Chapter 96: Father’s Distant Gaze
The Embroidered Uniform Guards around laughed ha ha.
“The Captain is right.”
“Each one is either dukes and marquises or nobility from prominent families, outwardly strong but inwardly weak, their families ransacked and punished, not even daring to curse the Captain.”
“That’s because they did guilty things.”
“Sigh, it’s still my fault, I didn’t do enough.”
The strange-toned words from outside penetrated through the tent, Wei Xu covered his head with the cloak but couldn’t block them, angrily throwing it off and sitting up.
“So annoying, staying up all night without sleep, and so noisy early in the morning.” He lowered his voice and said angrily.
There was a fire basin burning in the tent, but it wasn’t as warm as by the campfire outside, Seventh Master Wei and the other two wrapped in cloaks with eyes closed, not having slept well all night.
“Clearly there was a post station earlier, he wouldn’t stay, complaining it was crude, is sleeping in the wild now luxurious?” Once Wei Xu opened his mouth, he couldn’t help continuing indignantly.
Of course, his voice was lowered.
“……He’s deliberately tormenting us.”
Seventh Master Wei said with eyes closed in a low voice: “He also let us stay in luxurious places, prefectural government office, famous gardens of prominent families.”
Wei Xu wrapped in his cloak moved to Seventh Master Wei’s side: “That was also under the Great General’s name, tarnishing the Great General’s reputation, not for us, with ill intentions.”
Thinking of the gazes from those prominent families’ prefectural officials looking at them, Wei Xu felt embarrassed.
In Longxi, he was used to officials and civilians respectfully toward the Wei Clan, these cold stares were really hard to adapt to.
The Great General’s reputation was ruined by A Jiao!
“It’s normal for him to have ill intentions.” Seventh Master Wei opened his eyes, frowning, “What I don’t understand is, is he following us all the way just to torment us so simply?”
When A Jiao said he would escort them back to Longxi, he knew A Jiao would torment them, but there was no need for him to come out suffering in the big winter just to torment them.
“What’s unnecessary about it, this kid is a madman, a madman’s thoughts are abnormal.” Wei Xu snorted.
The other man opened his eyes: “I still think he wants to run home.” He sat up, saying in a low voice, “Seventh Master, we must watch him closely, if he really runs back, His Majesty gets angry, there’s an excuse to punish the Great General, we’ll be at a disadvantage.”
Seventh Master Wei also sat up, nodding and saying in a low voice: “I know, I’m guarding against it, I’ve already sent news to the Great General, reinforcements will be sent to guard the Longxi border, even if he’s ever so capable, he can’t take a single step across.”
At this point, he smiled again.
“No need to worry, tomorrow we’ll reach Qin’an City.”
Wei Xu’s expression joyful: “Once in Qin’an City, it’s like home.”
Seventh Master Wei glared at him: “What nonsense, Qin’an City belongs to the Ma Family of Guanzhong, just like the Great General, they were both meritorious for aiding His Majesty back then.”
But in the end the Ma Family chose to follow the Great General, Wei Xu thought to himself, but knew he couldn’t say it, chuckled twice, wrapped in his cloak, suddenly felt relaxed at heart, no longer irritable, and lay down.
“Sleep, sleep, sleep a bit more.”
Seventh Master Wei and the other two also lay down, but before closing their eyes, A Jiao’s raised voice came from outside.
“Seventh Uncle, Seventh Uncle, Seventh Uncle.”
Seventh Master Wei originally wanted to pretend not to hear, but the tent was already lifted by an Embroidered Uniform Guard, icy cold wind rushing in, nearly extinguishing the fire in the fire basin.
Seventh Master Wei could only get up, wrap his cloak, and walk out.
Wei Xu stayed in the tent, listening to the conversation outside.
“Seventh Uncle, did you sleep well?”
“Not bad, not bad, A Jiao, what’s the matter.”
“Nothing, just checking if you’ve woken up.”
Wei Xu wrapped his cloak over his head, cursing hatefully “Dog thing.”
…….
…….
Standing on the walls of Wangyang Pass in Longxi, on clear days squinting could see a faint shadow of Qin’an City in the distance.
But today heavy snow swirled, plus soldiers and horses constantly galloping on the ground ahead, blocking the gaze.
The commander of Wangyang Pass strode up the wall, spotting at a glance the man standing on it gazing into the distance.
The man was slightly plump, wrapped in a green cloak, looking like a wealthy householder.
The wealthy householder hadn’t held an umbrella either, snow covering his body and head.
“Why not hold an umbrella for him.” The middle-aged man scolded.
The soldiers on the wall hadn’t spoken yet, when the wealthy householder turned his head, waving his hand.
“I told them not to hold an umbrella.” He said with a smile, “It would block the gaze.”
