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Final Chapter (1)
T/N: Translated by Jen on Broken Jinsei! Please do not repost my translations! All translations outside of Broken Jinsei are stolen and reposted without permission!
[Main Commander Xun Nanheng, Fallen in Tianying Mountain]
These nine words on the emergency military report, Xun Che read over and over again. Even if clearly aware that this was the military report from two days ago, even if knowing that this ‘fallen’ may not necessarily just a hundred percent mean having died, even if knowing that Cheng Yanling has already personally led the elites of Poyun camp to rush to Tianying Mountain, and that Ming Yunji and Ming Jincheng will also soon set out, he still was unable to forgive himself.
“Pahpah!” Lifting his hand, it was just two heavy slaps, slapping on his own face, burning to the point where even he felt his sight go blurry for a moment. But, even with this kind of pain, Xun Che still felt that it was completely unable to compare with a fraction of that bone-penetrating remorse and pain inside.
“Shenzhi, don’t……don’t be like this.” Yu Lingxin once again shedded tears. She has already watched Xun Che unable to sleep for the whole night like this, repeatedly holding the military report that he has read over don’t know how many times, pacing back and forth in the study, for an entire two nights. But, she also didn’t know how to persuade him and could only go forward to hug him, “You’ve already done everything you can do. Father is someone blessed by the heavens………”
“Huijun, I really hate myself.” Sensing his wife’s warm and soft body in his arms, as well as the warm tears landing on his chest, Xun Che couldn’t help but hold her tighter, similarly unable to hold back his tears anymore, “I thought that I’d calculated everything, counting every step, but I just had to overlook father’s side. In the past life……when father passed away, Cao Liang also died by his side. I’d found the remaining four traitors, so thought……thought……..now, now…….now, I don’t have another chance anymore………..”
Speaking to here, Xun Che couldn’t hold back anymore, practically loudly bursting into tears, his entire body all about to be drained of energy.
“Xianzhu has already rushed over. This matter perhaps still has a chance to turn around.” Yu Lingxin helped him sit down, also voluntarily holding Xun Che’s head in her own arms, “I know you feel upset inside, but didn’t you also say, if not reaching the last step, then there’s always the chance to turn things around. Father is a veteran of the battlefield, his skills extraordinary, so certainly, certainly won’t meet with mishap………..” She sobbingly consoled Xun Che, but she herself was also streaming with tears.
The words can be said like this, but the pain in Xun Che’s heart, no one was more clear than her.
All say that life often times is merely a struggle. But, she and Xun Che were different from others. The various sufferings in the past life, they’ve already experienced before to the fullest extent. To be able to start over again in this life, for them to exhaust their thoughts and mind, worrying day and night, it was all for the sake of avoiding the tragedies that’d happened before in the past, as well as cherishing this opportunity that absolutely won’t come again.
Previously, when Xun Ying had attempted to commit suicide twice, although both times were prevented in the end, every time recalling, Yu Lingxin would still have lingering fear to the point of feeling ice-cold all over. And Xun Nanheng’s situation currently was a hundred times more dangerous than Xun Ying’s. He has already fallen to the horse bandits’ evil schemes and has fallen in Tianying Mountain.
Although right now, there still isn’t news saying that he has perished, but in this kind of cold weather at end of the twelfth lunar month and early first month, exactly how cold it will be in the northwest mountains, no matter how outstanding Xun Nanheng’s skills were, he still wasn’t a deity……….
She really didn’t dare to continue contemplating.
The waning moon gradually lowered in the west. No matter how painful and troubled, another sleepless night still slowly passed.
The next morning, Xun Che finally made his decision, “Huijun, I’m going to personally take a trip to the northwest.”
Yu Lingxin didn’t speak.
She just slowly lowered her head. The new year’s day of Tianxu year 16 was completely different from past years’. Because of this palace rebellion on the lunar new year’s eve, the new year celebrations, temporary suspension of the court meetings, and such were all exempted without exception. Xuan Emperor, who previously had already suffered from a stroke and still have yet to fully recover, during the palace banquet, got poisoned once again. Although his life seemingly was preserved, it was merely just being able to still breathe while lying upon the dragon bed.
