In mid-April, the weather gradually became warmer.
At the foot of Helan Mountain, wild flowers have long been everywhere.
The goats jumped around beside the water stream, showing off their talents.
The herdsman sat on the hillside, looking at the army in a long line in the distance, meandering northward.
I’m so envious! Herding sheep, herding sheep, herding birds and sheep!
These troops have been toiling at the foot of the mountain for a long time, training all day long, for several months at a time. Not to mention, even a layman like him can see that after several months of training, the spirit and spirit of the sergeants are different. They also practice by the way.
I learned a few new formations, and it was quite interesting to watch when the formations changed.
Experienced companions told him that these troops were already very strong. After a few months of consolidation and driving away many gangsters, they became even more powerful. With a military order, they would move forward even if there were mountains of swords and seas of fire ahead.
It sounds a bit exaggerated, but the shepherd is really envious.
He also wanted to go inside and wear a military uniform, get some long and short weapons, and eat the imperial rations. But at the age of thirty, there is no chance. This is not a war era. Even the strong men in their fifties and sixties have to be arrested. In peace and prosperity
At that time, an eighteen-year-old boy might not be able to get in even if he squeezed his head, let alone middle-aged people like them.
The Prince of Daxia came here several times, even stayed for a month, and left in a hurry some time ago.
Those of them who observe the training every day can see that the prince has great military morale. When he inspects the troops in military uniform, the cheers are as loud as thunder.
Older people said that the prince was a bit like the Prince of Lingwu. Marshal Shao also inspected the troops in this way, which made the sergeants love him from the bottom of their hearts.
Young people like them have never seen the heroic appearance of Prince Lingwu, but from the prince, it seems that we can get a glimpse of what the marshal who dominated Guanbei looked like when he was young.
I wish I had been born decades earlier and followed Marshal Shao to kill enemies, instead of shepherding sheep without knowing what I was doing.
However, if that were the case, he might have died. It’s really hard to say about worldly matters.
The tens of thousands of troops walked for a long time before completely disappearing on the northern horizon.
Everyone withdrew their gaze. There was nothing to do. Seeing that the sky was getting dark, it was better to go home.
"Prince——" a young man suddenly said: "Prince is not going to seize the throne, is he?"
"Seize the throne?" Someone asked subconsciously, stupidly.
"It's a military admonishment." When the young man said the word "military admonishment," his voice became obviously quieter, and he was obviously afraid.
"Bang!" He quickly fell to the ground.
I saw an uncle from my family jumped up to him, grabbed him by the collar, and slapped him seven or eight times.
You can say that you are a bastard? Don’t you know that this kind of crime involves relatives? No one can stop you if you want to die, but don’t harm everyone.
Others were also startled and stepped forward to kick him.
If the government wants to punish someone, they won't care who of them said something and who didn't. They won't be able to tell the difference at all. None of the five or six people present can escape, they all have to be arrested.
The person standing in the outer circle frowned, thoughtfully.
His brother-in-law works as an envoy in the state capital and has been very busy lately. It is said that he is secretly buying white cloth.
Thinking of this, I couldn't help but feel horrified.
He is not stupid and knows what this means.
When a saint dies and the world is in chaos, can't the government prepare in advance?
No one revealed anything, and no rumors spread, but everyone knew it. At least at the state level, this was no secret.
The state capital needs people to work, and slowly, sooner or later, the news will spread.
He estimated that even he could smell some rumors. It seemed that the situation was very serious. Could it be that the saint had passed away? But the news hadn't spread yet?
For a moment, he was a little confused.
The Supreme Emperor Jianwen Shenwu came out of Guanbei. This is the place where he has the deepest roots and where the most legends are spread. Everyone will be affected to some extent.
If the saint really left, I would feel so empty and uncomfortable.
****
In Fengzhou City, the governor Zhao Ying personally rushed to the treasury to inspect it.
Bolt after bolt of white linen lay piled on the shelves.
He stepped forward and touched it himself, without saying a word the whole time.
As the number one scholar in agriculture in the seventh year of Tongguang Dynasty, after working as a secretary for more than three years, he, like his predecessors, was sent to other prefectures and counties.
He came to Fengzhou and served as governor.
I have to say that this is a very good position. Most people can't come to Shaoxia, the land of Longxing.
However, he had only been in office for more than a year when he encountered something unexpected and reasonable: the saint was terminally ill.
Last month I was able to get up and walk around, let's see, but in April, I suddenly stopped working. The medical officials were helpless and couldn't find any symptoms, so they could only continue to prescribe some tonics to try to save it.
Fortunately, the sage was reasonable and no one blamed anyone. Instead, he comforted the medical officials and said that he would "do it when the time comes." When the time came, God did not give him time. No medicine or stone could save him. Even he was still on the sickbed with him.
The medical officers talked about how to improve the position of medical doctor in each state, and their open-mindedness was admirable.
Thinking of this, I feel a little depressed and a little sad.
He served as secretary-general for three years, often staying with the saint, and gained some understanding of the present.
This is a king with unparalleled affection for the world.
In ancient times, the emperors often regarded the world as the object of their desires and desires, and imposed tyranny and extortion, which was similar to Jie and Zhou.
Some regard the world as a tool to support the royal family, and they are eager to send clan members to every important state and county, even if they cause chaos.
Although some people love the common people and are willing to share benefits with the nobility in the world, they are unwilling to make any changes and are still dreaming about the Spring and Autumn Period. Yes, Zhao Ying was born in agriculture, that's what he thinks.
It is different today. He sincerely hopes for the good of the world. He is not the kind of selfish emperor who just wants to be the emperor no matter what happens in the world.
