Chapter 2: The Golden Age (II)

“Dead Little Seven, you’ve finally woken up!”
Du Jingtian’s lips curled into a gentle smile, forming two shallow dimples.
Li Kuo scratched his head and smiled awkwardly, “I was just talking in my sleep. Don’t take it seriously.”
Du Jingtian placed the porcelain plate on the bedside table and pouted, complaining, “You really are a hardworking person—even in your sleep, your mouth never stops talking!”
The young woman quickly took a towel from the wooden rack by the bed, soaked it three times in the basin, and handed it to the boy. “Here, stop spacing out!”
She twisted the towel into a knot to ensure no more water dripped before handing it to him.
“Thank you!”
Li Kuo took the towel and wiped his face, instantly feeling refreshed.
“You’re already thanking me? If you really want to thank me, where will you find the means? Can you even afford to?”
Du Jingtian gave him a disdainful look and crossed her arms.
Li Kuo felt warmth in his heart. Yes, there were still so many selfless people in Chang’an who cared for him. Not all hearts in this world were as dark and filthy as charcoal fires!
“I heard… I heard you became a colonel. What kind of rank is that?”
The atmosphere in the room became awkward for a moment. Du Jingtian twisted her hands together and asked softly.
“Oh! You mean that?”
Li Kuo hung the towel on the rack and smiled for once, “It’s a rank that’s neither too high nor too low in the army. A bit higher than a captain, but lower than a general.”
“That’s good. At least this war wasn’t in vain!”
After a pause, the young woman lowered her voice and said, “You don’t know yet, but the emperor plans to generously reward the generals who contributed to the battle in Longyou. With all your efforts and military achievements, you should be promoted to general, right?”
“I…”
“Has Kuo woken up?”
Soft footsteps sounded outside the room. Li Lüshi gently lifted the door curtain and spoke softly.
Li Kuo turned his head slightly and clearly saw that face he was so familiar with and missed so much.
“Mother!”
Tears welled up in the boy’s eyes.
“Don’t cry. It’s all over now. Let’s not cry!”
Li Lüshi stepped forward quickly, hugged her son, and comforted him while patting his back. The house in Lane 23 by the lake was so small—just a few dozen steps from the inner room to the outer room. How could one not hear any noise?

Kuo had nightmares for several days in a row, talking in his sleep. Seeing the sweat on his forehead, Lady Li Lu felt a sharp pain in her heart as if pierced by needles. The boy had grown up and now had his own thoughts; he preferred to keep things buried deep inside rather than worry her. Out of the hundreds of thousands of men from Longyou, half had perished at Chiling. The path to that stone fortress was paved with the corpses of Han men.

How many of those who left Chang’an to seek glory in the frontier with their sons had returned alive? They rode to the battlefield and returned wrapped in horsehide. What a phrase—“return wrapped in horsehide”! Yet few knew that such an honor was reserved only for officers and nobles; poor boys often ended up as fill for enemy fortifications, never even getting a straw mat to rest on!

Since returning from Longyou, the boy had changed. The once cheerful and straightforward Kuo had become quiet, reserved, and calm. Sometimes, Lady Li Lu would even have the illusion that her son was her husband. He shared his father’s tall stature and broad shoulders, and even the depth in his eyes was the same.

Most importantly, both father and son were proud and stubborn, never yielding to anyone in their lives!

Lady Li Lu smoothed the hair falling over her son’s temples and said gently, “Rest for a few days. Don’t worry about all those trivial matters. In a few days, the emperor will hold a banquet in Xingqing Palace to honor the heroes of the Longyou battle. You can’t go there looking sick.”

Since returning from Longyou, the neighbors had been envious to the point of blushing. Whether it was Aunt Sun next door or Widow Wu across the street, who didn’t praise Kuo for his achievements? After all, he had earned this honor through his own efforts, bringing glory to his family at such a young age and restoring its reputation!

Though he had a tall and strong build, he was still just a young man under twenty. The noble youths his age were either engaged in trivial pursuits or indulged in poetry and romance, unaware of the hardships of life. Kuo had to bear so much responsibility at such a young age, which must have been tough for him.

Yet Lady Li Lu was proud of her son. He truly was her husband’s son. From the moment he drew his sword to defend his homeland, he had lived up to the meaning of being a man!

Many neighbors marveled at their son’s heroic deeds, and families with daughters brought matchmakers through various connections to offer their daughters’ birth charts in large numbers, determined to form a marriage alliance with the Li family. Even distant relatives sharing the same surname came to seek shelter under the Li family’s name, hoping to gain a respectable background.
This was the path created by their own son, the family fortune he had earned!
Li Kuo pulled his head away from his mother’s embrace and smiled awkwardly, “Look at me—already so grown up, yet still…”
Lady Li Lu pretended to be angry and said, “No matter how old you are, in my eyes you remain just a child. Even if you were married, in my heart you’d still be that spoiled teenager!”
“Let go of what should be let go. There must be sacrifice to gain something.”
Lady Li Lu changed her tone and said calmly, “There’s nothing completely fair in this world. One can’t live in memories forever. Only by moving forward can one see further and go further. You still have a long way to go—don’t let this matter weigh on you.”
“Mm.”
The young man nodded, though he didn’t fully agree.
One can’t live forever in memories, yes, not in memories.
But could one truly let go completely? Could one truly forget that blatant betrayal?
That night, the moon was cold and bright, the armor gleaming.
If not for his third brother, Guo, who led five thousand troops and firmly stood by his side, would Gao Xiuyan, who held a personal grudge against him, have spared him? If not for the fear of thousands of White Wolf cavalry coming from the river mouth, would the military commander carrying Li Linfu’s secret orders have allowed him to see the next day’s sunrise? If not for Wang Xiaochun cutting off General Gao’s retreat, forcing him to be cautious, could he have allowed this unfounded “traitor” of the Tang Dynasty to take even a step out of Tubo?
The firm resolve of his brothers Tongwu, Zhenwu, and Xiongwu made him determined to take on a man’s responsibilities! The chivalrous courage of the White Wolf warriors inspired him to stand firm at the forefront of the battle, drawing his sword and drawing his bow!
Sometimes, people strive not only for a small piece of land beside them but also for their promises to their comrades!
Memories were tinged with a faint sadness, like fine wine that seeped deep into the bones.
Since it was good wine, one had to savor it slowly, to discover its own unique flavor!
The young man looked out the window. Deep in his memories, the wind still howled fiercely. The blood shed had long fallen silent in the darkness.
What had passed was cold, but what remained unfinished still lingered.
Blood flowed into the dust, never ceasing. The young man let his memories drift eastward with the breeze, crushing the fallen leaves along the way.