Song in the Clouds - a chinese web novel
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| Song in the Clouds |
Original Name
《雲中歌》 BY 桐华Synopsis
Boundless gold sea of sand, snow white Tian Shan camel, I am clothed in a green silk dress, eyes bright and with a faint smile. The prayers of a thousand mountains and a million waters, is not for this lifetime’s company, but for reunion in the next life…She is the wolf girl’s daughter, she is also Huo Qu Bing’s precious treasure, she is the green silk dress in the desert, she is also the Ju Gong Zi of Chang An city.
He is the deep, far-sighted wise Han Zhao Emperor of Western Han Dynasty
He is the clever and mysterious Meng fox.
Each only unintentionally giving away a pearl embroidered shoe in youthful ignorance, what kind of love-hate-passion-vengeance “Song in the Clouds” will be stirred into existence?
>>Go to the chapter list of Song in the Clouds to read more!
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Chapter 1
I’m not sure I’m translating all of Yun Zhong Ge, so don’t ask and definitely don’t expect it. It’s almost twice as long as Da Mo Yao in length, so thinking about it already gives me a headache. But I was in the mood to do a chapter so here it is. I have no clue who will play the leads in the drama adaptation, but I know it won’t be Yang Mi, who has sorta moved past that in terms of age and popularity. But when I picture Yun Ge, I think of her performance as Guo Xiang, so for now I’ll cast her in my novel version. As for chapter 1 of YZG, It captivated me from the opening sentence and really drew vivid images of the three main characters right off the bat. The red string of fate binds Yun Ge to the two men in her life in ways that feel powerful yet playful.Background primer: Because of Emperor Wu of Han’s (Liu Che) desire for military expansion and consolidation during his reign, when he died he left the dynasty in a downward spiral of poverty and using rigid control to temper the burgeoning woes of the common people who had been taxed and punished to the limit. He conceded in his final days that his methods had gone astray, but he was at the end of his life and could not right his wrongs. He left the dynasty in the hands of an eight year old Emperor Zhao of Han. And this story unfolds in that time period where the young Emperor had to worry about foreign dangers and internal strife.
Chapter 1: Green Woven Skirt
Thousands of miles of desert burned as brightly as the noonday sun. It glittered golden between the earth and the sky. A color long prized by the people instead symbolizes the laughter of death here. The sharp reflection of the white light shines on animal carcasses or human remains. The White Dragon Bone Desert right outside Luo Lan city is known for its windstorms and dangerous terrain. Without a familiar guide, almost no one can walk out of this desert alive.
At the crest of a sandy dune, a band of ten or so people was struggling at the edge of near death. Seven days ago their Luo Lan guide betrayed them, using a sudden desert windstorm to abandon this group of Han travelers. These people are not weak at martial arts or stamina, but in the face of deadly nature they are as weak as ants. If they don’t find a water source soon, they will forever be here, turning into one of the piles of white bones.
Zhao Puo Nu shook his water flask, it was down to a few sips of water left. He handed the flask to a boy of twelve or thirteen. The boy glanced at Zhao Puo Nu’s cracked and dry lips and lightly said "You drink this water." Zhao Puo Nu wanted to reply but the boy added "That is my order."
The others all believe this boy is Zhao Puo Nu’s relative, someone Zhao Puo Nu brought out during this undercover Xi Yu expedition to experience the world. Only Zhao Puo Nu and the boy knows what his order meant. Zhao Puo Nu took back the flask and didn’t drink, only putting it back around his waist. His mind had only one thought, he must get this boy out of the desert alive, even if he must use everyone’s blood here to drink as water.
"You are the only one who has been in and out of the desert many times, and you are most familiar with the desert. Whether we survive hinges on you. Drink the water and keep your mind clear and focused to think of a way to get us out of the desert. Even if we all die, you should at least be the last one standing." The boy was talking about life and death yet his tone made it sound like it didn’t concern him.
