Chapter 48 Return to the Capital

Chapter 48: Return to the Capital

That too was a very sorrowful story.

In the story, Li Chengwei’s father had died early, and his mother raised him alone. As the saying goes, “A widow’s home is a magnet for gossip,” and their family was no exception.

A wealthy merchant next door, coveting his mother’s beauty, constantly harassed her. Li Chengwei reported it to the authorities, but the constables only gave it a cursory glance, sometimes even taking the merchant’s silver right in front of him before telling him to stop causing trouble.

The merchant was like a jackal, and gradually, Li Chengwei was forced to learn how to wield a cleaver to protect his mother.

His mother often wept, and he didn’t know how to console her. Each time, a young girl would come to their home, bringing beautiful flowers for his mother, making her smile through her tears.

It was none other than Xu Rujin.

That was when the seed of love was planted. As days turned to years, Li Chengwei grew up. He studied diligently, and the merchant dared not harass them anymore. Everything seemed to return to normalcy.

Until that day, Li Chengwei returned home to find his mother, her clothes torn and her honor violated.

It was that merchant.

Unable to bear the disgrace, Li Chengwei’s mother left a suicide note with evidence before hanging herself. Furious, Li Chengwei reported it to the authorities, but he was beaten countless times in prison. He repeated his plea for justice again and again, but it was all in vain.

In the end, it was Li Chengwei’s teacher who saved him. The teacher called a physician to save his life, and advised him to study diligently. Once he passed the county-level imperial examination, the authorities would dare not beat him. If he passed the provincial exams or achieved the top rankings, seeking justice for his mother would be even easier.

Later, Li Chengwei did pass the county-level exam. Just then, an imperial inspector passed through. Li Chengwei’s respected teacher wrote a petition for him, while Xu Rujin and her mother testified on his behalf. Li Chengwei knelt at the government office gate for three days, offering a blood-written plea.

Up to this point in the story, Qin Jiao had thought it would end well. But in the end, the wealthy merchant and his wife both suddenly died for no apparent reason. The merchant’s concubine fled that very night with all her gold and silver, leaving behind an empty mansion.

No one knew whether the merchant’s death was divine retribution for his wicked deeds or something else. Regardless, the incident caused a huge uproar locally, stirring up widespread public outrage.

The imperial inspector, overwhelmed by the pressure, quickly wrapped up the case: The merchant was found guilty, but since the dead are beyond punishment, the merchant’s mansion was awarded to Li Chengwei as compensation.

Light as a feather.

Life, death, trust, truth… all of it was like dust in the air—swirling before your eyes, yet forever beyond your grasp.

In the end, Li Chengwei set fire to the merchant’s mansion, burning away all past grievances, trust, and hope.

After bidding farewell to his teacher, he followed Xu Rujin’s mother to Nanzhou, thinking it would be a new beginning. But then…

But then, the rope always breaks at the thinnest point, and misfortune targets the most wretched.

Endless mountains and rivers gave birth to all things.

The wind at Nantai Temple grew fiercer. The young man’s robes billowed high, and a hint of sorrow in his eyes stretched beyond the layered peaks. All the seething, unquenchable regret, guilt, and suffering would eventually be annihilated by the endless wind and the passage of time.

May the poor souls in the next life ride the wind into boundless brightness.

—————

After the Nanzhou murder case was solved, the city of Nanzhou returned to its former prosperity and tranquility. The floating flower market bustled with people, flowers blooming like brocade, and along the winding river, taverns were lively with constant boat traffic.

Qin Jiao spent a few more days recuperating in the military camp. As the weather grew colder, it almost reached the point where breath turned to frost.

A letter from the capital’s Vice Minister’s mansion urged Qin Jiao to return. Since the Qin residence had been burned down, the letter took a circuitous route and was finally handed to Qin Jiao by Xiao Nianzhang.

This was the third letter urging him to return. Qin Jiao knew he could delay no longer, so he went to bid farewell to Xie Nai, who had taken good care of him and deserved a proper goodbye.

But when he found Xie Nai and mentioned his return to the capital, Xie Nai said they too were heading back. He Zhao, who was present, naturally suggested that Qin Jiao travel with Xie Nai, since they were all familiar.

