On Feng Qi Slope, the imperial guar

On Feng Qi Slope, the imperial guards were constantly busy with the task in hand, one soldier was running around as he gave out commands, besides him, another soldier suddenly speaks up in interception: “Vice-Captain, is it possible to give the soldiers a rest, it has already been an entire day and night, our fellow brothers are all tired.”

The soldier addressed as Vice-Captain shows a face of reluctance, he could not help but to look towards the left where the high slope was, without even making a move, he turns his head to answer: “No resting. Have you not seen Prime Minister Lou’s face, do none of you want to live anymore?” Thinking back to how reporting back to the Prime Minister yesterday has resulted in this, he secretly lets out a sigh. Ever since he realised that the one who fell down the valley was Madam Lou, Prime Minister Lou immediately entered a state of icy wrath, and as time goes on, he is looking worse and worse.

The reporting soldier also feels an infinite amount of mixed feelings, quietly speaking of his complaints: “This huge fire at Feng Qi Slope has been fuelled for longer than a day before it was finally extinguished, even the skies have already darkened now, there’s just no way for us to go down in search for people.”

Hearing this, the vice-captain also lets out a sigh, saying: “There’s no other choice, if we really can’t find the person, we can only be afraid that……” The following words just couldn’t be spoken out loud, just thinking of it would give one the chills.

The soldier was helpless, glancing over towards the area the prime minister stands, an inexplicable chill running up his spine, he suddenly turns his head back and says: “Oh yeah, what do we do about that youth?” His voice low, revealing a hint of weariness.

The vice-captain raises his brows, the thought of the youth who rushed here by horse, during late noon yesterday, brought upon a headache. Ever since the prime minister notified his residence of the matter regarding Madam Lou’s fall down the mountain valley, at noon, a young man came rushing in by horse, just when he had dismounted from the horse, the horse because of being overworked, dropped dead, thinking back to that scene, he can still vividly picture it in front of him.

A youth like that, anyone who sees him would not be able to forget him, they say he is the prime minister’s star pupil, a man of talent, what is even more rare is his characteristic quality, like that of pure water, he truly is a delicately handsome young man ah! Being a soldier for so many years, only in these past two days did he manage to see the most outstanding characters. Yesterday, he was even wondering, could it be that all the outstanding characters have all gathered within the Lou Estate?

Someone like that approachable yet handsome youth, no one would dislike right? Once he had arrived, he was extremely anxious, as though there was some kind of painful suffering haunting him, hence him insisting on heading to the bottom of the valley. Clearly a frail scholar, who would dare to let him take such dangerous risk, not to mention that Feng Qi Slope yesterday was still engulfed in flames, and then the most bizarre thing happened, that youth appears to have transformed into stone as he stands on the mountain slope all night, eating nothing, drinking nothing, saying nothing, seeing him again this morning, he looks like a completely different person from yesterday.

Seeing him yesterday, he was a youth with incomparable purity, such handsomeness had even slightly crossed the boundaries of gender, but the him today, with hair that’s long been blown into a mess by the wind, his face a little haggard, the crystal clear eyes of yesterday were now filled with deep and heavy feelings, with an added touch of ice-like chilliness. Has the youth turned into a man overnight? Can one night really change someone this much?

“Vice-Captain, that youth is truly frightening, he was not like this yesterday.” A solider speaks up in helplessness, “He’s already not eaten anything for an entire day and night, should we send something over to him?”

The vice-captain nods his head, then again, shakes it, saying: “Leave it to me.” He takes hold of the bamboo basket from the soldier’s hand, and walks towards the slope edge on the right, he had yet to reach the youth, when the youth turns his head to him, asking: “Can we head down the valley yet?” Just a day before, he still had a clear and crisp voice, today, it already changed into a tone of frost-like cold.

Shaking his head, the vice-captain was just about hand over the food, but sees the youth turn away without a single glance at it, just continuing to stare down the valley, letting out an exasperated sigh inside, the vice-captain observes the youth, originally wanting to make a move, when he suddenly thought that any persuasion is of no use right now, and so he keeps his mouth shut.

The youth’s hair is swept up by the mountain-side wind, one half of his face has stiffened up overnight, his eyes because of his fixed determination appears indomitable, deep and unfathomable, his finely chiselled facial features lost its water-like clearness and purity, but has instead gained an indescribable touch of emotionlessness and stubbornness, one overnight change has revealed a different type of sinister handsomeness to him, making others unable to look away.

******

This is Feng Qi Slope, standing here, one can have the entire mountain valley reflected in their eyes, the skies have long darkened, only a vast scene of black can be seen, like looking down a bottomless black hole, unable to see anything, he stands still, for a long long time, exactly how long has it been?

The winds were very strong, like bursts of roaring by the ear, all other sound can no longer be heard. She is down there, at the bottom of the valley, did anything happen to her? Once he thinks of such things, his heart would suffer great pain, as though he’s lost a piece of it, a truly unforgettable pain[1], paining him to such extent, he can no longer think, only able to stand aside, helpless as he absently stares down the deep valley……

That day, he first met her, it was also a dark night like this……

……

The performance troupe was heading into the imperial palace to deliver an opera performance, the troupe leader was extremely excited, saying how Kun Yuan Performance Troupe will be the number one troupe from hereon, everyone within the troupe were exceptionally happy, only him, only he was unable to integrate into the happiness.

He was born in a declining scholarly family, living in poverty since young, perhaps it is because of the influence of his father, he has no desires nor demands by nature, and everyone praises his generous and pure temperament, but who would have thought that he is also as deep as water inside, clear and transparent, selfless, anyone can be reflected on the water surface, but once the person leaves, their traces will also disappear, all along, he has been searching, what is it he himself wants? Exactly who will be able to leave a lasting impression in his heart?