Chapter 50 Epilogue through the ages

Ah, this day has finally arrived. I have been looking forward to it for nineteen years... The white-haired Su Wu finally returned home. He held a yak stripped banner, knelt in front of the Emperor Wu's mausoleum, and wept, "My lord, I was sent to the Xiongnu by order nineteen years ago. I did not disgrace my mission. finally came back……" Su Wu is finally going home. The white-haired Su Wu was still sitting on the Wanggui stone and looking at the east, still looking eagerly, looking... Suddenly a carriage came, and it was the Han envoy who came to pick him up. As he got old, his eyes began to blur. As in the past, there seemed to be the sound of horseshoes in the distance. Su Wu still stood up and looked eastward on tiptoe, but every time he was disappointed, there was no carriage, and no one came.

Wu sat down again. Ah, there seemed to be a few people coming from that distance, I don’t know if they are good or bad people, Su Wu opened his eyes and looked at... Why, it is the banner of the Han Dynasty, someone from the Han Dynasty came to see me... Su Wu was thinking, when he suddenly heard: "The decree has arrived." "Han Zhi Su Wu received the order." Su Wu rubbed his eyes with his hands, and sure enough, he saw a group of people wearing Han Chinese official uniforms. Su Wu couldn't believe his eyes, and he couldn't believe his ears either. Maybe he had hallucinations again.Su Wu didn't kneel down, but just stood there in a daze holding the banner...

"My lord, hurry up and accept the order, the emperor sent someone to pick us up. I am Chang Hui." Su Wu took a closer look, and it really was Chang Hui. Although his hair was gray and his face was dark and wrinkled, couldn't those loyal eyes be him? Su Wu stared blankly at Chang Hui. "Quickly kneel down and accept the order, my lord." Chang Hui helped Su Wu kneel down. Come to envoys to unfold the imperial decree and preach: Su Wu was stunned for a while, and Chang Hui said, "My lord, this is not a dream. It's real, it's real, and they're here to pick us up and return home."

Li Ling also said: "Brother Su, it's true, your wish has come true, and today the emperor issued an edict to send someone to pick you up." Su Wu heard this and fainted... "My lord, my lord...you wake up." Chang Hui cried to wake Su Wu up, just like when Su Wu wiped his neck with a sword, Chang Hui cried out. Nineteen years have passed between great sorrow and great joy, and everyone present I was moved to tears... Su Wu opened his eyes and saw Han envoys, Chang Hui and Li Ling all surrounding him.Ah, this day has finally come. Two lines of old tears flowed down Su Wu's weather-beaten face...

The envoy said: "The first emperor has passed away, and today's Emperor Zhao sent someone to take you back." "Ah, the first emperor has passed away." Su Wu felt sad for a while, and tears welled up again. "...Unexpectedly, I will never see the late emperor again." "You have fulfilled your mission brilliantly, and the late Emperor kept thinking about you when he was still there, just because the Xiongnu would not let you go back." "Heaven, you finally opened your eyes." Su Wu knelt down to the sky, and there were boos around him. Beihai is very beautiful today, the lake is green and rippling, and wild flowers of various colors are blooming on the grass on the shore.

Li Ling placed wine and meat on the grass by the lake as a farewell party for Su Wu, and the two close friends sat down on their knees. Li Ling poured a cup full for Su Wu, and his own cup was also full, he raised his cup and said, "Brother Su, I would like to offer you a cup for my younger brother, this is probably the last time we will drink together, I wish you a safe journey for my younger brother. " "Thank you." Su Wu picked up the wine glass and drank it down. "Brother Su, you are so amazing, I really admire you for my younger brother, from now on you will be famous all over the world, and I... have been ruined..."

"Brother Ling, don't be pessimistic. Your contribution to the Han Dynasty is not small, and now you are trying your best to promote the establishment of diplomatic relations between the Xiongnu and the Han Dynasty. Humans, don't be afraid of making mistakes, and know that repentance is good." Li Ling poured another glass of wine for Su Wu. "Come on, come on, let's get drunk today." The two drank again. "How is Sima Qian now?" Li Ling asked. "I heard that he disappeared after the history was written." "Missing... Oh, I'm sorry for him!"

