The lone lamp in the room was like a bean, and the cold rain and wind were blowing outside the window. Although the heat was still rising from the charcoal stove in the room, the old man leaning on the soft and thick yellow silk brocade cushion had his eyes half-closed, and his scorched cheeks were almost too thin. Skinny and bones, those once-powerful eyes now looked so dull and lifeless, and the droopy eyebags were even greener and darker, as if they hadn't rested for many days. The ups and downs of his chest trembled with the blush on his face, which made people feel sad.
But the expression on his face was quite calm, and the eyes that opened and closed from time to time proved that the old man had not lost his will. The room seemed extremely quiet, and even the sound of the charcoal burning in the stove could be heard clearly. Even the man standing in the corner with his head bowed The little eunuch who stood with his head bowed seemed to be holding his breath, fearing to offend the old man who had been extremely unstable these past few days.
The noble lady in palace attire sitting next to the dragon bed sighed softly, then picked up the jade bowl placed on the coffee table next to her, "Your Majesty, you'd better drink the medicine first. Seeing that your health has improved a bit, you can It’s not good for your health if you don’t take medicine anymore.”
She moved her head slightly to show that she heard the other person's words, but the old man said nothing. She just half-closed her eyes and rested silently. The lady in palace clothes had a look of helplessness on her face, so she had to put down the jade bowl gently again and put the cover on the old man. The brocade on his body was tucked up.
"An Fei, please go back and rest. I just want to have a good rest. Don't worry, I know my own body well. This illness can't suppress me!" After taking a breath, a trace of light flashed across the old man's skinny face. The firm look showed that the old man was actually not sure about his body. But at this moment, he could no longer trust anyone. Wave after wave of fatigue invaded him. He really didn't have much energy. Come and ask about these things.
After taking a look at the old man's face and seeing that he was not being sarcastic, the lady in palace attire stood up speechlessly, twisted her graceful waist and walked out of the door. The room finally became quiet.
The corners of his mouth were slightly swollen, and the old man's dull eyes stared blankly at the yellow satin tent. The silence made him feel extremely depressed, but at this time he didn't want to see anyone. He just wanted to be alone and quiet, although This is really not a good time.
For a blink of an eye, the tent ceiling with a few wrinkles seemed to turn into a map of the empire that I was very familiar with. Those wrinkles twisted and became arrogant, and slowly turned into the boundary river of the empire, with a few black spots that seemed to be hidden. , I don’t know what it is, my eyes are dim, it seems to have become a city on this land, the shadow of the candlelight is reflected on the tent roof, and the map in my memory is also divided into several pieces, Beiyuan, Heshuo, Guan Xi, Sanjiang, Tiannan and even Yanyun, the colors of the land seemed to be different, and several blurry faces appeared one after another in my somewhat groggy mind.
"Is it true that the inheritance left by our ancestors will fall into our own hands?" For a moment, turbid tears fell from the corners of his eyes uncontrollably. The old man seemed to be so fond of not noticing his gaffe. It felt so good to shed tears. It has been a long time. I have never tasted this kind of taste, and it seems that something in my heart has suddenly been vented. Although this has no actual impact, the depressed feeling in my heart has been relieved a lot.
"No, never, I can't be so decadent, I can't just admit defeat!" The character of refusing to admit defeat that he had developed over the years seemed to suddenly emerge in the old man's heart, but the situation in front of him was completely out of control, especially After I was in poor health and unable to go to court, everything seemed to be in chaos. I originally thought that I could stabilize my position with a few veterans, but the successive defeats on the battlefield seemed to make it impossible for even veterans like He Zhiqiu to control the emotions of the government and the public. The aggressive questioning in the news media had already made Situ Mingyue feel the looming harbinger of a huge storm. The overwhelming criticism and attacks had caused several veterans to retire one after another. At this time, some sacrifices had to be made.
Thinking of this, the old man closed his eyes in pain. He didn't want to do this, but in this situation, as the king of a country who had to consider the Situ family, he had to resort to this method. Even if it was a little despicable, he couldn't care less. He looked up and sighed, He Aiqing, I really can't help it. If you want to maintain the hearts of the people, someone must take on this responsibility. As a ruler, you have to make such a decision, and as a minister, you have to accept this decision.
He Zhiqiu sat calmly in the study and looked at the commander of the military police who was standing under him, a little uneasy. Yesterday he was still his subordinate, but today he had to come to check his residence. He took a sip of the water mist rising from his mouth. Taking the tea cup, He Zhiqiu greeted the other party to sit down with a smile, as if the other party was the one being inspected and he was the real person in charge of the matter.
"Sir, -" The corner of his mouth trembled abnormally like a cut wound. The officer in black armor looked ashamed and did not even dare to look directly at the old man in Confucian shirt sitting in the middle of the nave. His big, powerful hands were filled with shyness. Rubbing it back and forth in front of his lower abdomen, He Zhiqiu couldn't help but laugh.
