Yuanxi disappeared, like a stone thrown into the sea, vanishing without a trace.
On that day, two guards waited outside the mansion for a long time until dusk fell and they felt something was amiss. When they inquired with the steward of the mansion, they learned that Miss had already left, but no one knew where she had gone.
When Xiao Du received this news, he had been standing at the gate of the Marquis’s mansion for several hours. The guards knelt in apology, but Xiao Du just stood there, looking into the distance with an inscrutable expression. The crimson sunset cast a lonely shadow over him.
Then, he turned and went back inside, taking out every item left behind by Yuanxi and examining them carefully, hoping to find something she had left for him, even if it was just a note. But he found nothing. When someone is determined to disappear, they leave no trace behind, fearing that any word or item would become a shackle, eventually turning into sharp sand grains that would hurt deeply upon touch.
He furrowed his brows as he went through everything, growing increasingly restless. Suddenly, he remembered a day when Yuanxi, in a daze, suddenly sat up straight in bed and held his hand, saying, “Du, we can’t let them have their way. Our lives can’t be manipulated by them.”
He suddenly understood. She was using her departure as a form of resistance. If her fate was already determined, she could at least exchange it for hope for him. But how could a young lady who had been sheltered in her boudoir for over a decade leave so decisively, without taking anything and leaving nothing behind? What would she rely on to survive? Would she feel cold, hungry, and lost in eternal darkness like he did?
Xiao Du ran his hand over each item in front of him. The emerald-patterned outer robe she had worn just yesterday, the pair of double phoenix hairpins he had personally adorned her with, and the jasmine outside the window, which was about to bloom, but the person beneath the flowers would never return.
He sat there for a long time, holding onto a pile of memories until darkness completely engulfed him. Then, he fell asleep, his head resting on her clothes. He seemed to hear her calling him, so he suddenly woke up, pushed open the door, and rushed out. But outside the door, there was only the undulating roof and the dusk enveloping everything. In this vast expanse, there was only him.
Perhaps this was her purpose. There was still a long journey ahead of him, and there was no room for weakness or failure. From then on, he had no retreat, no worries, only the need to move forward relentlessly.
But without you, what meaning does all this have?
In May, during the celebration of the Emperor’s thousandth birthday, on Bell Mountain on the outskirts of the capital, the tall pine trees stood straight, and the green vines were lush. The early summer red flowers were scattered all over the sky, and they were layered into the forest streams. Besides the clear stream, a wild deer was drinking water with its head lowered. Suddenly, the sound of galloping horses and barking hounds came from afar. The deer’s eyes widened in fear, and then it leaped forward, its hooves flying as it ran into the woods.
A group of riders quickly emerged from behind. The leader was dressed in black armor, with a commanding presence. The mountain wind blew, and his tied-up black hair fluttered. He saw that the deer was about to disappear into the forest, so he quickly aimed his bow and shot an arrow. The arrow cut through the air and hit the deer’s throat directly. The deer, which had been vigorous just moments ago, was now lifeless. Many attendants dressed as guards immediately surrounded it, praising, “Your Majesty’s archery is godlike. We couldn’t even catch up.”
Zhao Yan just smiled faintly. How could he not know that these people deliberately didn’t use their full strength just to let him hit the target? Thinking of this, he lost interest, and he didn’t even bother to look at the prey on the ground.
One of them observed his expression and hurriedly complimented, “It is said that Your Majesty once hunted down a fierce-eyed tiger in this mountain. It is said that the tiger is nearly twice the size of an ordinary tiger and possesses innate divine power. Your Majesty was able to capture even the Tiger King, so naturally, you would look down on these ordinary prey.”
Zhao Yan’s expression grew even darker, causing those around him to feel uneasy. Suddenly, he pulled the reins and galloped forward, leaving behind a sentence, “I’m going to take a walk up the mountain. Don’t follow me.” The horse he rode was a divine steed presented from the Western Regions as tribute. The others couldn’t quite understand the Emperor’s intentions, so they didn’t dare to follow too closely and gradually fell behind.
Zhao Yan rode to the mountaintop, finally dismounting and looking down at the mountain below. The clouds billowed and the peaks loomed. He squinted slightly as if through the thick mist, he could see two teenagers, one black and one white, riding side by side from the foot of the mountain. They had a look of arrogance and freedom, as if the world was beneath their feet, and there was nothing to fear.
It was his fourteenth birthday, the day his father officially conferred upon him the title of Crown Prince. He remembered how Chong Jiang had smiled confidently and said to him, “I heard that there is a tiger king on the outskirts of the Bell Mountain. Wait for me, I will skin it for you as a gift.” Xiaodu had been a companion in the palace since he was ten years old. The two were close in age and shared similar interests. They spent every day together, their bond as deep as brothers. That’s why Xiaodu never addressed him as “Your Highness,” always preferring to use his name, and he was happy to accept this unique intimacy.
But that day’s plan had gone awry. The tiger was larger than they had imagined, and even after being hit by several arrows, it still lunged fiercely towards him. Just as its sharp claws were about to tear his throat, he felt fear for the first time. He couldn’t help but curse their recklessness in his heart. Unexpectedly, a retainer who had sneaked up the mountain without them noticing came to their rescue just in time.
But the claw didn’t land on him. Xiaodu rushed forward and used his own back to block the fatal blow for him. Then, with a triumphant smile on his face, he used a dagger hidden in his sleeve to cut the tiger’s throat.
The pungent smell of blood sprayed all over them, and the Tiger King fell backward like a mountain of flesh. Zhao Yan would always remember the deep gash on Chong Jiang’s back, but he smiled happily. Chong Jiang endured the intense pain in his back, quickly treated the wound, and then cut the tiger’s skin off in one piece with the dagger. Then, he half-jokingly knelt and said, “I offer this tiger skin as a gift, wishing you success in your future endeavors. When you rule the world one day, I will guard this land for you.”
He looked into his bright eyes, bathed in the morning light, and saw behind him the rivers and mountains. He was filled with endless ambition. So he put on a serious face, straightened his chest, and solemnly returned the tiger skin to him, saying, “Very well, when I become emperor and you become my general, we will guard this land together.”
Then they both laughed out loud and played around again. At that time, they didn’t understand how treacherous and unpredictable the road to the summit was. All that sincerity and warmth were buried in the dust of the years, never to be found again.
At this moment, the sound of rustling suddenly came from the woods beside him, pulling Zhao Yan abruptly out of his reverie. He frowned, about to call for the guards to come forward, when an arrow “swooshed” past him, and then, a familiar figure seemed to pierce through his memory and walked towards him.
A sense of coldness surged in Zhao Yan’s heart. Xiaodu tightly gripped the silver bow, causing his pupils to contract suddenly. At this moment, the guards heard the abnormality and hurriedly surrounded them from all sides. Xiaodu cast a disdainful glance at the crowd, then sneered and raised his lips, saying, “How is it that even I, the Emperor, have to fear you today?”
Zhao Yan finally regained his composure and raised his hand to stop the others from approaching. He smiled lightly and said, “All of you, step back. Don’t you recognize Xuan Yuan Hou? He is my old friend, how could he harm me?”
The others looked at each other in confusion, but then they saw the body of a snake lying under Zhao Yan’s feet, with an arrow pinned to it not far from his feet.