Chapter 14 Chapter 41: The Last Emperor of the Ancient Capital

On October 4th, Huang Yu captured Yacheng, and the defender of Yacheng, Tuoba Hongcheng, committed suicide. On October 6th, the royal army surrounded Nandu. On October 7th, Nanwang Commoner went out of the city, held the "Xuanmo Order" of the Supreme Order of the Southern Kingdom on the top, and bowed his head to the imperial country as a minister. On October 8th, the imperial court granted Nanwang the title of "Marquis of Nancheng" and sent people to "escort" Nanhou and more than 400 family members of the Houfu back to the imperial kingdom to settle down.Hua Guojun Liu Yusheng took the initiative to ask for orders.

The imperial capital, three hundred and seventy-two years ago, the first emperor proclaimed himself emperor here, built palaces and walls, appointed civil servants to reward generals, and ordered the establishment of the Eastern Dynasty Empire, which opened the most glorious and magnificent page of the Eastern Dynasty Empire.More than three hundred years have passed, and the imperial capital looks down like a lion overlooking the entire Central Plains. Ups and downs, hundreds of years of vicissitudes, up to now, it is just an ancient and somewhat eclipsed capital, the former glory and magnificence have been washed away by a long river called time, or in the corner of the palace, in the red wall, in the On a purple leaf in the royal garden, in the mist and wind surrounded by pearls and hairpins, in the night songs of Sheng Sheng, some of the splendor of the past can still be found.

The Imperial Palace, Dingtao Palace. "The old minister sees His Majesty!" A loud voice sounded, and in the south study room of Dingtao Palace, a veteran with all white hair saluted respectfully to a man in dark purple casual clothes who was concentrating on painting at the desk. "Oh, General Dong is here, please get up quickly." The man who was painting motioned to the servant waiting beside him to help the old general on the ground. "Thank you, Your Majesty!" The old general didn't need a servant to help him, and he stood up effortlessly, such a simple movement, but he did it with ease and agility.

This old general is Dongshu Fangdong General who was ranked among the great generals of the Eastern Dynasty Empire and entrusted to Anhou.In this chaotic world of separatists and strife, he has loyally guarded the royal family of the Eastern Dynasty for decades!Although he is over 60 years old, from the outside, except for the frosty white hair, he really looks like a middle-aged man in his 40s. Zimei, a tall and magnificent figure, with the aura of being able to pull a thousand catties when waving his hands, everyone who sees him will definitely have the thought in his heart: this person must be a great general!

"Aiqing came just in time. How about taking a look at the painting "Flowers under the Moon" that I copied?" The man in the purple suit pointed to the almost completed work on the table with great interest.He is the current emperor of the Eastern Dynasty --- Emperor Qi. He is about forty years old, of medium build, with a white face and a slight beard. "I'm a rough man, I don't know much about writing, so how can I know the beauty of His Majesty's masterpieces." Dong Shufang didn't move forward to look at the painting, but replied with a slight bow.

"Oh." Emperor Qi was a little disappointed, his gaze shifted from Dong Shufang's body back to the painting, he looked at his own work, and then his gaze gradually changed, slowly became gentle, became fiery, slowly His whole heart and soul seemed to sink into the painting, and he looked like a man looking at his favorite beauty, focused and obsessed. "I have copied the painting "Flowers under the Moon" that I wrote about Young Master Yue dozens of times, but this time is the best, just..." His feet moved, and his eyes shifted from his own painting to a painting hanging in front of the desk. Go up, and then look back at your own painting, looking away repeatedly, and then the muttering voice continues to overflow, "No, no! This painting by Mr. Yue can be described as a whole scene, which makes people feel like Putting it in a painting is really wonderful! Look at the moon, it seems to be out of nowhere, bright and clean like jade, but it is in a hazy state. This flower seems to be open but not open, with pistils and petals, really like a beautiful woman with a shameful face... ...Wonderful! Wonderful! Really wonderful! No wonder he is called 'Master Yuexiu', how can I compare to him!" As soon as he finished speaking, he dropped the pen in his hand on his own painting, and the one that hadn't been painted yet. This is the end of the completed "Moonlight Flower".

