After rebirth, I made the princes cry

There is a sack buckled on Feiguang's back, which makes this "imperial horse" also have a bit of "merchant spirit". When merchants travel far away, they will put coins in the sack on their mounts for easy access at any time. But the sack on Feiguang's back actually contains Wenji, who cannot fly long distances. This bird does not need to move its wings most of the time. When Feiguang is not riding, it is actually held in the arms of its owner Xinsujun. A few days ago, Wenji was also responsible for standing guard at night. For example, when the wild wolf intended to sneak attack, he relied on it to peck Sikong Yuehu awake.

Probably because he was tired, as he didn't have to sleep in the open air recently, Wen Ji stayed in his backpack like a dead bird, and could stay motionless for several hours.

After passing Dasan Pass, they will set foot on the Baoxiade Road again. Yingshu has been here once and is not unfamiliar with this post road. The only difference is that Jiang Baiji was the escort last time, and when the delegation passed through, ordinary people and merchants were not allowed to pass. This time, she became a fake merchant, and she re-experienced the "prosperous" side of this post road.

The journey was not as smooth as last time. In some places, the post road was narrow and dangerous, so they had to take the wrong route and were inevitably delayed in the town. This was especially true in Wuling Pass, where there were many business travelers. The guesthouses with slightly better conditions in the town were crowded. Fortunately, there were three vacant rooms in an inn close to Quetai Village, and the inn did not hire any cooks. The housewife and daughter-in-law of the inn were responsible for helping in the kitchen, but the kitchen did not even have coarse salt, sauce and vinegar. The only condiment shop in the town even had a "Sold Out" sign hung high. Yingshu remembered the straightforward maid in the official inn when she passed by here last time, and she had a sudden idea to go see the "old friend" again. She just followed the servant's words and did not bother to inform Xinsujun, who had locked him in the guest room for a long time, and walked towards the official inn under Peacock Terrace.

The sun had not shown any sign of setting yet, making the clouds look white, but the wind in the mountains was a little frosty. It was not that cold, but under the gray and black rocks, the dead grass was listlessly depressed. The lush and vigorous season had come here from Chang'an, but the merchants and travelers who came here from Chang'an, wearing brocade robes, extended the flowers from the town streets to the outskirts of the village. Many people gathered under the earthen wall of the official post station, and no one knew what they were bothered about. When Yingshu got closer and saw the woman Tian Qisao, who escaped the oppression of the Qiang soldiers because her mother-in-law was Qiang and her husband was half Qiang, then she could hear her extremely impatient response, which was quite fierce and angry.

"I've already told you that the government inn cannot allow you to live here. No matter if you are Qiang or Qi people, as long as you are not an official, there will be no exception for anyone. No matter how much money you offer, it will be difficult to make an exception!"

Yingshu saw that Tian Qisao seemed to be angry, and in her current situation, she could not really talk about the past with Tian Qisao, so she did not rush to make trouble. Instead, she walked around Tian Qisao and smiled at the servant who was shaking the orange stalks with her eyes darting around. The servant naturally did not recognize that Yingshu was the Left Deputy Envoy who had lived in the official inn before, so she quickly let go of the orange stalks, rubbed her gray apron with her hands, and showed an expectant look in her eyes.

"The kitchen of the inn where I'm staying doesn't have salt and vinegar. Also, I accidentally left my spices when I was at the last inn. The room is very damp and smells musty. I have to fumigate it with spices, but the store doesn't have them, and I can't buy salt, vinegar and other spices in the shops in town. So I wanted to ask the old lady to help me." Yingshu naturally handed over some money. There were hundreds of coins and two pieces of silver. The maid opened the purse and took a look. She thought that it was not against the rules to let someone live in the official inn, but just providing some seasonings and spices. She could make the decision on such a small matter, and she smiled happily.

Mrs. Tian Qi came over and asked again. Seeing the servant's eager look, she did not reject Ying Shu's request in a fierce voice. She let her into the post house, raised her arm to close the door, and said, "I don't need the young lady to spend any more money, but the affairs of the post house are now under my care. Although the matter you asked is small, no one dares to act on their own if I don't make it convenient for you."

Yingshu was very confused when she heard the tone of the words that sounded like she was asking for a bribe. Could she have made a mistake? Although she didn't have a long talk with Tian Qi's wife last time, she did not shy away from the evil deeds committed by the Qiang soldiers and stood up for the villagers who were humiliated. She was definitely not a greedy person.

"I hope you can give me some favor." Yingshu still had a smile on her face.

"I see that the young lady is a very particular person. Although she is traveling, she should have prepared cosmetics. Can you give me some?"

