

“You don’t see, My Lord… You don’t see the white bones covering the field like snow.”

“You don’t see, My Lord… You don’t see the sorrowful wind whispering in the tall trees.”

“If you don’t see the child still in your arms, you will return home early.”

“Once a hero draws his sword… heralding a decade of catastrophe for the common folk!” (Note)

Lin Shu watched her leave.

Her steps suddenly stopped.

There was silence in the spring night.

The sound of the wind blowing brought the sound of horses outside the city.

The horse’s hooves were fast.

And were coming from the north!

In the distant, faraway mountains, the flames lit up, reflecting a huge plume of smoke column rising up!

There were several streams of light across the sky, the figures of cultivators rushing towards the palace.

In the Xia Dynasty, the wolf smoke was regarded as the letter, from a beacon tower that was 50 miles away.

If an enemy attacked somewhere, the beacon guardians immediately lit up the wolf smoke, and the other beacon towers would identify its location, and would pick up the wolf smoke, to the nearest military camp or capital city for help!

The smoke was up, and the war was here!

At the moment, there was only one possibility: The Northern Xia had invaded!

Xie Zishe laughed loudly.

After laughing, she bent down and coughed constantly. Listening to the sound, it sounded like she was coughing up blood.

She finally calmed down, and she looked at Lin Shu: “Take me to the palace?”

Lin Shu didn’t speak any more, he rode the wind and took her up and flew towards the palace.

And went straight to Ling Fengxiao’s bedroom.

Along the way, the flutes and pipes had stopped, but instead  the cavalry in the Imperial City were flying on!

The iron hooves trampled on the broken spring flowers and autumn moon, and there is deep affection between lovers.

Lin Shu descended at the gate of Wutong Garden.

The Wutong Garden, which had previously extinguished the lights, was now brightly lit.

Xie Zishe knelt in front of Ling Fengxiao: “Your Highness.”

“You are here.” Ling Fengxiao’s words seemed to be addressed to Xie Zishe, but his eyes were looking at Lin Shu.

There seemed to be nothing in his eyes, and there seemed to be everything.

Then, Ling Fengxiao closed his eyes and slowly said: “The Northern Xia had colluded with the Western Xinjiang and Dian Kingdom. Two hundred thousand soldiers and horses went from Southwestern Yunnan to the North and are coming straight to Jinguan City.”

Even though Lin Shu didn’t understand the situation, he also knew that this was a shocking change.

Northern Xia was the enemy of Southern Xia, but Xijiang and Dian Kingdom had pledged their alliances and became the vassal states of Southern Xia in the previous wars.

And now… they actually.. rebelled.

Jinguan City was not far from the southwest border, and soldiers and horses coming from Yunnan would soon reach the foot of Jinguan City!

However, at the same time, the elite troops and horses of the Southern Xia Dynasty were almost all concentrated in the North!

It would take at least ten days to mobilize them!

In this way, Jinguan City could be said to be isolated and helpless and besieged on all sides.

Xie Zishe said: “For now, I can dispatch 50,000 soldiers from the old city.”

There was silence in the hall.

Ling Feng Xiao said, “Send orders to Shangling Academy to guard the city.”

Someone took the order.

But all the people present knew that the power of Immortal Dao was only a part of it and Northern Xia must have sent over countless of elite wizards and witches.

Moreover, for those cultivating the Immortal Path, killing mortals is a taboo.

Soldiers and horses.

We need troops.

But where would it come from?

Everyone looked at Ling Fengxiao.

Ling Fengxiao looked at Lin Shu.

The next moment, Ling Fengxiao got up, his red clothes flying, and he walked down the steps.

“The mobilization of troops in the Capital City will be under Xie Zishe’s command,” he said lightly. “The Shangling Academy would be fully arranged by the Grandmaster.”

Someone said: “This…”

Ling Fengxiao passed by Lin Shu.

Lin Shu heard Ling Fengxiao say to him: “Wait for me to come back.”

Then, Ling Fengxiao passed him and walked straight out of the hall.

Swiftly rushing through the illuminated night.

Ling Fengxiao turned on his horse and rode out of the palace!

The white horse and the red dress quickly disappeared into the night.

No one knew what he was going to do. Even Xie Zishe looked out of the hall in consternation.

Lin Shu looked at the tall towers of Jinguan city.

He didn’t say anything, but rode the wind and flew over.

After a quarter of an hour, the military garrison of the Capital City and the people of Immortal Dao began to be mobilized one after another.

The gate tower of Jinguan city was focused on defense.

Lin Shu stood on the city wall, and Shangling Grandmaster landed by his side.

He solemnly said to Lin Shu: “Thank you for your help.”

Lin Shu said, “There is no need for thanks.”

It has nothing to do with Southern Xia and Northern Xia.

Ling Fengxiao had asked him to wait.

Then he would wait.

—

The author has something to say:

The majestic palace was connected to the sky, and the emperor wanted to open up the frontiers.

The East City athletes prepare to pommel horses, the West City athletes prepare swords and guns.

Every family cuts and collects clothes, and every family crunches grains for the military.

The child is still in her mother’s arms, rambling about the early return of his father.

You don’t see the white bones covering the field, like snow, the sorrowful wind whispering in the tall trees.

Once a hero draws his sword, heralding a decade of catastrophe for the common folk!”

It’s an excerpt from “Tian Xing Jian” by Yan Leisheng.