Later, there were always people singing the song "The Ballad of Old Friends in Mountains and Rivers" in the teahouses at the border. The storyteller patted Xingmu and told how Lord Shen, who once had all the power in the government, risked his life for a warrior, and his blood spattered the Golden Palace; how General Xiao, who once had an iron wall and a copper wall, gave up his armor and returned to his fields for a promise that he would never forget. The lyrics are poignant, the plot is ups and downs, and the audience sheds tears. Thousands of miles away, in a small town in the north where snow falls all year round, Mr. Shen, who is said to have "blood splattered on the Golden Palace", was scolded by Mr. Xiao who was "abandoned and returned to his fields" because he secretly drank cold wine. "Xiao Jingan," Shen Qingyan smiled and covered his mouth, "those are all rumors." Xiao Jingan grabbed his cold wrist and pressed it on her heart. There was an old scar there, right next to the heartbeat. "That's the only thing," he said, "that's not a rumor."
