Chapter 19
As the night grew late and the city fell silent, the East Palace suddenly became lively.
Jian Ning quickly assembled a group of people and walked in the firelight, entering the hall to report, "Your Highness, the manpower is ready."
Before Li Wenjian could speak, beside him, Liu Yi advised, "Your Highness, the palace gates have been closed, opening them now will surely cause panic among the people. Your Highness, please reconsider."
Upon hearing this, Zhao Heng lifted her head to look at Li Wenjian, tears shimmering in her eyes, and her lips slightly trembling, like fine cracks crawling up fragile glass, as if he shook his head, she would shatter.
"Go." He nodded towards Zhao Heng, indicating for Jianning to escort her out of the palace.
With her heart finally at ease, Zhao Heng held back her tears, deeply saluted Li Wenjian, and then turned to run out of the Chengming Hall.
Li Wenjian watched her through the hall doors, Jian Ning being a warrior, with broad strides, struggled to keep pace with her, almost jogging to match her steps.
Her skirt swayed in the night wind, the firelight gradually fading away, her figure completely disappearing from view. It was only then that he sat back in his chair and calmly said, "I will explain to the emperor and empress."
People looked at each other in astonishment as they watched the Yulin guards disappear in the direction Zhao Heng had left, silently guessing at her identity.
For Zhao Heng, this night was a heart-pounding one.
The vast capital was shrouded in darkness, as silent as a graveyard. In this deathly silence, the iron hooves of warhorses echoed through the long streets, startling countless people. Many rose from their beds, leaning against window frames, peering through the thick night to see two fire dragons swiftly flying down the street.
Outside the city, the Yulin guards split into four teams heading towards the direction of Xuejia Village to White Horse Temple to search for the missing person.
Meanwhile, Jian Ning led a group of men to escort Zhao Heng back to the village.
Several households near Zhao Heng's home were awakened and brought over.
The Lin family heard a knock at the door, trembling as they opened it, only to see two tall men standing like door gods, shining in their iron armor, causing even the usually fierce Lin aunt to falter, "W-what are you doing?"
The door gods' voices were cold as ice, saying, "Please come with us."
The Lin family's young grandson cried out in fear from behind, the child's mother trembling, hastily covering his mouth. She was about to speak when she noticed the Yulin guard's large hand resting on the hilt of his sword, her throat tightening, swallowing back her words.
Reluctant but powerless to resist, they could only follow these men.
They never expected to be brought to Zhao Heng's yard.
The yard was brightly lit, as if it were midday, the flames burning steadily.
Gradually, more people from other families were brought over, everyone looking around bewildered, unsure of what had happened, huddling together to discuss in hushed tones.
At the same time, a black horse broke through the darkness.
This person was also clad in full armor, but his attire was more intricate. As he arrived, a Yulin guard with a long knife hurried to the courtyard and respectfully saluted the man on horseback, "General, the nearby households of the Zhao family are all here."
Jian Ning nodded without speaking, dismounted swiftly, and then bent down to help Zhao Heng off the horse, saying, "Miss Zhao, we have arrived."
Supporting his hand, Zhao Heng dismounted and followed him into the long-unvisited courtyard.
The Lin aunt braved a look up and saw a man striding confidently into the courtyard, towering and dignified, with a commanding presence even more imposing than the others before. Behind him, she noticed a woman. At first too slender to see clearly, upon approaching, her face became unmistakable, causing the Lin aunt to gasp in shock.
The woman's skin was fairer than snow, almost glowing in the firelight, with delicate and beautiful features, like a pearl emitting a soft halo.
The portrait of the celestial maiden at the temple fair was not even close to the beauty of the woman before them.
It had been ten years since Zhao Heng had left, and the house was completely different from when she was there.
The house had been renovated with the best wood and cotton tiles, providing both ventilation and rain protection. The courtyard was clean and tidy, with a newly constructed fence separating the yard from the outside path. In a corner, a chicken coop had been set up, and the chicks inside were fluttering their wings in excitement, ready to fly out of the coop...
The irises in the corner were lush green, and the whole courtyard was thriving.
Their days were getting better and better.
"No, she had a good temper, never had any enemies," said the villagers.
Having experienced wars in the past, the villagers naturally feared those in armor. Aunt Lin suppressed her fear and tried to remember every detail of her interactions with Zhao Heng.
"Yesterday afternoon, a nun came to the village to ask for alms, and Aunt Zhao even gave her alms," Aunt Lin said shakily.
They couldn't gather any useful information. Everyone said that Aunt Zhao was kind and never held grudges against anyone, barely keeping in touch with her relatives over the years.
Where could she have gone?
Aunt Zhao wouldn't have been kidnapped, as she had no enemies and no one had come looking for her yet.
"Miss Zhao, don't worry. She'll be found soon," Jian Ning said.
But this only made Zhao Heng more anxious. She would rather her grandmother had been kidnapped.
If she had been kidnapped, there would be a motive and her safety would be guaranteed, but with no news at all, it was even more chilling.
"I will go to White Horse Temple," Zhao Heng said anxiously.
Jian Ning stopped her. "Miss, if the imperial guards can't find her, no one else will either."
