Jinting Han people

Chapter 133 Leaving Luoyang at the Age of Nineteen (4k)

The day of leaving the imperial prison finally arrived. Unknowingly, a month had passed since Sima Wei's death.

But when Liu Xian emerged, he saw the glaring sunlight pouring down from outside the prison. His eyes stung, and his mind felt a bit dazed. He felt like more than a month had passed. Before he was imprisoned, he had lived through a period of his life. After he was imprisoned, he had lived through another period of his life. Now, one period of his life had ended, and another was about to begin.

Before he was imprisoned, Sima Wei, who had accompanied him, had died. After he was imprisoned, the whereabouts of all his cellmates, including Luo Hua, were unknown, which made everything seem more like a dream.

It was Liu Song who brought him out of prison. Like Liu Xian, this old man had also changed a lot.

Liu Song's eye bags grew heavier, his steps slowed, his posture stooped, and most noticeably, his voice softened. Four years ago, he had a fiery temper, fond of loudly reprimanding and correcting his students' misbehavior. Now, it seemed, Liu Song no longer did that. He had aged, as if he had lived through a different life, a different person.

But Liu Song's observation was still very sharp. He easily saw that Liu Xian was hesitant to speak and said, "If you have any questions, just ask."

As soon as these words came out, both of them were overwhelmed with nostalgia. They seemed to have returned to four years ago, when they were teaching in the Shiping Palace. Liu Song was still the prince's tutor, and Liu Xian was still his companion.

Liu Xian asked softly, "Teacher, has His Highness been buried?"

Liu Song seemed to have anticipated this topic. He said, "He has been buried. I personally arranged the funeral. He is buried three miles northwest of Longmen. You will see him on your way to the pass later."

The imperial edict regarding Liu Xian's punishment had already been issued. According to the edict, Liu Xian, a member of the King of Chu's old party, had failed to rectify his master's mistakes, and had failed to promptly report his mistakes to the court. He had failed to live up to the court's trust, and therefore he was to be punished lightly and demoted.

As a result, Liu Xianlu was stripped of his title of Marquis of Lu, and Zhuoran's second-rank county magistrate was changed to fifth-rank, and he was demoted to Xiayang County, Fengyi Commandery, serving as the seventh-rank county magistrate.

He also emphasized that Liu Xian must set off before sunset on the day of his release from prison without any delay.

Liu Xian was quite confused about this. When he was fifteen and had just gotten married, his plan for his life was to become the county magistrate. Then, he would accumulate merits along the way and strive to become a provincial governor before the age of thirty.

Unexpectedly, he had a smooth journey and soon deviated from his plan. If Sima Wei had really succeeded, in three or four years, he might have become the prime minister of the empire in his early twenties.

Now that Sima Wei is dead, he has returned to the starting point before he entered the officialdom and is about to become a county magistrate.

This couldn't help but strike Liu Xian as absurd. He looked at the bustling streets outside the Imperial Prison, as if nothing had happened. The four years he had spent in officialdom seemed like a fleeting dream, now awakened, nothing more.

But Liu Xian knew that this was not a dream. Just like Liu Song who was already showing signs of aging in front of him, these years had definitely changed himself, the people around him, and also profoundly changed the world.

At this moment, he heard Liu Song suddenly ask: "Huai Chong, have you ever blamed me?"

Liu Xian replied, "Teacher, whether it's me, His Highness, or Hongyuan and the others, we have always been proud of you."

"That's what I wanted to ask, Teacher, have we embarrassed you this time?"

Liu Song was silent for a moment, then said to Liu Xian solemnly, "How could that be? I'm proud of you too..."

As he spoke, the short year he had spent in the Shiping Palace became clearer.

Somehow, the following picture suddenly emerged in Liu Xian's eyes: Sima Wei was drowsy in class, and was angrily called out by the teacher Liu Song, who then scolded him and tested his homework. Sima Wei had a sad face, and Wang Cui and Liu Xian were winking and making gestures to indicate the answer.

What day did this happen? Liu Xian had forgotten. He had once thought it was an insignificant day, but now thinking about it, it was a very beautiful memory.

At this time, the coachman Zhu Fu had already driven to the door to pick up Liu Xian, and the teacher and student waved goodbye.

After boarding Zhu Fu's carriage and embarking on the journey home, Liu Xian's beautiful memories still lingered in his mind, and he began to involuntarily sort out and search for other beautiful memories. It was like picking shells on the beach. With every few steps, a series of related beautiful images flooded his mind.

Take Zhu Fu, for example. As soon as Liu Xian sat in the familiar carriage, he recalled his childhood journey to Chen Shou's thatched cottage on Mount Beimang, where he would study. Back then, he had watched countless times as Zhu Fu's carriage, its wheels creaking, and the morning glow blazing and the trees lush and lush.

