Three Kingdoms.

   Chapter 1398 New and Old

  The rise of a new power will inevitably bring about turmoil in the old power.

   Hongnong Yang.

  Spring is the season for all things to grow, but some people may not be able to wait for the moment when spring flowers bloom.

  Yang Biao slowly knelt down in front of an old man's bed, looking at the old man whose breath was like a gossamer on the bed.

  Two pots of silver charcoal were lit in the house, but the old man on the bed still seemed to feel cold, covered with a thick silk quilt, it seemed that his body had been tainted with the chill of hell.

   This person who once shocked the Yang family, stomping his feet and moving his hands to change the situation, is now a candle in the wind, and may disappear at any time.

   "What's the matter?" The old man closed his eyes, but he seemed to be aware of Yang Biao's approach. With his eyes closed, he spit out two or three words from his dry mouth.

   "Back to the Great Elder, Zhengxi's subordinates will come to take over Hangu Pass in a few days." Yang Biao said with his head down.

  Tai Shici has dispatched people to go here first, and the next step is to accept Hangu Pass, which means that the Hongnong Yang family represented by Yang Biao will be merged into Zhengxi.

"...The solidity of Weihan, the land of Yongzhou...Stick to peek...Sweep...Legislative degree, farming and weaving, repairing war...Wai Lianheng..." The old man's breath was weak, and he was a little out of breath after speaking these few words .

  Yang Biao listened quietly, and after a long silence, he said: "Although Shang Jun is beneficial to Qin, he is also harmful to Qin."

The old man's withered and wrinkled eyelids moved, revealing a trace of hazy eyes. He stared at Yang Biao, as if trying to identify Yang Biao's outline, and seemed to express some attitude. After a long time, he said: "Remember ...Shang Jun...if he succeeds, he will be...the hero of the world, if he loses..."

  Yang Biao nodded silently, and said, "Biao will remember what the Great Elder said."

Both of them are extremely intelligent people, and with just a few words, they have already set the direction of Yang's future, but such a change in direction may not be understood by everyone, or because of various reasons, here and there Some people will always oppose, or even oppose for the sake of opposing.

  The Great Elder breathed heavily, and said after a long time: "Old man... not long to live... right now... there must still be some... stupid people..."

  Yang Biao was silent.

  The Great Elder was breathing hard, as if a small bellows had been installed between his chest and abdomen, as if he was accumulating strength and enduring pain. After a long time, the Great Elder suddenly said: "...forget it... help the old man up! Let's go... to get the medicine!"

   "Great Elder!" Yang Biao prostrated himself on the ground, knocking loudly.

When Dong Zhuo came to Beijing that year, Grand Elder Yang Rang was still able to walk on his own with a cane, and he was still able to be brave enough not to be supported by his attendants. I can only lie on the bed. This winter is even more serious. Only when the sun is at its highest every day, with the help of my attendants, can I go to bask in the sun, and I can barely survive until the early spring of this year...

"..." The Great Elder sat up with difficulty with the help of his attendants, looked at Yang Biao for a while, and then said slowly, "Get up..." Although the Great Elder is old, his heart is not confused. Yang Biao Come to him at this juncture, is it just for morning fixation and sleeplessness?

  A middle-aged attendant came with a lacquer tray, but hesitated to enter.

   "Bring it!" The Great Elder glared at the personal attendant.

   "Great Elder!" The middle-aged attendant suddenly burst into tears, choked up and said, "The Great Elder is weak, if you use this medicine again...even for a while...I'm afraid it will be..."

   "Bastard!" The Great Elder was furious, patted the bed, and said, "Your kindness is to let this old man... this old man linger on the sick bed, and die in a dog's life! Cough cough cough... fetch, fetch!"

  The Hongnong Yang family has been a member of the Han Guan family for more than a hundred years, so naturally they have accumulated in various aspects, not only in the scriptures, but also in the alchemist's elixir. The elixir that the Great Elder Yang asked his attendants to bring, that is, the golden elixir trained by alchemists, is somewhat similar to some life-hanging items in later generations. It stimulates a large amount of human body potential in a short period of time, but the side effects are also very serious. Obvious, even...

  The middle-aged attendant did not dare to disobey the Great Elder Yang Rang, so he had to send the jade bottle containing the golden elixir to the Great Elder with tears in his eyes.

