Chapter 47 Chapter 43 Soul Returns to the Yellow River

"Heaven, Yellow River! I want to throw myself into your arms and turn into torrents to wash away the injustices in the world and defend the truth in the world..." Sima Qian wept bitterly and angrily. ... The three called out to Sima Qian in grief, and the wife fainted from grief... As soon as Sima Qian returned home, a voice came from outside the gate: "Sima Qian accepts the imperial edict." "Father, hurry up and receive the edict." Sima Qiong rushed to the study to call for his father. Sima Qian hastily straightened his clothes and walked out the door. "The minister Sima Qian accepted the order."

"The emperor ordered Sima Qian to submit the revised "Benji of Xiaojing" and "Benji of Emperor Wu"." Sima Qian went back to the house silently, and said to his daughter, "Qiong'er, something is wrong." "What happened, father?" Sima Qiong asked in surprise. "The emperor asked me to submit the rewrites of the two articles about Emperor Jing and Emperor Wu." "Father, you haven't touched a single word of these two historical manuscripts." "Yes, I will not change." "Father, isn't this against the decree? The decree is to be beheaded!" Sima Qiong was anxious.

"Sima Qian, do you want to resist the decree? Submit the article soon." "Father, they are urging, what should I do?" Sima Qian said solemnly: "Qiong Er, bring the article." Qiong'er hurried into the back room and handed the two "Benji of Xiaojing" and "Benji of Wudi" to Sima Qian with trembling hands. Sima Qian took them and presented them to Yushi without hesitation, and Yushi drove away. Emperor Wu was lying on the dragon bed, panting and coughing, while Huo Guang stood beside him.The servant presented "The Benji of Xiaojing" and "The Benji of Emperor Wu" written by Sima Qian, and Emperor Wu took them and opened them to read. His face turned blue and purple, and then he threw the books on the ground.

"Yang Deyi" "The old slave is here." "Burn it." "yes." The servant brought a cauldron and set fire to the bamboo slips. The flames ignited in the furnace, and with a crackling sound, the two history books were instantly reduced to ashes. The servant came in and reported, "Your Majesty, Du Zhou is asking to see you." "Let him in." Du Zhou came in and said, "Your Majesty, this is a letter from Sima Qian sent by the jailer in charge of Ren An." Emperor Wu opened it and looked, furious: "Give Sima Qian to me."

"yes." Sima Qian knew that Emperor Wu would definitely harm him after reading the "Benji of Xiaojing" and "Benji of Emperor Wu" which he had not changed, so the father and daughter were busy packing their things and preparing to flee. Sure enough, not long after, there was a commotion outside the gate of the mansion, and the old housekeeper came in and said, "My lord, it's not good, someone from the palace wants to arrest you again." "Father, run away! My daughter has her own way to deal with it." Sima Qian took his nine-year-old grandson Yang Yun into his arms and said, "Yun'er, the history books of grandpa are passed on to the world by you."

"Grandpa, Yun'er has memorized, Yun'er has already recited several chapters." The shouts from outside increased again, and Sima Qiong said anxiously: "Father, you go out through the back door quickly, and I will deal with the front door, hurry up, father." "Where's Yang Chang, Qiong'er?" "His mother is ill and has gone back to Yizhou." Sima Qian ran to the backyard. Sima Qiong took his son to the gate and said solemnly, "My father has gone to the palace and has not returned. I am still looking for it?" "If you haven't come back, search for me!"

Sima Qian and an old family member galloped north on horseback... They ran all the way, and just after running for more than ten miles, they saw dust flying behind them, and the old family said: "My lord, the pursuers are coming, let's take the path, I know the path." "it is good." The two of them set off their horses and rode down the path. They traveled day and night, hiding in hiding, and after a few days of tossing around, they came to a mountain village near their hometown Xiayang. The old family knocked on an old man's house and wanted to exchange money for some food.The old man saw that both of them were old people and they were very kind, so he let them into the house.The old man didn't accept the money, he just said: "What money do you give me, just eat whatever you want."

