Seven Unfortunate Lifetimes, All Thanks to a Single Moment of Impulse

Chapter 5

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Chapter 5

Avoiding the guards’ eyes, I climbed the backyard wall. After going through a big circle, I was finally at the general’s backdoor. The general’s mansion was ablaze. Beside the sound of the fire, it was deep silence.

I stared at the backdoor for a long time. If I went in and came face to face with a killer, I wouldn’t be able to collect Lu Hai Kong’s body but will also give up my life. It’s not worth it.

My thoughts took a turn and I remembered that at the east of the general’s mansion, there’s a doghole. That place is hidden. Even if there are still killers in there, they won’t find me.

It’s just that after all these years accepting the human ideology, I felt that crawling through a doghole, is not a glorious thing. Going again today, I don’t even know if my body can still pa.s.s through the doghole.

But when I found the doghole, I discovered that there was already someone in the doghole. The one, whom I wanted to collect his corpse; Lu Hai Kong. Half of his body was outside the wall, the other half was still inside the wall. I didn’t feel embarra.s.sed and mused: “It seems that I really can get past the doghole.”

However, now it’s not the right time to express my feelings.

When Lu Hai Kong heard my voice, he slowly raised his head. His always clean face was blood stained. His always translucent eyes, is now like dust. A vast gray. He absent-minded stared at me. Without any emotion, like a puppet.

I knelt down. In the flickering firelight, I saw that a side of his right eye has been burned. I can’t differentiate between the whites and the eyeball. All was muddy.

He’s stuck in the doghole. It’s such a ridiculous sight. But I couldn’t find it amusing.

I stuck my hand out. But something made me hesitate to touch him.

“Lu Hai Kong.”

He didn’t respond. He’s only blankly staring at me. I blinked. I don’t know why my heart hurts. I repressed that feeling and gently poked his forehead.

“Are you still alive?”

“Yun Xiang.”

His voice was weak.

“I’m still alive…”

It doesn’t sound like an answer, but more like a question he’s asking me.

The inexplicable feeling in my heart got stronger. I couldn’t help myself from touching his head. Not light, not heavy I patted his head. His hair felt sticky. I guess he must’ve escaped from a pool of blood. Losing your family overnight is a cruel thing for a ten year old.

“I’m still alive.”

I stared at him. His black left eye slowly reflected my image and his right eye…I’m afraid that he can never use it again.

He looked at me for a moment before asking: “Did you come here to save me?”

“Originally I came to find your corpse.”

His eyes darkened and he nodded.

“But now I’m here to save you.”

I grabbed his hand and asked: “Are you tightly stuck?”

He seemed to not dare say a word, blankly staring at me. Before he could say something, I felt his body being pulled back inside. It seems like on the other side of the wall, someone is pulling at Lu Hai Kong’s legs, dragging him back inside. Lu Hai Kong’s eyes got bigger looked at me. He was so scared that he couldn’t speak.

I hugged him tightly, not letting go. On the other side of the wall someone said: “There’s someone outside helping him.”

“Let’s cut his legs. So he’ll never be able to escape again.”

There are still two people on the other side of the wall! They actually want to slay Lu Hai Kong’s legs. My heart quivered. I suddenly got an idea.

“Father! Quickly bring the Xiang Fu’s1 guards. The killer inside want to cut Lu Hai Kong’s legs.”

“It’s Xiang Ye’s2 daughter.”

“That ruckus causing devil? The two killers were quiet for some time then one said: “Withdraw!”

Victory came too sudden. I didn’t think that my name will be more useful than my father’s name. After suppressing a chuckle, my face darkened again… The killers are so afraid of me. What for image do I have in the commoner’s hearts?

There’s no time to think more. I ruthlessly pulled Lu Hai Kong. Grabbed his hand and dragged him in the direction of Xiang Fu.

“For now, you go hide at my place.”

Lu Hai Kong stopped walking. In the air filled with smoke, he quietly said: “Yun Xiang, I can’t go to Xiang Fu.”

“Why? Are you afraid that my father won’t protect you?”

Lu Hai Kong looked at the ground and didn’t answer me. He’s now obviously a dirty kid, but strangely, I felt that his mind is more complicated than my mind, which also has the memories of hundred years of living as a cloud spirit.

