Extra 1
Three days after the wedding, according to folk customs, as long as the empress returns to her parents' home to visit her relatives, the empresses of all dynasties would allow her relatives to visit her in the palace. However, You Shu had no so-called "parents' home" to return to. He was an orphan in ancient times and had no parents or family members.
However, You Shu still asked Xiao Weixin for permission to leave the palace.
"The Shadow Guard Battalion has been disbanded. I... want to go see them off."
Xiao Weixin was almost obedient to him. Seeing Xiao Shu eagerly looking forward to seeing him, how could he not agree? "Then go ahead and have a good chat with them."
"You don't have to rush back tonight."
He knew that Xiao Shu must have a lot to talk about with those people, and might not be able to come back for a while.
"yes."
So You Shu took the token to leave the palace, but did not let anyone follow him and left the palace alone.
The Lingwang Mansion is now ownerless. Some of the servants inside have entered the palace, but most of them have dispersed. Xiao Weixin did not treat them badly, so the once huge mansion is now empty with no one to be seen.
You Shu pushed open the familiar door, followed the road in his memory that he had walked thousands of times, and stood outside the courtyard of the Shadow Guard Camp again.
It was only a month since he left, but You Shu felt as if he had been away for many years. Standing outside the courtyard, he actually had the illusion of being homesick. Perhaps he was too late, and they had already left and did not wait for him.
You Shu walked in hesitantly. Every blade of grass and every tree he saw was familiar to him. Looking around, he really didn't see a single living creature. He sighed softly, cursing those brats inwardly for being disloyal and running away without even saying hello. They had no conscience.
He first walked around the martial arts arena, looking at the swords, spears, and halberds still standing in their original places. Somehow, the scenes of their hard training here in the past slowly emerged in front of his eyes. You Shu raised his hand and stroked the mottled pillars one by one with nostalgia, his eyes full of nostalgia.
"Hey, who is this~"
Suddenly, a familiar voice came from behind me, with a rising tone, which seemed a bit unserious.
As soon as You Shu heard it, he knew that this must be the unreliable guy from Ying Wu.
He turned around immediately, but was stunned. There was a group of people standing in front of him, all familiar faces.
Ying Er knocked Ying Wu's head and gently reprimanded: "Old Third is now His Highness the Thousand Years Old, so don't be disrespectful like this."
Yingwu snorted in dissatisfaction, "Then do we still have to kneel down and salute him?"
You Shu was a little confused by their appearance, "You didn't leave?"
Ying Si walked over and slapped him on the back: "How can you leave without even seeing you? How heartless can you be?"
They all knew that the emperor was so merciful and let them live only for the third brother. They were not ungrateful people and wanted to see him again no matter what.
You Shu felt a little warm in his heart, but at the same time he noticed that they were no longer wearing the black clothes that symbolized their status as Shadow Guards in the previous Shadow Guard Camp, and each of them had a large bag on their shoulders, which seemed to indicate that they were planning to go on a long journey.
"We've been waiting for you here for three days." Ying Liu also followed. "Old Eight cried and said he couldn't predict whether he could still wait for you, but we all believed that you would definitely come back, so we stayed here all the time."
You Shu's eyes became hot, and he asked in a low voice: "What if I don't come?"
"Why wouldn't you come?" Ying Si curled his lips, "You are the most loyal person in the whole camp. If you don't come, you won't be yourself."
You Shu lowered his head and smiled, then remained silent for a while, "Are you planning to leave?"
It was useless to ask this question. The bag was already rolled up, which clearly meant that they were leaving. When Xiao Weixin left them a way to live, he also gave them two choices. One was to take a large sum of resettlement money and leave forever and never return to Beijing, and the other was to follow him into the palace and continue to serve as a guard in front of the palace, with a salary of the fourth rank, which was also considered an official title.
But none of them chose to enter the palace.
"Yes." Yingba nodded. "After discussing it, we all felt that entering the palace was meaningless. It would just be a change of cages."
Ying Qi silently kicked him from behind, and Ying Si also spoke up: "It's not like we haven't thought about entering the palace to accompany you, but... we are all men, and you are not a woman who needs protection. We can't help if we go."
"What's more, we have never left here since we were young, so it's time to go out and explore the world."
You Shu nodded: "Yes, then you should go out and see for me whether the world is really as good as described in the opera."
Ying Er patted his shoulder and said, "Although we can't return to Beijing, we can still keep in touch through letters."
In fact, his words were meant to comfort him. This was in ancient times, and it would take several months for a letter to be sent back and forth. Perhaps after this separation, some people would never see each other again in their entire lives, but You Shu knew that everyone had their own life.
Their lives are far away in the beautiful rivers and mountains thousands of miles away, while his life is right beside Xiao Weixin.
"So what are you all planning to do in the future?"
Yingba grinned and said, "I have thought about it. I will find a place where it is easy to cheat and live. I will set up a stall under the bridge to tell fortunes. Maybe one day I will really become a master."
