Chapter 191 Zhang Zixiang (2/2)
I flew up and sat atop the roof, watching the sun slowly descending into the arms of the mountainous horizons. Somehow I too began to see the pleasure and satisfaction Mother had always enjoyed looking at sceneries atop a roof. But from above, I also kept a close watch on Bian Dashou; the fire from the candle in his room had never once extinguished through the night. He was continually walking in rounds as if in deep thought. The following day, right before the break of dawn, a band of people quietly slipped out of the building. Almost immediately after they left, another man, disguised and packed for a journey, led a horse out of another side entrance and followed behind them like a shadow.
Bian Dashou waited until the twilight of dusk was hanging above the sky then he left with some men. They went to a village somewhere to the west of the river and they sought out a man.
When I finally caught up to them, Bian Dashou was unrolling a bundle. He showed the man the payment of silver he had brought and confessed he wished the man to be his guide. ”This man must be Li Cheng,” I mused, ”the fellow townsmen of Li Zicheng who was present when the Dashing King's father was interred, if old Chen Yixuan's accounts are accurate!”
I would have thought that Li Cheng would decline the offer. But Bian Dashou might have tendered too enticing an offer for him or he could have been seduced by the sight of gleaming silver in the onset of darkness. With tremendous alacrity, he cried, ”Of course! I'll take you up on your offer!” With Li Cheng at the forefront of the convoy, Bian Dashou and his men immediately rode with haste that night, riding out of Mizhi County and headed straight for their destination. Shaking my head with disgust at Li Cheng's avarice, I took into the sky. Fortunately, with my ability to fly, I had little to no effort in making sure I did not lose them. They rode non-stop for a night and a day, with hardly any stops to rest the horses. But that did not prevent the steeds and men from growing fatigue as their speed finally began to slow. But suddenly, a drop of snow landed on my head and melted like rain.
We must be nearing the foot of Mount San Feng Zi! The slopes of the mountain I had heard of so much was nowhere as steep and precipitous as I imagined it would be. In fact, I was rather downtrodden when I finally saw the place for myself. Mount San Feng Zi merely towered over the foothill of Yellow Soil Ridge, and by the fraction of a difference, rather than being a tall, lofty mountain with peaks being surrounded by mists and clouds of the sky. But before I could properly look upon Mount San Zi Feng, as if by the will of Heaven, the light snow had become a downpour of snow that quickly carpeted the entire mountain in white!
The snow was already more than 0.6 meters deep by the time Bian Dashou arrived. I would not have believed it possible if not for providence. Despite the winter, the falling of snow was simply too strong for me to believe it to be true. This could almost be considered a miracle that the snow could be falling this fast. But it was hardly implausible; Li Zicheng was destined to be king and Bian Dashou, although not against the wishes of Heaven, was acting in contrary to the laws of Nature. This could be Heaven's providence for Li Zicheng for his destiny, in spite of the torment and turmoil he might have brought to the nation if he was allowed to rule indefinitely. Then again, there was but another question: history would show that Bian Dashou succeeded in his endeavor and the Jurchens would take the country and establish the Qing Empire. Li Zicheng would merely enjoy a brief 18-day stint as Emperor before he was quickly stripped of his kingship with his dragon leys destroyed. But why was Bian Dashou not punished for his transgression in acting against the laws of Heaven? And if Li Zicheng was indeed destined to be king, how could Bian Dashou succeed with hardly any impediment or difficulty?
Prior to this encounter, I had always thought Li Zicheng was the one acting against the wishes of Heaven by trying to force himself upon the throne of the Emperor. But I seemed to be mistaken. In the later two days, I would realize that Bian Dashou's attempt to destroy Li Zicheng's dragon leys was hardly a simple task, but rather a perilous struggle that could have easily cost him his life!
I woke up from my deep train of thought. By now, Bian Dashou's convoy has stopped at the foot of the mountain and Li Cheng was screaming in the snowstorm. ”The snow's too thick! The horses will not be able to make it up the slopy inclines of the mountain. We'll have to move on foot here!” I landed on the snow as well. But to my surprise, my feet did not sink into the snow and I was merely stepping as light as a feather on the frost leaving hardly any tracks or footprints!
Just when I was still caught up in my surprise, Bian Dashou roared his orders, ”Relay my orders: Tie the horses here! We'll move on foot!”
End of Volume