SPRING RIVER FLOWERS AND MOON - CHAPTER 4
SPRING RIVER FLOWERS AND MOON - CHAPTER 4
Translations by: Lily of the Valley
Chapter 4: From Now On, My Remaining Life Is Entrusted to You
Her hands were tightly held in his palms, causing High God of Lo's heart to beat a little faster.
She dared not look at the two burning gazes he directed at her and lowered her eyes. Suddenly, she remembered and gently withdrew her hand from his grasp, then got out of bed.
She walked to the table, picked up a wine jug, and poured wine into the cup on the table, which had the inscription of yin and yang engraved on it. Both cups were filled, and she picked them up. Under his gaze, she slowly returned to him, offering the cup with the yang inscription to him.
"From now on, I entrust my remaining life to my husband. Please drink this toast."
She tilted her head slightly, parted her vermilion lips, and exhaled like an orchid.
Her sleeves flowed like clouds, her fair wrist like jade, and the jade cup with the grape-like night glow shone brilliantly, exuding an intoxicating radiance.
Li Mu gazed at her, and in the depths of his eyes, there was tenderness overflowing.
He accepted the toast cup, held her hand, and guided her back to the bedside. They faced each other, arms intertwined, and looked into each other's eyes. Each of them took a sip from their cups.
After drinking, he set down his cup and smiled warmly at her. His eyebrows and eyes were firm, and he had a radiant expression.
The embroidered curtain fell once again.
Feeling his lips gently touch her earlobe, as she closed her eyes, her mind seemed to return to that wedding night. Jiàn had smiled at her and called her "阿彌" with deep affection.
Her body couldn't help but stiffen.
He seemed to sense her unease, hesitated for a moment, and then raised his head, letting her go.
"Sleep."
He spoke softly, gently covering her with the quilt, up to her neck. There was no trace of displeasure in his voice.
High God of Lo closed her eyes for a moment, then quietly opened them again and looked at him.
He had closed his eyes, lying peacefully by her side, breathing steadily as if he had fallen asleep.
But she knew he wasn't asleep.
"Why are you so good to me?" She asked softly, somewhat unclear.
He opened his eyes, turned his head, and looked at her.
The red candlelight illuminated their surroundings. His eyes were deep, shimmering slightly.
Many years ago, there was a refugee boy who had fled from the north to Jingkou. New to the place, unfamiliar with the people, and desperate to provide medical treatment for his seriously ill mother, he had no choice but to enter the service of a wealthy Zhang family's estate. He agreed to work as a servant for a year in exchange for thirty coins. He woke up before dawn every day and performed various dirty and strenuous tasks.
A year later, when he could leave, the steward falsely accused him of stealing the master's money and wanted to report him to the authorities. If he refused to go, he would have to sign a lifetime servitude contract.
Later, he learned that this was a common method used by local landlords to recruit servants for their estates, taking advantage of the rootlessness of refugees.
In anger, the young man knocked down the steward but was then captured by the other servants. After a severe beating, iron nails were driven through his palms.
He was nailed to a pillar by the roadside of the estate, exposed to wind and sun, as an example to others.
His mother, Lù, rushed to the scene upon hearing the news. He had already been nailed to the pillar for three days without food or water. His lips were dry, cracked, and bleeding, and the scorching sun had left him in a state of near unconsciousness.
In the midst of his mother's cries, he struggled to wake up and saw his frail mother kneeling not far from the estate's gate. She continued to kowtow to the servants, begging for her son's forgiveness.
The servants, however, mocked her with crossed arms.
His mother came from the Lù family of Fànyáng, a noble family in the north. However, when the Sui dynasty migrated south, the Lù family did not follow. Later, they arrived in Jiāngdōng, but it was too late. Under the pressure of the already-established aristocratic families, they had fallen into obscurity and poverty. Their path to advancement was completely cut off, and over the years, the family scattered, pursuing their own futures. No one remembered that there was such a woman who had married into the Xūyí Lǐ family.
His mother didn't deserve this humiliation.
He wanted to call out to his mother, but his throat was too dry to make a sound.
At that moment, a melodious sound of copper bells drifted through the air.
On the opposite side of the road, a carriage was approaching slowly.
The oxen pulling the cart were robust, and around their necks, they wore golden copper bells. The carriage's front was adorned with curtains, and the carriage itself was ornately decorated and painted in gold. The carriage window on the side was partially open. The coachman sat upright in front, displaying exquisite driving skills as the oxen moved the cart gracefully. Two columns of guards followed on foot, front and back, left and right.