  Yang Rang stretched out his skinny hand, grabbed the jade bottle tremblingly, panted for a moment, and then said to Yang Biao who was still kneeling on the ground: "Go!"

  Yang Biao didn't dare to say much, kowtowed on the ground again, and then hurriedly retreated.

   After a while, Yang Biao came back again and said in a low voice: "The Great Elder, I have ordered the call...It will arrive within half an hour..."

  Yang Rang tried his best to support his body on the bed, while the maids on the side were busy putting on Yang Rang's coat and outer robe, and someone was waiting with a set of furs.

Yang Biao glanced at it, beckoned to his entourage to fetch a set of down jackets, and then presented them to Yang Rang, saying that the down jackets produced by Pingyang, the general who conquered the west, were as warm as furs, but much lighter in weight, and more comfortable.

Yang Rang glanced at it, motioned for the maid to help him put it on, then reached out and touched the down jacket. It seemed that it felt pretty good, so he nodded slightly, and then said to Yang Biao: "...the people here have served this old man for many years... When the old man passes away, you should arrange it properly..."

  Yang Biao bowed his hands respectfully.

Yang Rang stared at Yang Biao for a few moments, sighed slightly, held the jade bottle, and closed his eyes. It seemed that the words and actions just now had consumed most of his energy, so he stopped talking. Sitting on the bed. If it weren't for the maid on the side who was pinching Yang Rang's arms, legs, and blood for him, and the eyeballs that moved from time to time under the old and drooping eyelids, almost most people would think that this one had lost any vitality. aging body...

  Yang Biao waited quietly.

   Maybe it was a long time, or maybe it was just a moment later, there were small footsteps outside the house, and then a voice sounded outside the door: "Report to the Great Elder, to the Patriarch... The Third Elder and the Fifth Elder have arrived..."

  Yang Rang glanced at Yang Biao and said, "Third Elder?"

  Yang Biao nodded.

  The third elder is Yang Li's younger brother, called Yang Ping. Back then, when Yang Li was forced to leave due to internal strife within the family, Yang Ping had made a fuss, but now that Yang Biao had chosen the direction to move forward again, it turned out that Yang Ping stood up to oppose it again, as if in the dark. There is a kind of providence.

Yang Rang opened the jade bottle, poured out a elixir wrapped in gold leaf, and then uncovered the gold leaf, revealing the blood-red body inside. After a moment of silence, he closed his eyes and put the elixir into his mouth .

  The middle-aged attendant on the side couldn't help crying, and fell to the ground, and brought many other servants in the house, and fell to the ground together.

  Yang Rang drank a few sips of water, let the elixir slip into his stomach, then closed his eyes and felt a heat that seemed to emanate from the abdominal cavity, making his hands and feet feel the warmth that he hadn't seen for a long time.

  But it is also accompanied by a faint pain...

   "Get the stick!" Yang Rang stood up tremblingly, and shouted, "Why are you crying! The old man is not dead yet! It's not too late to cry when the old man dies!"

  Yang Rang walked with a dove stick, and every step he took seemed extremely difficult. The waiters at the side carefully stretched out their hands to support them, but they didn't dare to step forward to help them.

  Out of the back house, through the corridor hung with curtains to avoid the wind, you arrive at Sizhitang.

Maybe it's because of the circulation of blood while walking, or maybe it's because the power of the medicine is gradually dissipating. Yang Rang's originally gray complexion has become more bloody, and it seems to have a tinge of luster, and the steps are not so difficult and dry during walking. It seems that everything is getting better. But everyone on the side, including Yang Rang himself, knew clearly that this was nothing more than stimulating the potential of the human body, and at Yang Rang's age, this stimulation may be his last...

  Yang Rang stood in front of Sizhi Hall, looking up at the plaque, his long white eyebrows trembling.

  Sunlight shines down from the sky and falls on the ground through the branches and leaves of the pagoda tree in front of Sizhitang, forming mottled light and shadows. It also falls on Yang Rang's head and body, forming a combination of fine light and shadows.

   "Wen Xian..."

  Yang Rang called softly.

"exist."

  Yang Biao stepped forward and lowered his head beside Yang Rang. The light and shadow of the locust tree could only shine on Yang Biao's crown of honor, but could not illuminate Yang Biao's face.

