Ya She

Chapter 10 The Silent Shop: Poppy

Yu Cui cursed her own name for the nth time.

Yu Cui. This name sounds very common and depressing. I wonder what her father was thinking back then.

She had protested to her father before, and even cried and made a scene several times, wanting to change her name, but her father simply wouldn't allow it. Legend has it that her family was a branch of the lineage of Yu Ji, who served the famous Xiang Yu, the Hegemon-King of Western Chu, and that the Yu family actually forbade girls to be named Yu Cui.

Because the character "翠" (cui) can be broken down into "羽" (yu) and "卒" (zu), it signifies the death of Xiang Yu. This rule forbidding girls from the Yu family from being named Yu Cui was even explicitly stated in the family precepts.

It's the 21st century, and nobody takes this family motto seriously anymore. But Yu Cui's father practiced what he preached, and when he had a daughter, he insisted on naming her Yu Cui.

This unfortunate girl, that's her.

Yu Cui squinted, reluctantly putting down the book about Xiang Yu, the Hegemon-King of Western Chu. Because her surname was Yu and she was given a name related to Xiang Yu, she should logically be interested in that period of history from the late Qin to the early Han dynasty. But for some reason, she always got a headache whenever she read about that period. Today's history class happened to be about Xiang Yu, and just hearing his name gave her a headache. Unable to stand her nagging history teacher, she skipped class.

Damn it! It's all Dad's fault for giving her such a terrible name. And he insists she's getting prettier and prettier, saying she's destined to be like the historical Yu Ji.

What a load of rubbish!
The early winter sun wasn't very warm, only providing a slight comfort. Yu Cui took a deep breath of the cool air, stretched, glanced at her watch, and decided it was about time to go back.

Today wasn't a day off, and for someone her age to be wandering around outside at this hour was clearly a sign of skipping school. Yu Cui had already received several disappointed looks from passersby, so she had no choice but to lower her head as much as possible and pretend not to see them.

"Thud!" Perhaps because she wasn't looking up while walking, she happened to see something fall to the ground. She squatted down to pick it up and found that it was an exquisitely embroidered red purse.

Yu Cui quickened her pace, caught up with the two people in front of her, and handed them her purse, saying, "You dropped your things."

Yu Cui looked up and scrutinized the two men. The taller man wore stylish glasses, had dyed brown hair, and wore a black knee-length wool coat. He was well-proportioned and handsome, like a model from a fashion magazine. The man standing next to him was slightly shorter, but despite the cold winter, he wore only a thin black Zhongshan suit. Embroidered on his left breast was a lifelike crimson dragon, its head baring its teeth at his neck, its long body coiled around his waist. The scales on its body reflected the sunlight, shimmering with iridescent colors, so lifelike and beautiful that it was impossible to look away.

The taller, more fashionable man chuckled, "Boss, I didn't expect you to use a purse like a woman!"

Yu Cui was captivated by the embroidered red dragon and didn't notice what the man actually looked like. Only then did she raise her head to look at the man called "boss." She saw that he had pale skin, soft black hair, and indifferent phoenix eyes. When he saw her, a hint of surprise flashed in his eyes.

Yu Cui blinked, surprised? Could she have seen wrong?
"Your name is Yu Cui?" the shopkeeper in the Zhongshan suit asked.

Yu Cui was startled and was about to ask him why he knew her name when she followed his gaze and noticed that she was wearing a student ID badge on her chest. No wonder so many people had been looking at her all the way... Yu Cui's lips twitched, and she silently took off the ID badge and hid it. "Yes, I am Yu Cui."

The shopkeeper silently repeated her name a few times, scrutinized Yu Cui with his long, deep eyes for a moment, then curled his lips into a mysterious smile and said, "This purse is destined for you, so please accept it."

"What do you mean by fate? I hate that!" Yu Cui really wanted to throw the purse in the other person's face. Although she didn't know much about purses, she knew that the purse in her hand was made of soft material and had exquisite embroidery; it certainly wasn't made by an ordinary machine. She took a deep breath, suppressed her anger, shoved the purse into the other person's hand, and turned to leave.

There are many bad people around, so she shouldn't talk to strangers.

"Wait," the other person suddenly called out.

Yu Cui didn't want to stop, but she noticed the boss starting to call her name. The eerie, soul-summoning call successfully gave her goosebumps, so she had no choice but to stop.

"I own the antique shop nearby, the one called 'Dumb Shop'," the man said.

Yu Cui remained silent, watching as the shopkeeper poured a round, nut-like object, about the size of a melon seed, from his purse and handed it to her, saying, "This is a seed of the poppy. It seems to be destined to be with you, Miss Yu. Consider this seed a thank you gift for finding your purse. You can plant it in a flowerpot when you get home."

Fate my foot! And what era are we living in? Still calling someone "girl"? But it's just a seed, so it should be acceptable.

