Jiuxi

Chapter 579 [Who else can I tell?]

Imperial City, Fuqing Palace.

The tenth day after the emperor passed away.

The officials were still grieving, but the sound of their cries was not as mournful as in the first few days.

This is also human nature. After all, only a few people will indulge in the same emotions for a long time.

Even so, the crying in front of the palace gate was still very sad. After all, the departure of the late emperor was an immeasurable loss to Da Qi.

During these fifteen years, Da Qi had gone from being able to gain a foothold in a remote corner to being able to face off against the Jing army, which had similar military strength, and even achieve final victory. This was something that most people could not imagine.

People like to admire young heroes and habitually focus their attention on Lu Chen. Although Lu Chen is indeed worthy of such attention, officials in the court know that if they trace the roots, at least 70% of the credit for the Yongqiu victory lies with the late emperor.

During the first ten years of Li Duan's reign, he gave up a lot of power and endured the arrogance of the Jiangnan clans. He only asked for three things: the first was to stabilize Xue Nanting's position as the right prime minister, the second was to maintain Qin Zheng's control over the Weaving Bureau, and the third was to find ways to strengthen the strength of the border troops and give Xiao Wangzhi and Li Tianrun unwavering trust and support.

It was the strength accumulated over these ten years that enabled Da Qi to fight against the powerful Jing Army, and all of it broke out in the war over the past two years.

The reason why Lu Chen was able to rise so quickly was, on the one hand, because he possessed excellent talent, and on the other hand, he happened to be in the right place at the right time, as Da Qi was experiencing a period of rapid development.

Behind this magnificent and splendid victory is the result of Li Duan's more than ten years of hard work and dedication, and the reward for his countless times of compromise, taking a step back and taking two steps forward.

The officials thought of this and looked at the extremely solemn Fuqing Palace, which was covered in mourning clothes. They felt so sad that their sobs suddenly became louder.

Just at this moment, several figures walked out of Fuqing Palace.

The wailing official looked up and saw His Royal Highness the Crown Prince, accompanied by the Left Prime Minister Li Daoyan, the Right Prime Minister Xue Nanting, the Minister of Military Affairs Han Zhongjie, the Commander-in-Chief of the Imperial Guards Shen Yulai and others, walking through the temporary awning built outside the palace and heading straight to the back.

When all the officials saw this situation, they couldn't help but turn their heads to look, and almost everyone's expression changed subtly.

I saw a young man in mourning clothes walking towards me with firm steps through the dense rain.

The man had a solemn face and thin cheeks, and the rain all over the sky could not cover up the gloomy and murderous aura that filled his body.

It was Lu Chen, Marquis of Shanyang, who commanded the border troops of the Great Qi and won a great victory at Yongqiu.

When he arrived at the bottom of the shed, Lu Chen stopped and looked at Crown Prince Li Zongben, who had a sad face and red eyes.

He pushed the golden mountain overturned the jade pillar, bowed deeply and said: "Your Highness, I, Lu Chen, pay my respects to you!"

Li Zongben immediately stepped forward to hold Lu Chen's arms, pulled him up, and said mournfully: "You are finally back. Although my father did not mention it before he left, I know that my father has a great regret in his heart, that is, he will not be able to see you again. My father has been in power for fifteen years and has promoted many capable ministers and generals, but you are the minister that my father values ​​the most, and you have not let my father down. The great victory in Yongqiu is enough to comfort the ancestors of the Great Qi in the Imperial Ancestral Temple."

Lu Chen looked at the Crown Prince who was about to become the new emperor of Da Qi, and had a vague feeling that something was amiss.

He didn't stay in the capital for a long time and didn't have much contact with the princes.

The Crown Prince in front of him, formerly the Second Prince, gave him the impression of being carefree, relaxed and composed, and he was unable to get to know him more deeply.

When they met again today, Lu Chen found that the other party's demeanor had become very solemn. Perhaps it was the emperor's death that caused him to quickly become mature and reserved.

Thinking of this, Lu Chen bowed his head and said, "Your Highness, our army was able to achieve this victory. This is the great achievement of the late emperor. I am just doing my duty on this basis and dare not take credit for it."

Li Zongben patted the back of his hand with emotion, then turned slightly to the side.

Lu Chen looked over and saw the Left Prime Minister Li Daoyan looking at him with satisfaction.

After not seeing him for half a year, the old prime minister looked noticeably older. The loss of the emperor had obviously dealt him a heavy blow. Moreover, at this time of transition of imperial power, there were many things that required him to worry about, and he had no time to rest.

"Junior has met Prime Minister Li."

Lu Chen bowed his hands.

His behavior was a little inappropriate in front of the heir, but neither Li Zongben nor Li Daoyan felt surprised by it.

After all, since Lu Chen first came to Beijing, he has shown such an upright character.

Li Daoyan sighed, "Lord Lu must have had a hard time traveling all the way through mountains and rivers."

"It's not hard."

Lu Chen passed it over with just one word, then nodded to Xue Nanting, Han Zhongjie, Shen Yulai and others.

Li Zongben said at the right time: "Let's go."

Lu Chen took a deep breath and looked towards the Fuqing Palace in front of him.

