Chapter 6: The Bamboo Dweller's Theory on the World

  After several days, Biying, who had been bedridden for nearly six years, finally got out of bed. I helped her start physical therapy, and after more than a month, she was able to walk more, with only slight shortness of breath, and could do some light housework. I hugged her tightly and laughed, saying "Heaven is just", while she burst into tears, her thin hands clinging tightly to me.

  Unfortunately, among the five of us, only I was by Biying's side. Jinxiu was still burning incense at Famen Temple, Yu Feiyan was guarding the border in the north, and Song Mingkui had been busy lately. I also blamed him for being too strict with me last time, so I decided to give him the cold shoulder and didn't invite him over. As a result, it was this silly girl who missed Song Mingkui so much that she almost went crazy, crying all day long. I couldn't help but take the winter clothes Biying had carefully sewn and reluctantly go to Xiyue to find Song Mingkui.

  I searched for an entire afternoon and finally arrived at a tall grey-walled compound, which was the residence of the Western Barracks' young soldiers. In front of the gate stood two sentry soldiers, who looked like they were only seventeen or eighteen years old. I bowed my knee to one of them and said: "Excuse me, brother, could you please pass on a message for me? I've brought something for my second brother, Song Mingpei."

  That slightly shorter kid heard the three words "Song Ming Pui" and immediately put on a smiling face: "Ah! Big Brother Song mentioned it, this must be Sister Mu Ge!"

  Huh? So Song Ming Lei knew that Bi Ying was cured? He must have known I'd come for her. This postmodern guy is really clever, no wonder they call him the Little Han Xin of Xiying. The little guard who saw me nod said, "My name is Yuan Wu, Big Brother Song told me to bring Sister in."

  As we entered the camp, we passed through the training grounds. Even though it was clearly time for a noon break, there were still many people either practicing archery or engaging in wrestling matches. Under a tree, three or four robust young soldiers were squatting, holding old bowls and chatting in the local dialect, occasionally slurping noodles. When they saw Yuan Wu and me, they stopped what they were doing. A particularly dark-skinned youth, holding an old bowl, stood up. He was twice my size, towering over me like an iron tower, his shadow completely engulfing me. I was startled, but he just grinned mischievously and said, "Wow, Wu Lai Zi, your friend is really handsome!" The people around us burst into loud laughter.

  Yuanwu's face turned bright red, and he jumped up and down: "Huian, don't talk nonsense, this is Song Dage's sworn sister, are you looking for death?" Huian immediately shut up, standing there like a big fool, while everyone looked at me in fear. I just smiled at them without saying anything, and followed Yuanwu quickly, thinking to myself that Song Mingyue was indeed impressive, seemingly having quite some power in the Western Camp.

  That Yu Wu kept explaining on the way that the brothers in the camp were all rough men and shouldn't be taken seriously, but I was secretly amused, with a gentle and virtuous expression of an ancient woman, and kept telling him not to mind, I didn't care.

  Arriving at a bamboo forest, Yuan Wu pointed to a serene and secluded pavilion, saying that was Song Minghui's residence. I really didn't expect his residence to be so quiet and peaceful. However, compared to the old and shabby De Xin Residence where Biying and I lived, this one is much better.

  That little Wu is just a child, probably still remembering the teasing from earlier, his face red with embarrassment, he bowed to me and then quickly ran off. Coming closer, I only heard a strange voice intermittently saying: "Today's world has already shown signs of chaos, it's better to choose a wise leader to follow... Who is outside?"

  A figure in a green shirt suddenly appeared before me like a ghost, reaching out to grab my head.

  "Sir, stop! That's my fourth sister!" Song Minghui's voice came rushing over, and although the man had withdrawn his force halfway, a surge of power still swept me off my feet. I let out an "ah" as I fell backwards, about to hit the ground, when someone quickly rushed over and caught me by the waist, holding me up. The sunlight shone down on us, and with my eyes dazed, I saw a handsome young man with a worried expression looking at me - it was Song Minghui, Biying's sweetheart.

  Song Mingkui supported me upright, and this was my first experience of a martial arts master displaying his ultimate skill to kill me, so I was still in shock, lifting up my head, I gazed into a pair of black eyes as deep as an abyss.