Seven days of wandering in the desert, hungry, thirsty, under the hot sun, most people have already mentally collapsed and their faces showed their defeat and hopelessness. But this twelve thirteen year old boy, even with his lips completely cracked and his face exhausted, his expression was still cool and calm.
The sun continued to bake the earth, and bake their bodies. Their life was being steamed out of them little by little. Every speck of sand was like the dance of the reaper, coming closer and closer towards them. Walking in the front, Zhao Puo Nu suddenly stopped and everyone halted. The boy saw Zhao Puo Nu straining to listen to something and he curiously tried to listen as well.
"Clink, clink...." the sound of faint bells ringing drifted towards them. Everyone started shouting "It’s the sound of bells! It’s the sound of camel bells!"
In the face of death they saw a lifeline, this far off sound of bells was like the sound from the sky. The boy remained impassive. Facing death he never despaired, facing life he showed no joy. He continued to react as if nothing was happening to him.
Zhao Puo Nu made a gesture for everyone to quiet "The bells are odd. If it was a merchant caravan, the sound ought to be more than this lone noise. It sounds like just one camel, but who would be traveling alone through the desert. This is Xi Yu territory, so whether friend or foe, we need to be alert."
"Clink, clink....." with the sound of the camel bells, at the edge of the desert in the bright hot sun, a green image began to appear. In seven days they have not seen anything green so this image feels so reassuring. Even the boy felt his thirst seemingly eased a bit.
As the figure got closer, everyone could see that it was a small snow white camel with a small person riding on it. Just seven or eight years old, wearing a green robe, a smile like a blooming flower. Everyone craned their necks to look behind her but they could see no one else.
An unusual camel, an elfin-like adorable little girl, everyone only sensed the oddness of this and recollected many a strange Xi Yu legends about fairies from the Snow Mountains or witches from the desert......
The little girl smiled and waved at them "My mom asked me to lead you out of the desert." Zhao Puo Nu asked "Who is your mom? Are you alone?" The little girl looked confused "My mom is just my mom! And I’m not alone." She patted the camel "I have Ling Dang (Bell), she’s a friend my Second Brother gave me." Then she pointed behind her "There is also Snow Lady, mom tasked her with protecting me." Everyone now saw a white and silver wolf standing behind the little white camel.
This lone wolf gave off a sense of hauteur and nobility in her eyes. A camel that is not afraid of a wolf? A wolf who doesn’t want to eat the camel? Everyone was just stunned. "And....." the little girl took out a whistle from inside her robe and blew into it twice. She looked at two condors descending from the sky "There is Xiao Tao and Xiao Qian. They are my friends that my daddy found for me." The two white condors are not yet full grown but their fully expanded wings already give off a commanding presence in the sky.
One white condor landed on the back of the camel while the other wanted to land on the wolf’s head. The wolf gave a warning howl and tried to claw at the condor, which managed to fly away quickly. But it was feeling miffed and kept circling above. The little girl laughed "Xiao Tao, don’t tease Big Snow Sister. Just rest on Ling Dang’s back for a bit!" Everyone watching marveled and was amused, now understanding how the little girl could have found them.
Zhao Puo Nu suddenly shook and his mind lurched like thunderous waves. He kept staring at the little girl and asked "What is your mother’s surname? And your father’s? What is your name? Why did your mom ask you to lead us out of the desert?"
"Ai ya! Big uncle, my mom is just my mom! My name is Yun Ge (cloud song). My mom said she owed a debt of gratitude to an Uncle Zhao so she had me come lead your way. So are you guys coming or not? We need two days to get out of the desert!"
Yun Ge sat on the camel talking, her feet dangling back and forth on the side. A pair of leek green shoes, with a pearl the size of a longan embroidered on each shoe. One shoe she had on properly, but the other shoe was half off and exposing a snow white heel. With her swinging it back and forth, it played peek-a-boo under her green skirt.
