One year ago, late spring.
In spring, the air in Fen County is filled with catkins. Bo Jiang wore a suit jacket with a X-branded badge and walked under the photographers' short cannons.
"X University actively responded to... teaching and poverty alleviation... field investigation... outing..."
endure.
"The x City Writers Association expressed this... Under the guidance of xxx..."
It's patience again.
“The results after one year…”
I can't stand it anymore.
The short guns were withdrawn. The instructor pulled Bo Jiang aside and asked him, "Bo Jiang, what is your attitude?"
Bo Jiang had a pair of extremely beautiful phoenix eyes. Usually, these eyes only showed a cold and bookish air, but now they were raised with an imposing aura: "You didn't tell me that you came here to do this."
Didn't tell him there would be reporters here.
I didn’t tell him that there would be “teaching support” here.
I didn't tell him that this so-called teaching in a prestigious school was actually just a face-saving project lasting only seven days.
In seven days, I gave out pencil cases and school bags. I also spent two hours every day playing the piano, drawing pictures, talking about French literature, and reading Shakespeare's poems to the children.
Talk about French literature.
To these students with dirty faces and who don't even have enough food to eat? In order to highlight a "contrast", the team leader instructed that when taking group photos, those children could not even wipe their faces.
It is necessary to highlight an "authentic" rural environment.
It is euphemistically called "broadening your horizons."
Therefore, they had to coax and trick this "star student" to come over to cooperate with the filming. It was because he was a top scorer in the college entrance examination, a handsome and talented man, and the most popular "upright" Internet celebrity on the Internet.
Is there anyone more suitable than Bo Jiang
The instructor said, "Bo Jiang, no other student behaves like you. Tell me what you are not satisfied with. The school foundation has given you the most resources and the greatest support. The teachers of the foundation know that the conditions here are not good, so they specially built a new bathroom for you. They also know that the food here is not good, so they hired a cook to bring it here for you."
You eat meals prepared by the cooks hired by the school, and the children in the village go back to eat their own meals.
What else are you not satisfied with
Bo Jiang: "You didn't say I came here to do this. I came to X University to study, not to be a propaganda tool for you."
The instructor said: "Bo Jiang, you are a member of the student union. Your every move represents X University. Don't be willful. I understand. You are a child of a wealthy family. Do you think the conditions here are too poor, so you use these excuses to prevaricate? Indeed, there is no wifi here, and hot water is not available 24 hours a day..."
no.
no.
Bo Jiang felt a deep sense of powerlessness. He turned his head and looked at the cultivated fields in Fen County. The fields in spring were not emerald green, but looked like puddles of churned yellow mud.
Tiny lives are growing in the yellow mud.
He entered this body when he was fourteen. When he was sixteen, he took the college entrance examination and scored full marks. He was admitted to one of the best schools. Although most of the children of the Bo family could rely on their family connections to go to various prestigious schools, Bo Jiang stood out and attracted everyone's attention. The Bo family held a grand admission banquet for this occasion, and celebrities from the academic and art circles gathered. The old patriarch of the Bo family patted his shoulder tremblingly and said with a smile: "Bo Jiang is a rare talent."
"X University is the best university in the world. You will get what you want there," said the old man.
That was the first time that Bo Jiang felt a sense of belonging to this world.
In the era when Bo Jiang lived, knowledge was often monopolized by the aristocracy. But now these institutions called universities only charge low tuition fees, but selflessly dedicate higher education to every student. Millions of people have the ability to acquire knowledge.
A university should be a place of supreme purity.
Before filling in the application form, Bo Jiang received calls from numerous universities, and he finally chose X University. He knew that many old professors would disagree with his knowledge. But Bo Jiang was not afraid.
Perhaps he could also patiently discuss academic matters with them and share his own experiences... just like he once stood in the court and talked with those Confucian scholars.
As soon as he entered the school, he was pulled into the student union, various organizations, various speech competitions, and various "honor activities" aimed at gaining fame.
It turns out that the winner of the competition can be decided internally.
It turned out that the old professor who accepted him as his apprentice wanted to use his fame as a bargaining chip to become an academic star himself.
