Xuan Cheng glanced at the person sitting next to him. To tell the truth, he had never seriously observed Fu Jian. The first time they met, he had found himself entranced by Fu Jian’s beauty. As they met more and more, his perfect face remained as beautiful as ever. There was always a graceful smile on his face, noble and amicable.
Xuan Cheng liked looking at Fu Jian. He felt that Fu Jian had the lofty quality that all males ought to have. The more he studied Fu Jian now, the more he was certain that he carried with him the appearance of a monarch. His forehead was wide, but the angles of his face were sculpted in clean lines. The rest of his features were softer, accompanied by the ever-present gentle light in his eyes.
He raised the cup, taking shallow sips of the wine, and frowned slightly.
Xuan Cheng tightly gripped the wine cup, feeling a bitter taste coat his throat.
He rarely drank wine. This time, one sip was enough for him to suffer to the point where tears threatened to link out.
Fu Jian immediately reached over to pat his back. With a low sigh, he plucked the wine cup out of Xuan Cheng’s hands and downed it in one gulp.
“What’s with you now? Your alcohol tolerance was never like this before.” Fu Jian furrowed his brows, refilling the cups with the rice wine. This time, Xuan Cheng did not drink.
As a result, Fu Jian held both cups in his hand. The way he drank wine was extremely graceful. First, he would take a few shallow sips, before raising his head and swallowing the rest.
Xuan Cheng watched the scene, transfixed. He took his cup again, pouring himself some of the rice wine. Then, modelling himself after Fu Jian, he tilted his head and drank.
As before, the wine was hot and spicy in his throat. This time, however, he endured it.
Fu Jian drank wine in this manner. Therefore, he could too.
Unexpectedly, after drinking in this manner, Fu Jian erupted into uproarious laughter.
“What are you laughing at?” Xuan Cheng said, wiping the leftover wine that had collected at the corners of his mouth.
“Who drinks wine in the manner that you do?” Fu Jian taunted. Still, his eyes were filled with merriment. “Drinking so ferociously, it’d be stranger if you weren’t drunk.”
“None of your business.” He shielded his wine cup with his hands. “I’m not letting you drink any of mine anymore.”
When Fu Jian had taken his wine cup and drank the contents so fluidly, Xuan Cheng had felt something appear in his throat. It was harder for him to breath. The object was warm.
Fu Jian left the matter alone. Afterwards, he poured himself another cup of rice wine.
Afterwards, he slowly said, “Younger brother, do you still remember the first year of my reign, when we travelled as ambassadors to the Yan Kingdom? That year, we travelled to the Qin-Yan border at the Luan River, did you know?”
Xuan Cheng tried to think. He used quite a bit of effort to think, but found that he couldn’t recall any matter of the sort. Still, instead of shaking his head, he only dizzily nodded.
“Jinglue is still in Luoyang. When do you think the situation will be resolved there?” Fu Jian suddenly asked the question with no context.
“You were the one who agreed to retreat when Murong Wei promised you Luoyang. Are you regretting it now?” Xuan Cheng said, giving him an askance look. “At that time, I told you that the Murong family could not be trusted. Still, you insisted on being benevolent and trusting them. What, have you finally realized their deception?”
“No.” Fu Jian shook his head. He raised the wine cup in his hand, gracefully drinking all of the contents inside.
A wind passed by. Some of Fu Jian’s stray hairs blew across his face, causing him to furrow his brows. After another moment had passed, he sighed once again. “I was just thinking—until when will Yan and Qin become one family?”
Xuan Cheng’s heart sank.
No, it wouldn’t.
Qin and Yan would never become one. This was history. Qin was Qin, and Yan was Yan.
The clan names were different, the ethnicities were different, how could they co-exist?
Why had he suddenly mentioned the matter of them acting as ambassadors to the Yan Kingdom on the first year of Fu Jian’s reign?
He’d served as an ambassador to the Yan Kingdom?