"Don't call me that. Now I am a civilian waiting for review. I will ask Mr. Qin to take care of me in the future." He Zhiqiu's weather-beaten face showed unprecedented relief. After his request to see the Emperor the day before yesterday was rejected, He knew clearly that this moment had finally come. When a violent storm arose in the imperial capital, he vaguely felt that his fate was doomed. The fall of Heshuo County, the attacks from the government and the public, all needed an explanation, and the Japanese fleet raided Kamchatka Island. The sea cucumber naval port is just a trivial excuse, and the squadron is just a few broken ships. Even the navy headquarters seems to have forgotten that there is a squadron there, but now it has become his own grave sin. Maybe Ning Yuanwang is right. Either the empire can't be defeated, or it can't be defeated by the insignificant Japanese. Anyway, let yourself bear the responsibility. I believe that my seclusion at home can allow many people to sleep peacefully. Go to sleep.
"Sir, please don't say that. This subordinate has no choice but to forgive me for my difficulties." Officer Xuanjia's face was even more embarrassing. "His Majesty did not give any other instructions. He just asked you to stay at home." Just cultivate yourself well."
"Mingming, you don't need to say more. After so many years of official career, I still don't understand this. You can just follow His Majesty's will. I only have this house, and all my belongings are here. There are no other properties outside the house. I think it will make people happy." Many people are disappointed." He Zhiqiu sighed with some emotion. Qin Mingliang is the nephew of Qin Yuedong, the Minister of Agriculture. He is loyal to His Majesty and has a good relationship with him. His Majesty asked him to inspect his family. His Majesty was worried that he would be angry. Did he say something that he shouldn't have said, or was he thinking about old feelings and couldn't bear to see his own embarrassment in the hands of others? However, all this seems to have no meaning. He Zhiqiu's heart is full of calmness. After decades of ups and downs in the officialdom, he finally ended up with his house confiscated and awaiting investigation. He was neither sent to exile nor imprisoned. It can be regarded as an anomaly. As long as Keep your mouth shut. It seems that you still have hope that you can live the rest of your life carefree. Thinking of this, He Zhiqiu even felt a sense of hope in his heart. There are no annoying government affairs, no complicated interpersonal relationships, and no cumbersome greetings. Come and send, isn’t this the life you long for
He Zhiqiu stood up easily and put his hands behind his hands to look at the military police who were busy searching everywhere in his residence. He could see that these military police had been ordered by their superiors and appeared to be very well-behaved. Otherwise, if it were the same as in the past, It has long been a noisy mess. The whole family had already received their master's orders. Although they were a little panicked, they gradually felt relieved when they saw their master's calm appearance. Several servants were also silently cleaning and tidying up the rooms that had been searched by the military police. .
The sky in the west is gloomy and black, foreshadowing that rain and snow are coming again. He Zhiqiu looks at the distant sky with some melancholy. Are the clouds from the west just rain and snow? I'm afraid there are still violent storms and snow hidden in it. He is not nostalgic for the seemingly powerful position of Minister of Military Affairs, but he still has a hard time letting go of this position over the years. The huge ship of the Empire is swaying in the wind and rain, but it disappears and appears in the strong winds and waves. How can Qiu not know that the Empire Where will the next step go, the princes' obedience and ambiguity, the emperor's ambiguous attitude, the turbulence of the famous families, the local forces' hesitation, all of this is full of endless variables, all of which finally have nothing to do with him, and he seems to have nothing to do with him. You can sit down quietly, drink tea, nourish your mind and cultivate your character, but can you really let go of this focus
With the fall of the Minister of Military Affairs, a series of political storms quickly set off in the imperial court. His Majesty the Emperor, who had not been in power for several months, unexpectedly came to the court in person to manage the affairs. With the removal of the Minister of Military Affairs, He Zhiqiu, for investigation, the following As a result, a large number of officers, led by the commander of the Imperial Navy Fleet, were dismissed. The commander of the Seventh Army Corps, who was jointly and severally responsible, was fined three months' salary as a warning. The already collapsed and disintegrated Third and Fourth Army Corps were announced. The reorganization on the outskirts of the imperial capital attracted the attention of both the imperial court and the public, especially Ying Jianming, the deputy commander of the 1st Division of the 4th Army who successfully escaped the siege and annihilation of the Taiping Army in the Battle of Heshuo (transferred from the 5th Division). came) was exceptionally promoted to the deputy commander of the newly formed Fourth Army and the commander of the First Division. This appointment was even more surprising. The commander of the Fourth Army was the former commander of the First Division of the Guards Corps. This promotion is not surprising, and Ying Jianming is just a civilian-turned-soldier, and no one knows what the background of this guy is. He was able to rise to the rank of legion-level officer in one step. You must know that this is also rare in the history of the empire.
The wheel of history is slowly rolling forward, ushering in the Spring Festival of the Tang people in 697 of the mainland Gregorian calendar.