Book 8 Chapter 6 - Love and Hate Difficult to Distinguish
Kou Zhong tapped Song Yuzhi's door and asked, "May I come in and speak a couple of sentences?”
"If only two sentences, you certainly may,” Song Yuzhi responded.
Kou Zhong sighed before pushing the door and coming in.
The room was dark, only the moonlight from the window coming at an angle illuminated the lantern-less room. It happened to fall onto Song Yuzhi, who was sitting in the only chair in the room, enveloping her in faint golden glow.
The woman's beautiful long jet-black hair was untied, it draped loosely over her fragrant shoulders, her pair of eyes looked like deep and bright precious stones, and they were gazing steadily at him.
Kou Zhong's spirit was greatly shaken. It was the first time that he found out that her feminine side and outward appearance were in no way inferior to Li Xiuning.
Song Yuzhi was a bit impatient, "Didn't you say you were going to speak a couple of sentences? Well, speak up, and then get lost.”
With a wry smile Kou Zhong said, "This time I came just to acknowledge my mistake toward Miss Song, and to call off our wedding contract. From now on Kou Zhong will not dare to have any delusions toward Miss Song.”
Finished speaking, he turned around to leave.
Song Yuzhi was dumbstruck. "Come back here!” she said.
Kou Zhong's hand was already on the door's knob; hearing the call, he stopped on his track. With his back toward her, he said bitterly, "I was wrong; I should have not linked the ‘Duke Yang Treasure' to Miss' lifelong happiness together, and treated it as a business deal.”
Song Yuzhi was silent for half a day. Finally she said gently, "Would you sit down so that we can talk, please?”
Kou Zhong shook his head and sighed, "Right now I just want to hide alone and think about this matter quietly. These days all I can think about is how to gain victory in my contending for supremacy against other people, while ignoring other important matters. I really want to reflect upon myself for a while.”
Song Yuzhi raised her pretty eyebrows; somewhat unable to hold back her anger, she said, "You, this kid, listen to this Miss and sit down. If you slip away just like that, I am going to hate you for the rest of my life.”
Like a whirlwind Kou Zhong turned around and asked in amazement, "Don't you already hate me to the core? Are you telling me you were only pretending?”
Avoiding his sharp and penetrating gaze, Song Yuzhi hung her head down and said, "When you came in just now, why did you, like a fool, look at me like that?”
Kou Zhong walked over to where she sat, kneeling on one knee, he put his right hand on the armrest, and said with a sigh, "Because I suddenly realize that you, Yuzhi, are unexpectedly so touching, so that I could not stop an adoring feeling from growing out in my heart, and thus I reflected upon my own various wrongdoings.”
Song Yuzhi could not avoid smelling his body scent, as they were so close, almost face-to-face with each other, invoking the memory of when she was pinned down on the snowy ground the other day. Her fragrant heart fluttered, she said, "Can you stand up first and sit down next to me?”
Surprisingly enough Kou Zhong obeyed her; after he was seated nicely, Song Yuzhi continued in low voice, "What do you really want?”
Grabbing his own head, Kou Zhong said, "Which one is Miss Song referring to?”
Song Yuzhi was back to her calm and composed self; she said indifferently, "Naturally the contending for hegemony matter. When all is said and done, why are you doing it?”
Kou Zhong's eyes immediately lit up. Nodded, he said, "Miss Song is the first person ever who is asking me that question; even Xiao Ling has no interest in knowing.”
After a short pause, he continued, "I was born in the marketplace, from firsthand experience, I deeply feel how when the government completely loses its benevolence and righteousness, common people's life would be so miserable and painful. Ay! At the beginning I was just wanted to join a militia, which I think would have the most aspiration and prospects. But having encountered such people like Du Fuwei, Li Mi, and the like, none of them do not look for personal benefit, they are also vicious and merciless characters. If they became the emperor, it would definitely not a good thing. Furthermore, since people like them can vie for the world, why can't I, Kou Zhong do it? What matters most in people is aspiration.”
He sighed before continuing, "Question is, since I want to vie over the world, in no way I can treat benevolence and righteousness as idle chit-chat, to let benevolence and righteousness bind my hands bind my foot in all respects. Therefore, in Miss Song's eyes, I became someone who, in order to seek my goal, would do anything by hook or by crook. Hey! In reality, I just wanted to make one move and get two gains!”
Song Yuzhi pondered in silence.
Kou Zhong rose up, stretched out his entire body in an exaggerated stretch and said, "I want to go back to my room! Hee .. hee … after talking it out with you, I feel much more comfortable.”
Song Yuzhi spoke gently, "Do you know, Kou Zhong? Die and Er Shu would never let me marry someone with your background. You play games on them, they also play games on you.”
"What?” Kou Zhong blurted.
Gracefully Song Yuzhi stood up and walked over to him; staring right into his eyes, she said, "Why didn't you ask me whom Die has betrothed me to? Is it because you feel it's beneath you to ask, or you simply don't care?”
Kou Zhong replied in embarrassment, "Actually, I am bit scared of asking.”
Song Yuzhi spoke indifferently, "Even if you asked, I don't think Er Shu would tell you. My future husband is Li Mi's only son, Li Tianfan. The engagement was decided a year ago. As long as Li Mi could capture Luoyang, I would have to marry into the Li family. Do you understand?”