He can't hide his thoughts from those around him, and Zhao Ying knows it very well.
But I have to leave today...
Fengzhou prepared the white cloth with the acquiescence of the Queen and the Crown Prince, because the medical officer had nothing to do and the Saint was already bedridden and extremely weak.
Alas! He sighed silently.
Then he thought that the current situation should have been arranged by the saint.
The main officials accompanied him, and the most capable imperial troops were scattered in the three states of Ling, Feng and Sheng, numbering more than 200,000.
With these 200,000 elite soldiers, it will not be a problem to conquer the world. Recently, I have been getting along with the prince day and night, so controlling it will not be a problem.
The saint really did everything to the extreme.
As for the officials and troops who stayed in Luoyang, I hope they will not lose their minds and do some unknown things. What's more, the famous ministers and generals are gradually declining, and there are not many people with prestige.
Just this month, Privy Councilor Zhu Shuzong died violently. Zhao Ying once thought that a saint had taken him away, but when she thought about it, it didn't seem like it. He was the prince's father-in-law.
There are so many old stories and great influence, so it’s hard to talk about this matter.
No matter what! Zhao Ying left the warehouse and went to the state government office.
In the past few days, some more officials, generals, and tribal leaders came. I don’t know who called them. One after another, they stopped in Fengzhou and then hurried westward.
Seeing this, he knew something in his mind.
That day is near.
****
The pastures are turning green, the grass is growing and the orioles are flying, and the north and south of the Yinshan Mountains are ushering in the most beautiful moment of the year.
The old house in Xicheng was filled with gloom and gloom. The saint no longer got up and lay on the bed most of the day.
He talked less, ate less, and felt groggy.
Occasionally when I wake up, my eyes are mostly tired and there is not much reluctance anymore.
It turns out that you will be tired after decades of wallowing in this big dye vat of the world.
At the beginning of June, the prince personally came to the old house and served him day and night.
When the saint woke up, he waved him away to stay with the officials, generals and sergeants.
By the end of June, the saint could no longer listen to any military reports and memorials, and the medical officers were also kicked out, telling them to stop doing useless work.
On the night of June 30, Shao Shude suddenly woke up while lying in bed.
He just had a dream.
Maybe it's not a dream, but a sudden memory of a past event.
On this night twenty-five years ago, he had just finished the trick of making three concessions and three concessions, and he was full of ambition. The empress of the former Tang Dynasty chose a dragon robe for him with her delicate hands, because the founding of the country was about to be held at dawn.
That night, the palace was filled with bright light, and it seemed as if a divine being descended from heaven came into the room and said something in his ear.
He does not believe in ghosts and gods, and firmly believes that time travel is just a physical phenomenon, and that only truth exists forever in the universe.
But the impression of this moment was so profound that he unconsciously had doubts. Soon he was relieved. It didn't matter whether it was true or false. His struggle was real, and he worked hard and devoted himself to it.
A lifetime of hard work.
If there are ghosts and gods, why don't they come to save the world?
"No one can judge me, not even ghosts and gods." He opened his eyes and whispered to himself: "Only history books and future generations can evaluate my merits and demerits."
"Your Majesty." The embroiderer brought a silk handkerchief and wiped his sweat.
She saw the strange red tide rising on the saint's face, and felt sad in her heart.
Shao Shude's eyes moved over, looking at Xiu Niang's aged face, and said softly: "I still remember when I went to visit you. That was forty-eight years ago, right? Thank you, Xiu Niang, I saw you before I left.
You seem to have returned to those days."
Tears fell from the embroiderer's face. She wanted to say something, but she couldn't.
The candlelight in the room seemed a little dark, a deep darkness that seemed to surround one's entire consciousness.
In the darkness, some people's figures become brighter and brighter.
Li Yanling had a sad face all day long, looking at the small amount of money in his private treasury.
Sun Ba gave him a piece of precious armor.
Song Le took him to the treasury to receive the reward.
In Xizhou, Li Kan gave him the military title of "Iron City".
On the Daizhou battlefield, Xu Hao carried a big ax and chopped off Cheng Huaixin's head.
In the military camp outside Yangqu County, Zhu Shuzong answered questions fluently.
In Jinyang City, Chen Cheng was pouring out his bitterness to him.
During the Battle of Gaoling County, Guo Qi shot Zhong Tiangui in the eye socket.
At the Dongweiqiao camp, Wang Yu, the general in the nest, confided his true feelings.
While the troops were at war, General Yang Yue asked him when he would regain the lost territory.
In the government office of Lingzhou, Li Shao asked him to take care of his descendants.
In the Xingyuan shogunate, Marshal Zhuge asked his son to treat him as a brother.
Qiu Weidao, who failed to take the golden elixir, wrote to him in tears before his death.
…
Yes, they are all waiting for me.
Shao Shude's consciousness became increasingly blurred. Only the embroiderer's intermittent crying could be heard in his ears: "...I said you were dead back then...I had no choice or courage..."
"I'm not a good person..." Shao Shude tried his best to open his eyes, squeezed out a gentle smile, and said, "It's time to say goodbye."
The sound of fighting and iron horses seemed to be heard in the air, breaking through layer after layer of shackles, dispersing all the dark clouds that shrouded China.
It's dawn, and golden light spreads all over the earth.
On the morning of the first day of July in the eleventh year of Tongguang, Shao Shude, the supreme emperor of Jianwen, Shenwu and Daxia, died in his residence in Xicheng.
(The last chapter is over. It’s late today, so I’ll write a single chapter tomorrow. I know there are still some pitfalls in this book that haven’t been filled in, but according to the timeline, these pitfalls can’t be filled in now, so I will write some postscript later and try my best to fill them in.