Yu Cui had seen the poppy flower before. It resembled a poppy, but it wasn't the kind of alluring beauty that captivated people. Instead, it was delicate and charming, with a captivating spirit, and was absolutely stunning.

Yu Cui held the seed, standing there in a daze. When she came to her senses, the two people had already gone far away, and their conversation could still be heard on the distant wind.

"Are those really poppy seeds? There's nothing strange about them, is there?"

"They are indeed poppy seeds, but they are seeds from more than two thousand years ago."

"...You're really joking..."

"I never joke."

When Yu Cui woke up, she found that she couldn't move.

This feeling isn't entirely unfamiliar; it's similar to being trapped in a nightmare, or what's commonly known as sleep paralysis. But sleep paralysis doesn't mean you're completely surrounded by darkness and can't see anything, right? If it's a dream, you'll eventually wake up, won't you?

Yu Cui waited quietly, and after an unknown amount of time, she began to feel thirsty. This thirst was different from usual. Before, she could endure thirst, but now she felt as if she were dying of thirst.

Yu Cui called out anxiously, but she found that she couldn't make a sound at all! If this was a dream, it was far too real!

Yu Cui wanted to move her hands and feet, but she found that he could not feel any response. It was as if he was tightly surrounded by something and could not move at all.

What on earth happened? Yu Cui recalled with frustration. After skipping class yesterday, when she took off her coat, the poppy seed fell out and she casually buried it in the pot of the snake plant in the entryway. After that... after that, she seemed to be doing what she always did: reading, doing homework, going online, washing up, and going to bed. When she regained consciousness, she was like this.

Just as Yu Cui was racking her brains and dying of thirst, she suddenly felt a stream of cool water poured over her head, instantly making her feel refreshed. She tried to open her mouth to drink, but found that her whole body was absorbing the water, which quickly relieved her near-death thirst.

What's wrong with her? Even the slow-witted Yu Cui realized that she wasn't dreaming; this dream was far too bizarre.

"Drink more water, so it will sprout soon!" A young, gentle male voice suddenly appeared, startling Yu Cui.

Sprouting? Sprouting! Sprouting, sprouting, sprouting... This sound echoed in Yu Cui's mind like a broken record, causing her brain to freeze.

No wonder she was surrounded by something dark; she was buried in the soil! No wonder she was so thirsty; she needed to sprout!
Had she turned into a seed?! Yu Cui was completely frantic...

People always succumb to fate. Yu Cui deeply understood this, and on the third day after becoming a seed, she finally accepted her fate and decided to be a good seed.

Because she was buried in the soil, she could occasionally detect slivers of light from outside through the cracks in the soil, which she used to tell the difference between day and night. She knew that the man who watered her water lived with his uncle, who called him Ji. Ji was probably only a teenager, about the same age as her. Oh, to be precise, about the same age as her in her previous life.

Yu Cui believed she was already dead, which was why she had been reincarnated as a seed. But she couldn't ignore the strangeness of the situation, such as... why did she become a seed that very night after the antique shop owner gave her one? She remembered the owner saying he gave her a poppy seed, so could she now be a poppy seed herself?
Yu Cui didn't know whether she should be happy or not. After all, the poppy was just an annual herbaceous plant, which meant that her plant life was only one year. She could just endure it and it would pass. Maybe in her next life, the King of Hell would arrange a more reliable reincarnation for her.

So she contentedly became the seed, and her husband would water her every day on time. When she was bored and just waiting to die, she could listen to the little skits of conversation between her husband and his uncle to relieve her boredom, like right now—

"Ji, your uncle has hired a teacher for you to teach you calligraphy and poetry. You'll start classes tomorrow," your uncle said sternly. Actually, Yu Cui heard a mix of classical and vernacular Chinese; it was her direct translation of the vernacular into her mind. She seriously suspected that she had not only become a seed but had also traveled back to ancient times.

"Okay," Ji Wenhe agreed.

"A real man shouldn't speak so softly! You need to have some presence!" Uncle roared in dissatisfaction.

“Okay!” Ji also said, mimicking his uncle’s tone.

The uncle seemed quite satisfied and changed the subject, saying, "Ji, you're not a child anymore. Why are you acting like a young lady, always fiddling with flowers and plants? What kind of behavior is that?"

Ji remained silent, and Yu Cui instantly felt a strong sense of crisis. Could this uncle be trying to persuade Ji to pull her up? Although being a seed was a tragic fate, she didn't want to die immediately! Without Ji watering her every day, she would die of thirst in no time!

Fortunately, his uncle didn't say anything, but a few days later, his uncle flew into a rage because Ji not only refused to learn calligraphy and poetry, but also refused to learn martial arts when his uncle asked someone to teach him.

Her uncle yelled that he would smash all the flowerpots in his room. Yu Cui felt her body sway and knew that she might be held in Ji's arms.

“Studying literature only teaches you to remember names, and learning martial arts only teaches you to fight against a hundred men. If you want to learn something, learn to defeat ten thousand men!” He suddenly said this. Yu Cui was stunned when she heard this. She felt that this sentence was very familiar, but she couldn’t remember where she had seen it.

