Chapter 411: 411. I have a star

Translator: 549690339

Xuanbei City.

After being captured, the commander of Nanping City, Yi Fei, had not been subjected to any abuse. By the time Xing Ji appeared, he had regained his calm.

“Who provided you with the explosives?” Xing Ji got straight to the point without any nonsense.

Yi Fei looked coldly at Xing Ji, snorted lightly, and turned his head to look at the cypress trees outside the window.

It was now late March, and although Xuanbei City was not far from Nanping City, the ancient trees here had already sprouted fresh, green buds. In contrast, the same trees in Nanping City were still a dark, green color, covered in a layer of gray.

Liang Country had just endured another lengthy winter, but it had not ushered in the hoped-for spring. During the past winter, Yi Fei’s first grandchild had died shortly after birth. Despite his high status in Liang Country, even the best Imperial Physician could not help.

Yi Fei still remembered that when he first heard the bad news, his first thought was: would the outcome have been different if the Divine Doctor Su Liang had been sought in time?

But, Su Liang was a divine doctor, not Liang Country’s divine doctor.

Between Xuanbei City and Nanping City, which were not far apart, there was an invisible chasm. The Peace Temple, which stood in both cities, always seemed ironic during wartime, as if Buddha were watching with cold eyes the foolish people of the world killing each other.

Yi Fei immersed himself in his thoughts, and suddenly thought of Peng Wei. Perhaps someone on the side of Nanping City would use Peng Wei to exchange him, and Xing Ji would surely agree. Moreover, Peng Wei would not be harmed.

But immediately, Yi Fei felt that he was delirious. Peng Wei had done nothing wrong and was not a criminal. Moreover, he had gained more merits than Yi Fei himself, so why should he be exchanged? Who would dare to treat Peng Wei like this? Unless Peng Wei negotiated it himself, but when Yi Fei thought of the sarcastic words he had said to Peng Wei the last time they met, he felt like he was dreaming.

Xing Ji looked at Yi Fei, who was staring blankly at the trees outside, and did not urge him to answer the previous question. The two were of similar age and had crossed paths in their youth. Yi Fei was made a commander because he had been chosen by Situ Xie, and he naturally had talent. As for his personality, as far as Xing Ji knew, he was not impulsive or easily angered.

After a long silence, Yi Fei finally looked at Xing Ji and shook his head calmly. “I don’t know who provided it. I was just acting on the Imperial Edict. I think you probably know more about this so-called respected master than I do. Perhaps they are on the same side as you? Am I right?”

“Why do you think so?” Xing Ji asked in return.

Yi Fei sighed, “By exploiting such a person and inciting the emperor to wage war against Qian Country, Liang Country is morally wrong. At the right time, which was yesterday when the situation was reversed, he vanished and you counterattacked. Qian Country has always been known for its lawful name. You love these seemingly righteous acts.”

“Without that person, would Liang Country be content with its current situation? There has never been a war initiated by Qian Country.” Xing Ji asked.

Yi Fei fell silent again, and after a while, he snorted coldly. “Why should all the good places and things be yours, while we have nothing and are born to suffer? You were born of nobility, and everything goes smoothly for you. Your children and grandchildren live privileged lives. How can you possibly understand how difficult it is for the people of Liang Country to survive and have enough to eat? I was born in a commoner’s family and starved and froze since I was a child. I barely made it through several times. I heard you have a grandson, and Divine Doctor Su Liang personally delivered him. But my grandson died as soon as he was born. You don’t know what despair is, so don’t criticize Liang Country for waging wars from a high and mighty position. Even if we lose, I don’t regret it, and I won’t betray my country for glory.”

As the words fell, Yi Fei closed his eyes. Those thoughts had been hidden in his heart, and for the first time in his life, he revealed them to Xing Ji, which made him feel somewhat ridiculous.

But there was one thing that he did not say: his success in Liang Country was not only due to hard work but also good luck and meeting the right people, one of whom was Peng Wei. Without Peng Wei’s support and cultivation, all his efforts would have been in vain. He could not say this because he had suddenly realized that he had also changed. Peng Wei was his teacher and benefactor, but he had treated him with such an attitude just the day before, simply because their status was different now…

Upon realizing this, Yi Fei became somewhat uneasy even before Xing Ji could respond to his words. As he criticized Xing Ji for his smooth life and not understanding the suffering of the people of Liang Country, he himself had forgotten his original intentions due to the erosion of power.