Yun Ge saw the boy staring at her foot, and since she was at an innocent age, she didn’t know to be embarrassed and instead gave the boy a sweet smile. The boy was much too mature for his age, already knowing the ways of the world. He had been simply admiring the beauty of her foot, but with Yun Ge’s smile, his face turned red and he immediately averted his eyes. His chilly demeanor, already incongruous with his age, went down a few more notches.
Zhao Puo Nu couldn’t tell if this girl was purposely withholding information, or was simply so innocent and childish. He knew that no matter how much he asked, he wasn’t going to get any answers. The names of that pair of condors had triggered a memory from his past and the pain in his heart was just impossible to describe. He know it was impossible, but he wanted to hope that his crazy thoughts might possibly be true "Yun Ge Er, my surname is Zhao. We will bother you then to lead the way."
Yun Ge jumped off the camel and politely bowed to Zhao Puo Nu. "Uncle Zhao, Yun Ge greets you on behalf my mom." She pointed to a row of water bottles hanging from the camel’s back "These are for uncle." Everyone started rejoicing even before she finished talking, sweeping away the silence of before as they said "Master Zhao, we knew you were our savior." Zhao Puo Nu took a water bottle and brought it over to the boy, then noticing that Yun Ge had already taken her own flask and handed it to the boy "What is your name?" she asked.
The boy appeared not to have heard what Yun Ge asked, only quietly taking the flask and quietly drinking the water. Everyone was profusely thanking Yun Ge but the boy did not thank her. He didn’t even give her even one look of gratitude, his expression so impassive it bordered on cold.
Yun Ge appeared not to find it weird at all, putting her hands behind her back and lifting her head to smile widely at the boy. When the boy returned the flask to Yun Ge and saw her eyes twinkling like crescent moons, he lightly said "Zhao Ling."
Yun Ge immediately said in a crystal clear voice "Ling gege" and paired with her smile which was as brilliant as an April sky, Zhao Ling, who had never been thus addressed, suddenly felt the normally pitch black recesses of his heart shined with a beam of sunlight.
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A royally decorated room, the incense from a copper stove blowing smoke so that the faces of the people sitting high above appeared blurry. A four year old child was standing in the middle of the banquet, reciting a poem with his hand behind his back.
Everyone listening was in awe, the moniker of genius was truly well-deserved. An older gentleman sitting on high was uncharacteristically smiling as he nodded his head. When the child was done reciting, he wanted to run into his mother’s embrace as usual, but then remembered what she had reminded him beforehand. So he acted like an adult and made a bow, then straightened his back and with his face impassive, slowly walked backward step by step to return to his seat.
When he noticed that no one was looking, he immediately made a face at his mom to indicate he wanted a reward. A woman sitting next to the older gentlemen smiled and nodded her head at him, then indicating for him to sit back down.
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A breezy and sunny Summer day, the sound of cicadas echoing time and again. A five year old child was hiding behind the curtains in the study, a pair of dark and lively eyes staring outside. Fast footsteps rang out and a woman’s gentle voice called out "Ling Er." The child startled and wanted to call out a warning but it was too late. All he heard was a high pitched scream and the bucket placed on top of the door had already fallen with the opening of the door by the woman. A bucket full of inky dark water fell on the woman’s body.
The woman was turned head to toe into a crow and the serving girls beside her were so shocked they all knelt down. The child’s servant Yu An was already so shocked that he was weakly sprawled on the floor. He was feeling rivers of regret. He had just become a personal servant, he had just learned to pander, had just got a bit of pocket money, had just touched the hand of a serving sister, so was the Heavens envious of his talent and looks. He was never going to have a chance to become the world’s most devious personal servant, and his life will end right here?
