Governor’s Illness

Chapter 133: The Return of the Soul (the finale)

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How many winds, frosts, rains and snows do people have to go through to reach the other side of bliss

The noise of cicadas is like tinnitus, ladybugs rustling over fingertips, kudzu vines spread over the roots of old locust trees, Xia Houlin hears the elderberry swaying in his ears, and the tips of grass brush against his ears Side, numb itching. There is also the sound of the stream, clattering, wild ducks quacking in the water.

He opened his eyes in confusion and got up from the ground. There is a small stream in front of it, with a few big round stones in the middle, the shadows of the old locust trees, and the clear moonlight leaking from the leaf gap, slightly dazzling. The moon is in the sky, the dome is a light blue-gray, and there are big black shadows of mountains in the distance.

He remembered this, this was Old Garan.

He walked through that creek. In summer, he liked to play in the water in only a pair of shorts. He was tanned all over his body. People passing by called him "big black boy". He remembered that he was only five years old when he crossed the river for the first time. He didn't dare to cross the river. Brother Qiu led him, followed by the chickens raised at home. Everyone swayed and chatted across the river together. He also remembered the old locust tree by the river. He often squatted on the branch and held a slingshot to aim at the passing assassins. He would hit anyone who said bad things about his mother behind his back.

Further ahead is the knife mound, where he dug the grave of the assassin Tang Lan. Daozuka moved forward, and through a forest was his small bamboo building. Master Qiu's small courtyard was not far away. From his house, you could see the thatched roof of Qiu's house. Fei, Master Qiu has to rebuild the thatched roof every year. Going up a few steps from the soil slope next to the thatched cottage, you can see the Jialan Mountain Steps. Going up the mountain steps is a dilapidated mountain temple of Jialan. He once accidentally burned the temple because of firecrackers. It was killing his heart. Once angry with him, he was hung on the mountain gate to blow the wind all night.

He spent a long time here, chasing cats and dogs, plucking the feathers of other people's hens, until at the age of twenty, he killed Heartkiller and defected to Garan.

Is this dreaming? He thought, is the soul returning home

Xia Houlin stepped on the stone and swayed across the stream like many, many years ago. His tender face was reflected in the rushing water. A twelve-year-old child, his eyes were like stars, and everything had not yet begun. He crossed the creek, through the knives, the long rusted knives densely packed, the assassins' tombstones slumbering silently in the moonlight. He walked through the small bamboo forest, pushed open the fence of his own small bamboo building, and the memories of the past rushed to his face.

Here are his most cruel and fierce years, where he grew up, set out, and walked all the way to his tombstone.

The small courtyard under the moonlight is bluish-white, and the fireflies are dotted like stars falling from the sky. A large locust tree grew by the fence, and under the tree was his mother's tombstone. A tall woman in black stood opposite the tombstone, holding her arms, and leaning against her shoulders with a long black sheathed knife in the crook of her elbow. Fireflies circled around her, circling as if they would never stop.

Xiahou burst into tears.

Is it a dream, or maybe he's dead, dead, that's why he can be reunited with her,

Xia Houlin walked over while crying, but stopped a few steps away from her, looking at her slender back from a vision hazy with tears.

She turned around in the shade of the tree, still with that terrifyingly beautiful face, still with a cynical smile, and her dark eyebrows were as sharp as knives, as if they were about to cut through the long night.

"Why don't you come?" she asked.

"I'm afraid," Xia Houlin said sobbing, "I'm afraid that as soon as I pass by, you will become a firefly and fly away."

"My mother-in-law is not an immortal, and she flew away." Xia Hou Pei sighed helplessly, walked over by himself, squatted in front of Xia Hou Lian, and tapped his forehead, "It's useless, crying like this."

The suffocating sadness that was buried deep in his heart was finally unstoppable, like a raging tide flooding out, Xia Houlu used all his strength to hug Xia Houpei tightly, and wept in her arms. The tragic scenes of the past appeared in front of him, the broken limbs, broken bones, and godless eyes stared at him silently on the streets full of sunset. The ashes were poured into the knife furnace, and the fluttering white ashes were dyed with sparks, like fireflies flying.

"Mother—" he cried bitterly, tears covering his face, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry."

At this moment, he seemed to have returned for many years. He was the boy who had never held a sword before, a helpless child.

"Silly boy," Xia Houpei patted the top of Xia Houlin's head, "you are doing well, everything is fine."

Xiahou Pei led him to the cliff, and the two of them sat down cross-legged and looked at the grass and the mountains under the moon.

Xia Hou Pei opened a pot of wine, Xia Hou Lin was still sniffing, she punched him on top of the head, "Don't cry, they are all people with daughters-in-law, they are still so weak. Cry again and hurt you."

