Fish Meat – Chapter 195
by Little PandaThe Fourth Year of Zhao Wu
Secrets in the Sleeve (15)
Guang Shaoling chased after Ah Xin out of the Forbidden Garden’s gate. Ah Xin’s steps were remarkably swift, and after mounting her horse, she moved like lightning.
Guang Shaoling followed her out of Runing City, pursuing along the official road. After chasing for more than ten li [500 meters], the area became increasingly remote, making Guang Shaoling feel uneasy. Seeing Ah Xin enter a wild grove made her even more puzzled.
The forest remained dense in early autumn, making it impossible to see inside, and difficult for horses to pass through. To enter, one had to abandon their horse and proceed on foot. Guang Shaoling reined in her horse but didn’t immediately enter the grove. As she circled outside, hesitating whether to venture deeper, a scream from within the forest startled her greatly.
Could Ah Xin be in danger!
If Ah Xin fell victim to foul play, those responsible for tracking her whereabouts would likely forfeit their lives.
Guang Shaoling immediately dismounted and ran into the forest, cutting through layers of branches until the space suddenly opened up before her. Someone lay face-down on the ground, with blood staining beneath them. Judging by the clothing, it wasn’t Ah Xin. Curious, Guang Shaoling used her blade to turn the person over.
“Ah Lie!” Guang Shaoling recognized this person – she was the Emperor’s secret agent who had been secretly following Ah Xin.
“Ah Lie! Wake up!” Guang Shaoling shook Ah Lie’s body forcefully. Ah Lie had been stabbed through the heart, blood soaking through her clothes, eyes wide open, with a trail of blood at the corner of her mouth.
Examining the wound, the fatal strike was clean and decisive, fierce and ruthless without any hesitation. The only person capable of such skill could be…
Just as she sensed danger, a sharp sword was placed against her neck from behind, cutting into her skin.
Guang Shaoling’s breath caught as she heard Ah Xin’s gloomy voice from behind.
“That account was meant to be settled, but considering you still have some use to the Emperor, I’ll spare you this time. Next time we meet, I’ll definitely take your dog head.”
Guang Shaoling made a sound of surprise, but before she could speak, Ah Xin had vanished, leaving only the rustle of wind through the forest.
Having just escaped death’s door, Guang Shaoling collapsed on the ground, her left shoulder soaked in blood. After finally regaining her senses and recalling Ah Xin’s words, she realized something was terribly wrong. Mustering her strength, she rushed out of the forest, running frantically toward the Forbidden Garden.
Wei Tingxu had been keeping vigil at Wei Lun’s bedside for several days, dozing off occasionally while leaning against the wall, but never daring to fall into deep sleep most of the time.
Family members and servants came to persuade her to rest, saying others could take care of him, urging her not to exhaust herself. But Wei Tingxu refused to leave, staying steadfastly by his side.
A servant rushed in to say someone had delivered a letter for Young Lady Tingxu. Ah Ran took it and placed it in Wei Tingxu’s chambers before going to fetch medicine.
“What is Tingxu so fixated on?” Ah Ran wondered aloud as she went to the kitchen to get the prepared medicine, walking back with Ah Mu. “I have a bad feeling.”
“What kind of bad feeling? Don’t frighten me.”
“It’s just that… it feels like Tingxu is guarding against something, knows something, and is waiting for something.”
The Wei family matriarch wrung her hands together, her eyes full of worry. Since Wei Lun fell ill, she had lost several circles of weight, her graying temples showing her age: “Whatever it is, go and take her place. If this continues, we might end up having to care for more than one person.”
“I want to replace her, but she won’t allow it.”
After coughing all night, Wei Lun had finally managed to fall asleep, allowing Wei Tingxu to close her eyes briefly. In four days, her actual sleep time totaled less than five shichen [2 hours], and even then, she was often startled awake by nightmares.
Zhen Wenjun’s tears repeatedly appeared in her dreams, each time wringing her heartstrings, leaving a lingering feeling of pain and sorrow. A short distance had created an ocean of separation between them.