In front of the Sizhi Hall, under the Three Locust Trees, they witnessed Yang Zhen step by step to the imperial court of the great Han, witnessed the growth and development of the Yang family in Hongnong, and also witnessed the differences between Yang Feng and Yang Li and others, and even Witnessed the step-by-step changes of the Yang family after Dong Zhuo entered Beijing...

  Sizhitang remains the same. The three locust trees are still there.

   It's just that people are different, and things have become different.

  Yang Rang looked at it, remained silent for a long time, and said, "What are the four knowledges?"

  Yang Biao's heart skipped a beat, and he suddenly felt that this question and the current scene seemed a little familiar, as if when it happened...

   "Under the four knowledges, there are only two words, degree and prudence... The one who measures is the measure of right and wrong, and the state of things; the one who is cautious, does not involve danger, and makes the best use of the situation..." Yang Biao replied in a low voice.

  Yang Rang still raised his head, his cloudy eyes shone with brilliance, and the wrinkles on his face moved, like worms swimming between light and darkness. "Back then...you answered the same way..."

   "Yes... Great Elder..." Yang Biao still bowed his head and said respectfully.

  Yang Rang nodded, didn't say anything, but when he lowered his head, there seemed to be a faint sigh floating around his mouth, and it seemed to be just a snoring in his throat...

   "Great Elder!"

   "The Great Elder..."

  The third and fifth elders who had been waiting in the Sizhitang came to greet them in front of the hall.

   "I heard that Eldest Brother was ill, and I wanted to see him to say hello, but I was afraid that I would disturb my cultivation..." The third elder cupped his hands and said, "I can see you today, Eldest Brother seems to be... as handsome as ever... I am very happy..."

  The Fifth Elder also met with Yang Rang.

  Yang Rang glanced at the two of them lightly, and said, "That's a good point, but I'm afraid there are many people who are looking forward to the old man's early ride on the crane, right?"

   "This..." The third elder choked.

   "Brother really likes to joke..." The Fifth Elder eased the atmosphere aside.

  Yang Rang didn't continue talking nonsense, and walked straight in. He already felt that the temperature in his chest and abdomen was gradually not as hot as before, and perhaps the potency of the medicine was also dissipating. If he didn't get things done before he could hold on, he might not be able to get up again after falling down. .

   "It's been heard...how much do you two complain about Yang's joining Zhengxi's command?" Great Elder Yang Rang sat down at the head, and said straightforwardly, completely without the euphemism and gentleness of the past.

   "..." The Fifth Elder glanced at the First Elder, then at the Third Elder, and remained silent.

The third elder arched his hands and said: "Brother Li once said that he would belong to Shandong when he was alive, and that Yang's family would eventually suffer disaster. Now it has been proved! Now he has returned to Shanxi! How can it be like years of wasting effort, Yang's wandering around, and there is no one?" Inch advance! If you return to conquer the west, there is nothing wrong with it, but you need to deal with the crime of ineffective leadership first!"

  Yang Rang was noncommittal, turned his head to look at the fifth elder, and said, "What do you mean?"

The fifth elder was silent for a moment, then said: "Since Bandit Dong entered the capital, Yang's mistakes have been made again and again, and his muscles and bones have been injured. It is not as good as before... Now the Yuan family is in full swing, controlling the land in the north and south of the river. Recently, I also heard that General Yuan pacified You The north, including Qingyan, will soon march into Bingzhou... At this time, throwing yourself under the conquest of the west... Is it safe to lose? My younger brother is stupid, so please enlighten me."

Yang Rang nodded slightly, and said: "Yuan's unstoppable..." Yang Rang was about to continue to say something, but there was a twitch in his chest and abdomen, and he frowned his long white eyebrows, closed his eyes slightly, and looked at Yang Biao who was lowering his head. Said, "...Wen first, let me tell you..."

