The Bad Guys: Everyone, let’s revive the Tang Dynasty together!

Chapter 555 Ruler and Minister (Epilogue 2)

The banquet was held in the main hall. Although there were no delicacies, the square table was filled with chicken, duck, fish, meat, seasonal vegetables, and fresh soup, which fully demonstrated the Zhang family's enthusiasm and sincerity.

"Eat, eat quickly, don't be shy!" Aunt Zhang kept piling food into Xiao Yan and Ji Ruxue's bowls with serving chopsticks, making them look like small mountains. "This chicken is home-raised, fed on grain, so the meat is firm. The fish is also fresh, sir and lady, please try some!"

Old Zhang, his face glowing, poured Xiao Yan a full glass of wine: "This wine may not be as famous as the wines in the city, but it is made with the finest glutinous rice. It's sweet on the palate and has a strong aftertaste. You left in such a hurry back then that you didn't even have a proper hot meal. Today, we absolutely have to make up for it."

Xiao Yan did not refuse, and accepted the wine cup with a smile, raising his glass and saying, "Thank you for your hospitality, sir and madam. Such fine food and drink far surpasses any delicacies."

Seeing that Xiao Yan and his companion were of extraordinary status, Zhang Cheng and County Magistrate Li simply stayed by their side.

Xiao Yan always referred to himself as a traveling merchant, and his conversations revolved only around the Zhang family's prosperity over the years, the future of his grandchildren, and the changes in the scenery of Dangshan. Occasionally, he would touch on other topics, but only in the tone of a merchant, asking about grain prices, corvée labor, and trivial matters related to primary schooling.

Although Zhang Cheng had many guesses in his mind, seeing that Xiao Yan and his wife had no intention of revealing their identities, he treated them with the courtesy due to ordinary distinguished guests and told them about the local customs and traditions.

County Magistrate Li was a shrewd man. He often echoed Xiao Yan's words and occasionally mentioned the implementation of official policies, but he dared not go into details. During the meal, he subtly led Xiao Yan, but he was quite cautious.

As for Li Dai, he simply sat on a specially made high chair, eating the dishes that Ji Ruxue had prepared for him in small bites. He was quiet, well-mannered, and did not make a fuss, which made the Zhang family extremely fond of him.

Old Zhang's great-granddaughter sat next to him, sometimes curiously looking at this handsome "little uncle" who didn't seem real, and sometimes imitating him, trying to sit up straight and eat with a small spoon, her cheeks bulging out. Her adorable appearance made the adults burst into laughter.

After several rounds of drinks, five more dishes were added.

Slightly tipsy, Old Zhang looked at the beautiful couple and their adorable child before him, and recalled the two disheveled yet stubborn young people in the snowstorm years ago. Overwhelmed with emotion, he became more talkative:

"Speaking of which, I've kept the room where you two lived back then. It hasn't been touched much, just occasionally used to store odds and ends, and my wife cleans it regularly. I don't know why, but I always feel that ever since I took you in that winter, our family's life has been blessed, and things have become smoother day by day. This room must be kept; it's a keepsake, a good omen!"

As he was speaking, he suddenly stood up, swaying slightly, and said, "Come on, I'll take you to see it."

Aunt Zhang was carrying a plate of freshly steamed rice cakes when she heard this. She quickly put it down, playfully helping him up, and apologized to Xiao Yan and Ji Ruxue:

"Look at this old man, he's talking nonsense after just a few drinks. Young master and wife, don't listen to him. How can you go to see an old house before you've even finished eating? That house is full of odds and ends and hasn't been tidied up. There's nothing to see there. Don't spoil your fun."

Xiao Yan put down his chopsticks and smiled, "It's alright. I was just about to visit this place again. Please show me the way, sir."

Ji Ruxue also stood up gently, clearly quite interested, and said softly to Aunt Zhang, "Auntie, we've eaten very well, it's a good time to take a walk."