  I turned around, and about forty feet away, I saw a man with long whiskers and beautiful eyebrows, standing with his hands behind his back, like a proud bamboo forest, with bright eyes and starry eyebrows, his piercing gaze fixed on me, sizing me up without making a sound. Thinking of the fierce killing intent from just now, I still felt some lingering fear, and involuntarily leaned in closer to Song Mingyuan.

  Song Mingkui's voice came from above: "Fourth sister, don't be afraid. This is the famous Mr. Han Xiuzhu, White San Ye's teacher, who has an appointment with Second Brother to taste tea."

  It turns out that this is the teacher and nanny of Yuan Jia's Shentong, Mr. Han Xiuzhu, who often fixes Yuan Fei's classmate to gnash his teeth but secretly admires him, you guys don't seem to be just tasting tea earlier.

  I calmed down and bowed to Han Xiuzhu: "Mr. Han, good fortune."

  "Since Guan Qian has a sworn sister visiting, I'll choose another day to come and bother you again." Han Xiuzhu nodded at Song Minghui, then didn't look at me again, bowed his head and left.

  "Is Fourth Sister okay?" Song Minghui was gazing at me intently, and for a moment I thought it was longing, but I shook my head and recovered my smile: "I'm fine! Thanks to Second Brother for saving me."

  Entering the house, a crowd of family members, very simple, but four walls, two faces are all high bookshelves, it is simply a private library.

  Song Mingkui warmly entertained me, personally serving tea and pouring water, without any pretentiousness at all, which made me feel a bit embarrassed.

  However, when I told him that Biying's body was fine, he didn't show any special delight or surprise, it can be seen that he already knew, he smiled and said: "It's really a great joy, Sanmei's body is fine, it's all the credit of Sima."

  I shook my head, "Second brother, your words are wrong, the real hero is you, not me."

  He raised an eyebrow and stared at me intensely: "Fourth sister, what are you talking about?"

  Hey! Such a clever person pretending to be silly, I was just about to reveal Biying's longing feelings for him, when he suddenly stood up and pointed at a pile of wooden miniature city models saying: "Fourth sister is knowledgeable, do you know which city this is?"

  He changed the subject so suddenly, and it would be strange to go back now, so I had to follow him and take a look at that familiar model. I couldn't help but smile: "Second brother, is this the Forbidden City?"

  "The Forbidden City?" He was taken aback.

  "Isn't this the Imperial Palace of Kyoto?" I was also confused, could it be that in this time and space, the Forbidden City wasn't called the Forbidden City, what was it called?

  He smiled: "It's indeed the Imperial Palace of Kyoto, but it's called Shōmei Palace. Not even Second Brother knows that it also has another name, the Forbidden City? Where did Fourth Sister get this from?"

  Oh! I've let it slip out, so according to the old routine, I said that I saw it in a pile of old books from my hometown Jianzhou.

  A map beside it caught my attention, this was the first time I saw an ancient map, just like the one in history class. Seeing that I was interested, he enthusiastically pointed at the map and explained its current form to me.

  What really shocked me is that the land belonging to the Eastern Jin Dynasty today is less than that of the Southern Song Dynasty, and a large area of land in the south belongs to the Dali Kingdom!

  The northwest is the border of the Great Turks and Rouran

  In the northeast we have powerful neighbors Khitan, and in the east there are Dongyi and Goguryeo which fortunately were not very strong at that time.

  The Turks were defeated by the original general a few years ago, and the Eastern Court could not afford the war expenditure, so they had to adopt a policy of intermarriage again. The relationship between the two countries is still mediocre, but the Turks have been harassing the borders of Rouran for many years, and Rouran is a vassal state of the Eastern Court. This war actually means the control right of the Turks and the Eastern Court on the Silk Road.

  However, the Dongting imperial court was busy fighting against Prince Huanan of Huainan and Prince Jiaodong, without any reservations.

  More seriously, the southern Dali was increasingly dissatisfied with being a vassal state of the Eastern Court and had a strong sense of independence. Its territory already included Yunnan, Tibet, Guizhou, Sichuan, Vietnam, and Myanmar in my time, which is much larger than that of the Eastern Court. Our country was becoming more and more like its vassal state, and Dali has also been constantly harassing our borders recently.