As for Dong Shufang who was watching from the side, there was a slight sigh in his eyes, as well as disappointment and worry that were too strong to be concealed. "Your Majesty!" Dong Shu called out in a deep voice, awakening the emperor from the mourning that "his talent is inferior to others". "Oh." Emperor Qi turned to face the loyal old minister in front of him, "What's the matter with Dong Aiqing?" "Your Majesty, you are the king of a country, you should put state affairs first, and don't misuse the government for these... leisurely and elegant things!" Dong Shufang tried his best to speak euphemistically.If the person above is not the emperor but his descendants or subordinates, with his temperament, he might have yelled loudly: The country is about to perish, and you and the others still have time to do such boring and useless things? !

Since he came to the throne, Emperor Qi has never put his mind on state affairs. He has entrusted Dongshu with all the affairs of state, military affairs, and is not afraid of being replaced by entrusting power to others.Although the Eastern Empire is now in name only, as long as the emperor is still there, as long as the imperial capital is still there, then the imperial court will still be there.So every day, there are still various reports from all over the kingdom, and the most reported ones are those where the princes are in chaos and the bandits are everywhere. But the emperor put it aside after reading it, without even moving his brows. As if that didn't happen on his king's land.He is also not like his previous ancestors who are fond of wine, sex, money, war, and killing... His hobbies are more elegant and gentle, he only loves calligraphy and painting.For painting and calligraphy, he has great enthusiasm, copying the masterpieces of famous masters of all generations all day long, but he has never painted a painting of his own!

"Oh." Emperor Qi still didn't care about Dong Shufang's remonstrance, "With Ai Qing here, I don't have to worry about those trivial matters." Dong Shufang couldn't help crying and laughing when he heard the words. Throughout history, probably only the emperor in front of him would regard government affairs as a nostalgic matter, and take writing and painting as a serious matter.Such an emperor, what should he do? "Your Majesty!" Dong Shufang put aside those fantasies for a while, and put his mind back on the purpose of entering the palace this time, "The rebellious minister Bai Wang has arrived at the mall, and after Jiaocheng, he will arrive at the imperial capital, and the one who said 'Su the world' The King Xi of the Banner followed closely behind, the situation is already very critical, please Your Majesty..."

Dong Shu put the memorial in his stomach for a whole night, and then he couldn't continue at the beginning, just because the emperor who was supposed to be terrified by the words in front of him showed a smile at this moment, but this smile was the one that lasted so many years. For the first time, he felt that the person in front of him was an emperor, the supreme emperor! Emperor Qi smiled lightly and looked at the worried courtiers in front of him. He was worried about the fate of this harsh and crippled Eastern Empire. Seeing the anxious yet determined eyes of the old minister, the ridicule turned into gratitude and sighs.