"You all know that I have a daughter-in-law?" Xia Houlin covered his head, "I don't cry in front of my daughter-in-law."

"Both of you kowtowed before my spirit, and I'm not blind." Xiahou Pei took a sip of wine, "Forget it, men and women are the same, and I don't expect you to stay, as long as you like it. Young couple Are you getting along well, don't quarrel?"

"It's not noisy, people are virtuous, I said he wouldn't dare to go west." Xiahou Rin said, "It's a pity you went early, or let him bring you tea and water, and listen to your mother-in-law's scriptures, how comfortable you are."

Xiahou Pei looked at him with some surprise, "Okay, you kid, I thought you were an ear rake, but I didn't expect to underestimate you." Xiahou Pei patted him on the shoulder and said, "It's good to be virtuous, and so can you. Don't be shy, he is a young master from a scholarly family, and if he is willing to follow you, you can secretly have fun."

Xia Houlin nodded again and again, "Mum, what you said is true."

"I have prepared the house for you. You can earn a couple of dollars by yourself, and hire a few servants to serve others. They are young masters, not materials for work. Don't let people do rough work, and let them embroider at home. It's good to recite poetry. You have to read more books yourself, and the couple must have something to say about their lives. Others read a few poems to you, but you can't understand them in a daze."

"He hasn't read poetry much for a long time." Xia Houlin explained, "Don't worry, we have a lot to talk about, and we can't stop the conversation."

Xiahou Pei nodded, and said again: "Our family owes others a lot, you usually have to let them a little more, if you can't help arguing in the future, you can just go out and go out and calm down by yourself, don't make trouble with others. "

Xia Houlin said he knew, "Young master has a good temper. He is gentle and considerate. We never get angry."

"Okay, then I'm relieved."

The mountain wind blew under the cliff, the grass and insects chirped, the night was vast and endless, and thousands of stars flickered silently above their heads. Two shadows, one tall and the other short, stretched out diagonally, Xia Houlin looked down, and he had been refusing this kind of tranquility for many years.

"Mother," Xia Houlin looked at his toes, "I have a lot to tell you, but I don't know how to say it."

"Then don't talk about it."

Xia Houlin was startled and turned to look at Xiahou Pei. Her hair was blown by the mountain wind. When Xia Houlin saw her look over, her eyes fell on him, and there was a smile on her lips. There was no usual ill will, no usual cynicism, that was the first time Xia Houlin saw the tenderness in her eyes.

She put her hand on top of his head and said, "My mother, I used to worry that you, this kid, can't succeed in martial arts, and your swordsmanship is mediocre. I'm afraid that you won't be able to survive in the Jialan killing field. The dog fights people's power. With your mother, I have a little ability. But fortunately, you have grown up now, and you are a man of the sky. Your sword kills the people you want to kill, and protects the people you want to protect. From now on, no one can easily hurt you. So Xiaolin, I can rest assured of all your choices."

"But mother..." Xiahou said hoarsely, "it's too late, you're already dead."

"The revenge that should be avenged has been avenged, the debt that should be repaid has been repaid, so there is only one thing left," Xiahou Pei said, rubbing his head, "Forgive yourself."

Xia Houlin looked at her with tears in her eyes, her face was full of murderous intent, only a clean smile remained.

"Okay," Xiahou Pei stood up and put his hand on the pergola and looked at the distant mountains, "The time has come, I should go."

Xia Houlin's tears flowed even more fiercely, and he threw himself into Xiahou Pei's arms, "I can't bear you."

Xiahou Pei picked up his collar and said with a headache, "You brat, it's not enough to praise you a few words."

Xia Houlin sobbed in her arms, out of breath from crying.

"Okay, okay, dreams always have a head." Xiahou Pei pushed him away.

"Will we meet again?" Xia Houlin asked, looking up.

Xiahou Pei smiled softly and said, "Yaoer, I'll give you one last lesson for my mother. The name of this lesson is... Farewell."

She suddenly lifted her leg and kicked Xia Houlin off the cliff by her. His body suddenly lost his support. The mountain wind blew in his ears. When he fell uncontrollably, he saw Xiahou Pei turn around with the wine. Walking into the long night, he raised his left arm and waved as he walked.

That was her last goodbye, just like in those days.

"mother-"

His body fell rapidly, and he looked up at the bright stars in the sky. The past years appeared before us. Two teenagers from the Xie Mansion in Jinling hugged in the snow to keep warm. The static iron in the red wall of the imperial palace cut through the rolled locust leaves, and the Jialan Mountain Temple pulled the wire to kill the heart. He and Shen Jue watched side by side in the Shen Mansion. The Milky Way flows... Finally, the assassins on the top of the snow-capped mountains are corpse in the wilderness, blood flowing into rivers.