"Brother Ling, you have changed to a new emperor now, you can go back." "No, the Han Dynasty is ashamed of me, and I am ashamed of the Han Dynasty. The relationship between the monarch and his ministers is even, but I have lost my integrity, and I have no face to see the elders of the Central Plains." Li Ling had mixed feelings, and sighed: "Brother Su, I have made a big mistake, it is irreparable, alas, I will regret it for a moment..." Li Ling was already half-drunk, he stood up, knelt down on one knee and bowed to the east, and then stuck Su Wu's banner on his face, crying like rain...

He danced with his sword and sang: After dancing, tears streaming down my face... Next to the ancient road leading to the east from the grassland, Su Wu, Chang Hui and other nine people were about to return home. At that time, there were more than a hundred people in the mission. Now, there are only nine people left in the county, who died or fled.Li Ling placed wine on the side of the road as a farewell party for his best friend. After drinking for three rounds, he looked at Su Wu who had changed into a Han robe and said, "Brother Su Wu can finally change into Han clothes and return home. I really envy you."

"Brother Li Ling, can you go back to China with me?" "Alas!" Li Ling looked up to the sky and sighed, "It's too late to regret, it's too late to regret! Brother Su will go down in history and I, Li Ling, will be ruined. God, you are so unfair to me. Your Majesty, why did you kill my mother? I, Li Ling Although a person is alive, his heart is dead, his heart is dead!..." A group of wild geese flew across the sky, and Li Ling said sadly: "Brother Su, the birds know how to return to their nests, but my brother has to stay outside the Great Wall alone." After saying this, he shed tears...

