บท 35: Chapter 35
บรรณาธิการ: Nyoi-Bo Studio
The lady reached out her finger and touched the first golden box. The man's eyebrows had been stained by blood, colored dark red. His eyes were shut, as if he was in slumber. The bridge of his nose was upright and his lips were stiffened, as if he had something to say but could not.
The lady looked at her husband, her finger feeling at where his body was supposed to be. She did not cry, but only looked down, smiling gently. She said, "This is my husband, the hereditary feudal lord of Yan Bei. The 24th generation of Emperor Pei Luo's descendants! The marshal of the northwestern region of the royal empire. The 576th tablet position within Cheng Guang Temple in Sheng Jin Palace! The King of Yan Bei—Yan Shicheng."
The snowflakes landed on the lady's eyelashes but did not melt. Her face appeared pale, but her voice retained its gentleness. She looked at the severed head of her husband, as if he could somehow miraculously open his eyes to smile at her. Her hand caressed his face, locating a small scar by his earlobe. It was aged, and had almost faded away.
"This scar was inflicted by a sword at Sheng Jin Palace's You Wei Gate, in the year when the king of Cang Lan rebelled. That year, the Emperor fell victim to a plot and ingested the Spectral Grass, causing him to lose all his strength. Shicheng and General Meng fought their way inside the palace through the eastern and western gates to rescue him. Shicheng found the Emperor, who was still the Crown Prince then. He carried the unconscious Emperor and escaped the palace, breaking through a cavalry of 300 troops all alone. He suffered over 20 stab wounds all over his body, only managing to walk again after recuperating for half a year on his bed. That year, he had just turned 17.
"Over here. This was left during the battle at White Horse Pass," The lady placed her hand on a distinct, red scar, continuing, "In the year 756 of the Bai Cang calendar, the royal empire conducted a ritual to honor an ancestral temple at Yao Shui. All the nobles, elders and relatives of the royal family were present at the scene. However, the king of Pu Jiang took the chance to create chaos, betraying the empire by opening the Southwestern Pass for the people of Quan Rong. 30 thousand Quan Rong soldiers surrounded Yao Shui. After Shi Cheng heard the news, he gathered his army and departed from Yan Bei, not dismounting from his horse for seven days and seven nights straight. As a result of him taking the initiative, he managed to avert the crisis at Yao Shui. Your Emperor swore at the peak of Yao Shui's White Horse Mountain that the royal empire and Yan Bei would be inseparable allies for generations to come. Most of you were present at that scene."
The officials of the royal empire below the stage were shook. The past issues which had been swept under the carpet had been dug up, and were exposed to everyone in broad daylight. Their aged, blurred eyes also replayed the scenes of that day many years ago. The sunset was pale; the lion flags of Yan Bei flew high in the air, celebrating the annihilation of the Quan Rong barbarians. At that time, they were all young, and excitedly joined in the celebrations by patting the young man on the shoulder and partying with wine.
"Here. This wound, General Meng, was inflicted by you personally on the 16th day of the fourth month at Huo Lei Plains. General, you are in the prime of your life. You are adept at warfare and decisive in killing. Surely, you would be able to recognize your own sword. Would you not know if this wound was inflicted by you, or whether this person is Yan Shicheng?"
Meng Tian was suddenly rendered speechless, his face like stone.
"I can confirm that this person is my husband, the king of Yan Bei, Yan Shicheng, without a doubt." Finishing her sentence, she closed the golden box with a loud thud, turning around and walked towards the next box.
"This is my son, the hereditary prince of Yan Bei. The 25th generation of Emperor Pei Luo's descendants. The envoy of the royal empire's Northwest Township. The 577th tablet position within Cheng Guang Temple in Sheng Jin Palace. The eldest son of Yan Shicheng, the king of Yan Bei—Yan Ting. He was 21 this year. He joined the army at age 13, working his way up from the lower ranks. He was promoted 24 times in eight years, and prevented 67 invasions by the people of Quan Rong. He earned countless credit in battle, receiving seven awards from Sheng Jin Palace and the Elders' Clan. At 18, he was appointed as the envoy of Guan Bai Township, leading an army to protect the northern borders of the royal empire. He did not put a foot wrong. On the 14th day of the fourth month, he was trampled on by tens of thousands of horses and disfigured to the point that it was hard to identify him.
"This is my son, the hereditary prince of Yan Bei. The 25th generation of Emperor Pei Luo's descendants. The vice envoy of the royal empire's Northwest Township. The 578th tablet position within Cheng Guang Temple in Sheng Jin Palace. The third son of Yan Shicheng, the king of Yan Bei—Yan Xiao. He was 16 this year. He joined the army at age 13, following his father from south to north in combat. He tamed the barbarians at the northern border three times valiantly, never retreating once. He suffered over 40 knife wounds for the people of Yan Bei. On the 16th day of the fourth month, he was maimed with a trebuchet by the western troops. His spine was broken, both his legs were severed, and he bled to death.
"This…this is my daughter." The lady's voice suddenly choked. The head in the golden box was pale green and swollen, indicating that it had been submerged in water. Purplish blood stains could be seen at the corner of the eyes and the nostrils. "The hereditary princess of Yan Bei. The 25th generation of Emperor Pei Luo's descendants. The 579th tablet position within Cheng Guang Temple in Sheng Jin Palace. The eldest daughter of Yan Shicheng, the king of Yan Bei—Yan Hongxiao. On the 16th day of the fourth month, she attempted to rescue her mother who had been abducted. When she rode past a lake on her horse, she was captured and gang-raped to death by the western troops' Fourth Field Army, led by Muhe Xitian. Her corpse was thrown into the lake afterwards."
