five years later
Late at night, Zhangsun Lingyun was riding a black donkey alone on the official road.
She carried a large bamboo basket on her back and a large medicine box on her donkey. She was eating a steamed bun in one hand and holding the reins in the other. Her beautiful face was calm, and the only thing that revealed her emotions was her slightly furrowed eyebrows.
Judging from the pitch-black situation in front of him, Zhangsun Lingyun knew that he had already missed the village where he could stay. It seemed that he would have to sleep in the wilderness again tonight.
Forget it, so be it. He didn't have much silver left anyway, so he had to save some to buy dry rations. Sleeping in the open just saved him a sum of money.
Thinking of this, she drove the donkey to the forest by the road and let it look for food. Then, she found a big and dense tree to hide in, ready to nest in the tree and have a good sleep. And this was Zhangsun Lingyun's night.
In the past five years, she had lived like this. She stayed in an inn if there was a place to stay, and if there was a place to stay, she would stay. When she had no choice, she would sleep in the wild, hunt wild animals, drink mountain springs, eat steamed buns, walk over a place, climb over a mountain, alone, aimlessly walking.
On the way, Zhangsun Lingyun would stop to help people see a doctor and earn some meager silver to make ends meet. When they saw a serious illness, they would lend a helping hand. When they met poor, sick, and lonely people, they would not take a single cent and help them with everything they had. When they encountered major diseases such as plagues, they would devote themselves to saving them day and night without caring about their own safety. They did not think about themselves at all.
She felt that she had done too many wrong things in the past. There was no need to mention the things that she had done to scare people. There were also many things that she had done to poison and teach people a lesson. There were also many things that she had done to leave people in the lurch, to be arrogant and willful, to have no medical ethics and benevolence. It was too many to count that caused her child to die before she could be born.
Therefore, she had to atone for her sins. She had to atone for her dead child, for what she had done in the past, and for humiliating her identity as the Vermillion Bird Maiden!
However, every time she woke up in the middle of the night, she would always think of a figure, a handsome, elegant, gentle, and easy-going figure, but also a wise and determined figure. She missed his kindness, his gentleness, his calm in his anger, his calm but passionate persistence, and his slightly narrowed eyes when he was angry. She missed everything about him! I wonder how he is now?
He should have already ascended the throne, right? Shouldn't he have made concubines and conferred the title of empress? No matter who it was, even if it was Murong Zhi, the woman by his side would definitely not be her, because she…she did not have the right!
What right did a woman who was already infertile have to stay by his side? That's right! She had already lost the right to be by his side. Even if he was the one she loved, even if he was the one she had given everything to get, in the end, she still could not stay by his side and grow old with him. Could it be that a forced relationship really could not be fulfilled?
As she thought about it, she sang in a low voice,"Ask what love is in the world, and teach me to promise life and death." From the north to the south, two flying guests, old wings several times back to the cold and summer. Joy is fun, parting is bitter, and there are even more foolish children in it. You should say, thousands of miles of clouds, thousands of mountains of snow, only shadow to whom?”
As she sang, tears streamed down from the corners of her eyes, instantly wetting her clothes.
In the past, although he understood the meaning of these words, it was always difficult to understand. Now, she could finally understand. But why did her heart hurt so much? It was so painful that her chest felt stuffy and she could not breathe.
Just as Zhangsun Lingyun was in a daze, a woman's shrill cry for help suddenly sounded in the dark night.
"Help! Help!"
Zhangsun Lingyun was stunned. He quickly collected his emotions and took out a human skin mask from his pocket. Then, he walked in the direction of the woman's cry for help.
When Zhangsun Lingyun arrived, a figure was also heading in this direction.
In the darkness, Zhangsun Lingyun could not see the other party's appearance clearly. He could only vaguely see that the other party was dressed in white. His movements were like lightning and his figure was like the wind. In a few moves, he had finished off the bandits who wanted to rob him at night.
She heard the man say to the crying woman beside him,"Sister-in-law, are you alright?"
Hearing this voice, Zhangsun Lingyun felt as if he had been struck by lightning. He was stunned on the spot and could not say a word.
He…Why would he appear here?
This place was at least a thousand miles away from the Shang Kingdom's Imperial City. How…how could he appear here? And alone?
Zhangsun Lingyun's eyes widened as he stared in disbelief at the figure in front of him who was still as elegant as before.
Even though it was dark, even though he was dressed in casual clothes, Zhangsun Lingyun could tell at a glance that this person who had helped him in the dark was Chu Shengyi.
Chu Shengyi did not seem to notice Zhangsun Lingyun at all. He squatted down and examined the unconscious man in the woman's arms." Sister-in-law, don't cry. Your husband is still alive!"”
The woman was overjoyed." Really?"
Chu Shengyi nodded." Of course it's true. But he's seriously injured. We need to find a doctor as soon as possible."”