Xing Ji spoke, not mocking Yi Fei, but calmly asking him, “Do you truly believe that you are fighting for a better life for the people of Liang Country? Is Situ Xie waging war for the benefit of the people as well? You think it’s unfair because Qian Country and Yin Country have better territories, but what if Liang Country wins? Will you drive the people of Qian Country and Yin Country to Liang Country, let them starve and freeze, or simply wipe them all out and dominate what originally belonged to them? Do you think that’s fair?”

Yi Fei frowned, not answering Xing Ji’s words, because he could not utter the answer. The high-ranking royal family would never truly care about the lives of the common people. The Situ family was just trying to satisfy their ambitions, and Yi Fei was not naïve enough to believe that Situ Xie was truly waging war for the people.

Xing Ji also looked at the cypress trees outside. “You know the situation in Liang Country better than I do, as you have experienced many things firsthand. Over the past few decades, the Liang royal family has always been trying to seize Qian Country’s territory and resources through war. But have you ever looked back at what this has brought to the people? You may argue that it is worth sacrificing a portion of the people for a prosperous and stable Liang Country for future generations, and you may even say that if Liang Country does not attack Qian Country, Qian Country will attack sooner or later, as it is the general trend of the world. However, there is absolutely no need to talk about fairness and justice; your actions have nothing to do with fairness and justice. No one can choose their own birth, and my being born better off than you does not mean I owe you anything or can sympathize with the sufferings of the people in Liang Country. Why don’t you compare me to Situ Xie? He was born as royalty, and you say that I cannot understand the hardships of the common people in Liang Country because I haven’t experienced it. Still, do you think Situ Xie can understand it?”

All the generals of Liang Country had been indoctrinated by the royal family: their wars were just, fighting for fairness, for the people, and for their descendants. Yi Fei was no exception.

But at this moment, Xing Ji’s words punctured those feeble and unfounded bandit arguments.

After a long silence, Yi Fei suddenly laughed, full of self-mockery, “Even if what you say is right, what do you think should be done? Go back to the past, coexist peacefully, and change nothing? Should the people of Liang Country be resigned to their fate, living in poverty and hardship for generations?”

Xing Ji shook his head, “Of course not. But I do have a thought about this. Although there has not been a decree from the capital yet, I believe the emperor will agree.”

Yi Fei’s eyes immediately became alert, “What do you want me to do?”

Xing Ji smiled, “Don’t worry, I won’t force you. But I believe that you will make a wise choice, whether it’s for yourself, for your descendants, or for the common people of Liang Country.”

Nanping City.

Due to Yi Fei’s capture, the morale in the Liang Country’s army was very low. Peng Wei and his son Peng Qian kept a low profile during this time and didn’t want to get involved. Although Peng Wei still had prestige in the army.

That night, Peng Wei was flipping through an old military book that was left in the General Mansion of Nanping City for many years, sighing while reading.

There was a sound from the window, and Peng Wei looked over as he heard it; his face suddenly changed! A masked man in black had already entered the room and was walking towards him.

Before Peng Wei could grab his sword, the intruder voluntarily removed his mask, revealing a young and handsome face.

“You…” Peng Wei frowned, “What are you here for?”

It was Qiao Jing. When Peng Wei met him several years ago, he was still a Junior Officer named Che Yun in Xuanbei City. Later, he became a General, then the second prince of Liang Country, and now the commander of Xuanbei City.

At this moment, Peng Wei was more puzzled than fearful because he knew that Qiao Jing would not harm him, thanks to Xing Ji and Su Liang.

“There’s something I’d like to discuss with Master Peng.” Qiao Jing sat down as he spoke.

Peng Wei picked up the book he had just thrown down and put it away neatly in front of him. He sighed deeply and said, “Go ahead.”

At dawn, a group of people and horses left Nanping City. Among them was a carriage. When they arrived at Xuanbei City, the sun had already risen high in the sky.

After the hurried repairs, the bombed gate and city walls of Xuanbei City had been basically restored to their original state. Soldiers patrolled the city building, and as soon as they saw someone approaching from afar, they immediately reported it.

At first, they thought that the army of Liang Country was attacking again, but they realized there weren’t many people when they got closer.

When Xing Ji and Qiao Jing were on the city building, the people of Liang Country had already arrived under the city. Leading them was Yi Fei’s eldest son, Yi Chong.

Yi Chong looked very much like Yi Fei, with a square face and a tall, sturdy physique. He rode on his horse, looked up at Xing Ji and Qiao Jing, and shouted loudly with his hands clasped, “I, Yi, come today to negotiate peace.” With that, he waved his hand to the back.

