Hello Chang’an

The tenth year of Changhua was the first ten years that Li Suining became emperor, and it was also the decade of great prosperity.

And this year seems to be also a year full of partings.

Since the year before last, Chu Hui has been somewhat forgetful. Sometimes when words come to his lips, he often calls the wrong names of his children and grandchildren.

Of course, the old lady couldn't help but complain that it was because there were so many children and grandchildren in the family that he was asked to forget about it.

Everyone did not dare to refute this, but privately they were a little worried and frequently went to Dr. Sun to ask.

As a result, the Taifu's temper became even worse. It was difficult for a person who had been extremely smart to accept the fact that his memory had deteriorated and his brain no longer obeyed his command.

Under this situation, the old man who always wanted to be clean easily refused to interact with others. Even Qiao Yang, who came to fish with a fishing rod, was blocked from the door several times, or was allowed to go fishing on his own. Fu Ze was in the other courtyard and refused to come out.

The more this happened, the more uneasy the younger generations of the Chu family became, and they came to visit every now and then. Because there were so many people, people kept coming every other day.

The Taifu chased people away irritably, breaking several crutches, and his temper was even worse than when he was young... In this regard, Doctor Sun's advice was: pamper him.

Until one day, the Chu family found that the old man's temper suddenly softened.

But Dr. Sun said that this was not a good sign.

The old man became more and more confused. He gradually began to have trouble recognizing people and spoke garbled words. For example, when his great-grandson served him to soak his feet with herbs, he was not willing to do it. He said it was too hot, but he said angrily: "My hands are all wet." I was burned and peeled off by you, a yellow-haired kid."

The great-grandson named Chu Mo had been serving the old man for several days, but the old man turned around and asked the servant: "Why haven't you seen Chu Mo here recently? Are you out on a study tour again?"

Hearing that the servant said that the saint and the concubine were coming, the old master who was sitting in the carriage reacted for a while and asked: "Which concubine? Oh, okay...that troublemaker."

As he spoke, he asked thoughtfully: "Is it time for this little baby's fourth birthday? I should prepare a gift..."

"I'm going to celebrate my eightieth birthday!"

Five-year-old Ayun suddenly appeared from behind him and put her hands on her hips in front of him: "You have to prepare a big gift!"

"Ouch..." the old man laughed loudly: "It's amazing, you are as big as me! Come on, let me see how many white hairs you have..."

Ayun also cooperated very well. With a round smiling face, he got closer to the white hair that made the old man count it as non-existent.

Li Suining and Cui Jing walked over with smiles.

The old master looked at the emperor in regular robes, smiled and said: "Li Shang, you have taught me such a good daughter... Just like you, there is no truth in her mouth!"

The servants were slightly frightened when they heard the wrong call "Li Shang", for fear that the emperor would be displeased, but the emperor just smiled and pushed past the teacher's chair as he had for ten years.

At the end of July, it was the time to enjoy the scenery in early autumn. Cui Jing followed with her bouncing daughter to look at the flowers and grass.

After walking for a while, Cui Jing took over the car chair to push Li Suining, fearing that he would get tired from pushing.

Li Suining and his daughter followed the car seat on the left and right, talking to the old man.

The old man asked a question to test Ayun, but when Ayun answered it, the former had forgotten what question he had asked. Because his temper had softened, he laughed and joked to himself: "I have been fishing for a lifetime, but in the end I became a fish, and I turned around." Just forget…”

Li Suining: "Even if it's a fish, you have to be the one with the most thorns."

"Isn't that right?" The old lady's mind was still sharp during the bickering: "Otherwise, why would I be picked on by you all the time?"

The teacher and student were arguing like this all the way, and the old master felt that his brain was getting better.

From that day on, it was only a month, and the old man's physical condition took a turn for the worse again.

Dr. Sun has tried every means, but the old man is old and suffered such a serious injury ten years ago. In the past ten years, he has relied on nursing care at all costs to prolong his life.

Li Suining had just finished his morning court and rushed over from the palace without even changing out of his dragon robe.

The sickbed was surrounded by children and juniors of the Chu family who were choking and weeping. When they heard that the saint had arrived, they all saluted and moved out of the way.

On the sick bed, the old man who could no longer recognize anyone and had never spoken a word, when he saw the students coming, he actually stretched out a skinny hand and said soberly: "Here he comes..."

Li Suining knelt down beside the couch and held the hand: "Yes, the student is here."

The Chu family temporarily retreated to watch outside, and Cui Jing, who had arrived early in the morning, quietly stayed behind Li Suining.

"You're crying." The old man still had the energy and mood to laugh at the student: "That's strange..."

"Don't cry." The old man immediately comforted him in a slow voice: "It is the natural way to go and return to glory... If we don't wither, future generations will be honored."

This was almost a gentle tone to comfort a child. Li Suining almost burst into tears, and his words were as willful as a child: "But teacher... I want you to always be with me, and I want to be your student forever."

"I am your teacher forever. You still want to turn me away..." the old man said slowly: "But you don't have to be my student forever, Chu Hui. You have to be a student of this world forever..."

The old man raised his wrinkled hand with a smile and gently placed it on Li Suining's shoulder. The texture of the dragon robe was unique in the world, which made the smile in the old man's eyes deeper.

He gently brushed off the non-existent things on it and said with a smile: "Because my student is no longer a pitiful little boy, but a great majesty..."