Yingshu became more and more suspicious, but she agreed straightforwardly. Tian Qisao turned around and walked inside. Soon, she packed a bamboo bag of miscellaneous things and handed it to Yingshu: "The official post station doesn't have refined salt, only coarse salt. The soy sauce and vinegar are homemade, and they are more fragrant than those in the shops in town. In addition, I also packed some dried vegetables that I pickled myself. My pickled vegetables are famous for their deliciousness. The incense you asked for is a licensed product in Hanzhong City. I don't want you to make an extra trip. I will go with you to the resettlement place. You can just hand over the things you promised to give me."

She then opened the gate and saw that it was finally quiet outside. Mrs. Tian Qi snorted coldly for some reason. Yingshu raised her eyes and saw Sikong Yuehu following her twenty steps away. She seemed to have stood there for a while, but now she saw her walking out and did not come over here.

Tian Qisao ignored Sikong Yuehu. Yingshu agreed to put on a show and handed him the bamboo bag in her hand: "Brother, have you rested?"

Sikong Yuehu nodded, took the bamboo bag, and did not ask what was inside. He glanced at Tian Qisao casually, as if he had guessed why Yingshu came to the official post station, and said "thank you". He strode forward and heard Tian Qisao asking Yingshu: "Did the young lady come from Chang'an?"

Many of the merchants and travelers detained in this town came from Chang'an and Lantian, and naturally there were female relatives. However, most of the female relatives were in the guesthouse. They were here to seek refuge and did not have the leisure to wander around. Sikong Yuehu therefore thought that this maid in the official inn seemed impatient to deal with men, but had something she needed to ask. When he saw Yingshu, who seemed easy to get along with, he seized the opportunity.

Sure enough, the woman asked again, "The postmaster has set up defenses at the pass, but even he can't tell what the situation in Chang'an is now. There have been all kinds of rumors these days. It's said that your majesty has abandoned the capital and fled north, and that Chang'an has been broken. Even the Queen Mother died for her country, and some say that the Queen Mother was executed for colluding with the enemy. I don't know why, but as soon as I saw you, I felt that you were reliable. Can you tell me the truth, what is going on in Chang'an?"

"The city was originally closed, but chaos suddenly broke out. I only heard that the Duke of Ganzhou led a group of troops into the capital. The capital should be under the control of Ganzhou's tribe now. Tongguan must have been lost, otherwise the capital would not have been opened. Madam, are you asking about these details because you have relatives or friends in the capital, so you are worried and anxious?"

Mrs. Tian sighed, "My man was originally a soldier guarding Wuling Pass, but he was transferred to support Tongguan. Now I don't know whether he is dead or alive. To be honest, the reason why I asked you for makeup is because I had a dream a few days ago. I dreamed of the mountain god. The mountain god told me that if I get rid of the grayness and look energetic and prosperous, the man in my family will return home safely. I don't know how to look prosperous, so I thought I would have to put on makeup on my face."

Yingshu couldn't really give Tian Qisao a guarantee about the battle situation at Tongguan. She knew that Tian Qisao's husband was actually conscripted as a soldier at the pass. He was just an ordinary farmer before and had never been to the battlefield seriously. This time he was urgently transferred to defend Tongguan. Even if he survived by chance... In the blink of an eye, Hanzhong was lost, and she didn't know if she could come back to reunite with her family.

When the war started, countless families were separated, but since we were born in a time of great strife and chaos, there was nothing we could do.

Mrs. Tian Qi also felt at a loss. Although she had put on makeup, she had no interest in putting it on. She stood in front of the inn, her hair disheveled, and her whole body seemed shrouded in sorrow. Her shoulders, which were always straight, seemed to have been exhausted by fate and were hunched over.

"It was only a few months ago, when the Dongyu delegation passed by here, that I realized that His Majesty was no longer the same as before. After hearing what the young lady said today, I also learned that the Weiyang Palace was going to change hands again. I am a short-sighted woman, and I can't figure out which one is usurping the throne and which one is legitimate. I just hope that the pillar of the family will not fall, and that we can still have a reunion. The children are still young, but my parents-in-law are already in their twilight years. When my husband was urgently transferred north, he didn't even have time to say goodbye to the old people and children. If he can't come back, this family will collapse."

The wind blew towards her temples, and Yingshu felt a burning pain on her cheeks.

She could only watch Tian Qisao's back. She didn't go to the post station again, but should go to her home. In one hand, she carried an empty bamboo bag with only a few boxes of cosmetics. The other hand was raised from time to time. Was she wiping tears? Obviously, her will was almost crushed by the pressure, but she still tried not to let the elderly and children see her tears before going home. The hard-working people, these small wishes are difficult to realize, and what can I do? What else can I do for them?

Born into an aristocratic family, she enjoyed splendor and was far away from real suffering. Even when facing unpredictable dangers, she had too many opportunities to seek safety. In her previous life, she had never been to Guanlong. In her mind, this place had been separated from the Central Plains. Every decision she made did not take the people here into consideration. Now that she came here, she still felt powerless.

"We must at least seize Wuling Pass."

In my ears, I heard the unusually calm voice of a man.