  Song Mingkui spoke eloquently, analyzing the situation with grand ambitions and good strategies in his heart, as if he had a plan to contain the universe and swallow the heavens, somewhat like a hero of this generation.

  Even I, a weak woman, felt my blood boiling upon hearing this. A thought occurred to me: "Second Brother Song, were you and Mr. Han of Xifeng Garden also discussing the state of the world just now?"

  He didn't hide it from me, nodding immediately, and bluntly told me that Mr. Han had intended for him to return to the White Third Master's account. I gradually couldn't smile anymore, while he stared into my eyes, softly saying: "Fourth sister thinks there's something wrong?"

  I furrowed my brow and said, "Doesn't Mugen know that Big Brother and Second Brother are among the few young heroes of this generation, future leaders... but one general's success is built on the withered bones of ten thousand soldiers!?"

  Song Mingkui let out a soft sigh and said in a low voice, "What Fourth Sister said is absolutely right. We five brothers were all victims of family misfortunes, unfortunate people at the ends of the earth. Sometimes, even if it wasn't me, Big Brother would also lament that he was born at the wrong time. If we didn't have our original home, where would we go? Maybe we'd end up wandering the streets, becoming laborers in the markets, or perhaps fall into the red-light districts."

  He let out a bitter laugh, and I couldn't help but nod in agreement. If it weren't for the Yu family, Zhen and I might have really ended up being sold into prostitution. But then his tone changed: "The world is divided into black and white, with people constantly vying for honor and shame. Those who are honored are at peace, while those who are shamed are forever anxious. Now that we've entered the Yu family, we're destined to be part of this chaotic world. Fourth sister, the Xuan Yuan clan has fallen, corrupt officials have stolen power, the emperor's relatives hold sway, and foreign tribes are invading our borders, seeking to take over the nine provinces of China. Natural disasters and human calamities have plunged the people into deep hardship. Mr. Han has calculated that in ten years' time, the Eastern Imperial Court will certainly change rulers."

  He let out a light snort, gazing at me with piercing eyes: "Why wait ten years? Fourth sister, do you believe it or not? My foolish brother's prediction will come true in no more than five years. The heavens will be in great turmoil, and the Yuan family will surely rise to power in the Central Plains. If we can help them achieve their ambitions, we will be able to save the people from the brink of disaster, support our Chinese nation so it won't be bullied by foreign tribes, and we will also be able to create a new era, leaving behind a legacy that will last for centuries."

  He stopped, calmed down a bit from the excitement, and gazed at me with an unfathomable expression, saying loudly: "I have always regarded Fourth Sister as a friend, I wonder what Fourth Sister thinks."

  At that time, I was tongue-tied and couldn't say a word for a long time. I thought to myself: should I recite a poem to express my aspirations, or should I suggest that he first establish his home in Xichuan, then take Jingzhou as the foundation of his enterprise, thereby forming a tripod-shaped situation, after which the Central Plains could be taken care of gradually?

  Looking at that young and determined face, the eager trust in his eyes, the declaration that made me think of my acquaintance, reminded me of my uncle who used to serve in an air force squadron in my previous life. Although he became a wealthy businessman after retiring from the army, he was still passionate about ancient and modern wars at home and abroad, besides making money. I majored in history in college, so during that chaotic July, I often went to my uncle's house for no reason.

  Compared to her husband's hobbies, his wife might feel more affinity for Prada bags and Chanel clothes. So it's rare that he would take me, a young kid, as an excellent confidant. Every time he talks about the history of foreign humiliation in Northern Song Dynasty or the modern Opium War and the subsequent invasion by imperialism, he would beat his chest and stamp his feet, sighing deeply, completely losing his CEO image. He regrets that he wasn't born at the right time; otherwise, he would be China's Alexander the Great, the current Emperor Wu of Han, able to unify the nine states and sweep across the Eurasian continent.

  I was also infatuated at the time, and later followed my uncle's example in doing business to enrich the country. Until I met Chang'an secretly, Zifu made a big noise in the government office, and inexplicably came to this strange space-time.

  When the Serbian History Museum was bombed, my little uncle waved his arms in indignation and said: "If the motherland needs me, I can still soar into the blue sky."

