On the twelfth day of the first month of the first year of Xinhe, Duan Xu was ordered to go to the north bank, take over the position of marshal again, and reorganize the troops. After lying dormant for two months, the defenders attacked and recaptured Qingzhou. The governor of Yingzhou rebelled against Danzhi and surrendered to Daliang.
On March 19th of the first year of Xinhe, the Daliang army surrounded Shangjing and cut off its waterways.
On the eighth day of the fourth month of the first year of Xinhe, Emperor Fengshun of Danzhi attempted to flee Shangjing with the cover of 20,000 cavalrymen, but was ambushed by the Daliang army and retreated into the city in a panic.
In May of the first year of Xinhe, Danzhi asked for surrender and asked to preserve the royal family, but Duan Xu refused.
On the sixth day of the sixth month of the first year of Xinhe, Shangjing City was captured. Duan Xu led his army into the city, executed Emperor Fengshun and nearly a hundred people from the court of Danzhi, and the chief priest committed suicide, and Danzhi was destroyed.
Duan Xu gave orders to the entire army, and even the Hu and Qi people in the city could not harm them.
In July of the first year of Xinhe, the remaining generals of the Danzhi in Yi and Ji states led their troops to resist, but within half a month they were driven to the Mobei grassland by the Tangbei and Tabai armies.
From July to October of the first year of Xinhe, the five states of Tan, Qian, Gui, Ru and Huan surrendered one after another.
In November of the first year of Xinhe, Duan Xu submitted a petition to relocate the old Huqi people to the three states of Qian, Ru and Huan to cultivate land, and prohibited intermarriage within the clan, requiring marriages to be with Han people. The emperor agreed.
In the spring of the second year of Xinhe, Duan Xu returned to the Southern Capital, handed over his military power, declined rewards, resigned from his post and retired.
There are various legends about Duan Xu, the hero who helped recover the 17 states in the north. It is said that he was born with extraordinary strength and intelligence, and was taught by an immortal in a dream, so that he was invincible in battle and conquered every city.
There is also a legend that says that he was weak and rarely went to the battlefield, but as long as the Daliang army saw his flag, they would bravely fight the enemy and never retreat.
Legend has it that he was very familiar with the Danzhi royal court, and recognized the disguised Emperor Fengshun and the crown prince at a glance, and executed them with his own hands. He talked with the high priest on the city wall for three hours, and the high priest laughed and cried, "I will return to the grassland," and then jumped down from the city wall.
Legend has it that he was assassinated many times but remained unscathed. People often saw him talking to himself, as if there was a god by his side, protecting him all the time.
The grass is growing, the birds are singing, the spring sun is warm, and the flowers are in full bloom. Duan Xu is wearing a black suit with silver pine, cypress, and bamboo branches embroidered on it. He is much thinner than before, and looks sick, but in good spirits. He sits cross-legged in front of a tomb, throwing victory reports into the brazier in front of him. The ashes float slowly in the bright light as the flames jump.
"After a few generations, the Huqie people in Daliang will slowly become Han people, and their blood will be intertwined as Simu said. I have also presented your strategies to the emperor." Duan Xu said leisurely as if he was chatting.
When he declined all celebration banquets and returned the military token to the emperor and announced his resignation, the emperor showed the most sincere surprise in his eyes, but the next moment he was filled with doubts. It seemed that he could not believe that Duan Xu really had no desire for the world as he had said before.
He knew very well that it was useless to say more to the emperor, so when the military order was placed in the emperor's hand, he just said, "Your Majesty, the world is very big, and this military order is very important. You must accept it well."
"I don't know whether the emperor will read your policy seriously, and whether it can be implemented after reading it. But it doesn't matter. I also gave a copy to Zhao Xing. He is a very interesting person." Duan Xu smiled slightly.
Because of the death of the previous emperor and the chaos of internal strife in the court, the court had no time to take care of Zhao Xing in Qizhou in the north. So Zhao Xing stayed in Qizhou openly. Later, because of his meritorious service in the war, Duan Xu even asked for the position of Qizhou Governor and the title of Xun Guogong for him.
Before leaving, Duan Xu copied Fang Xianye's experience in governing Yun and Luo states and his strategies for governing the country and presented them to Zhao Xing. Zhao Xing's eyes lit up after reading a few pages, and he repeatedly exclaimed that the article was good and wanted to meet the author.