The curtain of the carriage was lifted by a soldier, and Peng Wei was helped out of the carriage. He looked weak and unsteady on his feet, coughing incessantly.

“General Yi, what do you mean by this?” Xing Ji asked coldly from above.

“Master Peng suddenly fell ill, and it’s very serious. The military doctors in Nanping City said they couldn’t treat him. Master Peng said that he has a good relationship with the Divine Doctor Su of Qian Country and wanted to go to Qian Country to ask Doctor Su for treatment.” Yi Chong spoke loudly, “I believe that General Xing and General Qiao won’t stop him, right?”

“If Master Peng is only here to seek medical treatment, no one will stop him,” Xing Ji said.

Yi Chong nodded slightly, “That’s good, but… whether Master Peng can go or not still depends on my father’s approval. Master Peng came to Nanping City this time on the orders of the Emperor to guide my father. The Emperor asked my father to take good care of Master Peng. To go to Qian Country at this time is a big matter, and I can’t make the decision. My father came to see General Xing yesterday to discuss the matter. I don’t know if he got drunk last night and hasn’t woken up yet? We still need him to come out and see Master Peng’s condition before making a decision.”

Qiao Cong appeared on the city building and scolded, “Stop talking nonsense! You want to exchange your father with an old general, and you still pretend to be decent! If you want face, don’t come! If you come, don’t disgust people! Exchanging a Liang Country person for a Liang Country person, what a joke! You, Liang Country, invaded us without reason, so what’s wrong with capturing your father? Even if we captured your whole family, it would be justified! If you have the guts, don’t push Master Peng out, and exchange yourself for your father!”

Peng Wei continued coughing, making everyone feel anxious.

Yi Chong’s face turned pale, then red, as Qiao Cong scolded him. Just then, Xing Ji spoke, “Since Master Peng’s matter can only be decided by General Yi, please ask him to come out of the city!”

Yi Chong’s expression relaxed, and he let out a long breath. Last night, a letter appeared on his bed. He didn’t know who had sent it, but he was sure that the handwriting was his father Yi Fei’s. The letter instructed him to carry out the tasks he was currently doing.

Peng Wei couldn’t hold on any longer and was sent back to the carriage. Yi Chong waited under the city for about an hour, and when he heard the sound of the city gate opening, his expression changed!

Yi Fei rode out on a horse, wearing regular clothes that were a little wrinkled. He looked unwell, as if hungover from the previous night.

As for Yi Chong’s previous claim that Yi Fei had voluntarily come to Xuanbei City, no one paid attention to it.

“Father!” Yi Chong said emotionally.

Yi Fei shook his head at him, looking at the carriage. “Old Peng wants to go to Liang Country to seek medical treatment, it has nothing to do with other matters. Let him go.”

Peng Wei lifted the curtain of the carriage and looked at Yi Fei, his face full of shame.

Yi Fei returned to the Liang Country’s team. After the carriage carrying Peng Wei entered Xuanbei City, the city gate closed again.

“Farewell, General Yi. I hope next time we can have a proper discussion.” Xing Ji sneered and left the city building.

After traveling far from Xuanbei City, Yi Chong raised his hand, signaling the team to stop and rest.

“How is father? Are you all right?” Yi Chong looked Yi Fei up and down.

Yi Fei shook his head. “I’m fine.”

“Father …” Yi Chong felt that Yi Fei had returned so easily, perhaps because he had been won over by Qian Country.

Yi Fei stared in the direction of Nanping City. “We’ll talk about it when we get back.” Xing Ji had assured him that as long as the Situ Family was gone and Liang Country was no more, the common people of Liang Country would have a better life than they do now. Yi Fei and his descendants would have a bright future for choosing the right path. Yi Fei was convinced, for he could no longer see any future for Liang Country on its current path…

As for Peng Wei, he was just a tool for today’s play, who knew and cooperated. Because what Qiao Jing had said to him last night was exactly what he had been hoping for.

In the eyes of those who were uninformed, such as Qiao Cong, it seemed that after Yi Fei was captured, Yi Chong had chosen to use Peng Wei to threaten Xing Ji in exchange for Yi Fei’s return. He even said some self-righteous words to cover up the truth.

Peng Wei found himself once again sitting in the meeting hall of Xuanbei City’s military camp, holding a cup of hot tea. He couldn’t help but sigh, “Last time I sat here, I was negotiating with Su Liang. I heard she gave birth to a daughter? That’s nice; she must be beautiful.”

