[The Moon Was Bright Then] — (Chapter Twenty-Seven)

Author: Mi Nan
First published on the forum on December 1, 2016
First published on this site: Yes
Word count: 6344
Chapter Twenty-Seven: Who is the Mantis
Stalking the Cicada? The surging waters grew fiercer, the thick fog seemed to be torn apart by chaotic knives, and a ray of sunlight broke through the clouds.
Mingyue almost cried out in surprise when she saw the scene before her. More than ten huge reefs suddenly rose
from the river ahead, the rushing current swirling around them, and whirlpools were faintly visible beneath the dark surface, chilling to the bone.
Xu Xing suddenly looked at the escort ship, like a hawk eyeing its prey. Just a moment ago,
a few flashes of five-colored gemstone light were clearly seen at the ship's hull window.
He made two hand gestures in that direction, and the chaotic sounds of kicking and punching rang out, quickly disappearing. Seeing
the reply flag signals from the other ship, he hurriedly reported back to Yuwen Che.
"Long live the Emperor! We've caught him red-handed! Since he sent word, he must be planning to make
his move at Goosebump Shoal ahead. I'll take men to escort you ashore first; Du Qiming will oversee things here. Just stand on high ground and watch
how the men trap us!"
Yuwen Che grabbed Mingyue's hand, but she couldn't shake him off. Annoyed, she said, "Let go! I can walk by myself!"
Yuwen Che smiled at her, coaxing her like a child, "Be good, stay close to me so I
can take care of you!"
The ship silently lowered a few planks, and under the cover of the thick fog, the group quietly disembarked.
Bibo followed closely behind Mingyue. Now that she was alone with her mistress, she had to stay by her side every step of the way
.
Following the winding path overgrown with wild grass and vines, we soon reached the top of the hill. Though not very high,
it was enough to overlook the river and survey the battle.
A breeze soon picked up, and layers of white mist drifted away.
The warships on the river began to spin, and the guards on deck looked like black ants. Some of them tied
thick tow ropes and filed ashore to pull the boats. Even with their agility and martial prowess, the journey against the wind and current
was slow.
As the warship passed through the largest whirlpool, a sudden change occurred. Dozens of gourd-shaped wooden barrels surfaced from the water, and dozens
of people emerged from the turbid current, wielding sharp blades and swiftly piercing the barrels. Black liquid immediately spread on the surface.
The people quickly sank back to the surface, and then a commotion arose on the river, as if shouting that water ghosts were digging into the bottom of the ships.
A cargo ship, its sails billowing, sped downstream, carrying archers who rained down white arrows at the
trapped warships.
Yuwen Che's men swiftly responded; the guards pulling the boats on the shore produced longbows from nowhere, and, in
groups of five, took turns firing back, quickly shooting down the enemy's sails.
The air was thick with the smell of sulfur and phosphorus, and screams echoed through the wind as people were injured and fell into the water.
Only a small patch of crimson appeared on the river's surface before being obscured by black slicks. The ship approaching from upstream rapidly fired its white arrows
, which transformed into fire arrows. The black liquid on the river surface ignited upon contact with the fire—it was tung oil.
Mingyue gazed at the infernal warship engulfed in flames, then at Yuwen Che, who stood silently fighting nearby. She was both shocked
and astonished, and couldn't help but exclaim, "You've really failed as emperor! How come so many people want your
life!"
Yuwen Che laughed heartily and retorted loudly, "My life is tough; it's not something anyone can take just because they want it!"
He then asked her softly, "Yue'er, are you scared?"
Mingyue glanced at him, her tone not very friendly. "If I'm scared, can you let me go home?"
Yuwen Che shook his head, his words sincere. "Of course not, you have to stay with me! But I promise to protect
you!"
What difference did it make whether he was scared or not?
Mingyue was too lazy to pay him any more attention and could only continue watching the battle below.
Because of the reefs and whirlpools, several escort ships struggled to turn and were successively overrun. The enemy had already hooked the warship's hull with grappling hooks
and stormed the deck. Shouts and battle cries echoed through the thick smoke.
Amidst the flickering flames, several more sampans were thrown from the warship as all the guards desperately protected one person as they fled.
Seeing this, the enemy charged in that direction with their lives.
Yuwen Che's double, having been escorted ashore, led the remaining troops in a hasty retreat. Besides the enemies in the water chasing them
ashore, a troop of black-clad knights appeared on land and gave chase, their hooves kicking up dust.