"General Dong, I have been on the throne for nearly twenty years, right?" Emperor Qi said lightly, not wanting to accurately calculate how many years he has been on the throne, "Since I took the throne, everything has been postponed." I will do it for you, but I am hiding in Dingtao Palace writing, drawing, reading, listening to the rain..." Emperor Qi laughed at himself, "Speaking of which, I am really a mediocre gentleman, Over the years, I have really suffered for you. And you have also wholeheartedly assisted Zhen and protected the Eastern Empire for decades, this kind of loyalty can be said to be rare in all ages!" "These are what a minister should do." Dong Shufang said respectfully. Emperor Qi shook his head, his eyes passed through Dong Shufang, and fell far away, as if he was fascinated by watching some scenery in front of him. "Did you just say that King Xi is approaching the mall? It's so fast, you really deserve to be a descendant of 'King Lan Ming'." After a while, Emperor Qi's gaze fell back on Dong Shufang, "The descendant of King Feng, the so-called Where is the Wind King of the 'Huang Wang'? And the offspring of the 'Flame King', where is he?" "Feng Wang moved to Juan City after capturing Yancheng in Wangyu, and the emperor has captured the Southern Kingdom and captured the six cities in Wangyu, and now he is in Chengcheng." Dong Shufang replied, frowning He locked it up involuntarily, his eyes were sharp and disdainful, and he couldn't help muttering in his heart: These traitors, hmph! "Well, they're all good." Emperor Qi nodded appreciatively when he heard the words, "None of them insulted the holy name of their ancestors, only I waited for the unfilial descendants but failed to inherit the glory of the ancestors... I just don't know who will be the first among them." Arriving at the imperial capital..." "Your Majesty!" Dong Shufang shouted suddenly. "Oh." Emperor Qi smiled boredly, looking at his loyal old minister, his eyes were as clear as a mirror, not as casual as before.At this moment, Dong Shufang couldn't help looking at his emperor with some surprise and awe. Could it be that His Majesty has finally awakened to be the king of the country? "General Dong, how many soldiers do we have?" Emperor Qi asked lightly, and when he saw Dong Shufang's suspicious eyes, he couldn't help adding, "I mean, how many soldiers do we have?" "Your Majesty, the 100,000 imperial guards under my command have been guarding the imperial capital, plus the defenders from other cities, we can gather at least 200,000 troops." Dong Shufang replied. "Oh, so there are so many people." Emperor Qi seemed a little surprised, pondered for a while, and then said, "Then General Dong will lead the 80,000 imperial guards to attack King Feng?" "Fight King Feng?" Dong Shufang thought he heard it wrong, and looked at Emperor Qi with wide eyes, "Your Majesty, how is this possible?" The guards are going to crusade against Feng Wang, what will the imperial capital do? Bai Wang and Xi Wang have hundreds of thousands of troops, how can the 20,000 imperial guards in the imperial capital resist? At that time..." Emperor Qi waved his hand indifferently: "Didn't General Dong say just now that if we gather troops from all the cities, there will be at least 200,000 troops, then I will recruit troops from all the cities to guard the capital. As long as Dong The general will take down the King of Wind, and then go around from the city to the back of the King of Xi. At that time, we will attack from both sides. If the kings in the east and south defeat the kings, the world will be peaceful, right?" "This..." Dong Shufang couldn't help being dumbfounded. The emperor's words seemed very reasonable, but is it so simple and so smooth? "Could it be that General Dong is not sure that he can defeat King Feng? Or is it that General Dong doesn't believe that I can protect the imperial capital with this ability?" Emperor Qi's voice suddenly revealed a golden sharpness. "The old minister dare not!" Dong Shufang hurriedly bowed his head. "That's good." Emperor Qi's voice returned to normal, "Then General Dong will set off to attack King Feng in the future." "Your Majesty, it won't take a day for the army to defeat the enemy, and all kinds of pre-war preparations need to be made..." Dong Shufang had just opened his mouth, but was interrupted by Emperor Qi. "What? Is the general afraid? Does it take dozens of days to make mental preparations?" Emperor Qi said coldly, his eyes seemed to have some contempt, "It seems that the general is really old, and the wind king Xiyun listened It has been said that he has been very famous over the years, his literary and martial arts are outstanding, and the Fengyun Qi he created is so strong and invincible, that the general would dare not fight against him!" "Chen..." Dong Shufang looked at the emperor sitting above him for a long time, then bowed and knelt down, "I would like to obey His Majesty's will!" The old minister lowered his head and his voice was hoarse with grief and indignation! "Well." Emperor Qi nodded in satisfaction, "I have a decree here, you take it, if you can recruit Feng Wang, that would be the best, after all, she is a subject of my Eastern Dynasty, how can I not give it to her?" The way to turn back, and this can also show my magnanimity. If