The Bell and Drum Tower stands as the highest point in Xindu City.
The vermilion - painted pillars glow with a warm golden hue in the twilight. Seventy - two copper bells hang beneath the eaves. When the wind blows, they tinkle and jingle, yet fail to drown out the city's hubbub.
Yun Shu sits quietly on the ridge of the Bell and Drum Tower, propping her chin with one hand. Her legs dangle casually over the edge of the eaves.
The Little Fox curls up beside her knees. The tips of its furry nine tails quiver slightly, occasionally brushing against her skirt.
The skirt is moon - white, spread out on the wind - and - sun - exposed glazed tiles, yet not a speck of dust settles on it.
"Host, how about we don't go to the South? Then everyone won't have to be separated, and they won't have to sacrifice the time to accompany their families. Li Chong's wife is so pitiful, and his daughter is also so pitiful. I've seen her hiding in the bed, crying secretly several times and not daring to let her mother know..."
The Little Fox gets more and more sad as it speaks.
Yun Shu's eyelashes flutter down slightly. "Lil' Sys, if I were really a god who could make anything happen with just a word, I wouldn't need anyone to go south with me."
Her voice is so soft that it almost dissipates in the wind. "But I'm just a human after all. I can't take care of dozens of cities on my own at the same time."
"I need someone to stay behind and soothe the people and manage the livelihood of the people after I take a city."
Saying that, she hugs the Little Fox into her arms. "Compared with conquering the country, governing it is the biggest challenge."
The Little Fox droops its ears, looking dejected. "If only I could be more capable..."
"You're already very capable." Yun Shu reaches out and gently rubs the Little Fox's head.
As she speaks, her gaze falls downstairs again.
Since the decision to go south was made, a sense of impending separation has permeated every household in the city.
Feng Chunya returns to Yecheng. She pushes open the door, and under the old tree in the yard, her mother is sitting on a bamboo chair, picking vegetables. Her movements are as slow and careful as usual.
"Mother."
Feng's mother pauses for a moment in her actions but doesn't look up. She just says, "You're back? The meal will be ready soon."
Feng Chunya walks over.
She squats down at her mother's feet and takes the bunch of green beans from her hand. She pinches off the ends of each bean one by one. "Mother, I'm just here to say goodbye. I'll leave soon."
Originally, she wanted to write a letter and send it home, but thinking that her parents are illiterate, she came back overnight.
Feng's mother seems to be used to it. "Where are they sending you to suppress the rebellion this time?"
"Mother, the southern court has offended the Divine Lady. I'm going to teach those bastards a lesson." Feng Chunya says, "I've asked Miss Pei and the others. This time going south, I'm afraid I won't be back for a year or so. You and father at home..."
"Chunya, your mother and I don't need you to worry." A middle - aged man walks out of the inner room with a walking stick.
It's Feng Chunya's father. He was injured in the leg during the last battle to unify the north and had to retire and recuperate at home.
"Your father used to help the Divine Lady slay the dragon. Now, although he walks with difficulty, he can still do the job of a butcher. Your mother and I are fine at home. You can go south with the Divine Lady with peace of mind."
Feng's mother touches Feng Chunya's face and says with tears in her eyes, "Your father is right, Chunya. You're a person with great prospects. Your mother and I won't hold you back. Go with peace of mind."
Feng Chunya kneels on the ground with a thud.
She doesn't say a word, just kowtows three times heavily to her parents, then gets up and leaves.
"Chunya, wait a minute."
Feng's mother turns around, takes a bag of things from the kitchen, and stuffs it into Feng Chunya's arms. "This is the cake your mother baked this morning. Take it with you and eat it on the way. Don't go hungry."
Feng Chunya puts the bag of cakes away, climbs onto the horse without a word, whips the horse, and rides away from home.
Feng's mother leans against the door frame, watching her daughter's back fade away in the distance. Finally, the tears roll down.
She raises her sleeve to wipe them, but they keep coming.
Feng's father turns away, not letting his wife see his red - rimmed eyes. "Chunya is capable. She'll be fine."
Under the monitoring of the system, Yun Shu sees far more than just the joys and sorrows of the Li and Feng families.
There are ten thousand people participating in the southward expedition to suppress the rebellion this time. Sun Er is one of them. He's not from the north but fled from the south. Because of his courage and hard work in the army, he settled in Xindu City with his military merits.
The little boy sits on his father's lap, looking at him with curious grape - like eyes. "Dad, what are you going to do in the south?"
In a child's world, there's no such thing as war, and they don't know how far the south is. They only know that their father is going on a long - distance trip, just like usual.
And all he has to do is stay at home obediently for a few days, and his father will come back with all kinds of delicious and fun things.
Sun Er says vaguely, "There are a lot of people in the south who don't have enough to eat. Dad is going to the south to deliver food to them."
"Will you come back?"
"Sure." Sun Er lifts his son up and lets him ride on his neck. "When everyone in the south has enough to eat, Dad will come back. Then I'll bring you the south - style candy. But that candy, I ate it once when I was a kid. It's not very delicious, not as good as the sugar cane sugar you're tired of eating usually."
"I don't want candy." The little boy's eyes roll around. "Dad, bring me a pony."
"A classmate in my school told me that his sister is also going to the south and promised to bring him a pony back."
His eyes are full of longing.
"Sun Wang, are you itching for a spanking again?" A woman comes out of the house with a rattan stick in her hand.
Soon, there's only the wailing in the yard.
"Lil' Sys, let's study the plan again. Maybe we can come up with a better way to take the south and let them go home earlier and reunite with their families."
Yun Shu slowly stands up and overlooks the increasingly prosperous Xindu City from the height of the Bell and Drum Tower. Her eyes take in the long streets and alleys full of traffic and all kinds of people.
*
In these three days.
Everyone is busy preparing for the southward expedition. The only one who is idle is the boy emperor with an embarrassing status.
"Come on, why are you so timid?" Shen Ying looks at the boy emperor who refuses to step out of the room no matter what.
The boy emperor subconsciously shrinks his neck. "Sister, if I sneak into the military camp with you, General Shen will surely punish me without mercy. Please spare me."
He grew up in the palace, so he has the ability to read the situation. Shen Ying's eldest and second brothers are not easy to deal with. He really doesn't need to go in front of them and cause trouble.
"You're so useless!"
Shen Ying pouts discontentedly. "What's there to be afraid of my eldest brother? He's just all bark and no bite."
The boy emperor: "???"
He's really speechless. He can't figure out how the words "all bark and no bite" can be applied to Shen Jue.
"Fine, I'll go by myself." Shen Ying turns around, and her high - tied ponytail sways behind her.
"Where are you going?" The boy emperor chases after her.
"To ask my brother to take me south and attack your hometown."
The boy emperor: "..."