On the first year of Fu Jian’s reign?
That had been a very important year in the history of Former Qin. Fu Hong was established as the Crown Prince. Former Qin established a new era¹, starting a new section of history. Wang Meng assisted Fu Jian in governing the royal court, receiving the awe of a hundred officials, and introduced Confucianism and Daoism to the entire kingdom.
However, he was not Fu Rong.
He was Xuan Cheng.
Therefore, those events had been deleted from his memories.
Therefore, he could only blankly ask, “Then, have you met that person from the Yan Kingdom?”
Fu Jian looked at him. “Who?”
“Murong Chong².”
Xuan Cheng thought, history had never recorded Fu Jian visiting the Yan Kingdom back in 370 CE, nor having any contact with Yan royals. Although Fu Jian had agreed to many of Murong Wei’s requests, that was solely because of his wish to unite the southern border against the Jin Dynasty’s attacks.
Former Qin had been destroyed by the Xianbei people. Although Fu Jian had made the crucial mistake, although that person was also someone to be pitied, it was impossible to wipe away history: Former Qin had died because of Murong Chong.
Xuan Cheng was a history student. He had a good and honest heart, and he had an accepting heart. He idolized Fu Jian, he sympathized with Fu Rong, but at the same time, he also pitied that person, who had yet to appear.
Xuan Cheng thought, this was fine too. Perhaps Former Qin’s fate would be changed, because his arrival had changed everything. Fu Jian wouldn’t lead a second expedition against the Yan Kingdom, the Yan Kingdom would not be destroyed, and Murong Wei wouldn’t organize the Xianbei people against the Qin Kingdom. Perhaps, perhaps all of these disasters could be averted.
But Fu Jian, who had remained silent for a long time, suddenly spoke. His voice was low as his slender fingers traced the surface of his wine cup. His eyes glinted in the light, reflective and bright.
“I’ve met him.”
Xuan Cheng’s heart sank.
Xuan Cheng glanced at the person sitting next to him. To tell the truth, he had never seriously observed Fu Jian. The first time they met, he had found himself entranced by Fu Jian’s beauty. As they met more and more, his perfect face remained as beautiful as ever. There was always a graceful smile on his face, noble and amicable.
Xuan Cheng liked looking at Fu Jian. He felt that Fu Jian had the lofty quality that all males ought to have. The more he studied Fu Jian now, the more he was certain that he carried with him the appearance of a monarch. His forehead was wide, but the angles of his face were sculpted in clean lines. The rest of his features were softer, accompanied by the ever-present gentle light in his eyes.
He raised the cup, taking shallow sips of the wine, and frowned slightly.
Xuan Cheng tightly gripped the wine cup, feeling a bitter taste coat his throat.
He rarely drank wine. This time, one sip was enough for him to suffer to the point where tears threatened to link out.
Fu Jian immediately reached over to pat his back. With a low sigh, he plucked the wine cup out of Xuan Cheng’s hands and downed it in one gulp.
“What’s with you now? Your alcohol tolerance was never like this before.” Fu Jian furrowed his brows, refilling the cups with the rice wine. This time, Xuan Cheng did not drink.
As a result, Fu Jian held both cups in his hand. The way he drank wine was extremely graceful. First, he would take a few shallow sips, before raising his head and swallowing the rest.
Xuan Cheng watched the scene, transfixed. He took his cup again, pouring himself some of the rice wine. Then, modelling himself after Fu Jian, he tilted his head and drank.
As before, the wine was hot and spicy in his throat. This time, however, he endured it.
Fu Jian drank wine in this manner. Therefore, he could too.
Unexpectedly, after drinking in this manner, Fu Jian erupted into uproarious laughter.
“What are you laughing at?” Xuan Cheng said, wiping the leftover wine that had collected at the corners of his mouth.