Qiao Cong immediately took out a letter that he had nearly worn out from frequent reading. He unfolded it and showed Peng Wei the little handprint on the paper, belonging to Gu Nuannuan.

Many things didn’t need to be said anymore. Peng Wei’s heart had long been disappointed with the Situ Imperial Family. He had supported Yi Fei back in the day because Yi Fei had climbed up from the bottom, ambitious but also conscientious.

When asked about Peng Qian, Peng Wei shook his head. “He can take care of himself.” If Peng Qian came too, it would be easier for the Peng Family to be suspected of betraying Liang Country.

Regarding Peng Wei’s health, Xing Ji asked.

Peng Wei chuckled, “It’s all an act; I’m fine. I was tired on the way here, but I’ve recovered over the last couple of days.”

Qiao Cong went to say goodbye to Min Rou.

Min Rou was surprised. “Where are you going, Grandfather Qiao? Going home?”

“I wish I could, but I can’t go back right away! If I do, I’ll definitely take you with me!” Qiao Cong looked helpless. “Jingjing and I are going to Yao City to seek revenge on that dog Situ Xie! I originally wanted Jingjing to send you back to the capital city, but he’s filial and doesn’t feel at ease leaving me to go alone.”

Min Rou nodded, “It’s good for the two of you to look after each other. Take care on your journey, Grandfather Qiao.”

“Don’t worry, with the two of us going, it’s easy to take Situ Xie’s dog head!” Qiao Cong laughed heartily. “Are you in a hurry to get back to the capital city?”

Stunned, Min Rou quickly waved her hand to dismiss it, “No hurry, there’s no need to arrange for someone to send me.”

Qiao Cong nodded, “Then you wait here for us to come back, we’ll go home together!” He had his own thoughts about it and worried that if Min Rou returned to the capital city early, some young man might whisk her away. Where would his precious grandson find a granddaughter-in-law? All the good girls around Su Liang were taken, leaving only Min Rou.

Unaware of Qiao Cong’s thoughts, Min Rou agreed to wait for them. When Xing Ji asked if she wanted him to send someone to accompany her back to the capital, Min Rou thought of her promise to Qiao Cong and said it wasn’t necessary. However, she wanted to write Su Liang a letter asking her to let Elder Statesman Min know she was safe and would return home later.

And so, amidst the fierce battle, the climax abruptly came to an end.

When Su Liang received the news, she was teaching her two little disciples how to identify the herbs Gu Ling had brought back while running errands out of the city.

“How is the battle going?” Zhengzheng asked, frowning as Su Liang read the letter.

Su Liang sighed slightly. “It should be over by now.” The letter mentioned Min Rou and Qiao Cong’s meeting with He Wei.

Gu Ling read the letter and looked indifferent. “It doesn’t matter. I never intended for Mo Yan to recognize you. I simply wanted to end the war as quickly as possible, avoid causing too many casualties. Now that we can focus on the Situ Family, we can focus on dealing with Xingluo Island.”

Ji Xiaoshu blinked. “Are there bad people on Xingluo Island? If the stars fall and crush the bad people, that would be great!”

Gu Ling shook his head. “If a star were to fall, we would all be crushed.”

Zhengzheng looked confused, “But stars are so small.”

“Yeah! Master, what are you talking about?” Ji Xiaoshu was puzzled as well.

Gu Ling flew across the lake and back, looking at the two little disciples and asking, “Did you see anything?”

Ji Xiaoshu looked amazed. “Did Master go crazy?”

Zhengzheng scratched his head. “Master’s… lightness skill has improved a lot?”

“When I was on the other side of the lake, I looked smaller than when I was near you.” Gu Ling said.

“So what?” Zhengzheng and Ji Xiaoshu asked in unison.

Gu Ling explained, “The reason you see stars as so small is because they are very, very far away. If they were to truly fall, they would be larger than the sky and the earth.”

Zhengzheng and Ji Xiaoshu were both shocked. Both of the little fellows even ran a short distance away to observe each other, verifying Gu Ling’s statement. The conclusion was: It’s true!

“How did Master know that stars are far away from us?”

“Does Master know how big a star is?”

“I know.” Gu Ling nodded.

“How did Master know? Were you hit by a star?” Ji Xiaoshu clutched Gu Ling and asked.

Gu Ling tapped Ji Xiaoshu’s forehead and looked at Su Liang holding Gu Xiaonuan nearby, his eyes suddenly gentle. “I have a star of my own who told me.”