The child was so nervous he was clutching the beaded curtains. His mother loved to be beautiful. He was done for this time! The woman stood silently outside the door for some time, her initial rage and shock slowly melted away into resignation "Ling Er, come out!" The child peeked his head out from behind the curtain, and with a quick swish, hid behind it again. "Sister slashed the painting I painted, so I wanted to get her back. I can memorize books, can write, always listens to teacher, never tease Sister, can...."
The woman walked up to the child and pulled him out with his clothes. She grabbed the child for a tight hug and then rubbed his face a few times. The child was becoming more and more scared and finally stopped talking. He lowered his head "I was wrong."
The woman saw his response and suddenly started laughing. She called to the serving girls behind her "Why are you all still kneeling? Prepare a bath, and we need the largest tub around."
The little child was dressed in the most luxurious outfit, which was now also smeared in ink. He pursed his mouth and stared at his mother. His face could not show his rage, but he know his mother was doing this on purpose. Since he was three years old and fell into pond, since then he’s hated taking a bath.
The woman looked at his expression and smiled before planting a kiss on his cheek "Either take a bath, or be punished. You decide." The child was about to say "be punished" when he saw the woman shoot a look at Yu An. He immediately lowered his head. So it really is like the proverbs say "It’s hardest to take care of a woman and a petty man." Some people have one and it’s already a burden. He had both! Time to resign himself to his life.
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A heavy and layered curtain. He once hid here so his mother couldn’t find him, peeking out from behind the curtain to see his mother’s worry. He once hid here to suddenly jump out to scare his mother and sister. He once hid there because he didn’t want to listen to teacher’s lecture. But today, he cannot understand what the people outside the curtain are talking about.
He only knows that he is afraid, a fear he’s never experienced before. Mother was on the ground begging and her head was already bloody from bowing it hard repeatedly on the floor. But why was father staring coldly at mother, didn’t everyone say he cherished mother the most? "For the sake of Ling Er, you must die!"
Father’s words were so simple, yet he could not understand. Why must his mother die for him? He didn’t want his mother to die! He was about to scramble out from behind the curtain when Yu An tightly grabbed his arms and put his hands over his mouth. Yu An was covered in cold sweat and his eyes were pleading. Under Yu An’s pressure, he could not move.
Two guards dragged his mother out and her pleading tone turned into a devastating scream "Let me see Ling Er one more time....Ling Er, Ling Er, Ling Er......" The blood from mother’s forehead dripped on the floor, one drop, one drop, one drop...... It landed on the floor and it became a scar he could never wipe away in his entire life.
The smell of the blood lingered in the royal antechamber, and it lingered forever in his nostrils. His mother’s desperate pleas and her screams of hopelessness, in the darkness of the antechamber, it mixed with the scent of blood, never dissipating.
Night after night, day after day, month after month, year after year.
Year after year, month after month, day after day, night after night.
It never stopped.....
Ling Er, Ling Er, Ling Er......
The blood on mother’s forehead flowed more urgently, it became more and more, it covered up to his chest. "Mother, it’s not my fault! It’s not my fault....."
It is your fault, you are the cause of your mother’s death. It is your fault......
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Zhao Ling’s entire body was curled into a ball and he was covered in cold sweat. He tightly bit his lips and didn’t make a sound. "Ling gege, Ling gege....." Yun Ge softly shook Zhao Ling. He woke up from his nightmare in a flash and pushed Yun Ge away "How dare you, servant! Who allowed you to....."
Once he saw that it was Yun Ge, and that he was sleeping under the open expansive sky and not within the dark recesses of the Palace chamber, he immediately lowered his voice and his gaze turned from frosty to misty. Yun Ge was pushed off so fast she ended up landing on her butt, so she rubbed her butt and softly asked "Did you have a nightmare?" Zhao Ling looked out into the darkness and appeared not to have heard Yun Ge’s question.
Yun Ge sat down next to the fire and took a pouch she always carried and searched through it until she found a few sour dates. She tossed it into the water and waited for the water to boil, then handed it to Zhao Ling. He stared at the cup in Yun Ge’s hand but didn’t move to take it. Yun Ge softly said "The color looks terrible but it’s very useful. Sour dates can help calm the nerves."