Seeing this, Zhang Cheng wanted to get up and accompany them, but Xiao Yan waved his hand to stop him: "Registrar Zhang and Magistrate Li, please sit down. We'll just walk with you for a bit and then head back."

Old Zhang was even more excited when they agreed. Ignoring his wife's attempts to stop him, he led Xiao Yan and Ji Ruxue across the courtyard to a side room next to the main house. Pushing open the slightly worn wooden door, a smell mixed with hay and dust rushed out.

There were indeed some farm tools and sacks piled up inside, but the layout remained unchanged.

The earthen kang (heated brick bed) still occupies one side of the room, with a slightly messy old straw mat on the kang mat. The window frames are still the same, except that the paper pasted on the windows has been changed, letting in light.

Old Zhang had just stepped inside and was about to say something when Old Lady Zhang caught up from behind, grabbed his arm, and whispered a complaint: "You've seen it all, come out now and let your husband and wife see for themselves. What kind of behavior is this, standing here like this!"

Without further ado, he pulled the suddenly enlightened Old Man Zhang out of the room, carefully leaving the door slightly ajar to give Xiao Yan and the others some space to be alone.

The room fell silent, with only the faint sounds of roosters crowing and dogs barking coming from outside the window.

Ji Ruxue paused slightly at the doorway, slowly scanning the familiar furnishings inside: the earthen kang (heated brick bed), the old window lattice... Light and shadow shone through the window paper, illuminating the dust in the air with every detail, as if reflecting the fragments of time from ten years ago.

She stood still for a moment before whispering, "Ten years have passed since then."

Her voice sounded slightly dazed, as if she were talking to herself, or perhaps to someone beside her.

Ten years of dramatic changes, the fate of the nation, and the tender feelings between men and women all began with a brief encounter in this humble dwelling.

Xiao Yan walked to her side and stood beside her, their gazes also falling on the old times that filled the room.

"Yes, it's been ten years. Looking back now, the journey from Caozhou was fraught with danger, and the future was uncertain. Looking back on everything that happened between us, it seems like a journey that was destined from the beginning."

As he spoke, he suddenly remembered something, turned his head, and leaned close to Ji Ruxue's ear, teasingly saying, "But does Xue'er still remember? Back then, in this very room, a stubborn little girl would rather sleep on the snow than share a bed with me, this treacherous lecher."

Ji Ruxue's cheeks flushed slightly, and she gave Xiao Yan a reproachful look.

In the blink of an eye, a hint of charm appeared. The stubbornness of her youth had faded, replaced by the gentleness of a wife and a touch of embarrassment at having her past exposed.

However, she did not refute it, but only slightly curved the corners of her mouth, as if recalling the past, lamenting the passage of time, or perhaps tasting the bittersweet feeling of looking back after the storm.

Seeing her like this, Xiao Yan felt a warmth in his heart, so he put his arm around her waist, which was now plump but still slender, and pulled her closer to his side.

"Revisiting old places, one always wants to find traces of the past, but little do they know that we are no longer the same people we were back then. Such persistence is like trying to find a sword by marking the boat."

Ji Ruxue leaned against Xiao Yan, but glanced at him before saying softly, "For me, the sword has always been by my side. Why should I cling to the past?"

Xiao Yan was slightly taken aback upon hearing this, then he and Ji Ruxue exchanged a smile.

The two stood side by side, on opposite banks of the river of ten years, looking back on the path they had traveled. In their silence, however, a thousand words were spoken.

A moment later, there were a few soft knocks on the door, followed by a hesitant voice from Aunt Zhang: "Young master, wife, have we disturbed you?"

"It's alright, please come in, ma'am."

Aunt Zhang then pushed open the door and came in, carrying a worn-out blue cloth bag with frayed edges. She walked up to Ji Ruxue and somewhat awkwardly opened the bag, revealing several untouched silver ingots and two strings of copper coins inside.

"Madam," Aunt Zhang's voice choked with emotion, her eyes slightly red, "this thing...you left it behind, didn't you?"

