After making arrangements for the rites to lay the fallen heroes' souls to rest, Zi Shou had nothing to do and decided to wander around and take a stroll.
Wen Zhong went along. Although it was safe inside the pass, what if they ran into some single-minded fool who cared nothing for karmic consequences?
With Wen Zhong beside him and a few royal guards in tow, Zi Shou's party quietly left the camp. This time, he was not inspecting the pass, merely walking around.
Security inside the pass was slightly more relaxed than atop the walls. There were few soldiers on patrol, but the shouts of the Ten-Thousand Dance rang out constantly.
Apart from that, however, there were no other sounds, nor any signs of everyday life. Only scattered torches on the walls and in the main camp cast their dim light.
After all, the civilians had all been relocated. Even after Sishui Pass was retaken, there had been no time to move them back, leaving far fewer people around.
The stillness of the night held a chill. It was not the peace of tranquil days, but something of the bleak wind sighing through the pines.
Zi Shou walked halfway around the pass. Lately, he had been sleeping by day and staying up at night, eating and drinking to excess. The soldiers and generals did all the work in battle, while he barely had to trouble himself. Away from the Imperial Palace, he did not even have any group exercise. Without the slightest physical activity all day, he could easily grow fat, so taking walks was essential.
As they walked, they reached the river. It curved through the area west of Sishui Pass's South Gate. There was hardly any light here, only the bright moon and stars overhead. In the