And in order to take care of all the aftermath of the palace rebellion and military coup, the crown prince, who was once again legitimately overseeing the governmental affairs, already came to an agreement with the Inner Cabinet starting from the first of the first lunar month to reopen the court meetings. Aside from cleaning up after the palace rebellion, determining the crimes, and writing into the history books, it was just mainly taking care of the emergency military reports that suddenly came from the northwest. Because it involved Xun Nanheng, Yu Lingxin also saw all the related documents that were sent to Xun Che’s study.
TN: All translations outside of Broken Jinsei are stolen and reposted without permission!
Simply put, it was just among the so-called horse bandits of West Di and North Rong, there were actually also elite soldiers from the two countries mixed in. It appeared as if an ordinary case of bandits harassing the borders, but in reality, there was also the intention of prying into military secrets, preparing for the wars in the future. And because of the northwest’s terrain, as well as the local military provision and supply problems, the situation currently in the northwest was very tense, hardly not the least bit inferior to the frontlines when North Rong had invaded.
And Xun Nanheng’s loss in Tianying Mountain naturally was set up by the inside traitor Cao Liang. In between, there was probably also collusion with the enemy. At present, Cheng Yanling and the Ming family father and son pair have all hurriedly rushed over under imperial orders. On one hand, it was to rescue and assist Xun Nanheng, and on the other hand, it was also to take care of the unfinished business there.
Xun Che wanting to go, she actually had long thought of.
Based on Xun Che’s understanding towards the northwest in the past life and this life, it wasn’t necessarily futile, but precisely because the northwest wasn’t like the Chen province, that kind of proper military front city, the city walls and city defense were much weaker. In other words, even Xun Nanheng had all fallen there, if Xun Che goes, who knows whether or not he will also die for the country?
But, how can she tell him to not go?
After falling silent for nearly a cup of tea’s time, Xun Che didn’t say anything more. He knew, the person that understood him the most in the world was precisely her. He didn’t need to explain more.
Yu Lingxin finally slowly lifted her head. She’d already wiped away the tears on her pretty face, just leaving behind gentle calmness, “Go then, just, you need to remember, if you can’t come back, then I will follow after you. In this lifetime, don’t even think about letting me watch over for you again.”
Xun Che’s lips moved. He unexpectedly was somewhat trembling.
He knew, his wife’s words were real.
Although he didn’t feel that his trip to the northwest this time will be that dangerous, but his father has already met with mishap. In this very moment, Xun Che no longer had the confidence to say that he’d calculated everything. And Yu Lingxin’s words at this time further made him can’t help but feel apprehensive. After hesitating again and again, he clenched his teeth and went forward to take her hand, “You also don’t need to think of it this seriously. There’s also An’er, he’s still small………..”
‘Pah!’ Yu Lingxin swung her hand, neither lightly nor heavily giving him a slap, “Xun Che, this excuse, using once is enough. Could it be that you don’t know, in the last lifetime, I’d also wanted to go with you?”
Xun Che’s eyes once again heated up. How could he not know? He naturally knew.
He liked her, liking her that much. Her every frown and every smile in the past life, all her gentleness and consideration, her look that was full of restrained emotions, how could he not understand?
“Alright, I promise you, I will definitely come back.” Once again clenching his teeth and pressing his lips together, Xun Che had Yu Lingxin tightly taken into his arms again, “I promise you.”
Yu Lingxin no longer said anything. In fact, she didn’t cry again either. Life in itself was originally just full of difficulties. In the past life, she had the fortune of starting this fated relationship, and in this life, they were able to walk to this point. She often felt, it was already enough.
If the heavens really wanted to let her and Xun Che stop here, then just stop.
Being together with him, whether it’s in water or in fire, life or death, it’s all fine.
Exactly how dangerous the situation is in the northwest, right now, she really didn’t know either.
But, it wasn’t important anymore. If Xun Che returns safely, then it’s just the heavens pitying.
If some unforeseen changes were to occur again in the northwest, then that was just the heavens feeling that these two to three years of rebirth given to them was already enough of happiness. Then, she will just pity herself for once, firmly refusing to live alone in torment again.
In any case, the twists and turns of this life up until this point, aside from Xun Nanheng’s life and death being unknown, the fate of Xun Ying, Ming Jinrou, Ming Jincheng, Cheng Yanling, Xun Cong, Qi Ke, and even Xun Tan and Xun Ze, all have changed already. The Yu family was also safe and sound. She actually didn’t have too many regrets.
