Chapter 159: Bowing to the Elders

“Bang bang bang~ bang bang!”

ATai, sometimes he’s really annoying.

Just like now.

It was dusk, the hour of You, with twilight enveloping everything.

Ding Suian and Yi Yiyi had thought the Old Man had finally awakened a shred of conscience and deliberately went out to give them some alone time, but unexpectedly…

Just as their bickering was progressing to a ‘judo’ session, there was a knock at the door.

It was a loud, rough, and impolite knock.

Inside, the two hastily put on the clothes they had just taken off.

“Come out~ Come out~”

Opening the door, the Old Man ATai stood at the entrance. Before Ding Suian could say anything, he looked disgusted. “Tsk tsk~ already in bed at the hour of You?”

Zhao Ning had a bit of fear towards this eccentric Old Man. Following Ding Suian, she walked into the hall one after the other, standing with her head down like a child caught red-handed doing something naughty.

ATai sat on a chair in the hall, glanced at Zhao Ning’s flat stomach, and complained, “You girl, you’re quite diligent, but you and my foolish grandson have been at it so many times, how come there’s no movement in your belly?”

“.”

Zhao Ning, who wasn’t usually prone to shyness, couldn’t help but blush.

What nonsense is Old Man spouting!

She was still a Great Zhao Princess, getting pregnant before marriage would be too shameful.

Zhao Ning quietly cast a pleading look at Ding Suian.

“Ahem, there’s an Old Lady Wu in my Chilao Alley who lived to ninety. Does Old Man know her secret to longevity?”

“Hmm? What secret?”

“She never meddles in others’ business, especially not young people’s affairs.”

“Huh!”

ATai’s grizzled eyebrows shot up, and he looked at Ding Suian unhappily. “You’re quite protective of your wife, aren’t you? You don’t like it when I say a couple of words about her?”

“Early to bed, early to rise makes one healthy and wise. If Old Man has nothing else to do, you should go back to your room and sleep early.”

“You ungrateful little bastard~”

ATai cursed under his breath, but then pulled out a bundle from behind him and looked at Zhao Ning. “Girl, I didn’t eat your meal for nothing earlier.”

With that, he took out a pair of gold-lacquered, dragon-carved large candles, a pair of lotus-petal-based gilt candlesticks, a Phoenix-mouth short-spouted golden wine pot, and a pair of high-footed white jade cups from the bundle.

As each item was pulled out, Zhao Ning’s moist, almond-shaped eyes widened.

It wasn’t because the items were luxurious, but because she had seen most of them before.

She had used that Phoenix-mouth golden pot when she drank alone in her sleeping quarters on the night of the ninth.

The lotus-petal gilt candlesticks usually sat on her Imperial Father’s desk.

Ding Suian noticed her expression was off, leaned in, and whispered, “What’s wrong?”

Zhao Ning stammered a bit, “These things… these are all… from the palace.”

“.”

Ding Suian was also startled.

From their usual conversations, he knew that the Old Man entered and exited the palace as if it were an unmanned place, but what surprised Ding Suian was that Dasheng County, where Koujian Pass was located, was three hundred li round trip from Yunzhou, yet the Old Man had only been out for half an hour.

Judging by his appearance, he had clearly just personally returned from Yunzhou.

This speed, he was a human high-speed rail!

But unlike Zhao Ning’s pure astonishment, Ding Suian discovered ATai’s wonderful use, and quickly leaned into Zhao Ning’s ear, saying, “Adu, be more obedient in front of Old Man from now on.”

“Hmm?”

Her eyes, naturally carrying a hint of unconscious charm, looked at Ding Suian with some confusion.

Ding Suian added, “Three hundred li in just over half an hour. Yunzhou is only a little over a thousand li from Central Heaven. If Old Man is willing to fly you around, we can meet in just one morning.”

“.”

Zhao Ning straightened her face, thought for a moment, and nodded seriously, “You’re right!”