At a glance, it was clear that this was the carriage of a wealthy family passing by.
The sight of the estate owner punishing his servant in such a manner might have been commonplace in this area.
The carriage did not stop but passed by the pillar where he was nailed.
In the air, there lingered a faint fragrance of flowers.
"Sister, they're so pitiful. Please help them..."
Suddenly, a girl's voice came from the carriage, faintly reaching the young man's ears.
The voice sounded like a nightingale's first cry and was the most beautiful sound he had ever heard in his life.
"We're just passing by. It's better not to meddle too much..."
Another, older girl's voice followed.
"But Sister, he doesn't seem like a bad person. He's really pitiful..."
"You're too soft-hearted. Listen to your sister; it's not our business. Don't get involved..."
The girl's voice seemed to sigh, full of pity and helplessness.
The young man struggled to lift his head and looked in the direction where the carriage had just departed.
In a corner of the carriage's window, half of a little girl's face appeared as she gazed back at him.
She looked to be only seven or eight years old. She wore a light yellow dress, had snow-white skin, jet-black hair, round eyes, and was extraordinarily beautiful, resembling a jade snow doll.
At this moment, her gaze was directed at him, and her eyes were filled with compassion and pity.
But in the blink of an eye, a curtain was drawn down, and the girl's face disappeared behind the window.
"Àmí, if you don't listen, I'll tell Auntie, and she won't take you out with her next time..."
The ox carriage gradually moved away.
"Please, I beg you, release my son first. If you don't release him, he will die... He owes you money, but I promise I will find a way to repay it..."
His mother was still on the ground, shedding tears and desperately pleading with the thugs. One of them kicked her in the chest, causing her to fall to the ground.
"What do you have to repay with?"
Another one mocked, "He may be a bit rough, but with a little grooming, he could serve someone well!"
Their lewd laughter, mixed with his mother's hopeless sobbing, reached his ears.
"Mother, please don't worry about me—"
The young boy's eyes widened with anger.
At that moment, he found an unexpected surge of strength. He roared, summoning the power to wrench his hand, which had been nailed to the wooden post, free.
His palm was covered in fresh blood, but he felt no pain.
His eyes were burning with rage as he rushed forward, picking up a wooden stick from the ground to protect his mother.
The people around him were stunned, and then, they angrily closed in, threatening to beat him to death.
But just then, the sound of the jingling copper bells drew near again.
The same carriage that had passed by earlier was returning and stopped by the roadside.
A man who appeared to be in charge stepped forward to inquire about the situation.
Mrs. Lu, seeing this as her lifeline, tearfully explained the situation.
The man ordered the release of the mother and son.
The thugs, naturally, were reluctant and told the man not to meddle in their affairs and to leave immediately.
The man sneered, "Is it still meddling when it concerns the High God's family?"
Everyone knew that "High God" was the respectful title for the head of the Gao family.
The thugs were stunned.
While the Zhang family in Jingkou was a powerful force and could barely be considered a noble family, compared to the renowned Gao family, they were hardly worthy of mention.
If the people in the carriage were truly from the Gao family, they naturally couldn't afford to defy them.
However, who could be sure if they were just bluffing?
If they released the people so easily and word got out, how would the Zhang family regain its reputation among the neighboring families in Jingkou?
The thugs hesitated, uncertain about what to do, when a cold voice of a young girl came from inside the carriage: "Are you people from the Zhang family? My uncle in Jiankang has heard about you. It is said that your Zhang family colludes with local officials in Jingkou, using the name of the court to levy extra taxes in private. Those northern refugees who cannot afford to pay are forced to sell themselves as servants on your Zhang family estate. For every bit of profit your Zhang family makes, the court loses. Jingkou was originally a crucial town for resettling northern refugees on behalf of the court. Your Zhang family not only refuses to share the burden of the court but also takes advantage of the situation to profit, oppressing the northern refugees of Dayu! If you don't release these people to go home now, do you understand the consequences?"
The girl didn't seem very old, but her voice carried an air of authority.
The thugs no longer dared to doubt and quickly released the young boy.
The ox carriage started again, turned around, and continued on its way.
"Sister, thank you—"
The childish voice of the girl faintly echoed again, this time with a touch of joy.
"I had no choice. Don't do this again next time. The world is vast, and you can't handle so many matters."