she surrenders, then King Xi and the emperor may follow suit, and then I will be able to pacify the world without a single soldier!" Emperor Qi raised his pen. That is to write down the imperial edict on the drawing paper. I think the content of the edict is not long, but it will be finished in a while, and then signal the servant general to seal him. Dong Shufang took the decree tied with the yellow silk seal from the servant, raised his head to look at the emperor, then lowered his head, hiding the trace of wry smile and haggardness, "Your Majesty is so kind, I hope the rebellious minister can understand the Sacred Heart , surrender early, and pledge allegiance to His Majesty!" "Alright, let's go." Emperor Qi waved his hand. "Resignation." Dong Shufang backed down.The leaving figure was actually a little old and tired at this moment. The silence in Dingtao Palace was restored again, and Emperor Qi's gaze fell back to the painting "Flowers under the Moon" written by Feng Yue. , there is also a hint of relief that is incomprehensible: "Dong Aiqing, if a person's body and limbs are all rotten, then no matter how clear-headed and shrewd a person is, there is no salvation! You haven't figured it out for so many years. ?" "It's really troublesome!" He Qishu muttered in the mansion of the mall, looking at the documents that had just been delivered on the case. "What's the trouble?" There was a chuckle from the door, and Ren Chuanyu walked in with ease, "What kind of thing can make the shrewd Mr. He feel troubled?" There was a hint of ridicule in the words. "Huh! The reason why I'm in such trouble is not all because of you!" He Qishu frowned and looked at the people who came in, "If it wasn't because you had a cancer in your heart and turned the direction, Wang would have prepared the food and grass. Leave it to me? All these troublesome and trivial things were originally left to you, a lazy person!" "Oh?" Ren Chuanyu rubbed his chin, not caring about He Qishu's vicious accusation, as usual Smiling relaxedly, "Isn't it because Mr. He is smart and capable that the king entrusted you with a heavy responsibility?" "My ingenuity needs to be used with sharp swords and spears to kill enemies and make achievements on the battlefield, unlike someone who is dedicated to those gutters!" He Qishu said without mercy.Among Mo Yu's four generals, when it comes to eloquence, only He Qishu's viciousness can compete with Ren Chuanyu's sophistry. "Give up." Seeing that a wonderful debate was about to start, it was interrupted by someone striding in from the door. "There are only five days' worth of food and grass in the city, but the successors haven't arrived yet. Why?" Qiao Jin asked He Qishu, followed by Duanmu Wensheng and Ren Chuanyun. "Ah!" He Qishu sighed heavily, "Pashan has been raining heavily for days, and the mud and rocks washed down from the mountain have blocked all the roads, and food and grass cannot be transported." Qiao Jin frowned when he heard this, and looked at He Qishu, "An army with an empty stomach can't win a battle." "I know." He Qishu patted his head in annoyance, "But the road must be cleared to transport the grain and grass, and if the grain and grass in the mall are saved, and the grain and grass brought from Yicheng are added, it should be able to last for about ten days. , by then the grain and grass should be able to arrive, but..." He Qishu looked at his colleagues, "King Bai has arrived in Jiaocheng, and our army must leave in these two days. You must know that Jiaocheng is the capital of the emperor. Therefore, it is impossible for us to stay here for ten days, but if the food and grass are not available, how will the army make it?" "It's really troublesome!" Duanmu Wensheng unknowingly repeated He Qishu's troubles, "The army's actions cannot be delayed. It is okay for King Bai to attack the emperor, but he cannot really capture the emperor." "Is there no way to solve it?" Ren Chuanyun asked. "Yes." He Qishu glanced at General Chuanyun, the youngest among them, with a half smile, "Go and grab it! Would you like to lead the army to grab the common people?" Ren Chuanyun couldn't help but look: "If you want to rob me, there is nothing embarrassing, but our king can't promise me to do this kind of thing that destroys the reputation of our army." "This is not the time to joke." Qiao Jin waved his hand, looked at He Qishu, "Is there any other way?" "Yes." He Qishu nodded, but the next sentence was, "But I just received this news, so I haven't figured out a solution yet." "Do you have to wait until the army leaves on an empty stomach before you can figure it out?" Duanmu Wensheng murmured. "Hey, it's just such a small thing that bothers you so much, if it wasn't for growing up with you, I would have wondered if you were the mighty Fourth General of Black Feather Cavalry! " Ren Chuanyu, who was silent for a while, shook his head and sighed. "Brother, do you have a solution?" Ren Chuanyun looked at his brother with bright eyes. "Of course." Ren Chuanyu stroked his chin and nodded, "You can repair the book, please ask the King of Feng. Anyway, before the imperial capital is taken down, Fengyunqi will not go out to fight easily, and must be recuperating. Therefore, our army will go to Jiaocheng as planned , and the grain and grass, please ask