Li Suining burst into tears immediately.

The hand that seemed to be brushing away the old wounds and snowflakes on her shoulder gradually became unable to support her. When it was about to slip, Li Suining hurriedly reached out to hold it.

The hand slowly held hers, and the old man whispered: "Why is it so cold..."

While speaking, the old man raised his other hand with some difficulty, and covered the student's palm with both hands to warm her. He seemed to realize that his hand was not warm enough, so he slowly held the student's hand in front of him and breathed gently.

In countless dreams, on the endless snowy fields, whenever a student covered in blood came walking in the snow, he would always run over with all his strength, brush the snow off the student's body, hold up the student's **** hand, and try to help the student. Students stay warm.

In his dream, he looked around and saw that there was nothing that could be used to make a fire. He even eagerly thought about burning himself here to build a fire for the students to keep warm.

The old man's consciousness was now chaotic, but he was still afraid that the students would get cold.

His weak breath was no longer warm, but this breath burned the palms of Li Suining's fingers, as if taking away all the coldness she would experience for the rest of her life.

This was an extremely ordinary action, without a heart-wrenching farewell or a solemn entrustment.

Only a gray-haired old man used his last breath in this world to try to keep his students warm.

Li Suining held the two hands and put them on his forehead, closing his eyes and tears welled up in his eyes.

A trace of tears overflowed from Cui Jing's eyes, and she knelt down to see him off.

Outside the half-tied bamboo curtain, seeing the Prince Protector performing this grand ceremony, the Chu family suddenly burst into mournful cries and poured in.

The emperor stayed in this courtyard for five full days without leaving.

Cui Jing traveled between the imperial city and other courtyards every day. During the day, he asked about Ayun in the palace, took care of affairs and presided over the situation on Li Suining's behalf. At night, he stayed with her, holding her in his arms and crying silently one after another.

A king who had been on the throne for ten years, who rarely shed tears even as a child, seemed to have shed all his tears in just five days.

Chu Hui said before his death that there was no need to send him back to the city for funerals. He could just go here quietly and it would be good to be buried here.

The ceremony was presided over by Wujue, and many clan officials and literati came to express their condolences and say goodbye. Both Qiao Yang and Zhan Mian cried so hard that they became seriously ill.

On the day of the burial, Granny Jin, who could not find a single black hair on her head, also came over accompanied by her juniors.

After seeing off his teacher for the last time, Li Suining sat quietly in the courtyard alone for half a day.

When she pushed the door out of the teacher's study, she saw Cui Jing and Ayun waiting outside.

Looking further back, Wei Shuyi, A Dian, Yao Ran and others were also there, as well as Chang Sui'an, Yao Xia, Cui Lang, Qiao Yumian, Qiao Yubai and others, as well as a group of people led by Xi'er and Zhai Xi at the Moon Cave Gate. Children playing outside.

Li Suining's heart suddenly felt filled with peace and tranquility. He walked down the stone steps and left the courtyard accompanied by everyone.

It was the end of the autumnal equinox, and when we left the courtyard, the sky, earth, mountains and rivers were filled with green and yellow, which was the time when prosperity and dryness alternated.

Ayun, who saw her mother going through the pain of losing a teacher, was looking up and asking her teacher: "One day, will Prime Minister Wei also die? When that happens, where will Prime Minister Wei want to be buried?"

"..." Wei Shu couldn't bear to be angry with the emperor, so he looked at Cui Jing with a smile: "Cui Ling'an, take care of your daughter."

Cui Jing just pretended not to hear and continued walking forward.

Traces of streams appeared in the front and side. Ayun suddenly said that he wanted to catch fish. He waved his little hand and called his friends: "Wan Wan, Qiao Du, Cui Yi, Cui Zheng, General of All Beasts... follow me!"

"Why does Your Highness only call them, but I also want to go with you!" Cui Lang said, pulling up Qiao Yumian: "Mianmian, let's go, catch the fish and then go see my father-in-law!"

Chang Sui'an and Yao Xia were more worried about their daughter than the other, and they quickly followed her.

Cui Jing looked at Wei Shuyi: "Prime Minister Wei, take care of your students."

Wei Shuyi wanted to have a good argument with him, but suddenly he heard that His Highness the Princess over there was not very good at the start of the battle and she fell to the ground and gnawed in the mud. After all, he had no choice but to follow him, wondering and sighing: "In which life did I owe this debt..."

Qiao Yubai was still following behind the Emperor and the Prince Protector. When he regained consciousness, he saw that he was the only one left around, so he hurried to the stream.

Yuan Xiang, Xi'er, Zhai Xi and other palace officials followed from a distance.

The stream was soon filled with the sounds of play and play.

Cui Jing took Li Suining's cold hand.

Li Suining held him in his arms, turned to him and said, "Cui Jing, you must live longer."

"Don't worry." Cui Jing said with a promising tone: "In this life, I will advance and retreat with your majesty, and we will prosper together."

Li Suining asked him: "What about the next life?"

Cui Jing: "Same."

"Yes." Li Suining nodded with satisfaction, "I'm very relieved."

Cui Jing couldn't help but laugh.

The two of them joined hands and slowly walked into the cool breeze of late autumn.

…

(Full text ends)

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—Fei 10 at 2:52 am on September 30, 2024 (end of this chapter)