Yuwen Che stared at the occasional stray arrows flying from the cavalry, seemingly discerning something from their archery skills. He sneered at Xu
Xing, "Hiding like this, there must be a master among them. Guess if it's the eldest or the third?"
Internal strife within the imperial family was a serious matter; Xu Xing dared not answer.
Yuwen Che took Mingyue's hand and slowly walked on, saying, "Come on, let's see which good brother has come!
Since he's jumped out, he won't rest until he sees me lying dead in the wilderness!"
Seeing the coldness and mockery in Yuwen Che's eyes, Mingyue felt a pang of pity for him. How many
near-death experiences must he have gone through to grow up like this! Thinking of the harmonious and loving brotherhood of the Xie family, she couldn't help but feel a pang of pity for him and
didn't hold a grudge, obediently letting him lead her.
Yuwen Cheng rode a chestnut warhorse, wearing a bamboo hat, hidden among the pursuers.
More and more bloodstains were scattered on the grass along the way, and occasionally a corpse lay prone in the grass; judging from their clothing, they were Yuwen
Che's guards. Yuwen Cheng was overjoyed, a sense of triumph welling up within him, as if he wanted to shout, "
Yuwen Che, die in peace! I'll help you sit on your throne, I'll help you sleep with your women, hahaha!"
"Your Highness, past the White Stone Valley ahead is Shili Slope, the only way to Gantang Town. We
've already spoken with Mr. Pei; their men are lying in ambush in the dense forest."
Yuwen Cheng glanced approvingly at the burly man who spoke. This man, from the Canal Gang, was nothing more than a rough-and-tumble outlaw, yet he
possessed a meticulous mind and decisive command, displaying both courage and strategy—truly a capable general.
"Xing Fei, from now on, follow me. I'll send you to the main camp, fight a few good battles,
and rise to the rank of adjutant or deputy general, bringing honor to your family and your descendants!"
Xing Fei was overjoyed, as if a bright future was right before him. If the timing weren't so bad, he would
have kowtowed several times on the spot.
"Thank you for your patronage, Your Highness. Xing Fei will follow you from now on, and will hold your horse and put on your stirrups!"
As he spoke, the cavalry entered the valley. On one side was a rushing stream, and on the other a rugged mountain path, flanked by towering cliffs.
The mountainside narrowed, and the fleeing men slowed their pace. Yuwen Che's figure was now faintly visible.
Xing Fei raised his arm and shouted, "Brothers, listen up! One thousand taels of silver for each head!
And one thousand taels of gold for capturing the leader, life or death! Whoever takes him is his!"
Half of the pursuers were Yuwen Cheng's personal guards, while the other half were from the Canal Gang, essentially江湖草莽 (jianghu caomang,
meaning rough and unruly people). Stimulated by the enormous reward promised by Xing Fei, their eyes turned red, and they spurred their horses forward, fearing that if they were even half a step behind, the silver
would belong to someone else.
Yuwen Cheng reined in his horse, watching the battle with composure. In his view, Yuwen Che was doomed today.
The murderous hunters gradually approached the dozen or so guards surrounding them. Suddenly, the young emperor in the center
produced a bronze whistle, its sharp sound echoing through the valley.
Hearing the whistle, the guards roared in unison, their momentum unstoppable, and they launched a desperate counterattack, instantly
felling a dozen or so men.
Yuwen Cheng, sensing something amiss with Yuwen Che, was suddenly confronted by hundreds of
ambushes appearing on the cliffs on either side, boulders and logs raining down like a torrent.
"We've fallen into a trap! Retreat! Retreat!" His cries were drowned out by the deafening crashes.
Men screamed, horses neighed, and flesh and blood were crushed into dust. Those who escaped the first ambush,
still reeling from the shock, were met with despair as oil rained down from the sky, the black liquid instantly igniting, turning half the valley
into a living hell.
"Save me, Master, save me!" A man, his face obscured by black smoke and blood, his right leg pinned
under a boulder, was doused in oil before he could escape, his body ablaze, writhing and convulsing as he pleaded for Yuwen Cheng's
help.
Yuwen Cheng stared at the man instantly engulfed in flames, at his men lying dead and scattered across the ground in the blink of an eye
. His heart felt as if a boulder had crushed it, as if it were being scalded by burning oil. Why? Why did this happen?
Xing Fei grabbed the distraught prince and pressed him against the cliff face. "Your Highness,
as long as we're alive, we can always rebuild. Let's go to Shili Slope; Mr. Pei and the others are still there!"
Yuwen Cheng steadied himself, his eyes filled with deep-seated hatred, and nodded through gritted teeth. Following Xing Fei,
they carefully made their way through the jagged rocks, logs, and broken limbs, the thick smoke providing cover.