Without waiting for Ji Ruxue's reply, she continued speaking to herself:

"About ten days after you left, I was cleaning the house and moving the old wooden box in the corner of the kang (a heated brick bed) when I found this cloth bundle at the bottom of the box. I was quite startled. There was so much silver out of nowhere... My husband and I thought about it and thought, and since no other strangers had come to the house, we concluded that it must have been left by you, my husband and wife."

She raised her head and looked earnestly at Ji Ruxue: "We've always felt uneasy about this money. As farmers, helping out is only natural, how could we accept such a heavy gift as a token of our gratitude? We've been keeping it carefully, hoping to see you again someday and return it to you in person... Today, our wish has finally come true!"

Ji Ruxue looked at the bag of silver coins, feeling a pang of sadness.

She gently pressed the old woman's hand, pushed the cloth bag back, and said softly, "Auntie, if it weren't for your kindness in taking us in back then, and your timely help, my husband and I don't know what our situation would be like. The kindness of a meal and a place to stay is far more valuable than this money."

She paused, her gaze sweeping over the old house, her tone becoming even gentler: "This is a small token of our appreciation, a way to remember that time we shared. If you insist on returning it, it will only make us uneasy, as if we have betrayed the friendship we formed when we met by chance."

Aunt Zhang looked at her, then at Xiao Yan who was smiling and nodding beside her. Knowing that further refusal would only create distance, she could only wipe her eyes with her sleeve, clutch the cloth bag tightly in her hand, and say repeatedly:

"Alright, alright, I'll listen to you. I'll keep it as a keepsake. You must come often in the future, treat this place like a relative's! Please don't disappear like last time..."

“Alright, don’t worry, Auntie, I’ll definitely come to bother you again when I have the chance,” Xiao Yan replied with a smile.

After lingering at the old house for a while longer, seeing that the sun was beginning to set, Xiao Yan took his leave. Although the old man and his wife were extremely reluctant to part with him, they knew they couldn't keep him, and they saw him off all the way to the gate.

Seeing that they still wanted to see him off, Xiao Yan stood outside the courtyard gate, bowed to the two elders, and glanced at the courtyard. He said slowly, "Father-in-law and mother-in-law, with a harmonious family and prosperous business, surrounded by children and grandchildren, you are content and happy. This is the greatest happiness in life. Please take care of yourselves and don't see us off any further. We will meet again."

Old Zhang nodded repeatedly, his eyes reddening: "Hey, hey. Take care of yourselves, and come back to visit often!"

Aunt Zhang held Ji Ruxue's hand and kept telling her to be careful on the road.

Zhang Cheng followed beside him, hesitated for a moment, and then said, "Young master, young lady, how about I escort you on your way?"

As expected, Xiao Yan politely declined, so Zhang Cheng didn't need to plead any further. After exchanging clasped hands in greeting, they watched each other leave.

Watching the family of three walk away into the distance, Li, the county magistrate who had been silently observing, finally couldn't help but lean closer to Zhang Cheng and whisper, "Brother Zhang, judging from this young man's demeanor, he's no ordinary person. Don't you... ever think of chatting a little longer, or asking him for some advice?"

Zhang Cheng, sleeves tucked in, looked at his parents' faces, filled with both relief and reluctance, and gazed at the three figures about to disappear at the end of the road. He smiled calmly and said, "Why delve into the affairs of important people? It is already a blessing that my Zhang family enjoys peace today and that my children and grandchildren have a promising future."

He paused, then repeated Xiao Yan's words, "Contentment brings happiness."

County Magistrate Li paused for a moment, seemed to be deep in thought, and said no more.

Xiao Yan and Ji Ruxue led Li Dai out of the city and slowly walked along the road they had come from. The snow crunched softly under their feet, and wisps of smoke rose from the distant villages.

"How does it feel to revisit this place?" Xiao Yan asked Ji Ruxue, turning his head to look at her.

Ji Ruxue gazed at the winding road ahead and said softly, "It's like a very long dream. Fortunately, the dream is over, and the person is still by my side."