He was silent for a long time before saying: “Yun Xiang, I’m going to go outside of the capital…only outside…need to go outside.”

He’s spoken with such a strong voice. He must be determined. I intuitively felt that he’s hiding many things. I also felt that from this moment on, Lu Hai Kong’s life will change. Moreover, I also felt that my time to choose has come. Go back to Xian Fu or go with Lu Hai Kong to the outside the capital? I looked up at the sky. Suddenly I’ve a strange feeling.

Emperor Li, so you’ve been waiting here for me! If I’ve drunken the soup of oblivion, this life, I would’ve been a normal Xiang Fu young miss. If Lu Hai Kong wasn’t t delayed by me for five years at the nether world, he would now be the same age as me. Two people who are engaged, falling in love with each other. Miss Xiang Fu doesn’t have the heart to leave the general’s young master full of hatred, will go with him to the north. She willingly abandoned her comfortable life, only following the general’s young master. So the first act of the play “little wife chasing husband” is staged like this, at this bad time.

Lu Hai Kong must’ve thought too much after seeing my sorrowful look. He turned and began walking in the opposite direction.

“Yun Xiang, till we meet again.”

Hearing a ten year old say such a deep sentence, after the trauma, my heart missed a beat. I scratched my head irritably and muttered softly: “Alright, alright. I admit defeat. I’ll not change fate again. Besides I need to avoid having to receive punishment again after I go back.”

But it didn’t seem filial if I just go. So I picked up a burned wood and casually wrote on the wall: Father, your daughter eloped with a gentleman. Don’t lose spirit and take care of your body.

After finis.h.i.+ng writing, I didn’t care if father Song will find this secluded doghole with the words above, I threw away the wood and run to catch up with Lu Hai Kong. I ran till I was in front of him. I bent a little and said: “You walk too slowly. A little later the killer will be chasing. Come up, I’ll piggyback.”

The person behind me didn’t move. I turned around and saw him looking at me with a horrified expression. I wondered why: “Come ah.”

“Yun Xiang…”

I grinned: “Young man3 , let’s elope.”

He didn’t move, I didn’t urge. Finally he stretched his hands and hugged me: “Thank you…”

His thin body was trembling a little. At this time I couldn’t help but twitch my mouth: “Elopment is fine, embracing is fine. Brat does not take advantage of me in this situation. See where you’re putting your hands on.”

He felt embarra.s.sed. Leisurely he put his hands on my shoulder and holds my neck. I didn’t care anymore. Walking while he was on my back. Lu Hai Kong must be tired. Hid head resting on my shoulder, he mumbled: “Yun Xiang protected me. In the future, I’ll protect Yun Xiang.”

His words reminded me of a decade ago. The general’s wife was looking at infant Lu Hai Kong, her gaze as gentle as the sunlight. She said I’m older than him. Now I’ll protect him, in the future, he’ll protect me…

I turned and looked at the general’s mansion, which was in flames. Suddenly I realized that there will be no one anymore, who’ll look at Lu Hai Kong with such a gentle gaze.

The G.o.ds have an eternal life. They don’t understand the hards.h.i.+p of parting, the pain of death. I used the G.o.d’s point of view; this is a normal circle yet I’m sentimental. But to mortals losing means losing.

This life or eternal life, no one can completely repeat his life, even if it’s himself.

I suddenly felt that something is strange. I’m indifferent to death, but the Lu Hai Kong who isn’t crying or causing trouble, is a bit unusual. I turned my head and glanced at the boy on my shoulder, with his eyes closed….Maybe even through his life, I still wouldn’t understand Lu Hai Kong’s pain from tonight.

The moment the gates opened, I took Lu Hai Kong outside the capital.after leaving the capital for half a day; my brain finally realized what I didn’t do right, the night before.

“Song… my father, looks like I dragged him in a hole4.”

I scratched my head and said to Lu Hai Kong: “Last night, I was impatient to save you, putting my father in trouble. What I did isn’t right.”

Seeing my guilty face, Lu Hai Kong exhibits a real shocking face.

“Yun Xiang, you don’t know anything. That’s why you dare to say that!”

“Know what?”