Feng Wang to send us some from Juancheng first, and then ask him to send troops to Pashan to clear the road and escort the grain team to catch up with us. The four generals couldn't help being startled when they heard the words, Ren Chuanyu's method seems to be good, just think about it carefully... "I've always wanted to ask you a question." He Qishu stared at Ren Chuanyu, "It seems that from the very beginning, since you haven't met Feng Wang, you seem to be targeting her and Feng Yunqi everywhere! Why? You Knowing clearly that Feng Wang and Wang are not just a simple marriage contract between two kings, they have known each other for ten years, and the friendship between them is beyond the reach of ordinary people, and the two countries are so harmonious because of him, so we can be so fast Take down the Bai Kingdom! But why do you want to do something to separate the two kings and the two armies?! Why do you, who is only inferior to the king in terms of intelligence and intelligence, keep doing some unwise actions?!" As soon as He Qishu said this, the other three couldn't help turning their heads to look at Ren Chuanyu, this was also the doubt that had always existed in their hearts. "Well, it seems that it's always hard to be a good person." Ren Chuanyu couldn't help but smile a little bit bitterly when the four people stared at him, "Could it be that in your eyes, I, Ren Chuanyu, am really a villain?" "I don't know if you are a villain, but you are definitely not a gentleman!" Duanmu Wensheng said, "It's just that we have never doubted your loyalty to the king!" "Oh." Hearing this, Ren Chuanyu just smiled indiscriminately, looking fixedly at a sword on the sword stand in the room, and after a long time he asked, "What do you think of the King of Wind?" The four of them were silent for a moment, and finally it was Qiao Jin who spoke: "He is beautiful and graceful, and he is extremely talented!" This is a well-received praise all over the world. In the past, they may have felt that the praise was too much, but at this moment they are truly convinced from the bottom of their hearts, and they really feel that they deserve it. Ren Chuanyu nodded slightly, and seemed to feel the same way.Then he said: "Since ancient times, there have been two types of women who are admired by the world, but they can also be admired by the world!" The four of them couldn't help being shocked when they heard the words. This sentence seemed to knock on a door, and some things that they had never thought of before flew out of the door. "The first category is the beauty that overwhelms the country." Ren Chuanyu's gaze was still fixed on the sword, "This type of woman has a glamorous appearance, which can captivate the eyes, captivate the heart, seduce the soul, and sway the soul! People are infatuated with it...sacrificing their lives, abandoning relatives and friends, selling and abandoning the country...even falling into Abi Hell, just for the sake of a family! This is a disaster for women!" "The other type is those who are talented and powerful!" Ren Chuanyu's eyes moved, and he shot at Qiao Jin brightly, "This type of woman is extremely intelligent and magnificent. In the field, she can win the hearts of heroes, but in the court, she can win the hearts of dragons." Bow your head, and the world is at your fingertips! Such a woman must also be conceited, talented, ambitious, and will not be willing to be subordinated to others. The light ones hold a family and one country, and the serious ones must hold the world in their hands!" As soon as these words came out, the four of them couldn't help but look awe-inspiring. "This King of Wind, she not only has a beautiful face..." Ren Chuanyu suddenly smiled, and the smile seemed to be full of emotion, "She also has talent, wisdom, virtue, martial arts, and even...she also has a country, With wealth, people, army, and a group of civil servants and military generals who are loyal to her, and who are tied to the hearts of thousands of people in the country! Such a woman... can she stand behind others?" There was silence in the room, no one made a sound, everyone was thinking about that beautiful, elegant and intelligent queen, who seemed peaceful, but often she only had one glance, but it made them feel pressured! "She has a marriage contract with the king. After marrying the king, she will be the queen after the king's death." Duanmu Wensheng said in a deep voice, it has been like this since ancient times, isn't it? "This is even more worrying." Ren Chuanyu's eyes were full of worry, "The flower path laid down to welcome the King of Wind, the wind-resting platform built for the ceremony of the peace agreement, and the 'Lan Yinbi' planted for her for eight years Moon'...can't you see this?" "What's wrong with this? The deep love between the two kings will only benefit the alliance between the two countries." Duanmu Wensheng was very happy to see that the king could do something for someone. Such a king looks humane, not perfect But he is ruthless! "Hmph! The profound friendship can make the two countries more integrated? You think too simply!" Ren Chuanyu sneered. "Is the kingly way a lonely way?" Ren Chuanyun, who had been silent all this time, looked at his brother and sighed slightly heavily.Since childhood, he and his elder