东宫 Eastern Palace: Chapter 24

        I could finally see Li Cheng Yin, although he was standing far away, however I could see him at one glance. Half of his body was leaning on the railing, he was wearing a beautiful jade coloured cover on the back, wind blowing the tassels of the cover and his sleeves, many people knelt down. I could also see the Emperor because the surrounding people were shouting out: "Long live the Emperor!" I have never felt so distant and irrelevant.

        I could see Zhao Liang Di, she was wearing ceremonial clothing, walking upstairs from the back of the gate tower. She did not reveal herself, however I could recognize her from the shadow reflected on the curtain. I could see that she was reaching out her hands to put a black coat on Li Cheng Yin's shoulders. The wind was very strong that the coat flipped over, the patterns on the coat which was made out of red and golden silk could be seen being reflected by the lights on the top. Li Cheng Yin turned around, it was too far so I couldn't see the expression on his face, maybe he was smiling at the beauty that was standing behind him.

        I have never went to the top of the Cheng Tian gate, or spend the Lantern Festival with Li Cheng Yin. I never knew that on the night of the Lantern Festival, he would always bring Zhao Liang Di to such a high place to watch the fireworks.

        A pair of couple, tonight was suppose to be a good day to spend as a couple.
　　
        I thought that it would be different, I thought that everything that happened yesterday would change everything. Yesterday night when I was captured by the assassin, he once looked at me that way, he called my name, he used the arrow to swear an oath.

        All these actions made me thought that something would change, however only one day have passed, and he's standing there with another woman as if nothing had happened, enjoying the bustling night of the Lantern Festival, receiving greetings from the commoners.

        While my safety and my whereabouts were unknown, I am his wife.
　
        Someone called me: "Xiao Feng."
　　
        I turned around, looked at Gu Jian in disappointment.
　　

        He was staring at me, I slowly smiled at him, wanting to talk to him, however the moment I opened my mouth, cold wind went inside making me cough, my throat was already in pain, coughing made it even more painful as if my throat was about to split open. Coughing too much made my head hurt as if there were sharp rocks in my head and those rocks pricking my blood vessels, making it hard to breathe. I bent down coughing as if I was coughing something out of my body. I didn't feel that it was painful, it was just that my chest wasn't feeling well, maybe it was because I was cold, that's why I am sick now..........Being sick was supposed to feel this bad.
　　

        Gu Jian helped me get up, however I stumbled over as I felt that something inside my body was about to rupture, silently coughing it out, my chest felt a bit better now.

        He lifted my face, I could hear my voice, I said: "It's not a big deal........" I could see the expression in his eyes was filled with pain. He suddenly lifted his hand to wipe my mouth.

　　　　

         Through the lights, I saw the bloodstains on his fingers and also on his sleeves, little by little I realized these were fresh blood. My body had weakened, feeling dizzy, I knew that I wouldn't be able to stand up myself, the mouthful of blood was as if I had used my whole strength to spit it out. He hugged me, whispering into my ears: "Xiao Feng, just cry, just cry." I used my remaining strength to push him away: "Why should I cry? You purposely brought me here to see this, why should I cry? You can stop pretending now, why should I cry? You said that once I see all this, then you will let me go. I am leaving right now!" "Xiao Feng!" He rushed over wanting to support me with his hands, I was stumbling over, however I tried my best to stand up. I turned around and I stared coldly at him: "Don't touch me, and don't follow me or I will die right in front of you. Even if you have exceptional martial arts skills, you still can't prevent me from killing myself. You can prevent it once, but you can't prevent it forever. As long as you try to follow me, I can always think of a way to kill myself." He actually stood there, dared not to move one step forward, maybe because I sounded very determined.

     
        I don't know how far I went, all four directions were filled with people and lights that were bright and dazzling. I grabbed the collar of the leather fur coat as my body felt cold again, so cold that I was clenching my teeth. I know that I have a fever, my feet felt like it was stepping on sand, weak without any strength. I stood there weakly under the lanterns, surrounded by laughter, people coming and going. In the distant sky, fireworks were constantly being launched. On the night of the Lantern festival that was filled with excitement and laughter, where should I go?

        The world is so big, however there was no place for me.

　　

         A'Du, A'Du, where are you? We'll go back to Western Liang, I miss Western Liang.