No matter how Wei Tingxu reached out to grasp Zhen Wenjun, she couldn’t reach her. Zhen Wenjun no longer responded as she used to, no longer held her steadily in her embrace.
“Wenjun.”
Watching her grow more distant, Wei Tingxu couldn’t help but call out.
Zhen Wenjun blinked, letting fall her final tear: “I’m not Zhen Wenjun, you liar.”
With a “clang”, a heavy object fell to the ground, jolting Wei Tingxu from her dream. She discovered she had fallen asleep and quickly stood up.
An incense burner had overturned on the floor, scattering ashes everywhere. Wei Lun stood three paces away, slowly walking toward the door.
Seeing this, Wei Tingxu was startled and immediately moved forward to support him. When Wei Lun turned to look at her, his cheeks surprisingly showed a rare flush, and his eyes held vitality.
Wei Tingxu called out softly: “Ah Fu…”
“Tingxu.” Wei Lun grasped her with his twig-like hands.
Ah Ran and the matriarch had just reached the doorway to witness this scene. The medicine bowl slipped from Ah Ran’s hands and shattered on the floor.
“Could it be the last radiance before death?” Ah Ran’s eyes filled with tears as the matriarch firmly gripped her trembling hand:
“Don’t speak nonsense!”
“Xi’er.” Wei Lun looked at his wife of over forty years, calling out the pet name he hadn’t used in years. At this single utterance, even the matriarch swayed unsteadily.
Ah Ran looked toward Wei Tingxu in terror. Wei Jingtai and several other brothers all rushed over to surround their father, eyes bright but not daring to speak.
“Rice,” Wei Lun looked at his family members filling the room and pronounced each word slowly, “I want to eat rice.”
This statement caught everyone by surprise.
They had thought Ah Fu was beyond saving, and his sudden revival was typically a sign of impending death. The Wei family had fallen into great panic, but Ah Fu suddenly wanted to eat?!
“Ah Zhu.” Wei Tingxu was the first to react, “Ah Zhu, go to the kitchen and bring a bowl of rice.”
Ah Zhu, standing at the door, quickly acknowledged and swiftly brought steaming rice along with nine dishes and a soup. Wei Lun accepted the rice, had Ah Zhu remove all the dishes, and sat at the table with his usual bowl, keeping only Wei Tingxu by his side while others waited outside.
“Let’s go.” Respecting Ah Fu’s wishes, Wei Jingtai persuaded all family members to leave.
Only father and daughter remained in the room as Wei Lun slowly ate his rice, one mouthful at a time.
“Ah Fu was once a child too. I don’t know if I’ve told you, but when Ah Fu was young, I had a peculiar habit – I only liked eating rice and disliked vegetables, so I was malnourished and couldn’t grow tall. Later… your Ah Weng [阿翁 | ā wēng | grandfather] scared me, saying I wouldn’t be able to hold a brush or write characters if I didn’t eat vegetables. That’s when I finally started eating them.” Wei Lun smiled, and Wei Tingxu dutifully helped wipe away a grain of rice stuck to his mouth.
“In the blink of an eye, it’s been twenty years since my father and mother passed away. Twenty years… I can finally go see them…” Wei Lun’s words became confused. After coughing twice, he put down his bowl exhaustedly, these few bites of rice having nearly depleted all his strength.
“Don’t say such things, Ah Fu’s condition is improving,” Wei Tingxu consoled.
“Improving… if it were truly improving that would be fine, but I know my body won’t get better,” Wei Lun said. “Ah Fu isn’t afraid of death, only of dying at the wrong time! Tingxu, do you resent Ah Fu for dragging you into the abyss of revenge, making you grow up on a thorny path, depriving you of the happy childhood your peers had?”
Wei Tingxu shook her head with a smile: “Why would Ah Fu say such things? This path wasn’t forced upon me by you; I chose it willingly. The Rangchuan crisis remains carved in my heart – it’s both the Wei family’s shame and my, Wei Tingxu’s, shame, impossible to forget. I’ve seen with my own eyes what this world is like, and personally experienced the fate of those loyal to the throne. Ah Fu never forced anything on me; eliminating the Li clan is my own longtime wish and choice. Even a happy childhood would be merely a memory – I don’t care about that. What I care about is the future, the grand enterprise that will last for generations.”