After a pause, he advised her, "Miss, go inside and rest. If there is any news, the guards will report back immediately."
Looking up at the mountains in the night sky, illuminated by the flickering firelight, Zhao Heng gave in. She didn't want to cause more trouble, so she turned and went inside.
In the late night, the sky started to drizzle, the spring rain gently falling on the roof.
She lay on the bed her grandmother had slept in, wrapped in the blankets that had been left behind.
In a daze, she once again saw a grey figure under the big willow tree at the entrance of the village.
Braving the rain, she ran towards her, and as she drew closer, her features became clear.
Her eyes were as gentle as water.
It was her - it was her grandmother.
Grandma smiled lovingly at her, calling her name, "Ah Heng."
Her smile warmed Zhao Heng's heart like spring, melting away the accumulated snow and soothing countless grievances.
Afraid that it might be a dream, Zhao Heng hesitated to respond, fearing that speaking would wake her from the dream and she would disappear.
So she cautiously nodded her head and continued to walk through the rain, feeling like she was walking on thin ice.
The wind on the open field grew stronger, far from the gentle spring breeze. The sky suddenly darkened, roaring and howling, swirling up dust and obscuring her figure. The rain felt like knives, as if it wanted to cut Zhao Heng apart.
She pushed forward, but could never reach her grandmother. The ground cracked open, with scorching lava churning in the canyon, like a monstrous mouth opening wide.
Zhao Heng watched in horror as her grandmother fell into the molten lava, turning into scattered starlight, like fireflies rushing towards her.
She reached out to grab it, but only found emptiness in her hands.
When she woke up, there was only a dim light in the room. Feeling cold all over, Zhao Heng was weak and disoriented, unsure of her surroundings for a moment.
She got up, left the blankets, and walked out the door.
Hearing her, Jian Ning turned around, "Miss Zhao, why are you awake?"
"What time is it?" Zhao Heng asked.
"You only slept for two hours," Jian Ning replied.
This night was too long.
Zhao Heng sat down on the steps, feeling exhausted.
Outside, the rain continued to fall softly.
Jian Ning wanted to urge her inside, but seeing her delicate figure huddled under the dim light, he turned silent and stood behind her.
As dawn approached, the sound of horse hooves finally echoed from outside the village.
Having spent the whole night awake, Zhao Heng heard the sound of hooves and stood up eagerly, watching the large group of people returning. Her heart was racing with anxiety.
Jian Ning saw the imperial guards return and felt a sense of foreboding.
Through the rain, Zhao Heng saw the leader of the guards with a grave expression. She couldn't hear what they were saying, but her fingers clenched tightly around the pillar of the veranda.
Her nail suddenly cracked with a sharp "snap," blood beads appearing.
She didn't even notice.
"Miss Zhao," Jian Ning returned to the veranda, watching Zhao Heng's trembling figure. His throat tightened, unable to speak.
"Has my grandmother returned?" Zhao Heng asked hopefully.
Avoiding her gaze, Jian Ning turned away.
Suddenly, Zhao Heng turned and ran into the rain towards the village entrance.
Exhausted from worry and a sleepless night, the cold rain drenched her completely, and she collapsed like a withered leaf in the rain.
"She went to Qianyi Peak to seek a talisman, and accidentally fell into the ravine on the steep mountain road," Jian Ning said.
For a moment, Zhao Heng seemed frozen, unable to move at all.
After a moment, she lifted her head in a daze.
In the faint firelight, she saw the rain floating down. Amidst the mist, the grass and trees swayed in the wind.
The cold wind of dawn chilled her cheeks, while her eyes burned, tears blurring her vision, falling heavily without restraint.
A lump seemed to lodge itself in her chest, stifling Zhao Heng's breath, leaving her to utter only muffled sobs.
"Miss, please accept my condolences," Jian Ning urged softly, crouching down beside her. Soldiers weren't accustomed to carrying umbrellas, so he could only raise his cloak as best he could to shield her from the rain.
Raindrops still seeped through the fabric's weave, landing upon her.
Just then, a figure clad in a moon-white cloak, exuding an aura of gentle warmth, emerged from the darkness.
The chaotic farmyard fell silent for a moment at the sight of Li Wenjian.
Jian Ning turned to see Li Wenjian, rising to his feet to greet him, but Li Wenjian raised a hand to halt his gesture.
Li Wenjian's gaze fell upon Zhao Heng, her slender, frail figure trembling amidst the dense curtain of rain.
The Imperial Guards, upon finding Zhao Heng's grandmother, split into three groups, one team galloping back to the palace to inform Li Wenjian.
He had received the news an hour ago.
After standing for a moment, he slowly walked towards Zhao Heng.
She looked up, he looked down, their eyes meeting. Raindrops trickled down the umbrella's edge, landing with a soft plop.
Li Wenjian reached out to her, asking in a calm, low voice, "Can you stand?"
Zhao Heng hung her head, crying with heart-wrenching sobs. After ten years of wandering, she had finally become a homeless girl once more.
Li Wenjian didn't make things difficult for her. Holding the umbrella with one hand, he crouched beside her, shielding her from the wind and rain.
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Author's note:
Li Gouzi: Guys, how do I comfort my crying wife?