　　In front of me was a lantern with a gold foil cutting of a beauty, the candle inside was very hot, the lantern kept on turning, the beauty was either sitting or standing, angry or happy....... I felt that everything was turning dark, the beauty on the lantern seemed to be Zhao Liang Di, slowly smiling at me: You think there is something different? You think you have a place in his heart? You think that once you are taking as hostage in place of his Majesty, then he will have some pity for you?.......

        I can only stand firmly by leaning on the tree. My hair was stuck on the rough tree barks creating a slight pain, however it felt comfortable.........because this slight pain would ease the pain in my chest. A'Du is not here, at the capital city I ended up being all alone. Where can I go? Going alone back to the Western Liang. If I can't arrive there by a month, then three months, half a year, one year. I want to go back to Western Liang.

        I looked up to look at the moon, this type of bright and pure white moonlight, gently shining on everyone. The capital city that was under the moonlight, bustling and peaceful, countless times under the moonlight, A'Du and I would wander around in the city, however this place was not my home, I want to go home.

　　
        I slowly walked in the west direction, if I want to go back to Western Liang, then I would have to walk through the Guang Hua gate, continue walking towards the west direction, passing through the Yu Men gate would be Western Liang.

        I want to go home.

        I haven't arrived at the Guang Hua gate, suddenly people started to scream, someone even shouted: "Cheng Tian gate is in flames!" I thought I heard it wrong, everyone looked at the south direction, faint flames can be seen on the Cheng Tian gate, black smoke was spreading out, everyone covered their mouths and screamed in shock seeing the beautiful building being enveloped in flames. Those lanterns, those curtains..............The flames were swallowing them one by one, the fire was getting bigger and stronger, the Cheng Tian gate was being burned in the raging fire. 

　　
        The streets suddenly became chaotic, countless people screaming and running away, unsure of what to do. Suddenly the army was rushing through, the noisy crowd took the initiative to step aside, the speed of the horses was like a gust of wind. The people responsible for putting out the fire rushed over carrying wooden buckets of water, people pulling carts filled with buckets of water.

        I could see the Shen Wu army surrounding Cheng Tian gate, not long after I could see the ceremonial weaponry. Afterwards the army marched towards the palace, as everything must have been fine now.

　
        I should not be worried, the lives of the people on top of the Cheng Tian gate have nothing to do with me.

　　
         I should just go back to Western Liang, tell my father that I had came back, then ride my little red horse on the grassland like the same as before, passing by days without worries.

　　
        I saved some of my strength, continued to walk in the west direction. The Shen Wu army passed by with their horses, I could hear whipping sound and a loud shout: "His Majesty have an imperial decree! Close all nine city gates!" Each voice passing the message: "His Majesty have an imperial decree! Close all nine city gates!" Hundred years of prosperity, the Lantern Festival have never have this kind of situation happening before, however the commoners did not have any objections. The commoners are still talking about the fire as they still haven't fully recover from the incident. The intensity of the fire gradually lowered. "Closing all the city gates, can we not go out?" "This huge fire, closing the gates was because they are scared something big might happen. Once the fire at the Cheng Tian gate is put out, then the city gates would be open again....." People around were talking to each other, all the noises made me felt impatient. I could not move, even there was a burning pain when I tried to breathe. My throat was like a charcoal, dry and burning hot. I was sitting by the street and leaning my head against the tree, gasping for air.

        I only sat there for a moment, never have I thought that I would fall asleep just sitting there.

　　
        When I was little, I went hunting with my father, I fell asleep on the horse, my father carried me on his back on the way back. I comfortably slept on my father's back, even drooling on his back causing his back to be wet. I was too lazy to lift my eyelids, only could see countless lights in the streets that looked like stars that we normally see on a summer night at the grassland. It was said that if you see a shooting star and then tie your belt into a knot, but then make a wish at the same time, the wish would come true. However I'm too clumsy, every time I see a shooting star, I would either forget to make a wish or tie my belt into a knot......Tonight there were so many shooting stars, if I make a wish, what can I wish for?

        I used my strength to pull out my hand, wanting to tie my belt into a knot, however my fingers were weak, so my hands just hang down.

        It was like that.

        I closed my eyes, and then slept.