Xiao Yan smiled and squeezed her hand.

Li Dai looked up at his father and then at his mother. Although he didn't quite understand the deeper meaning behind the adults' words, he could feel the peaceful and content atmosphere, so he simply followed quietly. Just then, from the end of the road ahead, came a series of deep and rhythmic hoofbeats, growing louder as they approached.

A moment later, a group of knights dressed in flying fish robes appeared. After recognizing Xiao Yan and his companions, the leading knights immediately reined in their horses ten feet away, dismounted, and knelt on one knee.

But a light-footed rider galloped forward, a boy of about seven or eight years old, dressed in an apricot-yellow brocade robe with arrow-sleeved sleeves. He had a handsome face and his eyes already showed signs of heroism. He deftly pulled on the reins, showing remarkable skill, then dismounted and ran to Xiao Yan and Ji Ruxue in a few steps.

He first bowed respectfully and said, "Your subject Mingzhao respectfully welcomes Your Majesty and Your Highness the Imperial Concubine. May Your Majesty be well and Your Highness in good health!"

After bowing, he raised his face, and the seriousness he had maintained on his small face began to crumble, replaced by a hint of eager reporting as he spoke:
"The fleet has been waiting at the Guangji Canal dock in Songzhou for quite some time. I heard that the capital sent people to ask the Empress Dowager several times, saying that many procedures still need to be decided by the Emperor after he returns from Jinling. So I volunteered to come and escort the Emperor, the Empress Dowager, and my brother Dai back to the capital."

Ji Ruxue looked at his attempt to act like an adult, a gentle smile curving her lips as she bowed slightly: "Greetings, Your Highness."

Li Mingzhao hurriedly returned the greeting, then looked at Li Dai beside him. His previous feigned composure vanished instantly, his eyes lit up, and he winked at his younger brother.

When Li Dai saw his elder brother earlier, he was already quite excited. Upon seeing this, he immediately took two steps forward and cheerfully called out, "Brother Crown Prince!"

Seeing his eldest son's obvious attempt to sneak out to play but his insistence on finding a respectable excuse, Xiao Yan exchanged a knowing yet amused glance with Ji Ruxue before calling out Li Mingzhao and teasingly saying:
"Get up. You said you came to welcome me on the orders of your mother, but I'm afraid you were bored on the ship and didn't finish your homework yesterday, so you found an excuse to run away, right?"

Li Mingzhao's face flushed red when his father saw through his thoughts. His feigned composure vanished instantly. He took a step closer, tugged at Xiao Yan's sleeve, and muttered under his breath with a pained expression, "...Mother has been scrutinizing my studies these past few days, and her complexion... isn't good. I think that, in all the world, only Father Emperor's return can guarantee me a moment's peace."

He looked up at Xiao Yan pitifully, his little eyes clearly showing a hint of pleading and flattery, almost as if he was saying, "It's all up to Father Emperor."

Upon hearing this, Xiao Yan couldn't help but chuckle, shook his head, but didn't say anything more.

Seeing that his father didn't scold him, Li Mingzhao immediately became bolder. He turned around and ran to Li Dai's side, patting his chest with the air of an elder brother: "Brother Dai, come on. I'll take you back on horseback. My Chasing Wind is very stable, much more fun than riding in a carriage!"

Upon hearing this, Li Dai's eyes lit up. This time, he didn't need to pay attention to his parents' expressions and nodded vigorously, "Okay!" Then, he took the initiative to reach out and grab his older brother's sleeve, showing that the two brothers had a very good relationship.

Li Mingzhao immediately beamed, took her younger brother's hand, and excitedly walked towards her magnificent little horse, eagerly introducing it as they went: "Let me tell you, Zhuifeng has been so obedient lately. If I tell it to slow down, it slows down..."

Upon seeing this, the two Imperial Guard captains, with gentle smiles on their faces, quickly stepped forward and carefully helped Li Dai onto the horse, allowing him to sit steadily in front of Li Mingzhao.

