The mysterious bird of destiny, the beginning of China

Chapter 171 All old friends are gone...

Bai Zhi stood on the main hall of the Divine Bird Hall, overlooking the mountain below. There were pavilions and pavilions dotted among the lush trees.

Around the Divine Bird Hall, there are more continuous palaces standing, which were built again when Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty Liu Che was in power.

Bai Zhi didn't attach much importance to this. It was just some houses. How long could he live there?

Bai Zhi looked away, thinking about what Emperor Liu Che of Han Dynasty said before his death.

As Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty said, immortality is a kind of pain. Even Liu Che, who ruled such a huge empire, would feel pain if he could appreciate the beauty of supreme power, let alone other people?

The so-called immortality, when no one can obtain it, everyone pursues it!
But when someone gets immortality, they realize that it is a kind of poison.

Just imagine, you are immortal and will never change color in the years, but your relatives and your confidante slowly grow old until they die.

What a pain!

Bai Zhi looked at the people in the side hall of the Divine Bird Palace. The once beautiful woman had now turned into an old woman.

Yes, Bai Zhi also gave Zhao Liyue a chance to return to youth, allowing him to experience the lost years again.

And now, she is growing old again.

It can be seen that in the corners around the side hall of the Divine Bird Hall, there are jars piled up, and the jars are all filled with the fruit wine she has brewed over the years.

Bai Zhi flew down and landed aside.

"Sacred Bird, it seems my time has come..."

Zhao Liyue had white hair and a wrinkled face, and looked down the mountain with cloudy eyes. There were mourning cloths hanging on the palaces at the foot of the mountain. It was the people who were mourning the death of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty.

Seeing this, Zhao Liyue thought about her own funeral.

"..."

Bai Zhi didn't answer and waited in silence.

For me, this eternal life is indeed too heavy. Familiar people disappeared from my side one by one and were buried in the small mound.

Maybe one day in the future, we will meet again in another way!

For example, Zhao Liyue at this time, even though he is now old, is still so similar to the person before.

"Please ask the divine bird to bury me on the mountain when I grow old. The fruits on the mountain... are very good."

Zhao Liyue suddenly turned her head, looked at the forest behind the Divine Bird Palace, and said this.

"it is good!"

Bai Zhi nodded.

Then he looked at the fruit wine aside. The fragrant aroma filled the air, refreshing the mind and making people salivate.

Zhao Liyue sat on the table and took a deep breath of the rich aroma of wine, with a satisfied smile on her face.

It seemed like she could never get enough of this fruit wine.

She closed her eyes, immersed in the aroma of the wine, and tasted the wine carefully as before.

Bai Zhi sat aside and watched quietly until she died.

The setting sun shone on her body, and her hair seemed to have turned into red hair in the bright red sunset, adding a bit of serenity and tranquility to her.

The sacred bird with flawless white feathers raised its head, looked at the setting sun, sighed, and then lowered its head.

When he looked up again, he was surrounded by a mountain forest with lush trees. Under the trees, there were patches of unknown wild flowers blooming in clusters and clusters, like stars in the sky.

A solitary tomb stands, newly covered with soil, no paper money, no tombstone, just a lonely mound.

"You like this purity and the aroma of wine. Now, stay here for a long time. When the autumn wind blows through the mountains and forests, the trees here are also full of wild fruits, just like when you came to pick them..."

In front of the solitary grave, a jar of fruit wine stood quietly until it was piled with fallen leaves.

……

……

In 75 BC, Emperor Liu Xun of the Han Dynasty came of age and was crowned.Prime Minister Zhang Qian returned power to the emperor, resigned and returned home, regardless of political affairs.

After more than a hundred years of development, the former Bowang Hou Mansion has been filled with descendants, and members of the Zhang family are distributed in the government and the public. However, due to the strict family tradition of the Zhang family, there are no people who hold power.

It seems that the Zhang family has become the largest family today, and has the potential to be an aristocratic family.

The first decree of the new emperor when he took charge was to confer the title of Duke of Bowang to the Prime Minister and Bowang Marquis Zhang Qian. Zhang Qian received the title of Duke.

At the same time, Emperor Liu Xun appointed many members of the Zhang family. As time went by, many of the Zhang family members were talented, made suggestions for the country, and became loyal and good ministers.

With the replacement of the old and the new, the political affairs of the Han Dynasty remained as stable as ever because of the loyal and good ministers.

The borders of the Han Dynasty were stable, the countries in the western region respected him, and all the countries came to court.

The people live and work in peace and contentment, and because of the sweet potatoes, even in years of great disaster, there is still no famine.

In addition, when Duke Bowang went to the Western Regions as an envoy and dug through the Western Regions, a large number of different crops were introduced from the Western Regions to the Han Dynasty during the past hundred years, giving the people of the Han Dynasty more choices in terms of food and use.