The jingling sound of the copper bells, the fragrant breeze in the wind, and the tender voice of the girl dissipated into the air completely...
At that time, how could that young boy, who had been nailed to the roadside with an iron nail, dare to imagine that one day, someone as humble as him could marry the young girl in the ox carriage, whom he had glimpsed for just a moment and who was as beautiful as a jade-like snow maiden?
Li Mu smiled at her, and his gaze became even softer. However, he suddenly felt dizzy and disoriented.
He closed his eyes for a moment, clenched his fist, and his face suddenly changed.
When he opened his eyes again, they had turned cold and sinister, concealing a deep sense of pain and despair.
"What have you done to my drink?" he asked in a stern voice, each word pronounced with force.
Just a moment ago, during their brief time together tonight, she had seen him smile at her. It was hard to imagine that General Li, who held immense power in the court, could be so gentle in private.
She was taken aback and shocked. She couldn't understand why, just moments ago, his smile and the way he looked at her had made her feel warm. Yet now, with just a blink of an eye, he had become so cold that it frightened her.
She stared blankly at his pale face filled with hostility, her lips slightly parted, unsure of how to respond.
"Husband... What's wrong with you? Are you feeling unwell?" She hesitated for a moment, then reached out her hand toward him, but he waved it away with a single palm.
Before she could react, she saw him leap from the bed, wearing his disheveled clothes, and rush barefoot toward the weapon rack near the door. His steps, however, seemed unsteady, like those of a drunken person.
After taking a few steps, Li Mu remembered.
Tonight was their wedding night, and weapons were considered inauspicious. The weapon rack had been removed from the room.
"Guards!" He shouted loudly from outside the room and stumbled, his shoulder swaying, as if he were a drunkard.
Several wine vessels and cups on a nearby table fell to the ground, producing a shattering sound.
High Luo Shen finally realized that something was wrong. She hurriedly put on her clothes and got out of bed, following him. She reached out and grabbed his arm.
"Husband, what's wrong with you?"
He didn't answer. He shouted "guards" once more and then pushed her away again, staggering toward the door.
Before reaching the door, he collapsed on the ground.
From outside, there came a tumultuous sound of footsteps.
"General, something's not right—"
Before she could finish speaking, a cry of agony escaped her lips as a sharp sword pierced through her back, and she fell on the threshold.
From childhood to adulthood, Gao Luoshen had never witnessed such a scene. She screamed in horror.
Li Mu's forehead hit the ground, and he tightly closed his eyes, his expression filled with pain. Beads of sweat the size of beans rolled down his forehead.
A thin line of crimson blood slowly oozed from the corner of his lips.
Gao Luoshen was stunned.
At this moment, a group of soldiers clad in armor rushed into the room from outside. Each of them held blood-stained swords and, in the blink of an eye, surrounded Li Mu.
The flickering candlelight illuminated the soldiers' armor and swords, casting a shimmering, blood-red and chilling radiance.
Gao Luoshen finally regained her senses.
"Who are you, and what do you want?" She was furious and shouted loudly. She was about to rush towards Li Mu when she saw two more men entering from outside.
"Sister-in-law, don't be afraid!"
The young man, fair as jade and wielding a long sword, rushed to Gao Luoshen's side and grabbed her arm, forcibly pulling her away from Li Mu, who was lying on the ground.
He was none other than her former younger brother, Lu Huanzhi.
When Lu Huanzhi's older brother, Lu Jianzhi, was alive, he greatly admired Gao Luoshen and treated her with respect. Even after Lu Jianzhi's unfortunate death in the war against Shu seven years ago, Gao Luoshen had still regarded herself as a widow, and Lu Huanzhi continued to address her as "sister-in-law."
The other man was Xian'an Wang, Xiao Daocheng.
Before Emperor Taikang passed away during their escape, both he and Li Mu were designated to assist in the governance. After Li Mu gained power, Xiao Daocheng was forced to comply. Tonight, as Li Mu married Gao Luoshen, Xiao Daocheng was naturally an honored guest.
In that moment of realization when Gao Luoshen saw Lu Huanzhi and Xiao Daocheng, everything became clear.
For over two decades, she had indeed been well protected by her father, brothers, and family.
But that didn't mean she knew nothing.
It turned out that everything had been planned by her elder sister, the royal family, and the Lu clan.
Under the guise of a friendly marriage, Li Mu's defenses had been dismantled.