Yingshu looked at the face that had become even sharper after the disguise. She actually didn't want to hear the verdict at this time, but she couldn't blame Xinsujun. She understood the situation. As a maker of war strategies, she certainly couldn't hesitate and hesitate because of the joys and sorrows of a few families.

"Only by taking Wuling Pass can Hanzhong be saved from being lost again."

Sikong Yuehu looked towards the Peacock Terrace, he also had a thriving desire in his heart, his arrows were not only pointing at Hanzhong, one day he wanted to completely recover this land occupied by Qiang Jiang, he would spend his entire life to let the people living here live in peace again, but the inevitable flames of war would sweep across, homes would be destroyed, families would be separated, his consideration would always be between the majority and the minority, he had a heart of stone, so he had to ignore the layout, the desolation of the broken walls, in this remaining year, under the sunset of Wuling Pass, there should be more heartbroken people, but he would not change his layout because of this, the only thing he could guarantee was that the heartbroken people would continue to make a living.

"If, I mean if, Mrs. Tian Qi's family wishes to move away from Wuling Pass, can they be allowed to go?" Ying Shu asked.

"Yes, these poor people should be given the opportunity to live in another country." Sikong Yuehu retracted his gaze and looked down at the gravel road at his toes: "But if they leave, they may never be able to return to their hometown, unless Guanlong is completely recovered and the Jiang Qiang clan is exterminated..."

"Forget it." Yingshu interrupted Sikong Yuehu.

Because she knew that under this assumption, it would be difficult for Tian Qisao and her family to regain peace and happiness.

Making choices is so cruel.

As long as Tian Qisao chose to leave Wuling Pass and join Jiang Qiang, and her husband luckily survived, perhaps the family could still settle down in Mei County, Lantian, Chang'an, or other places. However, there would still be conflicts between Dayu and Northern Han. Tian Qisao's husband had already joined the army and he could no longer escape from the military life. If he did not die on the battlefield, there would be only two results. Either he would withdraw from Guanlong with the remnants of the Qiang army and go into exile in the desert outside the pass, never to return to Wuling Pass again. Or, because her husband was captured, she could continue to stay in the Central Plains and even return to Wuling Pass. But how could she live and work in peace as a captive?

But if Tian Qisao's husband eventually died in the war, her whole family would not be implicated. Even if they were pardoned and returned to their hometown, they could have obtained good citizenship and lived a stable life. However, there was still one person missing. So why did Tian Qisao go to Jiang Qiang and then return to her hometown with regrets after so many twists and turns?

After all, their family cannot be perfect.

"Deputy Envoy Zuo, the further you go, the more old acquaintances you will meet."

Yingshu turned around and went back to the guest room which was filled with the scent of aromatic medicine. The damp and musty smell had been dispelled, and the room was filled with warmth and tranquility. Outside the lattice window, the night was brewing. Closing the door was like temporarily isolating herself from all the restlessness again. She couldn't even hear the sound of the wind or her own heartbeat. She felt compassion and a woman's kindness. She turned the chance encounter into a deeper bond of fate. In her life, she and Tian Qisao should only have these two acquaintances. If she continued on the path she insisted on, there would be more and more such bonds, but she could not find a way to preserve her old acquaintance.

Sikong Yuehu said that the further you go, the more old acquaintances you will meet.

She wanted to take more and more people under her wings and protect them, but her wings were too fragile.

There were two knocks on the door.

Sikong Yuehu leaned against the thin half of the wooden wall and said, "No matter how depressed we are, we still have to eat. There are only four of us in our group. My sister is on a hunger strike, and it is inappropriate for me, her brother, to remain indifferent."

He looked at a small courtyard filled with smoke from cooking fires. A half-leaved osmanthus tree stood in the cold wind like a helpless person. It seemed weak, but not yet dead. The shadow of the tree turned into a woman, strong and compassionate, more moving than a rock and more resilient than an orchid. Many women, such as Dianjun, Yingshu, Madam Wei, and Tian Qisao, their souls were dependent on the osmanthus tree in front of them. Some of them were trapped in the palace, some took root in the spring valley, and some grew up in the small courtyards of ordinary people's homes. They each had their own circumstances, but their joys and sorrows were so similar.

There still has to be a moment when one becomes hard-hearted and finds a gap for such fragrance and branches and leaves, when what one sees in one's eyes is not only utilitarianism, and what one is entangled in one's mind is not only the quantity. Then one becomes a person, returning from the smoke of war and power to the mundane world of fireworks and sympathizing with a certain person or a certain thing, to find the root of why one has to fight and plunder.

I should be more optimistic than you.

Sikong Yuehu thought - I understand the ties between all people in the world, and I also understand the shortcomings of being human. There are some things I cannot do, and some people I cannot take care of, but some people are not as weak as you think. The joys and sorrows of all living beings are not shared, but in fact, there is at least one thing that is equal among all living beings.

We are all in the process of birth, aging, sickness and death.

We are all in our own sorrows and joys.