As Chu Shengyi was about to help the man up and send him to the town for treatment, a woman's lowered voice sounded.
"Don't touch him. If you move, he might die halfway.”
Chu Shengyi was startled and looked towards the source of the voice.
It was a slender woman dressed in red. However, this woman's face was pale and expressionless. She looked like she was 18 or 19 years old, but she gave people the illusion that she was a 50-year-old woman.
This was naturally Zhangsun Lingyun, who was wearing a human skin mask.
She deliberately lowered her voice and put on a human skin mask so that Chu Shengyi would not recognize her.
"And you are?" Chu Shengyi stared at her with suspicion, confusion, and curiosity.
Zhangsun Lingyun ignored Chu Shengyi and came to the woman. He stretched out his hand to examine the man's injuries.
"What happened to my husband?" the woman asked anxiously. Are you okay?"
Zhangsun Lingyun didn't say a word. He deftly pressed on a few acupuncture points on his body, then unbuttoned his clothes, stopped the bleeding, sutured, and applied medicine. The precision of his actions and the smoothness of his movements were simply miraculous. The woman's mouth was wide open and couldn't close for a long time.
So…so powerful! To be able to use such superb medical skills to treat and suture wounds in such a place and at such a time, she…Could she be…
The woman couldn't help but ask," Miss, you must be Sun Yun, whose name has spread all over the country in recent years. People call you Nu Hua Tuo!"! Doctor Sun, right?"
Zhangsun Lingyun nodded expressionlessly and continued his work.
It turned out that Zhangsun Lingyun had been using the name "Sun Yun" for the past few years. She had been wandering around, isolated, and exiled. She did not want anyone to know that she was the Vermilion Bird Maiden, the master of the Phoenix Palace in Dunhuang. She had also stopped using the name "Zhangsun Lingyun" to avoid Chu Shengyi's search.
Seeing Zhangsun Lingyun nod and admit that he was Nuhua Tuo's Sun Yun, the woman couldn't help but heave a sigh of relief, thinking that her husband was saved. If he could meet Hua Tuo, his husband would definitely be fine.
Thinking of this, the woman's heart relaxed and she fell to the ground. Just like that, she suddenly felt her stomach ache.
"It hurts! My stomach hurts!"
When Zhangsun Lingyun heard this, he knew that something was wrong. He hurriedly reached out to take her pulse." Not good. She was frightened and the fetus is affected. Now, the child can't wait to be born!”
Chu Shengyi, who had been observing everything from the side, was shocked." What should we do?”
Zhangsun Lingyun pondered for a moment." I can only deliver the baby in the carriage. Go and prepare a fire. Go to a nearby house and use a pot to boil water. The faster the better.”
"I understand."
Fortunately, Chu Shengyi was skilled in martial arts. The trip did not take much time, and it was just in time for the birth of the child.
However, the moment he saw her take the child, he suddenly felt his chest tighten and he almost suffocated.
This was because this red-clothed woman in front of him, who looked strange, spoke strange, and acted strange, had a pair of beautiful eyes that he had seen before. And now, there were a few crystal tears hanging in those eyes. Those tears made his heart ache for no reason.
He looked at her without blinking. He looked at her travel-worn red dress, at her slender body, and at her long hair that hung loosely behind her back. Then, he remembered that the woman had called her "Sun Yun"…
Sun Yun…Sun Yun…Chang 'Sun' Ling 'Yun'…Could it be…really her? Chu Shengyi stared at her, trembling slightly, afraid that she would suddenly disappear.
As if he had noticed Chu Shengyi's suspicion and gaze, as well as his own loss of composure, Zhangsun Lingyun quickly wiped his tears and got off the carriage. He washed the child's body with hot water, then took off his coat to wrap the child and returned to the carriage to hand it to the woman. "Sister-in-law, congratulations on getting a daughter.”
The woman reached out her weak hand to take the child, and tears welled up in her eyes.
"If it wasn't for you, my wife and this child would have died a long time ago. I…I really don't know how to express my gratitude, I…"
"Don't say that. I just happened to pass by and happened to have learned medicine. I helped you by chance, so you really don't have to be so worried. I'll find a place for you to rest and recuperate.”
As Zhangsun Lingyun drove the carriage, she pursed her lips and called for her donkey to follow her. However, her eyes were unconsciously looking for Chu Shengyi. She thought,'He…he probably didn't notice, did he?' His appearance, figure, and voice were very different from those years ago. He…shouldn't have noticed, right?
With an uneasy heart, Zhangsun Lingyun rushed for about ten miles and finally found an inn in a small town. At this time, the sky was close to dawn.
Zhangsun Lingyun was afraid that Chu Shengyi would recognize him, so he hurriedly knocked on the door to find the shopkeeper. She gave the shopkeeper a few instructions and left the silver taels she had on her. Then, she drove the donkey on its way. She had to leave before Chu Shengyi found out.
