In the end, the two Yuan brothers
muddled through by using the reason of carelessly knocking over the charcoal
pot, which resulted in burning both of their hands at the same time.
Fortunately, it was only a flesh wound and nothing serious.
In fact, Yuan Mao had no time to look after them recently,
as he had to manage countless affairs and prepare for the winter during the
twenty days King of Jingyuan was in Guangning Wei. Liaodong was an extremely cold
place. During winter, all the city defenses, rations, armor, carriages, and
horses were very different from those in summer due to the change in the
season. It's a lot of work just to keep out the cold. This time, it had been
delayed for many days due to the preparation of supplies for the Feng family
army.
Seeing that the two thousand horses were ready,
and that King of Jingyuan was about to decamp and return to Datong, all the
officials and soldiers of Guangning felt a sense of relief.
Only two people were not happy at all. Two tiny
people.
At this moment, they met again at the horse farm.
Feng Ye violently grabbed the grass on the ground and strangled with his palms
to the point of redness, even though he was unaware of it. He only said in a
muffled voice: "Why didn't you take your time with the horse evaluation?"
Yuan Sikong was helpless: "That would be
delaying the military opportunity."
"But I don't want to go yet." Feng Ye
looked at Yuan Sikong. His big, black, and sparkly eyes were clearly a bit
pitiful, "I haven't seen the trees filled with silver flowers you
mentioned. I haven't ridden a horse on the ice, and ... there are many fun places
you haven't taken me."
Yuan Sikong also felt depressed. Feng Ye was the
first friend he had ever made. Although the two of them were of different rank,
and the process of meeting each other was quite absurd, Feng Ye was so sincere
and sweet, and had the same mind as he did. He feared that he would never meet
such a person again.
Yuan Sikong hung his head dejectedly, not knowing
what to say to dispel this pain of separation which filled the air.
Feng Ye suddenly grabbed Yuan Sikong's sleeve. His
eyes were shining with a pure radiance: "Why don't you come back to Datong
with me? And when you grow up, you will be my military advisor!"
Yuan Sikong laughed bitterly, "You are
letting your imagination run wild again."
"How am I letting my imagination run wild? I
will go talk to my father now." Feng Ye said and was about to stand up.
Yuan Sikong dragged him back and said warmly,
"Feng Ye, I can't leave my father and mother, and I don't want to leave
Liaodong."
Feng Ye pursed his lips, "You are not their
biological son."
"But they treat me as if I were their
own." Yuan Sikong cast his gaze into the distance, and a fire of
conviction was burning in his eyes, "If I ever leave Liaodong, it will be
for the autumn examinations, and when I return, I will repay their kindness by
inscribing my name on the list of successful candidates in the imperial
examinations."
Feng Ye's eyes dimmed. In fact, he understood
too. How could Yuan Sikong leave his parents and hometown so easily? But the
thought of them parting and not knowing when they would meet again made him
feel awful. He muttered, "When will we see each other again?"
"We will definitely meet again." Yuan
Sikong pulled himself together, "Just like King of Jingyuan said, one day you
and I might be officials in the imperial court at the same time."
"So what if we are both officials? You are
in Shuntian*
and I am in Datong, how many times will we meet in this
life?"
"We will meet again." Yuan Sikong said
with certainty, "I have a feeling that we will meet again."
Feng Ye was silent for a moment, and suddenly
took Yuan Sikong's hand.
Yuan Sikong shrank in pain.
Feng Ye hurriedly released his hand, "Did I
touch it?"
Yuan Sikong looked at the white bandage wrapped
around his hand, "It's nothing."
"I wanted to give you this." Feng Ye
handed over a short blade. The sheath was exquisitely carved and inlaid with
precious gems. It was very valuable at a glance.
Yuan Sikong hesitated and gently pulled the dagger
out. He didn't know anything about knives, but seeing that the blade in his
hand was noble and unsullied, with a sharp tip like a wheat spikelet, and had
an eerie chill, it must be a good knife. He hurriedly inserted it back,
"This dagger is too valuable, I can't take it."
"Keep it when I tell you to." Feng Ye
stuffed it into his arms, "This was given to me by my father. Now, I am
giving it to you. One day in the future, you will have to take it to meet
me."
Yuan Sikong held the dagger hesitantly, "But
..."
Feng Ye put on a stern and small face: "Do
you dare to disobey orders?"