As he reached Jianchun Gate, Liu Xian couldn't help but recall his encounter with Afule there, amidst a bustling crowd gathered to watch the aristocratic leader, Wang Yan. No one had expected a foreigner to rise to the heavens and roar with such passion and determination that he instantly captured everyone's attention, thus beginning a truly remarkable encounter.

Passing by the Sunset Pavilion, Liu Xian gazed at the orange trees along the road, laden with fruit, though still green. He remembered playing hide-and-seek and picking oranges here with Xi An and Zhang Gu. Four years ago, he had also passed by here, riding a horse and leading an ink carriage to the Juancheng Mansion to marry A'Luo. Back then, he felt nervous and anxious, yet also filled with hope for the future.

Finally arriving at the gate of Anle Mansion, he saw the red apricots in the alleys, and his mind was once again filled with his mother. How many times had she stood before the gate like an apricot tree, watching him leave and welcoming him back, as if she could stand there forever.

In addition to this, there are many more... Liu Xian didn't feel anything when he didn't recall the past, but once he was immersed in the memories, he was like a wandering god in the sky and couldn't leave.

It wasn't until the coachman Zhu Fu called out to Liu Xian several times that he finally responded: "Uncle Zhu, what's wrong?"

Zhu Fu stared at him blankly, and said with some sadness: "Master, we're home."

"Oh, we're home."

Liu Xian got out of the car and took in the familiar gate and the plaque above him that read "Anle Mansion," which he had admired countless times. He suddenly realized why he had fallen into this state of nostalgia. The memories were beautiful, not because he was happy, but because of the sadness before parting.

Today he is leaving here, leaving the place where he was born, grew up, and became an adult, and he doesn't know when he will return.

Obviously, everyone knew this, so when Liu Xian entered the mansion, everyone had already gathered to greet him behind the door. And everyone he saw took the initiative to greet him.

Ah Chun asked shyly, "Sir, are you okay?"

Lai Fu looked at him worriedly: "Master, you're back."

Aunt Fei Xiu made small talk: "Huai Chong, you didn't suffer much in prison, did you?"

Second uncle Liu Yao said, "Biji, take a bath first, and then we'll have dinner together."

Only his wife, A'Luo, stood behind the crowd, staring at him blankly. After a long moment, she said, "Biji, you've lost weight."

While in the imperial prison, Liu Xian had already heard from Jiang Tong how much his wife had sacrificed for his life and death, and how deeply she worried about him. Now that he had escaped death, he was thrilled, but he remained calm and said with a smile, "A-Luo, I'm back."

Yes, at this final moment of separation, even though he felt sad, he did not want his family to be sad because of it. He hoped that everyone could say goodbye with a smile and meet again with a smile next time.

But everyone also knows that a smile is just a comfort, and farewell is farewell.

So the rest of the people dispersed on their own initiative, leaving the space to the couple who were about to be separated for a long time, allowing them to be intimate in their final moments.

Time is truly magical. While in prison, Liu Xian felt that time passed so slowly, almost as if each day was a year. But after being released, he felt that time flew by again, and the years passed quickly. He had barely done anything, and half of this last day had already passed.

The reason was simple: he was paying attention to moments he had previously ignored, and re-examining the environment and life he had taken for granted. Time itself wasn't strange; it was the way people think and act. The couple spent time together, not really doing much. Ah Luo was packing Liu Xian's luggage, packing his clothes, while he sorted through his daily manuscripts, letters, and selected necessary books.

While she was tidying up, Ah Luo moved back and forth in the room like a butterfly, while reminding me: "When you go over there, take good care of yourself."

"Eat on time, go to bed early, and don't stay up late reading, it's bad for your eyes."

"Write home more often, and tell me about any joys or sorrows you may have."

"I have already written to..."

"A Luo..." Liu Xian interrupted her, walked up to her, took her hand and said, "Thank you for your hard work these days."

"I'm afraid you'll have to work hard from now on. I'm sorry. But at least for now, you can take a break and let me take a good look at you."

"I don't know how long I'll be gone. I'm really worried I won't be able to remember what you look like..."

This sentence easily exposed his wife's disguise, and her tears immediately rolled out like pearls. Ah Luo couldn't help but hit Liu Xian's chest and cried and cursed:
"You're always like this, you're always like this! You always act like a man of integrity in front of me, and then pretend to be gentle. Why do you always torture yourself and torture me?"

"Will you never be weak? Will you never rely on others? Will you never admit defeat?"

"You would rather make me cry than let yourself go wild for once and tell me how much you love me?"

Listening to his wife's sobbing, Liu Xian felt incredibly guilty. He loved A'Luo, but not as much as she loved him. Love is a battlefield; couples always yearn to conquer each other, but the one who loves more always ends up at a disadvantage.

Although A'Luo usually kept silent, she actually wanted to take the initiative in a subtle way. However, before the separation with an unknown deadline, she was unable to maintain the stalemate after all.