In fact, the court etiquette has its own regulations, especially for major events such as national funerals. Everyone's words and deeds are subject to standard constraints, and it is impossible for the ministers to be allowed to view the coffin of the late emperor at will.

However, Li Zongben personally brought Lu Chen into Fuqing Palace. Xie Zhen, the Minister of Rites in the mourning team, looked at this scene, his lips moved but he did not dare to say a word in the end.

Li Shizhi, the Left Vice Minister of Rites, who was standing behind him, stared at the brick floor in front of him, motionless, as if he was completely unaware of Lu Chen's appearance.

The main hall of Fuqing Palace was lit with candles and curtains hung low. From the side room on the left came the sound of a group of eminent monks chanting sutras.

The coffin was made of golden nanmu wood, with a total of forty-nine layers of lacquer inside and outside, solemn and majestic. Lu Chen stood in front of the coffin, staring at it in a daze.

Then he knelt on his knees and prostrated himself.

Li Zongben looked at his back, sighed softly, then gave a look to Li Daoyan and others, and took them to the side room on the right, leaving Lu Chen alone here.

In the huge main hall, only the eunuchs who were lighting lamps and adding oil were hidden behind the curtains. The cries of officials outside seemed to be blocked out by the sound of rain.

In this strange silence, Lu Chen stood up and faced the coffin in front of him, and said slowly in a voice that only he could hear: "Your Majesty, I am back."

The Emperor of Great Qi, who was lying in the coffin, naturally could not respond to him.

After saying this, he fell silent again.

Lu Chen had a thousand words in his heart, but he didn't know where to start.

In the eyes of many people of the time, including the Crown Prince who was about to ascend the throne, Lu Chen's current status was due to the late emperor's respect and appreciation. He must have been heartbroken for the late emperor, so Li Zongben made an exception and allowed him to not hold a memorial ceremony as planned like other ministers, and let him take a look at the late emperor's coffin before the funeral.

But Lu Chen's feelings for Li Duan are extremely complicated, and even he himself finds it difficult to sort them out.

Looking back at the past, Lu Chen had just entered the court as the son of a merchant. Li Duan used him only to show favor to Xiao Wangzhi and had only a little appreciation for him, nothing more.

At that time, Lu Chen was more cautious and vigilant towards Li Duan, but he pretended to be a loyal minister on the surface. One reason was because Lu Tong had set a fire in Heluo City that year, and the other was due to Lu Chen's own background.

"Your Majesty, I am not from this world."

"In my previous life, no matter whether the emperor was wise or foolish, he was a third type of person besides men and women. To be precise, the emperor was not a human being, but a creature alienated by power."

"When I first met Your Majesty, you were exactly like the emperor I knew. You were patient, reserved, and had a strong heart and endurance. However, these advantages did not exceed my understanding. At best, they can only show that you are a very wise emperor."

"It's just... when did it change?"

Lu Chen whispered to himself, an indescribable sadness gradually appearing on his face.

Memories came flooding back, and countless scenes flashed through his mind like a kaleidoscope.

From his cautious attitude when he first came to Beijing to his open heart when he came the second time.

The exchange between the emperor and his minister before the rebellion in the capital, and the long talk before leaving for Shazhou.

Heart-to-heart talk in the Imperial Garden and separation in Wenhe Hall.

Until today, when he is separated from the living and the dead, he can only whisper to himself in front of the coffin.

"On the way south, I kept thinking about this question, but I didn't find a definite answer in the end. The change seemed to happen unconsciously. When I realized that you were different from the emperor I knew, everything was already a natural result."

"I still remember that day in the Imperial Garden, you told me that the root cause of the displacement of the people in Jiangbei and their miserable lives was not the violent Jing army, but the Li royal family who held supreme power. From that moment on, I was convinced that you were different from all the emperors in history books."

"Compared to them, you still retain the invaluable humanity in you."

"But how cruel is God..."

Lu Chen looked at the coffin, tears glistening in his eyes.

"To be honest with you, Your Majesty, I have had a lot of confusion in my heart over the years, but I dare not mention it to anyone, including my father."

"I came to this world without any reason. I was very scared. I didn't know what I could do, and I didn't know how to make my journey worthwhile. Because of your majesty's favor, I only took a few years to reach the destination that many people could not reach in their entire lives. However, it is lonely at the top, and one wrong step from now on could lead to the abyss."

"Has Your Majesty ever been frightened by such doubts?"

"I don't think so."

"Your Majesty has the people in your heart and has lived up to the expectations of the world. You have worked hard for twenty years to restore peace and prosperity to the world and to make people no longer suffer from displacement. Even though you have not yet accomplished your mission, you have done your best, so you will surely be able to face all this calmly and calmly when you leave."

"I have learned a lot from you, but the most important thing is not political tactics, but your extremely rare kindness."

"Your Majesty, I will try to emulate you and make this world a better place."

"I hope that when I die, I can be like you, live up to my life and face death calmly."

Lu Chen's tears finally slid down and fell on the golden brick floor.

He kowtowed once more, resting his forehead on the cold ground, and said softly, "Your Majesty, have a safe journey."

The coffin seemed to be looking at him silently.

The smoke is curling and the sound of rain is faint.

The person is gone and there is no response.

(End of this chapter)