It turns out that in front of the "highly respected" academic predecessors in the industry, "authority" is far more important than the truth. In their hands, history is a little girl who can be dressed up by anyone. As long as it can meet a certain purpose of citation, the little girl can be dressed up in any way.
Even in their eyes, Bo Jiang couldn't be an "ordinary student". He could play too many roles. Everyone was happy to see him become a "genius", just like this time, he was also moved here.
Coupled with the company's business requirements, Bo Jiang had almost no chance of his own to contact the world.
Or maybe that's what they were expecting. Both the company and the school thought that Bo Jiang's authentic ancient style was very precious.
It needs to be isolated, refrigerated and carefully stored.
Later, he found a book in the library. Bo Jiang rarely reads literature of this era, but this time he opened it in the afternoon sun. The protagonist of the book lives in a world that is almost utopian. There is no pain in his life because people are not allowed to complain. The protagonist is the best in this world. He loves to study and concentrates on studying. In order to prove a theorem in the book, he stayed up all night and forgot to eat and sleep. In the end, he graduated from the university of this world with the first place.
After graduation, the protagonist, as the best graduate of B University, was assigned a job - to enter the Ministry of Truth.
The Ministry of Truth said: "We accepted you because you love knowledge so much. This admission is a gift to you. You should be grateful because you will be with your favorite knowledge for the rest of your life."
The protagonist sees his new job. He will live with the other smartest people in the world.
In this white tower, knowledge and theorems are compiled for all the people in this world.
All knowledge in this country is fabricated.
It was already eleven o'clock in the evening when Bo Jiang closed the book. A symphony of music urging students to return to their dormitories sounded in the library. He put the book back on the shelf, and the old man who sorted the books asked him, "What are you reading so late?"
"Life." Bo Jiang said.
Just like now, he stood on the ridge of the field. The instructor asked him: "Look, this green field. Such beautiful nature, such simple children, do you feel that your soul is cleansed here?"
The camera was pointed at him again. The instructor closed his eyes again and said intoxicatedly: "The fragrance of the soil! So fresh! Only the soil in the countryside in spring can smell like this!"
No, Bo Jiang thought. He had smelled other scents of earth.
It's the salty taste of blood.
The soil of the Bo Dynasty was soaked with blood. Inside and outside the city, there was only wet soil.
'Why don't you accept this set of rules and use them to get what you want? 'A voice asked him, 'You are the beneficiary of this utopian world. '
But when Bo Jiang finally spoke, he said:
"I'm tired and want to take a year off."
He said this to his advisor on the day when he was only one year away from graduating successfully.
…
Now.
Yi Wan: "Many years later, when Qu Yun stood before the firing squad that stabbed him to death on the throne, he would surely remember the afternoon when he led his army to attack the imperial city of the Zhou Dynasty..."
Why suddenly One Hundred Years of Solitude
Chi Jixia: "Why are you talking about this?"
"Bo Mingjiang is going to die soon. I suddenly want to give Bo Jiang a spoiler... Hmm." Yi Wan put down the script without changing his expression, "Qu Yun's death is tragic."
Bo Jiang: …
I thank you.
He ignored Chi Jixia's garbage talk about "Yi Wan really cares about his son" and turned to the next page of the script.
Unexpectedly, he didn't have the kind of emotional fluctuations he had imagined... But Chi Jixia said beside him: "Yi Wan, why are you covering your mouth with the script?"
Yi Wan put down the script: "… It's nothing."
Qu Yun's army besieged the imperial city for three full months, which was an absolute torture for people inside and outside the city.
He was not in a hurry at first. The victory that was within reach was like a delicious meal, and delayed gratification would make the meal even more delicious.
But he didn't expect that the city could be defended for three months.
Finally, when Qu Yun's army began to get restless and agitated, rumors began to spread in the city.
Some people in the city started eating each other.
Prince Bo responded quickly to the rumor and killed those who spread it. But the rumor only grew stronger.
Finally there are new rumors.
While other people in the city were starving, the royal family was still enjoying a feast.
This is no longer a rumor. It is the truth. Bo Mingjiang can eat and live with the soldiers, but he cannot make other members of the royal family stick to this rule. Moreover, his younger brother Bo Mingyuan has been weak and sick since he was a child. For him to have a hard time eating like him is the same as killing him with his own hands.