Reaching the most horrific spot, dozens of corpses lay in bizarre positions, some prone, some prone, their dark red blood splattered everywhere
. Some of the stones, craggy with blood, were ignited by burning oil, emitting a nauseating stench.
Yuwen Cheng suddenly lunged at a corpse, flipping its face over. His狰狞 (zhengning, meaning ferocious or hideous) smile was more like a grimace than a cry. "Haha,
good seventh brother, good tricks! What a clever way to lure the snake out of its hole! As expected, you were taught by Father!" He had figured it out
; this was Yuwen Che's scheme to lure the enemy using a double.
He understood, but the overwhelming hatred he felt was impossible to suppress. He drew a short knife from his boot and stabbed it into the corpse
's chest, intending it to be his own brother, Yuwen Che.
The double was not completely dead. In excruciating pain, it suddenly opened its eyes, a strange smile forming on its face. It weakly uttered
, "I... wait... for... you...!" With its last breath, it flung out a signal arrow, its head lolled to the side, and
it died completely.
"Your Highness, if we don't leave quickly, it will be too late!" Xing Fei stamped his foot in anger. This prince was too clueless; what a
time for trouble!
He propelled Yuwen Cheng towards Shili Slope, shouting for his men to gather. After counting their numbers, they discovered that of the
original two hundred men, only a dozen or so had survived, all wounded – a devastating loss.
"Teams A and B are responsible for pursuing the enemy, leaving no survivors except the bandit leader. Team C stays behind to clean up the battlefield, also
leaving no survivors!" Xu Xing ordered. The three deputy commanders of the Luan Yi Guard responded and led their teams away.
The ambushers on both sides of the cliffs slid down the zipline to the valley floor.
"Master, the smell down there is unpleasant; I'm afraid Miss Xie can't bear it. Lou Shiming has brought ten silk-carrying boats, which are currently
moored on the riverbank. You and Miss Xie are both of noble birth; it's not advisable for you to be in such a dangerous place for long!" Xu Xing led over two fast horses, respectfully
handing the reins to Yuwen Che, carefully seeking advice.
Yuwen Che sneered, "Xu boy, you've picked up those corrupt officials and become so slick. You're afraid that if anything happens to me, you'll
be dragged down with me! As long as those officials are still around, even sitting in the Hall of Supreme Harmony is a dangerous place for me!"
With that, taking advantage of Mingyue's momentary lapse in attention, he scooped her up, tossed her onto his horse, mounted, and, holding her tightly,
spurred his horse away.
Xu Xing sighed bitterly. He was Yuwen Che's study companion and knew that this man was utterly unruly when he was being willful;
the more he tried to persuade him, the more agitated he became. He quickly mounted another horse and led his men to give chase.
Mingyue was caught off guard by his tight embrace as he galloped away. The masculine aura emanating from him was overwhelming, and she was instantly filled with anger
and frustration, struggling violently.
"Be good and don't move, or you'll fall off and break your neck!"
Yuwen Che laughed heartily, holding her tightly, urging the horse to gallop even faster. The path was narrow and steep, leading down a mountain
, making the horse's run incredibly dangerous.
Mingyue, held sideways in his arms, was unsteady and struggling. The horse galloped precariously, and she felt that if Yuwen Che loosened his grip,
she would truly fall into the wind. In her terror, she instinctively clutched Yuwen Che's clothes with her small hands.
Seeing her affection, Yuwen Che, though knowing it stemmed from fear, couldn't help but think that
perhaps this girl wasn't entirely heartless towards him. The more he looked at her panicked face, the more he liked her, so he deliberately urged the
horse on, loosening his grip on Mingyue considerably.
The horse neighed loudly as they crossed a ditch. Mingyue instinctively clung to his waist, but when the horse stabilized,
she realized his ill intentions. Her hands slowly loosened, her heart filled with bitterness; the grievances of the past few days resurfaced, and
her eyes instantly reddened.
Yuwen Che, seeing this, felt a tremor in his heart, secretly regretting his actions, and quickly embraced her. He had never coaxed a girl before and didn't know
what to do. Remembering the joy of his mother lulling him to sleep as a child, he quickly patted her back gently with his large hand, racking his brains
for a topic to attract her attention.
"Can you ride a horse? I have a heavenly horse in the Western Garden, a tribute from the Abbasid Caliphate. It runs like the wind. When we return to
the capital, I'll take you to the Western Garden for a horse race, okay? I also have a jade-clawed gyrfalcon that can snatch calves up to the sky. Do you
want to see it?... "
At this moment, the Emperor, like every young man experiencing the first stirrings of love, was eager and smugly thinking...