Yuan Sikong snickered, "Feng Ye, thank you.
But ... I don't know how to use a dagger."
"What's so difficult about it?" Feng Ye
drew out his dagger, stabbed forward, and then tossed it up lightly. He somersaulted
in the air and landed on the ground, held it backhanded and slashed it smoothly
through the void again. The action was done in one fluid motion, which was light
and agile.
Yuan Sikong clapped his hands,
"Beautiful."
Feng Ye played with the dagger, which was as long
as his arm, in his hand, "This is nothing. I can do better with a sword. One
day I will use a sabre, a meteor hammer, and a spear, so that the wolf flag of
the Feng family will be waved all over the world!"
Influenced by Feng Ye, Yuan Sikong's chest also clamored:
"You have your great ambition to leap forward, and I also have mine. One
day, with a brush in my hand, I can also intimidate and kill in all
directions.”
"Okay!" Feng Ye raised his dagger and
pointed it to the northwest. With that childish but heroic voice, he said aloud:
"Yuan Sikong, you and I will make a pact. Ten years later, you will be a
great official, and I will be a great general. The two of us will join hands to
stabilize the interior and eliminate foreign aggression, help the country, expel
the barbarians, make the world at peace, achieve great success, and leave our
names for eternity. How's that!?"
Yuan Sikong's starry eyes shone brightly, and his
pride was born suddenly: "To achieve great success and leave our names for
eternity! It's a deal!"
At that moment, the young men’s ambitions were so
bright that they even made the scorching sun lose its color.
-----
The day of parting had finally arrived.
Yuan Sikong followed Yuan Mao outside the city.
As the adults drank wine, Feng Ye and Yuan Sikong
bid farewell at the side.
"Feng Ye, I have nothing to give you
..." Yuan Sikong took out a book, "This book, ‘Sun Tsu on the Art of
War’, is an annotation that I have summarized after inheriting the thoughts of
my ancestors. I have never led an army, so the annotation is not necessarily
good enough, but it is more plain and easier for you to understand." In
fact, this book was used for his lectures to Yuan Nanyu, such as the
annotations of Cao Gong and other famous generals of the past. Precise as they
may be, they are often too brief and particularly difficult to understand for
children. It was only after reading the annotations of many others that he was
able to summarize them.
Feng Ye took the old book and stroked the yellowed,
curled edges of the cover, "Okay, I will read it properly."
Yuan Sikong looked at Feng Ye. A thousand
thoughts were clogged up in his throat. He didn’t know which sentence to pick.
Feng Ye tilted his head up and looked at Yuan
Sikong, and his eyes suddenly turned red.
Yuan Sikong also felt sad, and his lips trembled
gently.
Feng Ye suddenly pointed his finger at him,
"Don't cry. A man cannot easily show his tears."
Yuan Sikong blinked hard, "You too. Whoever
cries is a young lady."
Feng Ye smiled with tears in his eyes,
"Sikong, I'm leaving. The day I see you again, you will no longer be my
opponent."
Yuan Sikong smiled back, "The day we meet
again, we will not be rivals." We will be friends and colleagues who will
fight side by side.
Feng Ye suddenly pounced on him, stood on his
tiptoes, and gave him a firm hug. He then turned around and walked away, waving
his hand vigorously, "See you again!"
Feng Lie looked at Feng Ye who was walking
towards him, smiled helplessly, and bent down to pick him up. Feng Ye wrapped
his arms around Feng Lie's neck, buried his face in the nook of his shoulder,
and was motionless.
In Yuan Sikong's blurred vision, Feng Ye got on
his horse. As the Feng family army gradually moved further away, the Feng
family wolf flag that fluttered in the cold wind of Liaodong became an image he
would never forget all his life.
Yuan Mao touched Yuan Sikong's head. Yuan Sikong
hugged Yuan Mao's waist and hot tears rolled down his cheeks.
Feng Ye, goodbye. You and I will surely meet
again.
----
PS: ahhhh sweet innocent farewell T__T
Shuntian*[顺天]---equivalent to capital of China, which is the same as Beijing now. Sikong is in Guangning now, but if he wants to be a government official in the future, he has to take and pass the exam, and go to Shuntian, the capital.
Edited on 6 Apr. 21 (Emzie)
Edited on 2 Jul. 21 (Ari)
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