Time passed, and in the fifth year after Duke Bowang Zhang Qian was granted the title of Duke, Bai Zhi came to Bowang Palace.

At this time, the Bowang Gong's Mansion and the former Bowang Hou's Mansion have undergone great changes, becoming larger and more luxurious.

But the people in Bowang Palace are still as polite as before.

But Bai Zhi turned a blind eye to all this and went directly to a magnificent room in Bowang Palace.

In the room, the curtains were hung high, and the sunlight reflected on the carved window lattice formed bright beams of light, leaving bright spots on the carpet.

There is a table with strict carvings on the side, and in the inner bedroom, someone can be seen standing quietly.

On the bed, an old man was lying quietly. Beside his bed, some people were kneeling. Among the kneeling people were children, teenagers, and middle-aged men.

They seemed to be listening quietly to the admonishment of the voice in the bed.

At this moment, a weak voice on the bed paused, then waved his hand and said: "That's it, you can just retreat!"

"Yes, old ancestor..."

Only after everyone in the room had retreated did Bai Zhi appear.

Seeing the divine bird whose feathers were still as white as ever, a smile appeared on Zhang Qian's old face, but under the wrinkles, this smile had a hint of ferocity.

Getting old is like that.

"The divine bird, here comes..."

Zhang Qian said hello with a smile.

"I am coming!"

"I know I don't have much time."

Zhang Qian leaned on the backrest, looked at the divine bird quietly, and said: "The late emperor has left, and I am about to leave, but the divine bird remains the same."

Speaking of this, there was no trace of envy in Zhang Qian's tone, but instead it was full of deep relief.

"I wonder if the divine bird will think of me again one day after I leave?"

"Of course it will."

Bai Zhi nodded and landed on the bronze candlestick in front of the bed, seemingly chatting with Zhang Qian as usual.

After receiving Bai Zhi's answer, Zhang Qian showed a satisfied smile, then frowned and said:

"I wonder what will happen to the common people after I leave?"

As the Prime Minister of the Han Dynasty for nearly a hundred years, Zhang Qian knew a lot about many things in the world.

Although the great man had the help of divine birds and even gave him the high-yielding sweet potato crop, there were still people starving to death in the world.

As the Prime Minister of the Han Dynasty, Zhang Qian has been committed to promoting sweet potatoes in order to solve the problem of hunger among people all over the world.

Although there is no major famine disaster in the world, people will still starve to death.

This left him physically and mentally exhausted.

Bai Zhi naturally knew what Zhang Qian was thinking.

However, what advice could Bai Zhi give him?

Moreover, Zhang Qian was also running out of gas at this time.

In the room, the two of them suddenly chatted about their experiences when they were on mission to the Western Regions. There were many sighs and reminiscences in their conversation.But at this moment, the voice of Zhang Qian's descendant suddenly came from outside, "Ancestor, the noble man in the palace is here!"

The voice was full of urgency.

Upon hearing this, Zhang Qian's expression changed and he immediately wanted to stand up to greet him.

But there were footsteps outside, and then a young man pushed the door open and entered.

I saw a young man wearing an emperor's crown and a majestic face, but at this time he looked anxious and hurried to Zhang Qian's bed.

It is the current emperor Liu Xun.

"Zhang Qing, don't get up! Don't get up!"

Emperor Liu Xun saw Zhang Qian on the bed about to get up, and quickly stopped him, pressing Zhang Qian on the bed again.

However, Zhang Qian still saluted Emperor Liu Xun on the bed.

"Alas, no courtesy!"

Emperor Liu Xun said quickly.

"I never thought that His Majesty would come to the mansion in person. He is really a minister..."

"Zhang Qing, please don't say that!"

Emperor Liu Xun quickly stopped him, and then said with a sincere face: "I think that when I first became emperor, I was still young, and Zhang Qing was always teaching me, and that's why I am what I am today. In my opinion, Zhang Qing is My master..."

Emperor Liu Xun talked a lot with Zhang Qian, but in the end, he saw Emperor Liu Xun's face became solemn, and then asked: "Zhang Qing, I wonder who in the court can be reused in the future?"

"I have long stopped asking about matters in the court, but today the emperor personally inquires about it, and I do not want to say much. I only advise the emperor in two words: 'Good medicine is bitter in the mouth and good for the disease, and loyal words are hard on the ears and good for action.', and, 'Your Majesty. , the boat. The people, the water. Water can carry the boat, but it can also capsize it."

"As for the ministers in the court, most of them are loyal and good people. Naturally, people also have selfish motives. As long as selfishness does not prevail in state affairs, they can be used!"

"...I understand!"

After listening to Zhang Qian's words, Emperor Liu Che immediately nodded cautiously and looked at Zhang Qian with even more respect.

Before staying long, Emperor Liu Xun left.