The old couple brought them food and tea, and they started eating. The old man asked Sima Qian: "I can see that you are a scholar, not like a bad person, but why did you end up here?" "Oh, old man, I also see that you are a kind person. To be honest, I escaped because I offended the emperor by writing history books." "Ah, writing history books...offended the emperor?" The old man looked at Sima Qian's face again, he had no beard... and asked in surprise, "Could it be that Mr. Ma Qian from the Taishi Company?" "The younger generation is right. How does the old man know?"

"Ah, we are Ren An's parents. After Ren An was executed, we fled from Yizhou to live here in seclusion. We met you unexpectedly." Sima Qian immediately stood up and saluted: "Second elders are on top, the junior Sima Qian will see you." "Ah, ah, excuse me, please hurry up, they are all hard-working people!" Mentioning his son, old Ren An's father sobbed and said, "My son is the most loyal to the court. I never thought that he would be implicated in the prince's treason case, and the poor boy would be sentenced to beheaded..." Ren An's old mother also broke down in tears and said: "Oh, I am wronged. The prince rebelled. He didn't mobilize a single soldier, but was convicted of treason. Don't you think this is too wronged?"

Sima Qian nodded. Ren An's old father said again: "I heard from my son that you were also wronged. A man was corrupted. It's too cruel, too cruel." Ren An's old father said angrily: "Emperor Wu is too cruel. He was very capable when he was young, but he became more and more cruel in his later years, even his own son..." Sima Qian just nodded silently. Ren An's old father sighed again: "Oh, Tai Shigong, it's fine if you escape, let's see if you are tormented like this, and then you can live in seclusion in the future, what kind of emperor still serves him."