　
        I don't know how long I had slept, it felt as long as a person's life, but also felt very short. This sleep felt deep, but also not that deep because I could feel that there was a lantern constantly spinning nonstop right in front of my eyes. The gold foil on the lantern was so bright that it hurts my eyes, also it was constantly talking into my ears. It was very annoying, why can't it let me sleep peacefully?

        I know that I am sick, because if my body doesn't feel cold then it would feel hot, a moment it would feel cold, a moment it would feel hot. The coldness would make me clench my teeth. When I feel hot I would also clench my teeth, because the air that I breathe out would be burning hot.

        I was also talking in my sleep, I want to go back to Western Liang, I want my father, I want A'Du, I want my little red horse.........I want the old days back....Only I knew that the things that I wanted I can no longer have anymore.

　
        When I spit out the mouthful of blood, I already knew.

　　
        My chest was in pain, consciousness had dropped, and then I fell back asleep.

　　
        In my dreams I was riding the horse in the boundless dessert, looking around. Maybe I was crying, I could hear my own sobbing voice.

　
        What's there to cry about? We Western Liang women do not cry over these things.

　　

        In the end I finally woke up, my whole body was in pain, eyelids felt awkward as it felt heavy that I couldn't open it. I slowly opened my eyes, the first thing that I saw was A'Du, she looked at me with her teary red eyes. It was dark everywhere, the sky was filled with stars like a sparse glimmer. I finally recognized that this place is a broken temple, why am I here? A'Du lifted me up and fed me some water. I felt that the pain in my chest got better. I held her hand tightly, muttered: "A'Du, let's go back to Western Liang." My voice was actually hoarse and disordered, even I didn't understand what I was saying, however A'Du nodded her head. Her cold fingers touching my forehead gave me a comfortable feel. Fortunately A'Du came back, and found me. I didn't have any strength to ask her where she had went for the past two days, I was taken as hostage by the assassin, she must be very worried. I felt very relieved having her by my side, A'Du came back, we can go back to Western Liang together.

        I felt dizzy, so I was about to fall asleep again. Suddenly A'Du stood up, I used my strength to open my eyes to glance at her once, she was standing by my side, listening attentively to some sound, I could also hear it too. It was a faint sound, there was a large group of people coming here.

　　
        A'Du bent down to help me get up, I felt very weak as if there was no strength in me.

　　
        If those people are the Shen Wu army or the Yu Lin army, then I don't want to see them because I don't want to see Li Cheng Yin, however I am scared that A'Du won't be able to take me away from those people.

　　
        The temple door opened, in a matter of life or death suddenly a white figure flew down from the rooftop like a huge bird. A bright sword was being swung around in the doorway, I heard a lot of screams, I recognized that the person that flew from the rooftop was Gu Jian and the people outside the door were the Shen Wu army. I felt like blood was rushing to my head, although I didn't see Li Cheng Yin, however Gu Jian is killing people right now.

        A'Du was holding onto the golden inlaid knife, carefully watching Gu Jian fighting against the Shen Wu army, I grabbed the golden inlaid from her hand, A'Du looked at me in a suspicious way.

        I slowly approached the people that were fighting, the Shen Wu army thought that I was with Gu Jian, one after another running towards me with their weapons. Gu Jian's martial arts skills are exceptional, although he was surrounded by the army, every time when someone ran towards me, he would grab the sword in midair and kill. Every move was precise, every time when the sword flashed, someone would be lying down right in front of me.

　　
        Warm blood would be splashed on my face, and there would be more and more people lying down in front of me. The Shen Wu army doesn't seem to be afraid of death, everyone running in this direction and being slashed by the sword. I was shocked by the innocent killing, I wanted to shout out 'stop,' however my voice was hoarse and almost unable to speak. Gu Jian seemed to have heard it, but also did not.

        I bit my teeth, and ran towards Gu Jian with the knife, he lightly pushed the knife away, my hand had no strength so the knife fell to the ground. At this moment I could hear loud noises breaking in the air, heavy rocks being thrown towards me, I looked up and A'Du looked at me and rushed over. Smoke was everywhere, the loud noise was so loud that the whole temple was almost shattered by the noise.

<Chapter 23                                                                                                               Chapter 25>