Ten years later

After explaining the bits and pieces, Li Yuan set out on his way home.He and Lin Ziqing left the city on the same day, but they ran in opposite directions.When the official road was separated, relying on his swordsmanship, he was invincible among few people, and insisted on leaving all the guards to Lin Ziqing.

There was nothing to do in the capital, so Li Yuan didn't have to rush back, so he walked slowly and trustingly. After walking for half a day, he felt a little boring, so he left the official road and went to the side road, walked around and entered in the mountains.

The climate in the mountains was uncertain, and it began to rain after a while. Li Yuan was afraid that the horseshoes would not be able to bear the mud, so he found a ruined temple to rest.There were already three people in the temple, and two young men were punching and kicking an old man cursingly.

According to what they said, the two young men have not been earning a living, and the old man often helps them a little bit, but recently, the old man has no money to give to the two young men. , and raised his hand to the old man.

Li Yuan frowned, he was not used to such behavior, so he shouted to stop the two of them.Unexpectedly, those two people became angry from embarrassment, and threw their fists at Li Yuan.

Li Yuan has been through the battlefield for a long time, and he subdued those two with a few moves.Seeing that Li Yuan couldn't be provoked, the two young men were unwilling but also helpless, so they could only run away in despair.

After the two people walked out of the ruined temple, the old man walked towards Li Yuan with his limp legs.Li Yuan hurried over to help the old man, and the moment he touched the old man's arm, the old man held Li Yuan's hand.

Li Yuan was not used to being touched by others like this, so he secretly tried his best but found that he couldn't break free.After a shock, he realized that this incident was weird from the very beginning. The old man seemed to have trouble with his legs and feet, so he shouldn't have appeared in the long-abandoned temple deep in the mountains. The behavior of the two young people was even more strange. Those words seemed to be purposely spoken to him.He looked at the old man vigilantly, and pressed his right hand on the sword at his waist, regretting his reckless behavior without a guard.The old man laughed loudly: "Don't be afraid of the younger generation, since you helped the old man once, the old man will naturally repay you."

Li Yuan took a deep breath, smiled politely and said, "I don't dare to ask for anything in return."

The old man didn't listen to his words, he just refused again and again: "That can't be done."

Li Yuan wanted to say something else, but as soon as the old man exerted force on his hands, his vision went dark and he passed out.

When he woke up again, Li Yuan felt that he was in the void, and there was no light around him and he could not escape.I don't know how long it took before a bright light suddenly appeared in the chaos, and Li Yuan was so stimulated that he quickly closed his eyes.At this time, a loud cry sounded in his ears, as if the sky had brightened and the surrounding black mist had all dissipated.

After a while, Li Yuan opened his eyes slowly after his eyes gradually adapted to the light.He saw a woman lying weakly on the couch in the house. Li Yuan followed her loving eyes and found that the man beside him was carefully holding a swaddling baby, and stretched out one hand to gently caress the baby's face, like It's like treating some peerless treasure, for fear of breaking the slightest bit.Two maids stood behind the man with their hands down, holding the baby's utensils.

It seems that it should be a couple and their newborn child.Li Yuan had no intention of peeking at other people's houses, and wanted to exit, but after trying a few times, he found that he was confined to the square inch of this house.What's even more strange is that none of the four people in the room noticed his existence.

Before he could see where he was, the scene changed.He was in the hall, and on the main seat was a hale and hearty old man, and the man who was in the room just now sat under the old man's hands.A large table was placed in the center of the hall, and on the table were exquisite objects ranging from pens to abacus to gold and silver utensils.There was a lot of noise outside, as if some kind of banquet was being held.

When Li Yuan was wondering, a child was carried to the table. With just one glance, he recognized that it was the baby he had just seen. In the blink of an eye, this little baby turned one year old.Li Yuan thought that he must be in a dream.

The child first grabbed a pen with his right hand, and his left hand was not idle, reaching for the seal that was far away from him.After holding the seal in his hand, the child looked at it, and actually reached out and handed both the pen and the seal to his father.

The pen is a metaphor for literary talent, and the chapter is an official position. This child's catch is an excellent sign. It is no wonder that the old people in the hall will laugh heartily, say hello repeatedly, and say loudly to the guests: "It is a blessing to have this son." My Lin family is lucky."