Seeing Emperor Liu Xun leaving, Bai Zhi appeared, and then looked at Zhang Qian whose breath was weaker again. Bai Zhi said: "The next moments are so precious, you should get along with the younger generations. Enjoy your grandchildren, and your family will be full of children." , is the perfection of life.”

"it is good."

Zhang Qian nodded, and then he saw Zhang Qian's direct descendants coming in again, more of them children.

Amidst the childlike chatter of children, Zhang Qian's smile gradually disappeared...

For a moment, mournful cries could be heard in Bowang Palace. Immediately, the palace was full of silence. Emperor Liu Xun, who had not yet returned to the palace, returned in a hurry. He got out of the car and couldn't help but shed tears...

……

In 70 BC, Duke Bowang Zhang Qian passed away.

Emperor Liu Xun personally went to Bowang Palace to express his condolences.

After Duke Bowang's death, he was given a state funeral.

Duke Bowang was buried beside Maoling.

In the international metropolis of Chang'an City, how many people and things happened, how many legendary stories were spread around the world, and how many people's names were known to the world.

They may be people from the market, traders and pawns, or dignitaries, to name but a few.

But together they formed this magnificent era and painted the picture of this era.

However, their passing seems so ordinary.

With the passing of Zhang Qian and the disappearance of the Duke of the country, only a small number of people are immersed in sadness, while more people are still busy with their own lives.

Bai Zhi spread his wings and flew to the Divine Bird Hall.

The once clean and tidy steps were once again covered with withered yellow leaves. There was moss growing under the fallen leaves, but it also added a bit of tranquility and tranquility.

A few days later, I saw a waiter coming up, holding a broom and cleaning every step carefully.

At first, they were respectful and even hopeful.

But the more people came, the more relaxed they became, chatting with each other about interesting things in the city or the palace.

……

The grassland is vast and endless.

This land is filled with heroic spirit.

On the vast grassland, cows and sheep can be seen on the wind-swept grass. The herdsmen sit leisurely on their horses and watch the sheep grazing quietly in the distance.

Or looking at the caravans coming from the Han Dynasty on the road in the distance, the jingling bells tell the story of the distant journey.

Prairie King City.

It was built a hundred years ago and is located on the grassland, but it also feels a bit desolate as an isolated city.

However, the Prairie King's City is extremely prosperous, and merchants, tourists, and knights from the Han Dynasty all come here.

The owner of the Prairie King's City is naturally the Prairie King.

Ever since the Han Dynasty drove the Xiongnu to Mobei a hundred years ago, the entire grassland has become the pasture of the grassland king.

The King of the Grassland was canonized by the Emperor of the Han Dynasty, so the entire grassland was the territory of the Han Dynasty.

Under the governance of the Grassland King, the people on the grassland seem to be living and working in peace and contentment.

The herders herded cattle and sheep, selling cattle and sheep to southerners, or selling wool, while merchants from the south transported a large number of goods from the Han Dynasty, exchanging what they needed.

The entire grassland gradually lost its former unruly nature.

A little more stability and harmony.

Bai Zhi's figure flashed and stood above the royal city, then disappeared again and appeared in a gorgeous palace in the royal city.

Every building in the palace is full of Han style. It can be guessed that the people living here should be Han people.

In a room, the same old man was lying on the bed, and beside the bed, there were also some people standing.

Among them, there are old people, middle-aged people, young people, and children.

Seemingly feeling something, the old man kicked everyone out of the dormitory.

"Sacred Bird, you are here..."

The old man's face is aging and his energy is like a gossamer.

However, the moment he saw the divine bird, he seemed to regain his energy again.

Wang Erti of the grassland once ate a "red fruit", and was later given the effect of rejuvenation by Bai Zhi.

But at this moment, the brave appearance of the former prairie king is nowhere to be seen!
Seeing an old friend makes you naturally happy.

The two of them talked casually, but everything was dull.

Finally, Erti changed his voice and asked, "I wonder how my brother is doing?"

"Zhang Qian... passed away a few days ago."

Bai Zhi tells the truth.

"Gone..."

Erti was stunned when he heard this, then smiled calmly and said: "I never thought that my brother would not live as long as me..."

He smiled, but gradually, there were tears in his eyes.

Letting his tears flow in vain, he looked at the divine bird and said, "Please ask the divine bird to bury me in my hometown after my death..."

Bai Zhi did not stay in the Prairie King's City for too long. When he came out again, the royal city was also hung with mourning cloths.

When the people in the royal city and the herdsmen outside the city heard this, they couldn't help but shed tears or howl loudly. The cries, prayers and wishes of these herdsmen were bidding farewell to this legendary grassland king.

Bai Zhi stood in the air and watched quietly. He didn't know how long it took before he disappeared.

In the Divine Bird Hall, Bai Zhi's figure appeared, and then slowly flew into the hall:

"I'm back to the beginning again..."

(End of this chapter)