Ding Suian knew their hushed conversation couldn’t escape Old Man, but the Old Man continued to busy himself. He inserted the gold-lacquered, dragon-carved red candles into the candlesticks, lit them, and poured wine into the pot.

Then he looked at Ding Suian and Zhao Ning, who were standing obediently to the side, and said, “Kneel down.”

“.”

Zhao Ning didn’t understand why, but having just been persuaded by Ding Suian to ‘be more obedient,’ she immediately pulled him to kneel before Old Man.

Born into royalty, she naturally had an innate sensitivity to power.

Old Man’s ability to travel three hundred li in half an hour completely exceeded her comprehension. If Old Man became her backing, it could not only help Imperial Father stabilize the situation but also prevent the hidden dangers that come from Imperial Father’s over-reliance on his Esteemed Teacher.

Up top, Old Man, who had returned to his chair, saw the two obediently comply. The teasing and mocking expression on his face completely vanished, replaced by a rare, kind smile. “First bow to Heaven and Earth~”

“Ah?”

“.”

The two below were taken aback. To make them kneel, was it for this?

After a brief surprise, Zhao Ning lowered her eyes, gazing at the ground, and said with a hint of uncertainty, “Are you willing?”

“Why wouldn’t I be?”

The two exchanged glances, then turned together, facing the vast, dusky sky outside the door, and prostrated themselves, kowtowing.

“Second bow to the Esteemed Elders~”

Old Man’s cry followed immediately.

In this remote countryside, in a roadside thatched hut, where would the Esteemed Elders come from?

“Me~ me, bow to this Old Man~ I’ll stand in for both your fathers.”

Seeing the two youngsters a bit confused, Old Man quickly volunteered.

Ding Suian and Zhao Ning exchanged glances again, then bowed to Old Man.

“Hehe, good, husband and wife bow to each other.”

The two turned halfway, knelt facing each other, their eyes reflecting each other’s image and the flickering candlelight.

Ding Suian felt this whole thing was a bit childish, much like playing house as a child, and couldn’t help but grin.

Zhao Ning, seeing this from across, lowered her head slightly, pursed her lips, and chuckled softly, whispering, “It looks so silly~”

Her tone carried the playful intimacy of a young couple.

After receiving the bow, a trace of complex emotion, difficult to discern, flashed in ATai’s eyes, seemingly of relief and perhaps Feeling. He picked up the high-footed jade cups on the table and personally handed them to the two. “Once you drink the nuptial wine, you are truly husband and wife. The road ahead is long, and the world is unpredictable. Remember today’s pledge, support each other, and never betray one another.”

Ding Suian and Zhao Ning took the wine cups, their arms intertwined, and drained the mellow wine in the cups.

“Ceremony complete~”

The two vaguely completed the three bows ceremony. Before they could savor the moment, Old Man pushed them into the inner room. “Quick, quick, into the bridal chamber.”

“Old Man, according to custom, shouldn’t we set up a banquet and invite you to drink a cup of wedding wine?”

Ding Suian suggested, but Old Man waved his hand. “Alright, alright, you’ve bowed, you’ve drunk the wine, don’t just stand there. An hour of spring night is worth a thousand gold. Hurry back to your room and get to it!”

It was the hour of Hai, night.

The loyal little maid A Qi sat on the doorstep, keeping watch and guarding the door for Zhao Ning.

This wasn’t the first time she had done such a thing.

But this time, A Qi could tell that Her Highness seemed different. The singing that was always suppressed and endured before was exceptionally joyful tonight.

About ten zhang away.

On a sturdy, century-old pine tree, Old Man sat among the branches, holding a golden pot, gazing at the bright moon in Central Heaven, occasionally taking a sip of the wedding wine with a slurp.

Behind him, a graceful dark shadow silently landed on the branches behind, so light that not even a single branch swayed.

Enveloped in the intertwining dark patterns of pine needles and moonlight, it seemed to be a part of the night itself.

Old Man remained composed and did not look back. “When you go to Central Heaven, you must conceal your true form.”

