Chapter 170: This Paradise Is Not Our Home, So We’ll Wholeheartedly Go Back Home.

The matter regarding Xiao YuAn and Yan HeQing going back to the Northern Kingdom was settled for the time being. Yan HeQing sent a letter to Xue Yan and started preparing for the journey. The first thing he did was to go to the medicinal shop, to ask Zhang Changsong if Xiao YuAn’s body could withstand traveling long distances. Only after getting an affirmative answer was he able to rest assured, and went to prepare other matters.

When he heard that Yan HeQing and Xiao YuAn were leaving, Zhang Changsong’s family was naturally feeling extremely reluctant. Zhang Baizhu ran to Xiao YuAn to ask him: “Why do you want to go there again? And you’re even saying that you’re going back ‘home’ to the Southern Yan Kingdom. But, aren’t you from the Western Shu Kingdom? Before, you even went to visit your relatives in the Western Shu Kingdom, so why are you saying that you’re returning ‘home’ to the Southern Yan Kingdom?”

Xiao YuAn replied: “What is the point of clearing up such a thing? In the end, we’ll belong to the same side anyways.”

Zhang Baizhu then said wistfully: “That’s what you said after saving that young soldier a while ago. Speaking of which, I saw him outside the village, the one who carried you back that time.”

Xiao YuAn’s eyes brighten: “Bao Yinxin?”

Zhang Baizhu replied: “Yes, that one. He said that after saving you, he was discovered by his General, and the group of soldiers that saved you were put in prison. Later, when the Southern Yan Kingdom conquered the Eastern Wu Kingdom, the prison cell was broken into, and they took advantage of the chaos to escape. They ended up settling down in a nearby village.”

Xiao YuAn smiled: “That’s great.”

Zhang Baizhu: “Yeah, yeah, I won’t say any more. Anyway, this time, you’ll have a comfortable, happy, and prosperous life. Where you won’t need to worry about the mercilessness of the sword, and where you won’t see yourself stuck in a life or death situation.”

Xiao YuAn saw that Zhang Baizhu was saying goodbye to him, and before leaving, he said: “Zhang Baizhu, if you have a son, you should name him Zhang Zhongjing, alright?”

“Hmm? Zhang Zhongjing… not bad, it’s a nice name!” Zhang Baizhu raised his fist and recited the name out loud, excitedly running back to the medicinal shop to tell Lin Shenling.

Xiao YuAn couldn’t help but smile. Suddenly, his waist was hugged from behind, but Xiao YuAn wasn’t surprised. He simply leaned back and comfortably pressed his body against Yan HeQing’s.

Yan HeQing said: “We’ll leave in 7 days. Physician Zhang said that your body still needs to recuperate for a bit. I asked for a prescription.”

Xiao YuAn: “No way, I’m alive and I feel perfectly fine, but I still need to recuperate? I’m obviously an energetic young man, but now I’m slowly turning into a medicine jar. Yan-ge, can I stop taking medicine after these few days?”

Yan HeQing replied: “Physician Zhang knew that you would say this. He said…. well…. if you want to have sex without worry… then…”

Xiao YuAn: “…. I’ve been taking the medicine diligently, and I still can’t do it?”

Yan HeQing slightly raised the corners of his mouth, and suddenly remembered something as he asked: “Do you know where the Imperial Palace of the Southern Yan Kingdom is located…?”

“I know, I know.” Xiao YuAn tilted his head and raised his hands. Then he hugged Yan HeQing’s neck and pressed his body closer to him: “It’s the former Imperial Palace of the Northern Kingdom.” In the original book, Yan HeQing set up the capital in the former Northern territory, and lived in the Imperial Palace of the Northern Kingdom, because he missed his goddess. This time, his reasons were self-evident.

Yan HeQing, whose head was pressed down by Xiao YuAn, had his lips an inch away from Xiao YuAn’s mouth. Their breaths were immediately entwined together.

Xiao YuAn laughed: “Yan-ge, are you afraid that I’ll be affected by the scenery when I return to the North?”

Yan HeQing: “Yes.”

Xiao YuAn: “It’s easy to make it better. If I’m sad, then you just have to kiss me. But you don’t have to worry, I won’t be sad.”

Yan HeQing looked at Xiao YuAn’s eyes, and he saw how his own face was reflected in Xiao YuAn’s dark pupils, as if he was the only one in Xiao YuAn’s eyes.

Xiao YuAn released his hands and let go of Yan HeQing’s neck. Then, he turned around in Yan HeQing’s arms, and looked at him face to face, as he said with a smile: “Yan-ge, in a few days we’ll leave Taoyuan Village, so I’m quite sad now. What do you think you should do?”

Yan HeQing leaned forward and tried to kiss him.

However, they immediately separated when a ‘Xiao-ge’ suddenly came from beside them.

Xie Chungui, who was holding a small clay figurine he got from somewhere, stood there at this moment. Without feeling embarrassed about interrupting them, he seriously said to Xiao YuAn: “Xiao-ge, can I talk to you?”

“Yes, of course you can. What’s the matter?” Xiao YuAn’s voice still had a trace of panic.

Who would’ve thought that Xie Chungui would glance at Yan HeQing, and say: “Xiao-ge, can I talk to you alone?”

Xiao YuAn’s eyes flashed with a trace of surprise. He and Yan HeQing glanced at each other. Yan HeQing nodded at him, and walked away.

Xiao YuAn and Xie Chungui were then left alone. After a while, Xiao YuAn finally asked: “Chungui? What’s the matter?”

Xie Chungui: “Third Aunt told me that you were leaving. Xiao-ge, is that true?”

Xiao YuAn nodded and wanted to say a few words to soothe him, but before he could speak, Xie Chungui added: “Xiao-ge, are you going to the North? Can you take me with you? I want to go back and see it again.”

Xiao YuAn looked at Xie Chungui with a blank stare.

Clearly, these words didn’t sound like the usual words Xie Chungui has been speaking recently. But since the smile on his face was still naive and childish, Xiao YuAn didn’t know how to reply: “Chungui, you….” He blurted out the word ‘you’, but he didn’t know what to say afterwards.

Xie Chungui lowered his head. As the autumn sun shone with a clear light, the young man stood in place, as his voice slightly trembled: “I want to go back and see. See the territory, the mountains and the rivers of the Northern Kingdom.”

Xiao YuAn looked at Xie Chungui, and thought of the young General in the original book. At the beginning, he was also a great hero. A man who was able to hold the fort by himself, and fought against the enemy with the remnants of the defeated army, with only disabled men. But in the end, he was unable to resist the enemy’s army, and he was defeated in the battlefield. The white bones of the dead were scattered all over the ground, mixed together with the grass. His head could’ve grown grey, but he didn’t know that the fugitive Emperor was harming the people, nor did he hear that the Imperial Court ate the country’s food. The only thing he knew was that he vowed to protect the country with his blood. But in the end, he couldn’t grow old.

Xiao YuAn rubbed Xie Chungui’s head, and replied: “Alright.”