Chapter 23: Shou Ta Yi Bing "A Tale of Love and Loyalty"
FlamingoBees
Translating Chinese Historical Dramas for your enjoyment... and mine! :)
Shou Ta Yi Bing "A Tale of Love and Loyalty"
Chapter 23:
Life and Death
The wind grew stronger, and the snow deepened, making the path to the Yangju Hall nearly impassable.
Her hair was whipped into disarray, and the tears in her eyes were blown dry by the wind, leaving her feeling painfully cold. Pei Qing recalled his strange behavior from last night and understood better why he had said what he did.
Why had she not realized it at the time? That phrase, "Pei Qing, don’t marry anyone else," had sounded so familiar.
They had once faced a similar dire situation. He was being hunted, and she was pursued alongside him. At the edge of a cliff, with a pale face but still smiling, Xiao Yuan said, "Little Qing'er, I’m sorry for dragging you into this."
She had cried pitifully as she tried to stem the flow of his blood, shaking her head continuously.
Had she not been by his side, she would have long been subjected to the abuses of thugs and bullies. It was only after leaving home that she realized how many unspeakable grievances existed in the world.
As knives and arrows closed in, he had no choice but to hold her and leap off the cliff. Fortunately, the heavens showed mercy, and the base of the cliff was a gently flowing stream. Pei Qing exerted great effort to drag him onto the shore.
But the young man, already on the brink of death, lay in her arms and still worried about the future.
"I might not be able to marry you and make you the general's wife. Please don’t be angry. There’s always the next life," he said, coughing.
"In this life... you should marry a scholar. Don’t marry someone from the military. They live with their lives on the line, and you’d always be worried and fearful."
Her tears flowed uncontrollably as she tried to help him up, but he couldn't move.
"No, no, scholars don’t know martial arts. How would they protect you? It’s better to find someone with some martial skills. A minor official could be good; they have skills but don’t go to the battlefield."
"But their salary is very low. They can’t even afford rouge, powder, or proper clothing," he paused for a long time due to the pain in his abdomen, "Xiao Qing'er, you mustn't marry someone like that..."
"Stop talking. I’ll take you to find a doctor. There’s smoke ahead; there must be someone living there!" Her voice was urgent.
But he shook his head and managed a weak smile. "Pei Qing, how about you don’t marry anyone at all? Have you ever heard of corpse collectors?"
Pei Qing looked at him in disbelief. Corpse collectors made their living by handling dead bodies, either sending them to wealthy families for burial with their ancestors, or to doctors for examination. In the end, most bodies ended up scattered and thrown into mass graves to be fed to animals.
Xiao Yuan said, "When I die, don’t bury me. Burial costs a lot of money. Just sell my body to the corpse collectors. A young, strong man like me could fetch several taels of silver! It can be used for your expenses."
He then pulled out a piece of jade from his bosom, with one corner broken off, and handed it to her. "Then, take this to the Southern River and find... someone named Chu Li. He is a close friend of mine; we grew up together. He will give you all my money. Make sure you keep it safe, and... ask him to hire a trustworthy escort agency that even the mountain bandits and ruffians fear to take you home, alright?"
Pei Qing shook her head, crying, but Xiao Yuan could no longer soothe her or tell her not to cry.
These were his last instructions, meant to protect her from suffering. And last night, when he repeated those words, was it because he knew he had chosen a path to death?
Pei Qing saw the characters Yangju Hall in the distance. At that moment, a loud explosion sounded from outside the palace, and the clashing sounds of battle and swords grew closer. Her heart tightened, and she disregarded all etiquette and protocol, grabbing the hem of her clothes and running.
She would not let him die.
Just like back then. Pei Qing didn’t know how she managed it or why she had such strength at that time, but she carried the much larger and heavier man for several miles, finding a doctor in a village of itinerant workers.
Xiao Yuan always boasted about his good fortune, claiming to be the child of destiny, but she hadn’t believed it. However, when she saw the divine doctor and witnessed Xiao Yuan's miraculous revival, Pei Qing was convinced.
He was favored by the heavens and would not die so easily.
Another loud explosion sounded, and Pei Qing glanced over. It was the noise of the palace gate being struck. Arrows coated in oil had been fired in.
As Pei Qing ran into the inner hall of the Yangju Hall, Xiao Jing still maintained a calm demeanor. "You’ve arrived."
Without hesitation, Pei Qing knelt in front of him.
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