Lu Hai Kong continued to be stunned. Then he shook his head. In the eye that he still has, I saw a third of helplessness, a third ridiculousness and many more things that I don’t understand. He hung his head and took a bite of the bun. Vaguely he said: “Nothing, nothing will happen to Prime Minister Song.”

This brat said that so a.s.sured. My heart felt lighter, although I still don’t understand what happened in court.

I and Lu Hai Kong went to the north. After half a month, came the sudden news from the capital that the emperor has died. The new emperor ascended the throne. Surprisingly the new emperor is not the crown prince, but the crown prince’s uncle, the previous emperor’s brother, Zhi Hou w.a.n.g Ye.

Half of the ministers have been removed. The powerful ones have been removed, exiled to their hometowns or sentenced to death. The only one, who is still sitting tight in his spot, is my father, the prime minister Song Qin Wen. The first one in court who bowed to the new emperor is also my father, Song Qin Wen.

At that time I was sitting with Lu Hai Kong at the roadside stall, resting and drinking tea. Beside us there were people who looked like scholars. They keep sighing.

I don’t understand their concern for the fate of their lives, but now I understand the mystery behind the fire at the general’s mansion.

Lu Hai Kong silently drank tea; I silently sorted my thoughts. My father, general Lu and the old emperor were three good friends. After some years my father and the emperor’s brother became even better friends. He’s not so fond of the two other friends anymore.

Old emperor became sick. His brother wants to be the emperor. My father favored the emperor’s younger brother. But the general supported the blood of the old emperor, Zhi Chi crown prince. That’s why the general’s mansion needs to be burned. That’s why Lu Hai Kong wasn’t even worried about my words; that I’ll cause trouble for father Song, because destroying their family was planned by my father.

My appearance was a surprise to everyone. That’s why the two killers left in a hurry. They weren’t afraid of me. They only wanted to go back and report to my father. That’s why Lu Hai Kong asked me “did you come to save me?”

So that’s why Lu Hai Kong was surprised when I said that I’ll bring trouble for my father. That’s why we were able to smoothly be gone out of the gate. And smoothly walking all the way till now must be because my father is protecting us.

After all, I’m still his daughter. After all, he watched Lu Hai Kong grow. And after all…having to plot against an old friend, his heart will be uneasy. Intentionally letting Lu Hai Kong go, must be because my father’s soft heart.

Staring at him quietly drinking tea, I went back to that night, remembering all his actions. I gave a long sigh.

Former Lu Hai Kong was too small, so he was ignorant. But now he’s slowly beginning to understand things; getting smart, getting calm. After experiencing such misfortune, I’m afraid he’ll understand things more deeply now……

A thought took a turn in my head. I really want to pull out emperor Li’s beard one for one. If today’s scene changes it would be so miserable: Xiang Fu Miss will follow the full of hatred young master. On one side young master loves Xiang Fu Miss. The other side because of her father’s action towards the general, he hates her. Love and hate at the same time. He’ll sometimes be warm and sometimes be cold towards Xiang Fu Miss. Xiang Fu Miss will lead a life of oppressive feelings. But her heart is still firmly chasing young master.

Little wife struggling to chase husband second act, without a warning, will be staged like this.

Emperor Li, you dare throw more pots of blood! In front of your home must be many dead dogs now! Where did you get such cheap and useless dog blood! How many more miserable scenes will be waiting for me on the road to the north?!

Besides…in the state I’m now and the way I and Lu Hai Kong are getting along, will we be able to meet emperor Li’s particular taste?

“Yun Xiang”

Lu Hai Kong finished drinking tea and look up at me: “I’m finished resting.”

I looked at the vast gray of his right eye and patted his head: “Let’s go.”

Worrying is useless. The future will come nevertheless. Compared to me this child must’ve a bigger burden. He’s so brave. I can’t lose to him.

Comments:

My energy feel drained after translating this chapter. I feel so sad for them both. Emepror Li , do you love melodrama so much?Xiang Fu: the prime minister’s residenceXiang Ye: the prime minister少年 (Shào nián: young man): this is what she used to call Chu Kong. She finds it amusing that she’ll elope with Chu Kong.If killing the general was an imperial order, she leaving with Lu Hai Kong will bring trouble to her father.

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