“Who drinks wine in the manner that you do?” Fu Jian taunted. Still, his eyes were filled with merriment. “Drinking so ferociously, it’d be stranger if you weren’t drunk.”
“None of your business.” He shielded his wine cup with his hands. “I’m not letting you drink any of mine anymore.”
When Fu Jian had taken his wine cup and drank the contents so fluidly, Xuan Cheng had felt something appear in his throat. It was harder for him to breath. The object was warm.
Fu Jian left the matter alone. Afterwards, he poured himself another cup of rice wine.
Afterwards, he slowly said, “Younger brother, do you still remember the first year of my reign, when we travelled as ambassadors to the Yan Kingdom? That year, we travelled to the Qin-Yan border at the Luan River, did you know?”
Xuan Cheng tried to think. He used quite a bit of effort to think, but found that he couldn’t recall any matter of the sort. Still, instead of shaking his head, he only dizzily nodded.
“Jinglue is still in Luoyang. When do you think the situation will be resolved there?” Fu Jian suddenly asked the question with no context.
“You were the one who agreed to retreat when Murong Wei promised you Luoyang. Are you regretting it now?” Xuan Cheng said, giving him an askance look. “At that time, I told you that the Murong family could not be trusted. Still, you insisted on being benevolent and trusting them. What, have you finally realized their deception?”
“No.” Fu Jian shook his head. He raised the wine cup in his hand, gracefully drinking all of the contents inside.
A wind passed by. Some of Fu Jian’s stray hairs blew across his face, causing him to furrow his brows. After another moment had passed, he sighed once again. “I was just thinking—until when will Yan and Qin become one family?”
Xuan Cheng’s heart sank.
No, it wouldn’t.
Qin and Yan would never become one. This was history. Qin was Qin, and Yan was Yan.
The clan names were different, the ethnicities were different, how could they co-exist?
Why had he suddenly mentioned the matter of them acting as ambassadors to the Yan Kingdom on the first year of Fu Jian’s reign?
He’d served as an ambassador to the Yan Kingdom?
On the first year of Fu Jian’s reign?
That had been a very important year in the history of Former Qin. Fu Hong was established as the Crown Prince. Former Qin established a new era¹, starting a new section of history. Wang Meng assisted Fu Jian in governing the royal court, receiving the awe of a hundred officials, and introduced Confucianism and Daoism to the entire kingdom.
However, he was not Fu Rong.
He was Xuan Cheng.
Therefore, those events had been deleted from his memories.
Therefore, he could only blankly ask, “Then, have you met that person from the Yan Kingdom?”
Fu Jian looked at him. “Who?”
“Murong Chong².”
Xuan Cheng thought, history had never recorded Fu Jian visiting the Yan Kingdom back in 370 CE, nor having any contact with Yan royals. Although Fu Jian had agreed to many of Murong Wei’s requests, that was solely because of his wish to unite the southern border against the Jin Dynasty’s attacks.
Former Qin had been destroyed by the Xianbei people. Although Fu Jian had made the crucial mistake, although that person was also someone to be pitied, it was impossible to wipe away history: Former Qin had died because of Murong Chong.
Xuan Cheng was a history student. He had a good and honest heart, and he had an accepting heart. He idolized Fu Jian, he sympathized with Fu Rong, but at the same time, he also pitied that person, who had yet to appear.
Xuan Cheng thought, this was fine too. Perhaps Former Qin’s fate would be changed, because his arrival had changed everything. Fu Jian wouldn’t lead a second expedition against the Yan Kingdom, the Yan Kingdom would not be destroyed, and Murong Wei wouldn’t organize the Xianbei people against the Qin Kingdom. Perhaps, perhaps all of these disasters could be averted.
But Fu Jian, who had remained silent for a long time, suddenly spoke. His voice was low as his slender fingers traced the surface of his wine cup. His eyes glinted in the light, reflective and bright.
“I’ve met him.”
Xuan Cheng’s heart sank.
