my empire simulator

Chapter 4 What is a real man?
I can't remember my mother anymore.

Only in sleep can one get a glimpse of...

-

Xu Guo and Liang Guo fought again.

The Zhang family's ancestral home has been passed down from generation to generation, and they have avoided several wars, and today they have to flee for their lives.

The ancestral home is located on the border of Xu and Liang, and they are easily affected.

The family simply packed their luggage and prepared to flee.

Looking at the old house where he has lived for more than 20 years, Zhang Fu couldn't help but shed tears.

He is a simple and honest person, he doesn't know how to say nice words, he can only kowtow to this old house a few times, and say that his children and grandchildren are not filial.

"Sir, let's go."

Seeing her husband's appearance, the wife shed tears and patted her husband's back lightly.

If possible, who would want to be born in troubled times?
After agreeing, Zhang Fu got up and got into the carriage with his wife.

At this time, Zhang Fu's young child was lying in the carriage, holding his favorite wooden bird in one hand, sleeping soundly. His wife gently stroked the child's face, biting her lip, feeling a little sad.

No matter what, the children are still young, they can suffer no matter how tired they are, why should they suffer these hardships?
-

A family of three came to a small town in Liang State and built a simple wooden house in a remote place.

In order to make a living, Zhang Fu traveled all over the city, only to find a job as a blacksmith, and he could barely maintain his life.

Going out every night and returning late every day, Zhang Fu's back bent a lot.

But whenever he came home and saw the child, Zhang Fu felt that his hard work was worth it.

However, it didn't take long for his wife's health to deteriorate, which made the already difficult family even worse.

In order to treat his wife, Zhang Fu worked desperately and found other odd jobs in the city.

A little bit of gray has already appeared on the head of this [-]-year-old man.

It seems that Zhang Fu's efforts were seen by God, and his wife's health showed signs of improvement, which made Zhang Fu heave a sigh of relief.

-

The war between Liang State and Xu State seems to have escalated again.

This month, three conscript orders have been issued to forcibly transfer the people, and the entire Liang country is in a state of panic.

In the alley, Zhang Fu carried his son to the pancake stand.

In the three months since he came to the town, Zhang Fu has suffered a lot for his livelihood, but in front of his son, his face is always full of smiles.

The child stared intently at the baked pancakes, and every time he passed by, he would stare at them for a long time.

"Boss, a cake."

Seeing the child's appearance, Zhang Fu said to the owner of the pancake stall.

The boss was an old woman, and quickly wrapped a cake for Zhang Fu.

"Cooking cakes are not good..."

Clutching his father's clothes, the child's eyes betrayed him.

After giving the money, Zhang Fu handed the biscuit to the child and said with a smile, "I bought it for you, eat it."

Swallowing, the child couldn't hold back after all, took the pancake and ate it.

The pancakes just came out of the pan were a bit hot, and the child gasped from being scalded, but he ate them very deliciously.

Seeing the child eating deliciously, Zhang Fu smiled happily...

Soon it was night.

In a simple wooden house, the child fell asleep, holding in his arms besides the wooden bird, there was another half a piece of cooking cake.

The child was reluctant to finish eating, so he took it home and left it for his mother, but the mother couldn't eat it no matter what.

Zhang Fu touched the child's face over and over again, as if he wanted to keep the child's face in his heart.

"Yi'er, protect your mother and be a good man!"

In the child's ear, Zhang Fu spoke slowly, tears running down his face.

As if anticipating parting, the child tried to reach out to grab something, but failed repeatedly.

Wiping away his tears, Zhang Fu turned and left the house. He didn't even dare to turn around and speak to his wife.

The breadwinner of a family left and never came back...

Zhang Yi asked her mother once: when will my father come back?

Only a few tears of mother's tears were the only answer to Zhang Yi. Since then, Zhang Yi never asked this question again.

Although Zhang Yi is young, he seems to know that his father will not come back.

Later, his mother told him that his father wanted him to be a man.

But what is a real man?

Protect mother?Support this home?

In the days when his father was away, he followed his father's example and supported the family with his mother.

Seeing that he was pitiful, the blacksmith stood by his side and asked him to help. Even so, Zhang Yi's hands were covered with calluses.

That winter, my mother fell ill after all.

Lying on the sickbed, my mother watched Zhang Yi struggling to clean up the house with the wooden bucket. The woman would always cry, and Zhang Yi would always run over to help her mother wipe away her tears when she saw it.

"Mother, don't cry, Yi'er will buy you pancakes when she comes back."

Zhang Yi sold his favorite wooden bird, although it was only sold for two yuan, but in order to let his mother eat cooking cakes, Zhang Yi endured the heartache and sold it.

As time went by, the woman's condition became more and more serious, and Zhang Yi's appearance became more and more embarrassing. There was only one meal of gruel every day, which made the already thin figure even thinner.

Suddenly one day, my mother was able to get up from the sick bed, dressed up, and put on the hairpin given to her by her father.

It was the prettiest day for mother in months.

On this day, Zhang Yi ate the meal his mother cooked for him.

Although it was just a bowl of gruel, it still had a slightly burnt taste.

But Zhang Yi ate deliciously. This was the most delicious meal he had ever eaten in his life.

Also on this day, his mother also left him.

The mother committed suicide by jumping into the river. When the body was picked up, she was still wearing the familiar clothes and tightly holding the hairpin given to her by her father.

The mother who does not want to drag the child down, but also cuts off the child's last thought.

With the departure of the last important person in her life, Zhang Yi is no longer a child...

-

At this moment, Zhang Yi was wearing a plain robe, standing in front of the Shu Palace, waiting for the summon of the King of Shu.

The presence of the Minister of State of Shu, summoning Zhang Yi at this moment also implies the meaning of the school examination.

However, Zhang Yi didn't show any nervousness, her eyes were slightly closed, and a question kept popping up in her mind.

'What is a real man? '

This question has been entangled with Zhang Yi for more than [-] years. What Zhang Yi has is only a seven-foot skin and a sharp tongue. Can he be called a real man?

Standing in front of the Shu Palace at this moment, the twelve giant pillars of the Shu Palace stand side by side, and Zhang Yi is so small in the middle.

"Xuan Zhangyi enters the palace—"

As the summons sounded, Zhang Yi walked slowly towards Shu Palace.

The pace was slow and steady, just like Zhang Yi's state of mind at that time.

'What is a real man? '

Step on the steps with your left foot, under the gaze of the mighty palace guards, they don't look sideways.

'Princes and nobles? '

No.

Take a steady step with your right foot and move on.

'Famous teachers and high apprentices? '

Nor is it.

Step by step, walk through all the steps, and slowly step into the hall.

'What is a real man? '

In the Shu palace, all the ministers cast a scrutinizing gaze on Zhang Yi, but Zhang Yi looked at the person at the highest place in the hall and saluted.

'When you get angry, the princes are afraid, live in peace and the world goes out!Fang is a real man! '

"Zhang Yi! Meet the King of Shu!"

Zhang Yi's voice echoed in the hall...

(End of this chapter)