Hearing this, Kou Zhong could only stare blankly with mouth agape, unable to make any sound.
Song Yuzhi reached out with her lily-white hand to stroke his cheek and said with a smile, "Kou Zhong Gongzi, go back to your room and rest! Contending over the word is never a simple matter, but I really wish you would succeed.”
Xu Ziling flicked the oil lamp to extinguish it. Pulling the door open, he was just about to step out, while in his heart he was still thinking about Kou Zhong, who could be faking it, but could be really repentance after self-introspection, so that Xu Ziling was worried and delighted at the same time, and his heart was tumultuous, when suddenly a fragrant wind assaulted his face.
Instinctively he backed off to evade it; who would have thought that a tender body was suddenly throwing itself into his bosom, a pair of delicate hands wrapped itself around his neck, and fragrant lips covered his mouth?
It was only then did Xu Ziling realize what happened. Grabbing the other side's fragrant shoulders, he gently pushed her away a little, and while his handsome face turned beet red, he said, "It's me!”
Yun Yuzhen's charming body was severely shaken; she flung back, her jade cheek was burning like the sunset clouds.
Recovering his confident and easy-going manner, Xu Ziling smiled good-naturedly and said, "Now this is my romantic and beautiful memory.” Finished speaking, without waiting for any response he simply turned back into the room.
The ship arrived at Baling. Xiao Xian himself went out of the city gate to welcome them. Accompanying him was the Great General, the Left-field Marshall Zhang Xiu. This man was short, but his head was humongous, his hair unkempt, yet his vision was cool and razor-sharp, as if it could penetrate other people's heart and soul, so that whomever he gazed upon would feel as if he was interrogating him. According to Xiang Yushan's explanation earlier, his martial art skill was superior to the Right-field Marshall Dong Jingzhen, and was barely below Xiao Xian's.
Naturally Susu was part of the welcoming team. Seeing her husband-lord and two brothers returning safe and sound, and had established great merit, she was so happy that she felt her heart was turning upside down.
The ones who really made Kou Zhong and Xu Ziling bursting with joy were Duan Yucheng, Bao Zhifu, Shi Jie and Ma Gui.
These four kids were covered in scars from head to toe; turned out along the way they encountered countless thieves and robbers. But presently they were in very high spirits, apparently because their martial art skills were honed and they made great progress.
Xiao Xian assumed a grateful, ‘rely heavily upon' and ‘respect for the wise' manner toward the two boys; he was even more respectful toward Song Yuzhi. Naturally he was thinking of the many benefits if he aligned himself with the Song Clan.
That evening Xiao Xian hosted a banquet to celebrate, during which he praised the two boys without cease.
After the banquet Song Yuzhi remained behind with Xiao Xian for a confidential meeting, while the rest returned to Xiang Yuzhan's General Mansion. En route Susu reminded them of the promise they made that they would accompany her to go on a tour for several days. Since the two boys felt very deep attachment to her, they regarded her as if she was Fu Junchuo, naturally they readily agreed.
Returning to the Mansion, the three sister and brothers chatted freely at the inner courtyard's pavilion, recounted what had happened since they parted. While they were talking and laughing happily, Xiang Yushan came in a hurry.
As soon as he sat down, he said, "Tieqi Hui has been split into three factions: one faction throws themselves to Lin Shihong, one faction adheres to Shen Faxing, the remainders swear an oath to avenge Ren Shaoming. This last faction is headed by the Evil Monk and Amorous Nun.”
Susu's flowery face lost its color, "What do we do?” she asked.
Xu Ziling shot Xiang Yushan an unhappy look, blaming him for frightening Susu.
Kou Zhong asked in astonishment, "How did this happen?”
Xiang Yushan smiled apologetically toward Xu Ziling first, and then he comforted Susu before replying, "The ranks within Tieqi Hui are very complex, good and bad people intermingled. Even before, there were different opinions as to whom they ought to align themselves with. Only because everybody was intimidated by Ren Shaoming's power did they appear as ‘millions of people all of one mind'. But now that Ren Shaoming's big tree has fallen, the monkeys and apes under the tree are all split up and in pieces.”
Kou Zhong was delighted, "This is a good thing for the South,” he remarked, "Tieqi Hui was just a group of organized thieves anyway. If they gained momentum, the first to suffer calamity would be the civilians, the common people.”
Xu Ziling rarely heard him ‘opening his mouth on behalf of the country, closing his mouth on behalf of the people'; he shot a curious glanced at him.
Xiang Yushan said, "The news of Ren Shaoming's death is currently still confined in the South, yet it already stirred up a great deal of chaos. Once it is leaked out to the North, nobody knows what the consequences will be.”
Kou Zhong suddenly asked, "How's your relationship with Li Mi?”
"In the past,” Xiang Yushan replied, "Because we worked for Yang Guang, it could be said that we were always at odds with Li Mi, our relationship has always been a bad one. However, there has never been any direct conflict; therefore, our relationship is in a very delicate balance. Why do you suddenly ask?”
Right this moment Yun Yuzhen arrived, hence Kou Zhong changed the subject and did not answer Xiang Yushan's question.