The uncle was naturally overjoyed and began personally teaching Ji military strategy at home. Yu Cui was forced to sit in, but it was so boring that even the surrounding plants seemed listless; peonies, tea plants, and chrysanthemums all expressed their inability to accept it. Ji also said he couldn't accept it and after a few days refused to learn anymore. The uncle was furious, cursing Ji as hopeless and giving up on him completely.

Ji was happy to have some free time and began to leisurely tend to the flowers and plants. He rarely left his home. From Yu Cui's perspective, he was undoubtedly an outstanding ancient homebody!

Yu Cui, freed from the ancient military strategy classroom, continued to drift along in the soil, drinking and waiting to die, drowsy and letting her days pass by slowly.

Having transmigrated into a seed, Yu Cui didn't know what else she could do. She spent her days doing nothing but sleeping and drinking water. Although studying was hard before, she still missed the days when she had a body that could move freely and a mouth that could speak freely.

"Ji! Do you know you almost caused a major disaster today?!" Uncle started yelling as soon as he entered the door.

Yu Cui immediately perked up, and the daily mini-theater began! You see, the interactions between this uncle and nephew were her source of entertainment to pass the time! Although she couldn't see their expressions, listening to the radio drama was better than nothing!
"So what if he's the King of Qin? He can be overthrown and replaced," Ji said calmly. "Uncle, didn't you always say, 'Even if Chu has only three households left, it will surely be Chu that destroys Qin'? As descendants of Chu, is it wrong for us to have such thoughts?"

"King of Qin? Ying Zheng proclaimed himself the First Emperor; he's no longer just a simple King of Qin." His uncle's tone was harsh. "You... sigh! You're not allowed to say such things outside anymore." Yu Cui was stunned. Only then did she realize what era she had arrived in—the Qin Dynasty!
Ji remained silent.

"Alright, you'll be twenty in a few days. Have you received your courtesy name yet?" Uncle sighed.

"I've chosen a name, Yu," Ji Moran said.

“Alright, Xiang Ji, courtesy name Yu, Xiang Yu. After you come of age, I will address you as Xiang Yu. Good, good.” The uncle said “good” several times.

Yu Cui was completely speechless. Xiang Yu? The clueless and awkward nerdy guy who had been watering her plants was actually Xiang Yu? No one had told her that Xiang Yu's real name was Xiang Ji, and Yu was his courtesy name! Yu Cui felt a chill run down her spine and regretted skipping that history class; otherwise, she would have guessed it much earlier.

She was still in shock when she heard her uncle say coldly, "You're about to come of age, you must have changed your old habit of liking flowers and plants. Especially that pot—" Yu Cui didn't need to look to know that her uncle was referring to her, "Yes! The one you're holding! Hiding it behind your back won't help! You've watered it for three years and it still hasn't sprouted, the seeds inside must have died long ago, right?"

First, she died and ended up in the unfamiliar Qin Dynasty. Then, she discovered that the big, simple-minded man who had carefully nurtured her was Xiang Yu, her "fated" lover. Finally, she faced the fate of being abandoned even when she was just a flower... One blow after another...

Yu Cui was devastated, only then realizing that she was not a qualified seed after coming into this world.

Yu Cui began to reflect on herself. Yes, a qualified seed should strive to sprout!
Don't abandon me! She will try her best to sprout! Yu Cui cried out silently.

Xiang Yu neither objected to nor agreed to his uncle's order, and continued to water Yu Cui day after day.

Yu Cui deeply admired Xiang Yu's revolutionary spirit. Putting herself in his shoes, she knew she could never water a seed every day for three years, and she couldn't understand why Xiang Yu was so persistent. But to prevent him from abandoning her, Yu Cui tried her best to sprout. However, having only been a seed for three years, she had no idea how to germinate.

Since Xiang Yu vowed to seize the throne from the First Emperor, he practiced martial arts and studied military strategy diligently every day. Yu Cui knew how persevering this man was. Just by seeing that he could insist on watering his plants every day without fail, she knew that once he set his mind on something, he could stick to it to the end.

Previously, when his uncle taught him things, he didn't realize their usefulness, which is why he was unwilling to learn. But now, he has a lofty goal, and naturally, he has begun to work hard.

Yu Cui also has a new goal: to sprout, sprout, and sprout again!
...But several months passed, and there was still no progress. The worst part was that Xiang Yu, that blockhead, didn't understand her sorrowful feelings at all! He just muttered to himself about the flowerpot every day—

"Today, while I was practicing my sword in the garden, I tripped over a stone. Luckily, my uncle didn't see it."

...It's a ghost! I can see all the flowers and plants in the garden!
"I came up with a new formation today, but the Master said I was being unrealistic... Shall I draw it for you?"

...What the hell?! I haven't even grown any yet, what are you looking at?! Hey! Stop drawing on the dirt on my head!
"Why haven't you grown yet? Is the spring water not good enough?"