And she, who had seduced with her beauty, poured poisoned wine into a cup, handed it to Li Mu, and watched him drink it without suspicion.
In the main hall, the guests were still joyfully celebrating, oblivious to the conspiracy and bloodshed unfolding in the bridal chamber.
Gao Luoshen felt an icy chill throughout her body, her legs nearly giving way beneath her.
As she was dragged away by Lu Huanzhi, she looked back at the tall figure lying on the ground.
"Sister-in-law, please go!" Lu Huanzhi appeared extremely agitated as he urged her.
Everything was already preordained.
"Even though she didn't want it, at this moment, nothing could change it. She closed her eyes, tears streaming down. Turning her head and trembling, she was about to leave with Lu Huanzhi when a hand suddenly reached out from the side, grasping her ankle with such force that it caused excruciating pain.
High Lord Gao Loshen slowly lowered her head and met the two gazes of Li Mu on the ground. He lay there, his eyes open, turning towards her. His face was pale, contorted, and his eyes were filled with ruptured blood vessels.
A streak of crimson blood flowed from his eyes, winding down his face, giving his gaze a blood-red color. That bloodshot gaze fixed on her face, unchanging.
"Not me," she shook her head. She started to speak, but her voice trembled and choked in her throat, leaving her with nothing to say, only tears glistening in her eyes.
"Li Mu, you killed my uncle. I swear we will never coexist! Tonight is your time to die, accept your fate!"
Lu Huanzhi clenched his teeth, raised his sword, and swung it down towards Li Mu's arm that was holding Gao Loshen's ankle.
"No!" Gao Loshen suddenly closed her eyes. The next moment, she felt her ankle loosen, and with a 'thump' sound, someone fell beside her.
She shivered, her tears flowing even more intensely. Finally, she opened her eyes and froze in place. She saw that Li Mu had propped up his body, kneeling on the ground with one knee.
In his hand, he tightly grasped the long sword he had taken from Lu Huanzhi's hand. The back of his hand was covered in bulging blue veins, as if they were about to burst through his skin.
Blood dripped from the blade one drop at a time. Meanwhile, Lu Huanzhi lay at her feet.
His body twitched slightly, his wide-open eyes gradually losing focus, still filled with disbelief.
There was a gaping wound in his chest.
A sword pierced through the heart.
Clusters and clusters of blood competed to gush out.
The blood quickly dyed his clothes red, and slowly flowed to the ground.
Gao Luoshen couldn't hold on any longer and fell to the ground, gasping for breath like a drowning man.
Li Mu vomited out a large mouthful of polluted blood, then raised his head, supported himself with the tip of his sword, slowly stood up from the ground, and finally straightened his shoulders.
"I am here! If you want to take my life, come!"
He stared at Xiao Dao Cheng in front of him, his bloodshot eyes flashing, and he shouted in a stern voice.
Everyone was stunned. The armored soldiers were shocked by his murderous aura and stopped for a moment with their swords in their hands.
"Kill him! The Lone King will reward you!"
Xiao DaoCheng hissed.
The soldiers looked at each other and swarmed towards Li Mu.
When Li Mu waved his arm, a helmeted head was sliced to the ground.
A column of blood spewed out from the broken neck in mid-air, like a rain of blood in the sky, showering all over the ground.
"Those who stand in my way, die!"
Li Mu's bloodshot eyes were red, and with the blood-dripping sword in his hand, he took one step at a time, marching forward.
The soldiers' faces turned ashen.
These soldiers, all of them are Xiao Dao Cheng's beloved ones, in order to make sure that they will be able to hit the target tonight, they are carefully selected, and all of them are not brave and fierce.
However, the opponent they are facing is the God of War of the Southern Dynasty, who has led the army of Great Yu on several northern expeditions, and has made millions of hu-fu fearful of him.
Even though he is now like a beast in a cage, broken wings eagle, but by his amazing fierce force, but also by his body exudes a divine might, every time he advances a step, armor soldiers will retreat a step, no one dares to block.
Xiao Dao Cheng did not expect that Li Mu, who had been poisoned, was still as brave as he was.
His color changed greatly, he turned around to retreat, but it was too late, Li Mu threw his long sword at his back.
The longsword was like a cluster of arrows, and it came after him like a shooting star.
This throw seemed to have gathered all his last energy, the sword body was deeply inserted into Xiao Dao Cheng's back, penetrating through his chest, the hilt of the sword was still slightly trembling for a long time because of the remaining energy.