The wealthy householder’s face revealed was slightly dark, around fifty years old, with a mild smile on his face.
The commander immediately stood straight, bowed excitedly and respectfully: “This general pays respects to the Great General.”
Longxi Great General Wei Cui nodded: “No need for formalities.” With that, he turned back again to gaze into the distance.
“Great General, by now the Third Young Master should be nearing Qin’an City.” The commander said from behind, “The City Guard Ma will surely have met the Third Young Master, after all he’ll go out of the city to greet him personally.”
Wei Cui nodded with a smile: “That’s appropriate, after all he’s carrying out His Majesty’s errand.”
“What is His Majesty’s errand.” The commander mentioned the Emperor without any respect, with some disdain, “The City Guard Ma’s position is also given by His Majesty.”
The reason the City Guard was willing to greet personally was naturally because the visitor was A Jiao, Wei Cui’s Third Young Master.
This was respect for Wei Cui.
Wei Cui understood the commander’s flattery, said nothing more, just looking into the distance: “Don’t know how tall he’s grown now.”
Fathers under heaven all miss their sons, especially after so many years apart.
The commander’s expression nervous: “Great General, you must not go to Qin’an City personally.”
Strictly speaking, Wei Cui shouldn’t leave Longxi City.
This time not only leaving Longxi City, but coming to Wangyang Pass, to know not far from Qin’an City, Imperial Court Great General Feng Su was stationed there.
This was too dangerous.
“After Seventh Master and they return, they’ll tell you about the Third Young Master’s situation, no need to worry.”
The commander advised again.
Wei Cui turned around, looking past the commander to the civil officials, military generals, and servants who had followed up behind, all with nervous expressions.
He smiled: “Don’t worry, I won’t go see him, just knowing he’s come, I came to look from afar.”
With that, he looked into the distance again.
“So close, had to come take a look.”
Able to see that city, know the Third Young Master is there, a father could be satisfied.
While speaking, snow thickened another layer on Wei Cui’s body and head.
Wei Cui was about to say something, when hurried footsteps came from below the wall.
“Great General, Great General, bad news.”
The officer on the city gate felt his heart tighten, could it be that Wei San Young Master really ran back? Would the Great General order to intercept?
Accompanying the shout, a soldier hurried up, half-kneeling before Wei Cui.
“Ma Qing of Qin’an City was beheaded by the Third Young Master…… by the Embroidered Uniform Guard Captain!”
What?
Everyone present was stunned, their faces in the swirling heavy snow becoming blurred from the freeze.
…
…….
“A Jiao! You’re mad!”
When Seventh Master Wei was released, City Guard Ma Qing’s corpse was already covered by heavy snow.
Heavy snow covered the ground full of blood, the faintly visible separated head and body in the snow not so ferocious.
Seventh Master Wei’s face twisted, roaring at A Jiao sitting under the eaves, wrapped in black cloak and red brocade robe, face white as snow, lips red as blood.
“How could you kill him! How could you kill him!”
All this happened too suddenly, Seventh Master Wei even couldn’t recall how it happened.
Clearly everything was fine.
Just entering Qin’an, City Guard Ma Qing personally came to greet, giving full face to A Jiao.
Moreover Ma Qing knew A Jiao’s preferences, said the government office was prepared, inviting him to stay.
A Jiao as usual was picky, said he didn’t want to stay at the government office, heard Ma Qing had a good villa for viewing snow.
Ma Qing without hesitation took A Jiao to the villa.
The group arrived at the villa, Ma Qing set a banquet, invited Qin’an’s famous scholars to accompany, and singing and dancing girls in thin colorful gauze danced gracefully in the snow, like a fairyland on earth.
Right in the midst of drinking wine, composing poems, enjoying singing and dancing in revelry, A Jiao suddenly beckoned Ma Qing forward, whispering and laughing a few words to him, Ma Qing’s face changed abruptly, the man suddenly stood up, but before speaking, A Jiao sitting in the chair drew the long saber from the waist of the Embroidered Uniform Guard beside him……
Saber light flashed, Ma Qing’s head flew up.
Accompanying the head flying up was spurting blood.
That blood, red like the gauze clothes on the dancing girls in the snow, red like the grape wine in Seventh Master Wei’s wine cup.
The reciting famous scholars dove under the table, outside the hall Ma Qing’s guards rushed in, chopped to death by the Embroidered Uniform Guards’.
Seventh Master Wei’s face deathly pale as he stood up, not knowing who to deal with, no weapons on him, while he was at a loss, some Embroidered Uniform Guards came over, gave him a hilt strike.
In the moment consciousness faded, Seventh Master Wei saw in the chaotic blood and flesh flying hall, A Jiao covered in Ma Qing’s blood, smiling on his face, shaking the grape wine night-light cup in his hand.
This was truly a magnificent yet terrifying nightmare.