brother have depended on each other for life, and perhaps only his younger brother can know a thing or two about what his elder brother thinks. "Yes, the kingly way is a road to walk alone!" Ren Chuanyu sighed long and long, his brows slightly raised, "Since ancient times, any emperor has definitely stood at the highest point and walked at the forefront! No one can compete with you." He is side by side, no one can stand in front of him! Only behind him...thousands of subjects who follow him!" "Moreover, for an emperor, in his heart, the first place will always be the world! No one or anything can surpass him! Because those will only be obstacles, and will only prevent him from ascending to the highest position!" Ren Chuanyu slightly Clenching his fists, "Emperor Shi, what a majestic strategy to conquer the world with a piece of commoner clothes! But today... the Eastern Empire is torn apart, princes are fighting for hegemony, wars are raging, and the people are in dire straits... But this situation was caused by Emperor Shi. Yes! Dividing the generals into kings means splitting the land and delegating power to others... The seven generals are loyal to him, but will those descendants still be loyal after a hundred years? Wouldn’t the first emperor not know? But he still seals the country! And why did he seal the country? Isn't he just for the Phoenix King! He set up the country like this for a woman! Such an emperor is actually not a qualified emperor at all, and he is not worthy of being a king at all!" Ren Chuanyu's eyes were as cold as a sword, " Do you want to see the king go the same way as the first emperor? Do you want this world that we fought back with blood and blood to end up like this today?!" Ren Chuanyu raised his head, his eyes passed through the four generals, the sunlight from outside the window was folded by the copper sheath of the sword, and fell into his eyes, but it couldn't warm those eyes, those eyes were cold, The voice is also temperatureless, like ice falling on Jinghu Lake, gurgling with the chill of the frozen lake: "You have all witnessed that Fengyunqi and Fengguo are only loyal to her and submit to her! If one day... draw your sword On the contrary, she is us...she is the biggest and most dangerous enemy of the king! So... either weaken her power! Or...she must not survive! Because there is only one king we swear to die for!" The sun is shining brightly outside the window. Although the weather in October is not hot, it is by no means cold.But in the room, it was chilly at this moment, and the four of them stood quietly, but there was a turbulent wave in their hearts! When Xiyun saw the request letter urgently sent by Mo Yuqi, she didn't hesitate or doubt at all. "Cheng Zhi, pull out half of the food and grass from the city, and you will escort 3,000 people to Moyuqi." "Xu Yuan, you lead five thousand people to Mount Pa." "Yes!" Xu Yuan and Cheng Zhi took orders and left. Seeing their leaving backs, Xiu Jiurong suddenly remembered something. "My lord, we have repeatedly attacked the city for several months. Although the casualties of our army were small, we lost nearly a thousand people, and more than 2,000 people were injured. Eight thousand people were dispatched, and if calculated carefully, the number of people in the city who can participate in the battle is less than 30,000. And the Moyu cavalry has an army of 200,000, can't it even pull out 10,000 people to transport food and grass? The white army is not a battle for the sky!" "Oh, don't worry about it, Jiurong." Xiyun couldn't help smiling and comforting his beloved general when he heard the words, "Anyway, our army won't capture any city until King Xi wins the imperial capital, so we can rest and recuperate here, so help them There is nothing wrong with transporting grain and grass." At this moment, none of them knew that Dong Shufang was ordered to lead 80,000 imperial guards to Juancheng.Although Xiyun is a famous general who uses soldiers like a god, she is not a prophet.She imagined with the mind of a military strategist that the Imperial Kingdom Zheng Tianqi is busy taking the city of Wangyu into their arms, while the Bai army is too busy running for their lives before it is too late, and the imperial capital should be fully prepared to resist Bai and Feng's army at this time. I can't imagine what kind of war would come to her if she hadn't taken the initiative to send troops.It is also because she conceived with the mind of a military strategist, so she did not expect that Emperor Qi, who did not know how to use soldiers at all in the imperial capital, had such an extraordinary stroke, that in the future, countless heroic souls in Luoying Mountain would play a heroic and heartbreaking song with blood and swords. Elegy. If they could predict the future, then Ren Chuanyu would be more happy to send a letter for help, but Xiyun, she would definitely rather split the two armies than send troops to transport food!It's just that if they had predicted further, Ren Chuanyu might not have targeted Xiyun from the beginning, and he might have enshrined her like a bodhisattva from the beginning!As for Xiyun, if she could know all about the future, would she still be engaged to Lan Xi and form an alliance with Fengguo?Will he still help Lan Xi attack the world so selflessly?