She showed all the things she liked to her beloved.
"And you, what have you ever kept, Yue'er?"
"I kept a cat named Jin Tuan!" Mingyue said softly, the image of Jin Tuan causing trouble surfacing in her mind. Gradually,
she thought of Tingyu Tower and Suxin Hall. Although it had only been one night, she felt that those familiar things
were separated from her by countless mountains and rivers, and she had a vague feeling that she could never go back.
Seeing her disappointed and melancholy, Yuwen Che said with a smile, "I'll have the prefect of Yangzhou send your cat to the capital properly,
and let it stay with you!"
Mingyue thought to herself: If you're willing to let me go home, why bother with the trouble and expense of a cat! Knowing that she couldn't reason with him,
she simply turned her head away and remained silent.
The mountain path gradually leveled out, and perhaps due to the particularly mild climate, some of the lush branches were laden with pale yellow
blossoms. Occasionally, as they passed by, Mingyue would casually pluck a cluster; the delicate stamens against her slender, jade-like fingers were uniquely
captivating.
Yuwen Che had meticulously planned this trip, and now that he had cornered the enemy, there was no need to rush. With a beautiful woman by
his side, he felt a sense of leisure and joy, like a spring outing.
"What kind of flower is this? It's incredibly beautiful, and it smells so good!" Yuwen Che took Mingyue's hand, bringing it close to his nose to smell
it, unsure whether he was praising the flower or the woman.
Mingyue pulled her hand away, retorting sarcastically, "This is a crabapple blossom; it's never been fragrant!"
Yuwen Che chuckled, unperturbed. He glanced at the flowers again and suddenly exclaimed, "So these are
the flowers of the Chinese pear tree! No wonder the town ahead is called Gantang Town! The blossoms of the Chinese pear tree are so radiant, and among all people today, none are more precious than brothers
..." But in his heart, he thought, "This place is full of Chinese pear trees; the people must value kinship very much. I am the emperor,
yet my brothers fight and kill each other. Fate is unpredictable, and destiny is cruel." Thinking this, his carefree
feeling vanished.
Mingyue, sitting in his lap, heard the last four lines of poetry, though barely audible. A thought struck her:
This barbarian emperor is also learning to be cultured!
She often heard her grandfather say when she was young, "Even barbarians have rulers, it's not as good as the Chinese without rulers!" When Xie Laozu was drunk, he
would point at the Mohe people and curse them, calling them barbarians, and then the Rong and Di tribes. In short, he claimed that these barbarians were like wild beasts,
living among the Chinese, usurping power, corrupting the moral order, disrupting customs and music, and turning the world upside down—their crimes were unforgivable and countless!
When she told her father, Xie Pijiang, Xie Laozu's views on barbarians, he disagreed.
He said, "The people of the four barbarian tribes often come with translations, admiring the benevolence, righteousness, loyalty, and trustworthiness of China. Although they come from foreign lands, their hearts are devoted to China;
these cannot be called barbarians. The people of China often stubbornly resist the rule of the king, forgetting benevolence, righteousness, loyalty, and trustworthiness. Although they come from China, their hearts are turned to barbarians
; these cannot be called Chinese. It's not just that they are called Chinese in name only, and barbarians in name only." Those who defy China, act arrogantly and
disregard human ethics, abandoning benevolence, righteousness, loyalty, and trustworthiness to China, are considered barbarians of China;
those who submit to the four barbarian tribes, delight in benevolence, righteousness, loyalty, and trustworthiness, and are willing to be considered human, are considered the "flowers
" of the four barbarian tribes. In short, anyone willing to accept Chinese culture, etiquette, and morality is not considered a barbarian. Between
her own father and someone else's father, Mingyue naturally agreed more with her own father's statement. Therefore, upon discovering that Yuwen Che
was not entirely ignorant, her dislike for him lessened somewhat.
Deep in the dense forest, Li Zihan and Liu Feiyan quietly observed the situation outside.
It wasn't surprising that Yuwen Cheng hadn't managed to kill Yuwen Che at Goose Tub Beach, but the fact that he was ambushed and nearly wiped out in White Stone Valley was quite
unexpected. This made them re-evaluate Yuwen Che's strategic acumen. Therefore, although they saw Yuwen Cheng
surrounded outside the forest, they didn't rush to rescue him; the outcome was still uncertain!