...You're flooding my feed every day, it's almost drowning me!
"Why haven't you grown yet? Is the fertilizer not good enough?"

How would I know! I want them to grow faster too!
"It's alright, I'll always wait for you."

...Even Yu Cui was speechless now.

She couldn't help but wonder if the seed that had possessed her had actually died. But despite her doubts, Yu Cui still drank water and slept every day, silently criticizing Xiang Yu's self-talk and listening to her uncle's daily little dramas. She was living a very comfortable life.

Four more years passed, and then Yu Cui suddenly realized that one day, Xiang Yu hadn't come to water her plants. She was so thirsty that she felt unwell all over. Yu Cui didn't know where Xiang Yu had gone. She knew she hadn't moved, she hadn't been abandoned, so he hadn't returned.

Where on earth did that kid go? Yu Cui had vaguely heard about Chen Sheng and Wu Guang's uprising, but she hadn't paid attention to what Xiang Yu was actually going to do. She thought she was too used to his company, always assuming he wouldn't abandon her, always feeling that he cared about her, even though she hadn't sprouted anything for seven whole years.

One day, two days, three days... Yu Cui didn't know how she managed to endure it. The soil in the flowerpot had already dried and cracked, but she still tried her best to squeeze upwards from the gaps in the soil.

She didn't know how many days had passed when she suddenly felt a bright light before her eyes. The long-lost sunlight warmly shone on her body. Although she had no eyes, she suddenly saw him bursting into the sunlight.

He stood tall and imposing, his appearance exceptionally brave and his aura extraordinary. The tiger-headed dragon halberd he held was still stained with blood, which dripped onto the ground, spreading and staining the dust. The blinding sunlight shone on his blood-stained black armor, reflecting a dazzling light.

She saw herself in his overjoyed eyes.

A small, tender green sprout.

In the first year of Qin Er Shi's reign, which is 209 AD, Chen Sheng and Wu Guang raised their arms and started an uprising in Dazexiang. Xiang Yu, along with his uncle Xiang Liang, assassinated the governor Yin Tong in Wuzhong and raised an army in response.

In this battle, Xiang Yu single-handedly killed nearly a hundred of Yin Tong's guards, demonstrating his unparalleled martial arts skills for the first time.

At that time, Xiang Yu had just turned twenty-four.

Having successfully grown from a seed into a tender sprout, Yu Cui finally felt triumphant. Not only had she shed her reputation for never sprouting, but she was also delighted to discover that when Xiang Yu touched the flowerpot, the two could communicate telepathically. Xiang Yu, initially surprised, quickly adapted to the extraordinary phenomenon that the seed he had watered for seven years possessed spiritual energy and could speak human language.

The Taoist priest who gave him the seed had said that it was different from other seeds and needed careful nurturing to grow the most beautiful flowers. Even Xiang Yu himself hadn't expected that this one seed would take seven years to grow.

Tsk, Yu Cui was incredibly annoyed. What did he mean by "carefully watering" her? She only sprouted because she couldn't stand him anymore. Otherwise, if he had kept watering her like that every day, she would have rotted in the soil and never sprouted.

Yu Cui had been silent for seven years with no one to talk to. As soon as she discovered that Xiang Yu could hear her voice, she immediately poured out her life story like beans spilling out.

"You mean... you were originally a human?" Xiang Yu was also a little dizzy.

Yu Cui nodded frantically. But she couldn't move her body; she could only wiggle the newly sprouted leaves.

"Then..." Xiang Yu didn't know what to do either, and after a long pause, he finally found his voice, "Then... what is the girl's name?"

“My surname is Yu…” Yu Cui suddenly stopped speaking, because she suddenly thought of the curse related to her name.

"Cui Nai Yu Zu" means "Xiang Yu is dead." While this interpretation is absurd, she's already transmigrated into a flower planted by Xiang Yu; what can't happen?

Yu Cui's pause led Xiang Yu to misunderstand, thinking that a young lady's given name should not be known to a man casually. He then replied knowingly, "Since your surname is Yu, then I will call you Yu Ji!"

Yu Ji? Yu Ji! Yu Ji, Yu Ji, Yu Ji… Yu Cui’s head buzzed, leaving her mind blank. She felt something was wrong; there was no beautiful Yu Ji by Xiang Yu’s side!

Although Yu Cui didn't know much about Xiang Yu's life, she had heard her nagging father mention it a few times. Legend has it that Xiang Yu, the Hegemon-King of Western Chu, and Yu Ji fell in love at first sight in their youth, and Yu Ji followed Xiang Yu to the battlefield with unwavering devotion...

"Yu Ji, my uncle has installed King Huai of Chu, Xiong Xin, as his successor and has become the commander of the Wuxin Army. I will be going to fight alongside him from now on! Don't worry, I will take you with me. I want to see what kind of flower you will grow into!" Xiang Yu laughed heartily, his tone no longer gentle like in his youth, but mixed with a fierce and invincible iron-blooded flavor.