Later, there were more rumors. Some said that the royal family had signed an agreement with the rebels outside the city to cede more than 20 states; others said that Bo Mingjiang was seeking fame and reputation and disregarded the lives of the people.
Attacking the city is inferior, attacking the heart is superior.
Qu Yun sent a signal of peace talks to Bo Mingjiang. He could make him a marquis and spare his brothers' lives - for the sake of their past friendship. But everyone knew that he had no friendship with Bo Mingjiang, only with Bo Mingyuan. This was a rift.
Secondly, Bo Mingjiang, as the crown prince, was able to survive and enjoy wealth and glory. But what about his father, the last emperor of the Zhou Dynasty, who had been passively fighting and accelerating his cultivation since the war began
This is the second level of alienation, and also the most ruthless one. Bo Mingjiang is soft-hearted and filial, and the one who holds the real power of the empire is still the emperor.
Qu Yun did not intend to let Bo Mingjiang live for long. The best outcome would be for him to enter the city, see him, and then wait for him to die of chronic poisoning. This would make it easier for the Northern Kingdom to take over this place.
That's what he thought.
It was not until Bo Mingjiang saw the ginseng sent from the North at Bo Mingyuan's place.
Newly delivered ginseng.
Princes don't die from murder, they die from betrayal.
Qu Yun saw the prince again on the city wall. After many years, the prince had grown from a young boy to a slender young man. The young man wore apricot-yellow clothes, held a bow and arrow, and fought against the enemy on the wall with the last rebels of the Bo Dynasty, just like every day.
Their resistance enraged the enemy.
"They look like they can last another month," someone said.
Qu Yun rode to the front line, wearing armor. The last boulder rolled down. But if Bo Mingjiang still wanted to resist, he might be able to hold out for another seven days. Qu Yun shouted to the figure on the wall, and he made sure that the other party could see him.
He saw Bo Mingjiang shoot the last arrow. The arrow went off course and missed the soldier in charge of the catapult. Bo Mingjiang reached for the quiver and froze.
There are no arrows in the quiver.
There was no new resistance for a long time. The northern army began to cheer, and some people said, "Go! They have nothing left!"
Qu Yun then spoke: "Bo Mingjiang..."
Before he could execute the plan he had prepared for that person after the occupation, he saw a group of ginkgo-colored kites falling from the sky as if their strings had been cut.
"bump!!"
Loud noise.
Bo Mingjiang died. This was the end.
The ginseng that appeared in Bo Mingyuan's home was later proved to be secretly put there by their third brother Bo Mingyue. Bo Mingyuan was unaware of this and angrily questioned Qu Yun, asking him why he sent a spy to alienate the two brothers.
He thought it was Qu Yun's spy who put the ginseng there.
Qu Yun did not say that he was not the one who gave the ginseng. He said, "You know, even without this ginseng, your elder brother would not be able to survive."
Bo Mingyuan asked him: "Why?!"
Qu Yun: "Because only I can bring a better future to this empire. Your brother is too good. The better he is, the more I will try to stop him."
This is a sacrifice that should be made.
Bo Mingyuan laughed bitterly: "So now you want to kill me too?"
Qu Yun said, “No.”
Bo Mingyuan said, "Is it because of you that we are still friends? If you still consider me a friend... if you still consider me a friend... then just tell me the truth."
Qu Yun then told the truth: "Because you will not pose any threat to the throne. Mingyuan, you don't have that strength. And keeping you will help us better win over the upright officials left by the Zhou Dynasty."
Bo Mingyuan laughed, tears welling up in his eyes. He said, "So this is all for your righteousness, right?"
He waved his hand and pointed outside. The sound of killing shook the sky. The Northern Kingdom's army was killing and looting in the imperial city. He shouted at the top of his lungs: "Then what about these? These are also the necessary prices to be paid for justice, right?"
Qu Yun said: "You have blocked us for three months. They have suffered heavy casualties and need to vent, but this is only temporary. Five years later, this scorched earth will become fertile land. Ten years later, there will be no more wars on this land. Twenty years later, all people will no longer be hungry and will live and work in peace. I promise you that by then, the people of the North and the people of Zhou will be as close as one family and have equal status."