The wind whistled, and in a trance, he heard the call of the old man again, and the mourning soul passed him by shouting.

"Small-"

He closed his eyes and said with tears:

"goodbye."

——

Feng Duo jingled, a long string of small pieces, floating far away. He forgot how long it had been, and his consciousness was blurred, as if he was sinking in the water, and all the voices came through a layer of mist. Sometimes he could hear the wind rustling against the bamboo curtains, the rustling of the branches outside the window, the children chasing and laughing outside, and sometimes he could hear the distant barking of dogs, and the howling of wild cats from time to time.

More often, he seems to have become thousands of floating threads, floating in the dark current, unable to condense, and can only follow the current. At other times, his consciousness is slightly clearer, and he hears the voices of people outside, some familiar and some unfamiliar. He's been looking for a familiar voice, looking forward to it ringing. He caught every sound, just to wait for the man to speak.

"A few days ago, I met a missionary from Folangji. He said that their medical skills are very different from ours in Daqi. I was thinking that maybe they would have a way."

The thread of consciousness condensed, and he heard Shen Jue's voice.

"Going to Fulang is going to the West, the sea is difficult and dangerous, the Xiahou brothers are inconvenient to move, and the safety is unpredictable. I don't think it is appropriate." A woman's voice.

"Well, what you said makes sense, I'll think about it again."

"I'm going to Miaojiang next month. I have a friend from Miao Village who said that he once encountered someone who ate twigs by mistake and survived, but he was in a coma all the year round. You might as well wait for me to come back and make plans."

The voice faded away, and he fell into an inexplicable haze again. The fallen leaves fell in his ears, and the sky was filled with the sound of flying leaves. He felt the sun was shining on him warmly, and there was a person sitting beside him, silent, but he seemed to be able to feel the sad eyes of that person, silently. He held him tightly, never leaving for a moment.

Years passed by, and after an unknown amount of time, he regained consciousness. A slight wind blew his hair, the sunlight outside shone in, and the backs of his hands were warm. He felt a little hot, moved his fingers slightly, opened his eyelids a little bit, the bed curtain was not closed, and the light came in unscrupulously, like a knife slicing on his eyelids, he covered his eyes with his hands, and slowly got used to the bright light, Just sat up on the bed.

Just woke up, my mind is still confused. He was stunned for a while before raising his eyes to look in front of him. A three-sapphire-like flower carpet, a table with eight immortals and a few small tadpoles, and a celadon vase on the short table, with a ** flower inserted in it. The incense burnt in the gilt incense burner, and the smoke rose up. He stood up barefoot, but when his legs went weak, he fell off his feet. He stood up with the tadpole, and waited until he had slowed down before he could move. The beaded curtain on the floor-to-ceiling cover was lifted, and a bookcase was placed outside, with bookshelves on all sides, full of blue-leather classics. He looked at the bookcase, and it was full of brick-like books, some spread out and some co-authored. The open book was densely handwritten, and there were many small notes made by cinnabar. He leaned over and looked at it for a while, and the words were crooked and crowded together like ants. He didn't know what was written.

He turned a few pages and turned to a naked woman, her stomach half open, revealing her colorful intestines.

Xia Houlin: "..."

What Shen Jue was looking at couldn't be a cult...

Xia Houlin closed the book.

He opened the door and slowly crossed the threshold. In front of him was a small yard. There were two water tanks in the open space, and a few kangaroos were floating in them. The yard was very familiar, but he was confused and couldn't remember much. A little boy riding a wooden horse under the steps stared at him blankly, a string of shiny snot flowing from his nose.

Xia Houlin squatted down and waved at him, "Little baby, come here, uncle asks you..."

"Mother!" the child shouted and ran out, "Uncle Xiahou is awake! He is awake!"

This child looks a little shabby, definitely not Shen Jue's kind. Xia Houlin thought silently.

The child did not call the adults, but called two children. A group of people rushed into the yard. The oldest one, who was only twelve or thirteen years old, rushed up and cried.

"Uncle Xiahou!"

Xia Houlin recognized it for a long time, and hesitantly called out, "Miaozhen?"

"And me, I'm Situ Nongyu! Uncle Xiahou, do you remember me?" Another girl came over.

"Remember," Xia Houlin touched her head, "is your mother okay? Have you returned from Miaojiang?"

"What?" Sister Yu blinked and said, "My mother went to Miaojiang last year, and she came back early."

Xia Houlin was stunned for a moment before he could react. He dared to say that what he heard was something from last year. Xia Houlin asked again, "Where's the Governor?"