What?! Yu Cui saw herself being moved into a terracotta flowerpot, held in Xiang Yu's arms, and riding a black horse with only its four white hooves.

"Xiang Yu, why are you bringing that potted flower to the battlefield?" The uncle next to him was speechless.

"Uncle, this is Yu Ji," Xiang Yu introduced to his uncle in a serious tone.

"Haha! A potted plant with a woman's name? Is it a poppy?" the uncle mocked mercilessly.

"Yes, this flower is indeed called the Poppy." Xiang Yu recalled the name Yu Cui had told him. The wind from Jiangdong made Yu Cui's fragile little body sway. If she could cry, she really wanted to shed some hot tears in the wind.

So this is the truth of history. Why was Yu Ji called Yu Meiren (虞美人), and why is Yu Meiren a flower name? Why was Yu Ji, a woman, able to fight alongside Xiang Yu in various battles?

Because...because Yu Ji was simply a flower!

Even more tragically, Yu Cui discovered that she seemed to be this unfortunate flower...

"Yu Ji, my uncle wants me to become a general. I'm so afraid I won't be able to lead the troops well. I know how to fight a battle by myself, but how can I command thousands of people?"

"What's there to be afraid of? Just charge forward! Once you charge, how can the soldiers behind you not charge?"

Xiang Yu understood, and from then on he fought with extraordinary bravery, always taking the lead and charging into the enemy ranks. His tiger-headed dragon halberd moved as if it were empty, and no one could defeat him. Soon after, he was promoted to the rank of general.

"Yu Ji, my uncle wants me to give a speech in front of the troops, but I'm afraid to speak in front of a crowd. I'm afraid I'll forget my words..."

"What are you afraid of? Just treat your subordinates like big radishes. Besides, didn't your uncle already write the script for you? Just copy it into your palm, right? Huh? You say your palms sweat easily? Then talk less, use your aura! Use your eyes! Overwhelm them with your eyes!"

Xiang Yu understood, and from then on, he became taciturn in public. When he stood there, clad in black gold armor and a tiger-skin red battle robe, his imposing aura would immediately silence thousands of soldiers.

As long as he uttered a simple command, or even just glanced at her, no one would dare to object. To others, Xiang Yu was increasingly resembling a true general, but in Yu Cui's eyes, he was still that big, awkward, and somewhat endearing man who chattered in front of her flowerpots. He was essentially a large, talkative dog. He would display ferocious teeth and sharp claws towards enemies, but when sitting before her, his tone would soften, vaguely resembling the boy who had talked to her years ago.

Yu Cui's flowerpot was also replaced with a beautiful terracotta pot, painted with gorgeous patterns, which Xiang Yu had specially selected from the spoils of war.

Perhaps because she had slept in the soil for seven years, Yu Cui found herself growing very quickly after breaking through the soil.

Of course, this is relative to the fact that it did not sprout for seven years. Compared to ordinary plants, it still grows very slowly, and it took more than half a year for it to sprout flower buds.

The sun shone brightly that day, and the breeze felt warm on her. Xiang Yu brought her a bronze mirror and showed her her reflection—an oval flower bud with two green sepals edged in white, the lovely, plump bud drooping from a slender, upright stem. In Xiang Yu's words, she looked exactly like a young girl deep in thought, standing gracefully.

Yu Cui was very satisfied with her appearance, but Xiang Yu hesitated and asked while holding the bronze mirror, "Yu Ji, don't bloom so early. If you finish blooming, will you leave me?"

Yu Cui was stunned. She actually felt that after turning into a flower, life was meaningless, just a waste of time waiting to die. Originally, she wanted to end this life as soon as possible and be reborn, but when she saw Xiang Yu looking at her with pleading eyes, she couldn't help but hesitate.

This tough-looking man, who is actually very soft-hearted, probably wouldn't have been able to persevere without her.
"Yu Ji, stay by my side!"

Fine, fine, she'll just accept her fate and become his confidante. Yu Cui's drooping flower buds nodded gently twice.

Her entire world now consisted of this lush little garden, bathed in sunshine, filled with the fresh scent of flowers and grass, and Xiang Yu. Everything was so beautiful, so peaceful.

At that moment, she completely forgot the cruelty of history.

In the Battle of Dingtao, Xiang Liang was killed in action.

That night, Xiang Yu received the news from the messenger soldier. In his tent, he held Yu Cui's flowerpot and wept silently.

"Yu Ji, your uncle... he... he's dead..."

Yu Cui remained silent, unable to utter a single word of comfort.

She knew that for Xiang Yu, his uncle was like his father. She had been with them for so many years, watching them argue, make up, argue again, and make up again. Her uncle, both strict and kind, treated Xiang Yu like a strict father and a loving mother, essentially raising him single-handedly.