However, Zhangsun Lingyun had just driven out of the town when she realized that there was a figure leaning against a big tree not far ahead. It was a white figure that she was familiar with and missed.
Zhangsun Lingyun was shocked and wanted to turn around, but Chu Shengyi appeared in front of her just as she turned around.
"Yun 'er, where do you want to go?"
Zhangsun Lingyun shook his head repeatedly." You, you've got the wrong person. I'm not Yun 'er.”
She lowered her head and tried to leave with the donkey.
Chu Shengyi grabbed her hand." You're Yun 'er. I won't mistake you!”
"I'm not Yun 'er, I'm not the person you're looking for. Let me go, let me go!”
"No! I definitely won't let go! Yun 'er, I've been looking for you for five years, a whole five years. Now that I've finally found you, I won't let you leave me no matter what!”
"Let go, I'm not Yun 'er, I'm not!”
Zhangsun Lingyun struggled with all his might, trying to break free from Chu Shengyi's grip. However, women were not as strong as men, and her martial arts were not as good as his. How could she break free? In a moment of desperation, Zhangsun Lingyun struck his palm towards Chu Shengyi's chest.
She thought that with Chu Shengyi's martial arts, it would be easy for him to avoid this palm strike. Unexpectedly, Chu Shengyi did not dodge. He just stared at her with his eyes wide open and took the blow.
Zhangsun Lingyun turned pale with fright. It was already too late to retract his palm.
Chu Shengyi was sent flying like a kite with a broken string. He fell heavily to the ground, blood spurting from his mouth.
Seeing this, Zhangsun Lingyun forgot everything and rushed forward to help Chu Shengyi up." Brother Sheng, Brother Sheng!”
Chu Shengyi couldn't help but cough and pant. He spat out another mouthful of blood, but his hand held onto Zhangsun Lingyun tightly." Yun 'er, you're finally willing to acknowledge me!”
He reached out to remove the human skin mask on her face, revealing her slightly haggard but still beautiful face.
" Yun 'er, you're indeed Yun' er. I've finally found you. I…"
Before he could finish his words, Chu Shengyi coughed violently. His hand loosened and he fainted!
In the room of the inn, Zhangsun Lingyun was busy taking Chu Shengyi's pulse and giving him acupuncture treatment.
Chu Shengyi lay quietly, his eyes fixed on her, watching her frown and her worried-looking face as she healed him.
He could not help but reach out to grab her." Yun 'er, don't be so busy. Sit down and let me take a good look at you, okay?”
Zhangsun Lingyun shook his head and continued to insert needles into his body without saying a word.
"Yun 'er, I'm serious. Don't be so busy. You're proficient in medicine, so you should know that this is an old illness of mine. It has nothing to do with your palm. Moreover, this illness won't be cured in a short period of time.”
Zhangsun Lingyun looked at him faintly." How did you end up like this? It was not easy for me to cure your internal injuries. I didn't expect that in just a few years, you would actually accumulate heavy internal injuries again. You…"
Chu Shengyi smiled bitterly." So what if it's an internal injury? Without you, I would rather die than live."
Zhangsun Lingyun shook his head, turned around, and wrote a prescription on the table before handing it to him." Take this prescription and find a reliable pharmacy to concoct some pills for you to take in the morning and evening. You should be able to recover in half a year.”
Chu Shengyi tore it into pieces without even looking at it." I don't want the prescription. I only want you!"”
Zhangsun Lingyun shook his head again." Brother Sheng, don't be like this. Your internal injuries must be treated. Otherwise, if it accumulates over time, you might one day…"
"Will die, right? I said that without you, I would rather die than live; Now that I've finally found you, you only intend to leave me a prescription. Then I might as well just die like this!”
Zhangsun Lingyun shook his head desperately as tears streamed down his face." Brother Sheng, don't be like this. You know that I'd rather die than see you get hurt…"
Chu Shengyi held her hand." Then don't leave me again, okay?”
"But I…I…"
He pulled her to sit beside him and combed her long hair with his large hand." Are you talking about the child? Idiot! I don't care. I don't care if you can give birth to my child. I only care about you!”
"But I care! "I care that I can't give birth to your child. I care that I can't complete Mother's instructions and let our child inherit the Phoenix Palace's Nine Heavens, so I…I…" As she spoke, her tears could not help but roll down.
Chu Shengyi gently wiped away her tears and whispered,""What does that matter? As long as we can be together. Besides, the Nine Heavens Phoenix Palace doesn't have to be completed in your generation. It's the same if you give it to the next Vermillion Bird Maiden, right?”