Zhao Ling still didn’t move to take it so Yun Ge’s eyes twirled once "When I refuse to take medicine my mom always sings to me to lull me into drinking the medicine. Can I sing to you?" She opened her mouth to sing and Zhao Ling looked at everyone sleeping around him and reached for the cup. Yun Ge smiled at him while he finished the water and then laid down to sleep without another word.
Yun Ge wrapped herself in the blanket and looked at him for some time, and then scooted closer to him.
She scooted closer a foot, he silently moved away a foot. Yun Ge scooted closer another foot, Zhao Ling moved away another foot. Yun Ge scooted closer yet another foot, Zhao Ling moved away yet another foot......
Zhao Ling finally couldn’t take it anymore and whispered in a low voice "What do you want?" "I can’t sleep, and since you also can’t sleep, let’s just talk. Okay? Can you tell me a story, yes?"
"No."
"Then let me tell you a story." Yun Ge didn’t even wait for him to agree and she was already talking "One year, my daddy took me to climb the Snow Mountains....." Zhao Ling intended to feign sleep so that Yun Ge would stop yammering, but Yun Ge was so happy just talking by herself. When Yun Ge was done with the Snow Mountain story, she started talking about her Second Brother and her Third Brother. Zhao Ling coldly said "I want to sleep."
"Then you go to sleep! When my mom tells me a story, I just listen and then fall asleep......When my Third Brother and I went to Rome, I was just five. A lot of people there have golden hair and blue eyes, so pretty. But I don’t like them. They starve the lion for days and then let them out to fight with each other. A lot of people sit there and watch. I hate that. Third Brother liked to watch. They gave my daddy two little lion cubs and Third Brother took them to raise.....You must not believe me that there is a country like that....."
Yun Ge wanted to keep chatting but Zhao Ling cut her off "The world is vast, there is nothing to be surprised about. When the former Emperor was on the throne, many diplomats from those far off lands came and paid homage already. Records show that farther West of Xi Yu are nations even more powerful than the Han dynasty, and even further West of those nations who knows what lies there. Those merchants come to our land for our silks and refuse to reveal what lies out there."
When Yun Ge normally told her stories to people, they would all laugh and say she was making things up. This is the first time someone believed her and she was so thrilled "You believe my story? Have you been there, it’s so much fun?"
Zhao Ling ignored Yun Ge and she waited for a few moments and saw that he wasn’t going to answer her so she just smiled and resumed telling her stories. Zhao Ling didn’t try to stop her this time, just closing his eyes, not clear whether he was asleep or awake.
Since Zhao Ling was young, because of his position, no one dared to oppose him. When they talk to him they are extremely careful and full of fear and respect or toady compliance. This is the first time he’s met someone as shameless as Yun Ge, and shameless in a way that seems perfectly normal. She can’t even read any of his hints. Initially he was forced to endure her blabbering noise, but gradually, he didn’t know when he started to really listen to her story.
From the Northern grassy plains to the Gobi Desert, from the mountain tops to the highlands, from the churning ocean to the quiet snow cave, from Xi Yu Xiong Nu’s horseback prowess to the Roman artisans...... Yun Ge’s stories involve a world he has never experienced and only read in books. To him, these worlds were like legends that he would never have a chance to visit.
In the end, he was waiting for her next story when Yun Ge ".......that little wolf actually stole something, and it was a greedy thief, taking a priceless bauble.....I was so angry at it.....so I was slapping its butt.....slapping its butt......" and then she fell asleep.
Zhao Ling slowly opened his eyes and turned around to stare at Yun Ge. Even in sleep her eyebrows were happy, with as much freedom as her name suggested. Long lush lashes were like two butterflies sleeping under the starry night. Yun Ge was poor sleeper, wrapped up in her blanket but constantly rolling around.