That old man who always talked about eliminating her, but never actually laid a hand on her; that old man who was always so angry with Xiang Yu that he would puff out his beard and glare at him; that old man who would stroke his beard and laugh heartily when he was happy; that old man who would pat Xiang Yu on the shoulder to encourage him when he won a battle…

Has that serious old man with the white beard really gone? Will we never see him again? When Yu Cui realized this, an indescribable bitterness welled up in her heart.

Xiang Yu's tears seeped through the soil, every drop penetrating her roots; his sorrow and resentment were transmitted to her heart. She wept with him.

"Xiang Yu, what is your uncle's wish?" she asked.

"Destroy Qin!" Xiang Yu said coldly.

“Then let’s grant his wish!” she heard herself say.

Xiang Yu didn't speak again, but clenched his fists.

That night, Xiang Yu truly matured, transforming from an innocent boy who loved planting flowers and tending plants into the fearsome Overlord of Western Chu. That night, the hibiscus, watered by Xiang Yu's tears, finally blossomed.

Two sepals that had been covering the flower bud fell off, like a young girl shedding her old clothes to reveal the red dress beneath. The flower, which had been shyly bent over, straightened up, its petals as thin as cicada wings, as vibrant as red lips, and as smooth as silk.

It combines elegance and vibrancy. It's hard to imagine that such gorgeous flowers could bloom on a delicate flower stem that looks like roadside grass.

The next day, Yu Cui saw the soldier who had brought the news of Xiang Liang's death.

That familiar face, those distinctive phoenix eyes, that indifferent expression—it was clearly the owner of the Silent Shop! Only he wasn't wearing that Zhongshan suit embroidered with a red dragon!

Yu Cui shared her questions with Xiang Yu, who reluctantly allowed the soldier to touch the flowerpot. Yu Cui was still talking until her throat was dry, while the soldier looked completely bewildered, not understanding why the general had asked her to hold a flowerpot.

So the signal wasn't working properly! XX Telecom, I hate you!
Yu Cui was even more frustrated. So only Xiang Yu could hear what she was saying?

Xiang Yu was even more delighted, realizing that only he knew Yu Ji's secret.

Xiang Yu kept this soldier by his side as a halberd-wielding bodyguard. The man said his name was Han Xin.

Yu Cui's lips twitched. Why did this name seem so familiar? Yu Cui regretted skipping that history class again.

In the second year of Qin Er Shi's reign, Xiang Yu led his army to capture Xianyang. When they reached Yongqiu, they fought a fierce battle with Li You, the governor of Sanchuan Commandery of Qin. Xiang Yu killed Li You amidst the tens of thousands of soldiers, and the Qin army suffered a great defeat.

In the same year, Xiang Yu led his troops to rescue Zhao, breaking the cauldrons and sinking the boats, and inflicted a great defeat on the Qin army.

In December of the same year, Xiang Yu led 100,000 Chu troops to a great victory over 400,000 Qin troops at Julu, an event known as the Battle of Julu.

Xiang Yu became famous in one battle.

Historical records state: "The Chu warriors were all capable of fighting ten men each, and the Chu soldiers' shouts shook the heavens, causing fear to permeate the armies of all the feudal lords."

Yu Cui watched Xiang Yu gradually become the Hegemon-King of Western Chu in history, but she felt that the boy she knew was gradually fading away. She saw him less and less often, and spent less and less time talking to him each day.

Fortunately, he still watered her every day, even during the most difficult times when water was scarce.

Gradually, without realizing when it started, he stopped touching her flowerpots and would always watch her from afar with a distant look in his eyes, as if he were looking at a simple flower.

She didn't know what she could do, so she could only try her best to maintain her blooming appearance so that he would glance at her when he was feeling uneasy and lost.

When she led her army into Xianyang, she heard that he had burned down the Epang Palace and killed many people. She wanted to find an opportunity to persuade him, but he never showed up.

The Epang Palace burned for seven days and seven nights, and the air was filled with an unbearable smell of smoke. As she looked at the towering flames and listened to the distant, mournful cries, she felt as if she were in a hellish realm.

Finally, he brought back an exquisite flowerpot carved from a single piece of jade and transplanted her into it. Although the jade flowerpot looked beautiful, she felt it was incredibly cold.

"Yu Ji, our uncle's revenge has been achieved. Let's go home now," he said gently, stroking her soft petals. But he couldn't hide the fierce aura that had seeped into his body from the battlefield.

She said nothing, and the blood-red petals trembled.

Soon after, Xiang Yu's halberd-wielding guard was replaced, and Han Xin abandoned Chu and joined Han, going to find Liu Bang.

Yu Cui had once heard Xiang Yu speak of his wish. At that time, he held her in his arms as they sat in the sunlight, surrounded by flowers and lush greenery.

Xiang Yu's wish was actually very simple: he just wanted a piece of fertile land where he could grow some vegetables, be self-sufficient, and find joy in his simple life.

However, as a descendant of a noble family in the state of Chu, his uncle did not allow him to have such a peasant mentality, and forced him to study literature and martial arts, and take on responsibilities. Now that he had avenged his uncle and destroyed Qin, Xiang Yu began to miss home.