The pursuers had completely surrounded Yuwen Cheng. At this point, the roles of the hunter and hunted had reversed.
Yuwen Cheng, his eyes blazing with fury, glared fiercely at Yuwen Che, who had arrived gracefully outside the encirclement.
Yuwen Che looked at the familiar figure wearing a bamboo hat in the crowd and said loudly, "Brother, even now you
still won't show your true colors?"
Yuwen Cheng threw off the hat, his voice shrill, "Fine, the victor is king, the loser is a bandit! Little Seven, since you still
call me brother, do you dare come over and say a few last words to me?"
Yuwen Che slowly walked in, parted by the guards.
For years, the two brothers had been locked in a fierce struggle both inside and outside the court, their schemes and plots causing countless bloodshed, yet in
public, they always maintained a harmonious relationship. Now, the truth was out; it was either him or
her. Yuwen Cheng carefully examined Yuwen Che, his younger brother who had been his enemy since birth.
"I still remember the year you were born, during the Battle of Songjin. I led the vanguard, fighting to the death, and was the first
to breach Songshan, then conquered Xingshan, and subjugated Jinzhou. Like father, like son; I am my father's eldest
son, and I was willing to charge into battle for his cause. I fearlessly led the charge, all for the sake of
my father's praise and pride. But when Jinzhou was about to fall, my father abandoned thousands of soldiers and
fled back to Shengjing! Haha, all for your vixen-like mother! After the battle, he held
you, still an infant, and said to me, 'Eldest son, this is our seventh son, born with good fortune. Jinzhou fell the moment he was born! He
's truly my good son!' Seventh son, tell me, what good fortune could a mere baby possibly have to
claim the merits of tens of thousands of generals?"
"That was your father's way of tempering your will. He knew you were arrogant and reckless when leading troops, and he wanted to teach you to be more composed
. I never expected that you would harbor resentment towards your father because of this!" Yuwen Che recalled his father's words when he was young and felt
sorry for his father.
"Hmph, he personally taught you everything—riding and archery, your studies—without relying on anyone else. You were just a kid,
I wouldn't have bothered with you. It was just taking you and Xiao Jiu riding horses; you fell and bumped into things unintentionally, and he actually
whipped me!"
"Brother, if you dared to act and take responsibility, I'd admire you as a man. Do you think Father can't see you're jealous of your brother?
Where's that shaman from your village? How did Xiao Jiu get lame? Father spared you face, hoping
you'd reflect and correct your mistakes, but you've become even more vicious, making one mistake after another!"
"What's wrong with me? That position should have been mine! In terms of status, I'm the eldest son; in terms of military merit, you're all
still green on the outside, what makes you think you can compare to me? Seeing I'm not happy, one by one you dare to trample on my face. Should I just let
you humiliate me like this!"
"You're wrong, elder brother. Heaven has no favorites, only virtue is favored! When Father was alive, he hesitated to appoint a crown prince because he
saw that you were unworthy of the position and incapable of shouldering the great responsibility!"
"Nonsense! You think I'm unworthy, but you are!" Yuwen Cheng laughed in anger, his words malicious and sneering, "You were
only put up there because you're easy to manipulate. Isn't it nice to be a puppet? Does it feel good to watch your mother flaunt her beauty
? Are you envious and want to try making one yourself?"
He looked at Mingyue with an extremely lewd gaze, which immediately enraged Yuwen Che, who shouted, "Xu
Xing, kill them all! Leave no one alive!" Yuwen Che had originally intended to spare his elder brother's life, simply imprisoning him
, but Yuwen Cheng's vicious words had thoroughly enraged him, making Yuwen Che determined to take his life.
Before he finished speaking, the branches in the forest rustled wildly, and countless crossbow bolts shot out. The guards hurriedly protected Yuwen Che.
Countless masked men in brown robes charged out, engaging Yuwen Che's guards in a fierce and tangled battle.
Yuwen Che's heart skipped a beat; he had been careless, not expecting Yuwen Cheng to have an ambush. These men's
tactics were strange; their moves didn't resemble those of soldiers, but rather those of martial artists.
As he retreated, protected by Xu Xing, seven men suddenly attacked from the flank. Their swordsmanship was exquisite and nimble, subtly forming a defensive formation
that trapped Xu Xing.
Seeing the situation was dire, Yuwen Che grabbed Mingyue's hand, preparing to mount his horse.
A venomous snake-like tendril coiled around his neck, which he cleaved open with a single stroke.

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[The Moon Was Bright Then] — (Chapter Twenty-Seven)

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