  My heart skipped a beat, and my uncle's face overlapped with Song Minghui's. For a moment, I was confused about which time and space I was in. Perhaps in this historical silhouette, I can fulfill my uncle's dream and protect the loved ones of this life: Lao Ye from Jianzhou, Wangcai, stepmother, Jinxiu, Biying, Song Minghui, Yu Feiyan, and Yuan Feijue. As Song Minghui said, we were born out of time, but without the Yuan family, our fate might have been even more miserable. From the moment we stepped into the Yuan family's gate, our destiny was tied to the Yuan family.

  I smiled and nodded: "Second brother's ambition, Mu Ge is deeply admired." The young man opposite me obviously showed a joyful expression. I continued: "Since second brother considers Mu Ge as a friend, I also look up to second brother. A few days ago, second brother mentioned the letter from big brother discussing the tactics against the Turks. After thinking about it when I got back, I wrote it down and now I'll show it to second brother to see if it can be of any help to big brother."

  He pulled out his homemade goose feather pen, dipped it in Song Mingwei's ink, and wrote down several ancient defensive tactics he had seen in his uncle's military books, such as Sparrow's Tail, Row of Smoke, and Dusty Chariot.

  There is also the chemical weapon that has been a headache for Americans, which we Chinese had as early as the Northern Song Dynasty, that is, poisonous smoke balls. This was definitely not present in this dynasty. In history, the Song Dynasty had too many powerful neighbors and emphasized literature over military affairs, so it was always at a disadvantage. However, the inventions used in warfare were surprisingly numerous. Unfortunately, during the Song Dynasty, either the emperor was incompetent and the generals were talented, or when the emperor wanted to counterattack, there were no good generals available. Perhaps these relatively advanced combat methods of this era would be useful through the hands of capable people, allowing our Chinese nation to defend against foreign invasions.

  Song Mingwei took a look, his eyes suddenly lit up incredibly, he snatched the paper from me and examined it carefully, his strength was too great, and with one pull, my hands full of chilblains were torn apart, hurting so much that I couldn't focus.

  I struggled to take out the handkerchief, wanting to bandage that swollen hand. He was half a beat slow in realizing my right hand was injured, and he quickly grabbed my hand, furrowing his good-looking eyebrows, asking: "Where's the ointment I gave you?"

  It's all used up. Haven't we been busy with our cold war these past few days? Of course, I didn't have the nerve to ask you for some. I thought to myself, but muttered awkwardly: "I just used it up."

  He gave me a look, seemingly somewhat angry, pulled out a small porcelain bottle from the cabinet, slapped away my hand that was about to receive it, and carefully helped me apply it. I gritted my teeth in pain, yet had to thank him verbally, thinking to myself that this little scoundrel must have done it on purpose.

  "Brother Song," a delicate voice floated in, saving me from my awkwardness. I and Song Minghui looked over to see a lovely young woman standing at the door, her eyes shining as she stared at us. This was none other than Xiangyun, the daughter of the wet nurse of the eldest branch of the family, who had grown up with the young master and second miss. It was said that if the young master hadn't married the current princess, the madam had planned to send her to be his second wife. Now it seemed likely that she would become a maid accompanying the second miss, playing the role of Ping'er by Wang Xifeng's side.

  I bowed slightly and said: "Xiang Qin sister."

  She nodded slightly to me on Song Mingwei's face, took it as a greeting, and walked past me indifferently, walking straight towards Song Mingwei with an extremely sweet smile: "The second young lady is back from Fahmensi Temple, let me pass on a message."

  That is to say, Jinxiu also returned, I couldn't hide my joy.

  Angelica glanced at me and then shut her mouth.

  I understood, so I bid farewell to Song Mingkui. He was also a clever person and didn't try to retain me. Instead, he handed over the half-written battle strategy, a goose feather pen, rolled them up together, and stuffed in a box of golden wound medicine and a box of rare Lingzhi snake gall powder for treating asthma, which were for Biying.

  He ignored the awkward look on Xiang Qin's face and only bid me farewell in a warm tone: "The sky is already late, forgive Second Brother for not sending you far away. Fourth Sister, be careful on the road, remember to ask Third Sister on my behalf, and you must apply the medicine on time."

  My heart skipped a beat as I stuffed the hand scroll into my collar, nodded and walked out, but still felt the cold gaze of Xiang Qin.