The land of Guanzhong was incredibly fertile, a land of abundant resources for thousands of miles. The palaces of Xianyang were magnificent, and beautiful women were everywhere, but Xiang Yu felt no attachment whatsoever. Even if he were to sit on that throne, what difference would it make?

Xiang Yu knew he wasn't cut out to be an emperor; he was merely a talented general, lacking any such ambition. After years of slaughter on the battlefield, his body stained with indelible blood, he only wished to find a place to repent for his sins and live out his days in obscurity with his beloved Yu Ji.

Although his Yu Ji was merely a flower, and although he knew she disapproved of his changes in recent years, he had no choice but to change. On the battlefield, he had learned countless lessons that being merciful to the enemy was being cruel to himself. Only by ruthlessly eliminating them could he better protect himself.

His uncle was dead, and few of his followers remained. Everyone feared his tyranny, calling him too cruel. Only Yu Cui knew that he had always been a gentle person at heart. How could someone who could carefully nurture a seed that wouldn't sprout for seven years be a cold-hearted person?

Fortunately, she was still by his side. Just watching her swaying petals brought him peace of mind, instantly erasing the emptiness he felt after the bloody battle.

But he discovered that it wasn't so easy to extricate himself. No one would let him off easily, neither his subordinates nor his enemies.

The soldier who once held the halberd for him seems to have not aged at all; he has risen to the rank of Grand General and fought him at Gaixia.

Han Xin had 300,000 troops, while he had 100,000.

The battle was fought on a plain, without rivers, passes, or any fancy tactics.

This was the first and last battlefield duel between two military geniuses of our time.

He lost, for the first time.

Surrounded by enemies on all sides, he stood silently before her. He gently stroked her glossy petals, careful not to use too much force. His hands had wielded swords, killed, and set fires. But in his earliest desires, he simply wanted to hold a hoe, farm, and grow flowers.

"Yu Ji, what will you do after I die?" He was not afraid of death. He had killed so many people and his hands were stained with so much blood. He was not worth dying for.

But what should she do?
He knew she was a very peculiar flower, which had been in the soil for seven years before sprouting, and had not withered for seven years, still as radiant and beautiful as the night it had first bloomed.

"Silly girl, if you die, I'll go with you." He heard her say this in a soft, gentle voice. "Anyway, no one will be as patient as you in watering my plants every day. I'll die sooner or later anyway."

"Okay." He was overjoyed.

She said softly, "This flowerpot is too heavy. You should take me off and carry me with you..."

He carefully broke her in half at the waist and then tucked her into his chest.

He selected eight hundred men and, under cover of night, broke through the encirclement and headed south. He wanted to return to his hometown, for legend had it that only by returning to one's homeland after death could one attain lasting peace.

But when he fled to the banks of the Wu River, the Han army surrounded him. Across the river lay his homeland, the place where he grew up. But he could never return.

He looked down at her chest one last time; she was tattered and broken, her once vibrant petals withered and tattered. He suddenly had a strange feeling that he would never hear her speak again. With his last strength, he pulled her to the ground.

He still didn't want her to die. Although he couldn't take her home, he didn't want her to accompany him on his journey. She was so radiant and beautiful; he had no right to deprive her of her brilliance.

"Yu Ji, Yu Ji, could you tell me your name?"

“…I…I am Yu Cui…I am Yu Zu Cui…”

"Emerald? What a fine name, Yu Zu Cui... Yu Ji, in the end, I will water you with my blood..."

In 202 BC, Xiang Yu, the Hegemon-King of Western Chu, committed suicide on the banks of the Wujiang River.

one year later.

"I've heard that this is where Xiang Yu committed suicide?" a man in armor asked calmly.

"Yes, General Han, Xiang Yu died here. I saw him plant a flower before he died. He cherished it like a lover. Tsk tsk, it's truly moving."

"Do you remember where the flower he planted is?" the man continued.

The soldier stared speechlessly at the boundless sea of ​​flowers. The battlefield of yesteryear had been transformed into a floral paradise. The delicate, charming, and spirited red blossoms stretched out in a continuous expanse, their crimson hue resembling a sea of ​​blood, evoking an indescribable sense of tragic grandeur.

"I remember that no one took away Xiang Yu's Tiger-Headed Dragon Halberd back then. It should be in this area..." The soldier thought that the general had come to find the Tiger-Headed Dragon Halberd. After all, he had heard that this famous general had once served as a halberd-wielding bodyguard for Xiang Yu.

The man walked through the sea of ​​flowers, then stopped somewhere, bent down and parted the dense blossoms to reveal the tiger-headed dragon halberd beneath. Much of the blue halberd's shaft was buried in the soil, and what puzzled the soldier was that the general didn't pick up the halberd, but instead picked up a seed leaning against it.

"General, what kind of person was Xiang Yu?" The soldier asked boldly as he saw the general deep in thought, staring at a seed.