Xiao Daocheng fell to the ground.
A soldier finally came back to his senses, screamed furiously, and then stabbed his sword deeply into Li Mu's back.
Li Mu's chest was pierced by the sword. He slowly turned around and stared at the soldier who attacked him.
The surroundings seemed to be deathly silent, only the faint sound of blood falling from his chest and back remained.
A gust of night wind blew in, the red candle flickered, and his blood-stained face, half-light and half-dark in the candle flame, looked like it was from the hell of Abyss.
The armored soldier looked at him for a moment and gradually showed fear.
"Great Marshal, spare me ......."
He loosened the hilt of his sword and fell on his butt, then rolled and crawled and fled.
Li Mu backhanded, pulled out the sword dyed with his own blood stuck in his back, a pair of bloodshot eyes, eagle eyes, wolf eyes, scanning to the remaining soldiers around.
The soldiers looked at him with fear and slowly retreated.
I don't know which one of them took the lead, but in the blink of an eye, they scrambled out of the house.
There was blood everywhere. In the empty house, only a few bodies were left on the floor.
Li Mu threw his sword to the ground with a sound of "鏘".
He swallowed the sweetness in his chest that kept welling up in his throat and slowly turned his head to look at Gao Luoshen, who was still sitting on the ground.
Her face was already as white as a dead man's, and with her beautiful but empty eyes wide open, she watched him stagger and walk back to her step by step, finally stopping in front of her just one person's distance away.
And so they looked at each other.
She shed tears and he bled.
Blood kept flowing down from his seven orifices, and his body gradually shook.
Suddenly, his entire body, like a collapsed mountain, collapsed and pressed down on her.
Gao Luoshen was pressed back by his heavy body and fell to the ground.
Her nostrils were filled with the smell of blood.
It was the smell of his blood.
She felt a pair of large, cold, moist hands, groping, coming above her slender, smooth neck, finally pinching the back of her neck bone, caressingly rubbing it, and then violently exerting force.
There was a sharp pain.
If he exerted just a little more force, her weak neck would snap like a reed.
She closed her eyes and did not move.
After a few moments, the expected scene did not come.
The hands gradually lost their strength.
Something scalding hot, as if rain-like moistness, splashed down on her face drop by drop.
Li Mu, the legendary god of war of the Southern Dynasty, who had supported half of the world by himself, died on the night of his wedding.
His close friends, most of whom were drunk that night, were all cut off.
The news that he had recovered from an old injury and died was only released half a month later.
Outsiders only said that God envied the genius, talking about his many years of operation of the Northern Expedition was a failure, no one will sigh.
Empress Dowager Gao took the young emperor, personally for him to pay tribute, posthumously honored title, after the event, honor and sorrow to the extreme.
Gao Luoshen was very sick.
Afterwards, Empress Dowager Gao came to visit her and told her that Li Mu was very strict in his defense and if she wanted to get rid of him, she had to hit him with a single blow; otherwise, she would suffer a backlash, which would be tantamount to seeking her own death.
She had no choice but to eliminate him in this way.
As for the reason why she did not tell him beforehand, she was afraid that if she knew about it, her words and actions would be different, and given Li Mu's prudence, she might arouse his suspicion, which would not only fail to get rid of him, but also lead to a disaster.
Empress Dowager Gao said that she had made up her mind not only for Deng's sake, but also for the sake of the Gao family.
If he usurps the throne and becomes the emperor in the future, how will he treat the scholarly families well? Today's Lu and Chu are proof of this.
While Empress Dowager Gao was explaining, Gao Luoshen kept her eyes closed and looked indifferent.
When Empress Dowager Gao finished her explanation, she slowly opened her eyes and smiled coldly.
"Sister, you would rather let the Han family lose the northern part of the country forever than let the Xiao family lose this part of the world, this is what you think, right?"
Empress Gao blushed slightly and remained silent.
"I wish that the kingdom of Great Yu will continue to flourish as you have hoped for, in this way, I can also be considered to have repaid the favor you have done to me in the past."
She gazed at Empress Dowager Gao and said.
......
Gao Luoshen was surrounded by water coming from all directions.
If there is an afterlife and that man remembers the past, what will happen when we meet again?
The last breath in her chest escaped with the last thought that flashed by.
With the tide of the Spring River, she slowly sank into the dark and boundless world.
Translations by: Lily of the Valley
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