He saw her roll closer and closer to the fire, and her hair was already smelling burnt but she was still dead asleep. Zhao Ling had no choice but to get up and pull her back towards him. She started to roll towards Zhao Ling, rolling closer and closer, so Zhao Ling lightly pushed her away. She started rolling out, rolling towards the fire......
Pulling closer, pushing out, pulling closer, pushing out.......
When Zhao Puo Nu woke up the next morning, this was the scene he saw: Yun Ge was grabbing onto Zhao Ling’s arm and sleeping peacefully, with a slight smile on the corner of her mouth. Who knows what happy dream she was having. But Zhao Ling was sleeping in the oddest position ever. One hand was holding onto the corner of Yun Ge’s robe, as if he was afraid she would run away, but he also afraid she would get closer. Even though he was deep asleep, his face looked resigned and exhausted.
Everyone started to laugh while Zhao Puo Nu gaped in shock at Yun Ge and Zhao Ling. He had long heard that when Zhao Ling slept, no one was allowed to get close. In fact, no one was allowed to even remain in his chamber to guard over him. Only Yu An was allowed to stand outside the door. During this trip, he was also like this. So how did Yun Ge make Zhao Ling concede defeat?
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Past this stretch of the Gobi Desert and entering into the grassy plains ahead meant they have safely entered into the border region of the Han dynasty. Zhao Puo Nu relaxed considerably. He did not fail, they are now safe. Snow Lady suddenly gave a low growl and shielded Yun Ge. Zhao Puo Nu ordered everyone to form a circle around Zhao Ling.
In a few moments they saw some people wearing tattered clothes running for their lives, with some Han officials chasing behind them. The officials see they are about to escape out of the Han borders and start shooting arrows at them, and a few people collapse on the ground.
Yun Ge saw the arrows fly out and sent Snow Lady ahead, but Snow Lady was only able to knock one young man down. "Reckless fools! How dare you help these criminals. Kill them!" The officials on the horse are about to launch their arrows when Zhao Puo Nu shouted "Good sirs, we are all Han people, law abiding merchants." The official looked at them and motioned them over to talk, discussing merchandise and money.
Zhao Puo Nu understood the official’s meaning and sneaked a peek at Zhao Ling, then offered a heavy bag of coins "Good sirs, you worked hard to protect the border, please use this to buy some wine to warm yourself in the Winter."
The official looked at the bag of coins and smiled "You guys make one trip between the Han and Xi Yu and you can go home to your wife and kids. We have to stay here and keep this area safe from rebels." Some people were getting annoyed with the official and wanted to say something but one look from Zhao Puo Nu and everyone kept their silence. Zhao Puo Nu had another bag of coin offered before the official was satisfied and said "You guys can go now."
Yun Ge refused to leave, insisting on taking that now passed out young man along. Zhao Puo Nu had no choice but to offer another bag of money and plead with the official, who laughed coldly "This is a rebel who deserves to die! Do you guys want to die as well?"
Zhao Ling coldly scoffed "How old is he? Thirteen or fourteen? What type of rebellion could he undertake?" The official was furious and tried to whip Zhao Ling, but Yun Ge deftly moved Zhao Ling aside and with one sweep of her hand a black misty substance was released. The official grabbed his eyes and cried out "My eyes, my eyes."
The other soldiers drew their weapons and a bloodbath was about to commence. Yun Ge was not scared and instead laughed "Good kid, don’t cry, don’t cry! Your eyes will be fine. It’s not poison, just a spice produced by one of the Western nations. All it will do is prevent you from striking anyone for now. Once you rinse it out with water you’ll be fine."
The impassive Zhao Ling heard Yun Ge’s laughing words and how pathetic the official looked and his lips curled up in a slight smile. He crossed his hands and stood off to the side as if watching a good show. These two kids.....such a young age, but their tempers are one more outrageous than the other.