“A fool,” the man said coldly. “I had hoped he would destroy Qin, but I never expected him to kill members of the Qin royal family and burn down the Xianyang Palace. He went too far, which is why I wanted him to pay with his life. It’s just a pity for this poppy; let them meet again someday.”

The soldier was taken aback by the hatred in the general's voice. Qin Shi Huang's tyranny made everyone in the world wish for the Qin Dynasty to collapse, but this general seemed to hate something else entirely.

"You can go now. You've been by my side for so many years; you'll definitely be able to play my role well in the future," the man said calmly. The soldier licked his dry, nervous lips and took a gilded ring from his hand.

"This is Daji's Enchanting Ring, which can change a person's appearance. From now on, you will be Han Xin, the Supreme General of the Han Dynasty. But this is your own choice, and you will not regret it no matter what the outcome."

"Yes, yes, take care, General." The soldier, who had been eagerly putting on the ring, had already transformed into the likeness of "Han Xin" and hurried off to pursue his dream of becoming a great general.

A gust of wind blew by, causing the sea of ​​flowers to sway gently. The man removed his armor, revealing a handsome face, and sighed to the heavens, "Fusu, I have avenged you..."

The sounds that followed were lost in the wind, and no one heard them.

Yu Cui stared blankly at the stark white ceiling.

What happened to her? The final scene is Xiang Yu committing suicide with his halberd in front of her, his scalding blood spilling onto her soil. She desperately calls out to him, but there is no response. She can only watch as his blood is absorbed by her little by little and swallowed bitterly.

Everything felt so unreal, yet so vivid.

It was as if she had a long dream.

Yu Cui lay in bed for a full half hour before she heard her parents getting up to cook. Only then did she realize that she seemed to have returned to the modern world.

Was it all just a dream?
She immediately jumped out of bed. Because she hadn't felt her body for a long time, she was even a little unsteady on her feet. Her legs gave way and she fell off the bed.

Enduring the pain, she crawled to her knees and reached the entrance, then stared in disbelief at the spot where she had planted the poppy seeds, where tender shoots had already sprouted.

"Cui Cui! What's wrong with you?" the old man asked in surprise.

Yu Cui had no time to pay attention. She stumbled to her feet and rushed downstairs. She remembered that a new flower shop had opened on the street corner. She wanted to buy a flowerpot and soil to transplant the poppy.

Could it be that in this life, it's Xiang Yu's turn to be reincarnated as a poppy seed? And now it's her turn to grow him? She can't imagine what Xiang Yu, the Hegemon-King of Western Chu, would look like as a flower… shudder…

Yu Cui grumbled in frustration as she pounded on the door of the flower shop.

"Welcome." A very familiar, gentle voice rang out.

Yu Cui stared blankly at the tall, strong man, who was as handsome as ever, except that his hair had been styled into a neat short haircut, and his cold, iron-blooded armor had been replaced by a casual sweater, with a cute Snoopy apron on.

"Xiang Yu?" Yu Cui asked in disbelief, her lips trembling.

The man nodded gently and smiled, saying, "You're Yu Cui? You're even cuter than I imagined."

Yu Cui gritted her teeth and rushed over, punching and kicking him mercilessly.

Xiang Yu held his head and said aggrievedly, "I thought that when you saw me again, you would hug me and cry your heart out!"

"You damned Xiang Yu! I've wanted to do this to you for a long time! Don't think that flowers and grass don't have a temper! Hehe!"

"...Please have mercy, young lady!!"

Yu Cui grabbed Xiang Yu's head and started hitting, punching, and biting it...

"What's wrong? Did you run into someone?" The boss raised an eyebrow and asked when he saw the doctor walk in with a puzzled look on his face.

The doctor put the breakfast he bought on the counter, chewed on the disposable chopsticks, and said in confusion, "I think I saw that little girl we met yesterday at the flower shop on the corner. She seemed to be transplanting a newly sprouted seed into a flowerpot... Could it be that the seed you gave her yesterday has sprouted?"

"What's so special about it?" the shopkeeper said casually. "It's a seed. Sooner or later, it will sprout. Whether it's a seed from a year ago or a seed from two thousand years ago. That seed has sprouted again; shouldn't the two destined people meet again..."

"Hey! What exactly is the origin of those seeds?" The doctor still found it difficult to deal with the endless stream of mysterious items appearing in the Silent Shop.

"It's nothing, everything in the Silent Shop is just antiques." The owner smiled slightly and snapped open a pair of disposable chopsticks. "Next time you buy something, you don't need to bring disposable chopsticks. I have chopsticks here too. Just wash them after you use them."

The doctor buried his head in his food, not daring to say a word. Who was it that just said the Silent Shop was full of antiques? Those chopsticks must be antiques too! He didn't want to use something from hundreds of years ago to eat!
And who knows... these might be chopsticks used as funerary offerings for some dead person!
(End of this chapter)