"Okay!" Bo Mingyuan could hardly breathe. He covered his chest and laughed, "Okay! Okay!"
Qu Yun said, "Mingyuan, don't get excited. I will treat the descendants of the Bo family as kindly as possible - as long as they are not a threat. I will remember your friendship for me."
Bo Mingyuan was about to hit his head against a pillar and die, but Qu Yun's men stopped him. Qu Yun said, "You can't die now. I have already forced one prince to death, and I can't force a second one to death."
He waved his hand, and Bo Mingyue rushed over. He cried, "Second brother! Please stop making trouble!"
Bo Mingyuan's tears rolled down his collar: "You killed someone and destroyed his heart. Good job, Qu Yun. You killed someone and destroyed his heart."
Bo Mingyue said, "Second brother! If you go down now, what can you say to eldest brother? He will only think that you betrayed the Zhou Kingdom and were silenced by Qu Yun!"
These words were even more heartbreaking. Bo Mingyuan stopped making trouble. He stared blankly with tears on his face. Finally, he uttered an "ah" and let out a long breath: "Big Brother—"
Qu Yun knew that he would never die again, so he had someone take him away. When he looked at Bo Mingyue again, Bo Mingyue said hesitantly: "My eldest brother died, and I am also very sad. So I can't let my second brother die too! I really want our family to be complete..."
He also shed tears: "Why did my elder brother commit suicide?"
Qu Yun thought that he hated people who thought they were smart. In the end, he didn't say a word to Bo Mingjiang.
The more this Bo Ming ruins his business, the more he must die.
Later, Bo Mingyuan was indeed still a waste. He could not escape the fate of being used, so he stayed away from the court and lived in the mountains. Qu Yun came to see him several times, and finally persuaded him: "It is so inconvenient to live in the mountains. If you don't want to see me, you can go to a small town in the south with beautiful mountains and rivers."
Bo Mingyuan simply said: "I don't want to see your 'prosperity', not even a single glance, I want to live here."
Qu Yun asked him: "Isn't it also your ideal that the world should be united and the people should live and work in peace and contentment?"
Bo Mingyuan said nothing. Qu Yun looked at the calligraphy he was doing and realized that he was copying Bo Mingjiang's handwriting. He thought that their temperaments were becoming more and more alike.
Bo Mingyue lived to be over 40 years old. However, his body weakened rapidly. At the age of 40, he already had a head full of white hair, which was totally different from his normal appearance. He later went to see a famous doctor, but no one told him the true condition of his illness. They only told him that fate was determined by fate.
Finally, he learned from a traveling doctor that there was a chronic poison in his body. Bo Mingyue did not dare to find Qu Yunnao and wanted to secretly detoxify himself, but eventually died from a glass of poisoned wine.
Before he died, he questioned Qu Yun, why did he want to kill him even though he helped him. Qu Yun said, "I have already let you enjoy a lifetime of wealth and glory."
Bo Mingyue died. After his death, he was buried with great ceremony. Qu Yun ordered people to collect his remains and close his eyes that could not be closed.
There aren't many of his old subordinates left around him now.
Most of the old men who were brought from Zhou Dynasty to the Northern Kingdom by him, and then brought from the Northern Kingdom to attack Zhou Dynasty, and finally entered the Northern Kingdom with him, have died now. As early as when he conquered the capital of Zhou Dynasty, the most loyal confidant of Zhou Dynasty who had comforted him the most in the Northern Kingdom had committed suicide by taking poison.
Before he committed suicide, he said: "Congratulations, Your Majesty, on achieving your wish. But I see my life as a joke."
Several others were purged after he came to power. The remaining few kept a low profile and lived a peaceful life. However, one of them died some time ago. The imperial physician diagnosed that he died of natural causes, but his death was ugly due to years of excessive worry.
There are fewer and fewer people who can chat with Qu Yun, and then there are more and more. Sometimes he feels that he is really old.
Until one day, a young man appeared on the streets of the imperial capital.
Chi Jixia pushed Bo Jiang and said, "You are here."