“This disciple will continue to go to the Wu Capital as Daoist Master Yuzhen of Miaocing Temple in City.”

As she replied, the dark shadow bowed slightly, and the moonlight shone on her. She wore a slightly old Daoist robe, appeared to be around forty years old, still graceful, with long, narrow eyes.

She bore some resemblance to Zhao Yan.

“Mm.”

Old Man responded, then added, “A Chen, when you reach Central Heaven, do not acknowledge Big Brother.”

“.”

The woman called ‘A Chen’ maintained her respectful posture but did not reply.

Old Man waited for a moment, then his voice suddenly became stern. “A Chen?”

A gentle breeze swept through the dense forest, creating a rustling sound.

A Chen remained silent for a while, then finally said, “Esteemed Teacher, rest assured, A Chen knows what is important and will not delay crucial matters.”

Seeing this, Old Man softened his tone, speaking earnestly, “With family vengeance and national hatred at stake, what do mere personal affections count for?”

“A Chen understands.”

The next day, at the hour of Si.

Zhao Ning, who always had the habit of waking early, did not get up even when the sun was high.

Last night, there was indeed a fervor of desperate entanglement, leaving her exhausted.

It wasn’t until Wang Xigui sent someone to inform Ding Suian that the convoy had finished loading the skull coffins and was ready to depart at any time.

Ding Suian stopped Zhao Ning from getting up to see him off.

Perhaps because they had discovered Old Man’s ability to come and go quickly yesterday, a glimmer of hope had sparked in their hearts, so this parting was not as sad as the one a few days ago at Daqing Pavilion.

At the second quarter of the hour of Si.

After a final bickering session, Ding Suian left the room.

Zhao Ning sat on the bed, hugging her knees, gazing blankly at the sunlight filtering through the window paper.

“Granddaughter-in-law, I’m sending my foolish grandson to Yannan Pass. You go back to Yunzhou obediently. We’re leaving now~”

“Oh~ Old Man, please be careful on your way.”

The conversation in the courtyard and inside the house was quite ordinary, but Zhao Ning had a very strange feeling.

The scene at this moment was like her husband going out to work, with an elder seeing him off, and she just had to wait obediently, and he would be back in a few days.

On February 14th, the ox carts loaded with the Wu Army’s remains converged with Li Qiushi’s main force.

After several more days of arduous travel, they arrived at Yannan Pass, Southern Zhao’s northeastern gateway, on the afternoon of the 20th.

Beyond this pass, they would enter the territory of Great Wu.

Xue Fang and other Southern Zhao officials who had escorted Li Qiushi to this point turned back from here.

Including Old Man.

“Old Man, are you really not coming with me to Central Heaven?”

“No, no~ So long-winded.”

Even at the moment of parting, the Old Man had no polite words, instead looking impatient.

“Here, take this. Consider it your wedding gift~”

The Old Man pulled out the wooden sword from his waist and shoved it into Ding Suian’s hand.

Then he turned and walked away, and after walking a long distance, he waved his hand at him from behind.

He strode towards the green mountains, never looking back.

As if nothing in the world was worth his attachment, he was utterly carefree.

A moment later, the now infinitely larger Wu State envoy passed through the gate.

Just then, a rough song drifted from the distant mountains.

“The sun sets in the west, pressing against the mountain ridge, oh,

Leaving behind an empty cave, cold and desolate.

Little lambs kneel to their mothers for milk, oh,

Grown-up offspring flee to distant lands.

Go! Go!

The shadows of the mountains swallow people.

The grandson’s footprints tear through the wind.

The Old Man’s soul is caught beneath the donkey’s hooves.”

Like grinding pebbles, desolate and hoarse.

Not the delicate roughness that the soft southern lands could produce.

Ding Suian, bringing up the rear, stopped and gazed into the distance.

The Old Man’s figure had already become a tiny black dot.

The wind mourned, the sun dimmed, and the mountains intertwined~