The snowstorm became much heavier at this instant. The lady's voice sounded increasingly melancholic and shrill, her face turning increasingly pale. Her words reflected her extreme sorrow. As the wind raged on, scattering the snow about, countless vultures flapped their wings in unison, striking at the pitch-black sky with the black flags.
"These are the warriors of Yan Bei. They colluded with the enemy to betray the empire. They are corrupt officials and traitors. General Meng, continue with the execution!"
A gigantic bronze cauldron was carried atop the platform. The flames burned brightly within the cauldron. Meng Tian, frowning, declared deeply, "Carry on with the execution!"
24 boxes were thrown into the bronze cauldron together. Yan Xun, with a fiery look in his eyes, let out a beast-like howl, preparing to stand up and dash forward.
The royal guards neatly advanced forward and blocked Yan Xun's path. Chu Qiao gripped his body tightly, no longer able to suppress her tears which were starting to flow. The young man in her embrace knelt on the ground, sounding utterly devastated. He reached out his veiny fists and started to pound the stone ground of Jin Chi Square, unaware that blood was oozing out of his hands. His piercing cries were terrifying and heartbreaking.
The lady turned around, looking at the burning bronze cauldron. Her tears, which she had tried so hard to suppress, started to trickle. She reached out her hand and gently caressed the exterior of the cauldron. Her expression was pale and fallen. Turning back, she glanced at her son below the stage before looking back at Meng Tian. She said slowly, "Brother Meng, I only have my last child alive. Tell that person not to forget what he said."
Meng Tian shivered from head to toe. Upon hearing her call him "Brother Meng", it was as if he had been transported back 30 years ago. He was able to remain emotionless at even the most melancholic words, but this simple salutation caused his hands to tremble non-stop. He wanted to walk forward and call out, "Bai Sheng…"
Suddenly, the lady in white turned around swiftly, and banged her head on the bronze cauldron!
"Bai Sheng!"
"Mother!"
Countless gasps sounded out from the crowd of over 10 thousand present on Jin Chi Square. Blood oozed freely from the lady's forehead. Her hand held onto the cauldron, then she collapsed on the ground softly.
"Quick! Quick! Call a physician!" Meng Tian panicked, ordering his guards below. He held the lady in his arms, his stern expression gone.
"Mother!" Yan Xun shouted and staggered up Jiu You Platform, leaping towards the lady and roughly shoving the general aside.
The weather was stormy. The plants had no choice but to weather the storm. Thunder erupted from the horizon while the northern winds howled closer to the ground. The heavy snow continued to fall. The lady opened her eyes slowly and looked at the child's face. She gave a gentle smile, but in doing so, more blood spurted out from her mouth.
"Mother!" Yan Xun's eyes teared. His hands made contact with fresh blood wherever he touched. In despair, he hollered, "Why? Why must you do this? Father is no longer around, Big Brother is longer around, everyone is not around anymore! Now, even you are leaving me? Mother! Why?"
The lady's tears slowly trickled down her face. With great difficulty, she raised her hand and intertwined it with her child's. "Xun'er…promise me you will live on even if it is worse than death. Don't forget. You still have a lot of things to accomplish."
"Mother!"
The look in the lady's eyes suddenly became lifeless. She lay on the black cymbidium stone. The flowers on her white outfit were stained with blood, like a plum blossom in full bloom. Her face was as white as cymbidium to the point that it was almost transparent. She smiled lightly, her voice was barely audible as she said, "I always thought that the place I loved most was the Clearwater Cliff in the Tang Empire. That place has no winter, no snow and no seasons. However, I now know that I was wrong. Everything that I love is in Yan Bei. Now, I am going back to find it."
In an instant, she seemingly saw the sunny skies above the thick layers of dark clouds. She saw the vast, distant plains of Yan Bei. The man, his eyes beaming, was riding on his horse, approaching her from afar. His voice travelled along with the sunshine, reverberating around the green plains. The mountains in the distance echoed with him in unison. "AhSheng…
"AhSheng, I want to give the best things in the world to you. Tell me, what do you like most?" The man sat on his horse, questioning jovially.
Fool, I already had the best things in the world long ago: our family, our child and our Yan Bei.
Her arms lifelessly fell. The cold northern winds ravaged the upper skies of Zhen Huang. The vultures circling in the sky followed the flow of the wind, their feathers scattered about, descending with the snowflakes to the ground together.
"Mother!" The young man held the lady's body tightly. Her eyes were lifeless as she entered eternal slumber.
Chu Qiao stood beside him, clenching her fists, the blood drained from her face. The cold wind raged on, messing up the child's hair in front of her. She suddenly looked up, staring sharply towards the north where Sheng Jin Palace was located. The majestic structure over there in the distance reeked of oppression.
That day, she felt as if she had been stabbed in the heart by a sharp thorn. She clenched her fists tightly, stiffened her lips, not uttering a single word for a long time. However, she knew that through all the suffering and hardship, she would grow to be more resilient. With time, she would bear the fruits of her labor!
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