Side Story 23 of ‘Beneath the Crimson Clouds’: Longing for Summer Nights, Lu Yi Reminisces About His Youth

Today, Xia Xia sincerely offered her assistance, and at night, she missed him across the distance. In these days since Li Nian left, Xia Xia would every night contemplate the object of her longing, and tonight was no exception, holding Li Nian's hand-tied rope. Li Nian valued this rope as his life. Xia Xia felt it was precious, and she felt even more longing for him.

Xia Xia sat by the window, gazing at the moonlight. In her heart, she murmured, 'Master, the moonlight tonight is beautiful, like your appearance, do you have such beautiful moonlight there? Do you see it? Do you miss me when you look at the moonlight? How are you doing now, are you adapting to Fuzhou? When will you come back with me to enjoy this moonlight?'

Holding the hand-tied rope, she fell asleep with anticipation. The next day, the hand-tied rope was still on her hand. After a night, the day of reunion was one day earlier. In Li Nian's days, Xia Xia was always anxious. Days passed, and the days of reunion grew closer. She always fell asleep with that expectation.

Fuzhou Guards Training Camp.

After selecting for some time, Li Nian's longing for Xia Xia was exceptional. He couldn't sleep in the tent, so he got up and went out. Under the moonlight, two guards trainees were playing chess, talking and laughing freely. Seeing this, Li Nian thought of his younger years when he was a young man, before becoming a guard, he could talk to anyone, without any restrictions.

Unfortunately, the selection of the Guards was too cruel. To become one of the final candidates for the Imperial Guards, one had to sever affection and kill fellow soldiers. His best friend, Ade, died in the final battle of the Guards selection, killed by an arrow.

Li Nian walked up to them and asked, 'Why do you want to be a Guards?'

The two of them saw Li Nian's nervousness and called out, 'Master, you are about to leave.'

Li Nian said, 'It's not training time, you don't need to be restrained.'

Zhang Fan, a young man, said, 'I think Guards are magnificent. I only listen to the Emperor, and the Flying Fish uniform makes people feel so accomplished when they wear it.'

Li Nian smiled and sighed in his heart: 'After all, he's a young man.'

Li Fan, a person, said, 'My father always wants me to take the imperial examination, but I think officials are too rigid, so I want to be a Guards.'

Li Nian asked, 'Can I ask you a question?'

Li Nian came back to his senses and answered, 'What question?'

'What is your original intention for becoming a Guards?'

'You guys chat, I have something to do.' Li Nian got up and left.

Recalling when he was a Guards, because he witnessed his mother being killed by an assassin to protect him, he was young at the time, helpless, and unable to wield a weapon. His father refused to avenge his mother's death, so his mother's hatred could only be avenged by himself. To avenge his mother, he had to become strong and become a Guards, which was the best way to gain the Emperor's trust and secretly investigate who sent the assassins to kill his mother. Later, he would repay his hatred and avenge his mother. He didn't expect that his best friend, Ade, died in that battle. After becoming a Guards, he was always saddened by Ade's death and missed Ade. He always carried the dagger with 'De' engraved on it, as a reminder.

That night, his hands were stained with the blood of his fellow soldiers. He sat by the river for a night, and the blood on his hands washed away, but the stain in his heart remained, beating with the blood like a pulse until it stopped. He accompanied his heart as it beat until it ceased.

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