Chapter 853 Feeling like old friends at first sight

After Liu Xunyi's earnest persuasion, Li Haitang finally agreed to temporarily part ways with him. She would stay in Lin'an and wait and see what would happen, and then go out of the city to meet up with Liu Xunyi after he left.

Liu Xunyi and Ding Chou made a special "wheelchair" for Qiu Han. They fixed four wooden wheels under a bamboo chair so that they could push the paralyzed Qiu Han on "long journeys."

Ever since Li Haitang left, Liu Xunyi, Qiu Han and Ding Chou each had their own concerns and hardly talked much the entire afternoon.

Qiu Han lay on the bed without saying a word, his eyes empty and confused, as if he didn't care about anything. Liu Xunyi and Ding Chou simply tidied up, and then sat in different corners of the room, each lost in thought, and didn't say a word for a long time.

From afternoon to dusk, from dusk to nightfall...

Sitting by the window, Liu Xunyi quietly gazed at the ever-changing clouds in the sky, and couldn't help but recall his own rough past.

From the carefree chasing and playing with Qin Wei and Liu Xunyu in Xinglin Village, to the plague coming, the three of them wandering around and relying on each other for survival... From the huge crowds outside the Xingyuan granary, when Liu Xunyu disappeared, Liu Xunyi and Qin Wei were terrified and at a loss, to the heavy snow on the streets of Qianzhou, hungry and cold, and Zhao Yuan's sudden appearance gave them hope in life... From the uneasiness of entering Tianji Pavilion for the first time, to the pain of practicing martial arts, to successfully being promoted to the Golden Sword Captain, and then to being among the top ten guards of Tianji Pavilion...

Scenes from the past emerged in Liu Xunyi's mind like a dream. He used to spend days like years practicing horse stance, but now when he recalled them, they seemed like a flash of light, like a passing cloud.

Unconsciously, Liu Xunyi's eyes became red and two lines of tears fell, not sure whether they were tears of sorrow, bitterness, sadness or anger.

The loneliness and fear of being abandoned by the whole world like today is a thorn buried deep in Liu Xunyi's heart. It is also the second time in his life that he has felt it so strongly.

The last time, Xinglin Village was hit by a plague, and almost all the people in the village died. Only Liu Xunyi, Qin Wei, and Liu Xunyu escaped by chance. At that time, he was young and weak, and without the protection of his parents and relatives, he had an indescribable fear and confusion about the future. But in order to take care of his sister, Liu Xunyi had to grit his teeth and endure silently.

That unforgettable panic still makes him tremble with fear and horror when he recalls it.

Or maybe it was the indelible shadow left by his childhood, so that even today, when Liu Xunyi was once again abandoned by "the whole world", that feeling of helplessness and uneasiness once again enveloped his heart.

However, unlike when he was a child, Liu Xunyi today is no longer afraid of the unknown future thanks to his superb martial arts and strong will.

Now he feels more lonely and isolated.

It’s a pity that even though I have a thousand knots in my heart, there is no one I can tell.

Following Zhao Xie's arrangement, Liu Xunyi brought Ding Chou and Qiu Han to Changting in the south of the city at 11:00 p.m.

It was late at night and the city of Lin'an was quiet. The streets and alleys were empty and there was not a single person in sight.

When Liu Xunyi looked around cautiously and anxiously, the sound of a carriage creaking suddenly came from the end of the street, which sounded particularly harsh in the silent street.

Liu Xunyi was startled and stared at the four-wheeled carriage approaching from afar with vigilant eyes, and subconsciously tightened the Wuji sword in his right hand.

After a while, the carriage stopped. Before Liu Xunyi could ask the driver what was going on, a clear and elegant voice suddenly came from inside the carriage: "Is that Master Liu Xunyi outside the carriage?"

Hearing this, Liu Xunyi frowned slightly and asked instead of answering: "Your Excellency is..."

"I am the young prince's guest. I am here tonight on the young prince's orders to pick up Lord Liu and two friends from the city."