Forest?Li Yuan frowned, the first thing he thought of was Lin Ziqing.Before he could confirm it, the scene changed again.Afterwards, Li Yuan watched him grow up little by little like a revolving door. After a few times like this, Li Yuan was sure that this child was Lin Ziqing when he was young, and he also understood that he was limited to Lin Ziqing's side. .

Li Yuan stared at the immature face in front of him, and just found some traces of Lin Ziqing's growth from it, and the whole person followed Lin Ziqing to the garden.He couldn't help smiling, Lin Ziqing was not as well-behaved as he imagined when he was a child, on the contrary, he was so mischievous that even his parents had no choice.

Since Lin Ziqing entered school, he has revealed his intelligence without a doubt. Although he does not have a photographic memory, he can memorize it much faster than ordinary people.Even sometimes, his insights amazed the teachers invited at home.When Li Yuan was proud of this, he couldn't help but feel a little regretful, it was too inferior for such a Lin Ziqing to only be an assistant to himself.

As soon as this idea came out, Li Yuan suddenly remembered the predicament when he first met Lin Ziqing. He knew what Lin Ziqing would face in the future, and he began to be reluctant to let Lin Ziqing suffer such suffering.He wanted to remind the family, but no matter what he did, no one noticed.

In a blink of an eye, it was the year when Dianfu invaded the South.

Li Yuan watched with his own eyes that Lin Ziqing's family was ruined overnight, and he fell from the clouds to the quagmire.That night, Lin Ziqing cried bitterly. Li Yuan knew that what he did was useless, but he still held Lin Ziqing's hand and comforted him.

From this day on, Li Yuan felt that the time around him slowed down, as if he wanted to spend a lifetime with Lin Ziqing in the dark.

Forced to be a slave to a foreign race, and there are countless things to do every day, how did Lin Ziqing suffer such torture?Within a month, his cheeks were sunken, and his whole body became skinny. Even so, Li Yuan saw him secretly writing on the ground with a branch.

The winter in the northern region is bitterly cold. It is fine when the sun is shining during the day, but it can freeze people to death at night.Lin Zi was thin and weak, he didn't have enough warm clothes, and was forced to sleep under the windy window. ".Hearing this, Li Yuan couldn't help feeling distressed. He stood by the window, hoping to use his body to shield Lin Ziqing from the cold wind.

When Li Yuan heard about what happened to Lin Ziqing in his early years, he felt only a little pity in his heart.However, hearing from others, how can it compare to one ten-thousandth of what you have seen with your own eyes?At this moment, Li Yuan felt as if his heart was being twisted, and he even resented why he hadn't sent troops earlier and rescued Lin Ziqing earlier.

Day after day, Li Yuan finally waited until the winter when he sent troops.

Seeing Lin Ziqing being brought into his camp, he casually put a robe on him.Only then did he suddenly realize that the first encounter that Lin Ziqing once said was referring to this time.

At that time, he had just led the army and achieved great victories, regaining a large area of ​​lost land in the north. It was the time of the spring breeze, and it was unlikely that people would suffer, so he asked people to prepare some food and clothing for these people who were rescued from the aliens.He didn't remember how many people he had saved, how many people he had said the same thing to, and he didn't even have any impression of Lin Ziqing, but Lin Ziqing had remembered it for so many years.

After that, Lin Ziqing's situation did not improve.Li Yuan watched him go home, set up a monument for his relatives, and followed the caravan all the way to Lingzhou, but bumped into walls again and again in the city, and those people were still cold because Lin Ziqing had fallen into a foreign race. Relatively speaking.

Lin Ziqing has gradually gotten used to being treated like this, and Li Yuan defended him even though he knew others couldn't hear him.How could this be Lin Ziqing's fault? Why did those people criticize him like this?

After finally reaching the day when the important person in Cheng Guogong's mansion came, Li Yuan let out a sigh of relief. No matter what, at least Lin Ziqing would not suffer from cold and hunger anymore.

At the beginning, he was not very kind to Lin Ziqing, but only after Lin Ziqing gradually revealed his talent, did he start to care about others, and it was just a pure person doing his best.At that time, Li Yuan didn't know how hard Lin Ziqing worked in private in order to make himself notice him.

But just like this, Lin Ziqing was already full of joy.He saw that Lin Ziqing was overjoyed because of his words, and treated the things he gave him casually as treasures.