Sima Qian said: "Ren An and I are close friends, and now both of us have died unjustly, and we can only sue for grievances under Jiuquan from now on." "Alas..." The old man still sighed. The old lady said: "They are tired, I will clean up the house and let them rest earlier." Sima Qian lay on the bed, tossing and turning, staying up all night, looking out the dark window, feeling very sad, he thought that he had worked hard for the imperial court all his life, but ended up being a middle-aged man who was tortured in the palace, and the elderly family fled and hid Miserable. Hearing Sima Qian's sigh, the old family persuaded: "My lord, don't be too sad, there is no unparalleled road, find your wife and Qing'er tomorrow, and there will be a way." At dawn, Sima Qian said to his family: "You go back to Xia Yang's hometown first, find your wife and Qing'er, inquire about the situation, and then try to pick me up. I'm afraid I won't be able to enter the city gate now." "Alright, but you must not leave here, otherwise it will be too dangerous. I will find them and they will come to pick you up." When the old family went out, Sima Qian chased after him, hesitant to speak... "Master, do you have something to say to Madam?" "Ah, no, no, I just want them to protect the manuscript." "Don't worry, my lord, Madam and Qing'er will definitely protect the manuscript, so don't worry." "Okay, okay...I...I don't worry." Sima Qian leaned on the gate, staring blankly at the old family members walking away, before returning to the house, he took out some silver taels, handed them to Ren An's old father and said, "Keep these silver taels for old people to use." "Ah, no need, no need." "Keep it, I'm not an outsider, the right should be given to you by Ren An." The old man accepted it with tears in his eyes, and sighed: "Oh, why do good people suffer so much, Tai Shigong, if you can't enter the city, you can stay with me. My place is a small mountain village, so it doesn't matter." "Yes, yes, just stay here with us, they are all degenerates." Ren An's old mother also persuaded. "No, old man, I'm leaving now. When my family comes to see me, they will say that I have gone to Longmen to watch the river." "Ah, look at the Yellow River, wait for them to come, then go." "No, Er Lao, I grew up by the Yellow River since I was a child. Longmen is the place where my father often taught me. I'm going to see it." "But how can you go alone, no way." "No, I have to go, I'm leaving, thank you two elders for your help." The second elder couldn't stop him, so Sima moved away. He left the small mountain village, rode on his horse alone, and headed north... In the afternoon, Sima Qian came to Longmen. He got off his horse, tied the horse at the foot of Longshan, climbed up Longshan, and climbed to the cliff of Longmen. The sound of the Yellow River in front of me is like thunder, and the rolling river water is filled with sand, like ten thousand horses galloping, rushing down the narrow river channel, rushing down thousands of miles... Sima Qian stared blankly at the galloping Yellow River. He thought of the scene when he mourned Qu Yuan at the Miluo River Festival when he was young, and he never thought that decades later, his soul would also... Sima Qian knelt down to the sky. Sima Qian had mixed feelings, and burst into tears... Looking at the surging Yellow River, he shouted in his heart, Yellow River, my mother, how many generations have been nurtured by your selfless milk, the Yellow River with twists and turns, you are brave, tenacious and unstoppable How many people's sentiments have been cultivated by Ba's spirit, how many people's hearts have been shaken by you descending like a tiger, roaring like a lion, like the sky falling apart... You are like a torrential rain pouring down from the sky, washing away the filth of the world, and like a vast ocean containing the suffering of the world... "Heaven, Yellow River, I want to throw myself into your arms and turn into a torrent to wash away the injustices in the world and defend the truth in the world..." Sima Qian wept bitterly and angrily. The sky seemed to respond, and suddenly, dark clouds gathered not far away, rumbling thunder came, and a storm was coming. Sima Qian was still standing on the cliff, and his gray beard and hair were blown by the strong wind. The lightning flashed, and the pouring rain poured down, Sima Qian was completely drenched without realizing it, he watched the violent storm and the stormy waves, ah, the sky is calling me, the foot of the river is waving to me, father, mother, brother Ren An, you guys Are they all in the river? ...Wait for me, here I come. Sima Qian stretched his arms and jumped down from the cliff, throwing himself into his mother's arms... The rain stopped, and the sun came out. There was a call from the river bank. "Husband..." "teacher……" "master……" The wife, Qing'er, and the old family drove the carriage to Longmen, and climbed from the place where Sima Qian tethered the horse to the river bank. They called desperately, looking for Sima Qian. I saw the surging river rushing down from the Dragon Gate... The three called out to Sima Qian in grief, and finally found one of Sima Qian's shoes. His wife, Wang Wenzhen, was so sad that she passed out holding the shoe... "Ma'am...wake up." After rescuing his wife, the three of them knelt on the bank of the Yellow River, looking at the rolling river with great grief. "Husband, let me go with you!" Madam said as she was about to jump into the river, but was held tightly by Qing'er and the old family. Qing'er said: "Teacher's wife, you can't do this. I never wanted to go with the teacher, but we are all gone. Who will protect the teacher's manuscripts?" The old family also said: "Old lady, you have to take care, there are young ladies and the others, and the little grandson." Qing'er knelt down to the river and cried: "The teacher's heroic spirit is here, Qing'er wanted to go with the teacher, but Qing'er wants to protect the teacher's manuscript, teacher rest in peace, Qing'er will go to the mountain temple to become a monk tomorrow, Be sure to hide the manuscript in the mountains.” Mrs. Wang Wenzhen also knelt down: "Husband, don't worry, if you escape this catastrophe, I will definitely find a way to print the book and pass it on to the world, and realize your long-cherished wish." The old family also knelt down and said, "My lord, please go away. Your family has treated me with great kindness. Even if I do my best, I must protect the manuscript. God, if you are alive, please give me an answer." ..." Suddenly, the wind stopped, and the river flowed down slowly, making a low whimper... The three of them left the river bank with their arms. Although Sima Qian merged into the rolling waves of the Yellow River, he left China with an eternal swan song - "Historical Records", which made a great contribution to Chinese history. The shaved Qing'er sat cross-legged facing the Bodhisattva in the mountain temple, clasped his hands together and muttered silently: "Bodhisattva, please protect my teacher's soul and ascend to heaven as soon as possible... bless my teacher's manuscripts without any loss."