There is no banquet that doesn't end; a drinking session lasts from noon to 1:00 PM, and everyone is completely drunk, until a thick cotton curtain is lifted by someone.

The wind and snow pour in from outside, and some drunk eyes squint to look. They only see light reflecting into the main door, outlining a few silhouettes standing in the doorway as dark shadows, making their expressions unclear.

Wearing bamboo hats and straw coats, Jiefan Guard.

Changxiu holds a ochre-colored Imperial Decree, smiling: "Ladies and gentlemen, have you had enough to drink? If you've had enough, I shall read the decree... Yulin Army, listen to the decree."

The Yulin Army all bow to the ground, the sound of armor clashing fills the air, Li Xuan loudly says: "I, Li Xuan, governor of the Yulin Army, am ready to hear the decree."

Changxiu stretches his subtle voice, pronouncing loudly: "By the mandate of heaven, the Emperor decrees..."

The next moment, Changxiu deepens his voice: "Get yourself to Guyuan, thus commanded."

For Chen Ji, it's the first time hearing such a brief decree, Li Xuan and Qi Zhenzhuo exchange puzzled glances: "This decree..."

Changxiu says with a smile: "Lord Li, why are you stunned, accept the decree."

Li Xuan steps forward to receive the decree, carefully unfolds it, glances at it, and stops as if seeing something extraordinary, then hurriedly folds the decree and tucks it into his chest.

Duobao whispers: "The fewer the words, the greater the matter, let's hurry."

Qi Zhenzhuo hastily: "Yes, yes, let's hurry."

Li Xuan suddenly exhales a long breath: "Wait."

He picks a bowl of wine: "Drink three bowls before we leave."

He faces north and drains the first bowl: "First bowl, to our fallen brothers, drink to the full."

Qi Zhenzhuo and others also raise their wine bowls: "Drink to the full!"

Chen Ji grabs the wine jar beside him and takes a big gulp.

Li Xuan refills the bowl with wine, then faces Zhou Chong and others' parents, kneeling down: "Second bowl, to your parents, I didn't bring them back alive."

Qi Zhenzhuo and others pause for a moment, then all drink deeply, lift their garments and kneel down. Chen Ji also takes a sip of wine and kneels.

Zhou Chong and others' parents cry without control: "As long as you return, that's enough. Guyuan is tough, take care of yourselves."

Li Xuan agrees, standing up to fill the third bowl and drains it: "Third bowl to ourselves, lingering in the Imperial Capital for over twenty years, like birds in a cage, lost and bewildered, seeing nothing but void. Now awoken, a man of talent should accomplish great things, wrapped in horse skin. Heading to Guyuan, I vow not to return until the Jing Dynasty is broken."

Three bowls of wine are finished.

Brother Pao suddenly asks: "Can Er Dao and I go with you to Guyuan?"

Chen Ji is stunned.

Everyone looks over, only to see Brother Pao drunkenly grinning self-mockingly: "I thought I was too old to act impulsively like young lads, but I can't resist."

He looks at Chen Ji: "Landlord, they don't need me in the Imperial Capital anymore. I plan to follow them to that godforsaken place called Guyuan. If it's good, I'll stay. If not, I'll come back to find you."

Chen Ji is silent for a moment: "Alright."

Brother Pao raises a bowl of wine and drinks it in one gulp, then shouts: "Shopkeeper, do you have pen and ink?"

Shi San curiously asks: "Guest, what do you need pen and ink for?"

Brother Pao laughs: "I can't drink your wine for free, let me leave something worthy of great renown."

Shi San gestures to the backyard, and soon someone brings pen and ink.

Brother Pao pushes a table to the white wall in the main hall of Bianyifang Restaurant, picking up a pen to write: "River Runs Red."

Li Xuan and Qi Zhenzhuo exchange confused glances, not understanding Brother Pao's intention.

The next moment, Brother Pao continues writing: "Anger causes hair to stand upright, where the rain has just stopped by the railing. Lifting eyes to look, shouting towards the sky, impassioned and fervent."

Li Xuan's face grows solemn.

Shi San holds up a tray, and Brother Pao dips the pen into the ink in the tray before continuing to write: "Twenty years of fame dust and dirt, eight thousand miles of road clouds and moon. Don't idly wait, for gray hairs come too late, bringing futile regret!"

Li Xuan watches in shock, suddenly feeling moisture on his face, wiping it with his hand, uncertain when the tears came.

Brother Pao raises his sleeve and continues to write: "The shame of Zhengde still remains. The resentment of ministers, when will it be extinguished. Drive long chariots over the breach of Quwu Mountain. Starving, feast on bandit flesh, laughing, quench thirst with enemy blood."

While Brother Pao writes, Qi Zhenzhuo and others recite softly, their voices grow louder with the final sentence: "Either way, we'll restore the old mountains and rivers, facing the Heavenly Gate!"

Li Xuan praises: "Either way, we'll restore the old mountains and rivers, facing the Heavenly Gate! Drink to the full!"

The Yulin Army raise their bowls, then throw them to the ground, breaking them.

Brother Pao writes the last sentence: "Chen Chong again declares this as his last writing."

He jumps down from the table, tosses the brush into the tray, smiling at Shi San: "If anyone asks, tell them it's personally written by Daning's wordsmith dragon Chen Chong for the Yulin Army."

Shi San beams with joy: "With this 'River Runs Red', my Bianyifang Restaurant's threshold will surely be overwhelmed, I wish all the guardians victory!"