To save the lives of this band of soldiers, Zhao Puo Nu had to sacrifice himself. He sighed and took out a letter and handed it over "This was given to us by our master before we left the house." The servant was going to open it, but once he saw the seal his eyes bulged. He read the letter and immediately conferred with the official, who hurriedly said "Why didn’t you say you were General Zhao’s relatives? Misunderstanding, it was all a misunderstanding....."
The officials apologized and wanted to return the coins and take everyone out to eat, but Zhao Puo Nu kept saying no and that he didn’t mind. He managed to calm everything down and the soldiers left. Everyone laughed "Master Zhao, why are you so polite with them? Isn’t that just making it harder for them later?" Zhao Puo Nu saw Zhao Ling’s seemingly casual expression and inwardly sighed.
The young man they saved must’ve have been starving and under huge stress. He woke up late into the night. He had no tears, only eating the biscuits one after another. He scarfed down eight sheets and asked for more. Yun Ge cried out in alarm "You’ll die from over-eating!" The young man continued to stare at the biscuits "After this meal I won’t have a next meal. Dying from over-eating is better than dying from starvation. Father said that those who starve to death cannot even reincarnate."
Yun Ge furrowed her brows and stared at the young man, and the normally reticent Zhao Ling spoke up "Give him the rest of the biscuits." Yun Ge immediately put all the biscuits in a bag and handed it to the young man, who stared at Zhao Ling with delayed comprehension. Zhao Ling nodded his head slightly.
The boy took the bag and clasped it tightly to his chest, afraid someone will take it. Suddenly his tears start to fall "Mother, I have food. Mother.....father....I have food. You don’t need to sell sister anymore....Mother......Mother starved to death. Father.....my father died, my father also died....."
In the beginning his tears fell silently, and then it turned into loud sobs which finally became heartrending screams of pain. It rendered the silent night with the sound. Because of the bad crop season, they couldn’t pay their taxes, and if they can’t pay their taxes the officials will confiscate their land. To save their land, his parent sold his younger sister. But in the second year, because of a locust infestation, their crop yield was still not good, and this time they had nothing left to eat. Even the tree bark in the village was stripped bare. People were so hungry they even ate dirt.
When they couldn’t survive anymore, they went to steal food from the wealthy. They only stole food, but the officials claimed they were rebels. They didn’t care anymore, as long as they can survive, let them be called rebels! But they still died one by one, they still died.....
"Why do you have food to eat? Why don’t we have food to eat? Mother says this is our lot in life! But who decided that?" The young man’s face was covered in tears and his gaze brushed over everyone, but no one could give him an answer.
"A man who rebelled with us who could read said this was the fault of the Emperor. Because he was always fighting wars and needed a lot of money, he kept increasing our taxes. When people couldn’t pay taxes, they would lose their land. To keep the people under control, our punishments greatly increased and with the tiniest infraction an entire family would be executed. If this is the fault of the Emperor, then why shouldn’t we rebel against him? Who says rebellion is wrong?"
Zhao Puo Nu quickly said "Don’t talk anymore, be quiet" but he couldn’t stop the young man from talking. Yun Ge actually didn’t really understand what the young man was saying, she just felt sorry for him. So she kept nodding her head "When I do something wrong, my mom will always punish me. If the Emperor did something wrong, you should rebel against him. You guys did nothing wrong."
Zhao Puo Nu no longer had the courage to even peek at Zhao Ling’s face. The only thing he wanted to do was raise his head to the Heavens and cry. Did he kill too many in his lifetime on the battlefield, so the Heavens is choosing today to punish him?
Zhao Ling stared at the flames and calmly said "The officials have forced the people to rebel, it’s not your fault." The young man said "You saved my life, this gratitude I will never forget. I heard people call you Yun Ge, but young man, what is your name?" Zhao Ling replied "You don’t owe me anything, there is no need to remember my name.’
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