Even if she really were to die together with Xun Che, she believed that the remaining family members can also have An’er properly raised to adulthood. As for whether the noble title is given to Xun Cong or An’er, Yu Lingxin actually didn’t care.
In front of life and death, the noble title, honors, and whatnot, actually all weren’t worth anything.
Carrying this kind of thought, the following days seemingly were a bit better.
On the fifth of the first month, when the great majority of the families in the capital were still recovering from the fright caused by the palace rebellion, forcing themselves with great difficulty to manage the new year customs and family banquets, as well as the social dealings between relatives, Xun Che already, after requesting a decree with great determination, used the quickest speed to set out for the northwest.
Ming Huayue although had a strong temperament, but the situation she was facing before her eyes was very possibly Xun Nanheng dying for the country. Such shock and worry, in addition to having gotten injured during the palace rebellion when fighting with the enemy, she immediately just fell ill.
That’s why, on the fifth that day, only Yu Lingxin went out of the city to send off Xun Che. Xun Ying although was similarly worried about their father, and her weak body also wasn’t able to recover immediately, but seeing her mother fall ill, she still clenched her teeth and forced herself to get up to assist Yu Lingxin. Although she didn’t go send off Xun Che, but on the household affairs, she coordinated quite well with Xun Cong who was now increasingly skilled in handling matters. At the same time taking over half of the household affairs, she also personally went to take care of her mother.
This indeed made things easier for Yu Lingxin quite a bit, and at the same time, she also felt increasingly gratified. Xun Cong and Xun Ying, in the past, under their family’s shelter, all had times where they were too simple-minded and willful, but now, as time pass, the younger siblings have all increasingly grown up, and also increasingly sensible.
In the following days, news from the northwest army got sent back to the capital one report a day. The ordinary military reports and the emergency military reports were alternately used, practically having the entire northwest’s situation completely reported back.
The details of this naturally won’t be completely put in the imperial bulletin, but the northwest’s military affairs were both a major governmental affair, while also concerning the lives of the Wen’an Marquis father and son pair. The crown prince directly ordered someone to transcribe a copy of the military reports everyday, secretly sending to the Wen’an Marquis Manor.
That’s why, for the most part, in less than an hour after the military report is sent into the palace every afternoon, Yu Lingxin and Ming Huayue can also obtain the latest news regarding the northwest.
And very naturally, this moment every day just became the most anxious and heart-pounding moment for Yu Lingxin.
Especially when she saw that the situation in the northwest didn’t quickly turn around because of Xun Che’s past life knowledge, instead increasingly falling into a stalemate under severe circumstances, Yu Lingxin’s heart also increasingly sank little by little, day by day.
Although Cao Liang already, under strict interrogation, confessed all the information, but Xun Nanheng who had fallen in Tianying Mountain still didn’t get saved back. Actually, should say, they didn’t even find a single trace of him, not seeing his person if alive, not seeing his corpse if dead.
The capital currently was at its coldest at the end of the first month, the water droplets forming into ice, so how bone-penetrating cold must it be in the northwest?
Does Xun Nanheng really still have the chance to return alive?
And when it reached the first of the second month, the bodies of Xun Nanheng’s soldiers and warhorse all got found one after another, yet Xun Nanheng was still missing. However, at this time, the power and influence of West Di’s horse bandits once again increased. Actually, it was just having obtained the West Di army’s increasingly blatant reinforcement. For a time, even the the entire northwest’s defense line was all in danger. The news of Ming Yunji and Ming Jincheng having gotten injured also passed back to the capital one after another.
By this time, Ming Huayue’s body finally improved. Although she’d lost a lot of weight, even appearing to have aged quite a few years, but the firmness and heroic spirit in her eyes still gradually recovered in the end.
As for Yu Lingxin, she was still that calmly managing the matters at home. Although also having lost a bit of weight, her state of mind still seemed pretty good and didn’t because of the northwest’s increasingly unfavorable situation show that much worry. In fact, when managing the household affairs, she even had a bit of a ‘leisure mood’.
For instance, having most of the big and small matters at home assigned to Xun Cong and Xun Ying. And after having Qi-shi sent back to the Jiang province, she would also frequently take An’er back to her maiden home from time to time to visit Yu Bocheng and Yu old madam, also checking up on Yu Zhengshan and the increasingly sensible Yu Yunxin.
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