—The author Fang Xianye has been buried in the mud. If you achieve great success in the future, just remember him.
—Sir Zhao once wanted to be the overlord of Qizhou, so he might as well think further in the future.
As he said this, Zhao Xing's expression changed slightly, and then he smiled knowingly.
Zhao Xing was a tyrant, ambitious and resourceful, and his vision of the world was much broader than that of the man sitting in the hall of the Southern Capital. Before leaving, Duan Xu returned the army he had recruited from Qizhou to Zhao Xing. Shi Biao was unwilling to return to the south, so he persuaded Shi Biao to stay with Zhao Xing. In addition, he also gave Zhao Xing the blueprint of the feathered chariot and his military books.
"The thorns have been removed, and the road has been opened." Duan Xu coughed twice, skillfully wiped the blood he coughed up with a handkerchief, and smiled: "This is all I can do."
"Don't blame me. I found out these past two days that I actually have some white hair. Fang Xianye, since ancient times, youth never comes back. Don't you see that travelers from other states, on Chang'an Road, grow older every time they come back?"
Duan Xu smiled and tapped the tombstone with his index finger. If his friend was standing here at this moment, he would be able to see the eyes that were as bright and round as ever.
The sun was warm and it was very quiet.
Duan Xu was silent for a moment, looked up at the clear blue sky, and said whatever he thought of.
"How come twelve years have passed in a flash? When I first saw you, I thought you looked so fragile, and you were nothing like me. If I had stayed in Daliang, would I have grown up like you? You have a strong sense of self-esteem and cannot bear to hear these words, so I haven't talked to you about many things. Now that I think about it, it's a pity."
"Jingyuan's marriage is set. She will get married in a few months. Her fiancé is a very good person. Most importantly, he treats her very well. Don't worry. However, I always feel that she likes you a little. When you died, she cried for a long time. I asked her why she was so sad, and she said she didn't know. If you had spent more time together... Forget it, let's not talk about this."
Duan Xu sighed softly, still smiling, but his eyes were lonely. He seemed to be joking: "I used to think that after the North Bank was recovered, I would entrust everything to you, but you ran away first. Now think about it, why did I think that what I wanted to do would never fail?"
Chen Ying is now just a weak and unconscious wandering soul, and Fang Xianye left early.
When I was young and frivolous, I thought I could always win over fate. But in the end, as time went by, I realized that although I didn't lose, I also never won.
The flesh and blood body will never be able to withstand the vicissitudes of life.
Someone appeared behind him, and a faint fragrance filled the air. Now he could hardly identify the smell of the fragrance, but he knew who it was.
He Simu put his hand on his shoulder, bent down and said, "I have to go back and take the medicine."
Hearing the words "drink medicine", Duan Xu sighed, stroked the tombstone and said, "I finally came to see my good friend, can't I chat with him more?"
He Simu smiled slightly, but didn't buy it: "You've come up with a lot of excuses for escaping medication."
She grabbed Duan Xu by the scruff of his neck and pulled him up from the ground easily. Duan Xu did not struggle, but stood up with her strength and said to the tombstone, "My wife is fierce and I have to obey her. Goodbye, I'll go first."
He was silent for a while, and finally smiled brightly: "Don't meet someone as troublesome as me in your next life. Live a more relaxed life and be happy."
As soon as they finished speaking, they disappeared in the smoke. In front of the tombstone, there was only the bright sunshine and the chirping of insects and birds.
According to the agreement with He Simu, Duan Xu lived in Xingqing Palace after resigning from his post, so that Tiantong Xingjun could treat him at any time. When Tiantong Xingjun pulled out the silver needles inserted in Duan Xu's head, he immediately vomited blood and couldn't even walk steadily.
During the more than one year of war, under the repeated orders of Tiantong Xingjun, Duan Xu rarely went to the battlefield in person, but his spirit was greatly exhausted. At the end of the war, he was almost unable to hold on, and relied on Tiantong Xingjun's silver needles to keep his spirits up.
He rested for a while after the fall of Shangjing City. This time he returned to Nandu to deal with the issues of Duan Mansion and returning military power, and he had to rely on these things to hide his illness.
