Ping Zhao Lu

Chapter 154 Dreaming back to the past life

The autumn wind is bleak and the leaves are falling.

The faint sunlight passed through the carved window and fell in patches on the Clivia placed on the windowsill.

The house was filled with a strong medicinal aroma.

In front of the bed, a guard was busy working cautiously.

He held an exquisite porcelain bottle steadily in his left hand and a cotton swab gently in his right hand. After carefully dipping the cotton swab into some of the liquid medicine in the bottle, he slowly brought the cotton swab close to Shang Jiu's lips.

Then, he gently used a cotton swab to part Shang Jiu's lips and carefully wiped his teeth.

Not long after, Shang Jiu's clenched teeth gradually loosened a little.

Seeing this, the guard immediately put down the cotton swab and porcelain bottle in his hand and picked up the steaming medicine bowl beside him.

He first stirred the bowl gently with a spoon a few times, then scooped up a small spoonful of the black liquid and slowly brought it to Shang Jiu's slightly open mouth.

In this way, spoonful after spoonful, the guard repeated this action patiently and attentively until the entire bowl of medicine was drunk.

At this moment, heavy footsteps were heard from afar, and then a sturdy middle-aged man with a thick stubble strode into the room.

He was wearing a simple, narrow-sleeved shirt with a double-breasted front and a resolute face. However, the traces of time had mercilessly carved deep and shallow wrinkles on his face, making him look a little vicissitudes of life.

When the guard saw the master of the house come in, he immediately stopped what he was doing, stood up, saluted respectfully, and said, "My Lord."

The Marquis of Dongping waved his hand casually, signaling the guards to stand up. He then looked anxiously at Shang Jiu, who was still unconscious on the bed, and asked, "Has he not woken up yet?"

The guard quickly replied, "My Lord, it's been four days. He did wake up once or twice during that time, but he quickly fell back asleep each time."

Dong Pinghou nodded slightly in agreement, his face full of emotion, and he sighed, "After suffering such a serious injury, I was lucky enough to survive. It's a blessing in disguise!"

He was out on business at the time and happened to pass by the river and saw this person. He noticed that the person was still breathing faintly, so he immediately took the person back to rescue him. Fortunately, he saved his life. Otherwise, if he had delayed a little, his life might have been in danger.

The Marquis of Dongping sighed, then turned his head, staring intently at the guard beside him, and asked in a deep voice, "Has the news been passed on to Zhaojing?"

The guard quickly bowed and replied, "My Lord, the message has already been delivered." He carefully reached into his bosom and pulled out a tightly sealed letter. He respectfully presented it to the Marquis of Dongping and added, "This was sent from there today."

Marquis Dongping took the secret letter with a serious expression, tore open the envelope with quick movements, took out the letter inside and began to read.

He scanned the contents of the letter at a glance, but as he read deeper, his brows, which had been relaxed at first, gradually furrowed tightly, and he couldn't help but mutter in a low voice, "Has the Imperial City become so chaotic now?"

After a moment, the Marquis of Dongping slowly closed the letter and put it into his sleeve. He then turned again and solemnly instructed the guards, "Be sure to take good care of him. Absolutely no news of his presence in the Marquis' Mansion can be leaked."

Upon hearing this, the guards dared not neglect it in the slightest. They immediately clasped their hands together and loudly replied, "As you command!"

*

Xu Zhouye walked aimlessly along the heart-poundingly silent palace road.

At this moment, the sky seemed to be torn open, and raindrops as big as beans poured down, forming a violent storm in an instant.

The rain was extremely fierce, and the dense raindrops like a bead curtain hit the ground hard, splashing countless water.

The howling wind blew the rain curtain askew, blurring the vision and making it almost impossible to see the road ahead.

Xu Zhouye slowly stretched out his hand, letting the cold rain hit his palm violently.

Just as he raised his head and looked into the distance, his heart suddenly trembled.