"Wei." Although I don't know why Yang Rang said it, he usually stopped suddenly, but since Yang Rang gave this order, Yang Biao cupped his hands at the third elder and the fifth elder and said, "...Yuan's family is prosperous at first, but there are hidden dangers. Congsheng. Today Yuan Benchu ​​is very powerful, but he is born of a concubine, abolishing the concubine and establishing a concubine, and there will be disasters in the end. This is one of them. Cao Pingdong of Yanzhou welcomed the emperor in Xu County. This is the second one. General Yuan Yuan first decided on Youzhou, but Qingzhou was not stable, so he marched into Bingzhou. His eagerness was obvious. However, Taiyuan Shangdang has been a dangerous place since ancient times, and it is at the end of the battle. How can we fight for a long time? If we don’t win, we will definitely be defeated. This is the third. If Yuan Benchu ​​was defeated by Bing, Yuan Gonglu was defeated by Huai, and Yuan’s family would be ruined... In this way, the world is in chaos. With Hanzhong, Longyou, and Bingbei as the base, it can become a major trend..."

  Yang Rang opened his eyes, looked at the third elder, and said, "How?"

  The third elder opened a pair of triangular eyes, looked at Yang Biao, then at Yang Rang, gritted his teeth and said: "If the crime of destroying the army and destroying the general is the first, I will allow it!"

  Yang Rang laughed a few times, and there was a hoarse feeling in his voice, as if rotten wood had collapsed, and said: "If that's the case... let's punish you! Come!"

   "Here!" A few armored guards flashed out from under the hall, and they answered in unison. These bodyguards are all orphans of the Yang family. They were adopted by the Yang family when they were young, and the thought of serving the family has been deeply engraved in their minds.

   "Ling!" Yang Rang took out the Great Elder's token from his arms, threw it on the seat in front of him, and said in a deep voice, "Take down Yang Ping!"

The third elder almost jumped up and yelled at the guards, but for the guards of Sizhitang, the orders of the first elder are the highest level, no matter what the third elder said, they rushed forward and dragged the third elder Yang Ping to the ground , into the lobby.

Yang Rang stood up slowly, looked down at Yang Ping who was being held on the ground, and said in a deep voice: "The sinner, Yang Ping, colluded with the Yuan family. Zong's interrogation!"

   "Brother! Big..." Yang Ping was waiting to argue, but the attendant at the side took a cloth and gagged his mouth. He could only whimper and was dragged out.

  The fifth elder beside him was sweating profusely.

   "This matter... will be handed over to Rulai for trial..." Yang Rang turned his head, looked at the fifth elder, and ordered in a gloomy manner, "The trial will be closed within today!"

   "This... only... obey the order of the Great Elder..." The Fifth Elder hesitated for a moment, and finally fell to the ground, accepted the order, and then hurried away. It is actually very simple to find evidence of Yang Ping's collusion with the Yuan family. Even if there is nothing specific, just look for it, and there will be some.

  Looking at the back of the five elders going away, Yang Rang's figure swayed, and suddenly a mouthful of blood spurted out, and he fell on his back! And this mouthful of bright red blood turned black almost immediately after leaving the mouth!

   "Great Elder!" Yang Biao rushed forward and supported Yang Rang.

  Yang Rang couldn't say anything, but pointed at the entrance of Sizhitang with trembling hands.

  The door, what is there at the door?

  Yang Biao looked back and suddenly remembered something...

"...Great Elder..." Yang Biao burst into tears, "...above the four knowledges, there are still three confusions...Only with wisdom and knowledge can one avoid the three confusions; only with insight into the clear nature can one understand the essence of the four knowledges ..."

   This is what Yang Rang said to Yang Biao back then. Only now did Yang Biao have a deeper feeling.

  What kind of face, what kind of feelings, what kind of vision, can only be discussed when the family exists! When a family is in decline, when it is facing danger, when it is in the midst of life and death, if it is entangled in the "three confusions" and then covered and affected by emotions, it will drag the whole family into the abyss.

  Being inferior to others is inferior to others.

  Didn’t Yang Zhen do the same back then?

  The higher you go, the more enemies you will have. When you reach the top, the whole world will be enemies. At the last moment, Yang Rang still wanted to let Yang Biao know this truth, the "four knowledges" and "three confusions" passed down from Yang Zhen at that time...

  Yang Biao wailed and burst into tears. I don't know if it's because he understands Yang Rang's painstaking efforts, or because he is crying that he can't reach the highest position, but Yang Biao also understands that it is the best way and the best choice for the Yang family.

  Yang Rang nodded slightly, then slowly closed his eyes...

  (end of this chapter)