Xie Nai did not refuse He Zhao’s suggestion, and Qin Jiao was happy to accompany them. So the arrangement was settled. Yet on the day of departure, He Zhao and Xiao Baiyu were nowhere to be seen.

The weather in Nanzhou grew even colder. Qin Jiao’s injury had mostly healed, but he felt the chill and chose to ride in a carriage with Cong Shuang instead of on horseback.

From the black carriage, a fluffy head poked out—the lazy Qin Jiao.

“What about He Zhao and Divine Doctor Xiao? Have you found them?”

He Zhao and Xiao Baiyu knew they were leaving Nanzhou today. Why had they suddenly disappeared?

“Young Master, He Zhao and Xiao Baiyu have already left Nanzhou ahead of us. They left this letter.”

Luo Yue held out a letter. Qin Jiao paused for a moment, then reached out to take it.

As he unfolded it, Cong Shuang leaned in to read.

The letter was said to be “from both of them,” but in fact, Xiao Baiyu had written it alone.

In it, he said that He Zhao had run off in anger again, and he had to go chase him, so he couldn’t see Xie Nai and Qin Jiao off. He also mentioned that he had written a prescription for health maintenance, which Qin Jiao should take on time after returning to the capital.

Once he found He Zhao and pacified him, if the opportunity arose, he would bring He Zhao to the capital to visit them. He ended the letter by wishing them a smooth journey and a swift arrival in the capital.

“That flowery peacock didn’t even leave a farewell word. It’s like Zhang Fei fighting Guan Yu—forgetting old ties.”

Qin Jiao folded the letter, his tone a bit listless.

Cong Shuang teased him with a smile: “Young Master, that allegorical saying is so incongruous. Please stop. All good things must come to an end. There’s no need to be too sad; you’ll see them again someday.”

“Well, fine. Let Divine Doctor Xiao chase after that flower peacock. Let’s head back to the capital.”

He Zhao was born with wanderlust, destined to roam. Who knew when he’d finally reach the capital.

“I’ll notify the prince to set off.”

“Mm.” This time, Xie Nai did not ride in the carriage with Qin Jiao but chose to ride a horse. So he was at the head of the convoy. Qin Jiao gazed into the distance and saw the young man in white, free-spirited and dashing, like a winter pine—tall, proud, and aloof.

The army slowly began its journey.

The orderly ranks marched forward. From above, the troops snaking through forests, roads, and streams looked like an unbroken string of pearls.

Qin Jiao had heard from Luo Bei that Xie Nai was only bringing back 100,000 troops to the capital, leaving the remaining 300,000 to guard Jing Pass.

Speaking of Jing Pass, Qin Jiao felt deeply moved by it.

In the Tianyuan Dynasty, from high-ranking officials to three-year-old children, everyone knew about the trouble at Jing Pass.

Jing Pass lay to the west of the Tianyuan capital, a strategic border fortress, perpetually damp, with dense forests, deep grass, and many wild beasts.

Beyond Jing Pass was Xiaoxiang Commandery, then Lingbei, then the heart of Jiangnan, and finally the Shengjing.

This unique geography made Jing Pass a fiercely contested military stronghold. Since the founding of the Tianyuan Dynasty, it had seen constant warfare and nonstop war drums.

In the 14th year of Tianyuan—three years ago, after Emperor Chengyuan and the crown prince had died suddenly—a foreign chieftain, Wu Tuyin, launched a surprise attack on Jing Pass.

Wu Tuyin was exceptionally brave, wielding his golden whip with unmatched skill. Under his leadership, the foreign forces nearly broke through Jing Pass into Xiaoxiang Commandery. But fortunately, at a critical moment, Xie Nai led his troops to the rescue, reclaiming lost territory and boosting the people’s morale!

Legend has it that during the fighting at Jing Pass, Xie Nai shot an arrow that gravely wounded Wu Tuyin. The foreign forces, leaderless, were routed, giving the Tianyuan Dynasty a chance to regroup.

Thus, Qin Jiao deeply admired Xie Nai. In troubled times, he had shouldered the sky.

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