"But you are the Crown Prince, and after you ascend the throne, you will be the Emperor. If I had known earlier, I wouldn't have pestered you. I wouldn't have tried to anger Murong Zhi away. I wouldn't have…"
Chu Shengyi stared at her in disbelief." Yun 'er, what are you saying?" Are you blaming yourself? Silly girl, it wasn't your fault. It was me. It was my fault. I didn't make things clear earlier. That's why you're tired. How can you blame yourself?”
"Of course it's my fault! If I didn't like to tease people, scare people, poison people, and do all kinds of bad things, Murong Zhi wouldn't have been forced to this point. So, can you not blame me?”
Chu Shengyi cupped her face and looked at her seriously." Yun 'er, I can't blame you! Although you like to scare people, tease people, sometimes poison people, and speak unforgivingly, it doesn't matter. Moreover, you never have the intention to harm others, right?”
"I…"
"If you think that what you did was wrong, then look at Murong Zhi. What did she do? She could kill you, who she had never met, or order me, who was once her fiancé, to be killed for her pride and face. In order to take revenge on you, he even asked Xia Jisheng for poison to kill you and me. Compared to her, your little prank is nothing.”
"As for Xia Jisheng, who also studied medicine like you, he's even less worth mentioning." Chu Shengyi paused and continued. You took out all your money and gave everything you had to treat a stranger who was infected with the plague, but he used the opportunity to give the poison to Murong Zhi and let her poison people. What was this?”
"But mother said that if you do too many small evils, they will accumulate into big evils. And I might have done too much evil, so I punished the child!”
"Even so, haven't you paid enough in the past few years? I know you've been practicing medicine and saving people everywhere. Isn't that enough? Besides, if it wasn't for me, why would you swallow the poison and cause such an irreparable outcome today?”Chu Shengyi leaned over and kissed her gently." Yun 'er, don't blame yourself. Don't leave me again. Don't bring up the matter of having a child again, okay?" I've suffered a lot because of you. Even my hair has turned white! If you want to leave me now, I can't guarantee that I won't take things too hard…"
Zhangsun Lingyun quickly covered his mouth." Don't say it, don't say it anymore! I'll stay with you. I promise you I won't leave.”
Chu Shengyi was delighted. He held onto Zhangsun Lingyun tightly." Really?" Are you really not going to leave me again?"
She smiled and nodded, her face covered in tears." Really, I swear on the name of the Vermillion Bird Maiden that I will never leave you again!”
Chu Shengyi was overjoyed. He laid down with Zhangsun Lingyun in his arms. His hot lips searched for her, searching for the sweet and enchanting taste in his memories.
After a while, Zhangsun Lingyun suddenly thought of something and raised his head to ask,""Brother Sheng, why are you out there alone? You are the emperor of the Shang Kingdom, how can you risk your life alone?”
Chu Shengyi couldn't help but laugh." Yun 'er, I'm no longer the emperor. Don't you know that?”
"You, you mean…"
Chu Shengyi shook his head and pecked her on the lips." You don't want me anymore. What's the point of me being the emperor?"”
" But I remember that you have already ascended the throne. Why…"
"I did ascend the throne, but I was only the emperor for three months. I gave the throne to my seventh brother on the grounds of illness and let him be the emperor.”
"Why? Why did you give up something that others couldn't even think of?”
"Because of you! Without you, even if I am alive, I am a walking corpse. Besides, I promised you long ago that I would give up everything and live with you in the Phoenix Palace for the rest of my life. How can I go back on my word?”
Zhangsun Lingyun's eyes reddened again." Brother Sheng, you…you're so silly, so silly! I was afraid of delaying you, so I left. I didn't expect you to still…"
"Still followed, didn't you?"
Zhangsun Lingyun nodded and reached out to hug him tightly." Fool, you're the dumbest fool in the world!”
"I know, but I can't sleep or eat without finding you, you crafty, mischievous, and strange silly girl! In order to have a good sleep and eat the food you cooked, I had no choice but to follow your example and wander around on my donkey, looking for someone!”
These words sounded normal, but the deep affection contained in them made Zhangsun Lingyun tear up. She offered her lips to Chu Shengyi and kissed him.
Chu Shengyi sighed and covered her mouth.
When their lips met, all the deep feelings and love were exchanged in an instant. All the pain and bitterness disappeared in the moment their lips met. The only thing left was their reluctance and attachment to each other.
Just as the two of them were lovey-dovey and talking to each other, there was a knock on the door.
"Not good, Miss Sun, things are not good! Open the door, quickly open the door! Things are bad!"
Zhangsun Lingyun was taken aback. He hurriedly adjusted his clothes and went to open the door." What happened?”
The person who knocked on the door was the woman who Zhangsun Lingyun had saved on the official road and had even delivered her baby.
The woman hugged her newborn child and cried,"Miss Sun, save the child, please save my child!”
"What happened to the child?"
" The child…the child is dead!"#
This book comes from：m.funovel.com。