Ying Si also patted his bag with a smile and said, "Thanks to the prince's huge reward, I went to the building to redeem my lover Cui Niang. Now she is waiting for me near the city gate. I will take her to her favorite town in the south of the Yangtze River and buy a house with a yard to live in."
Ying Liu snorted and said, "I'm going south too. People over there love to read storybooks, so there's room for me to develop. I'm sure I'll become a big shot praised by everyone on the streets."
Ying Er is honest and straightforward, and is not suitable for making a living. He said, "I plan to go north. There are many escort agencies there. Maybe I can be a worry-free escort."
Ying Qi was a martial arts fanatic in the past. He still held his sword and said without looking away: "I want to travel around the world and challenge all the masters."
Before Ying Wu could say anything, You Shu spoke up: "Don't go to the casino again. No one will lend you money in the future."
"I gave up a long time ago." Ying Wu rolled his eyes. "I didn't know I could leave the house alive before. It's meaningless. Don't worry, I will live a good life in the future."
You Shu nodded, looked around again, hesitated for a while before asking: "Then...Xiao Shi went to get it?"
Among the group of people, except Yingjiu who was trapped in the desert Xirong and had not returned yet, only Yingshi was not there. Yinger pointed to the back and said, "He has been in a bad mood and did not come with us. You may be able to see him in the bedroom."
"good."
This group of people had been through many dangerous situations together and had survived safely. They were friends for life and death, and many things they understood each other without much explanation.
At this point there was really no need to say more, they both knew that it was time to say goodbye.
Even though he was reluctant, You Shu still stood up and said, "Since I have already met you, I have no regrets."
"I wish you all a long and worry-free future."
"All good things must come to an end. It is worth it for us brothers to meet each other."
"Take care, everyone."
The shadow guards looked at each other, and suddenly knelt down on one knee in unison.
"We are leaving now. May Your Highness live a thousand years and a thousand thousand years!"
This was the first time they showed respect to their master You Shuxing.
Before You Shu could react, those people suddenly stood up and left, so fast that they almost disappeared in a flash.
Soon, he was the only one left in the huge training ground. The group of older boys had already embarked on their own lives, carrying their own bags.
There wasn't even a single sentimental word. None of them were used to crying like a woman when leaving, but not far away they could still vaguely hear Ying Si's wailing, which was gradually fading away.
You Shu raised his hand and rubbed his eyes. He did not stay here and turned to go to the backyard, which was the room where they used to live.
When he opened his little room, he saw a young man inside.
Hearing the noise, Ying Shi, who had been sitting on the edge of the bed with his head down, suddenly stood up in panic. When he saw that it was him, he breathed a sigh of relief, but soon blushed again.
"Third, Third Brother."
You Shu stepped forward, "Why aren't you with them?"
Ying Shi muttered quietly, "I'll wait for you."
"Wait for me?" You Shu was a little confused. "Do you want to tell me something alone?"
Ying Shi shook his head, then nodded: "I don't have anything important to do."
You Shu had rarely communicated with Ying Shi before. He always felt that Xiao Shi always liked to imitate his words and deeds, and he could vaguely sense that he had an inexplicable admiration for him. "Xiao Shi, are you... worried about me?"
Ying Shi blushed for a moment, "Third brother, I'm leaving now."
"I, I want to go out and try my luck in the martial arts world."
You Shu patted his head and said gently, "That's good."
"But the people in the martial arts world are treacherous. Although you are skilled in martial arts, you are still young. You must be more cautious and don't trust anyone easily."
Ying Shi quietly rubbed it under his palm and whispered, "I know."
He raised his eyes and looked at You Shu secretly, and said, "Actually... I have always taken Third Brother as my role model."
"Perhaps you don't remember, but when I was punished by the Shadow Chief to kneel, you passed by and wiped my tears."
"I was only ten years old then."
You Shu didn't remember this at all, but Xiao Shi did, so it happened. "So you remembered it for so long?"
"I felt from that time that you were different from others." Ying Shi summoned up his courage, "They would not stop for me, only you were willing to wipe my tears."
You Shu had never taken a close look at Ying Shi before. He usually spent more time with Ying Si and Ying Liu. Ying Shi was too young to play with them, so he only took a close look at him now.
But we must part eventually.
"I'm so sorry, I really don't remember."
The light in Ying Shi's eyes dimmed.
You Shu took out something from his arms. It was the hidden arrow Ying Shi gave him when he was paralyzed in bed. He brought that thing with him specially and stuffed it into Ying Shi's hand: "Although I really don't remember those things, but... I also hope that you will have a smooth future."
"I gave you this hidden arrow at the beginning, and now I give it to you again for the second time."
"Be good to yourself in the future. Maybe you will become a famous hero in the martial arts world in the future."
"I would be very proud."
Ying Shi held the small sleeve arrow in his hand, and after a moment of silence, he suddenly stepped forward and hugged You Shu, "I'm leaving!"
He carried his bag, rushed out of the narrow wooden door, and disappeared into the sunlight.
You Shu walked out, feeling extremely melancholy.
all gone.