The night was quiet and no one was around, with the flickering of the lights. Yu Pin Yan unconsciously slowed down his footsteps, and the thought of walking on forever suddenly came to him.
When they reached the end, snowflakes fell from the sky like goose feathers, one landed on the tip of Yu Xiang’s nose, turning into cool droplets of water at the touch of her body heat. Yu Xiang shivered and then burst into giggles and laughter.
Yu Pin Yan laughed along with her, and lowered his head to kiss the water droplet.
Yu Xiang’s breathing became slightly hitched, and when she saw that her elder brother was going to kiss her lips, she quickly pushed him away and ordered, “Elder brother stand a little further away.”
Yu Pin Yan raised his eyebrows and took a few steps back as he was told.
“A little further.”
“A little more.”
It wasn’t until Yu Pin Yan’s back was almost against the black painted rock garden[1] that Yu Xiang nodded, “Alright, that’s fine. Elder brother, stand there and don’t move! I have a New Year’s gift for you.”
Yu Pin Yan looked at her quietly and his eyes were full of anticipation.
Yu Xiang propped herself up on the handrail and slowly stood up. Her large eyes adorned with shimmering stars staring at her elder brother without blinking. Before she slowly took her first step, second step, third step… Big heavy snowfall dyed the gravel path white, and a trail of footprints emerged on the snow, stretching towards the youth who was frozen and had nearly forgotten to breathe.
Closer and closer, with only three or four metres remaining, Yu Xiang suddenly quickened her pace and stumbled into the young man’s arms, which had already been spread out and the strong impact knocked him backwards before he fell back against the rock garden behind him.
The young man’s back was against the cold rock, but a warm body was clinging in his arms, and a fragrant scent dispersed all the cold and wet air in the cave, leaving only a mellow spring feeling.
“Do you feel it? Is it tight?” Yu Xiang asked as she wrapped her legs around her elder brother’s waist and twisted her small waist.
With his palm resting on his younger sister’s soft buttocks, their bodies were pressed tightly together, not only their noses and breaths intertwined but also their body heat was transmitted along the fabric. He felt that he would die sooner or later at the hands of this little succubus.
However, he would gladly endure hardships. He couldn’t help laughing softly and lowered his head to nibble on her red lips. The two of them exchanged saliva in a frenzy and the snowflakes that kept drifting into the cave could not cool the love that burned in their hearts.
Tao Hong and Liu Lu kept watch outside the cave for a long time. They could see themselves turning into ice sculptures, they shivered and shouted, “Young Miss, Marquis, it’s… It’s time to return! It’s too cold outside, be careful of catching a cold!”
Yu Pin Yan reluctantly let go of her sweet lips and gathered his sister’s messy sideburns for her as he whispered, “Let’s go, be careful of catching a cold.”
“I’m not cold at all. Look, my palms are sweating.” Yu Xiang spread out her small and damp hands.
Yu Pin Yan immediately took hold of it, lowered his head and kissed it, then took off his cloak and wrapped her up tightly, and was about to walk out.
“Wait,” Yu Xiang tugged on his lapel and admonished, “don’t tell anyone, especially Grandmother, that I can walk.”
“Why?” Yu Pinyan frowned slightly.
“If people were to know, how can you still hug me openly in the future? How stupid!” Yu Xiang poked him in the chest with his fingertips.
Yu Pin Yan laughed softly and nibbled on her delicate cheek, his tone was thick with sweetness and doting, “You little monster, you really know how to think. Okay, Elder Brother won’t tell anyone, and will hold you for the rest of your life.”
Only then was Yu Xiang satisfied and bit him on the cheek as well.
————————————————————————–
After the Lunar New Year, the Old Madam began to prepare a dowry for her two granddaughters. Although Yu Miao Qi was younger than Yu Si Yu, the wedding date was set before hers, which showed the Old Madam’s determination to get her married off.
Yu Miao Qi became more and more agitated every day, often wandering outside Yu Ping Yan’s study, only to see the guards patrolling back and forth and then hastily avoiding them. By the end of March, her wedding day was approaching.
On that day, a horse suddenly came sprinting up to the city gate, and before the guards could stop it, the soldier on the horse shouted, “Get out of the way, this is an 800-mile emergency[2], the Western barbarians have reached Wulan Province[3]!”
The guards were horrified and hurriedly opened the gates wide to let him pass. Emperor Cheng Kang immediately convened an imperial court meeting to discuss the war with his important ministers. The general who had been stationed in Wulan Province was General Xiong Chang Hai, but he was too old and suffering from an unmentionable illness. The other generals were all over fifty years old, and although they had asked to fight, they could not put Emperor Cheng Kang’s mind at ease.
When he saw that the Emperor’s gaze was looking straight at him, Yu Pin Yan bowed slightly and stepped forward to ask for battle. The Emperor then threw the seal of the General-in-Chief of Agile Cavalry[4] at him, and he caught it firmly.
It was only then that all the courtiers suddenly remembered that Commander Yu was not only the commander of the capital, but also the General of Agile Cavalry who, at the age of sixteen, commanded a million troops. He was famous for his hundred victories and was the god of war in the Han Dynasty. Over the years, he had killed so many people and made countless enemies that people gradually remembered his vicious reputation and forgot about his achievements.
The courtiers were silent for a while.
The Old Madam’s heart tightened a little as she was the first to know of such a big matter as the emergency at the border. She put down her sutra and sighed to her granddaughter who was accompanying her in her Buddhist rituals, “Xiang’er, I am afraid your brother will have to go on another military expedition.”
Yu Xiang lost her grip and snapped the Buddhist beads, her expression was alarmed.
“Recite the sutra, try to recite it enough times before your brother leaves for the period of forty-nine times each day in forty-nine days, and then make a Lào zi[5] and let your elder brother wear it.” The Old Madam fished a rusty copper coin out of the box and placed it in her granddaughter’s palm.
This was a tradition developed by the pair of them in their early years. Whenever Yu Pin Yan went into battle, they would always find a bronze coin to pray for blessings, and then let Yu Pin Yan carry it around to ward off evil spirits.
Yu Xiang had a lump in his throat and her eyes were red. This was not the first time that her elder brother had gone on a military expedition, yet she felt even more uncomfortable compared to before. Their sweet life had yet to even begin, she had to face separation, more likely life and death, and suddenly she had lost the courage to face the future alone.
She held the coin and wept silently, drawing tears from the Old Madam as well.
———–
Yu Pin Yan did not return home until midnight. The lights were still on in the main courtyard, which was evident that the Old Madam was waiting for him.
“You’re back? When are you leaving for war?” The Old Madam was holding her forehead in one hand and her cane in the other, her face old and haggard.
“We will go to the Cavalry camp this evening to gather the troops, and we will set off when we finish.” Yu Pin Yan helped her to sit down on the soft couch.