Liu Xian wiped Ah Luo's tears and said, "Don't cry, don't cry, it won't look good if you cry."

"No, I want to cry!" Luo looked up at him with her red and swollen eyes wide open, and said loudly: "You must remember, all this is because you lost!"

"Since you want to be such a ruthless person, you are not allowed to lose in the future!"

"You have to win it back, no matter what method you use! You have to win back everything you lost!"

"If you lose again, I'll go home and never see you again!"

It was such childish words. Ah Luo had never said them to him before, but now when Liu Xian heard them, he saw a more real Ah Luo. His heart was filled with tenderness, but he couldn't help but smile at this moment. He promised his wife:
"A Luo, don't worry, I will definitely win it back, and win it back fairly and honorably."

Then it was time for dinner. The family prepared a very sumptuous dinner, but unfortunately, eating requires a suitable mood, and Liu Xian had no appetite. The same was true for everyone in the family, big and small. After cleaning up the dishes, Liu Xian could hardly remember what he had eaten.

At this time, the messenger from the court came to urge him to set off. When Liu Xian opened the door, he saw that it was Lu Ji.

After not seeing him for a while, Lu Ji seemed to have been promoted. As a member of Jia Mi's party, he was promoted from a Zuo Zuo Lang to a Shang Shu Lang. Everyone in Anle Mansion stared at him, which made him a little scared. He defended himself by saying, "I was just following orders."

Liu Xian also advised everyone, "Shi Heng is my good friend, he has done me no wrong."

Then he said to Lu Ji, "Give me some more time, I'll pack my luggage."

Lu Ji smiled bitterly and said, "Of course I can wait for this little while."

The mansion prepared a lot of luggage for Liu Xian, from the large carriage for travel to the small pickles for meals. All the things added up could fill up two cars.

But Liu Xian mostly refused. He only wore the Zhaowu sword, held a feathered horse in his hand, and carried an ox horn bow on his shoulder. He also put on eight sets of spare clothes, two pairs of boots, and a complete set of "Collected Works of Zhuge Liang" left by Li Mi.

Then there are Xi'an and Zhang Gu, who will serve as Liu Xian's retainers and followers, each riding a horse, and will also embark on the journey to Guanzhong with Liu Xian.

That's all.

He turned around and found that his father Liu Xun was not there, which made him very disappointed and dissatisfied. His teacher Chen Shou was also not there, reportedly to avoid suspicion. But at this time, he still smiled and waved to all his family members, even as a farewell.

Liu Xian left Anle Mansion like this, and next he would leave Luoyang.

Over the years, Liu Xian had imagined countless times the circumstances under which he would leave Luoyang. Perhaps it would be happy, perhaps sad, perhaps he would be followed by thousands of people, or perhaps he would be alone. Now, that moment had finally arrived, Liu Xian felt neither joy nor sorrow.

On the way, Lu Ji said to him: "I will find a way to help you come back as soon as possible."

Liu Xian smiled and replied, "I'm very grateful that you're willing to help me out, but there are some things I still have to figure out on my own."

Lu Ji was silent for a moment. He knew Liu Xian was seeing his awkward position and trying to excuse him. He then cheered up and said, "I believe you. After all, we are friends. This won't be our last journey."

Of course, Lu Ji was not the only friend who came to see Liu Xian off. Zu Ti, Liu Cong, Wang Cui, Zhou Xi, Jiang Tong and others were all waiting at the gate of the White Horse Temple. They toasted Liu Xian and said goodbye.

Zu Ti smiled at Liu Xian and said, "You owe me a favor! Have you figured out how to repay me?"

Liu Xian said with a smile, "When we fight for supremacy in the future, I will follow the example of Duke Wen of Jin and give you three steps back!"

Everyone present laughed. Liu Xian took the wine cup and drank it all. Then he whispered to Zu Ti, "Please protect my family in Luoyang."

Zu Ti whispered, "Don't worry, as long as I'm here, they'll be there."

Liu Xian then said to Jiang Tong, "Thank His Royal Highness the Crown Prince for me! And tell him to take care of himself!"

After saying this, he raised his head and looked east, looking back at Luoyang with deep affection. In the last afterglow, Luoyang's towering figure was like a silent giant, staring at him in the twilight. Although there were no words, he could feel its breath, the fragrance of osmanthus and chrysanthemum.

Goodbye, Luoyang, my prison, my hometown! I will go to a faraway place, a brand new prison. It will be a long time, but I will come back, just like peach blossoms return to spring!

It was dark and Liu Xian was completely on the road. There were few pedestrians on the road and the sound of the wind between heaven and earth was boundless, making the world in the darkness seem particularly desolate.

But Liu Xian didn't feel lonely. He knew that not only did he have two companions behind him, but he also had a galaxy above him. The light from billions of stars, though not enough to illuminate the earth, was enough to help him find his way forward.

(End of the Cross Volume)

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