Wei Lun’s tears flowed freely: “To have such a daughter in this life, Ah Fu can rest peacefully in the Nine Springs.”
“Don’t say that, Ah Fu. You must take care of your health and witness the day when we Wei clan conquers all under heaven!”
Wei Lun shook his head with a smile: “I know my own body well. There’s no time left, especially since that matter is happening faster than we expected.”
Wei Tingxu clenched her fists: “Ah Fu already knows?”
“Yes… I saw it several days ago. Thankfully, heaven let me wake up, otherwise who knows how long things would have been delayed. Tingxu, how can you be confused at this time? When Ah Fu told you not to be soft-hearted, it meant treating everyone equally, including me. Once that matter begins, Runing will surely become a living hell! If you don’t leave before then, do you want the entire Wei family to be buried with me? Can you bear to let over a decade of effort go to waste?! Cough cough cough…”
“Please don’t be angry, Ah Fu. Your child understands. But Li Yanyi is watching our family closely; she’ll know of any movement immediately. If we try to leave Runing as a family, how could she possibly let us go?”
The bowl of rice was finally finished, albeit intermittently. Wei Lun sat steadily: “Tingxu, you know there is one way that would allow the Wei family to leave Runing without any hindrance. Runing is Li Yanyi’s staff of power; only by leaving here can we launch our final counterattack.”
Wei Tingxu grabbed Wei Lun’s hand urgently: “Ah Fu, you can’t!”
Wei Lun smiled peacefully and closed his eyes.
Guang Shaoling returned to the Forbidden Garden and reported the day’s events to Li Yanyi.
Li Yanyi was astonished: “What? Ah Xin killed Ah Lie? Did you witness it yourself?!”
“Although this humble servant didn’t witness it personally, I can confirm Ah Lie died by Young Lady Ah Xin’s sword. Your Majesty knows Ah Lie’s martial skills best – only Ah Xin could have killed her with one sword strike without giving her any chance to counterattack. Moreover, what this humble servant just reported was told to me by Young Lady Ah Xin herself.”
“That account… what did she mean by ‘that account’?”
“This humble servant doesn’t know…”
“Don’t know?” Li Yanyi smiled, “If you don’t know, why aren’t you investigating?!”
Guang Shaoling’s scalp tightened.
“Does this sovereign need to leave the Forbidden Garden and investigate personally?!” Li Yanyi burst into anger, followed by uncontrollable coughing.
“This humble servant will investigate right away! Your Majesty, please mind your health, don’t overexert yourself…”
“Get going now!!”
Guang Shaoling withdrew and gathered all members of the Zhuiyue Army, mobilizing full force to search for Ah Xin’s whereabouts.
“If you can’t find her within two days, bring your heads to me!”
“Yes!”
At the Wei residence.
“Thank heavens, thank heavens! It’s not the last radiance before death; he’s truly getting better.” Ah Mu and Ah Ran sat in the courtyard, holding hands together with tears in their eyes.
Ah Ran nodded frantically like a pecking chicken: “He will surely get better! Ah Fu is blessed by heaven!”
“The tall rush am I, not the rush but the artemisia. Alas, my parents, who bore me with toil.” [蓼蓼者莪，匪莪伊蒿。哀哀父母，生我劬勞 | liǎo liǎo zhě é, fěi é yī hāo. āi āi fù mǔ, shēng wǒ qú láo | a verse from the Classic of Poetry lamenting parents’ hardships]
Ah Ran and Ah Mu, along with everyone in the Wei family, heard someone chanting.
The voice came from inside the room.
“…Without a father, whom can I rely on?” The door slowly opened, and the one chanting was Wei Tingxu.
Ah Mu slowly stood up, looking in disbelief at Wei Tingxu’s blood-red eyes.
After finishing the chant, Wei Tingxu prostrated herself in a deep bow, tears falling one by one onto the ground.
“Ah Fu has departed for the Western Journey [扶杖西行 | fú zhàng xī xíng | euphemism for death], Ah Mu, please restrain your grief.”
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