Chapter 140: Tragic news

With a clatter, Jiang Changbai placed the chopsticks in her hand on the edge of her bowl. An indecipherable emotion flashed in her eyes. She stared fixedly at that lacquered greeting card, and felt her heart tremble.

"Bixia—"

Song Juguang's words were interrupted very quickly by Jiang Changbai.

"Ready the carriage," Jiang Changbai rose suddenly, the hems of her clothes sweeping against the edge of the table, "to the Xie residence."

Song Juguang raised a hand, about to halt the maid who was about to convey the imperial message, and picked up an umbrella herself, following after. "The swell of water in the city's centre has yet to retreat; I fear the carriage will be delayed."

Jiang Changbai was just in the midst of leaving the hall, and rain water dripped down from the eaves and fell onto her forehead. "Then I'll ride a horse."

At this moment, it had been a bit of time since morning court, and where He Leyong and Xie Qianbing lived was surrounded by major, important officials, and she'd likely guessed something. Originally, Jiang Changbai hadn't dared to go see He Leyong—hadn't dared to tell her the news.

But the memorial had been sent in, and even if she didn't dare to, she had to.

Two fine, white steeds darted through the alleys and streets still filled with some excess water, their hooves splashing water against and wetting the walls that had only just dried. Song Juguang followed closely behind Jiang Changbai, watching the figure before her, and in a haze, recalled ten years prior.

Back then, Jiang Changbai had only just ascended the throne, and had been headed to Mount Tongshan to ask He Leyong to come out of seclusion. They'd raced at full speed, carrying the good news that He Leyong could once more return to court. But now, it had only been a decade, and under Jiang Changbai's hand, the land had stabilised, but now that she was going to visit He Leyong again, the news she was bringing was that of tragedy.

Before the Xie residence crouched stone lions, glistening from the rain waters. But looking at them carefully, one could see that eye of the one on the left had, at some point, been gouged by something, and at a glance, it looked as if it were crying.

The woman sweeping at the doorway, seeing that they'd come, hastily dropped her broom, about to kneel, but Jiang Changbai waved a hand for her to stand. Without waiting for a report to be taken in, the two entered; the bitter scent of medicine floated within the courtyard, and the wind that blew through carried moisture as it rushed at one's face, unexpectedly far better at dispelling the summer heat than the unceasing basin of ice in the Palace.

He Leyong was reclined on a rocking chair, eyes closed and resting. Hearing the sound, she opened her eyes, and when she saw clearly who'd come, she hurriedly stood to make obeisance.

Seeing this, Jiang Changbai rushed forward, three steps becoming to, to stop her, and said, "Laoshi, you overwhelm this student."

He Leyong's gaze swept over Song Juguang, who'd followed behind Jiang Changbai, and she nodded minutely. Then, she turned her head to look at Jiang Changbai, and said, "This subject only just sent a memorial to the Palace, and hadn't imagined you'd come personally."

Jiang Changbai smiled awkwardly, words rising to her lips, but not knowing what to say.

Seeing she wasn't speaking, He Leyong's heart suddenly chilled. But as if experiencing the paradoxical apprehension at approaching a familiar place, she merely said indirectly, "This subject has heard that you're about to declare war on Shejin?"

"Yes." Jiang Changbai's throat ached, and in the end, she nodded.

He Leyong, seeing this bearing of Jiang Changbai's, knew there was something wrong, and voice trembling faintly, she said, "Didn't Qianbing only just go?"

"This student was useless." Jiang Changbai suddenly lifted her collar and knelt; Song Juguang was about to reach out to lift her up, but her hand froze in midair.

Seeing this, He Leyong startled, falling to her own knees with a thump before Jiang Changbai. Her previously faintly hunched back straightened in an instant, and from her muddy eyes rolled two paths of tears, the ink tattooed onto her face seeming even more wretched.

"Bixia, this subject can't bear it," He Leyong said, voice quivering, hunching as she spoke.

The servant who'd raced in after just now froze with shock, and it was only with Song Juguang's wave that she dared to approach.

"Help He-daren up," Song Juguang ordered, and stepped forward to help Jiang Changbai to her feet.

Jiang Changbai stood up, and then sat down on a chair that a servant brought over. Only once He Leyong had been helped up by the servant and had sat down steadily in chair did she let out a sigh. Her throat bobbed, and the fingertips hidden in her sleeves bit into her palms; when she spoke, her voice was rough. "Last night, an urgent report arrived from the Western border; Qianbing, she…gave her life for our state."

"The sorcerer Qin Zhixun has been practicing magics, and turned her into the undead," Song Juguang added, gaze lowered.

He Leyong, who'd only just sat steadily, swayed, her temples seeming to grew whiter in a flash. Those muddy eyes grew more aged, as if they'd had the liveliness drained from them.

The servant carrying the tea, who'd only just walked through the moon door, startled at hearing this, and the tray she'd been holding fell to the ground, the tea set carrying hot water shattering, porcelain shards flying all about. Song Juguang frowned, placing herself in front of Jiang Changbai.

The servant was scared dumb, frozen on the spot. The younger girl who'd followed with her tugged at her sleeve, and only then did she kneel and beg forgiveness.

"This servant ought to die, this servant ought to die," she cried out, unable to pay any mind to whether or not there were shards of porcelain on the ground.

The scent of blood rose, along with the scent earthen green leaves, entering the nose. The originally sorrowful atmosphere was marred with absurdity, and Song Juguang shot her a cold glance, and said, "Dismissed."

"Thanks to Wangjun, thanks to Wangjun." The servant fled, and only the three of them remained in the courtyard.

Jiang Changbai's throat burnt. "Laoshi, I'm sorry for your loss."