Liu Xunyi secretly said "As expected" in his heart, and just as he was about to greet him, Ding Chou nervously grabbed his sleeve and reminded him in a low voice: "Master Liu, be careful of fraud..."

"Don't be suspicious!" Liu Xunyi comforted him, "If the man in the car wanted to harm me, the young prince would not save me at all, and I would not be able to leave Jingyun Pavilion alive today. What's more, he is the only one who can help us get out of the city."

"This..." Ding Chou nodded, not quite understanding, "Since Lord Liu believes in him, little Dingzi naturally has nothing to say."

"It's not a good place to stay for long, get in the car!"

After giving the order, Liu Xunyi and Ding Chou first carried Qiu Han onto the carriage, and then got into the carriage one after another.

With the help of the hazy moonlight, Liu Xunyi vaguely saw a young scholar with delicate features and a handsome face in the dim carriage.

This man was wearing a light fur coat and a loose belt, a silk scarf and a feather fan. He was elegant and energetic. There was always a gentle smile in his eyes when he looked at Liu Xunyi and the other two.

"My name is Liu Xunyi. Thank you for your help. May I ask your name?"

"My name is Wen Tianxiang, a nobody." "So it's Master Wen, I'm so sorry!" Liu Xunyi bowed to Wen Tianxiang with a very respectful attitude, "The young prince told me that Master Wen is not only a talented new champion, but also a loyal and filial man. I was lucky enough to escape today, thanks to Master Wen. I am very grateful for your kindness!"

"Hey!" Wen Tianxiang saw Liu Xunyi's reserved attitude and couldn't help but wave his hands and smile, "In terms of age, Lord Liu is older than me. In terms of qualifications, Lord Liu is more profound than me. In terms of knowledge, Lord Liu is more extensive than me. In terms of merit, Lord Liu is far superior to me. How dare I, a poor scholar, accept such a great gift?"

"Age and qualifications are nothing but foolishness and vanity. Your Excellency is a genius with lofty ambitions, a thousand times and ten thousand times better than mine. In the future, the one who can save the world and carry on the legacy of the poor will not be a rough man like me who wields swords and guns and fights, but a great scholar like you who is talented, virtuous, and knowledgeable." Liu Xunyi's words were not false compliments, but heartfelt respect.

Seeing that Liu Xunyi was sincere and spoke with certainty, Wen Tianxiang suddenly laughed out loud, leaving Liu Xunyi and the other two feeling confused.

"Why are you laughing, sir?"

"I thought Lord Liu was a bold and unrestrained man, but I didn't expect him to be a polite and well-spoken scholar." Wen Tianxiang said, "Hearing about him is not as good as meeting him in person. The ancients were not wrong. I am fortunate to meet Lord Liu today, which makes me more certain that my advice to the young prince... is correct."

"This……"

"In fact, I have long been familiar with Lord Liu's legendary deeds, and I admire your loyalty, courage and wisdom!" Wen Tianxiang said solemnly, "If the court can have more loyal and brave heroes like Lord Liu, why worry about not being able to combine literature and martial arts, work hard to govern? Why worry about not being able to resist powerful enemies and conquer the Central Plains in the north? Why worry about not being able to return a peaceful world to the world and roam the world? It's a pity that now the treacherous and corrupt are in power, making the court a mess. The learned people who really care about the world are not valued at all. Instead, some people who are greedy and flattering hold power and control the overall situation. To put it disrespectfully, if the court continues to be controlled by these people who support evil and harm the country and the people, how can the Song Dynasty not perish?"

Wen Tianxiang's words hit the nail on the head. While Liu Xunyi was awakened, he also felt extremely worried about the Han people's country.

"Well said!" Ding Chou's blood boiled, and he couldn't help but agree, "The court is mostly full of flatterers, and there are not many people like Master Wen who dare to speak the truth."