Su Wu comforted him: "You don't have to be too sad, we will meet again in the future, whenever you return to Han, we welcome you." It was getting late, and Su Wu set off. "Brother Li Ling, we are leaving, you go back!" "No, I'll give you another ride." Another walk. "Go back!" "No, give it another ride." Li Ling and Su Wu rode side by side on horseback. Li Ling stared at the east and missed the city of Chang'an with great emotion. Thinking of parting from his best friend, he couldn't help but compose a poem to send him off: After singing, two lines of hot tears rolled down... Su Wu was also very moved when he heard this, and wrote a poem in response: On this day, in 81 BC, many people gathered outside the west gate of Chang'an City in autumn, including officials and common people. Banners fluttered on the west gate of Chang'an, and drums and music burst out. This famous gate once welcomed General Zhengxi and Zhang Qian back, and now it will welcome back Su Wu. Sima Qian's daughter Sima Qiong, his son Yang Yun, who had served in the court, and Qing'er, who had become a monk, were also waiting outside the city gate, and the three were talking in low voices. "I heard that Li Ling might come back with Su Wu." Yang Yun said. "Ah, is it?" Sima Qiong said. Qing'er shook his head: "I don't think it's possible. That man values ​​loyalty more than loyalty. At that time, the first emperor killed his mother, wife and children. He thought it was unjust, so he surrendered to the Huns. Now the Huns treat him well, so He will not betray his loyalty just because of his loyalty." "My late father suffered all kinds of humiliation because of him." Sima Qiong said angrily. Qing'er nodded and said, "Yes, Master Qian also thought that his surrender was a lifelong mistake, so the "Historical Records" written by Master Qian did not reverse the verdict for him." The three of them were talking, when they heard the shout of "Ah, here we come, here we come", and suddenly the drums played loudly. The three of them hurriedly looked forward, and saw a group of chariots and horses coming from the distance on the west side of the avenue. The emperor's censor, the prefect of Chang'an and other welcoming officials also came to the city gate. Su Wu rode on the horse and saw Ding Chang'an Gate from a distance, and he couldn't help but feel a lot of emotion, ah, after nineteen years of absence, he suffered all kinds of hardships, and he just came back today, thinking about it brought tears to his eyes, and he said to Chang Hui next to him: " Chang Hui, this is not a dream!" "My lord, it's not a dream, it's real." Su Wu looked down at his snow-white beard, and then at Chang Hui. This young man is now a half-old man. Looking at the other seven people, they are all gray at the temples, and their noses are sore , tears flowed down my eyes... The Chinese envoy who picked him up saw him and said, "Master Su, don't be sad. You see so many people coming to pick you up, it means that everyone praises you, and your name will be recorded in the annals of history." When they approached the city gate, Su Wu and other nine people got off their horses. Su Wu walked in front with a nearly naked banner, accompanied by Han Shi who picked him up. The prefect of Chang'an and others greeted him. Su Wu held the banner festival and knelt down to the censor. The censor said, "I am here to welcome Mr. Su Wu according to the order of my supervisor." "Thank you Lord Long En, long live the emperor, long live, long live!" "The emperor has ordered you to go to Maoling to pay homage to the late emperor." "Su Wu obeys the order." "My son, you are finally back." A white-haired old man came over. "Father..." Su Wu knelt down to his father. "My son, I have finally waited for you to come back. It has been nineteen years, nineteen years..." "Father, the child is not filial and did not wait by your side." "No, no, my child, loyalty and filial piety have been difficult since ancient times. You have been loyal to my Han Dynasty, how can you say you are not filial!" The old father said again: "Your old mother passed away the year before last, and she kept calling your name before she died. Your wife has remarried. Alas, you have been away for too long." "Father, the child has no regrets. It is natural for the wife to remarry. The child does not blame her. The child just misses his mother. When he returns, he will go to his mother's tomb to pay homage." The old father pointed to Sima Qiong again and said, "This is Sima Qian's daughter." "Hello, Uncle Su. Congratulations on your glorious return to China." "Ah, Sima Qian's daughter, I heard that Sima Qian has passed away?" "Yes, my father is no longer alive, but he admires your integrity very much, and has written your unyielding and noble integrity into "Historical Records." "Oh, Master Sima was tortured because of Li Ling, and Li Ling felt deeply regretful for it. Before I left, he asked me to take care of you." "Master Su, I am your hometown, you are finally back, you have brought honor to our hometown..." "My lord, you are amazing..." "It's not easy, it's been nineteen years..." Everyone gathered around to congratulate Su Wu. The band and guard of honor cleared the way in front, and Su Wu walked among the Han envoys and censors who picked him up, followed by eight returnees, flanked by local officials. Both sides of the street were crowded with ordinary people, looking at Su Wu's snow-white hair and Jing Jie, who was almost naked, everyone showed admiration... At the Maoling Mausoleum on the west side of Chang'an, Su Wu, Hui Chang and other people who had returned from the Western Regions, as well as envoys from the Western Regions who accompanied them, came to the tomb of Emperor Wu to pay homage. In front of the majestic mausoleum, cigarettes are lingering, bull heads offer offerings, and after a sad song is played, more than a dozen old men with bright heads come out. They stand in front of the mausoleum of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty with tears in their eyes. The gray-haired Su Wu stands in the front with the banner of the year , he took the sacrificial wine from his entourage, sprinkled it in front of the mausoleum, then knelt down and kowtowed three times, muttering in a low voice: "My lord... the first emperor, my minister Su Wu, etc. have returned to the Han Dynasty. . . Come to see the sage, nineteen years In the past, I was sent to the Western Regions by the order of the first emperor, and I finally returned after going through many hardships... Xianlian, I would rather die than surrender, and I would never insult my mission. Today, I return to Han with banners. When you live up to the great trust of the late emperor, now that the Western Regions have been opened up, and the envoys of various countries have established diplomatic relations with the great man, they will also come to pay homage to you." There was another burst of drum music, and the envoys of the Western Regions stepped forward. They bent down and put their right hands in their hearts. Forever friendship." ...