Not far away, Qinghe was running desperately in the rain, heading straight for the door of the Imperial Hospital.

Her figure seemed so small yet determined in the rain, but just as she was about to reach the door, several sharp spears pierced through Qinghe's body mercilessly.

Blood gushed out like a fountain, staining the stone road beneath their feet red and forming a shocking pool of blood.

Xu Zhouye watched this scene happen with his own eyes, and his mind went blank.

Immediately afterwards, an unprecedented fear and despair surged in his heart. He ran forward without hesitation, trying his best to catch the crumbling Qinghe.

However, just as his hands were about to touch Qinghe, the scene before him suddenly changed drastically.

In the blink of an eye, he found himself in a battlefield filled with yellow sand and flying dust.

The deafening shouts and clash of weapons resounded through the sky, constantly irritating his eardrums.

Xu Zhouye stood there in a daze, looking around.

I saw two armies fighting fiercely on the battlefield. Soldiers were killing each other. Corpses were scattered all over the ground, and the smell of blood filled the air.

Just when he was at a loss, a familiar figure rushed past him like the wind.

Xu Zhouye took a closer look, and an indescribable joy and excitement surged in his heart. He blurted out: "Brother!"

Then he took a step forward and followed the figure closely.

Xu Jianglin, who was wearing heavy armor and fighting hard with the enemy in front, suddenly turned around as if he had telepathy.

Seeing this, Xu Zhouye immediately smiled with joy.

He couldn't wait to rush forward and give his long-lost brother a hug.

But just as Xu Zhouye was about to take a step, the enemy's sword and gun pierced Xu Jianglin's body like a poisonous snake out of a hole.

In an instant, blood splattered everywhere, dyeing the ground beneath their feet red.

Xu Zhouye stood there in a daze, his pupils suddenly shrinking, and a huge fear and grief surged into his heart, making him unable to move at all.

Just when his legs were weak and he was about to kneel down and cry, the scene changed again and he arrived at his home.

Xu Zhouye looked around blankly, his eyes slowly sweeping over the furnishings in the room.

Finally, his gaze fixed on a large carved bed - where his father lay.

My father was pale as a cadaver, leaning weakly against the bedside. A servant beside him carefully carried a bowl of medicine and fed it to my father spoonful by spoonful.

Xu Zhouye stood there blankly, his limbs stiff, not daring to move. He was filled with fear, terrified that if he took another step forward, his father would be gone forever.

"Xiao Jin..."

Just as Xu Zhouye was immersed in endless fear, a faint call came into his ears.

Hearing his father's call, Xu Zhou's ambition trembled suddenly and his body subconsciously moved forward.

After a few steps, he finally reached the bed.

But I saw that my father's skinny hand was tightly holding a crystal clear pendant.

The pendant exudes a warm glow and is engraved with exquisite patterns that symbolize peace and auspiciousness.

Xu Zhouye recognized it at a glance. This pendant was a gift he gave to his parents when he was a child, and it was a pair.

He hoped that every time his parents went to the battlefield, they would return home safely.

It’s a pity that fate is cruel. My mother was unable to return safely and left this world forever.

From then on, whenever he saw his father's lonely figure, the pain of losing his mother and the endless longing in his heart would instantly come to his mind.

Now, seeing my father holding the pendant tightly with such care, all the memories and emotions that were buried deep in my heart suddenly burst out.

In an instant, sadness flooded him like a broken dam, tears flowed uncontrollably, blurring his vision.

"Click——"

A crisp sound broke the originally solemn atmosphere in the room.

That voice was like a sharp sword, piercing Xu Zhouye's heart. He was shocked, his eyes wide open, and he looked at everything happening in front of him with pain.

The servant's hands were shaking, and the medicine bowl he had been holding steadily had fallen to the ground, breaking into countless pieces and scattering around.

The father lying on the bed had lost all color in his face, his eyes were closed, and he was holding the pendant tightly in his hand, his body motionless.