He Leyong remained dazed for a long while, and then suddenly said, "In my life, I taught only the three of you. The Regent had no mind for study, and when she was young, I beat her who knows how many times. The Emperor was hardworking and serious, but lacked a nimble mind. Only Qianbing was a natural born student.

"At the time, I merely pitied her; pitied that she'd been born a girl, and would never be able to be an official. I hadn't imagined that in the future, after your majesty ascended the throne, such shackles would disappear."

He Leyong didn't continue, but Jiang Changbai could guess what she wanted to say. It was nothing but words of regret. But how could she not regret? And how could she give words of comfort?

Suddenly, a ruckus arose from the doorway; the servant stood guard at the doorway, her head peeking in but not daring to enter.

Jiang Changbai shot a glance. "Speak."

"The wood shop's assistant is insisting on speaking to Xie-daren, saying that the wood Xie-daren was looking for a few months ago was found."

Jiang Changbai asked, puzzled, "What?"

A girl wearing a short, grey tunic stood in the doorway, holding an oil tarpaulin package. "Xie-daren ordered it specifically, that she wanted the best black bamboo to make a xiao."

Song Juguang's brows furrowed. "To make a xiao? When did she learn to play a xiao?"

The assistant was equally as baffled. "I—I don't know."

"Alright," Jiang Changbai waved a hand, "leave the wood, and you can go."

The assistant didn't know Jiang Changbai or Song Juguang's identities, but she could tell that the atmosphere in the courtyard wasn't right. Once she'd received permission, she hurriedly retreated, head bowed and not daring to look about.

A wind rose suddenly once more, and the leaves of the trees planted in the courtyard made a rustling sound, as if someone were sobbing.

In the desert, the days seemed to practically always be sunny. Wei Xiren led the soldiers on a campaign, and it had already been almost three days and they had yet to return. The soldiers on guard couldn't help but worry. They'd only just seen the devastation of the diplomatic convoy, and feared that Wei Xiren, too, had suffered a vicious assault.

Luckily, though, as the sun began to set, at a distance, a thin, black line appeared in the desert. Wei Xiren was leading the soldiers back to camp, and though they were dusty and travel-worn, it didn't seem as if they'd been defeated.

As it turned out, the words Xie Qianbing had spoken before dying had been true; after the sigil on the backs of the undead were cut through, they truly returned to ordinary people. The essentials were, though they were more of a hassle than usual, they weren't like those undead from before, who'd had to dismembered before they stopped.

When Wei Xiren tugged at her reins, the clothes she was clad in had already been crusted by the blood marring them. The two rows of torches at the entrance of the main camp crackled, illuminating her armour so that it gave off a faint red.

"Jiangjun!" Qi Shou'an rushed out from the camp, the torch in her hand almost setting the skirts of Wei Xiren's clothes alight. "You've finally returned."

In the past dozen or so days, Wei Xiren had been going out to suppress threats without stop, as if venting all the fury in her heart onto those undead. The past few times, Qi Shou'an had gone with Wei Xiren, but after, she truly hadn't been able to keep up, and had stayed in the camp to temporarily take over Wei Xiren's duties.

Wei Xiren paid her no mind, merely gesturing to the twenty-odd cavalry behind her to bring down the bodies wrapped in straw mats.

"Select five, and have them dig a grave to bury them." Wei Xiren dismounted, and said, "Go to the town and have their relatives summoned to see them for the final time."

Qi Shou'an entered the tent after Wei Xiren, the torch in her hand illuminating the new slash marks on Wei Xiren's cheeks. "Jiangjun, this is?"

"The common people of the Great Li."

Wei Xiren's expression was intense, and she slowly spoke of what she'd seen the past three days. After a few major victories, her confidence had swelled, and she'd led the soldiers even further. Unexpectedly, they'd discovered a stronghold where the Shejinese were creating the undead.

It was practically hell on earth. A few people clad in Daoist robes stood on guard, and following them were Shejin soldiers, armed to the teeth. Those who'd been captured to be turned into the undead were all commoners, but not only the common people of Shejin, but of the Great Li as well.

She'd led her soldiers in to wipe out the den, and had brought the bodies that were clearly of Great Li's commoners back. Wei Xiren had guarded the Western border for seven years, and had long since committed the faces of the common people of the towns to memories. Since she could recognise them, she couldn't leave them in a foreign land.

"Jiangjun," Qi Shou'an's words were hesitant, "of the people who returned with Xie-daren, their identities have all been determined."

Hearing this, Wei Xiren's heart thudded, and she drew in a number of breaths, and only then responded, "Go on and speak."

Qi Shou'an closed her eyes as well, hiding the pain in her eyes. "Those who returned were one hundred and seventy-four in total; ten were from the diplomatic delegation, ninety-six were the soldiers who'd accompanied the delegation, sixty-six were commoners, and two were—"

"Who were the other two?"

"Cheng-daren, Cheng Xuange, who went with Liang Jiwen to Shejin seven years ago, and…Nie-daren, Nie Tianzong."

Wei Xiren felt as if some great force had struck her chest. She and Cheng Xuange hadn't been close, having only been acquainted, but Nie Tianzong had joined the Cangwei army almost at the same time as she had, and they'd fought together for countless years, and had long since become close friends. The two had only parted once she'd been insistent on guarding the Western border.

Wei Xiren hadn't even known known that Nie Tianzong had been in Shejin for the past seven years; she'd assumed she was in the capital, her political career going smoothly. Wei Xiren swayed, mumbling, "How could—"

"Jiangjun." Qi Shou'an hurried to support Wei Xiren, helplessness flashing in her gaze.

Just in time, the sound of a bird's warbling rose from her ear, and a pitch-black xuanya made a circle and settled on Wei Xiren's shoulder. She forced herself to take out the strip of paper in the tube on its leg, and a look of gratification rose on her face.

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