"The two governments of the East and West are bent on expanding their own power and eliminating dissidents by any means necessary. Any official must choose one side to be loyal to. If they dare not cater to them, they will be ignorant of the times and will only end up dead. In such a corrupt court, who would dare to risk the lives of their entire family and speak out boldly?"

"It's just as I expected..." Liu Xunyi pondered, "Your Excellency is clearly the new top scholar, but you insist on returning to your hometown to observe mourning. Perhaps you are tired of the intrigues?"

"Yes, but not entirely!" Wen Tianxiang laughed, "From the beginning to the end, I never thought of escaping from the court, let alone keeping myself out of trouble. On the contrary, the more rampant the court is, the more it needs people who are not afraid of life and death to stand up and uphold justice. If everyone wants to protect themselves, when the country is destroyed and the family is ruined, what is the use of leaving behind a false reputation? A real man should stand tall and upright, learn literature and martial arts, and acquire a set of skills. He should be loyal to the emperor and the people, and serve the country. Otherwise, how are you different from those hypocrites who are hypocritical and seek reputation and deceive the world for fame?"

"Your Excellency is ambitious and full of passion. No wonder the little prince admires you so much." Liu Xunyi was moved and sighed, "It is true that listening to your words is better than reading for ten years."

"Lord Liu, you and I have never met before, do you know why I suggested that the young prince save you?"

"Because you hate evil..."

"This is just one of the reasons, not the fundamental one." Wen Tianxiang shook his head, saying, "It is easy to save one person, but it is difficult to save the whole world. I have great ambitions, but my influence is not important. Therefore, I must support someone who can change everything and make him agree with my ideas on governing the country and my strategies for managing the country."

"You mean... the little prince?"

"That's right!" Wen Tianxiang could not deny it. "There have been rumors in the court that the little prince... will soon be adopted by the current emperor. I think Lord Liu should know what this means. Therefore, I must guide the little prince from now on and cultivate his extraordinary courage and a heart of justice. Let him gradually change from a naive and immature child to a crown prince who has a righteous heart and can distinguish between loyalty and treachery."

In fact, Wen Tianxiang originally wanted to say "crown prince", but Zhao Chen had not yet been officially canonized by the emperor, and it was too early to say something, so he changed his words temporarily to avoid offending taboos.

"Being able to be the young prince's master shows that the emperor and Prince Rong appreciate you very much. You are both virtuous and talented, and you have great ambitions. You will definitely be the backbone of the Song Dynasty in the future." Liu Xunyi said meaningfully, "If the court can have loyal and righteous people like Master Wen as the backbone, the Song Dynasty will be able to get rid of the predicament and regain prosperity."

At this point, Liu Xunyi couldn't help but think of his own situation. His excitement instantly turned into sadness. He smiled bitterly and said, "As for me... I'm afraid I won't have the chance to see that day."

"This……"

"Sir, we have already left the city."

Just when Liu Xunyi and Wen Tianxiang hit it off and were talking to each other from the heart, the coachman's voice suddenly rang out.

"You are indeed worthy of being the number one scholar. The Lin'an government has clearly issued a city-wide curfew, but your carriage is able to enter and exit the city gate unhindered." Liu Xunyi was surprised and delighted. "It seems that the emperor not only has a special appreciation for you, but also loves you very much."

"Now that we have left the city, I wonder where the three of you will go next?" Wen Tianxiang asked curiously, "Besides Lin'an, do you have any other place to settle down?"

"This……"

"Before I leave, can you take me to the Marquis's tomb?" Before Liu Xunyi could hesitate, Qiu Han, who had been silent for half a day, suddenly spoke, "The Marquis treated me with great kindness, but after he died... I didn't even have the chance to pay my respects. With my current health, once I leave Lin'an, I'm afraid I'll never have the chance to come back in this lifetime. Therefore, I hope to personally go to the Marquis's tomb before I leave, to say a few words to him and say goodbye, so that it won't be in vain... our relationship as 'father and son' will not be in vain."

……

(End of this chapter)