He Simu forced him to finish the medicine, and then helped him lie down on the bed. Duan Xu was a little tired, blinking his eyes, and seemed to be falling asleep. Half asleep and half awake, he grabbed He Simu's arm and murmured: "How much time do I have left... Just tell me..."
He Simu paused, she looked at Duan Xu's bloodless face with burning eyes, then put his arm under the quilt and whispered in his ear: "When you stop escaping the medicine, I will tell you."
Duan Xu pursed his lips, closed his eyes and fell asleep.
He Simu tucked his quilt, sat beside his bed and looked at him quietly.
The sky was clear in the southern capital, but it was raining in Taizhao Mountain where Xingqing Palace was located. Duan Xu was as fragile as a paper man without the silver needle, and could not stand the wind. The doors and windows of the room were closed, and only the sound of dripping rain could be heard.
He Simu thought, Duan Xu was only 26 years old now, and she had only known him for seven years.
She had imagined what he would look like when he was seventy, old, with white hair, walking with a cane, and moving slowly. She thought that at that time she would laugh at him, laugh at him loudly, show off her youthful appearance, and sway in front of him in various young bodies to make him feel embarrassed and angry.
Then, she would take good care of him.
By that time, he should have already fulfilled his wish and become an old man who could stay by her side and bask in the sun leisurely.
She would have him completely for a period of time, and after knowing him for fifty years, she would slowly accept the fact that he would eventually leave her and disappear from this world.
But it's only been seven years, and she's not ready yet.
Could she live to be seventy? Could she wait until he was gray-haired and dozing off one day, and then leave her safely?
Seven years is too short. Seven years is really too short.
"Please have some pity on me, Fox Duan." He Simu whispered. As she said this, a strong impulse suddenly surged in her heart, mixed with sadness, sorrow and hopelessness, drowning her like a surging sea.
She thought, maybe she wanted to cry.
But evil ghosts have no tears, and even her parents have never received a single tear from her.
"Is General Duan asleep?" A deliberately lowered voice came. He Simu looked and saw He Jia Fengyi standing in front of her with a bent waist, leaning on a cane and wearing a green palace uniform. He still looked sickly and inexplicably energetic as usual.
He Simu nodded.
He Jia Feng Yi sighed and said, "I heard from my senior brother that General Duan is not in good condition..."
"Um."
"What will you do if he leaves?"
He Simu was silent for a moment, and said, "There are still many things to do. Aunt Jiang Ai is helping me supervise the ghost domain now, but she is not interested in this, and she will return the power to me in the future. Chen Ying's soul is still too weak now. After a few years of nurturing his soul, I will let him regain consciousness and stay with me. His obsession is protection. If he is willing, maybe he can take over my position a hundred years later."
"I'm not asking what to do with His Majesty the Ghost King, I'm asking what to do with you, Old Ancestor?"
He Simu's eyes moved slightly, and then he smiled bitterly. The only sound in the room was the sound of the rain, and the air was quiet and humid.
“I don’t know.” She raised her eyes and met He Jia Feng Yi’s gaze, and said lightly: “Maybe I will know when that time comes.”
Now when she thought of Duan Xu's death, she felt as if time had disappeared into an endless ocean of blankness. She could still see many things waiting for her to do, but she could not see herself.
He Jia Fengyi's eyes moved slightly, and he reached out and patted He Simu's shoulder silently.
Not long after, Jiang Ai asked He Simu to go to the ghost realm to deal with some problems, and He Simu left temporarily. He Jia Fengyi was also about to leave the room, but saw Duan Xu on the bed opened his eyes.
He Jia Feng Yi was surprised and said, "So General Duan was just pretending to sleep."
"I slept for a while, and then I woke up." Duan Xu sat up slowly, his pale face showing his usual bright smile. He said, "Your Majesty, I have a favor to ask of you."
He Jia Feng Yi had a bad feeling, he asked: "What are you going to do?"
"Your Excellency, is there any way for me to lend my five senses to Si Mu at the same time, even for just one hour?" Duan Xu said as if it was a matter of course.
He Jia Fengyi's eyes widened. He choked for a long while and said, "I have no grudges against you in the past or in the present. Why do you want me to do something that will make me die in front of our ancestors?"