Changxiu clicks his tongue in admiration, then approaches Brother Pao, pulling out two finger-length Jade Scrolls from his sleeve and hands them to him: "These were sent to you by the Prime Minister, originally intended to give you privately, as compensation for being implicated. But now it seems best to give them directly. The other is for this Brother Er Dao."

Chen Ji knows, referring to the matter of Prince Jing's rehabilitation, Brother Pao and Er Dao are also affected by the aftermath.

Brother Pao receives the Jade Scrolls, scratching his scalp with his pinky: "What is this thing?" 𝒻𝓇𝑒𝘦𝘸𝑒𝒷𝓃ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝒸ℴ𝘮

Changxiu meaningfully replies: "The Official Path 'Wenxin Diao Long'... Brother Pao might have declared the last writing a bit early."

Brother Pao laughs heartily: "No worries, Chen can declare the last writing dozens more times."

"Let's go," Li Xuan said, heading toward the door, his white cloak fluttering open and closed like a fan.

At this moment, Chen Ji called out to them from behind the group: "Wait a moment!"

Li Xuan turned back, puzzled: "What?"

Chen Ji took a deep breath: "Wait for me a moment... Xiao Man, bring me 500 taels of silver."

Xiao Man let out an "oh" and obediently took off a string of Buddhist treasures from his wrist and handed it over: "What are you going to do, sir..."

Before he finished speaking, Chen Ji ran off into the heavy snow, and when he returned, he was holding the Li Family's Feibai Sword, which he had just redeemed from the pawnshop.

Li Xuan stared blankly at the Feibai Sword: "Didn't I tear up the pawn ticket?"

Chen Ji smiled: "That day, you tore it in half, and I kept it. Going to Guyuan without a suitable weapon is not an option."

Li Xuan accepted the Feibai Sword, pushing the sword guard open with his thumb to gaze at a sliver of cold light.

He exhaled some wine-scented breath: "I thought this ancestral Feibai Sword would never be used again; it's unexpected to find it again. Thank you."

Chen Ji patted him on the arm: "Originally, it was for helping me that you pawned the Feibai Sword; it's only right that I help you redeem it."

Li Xuan gazed at Chen Ji: "Over the past year, it's been fortunate to have met you; otherwise, I would have continued in a daze... Wouldn't you join us? With you in Guyuan, our hearts would be more at ease."

Chen Ji instinctively glanced at Zhang Xia, then smiled and shook his head: "I can't leave yet."

Li Xuan gave a knowing smile: "Then, when you have time, come visit us in Guyuan. By then, we'll all be old soldiers of Guyuan and can show you some hospitality."

Chen Ji extended his hand: "It's a deal."

Li Xuan grasped his hand: "It's a deal."

The Yulin Army led the battle horses from the stables, and Li Xuan shouted loudly: "Mount up!"

Amid the clattering of armor, the men of the Yulin Army mounted their horses in unison. Li Xuan sat upright on his horse, letting the heavy snow fall on his shoulders.

He clasped his fists toward Chen Ji: "Take care! This journey is a thousand miles of yellow sand; I do not ask when we shall meet again!"

Chen Ji stood in the heavy snow, clasping his fists: "Take care."

Li Xuan spurred his horse forward: "March!"

Qi Zhenzhuo spurred his horse to catch up, looking back reluctantly: "Master, take care. Someday, with fame and fortune, we will meet again; I will never let you look down on me again!"

Chen Ji stood in place, watching the Yulin Army gallop into the wind and snow, softly saying: "Take care."

...

...

As the sun set, the guests dispersed, leaving only the long, white street.

Xiao Man quickly pulled the little monk toward the west: "Young master, you and Sister Axia go home. We'll return to Shaojiu Alley tonight to pack, and go to the Zhang Mansion tomorrow."

Chen Ji raised his hand to stop them: "Hey..."

But before he finished speaking, Xiao Man had already pulled the group away, leaving no trace.

Chen Ji, like all those who've experienced a commotion, found himself at a loss, unsure of where to go.

Zhang Xia led Zaozao from the stable and glanced at him: "Follow me."

"Alright."

Neither of them mounted the horse, nor did they speak, but walked side by side with Zaozao, leaving Chessboard Street, turning into Xuanwu Gate Street. The Xu Family's Zhen Garden was on this street, with the Zhang Mansion adjoining the Zhen Garden.

Zhang Xia stopped before the Zhang Mansion and picked up the copper ring to knock. The mansion's large red-painted door didn't open for a long time.

After waiting a moment longer, the door finally creaked open, and Mrs. Zhang glanced sideways at the two of them: "Come in."

Along the way, the servants and maids of the Zhang Mansion all greeted: "Miss, Young Master."

It was Chen Ji's first time being addressed in this manner, and he didn't quite react at once.

Mrs. Zhang led the two through the long courtyard. Chen Ji was uninterested in observing the Zhang Mansion until Mrs. Zhang stopped at a small garden: "You'll stay here from now on. The East and West Wing Rooms are vacant; arrange them as you like."

Saying no more, Mrs. Zhang walked away without further interest.

Zhang Xia went in first, opening the main room, only to find the interior had been replaced with red silk, and the candles had also been swapped for red ones. On the square table facing the door were two cups and a pot of nuptial wine.

The two sat beside the square table for nearly an hour, until the red candles were almost burnt out, and neither spoke first.

Suddenly, the red candle extinguished, and in the darkness, Chen Ji spoke: "You..."

Zhang Xia: "You..."

Chen Ji hurriedly said: "You go first."

Zhang Xia remained silent for a long while: "You sleep on the floor."

Chen Ji opened his mouth and didn't speak for a long time, finally responding: "Alright."

...

...

Volume Eight, The Moon and the Sun, End.