It wasn't until later that he became acquainted with Lin Ziqing, and truly regarded people as his own relatives, that Lin Ziqing dared to be a little presumptuous in front of him, showing a little affection inadvertently, and he was naturally unaware at that time .

Li Yuan was not only happy for Lin Ziqing's affection, but also felt a little sad. He could have treated him better.

A few years later, it was time for him to die in battle.After hearing this, Lin Ziqing didn't say a word, and rushed to the West Realm with red eyes.Li Yuan saw Lin Ziqing rummaging through the pile of dead people without resignation, and he didn't know how long it took before he found his saber.Holding the saber in his bloody hands, he knelt on the ground and wept bitterly.After a long time, he stood up again and found a torch to burn the corpses here.

After Lin Ziqing returned to Lingzhou, he fell ill for a few days.When he was in better health, he insisted on following Li Lian and planning for him.Li Lian couldn't see it, and advised him to rest, but he pushed back.

After that, it was time to seek the world. Lin Ziqing followed Li Lian's side and worked hard, doing everything with all his heart.But in the dead of night, Li Yuan could always see Lin Ziqing take out a folding fan and look at it—the fan he once wrote casually.

Li Yuan held Lin Ziqing's hand, wanting to tell that person that he was by his side.The words were out of my mouth, but I didn't get any response—of course I didn't get any response, so Li Yuan opened his arms and hugged Lin Ziqing.Seeing Lin Ziqing lowering his head and rubbing the smooth handle of the fan, a smile appeared on the corner of his mouth, he couldn't hold back, and a light kiss fell on Lin Ziqing's forehead.That night, he lay beside Lin Ziqing, and it has been like this ever since.

When Li Lian came to the throne, Lin Ziqing worshiped Shangshusheng Youpushe.But after the four realms were pacified, Lin Ziqing resigned wholeheartedly.Li Lian tried hard to persuade him, but failed to keep him, so he had to follow Lin Ziqing's wishes and let him go back to Lingzhou.

He stayed with Lin Ziqing in this way, except that he went to Beijing to give lectures for the crown prince for two months every year, and spent the rest of the time in a side courtyard of Duke Cheng's mansion in Lingzhou.

Later, Lin Ziqing was sued again, and stayed in Beijing for a few years to complete the reform of the tax law, and then he resigned wholeheartedly.This time Li Lian seemed to understand what he was thinking, so he didn't say any more.It's just that Lin Ziqing will be rewarded with many rewards every New Year's day.

A few years later, Lin Ziqing's health became worse and worse, and he began to linger on the sick bed.Li Lian sent the crown prince to visit him personally, and Lin Ziqing told the crown prince that he has been an excellent minister in his life, and he is content now.

Li Yuan retorted in his heart, not enough, far from enough.Lin Ziqing should have a better life.

A few more months later, he saw Lin Ziqing, who was covered in frost, walk to the desk, and wrote in clear and meaningful handwriting, "Your burial is buried in the spring, and the bones will be destroyed in the mud, and I will send the world to the world to cover my head with snow", and then spit out blood. Come out, make a little red plum, and dye the snow-white rice paper red.

At this moment, Li Yuan felt his heart twitch.With trembling hands, he wanted to wipe away the stains around Lin Ziqing's mouth.Lin Ziqing turned to look at him as if feeling a sense, and muttered to himself, "Duke, Ziqing misses you."

Li Yuan could hardly speak anymore, he hugged Lin Ziqing and whispered in his ear: "I know everything, I know everything."

Lin Ziqing smiled, and called out in a low voice, "Yuan Lang."

Li Yuan hurriedly agreed, but found that Lin Ziqing's breath had weakened, and finally closed his eyes.

Li Yuan cried out: "Ziqing." But he opened his eyes suddenly, and found that he was lying under a sycamore tree, and the horse was grazing leisurely beside him.There are no old people in strange clothes, no ruined temples, and even the soft soil has no traces of rain.

All that just now was just a dream.

But he really watched Lin Ziqing's life.

He, Li Yuan, is so virtuous and capable that he is fortunate enough to be so full of friendship from such a person!

All he wanted now was to go to Lin Ziqing's side quickly and tell him that he would be by his side for the rest of his life.

——As long as Lin Ziqing is willing.

— as long as there is still time.