"The Governor?" Sister Yu and Miaozhen looked at each other, Miaozhen said, "The Governor is in the capital."

"Where are we, not in the capital?"

"Not here!" Sister Yu said, "This is Jinling."

Xia Houlin was a little disappointed, Shen Jue went to Beijing, and he couldn't see him for a while.

"Ah!" Miaozhen said suddenly, "Aunt Lianxiang went to buy vegetables, I forgot to send someone to tell the master that Uncle Xiahou is awake."

Sister Yu shouted: "Then go!"

Miaozhen turned his head and ran away, Xiahou Rong looked at Lingding's small courtyard, the two jars of lily swaying in the wind, slowly overlapping with the dry lotus in his memory. Xia Houlin suddenly thought of something, stopped Miaozhen and asked, "Is the master you're talking about Shen Jue?"

Miaozhen turned around and said, "That's the old name of the master, and the master is now called Xie Jinglan."

"So this is..." Xia Houlin touched the doorpost, the black paint reflecting on his face, "Jinling Xie Mansion."

Time went round and round, as if drawing a circle of the boss, and returned to the original point. When the wind blew through the courtyard, he seemed to see the old boy in plain clothes and white clothes sitting in the porch and studying hard, while another boy in linen clothes squatted at his feet, fighting crickets and playing with grasshoppers. Years flowed endlessly by their side, far away.

Xia Houlin's heart was surging, his eyes were slightly wet, but he laughed again.

"Miaozhen, where is the master, take me to see him."

"it is good!"

Miaozhen and Jie Yu took Xia Houlin out from the corner door. There was a lot of people outside the alley, and the hawkers were louder than ever. Sister Yu was chatting about the past few years. It has been three years since the Battle of Snow Mountain. All the officials who smoked the fruit of bliss were all dismissed, and all the flowers in Shuobei were burned. Shen Jue took the unconscious Xia Houlin back to the Xie family's old house, the court approved his resignation, and he returned to Xie Jinglan's real name. Shen Wenxing was placed under the seal of the Supervisor of Literacy, the little emperor was still playing with things, and Zhang Zhao's reform was still in progress.

Miaozhen said that Xie Jinglan had just proofread Mr. Dai's manuscript yesterday and took it to Baoyuelou to discuss with the owner of the bookstore for publication. It's just noon now, and he should still be eating.

They squatted on the edge of the archway in Baoyuelou and waited. Miaozhen bought three biscuits with money, one for each of the three. After waiting for a long time, Xie Jinglan didn't come out either. It was probably because they encountered difficulties during the negotiation. The noon sunshine moves on the relief of the archway and becomes the afternoon sunshine. Xia Houlin looked at the hustle and bustle of people, fighting with his eyelids up and down, and fell asleep.

Jie Yu and Miaozhen fell asleep leaning on the marble seat, and Xia Houlin was still supporting them. Later, I felt thirsty again. Looking back at the door of Baoyuelou, there was still no sign of Xie Jinglan. Xia Houlin went to a shop across the street to ask for a bowl of water to drink. The boss is so nice, he added mint leaves to it, and the taste is refreshing. After thanking him, he came out. There was a person standing beside the archway, talking to Sister Yu and Miaozhen. That person was dressed in plain clothes, not wearing a mana robe with makeup and woven gold, nor a luan belt embellished with jade, just a plain-colored cloud brocade, taking off the dignity and coldness all over his body, but still like a person walking down from the sky , like someone who came out of his dream.

Sister Yu pointed at him, and the man turned around and looked at him from a distance.

He saw the surprise in Xie Jinglan's eyes, like the evening wind swept away thin ice, and a pond of spring waves melted past.

Xia Houlu clumsily dodged the endless chariots, horses and crowds, squeezed past the vendors holding the candied gourd skewers, and bypassed the men and women holding children. Xie Jinglan stood under the archway and looked at him, sweat dripping from his wheat-colored face in the sun, crystal clear and almost transparent. At that moment, all the thoughts of white butterflies rushed towards him, Xie Jinglan handed over the manuscript to Miaozhen and walked over. Xia Houlin avoided a peddler carrying a pole, turned around, and suddenly fell into someone's arms.

The heartbeat suddenly stopped at that moment.

It seemed as if he had waited for ten thousand years, and he finally embraced him again.

"Xiahou Lin, you're back."

"Well, I'm back."

"Are you going this time?"

"Don't go."

never go away.

The sun became extremely bright, and the time extended infinitely at that moment. The crowds and carriages and horses came and went around them and turned into phantoms, as if the years were flowing away. They embraced each other, the vast world and endless time stretched out under their feet, only them, eternal.

(End of text)

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