Xiao Yan and Ji Ruxue exchanged a smile, watching their two sons excitedly riding on horseback. They then boarded the carriage prepared by the Imperial Guards and slowly headed towards Songzhou City.

------

Ten thousand miles away, in the twelve caves of Raojiang.

Li Kan carried a small purple clay teapot and slowly climbed the steep stone steps to a mountain peak covered with exotic flowers and rare herbs.

The summit platform is spacious, with a naturally formed stone platform as smooth as a mirror. The horizontal and vertical lines are carved on it with a sharp tool, forming a chessboard.

Two people are playing chess on either side of the stone platform.

A man in a plain white robe, tall and imposing, with an ordinary face, whose age was impossible to discern, was simply playing the black pieces.

The other person was dressed in a black robe and hood, his face seemingly hidden in darkness, making it impossible to see anything. He was none other than the leader of the Twelve Caves, and he was currently holding a white chess piece, which he did not put down for a long time.

Upon seeing Li Kan approach, neither of them turned around, as if they were both engrossed in the game of chess.

Li Kan didn't seem to care. He simply walked up to the chessboard, plopped down on the stone bench next to it without any hesitation, first took a slow sip from the small teapot, then glanced at the chessboard, then at the burn marks on the back of the black player's hand, and smacked his lips.

"You've been pretending to be dead for five whole years; the grass on your grave should have been replaced several times over. Now, do you still want to stay in this secluded paradise, find some peace and quiet, and live out your days for three or five hundred years?"

The one wielding the black robe didn't even lift his eyelids, his voice flat and emotionless: "Back then, I didn't say anything when the two of you found this place to live in seclusion. Now that I've seen the world and know when to return home, is it not wrong for me to stay in these Twelve Caves for a month or so?"

Li Kan placed the teapot lightly on the stone table, then glanced sideways at the man holding the black teapot, speaking to the chieftain with a hint of disappointment:

"Old man, look at this! What do you call this? This is called a cuckoo taking over someone else's nest, and he's still acting all high and mighty! If he can get in, to put it nicely, it's because you're kind-hearted and don't hold it against him; to put it bluntly, isn't it just saying that the Twelve Caves are all useless and couldn't stop him? As for me, I'm useless too. I didn't have the guts back then, and I still don't have the ability now. Otherwise, I should have chopped off his head long ago, dried it up, and given it to my nephew as a New Year's gift. Wouldn't that be satisfying?"

The chieftain, who had been silently making moves, slightly moved his hood, seemingly glancing at Li Kan.

Li Kan immediately put on a playful smile and cupped his hands in greeting to the chieftain: "It was my presumption, it was my presumption. Please forgive me, sir."

The chieftain withdrew his gaze, still looking at the chessboard, his voice coming through the hood: "So, it seems you've thought it through?"

Li Kan's playful smile faded a bit. He picked up the teapot again, crossed his legs, and swayed leisurely. "My eldest nephew specially sent two nephews to this remote mountain village to serve me. Five years have passed in the blink of an eye."

He held out two fingers.

"One of them worked tirelessly for five years as a tenant farmer at the foot of my mountain, tilling the land, harvesting crops, chopping wood, and carrying water, without ever uttering a complaint. The other one even brought his niece-in-law to the village and settled down, giving birth to two chubby little nephews for me to play with, who are quite amusing. If I, as their uncle, don't go back to see them soon, I'm afraid these two silly boys will never have the face to return to the capital to report for duty, and will truly take root in Raojiang."

The chieftain of the Great Cave paused for a moment, holding Zi's hand: "I'm afraid the Fourth Miss will say that you have broken the rules of the Twelve Caves again."

Upon hearing this, Li Kan deliberately turned his head and glanced at the man in black: "Rules? Old man, if my nephew were to be in the mood one day and personally visit the Twelve Caves again, do you think the Fourth Miss would still follow the rules with him?"

He chuckled, glanced around to make sure the main character wasn't there, and then lowered his voice with a somewhat frivolous air, saying, "In my opinion, shouldn't we dress up the Fourth Miss and offer her up for a marriage alliance to complete the proper etiquette?"

The chieftain remained silent, but gently placed the white piece in his hand on a corner of the chessboard: "I will pass this message on to the Fourth Miss."

Li Kan's smile froze, and he immediately stood up. "Alright, then I'd better leave even earlier, lest she come looking for me with her Gu jar."

As he chatted and laughed, he brushed off non-existent dust from his robes, his expression finally becoming more serious:

"Alright, that's all I have to say. I, Li Kan, will certainly not openly break the rules of the Twelve Caves. My eldest nephew is a reasonable man. The reason he sent Li Xingyun and Li Yi instead of coming in person is because he knows that if he came, the Twelve Caves would not dare to refuse him, and that would truly break the rules."

He looked north, hands behind his back, and sighed, “It’s been forty years since I left the Central Plains. Now the world is at peace. I’ve heard that Bianjing is brightly lit even at night, and the markets have all sorts of strange and wonderful things. If the Twelve Caves continue to live in seclusion, hiding in these Ten Thousand Mountains and enjoying themselves, won’t they end up like the frogs in the well in the ‘Peach Blossom Spring’ who know nothing of the Han Dynasty or the Wei and Jin Dynasties? The world has changed after all.”

The chieftain stroked his white beard and simply said, "Whether or not to retreat from the world is a matter for those who come after."

Li Kan smiled upon hearing this, turned and walked away. After a few steps, he stopped, turned back and looked directly at the chieftain, asking word by word: "Do you really not want to go back and see? Don't you want to see with your own eyes how the world you poured your heart and soul into, which you ultimately had to give up and even change your surname to live in seclusion, has been managed into what it is now in the hands of your Li family descendants?"

The chieftain showed no particular reaction to this, only chuckled, shook his head, and remained silent without looking up or replying.

Li Kan waited for a while, and seeing no response, he stopped asking. He waved his hand casually, picked up his small teapot, and leisurely went down the mountain.

Before leaving, he glanced at the player with the black pieces one last time: "You should stay here and keep the old man company while he plays chess, so he won't be bored by himself."

The one holding the black piece smiled, without turning his head, seemingly lost in thought.

The summit returned to silence, with only the sound of wind blowing and clouds moving.

After a long while, the game ended.

The chieftain slowly put away the chess pieces, then suddenly asked, "Have you truly seen them all?"

The player with the black pieces put the remaining black pieces back into the go board container, his movements unhurried: "Nothing is too small."

"How is it?" the chieftain asked.

The other person seemed to think for a long time before finally smiling.

"Having achieved their wish, they returned home satisfied."

The chieftain remained silent for a moment, his face obscured by his hood. In the end, he simply nodded slightly and sighed deeply, "It seems that it was indeed I and the late emperors... who failed the commander-in-chief."

The other party shook his head, but then smiled again: "Compared to this, it is I, Yuan, who has failed the world."

The chieftain remained silent.

The one in black had already stood up, his plain robe fluttering slightly in the mountain breeze. His gaze swept over the sea of ​​clouds and mountains of the Twelve Caves one last time, and without saying another word, he turned around with his hands behind his back and slowly descended the mountain.

The chieftain then stood up as well. Facing Yuan Tiangang's back, he remained silent for a long time. Suddenly, he raised his hands and slowly lifted the hood that had been covering his head, revealing a face whose age was also unknown.

He straightened his robes, clasped his hands in a gesture of respect, and bowed deeply.

"Li Chen, representing the three-hundred-year-old Tang Dynasty, is hereby sent to the Grand Marshal."

Yuan Tiangang paused slightly, but did not turn back or stop. A southerly wind lifted a corner of his robe, and his figure finally disappeared completely into the vast sea of ​​clouds and rugged mountain path, leaving no trace. All that was known was that the southerly wind had finally gone north.

(End of this chapter)