In the eleventh year of King Wucheng, mid-April.

Zou Yan, the dean of Xiangping College, watched the sky at night, saw that the stars in the northeast were dim, and Ji Kang, the son of the gift, said that there would be an important minister in the Yan Kingdom who would die soon.

Ji Kang knew that what Dean Zou Yan said was referring to Yan Xianggong Sun Cao, and his heart couldn't help but cast a shadow.

People have joys and sorrows, and the moon is cloudy and sunny, and this matter is difficult to complete. At this time, Yan Xianggongsun Cao, who had worked hard for Yan Guo all his life, finally came to the end of his life.

On the twelfth day of the fourth month of the lunar calendar, Yan Guoxiang Guofu.

Xiangguo Gongsun Cao, who has been lying on the sickbed for several months, has been sometimes awake and sometimes unconscious during these months. But in the early morning of one day, he suddenly woke up completely. With the support of his eldest son, Gongsun Zhi, he sat up.

After Gongsun Cao came to his senses, he expressed his gratitude to Qin Xiang and other doctors who were treating him on the side. Qin gave Gongsun a straight look, nodded, and then walked out of the door with all the doctors to listen to the instructions.

Gongsun Cao smiled and said to his son Gongsun Zhi: "Zhi'er, if my father wants to eat the tofu brain created by beans when my son Ji Kang was in Jidu a few years ago, you bring a bowl to your father." This tofu brain is a good thing! I have eaten for my father for several years, but I haven't eaten enough.

Every time I eat this tofu brain, my father can think of what Gongzi Jikang looked like at that time, but I don't know what Gongzikang looks like now? As a father, I really want to see him again, to see him! ”

Seeing this, Gongsun already knew what it meant! His eyes were red, and he held back his tears, and replied, "Father, you are well recuperated." When you get better, your son will accompany you to Liaodi to see your son. ”

Gongsun Cao shook his head and said straight to Gongsun: "It's impossible!" ”

Then he commanded, "Go into the palace now and tell the king and the crown prince." I said that I would like to forgive my father for being rude, and now I can't go to the palace to meet the king and the crown prince. The father wanted to see them, and invited them to come to the prime minister's mansion to talk about it. ”

Gongsun Zhizhi's tears flowed down his eyes, and he hurriedly replied, "Father, my son will go." ”

Seeing this, Gongsun Cao smiled and said to his son: "My son, you don't have to be such a child, go quickly!" ”

"No." Gongsun burst into tears and bowed his head and replied.

After Xiangguo Gongsun Cao was sick and could not come to the court, King Wucheng and the crown prince also went to Xiangfu several times. Especially Ji Kang's grandfather, King Wu Cheng, usually sometimes annoys Gongsun Cao's nagging, but when Gongsun Cao fell ill, he knew the importance of Gongsun Cao to the Yan court. Too tired, is there? Too much to worry about, isn't it?

Therefore, every time King Wucheng visited Gongsun Cao in the Prime Minister's Mansion, he sincerely asked Xiangguo Gongsun Cao to recuperate well, and then continue to work for the country after he recovered.

After King Yan and the crown prince got the report from Gongsun Zhi, they naturally understood what it meant, especially King Wucheng, his lips trembled, and he said to Gongsun Zhi who went to report it: "How can this be? How so? ”

Subsequently, the prince and the prince together with Gongsun Zhi hurried to the Xiangguo Mansion.

After seeing King Wucheng and the crown prince enter the house, Gongsun Cao said: "Invite the king and the prince to the minister's mansion, forgive the old minister for being rude."

After that, he struggled to get up, wanting to bow to King Yan and the crown prince.

Looking at this old minister who had put himself on the throne and was loyal to assist him as much as he could, now his thin body. Ji Kang's grandfather, King Wu Cheng, couldn't help but feel sour in his heart.

King Wu Cheng came to Gongsun Cao's sickbed in a few steps, supported the old Xiangguo who wanted to get up and pay homage to him, held the old man's wrinkled right hand and said: "Xiangguo, don't be like this!" ”

Gongsun Cao looked at King Wucheng and the crown prince, and said to the two: "The king, the prince, the old minister is going today!" The old minister was already in a dream, and he saw that King Yan Zhao sent someone to pick up the old minister! ”

When King Wu Cheng heard this, his heart was even more uncomfortable, and he said to Gongsun Cao: "Xiangguo, don't do this!" The widow still wants to wait for you to recover from your illness and contribute to the widow and Yan Kingdom! The widow and the Yan country can't do without you! ”

Gongsun Cao smiled and said slowly to King Wucheng: "Great King, the old minister is here to thank the Great King for his weight. But now, I'm afraid the old minister can't do anything! ”

Coughing twice, he continued to King Wucheng and the crown prince: "The king, the prince, you two don't need to comfort the old minister. The time limit for the old minister has arrived, and it is irretrievable by non-manpower. The old minister is deeply sinful, he should have died a long time ago, and he is already satisfied to live until now. Since the "killing of the king", the old minister has been able to live until now, it is all the grace of the king, and the old minister is here to thank the king. ”

Seeing what King Wucheng wanted to say, he shook his head and said: "The king, the prince, the minister's time is running out, please forgive the minister for being rude!" Let the old minister finish his words. ”

Gongsun burst into tears, King Wucheng and the crown prince looked at each other, nodded and said, "Xiangguo, please speak." ”

Gongsun Cao said straight to the crying Gongsun: "You go out!" I have something to say to the king and the prince. ”

Gongsun choked up and replied, "No."

He bowed deeply to King Wucheng and the crown prince and retreated.

After seeing his son go out, Gongsun Cao said to King Wucheng and the prince: "The king, the prince, as the saying goes: "When a person is about to die, his words are also good; The bird is dying, and its song is mourning. "The old minister knows that he is deeply guilty, but the old minister thinks that in this life, he has not done anything to be sorry for my Yan Kingdom, I don't know if you two agree?"

After hearing this, King Wucheng and the crown prince remembered that when King Wucheng first ascended the throne, they were facing strong pressure from Qi and Zhao, and the Yan Kingdom was in danger of being destroyed at any time. It was this old man who stood up without hesitation at that time, and did his best to resolve the crisis of Yan Country through various means such as differentiation and marriage.

Later, when Yan Guo encountered danger several times, it was the old man who was about to die in front of him who turned the tide and allowed Yan Guo to survive. Especially since serving as Yan Xiang, he has been loyal to Yan Guo, which cannot be questioned.

To put it mildly, it is "killing the king", and he was also Ji Kang's great-grandfather at that time, and Ji Rongren, the king of Yanhui, did too badly, making people angry. If you don't kill him, the Yan Kingdom will definitely be destroyed by King Yan Hui.

Thinking of this, King Wucheng and the crown prince both had red eyes and nodded together.

King Wucheng shed tears even more, and said to Gongsun Cao: "Xiangguo, you are loyal to Yan Guo, there is no doubt. ”

Seeing this, Sun Cao smiled with relief: "The king, the prince, now the old minister is about to leave, but I am really worried about the future of my Yan Kingdom." Now my Yan Kingdom is quite weak among the Seven Kingdoms. But now it is a world of great controversy, Gongzi Kang once wrote to the old minister: "In the world of great controversy, if you don't fight, you will die." The old minister also thinks so! ”

Then he took another breath and continued: "Great King, Crown Prince, when the Seven Kingdoms are today, the strength of the Qin State is already arrogant above the other countries, and from the current point of view, it is constantly weakening Korea, and it is going to go east and annex the Six Kingdoms!" ”

When King Wucheng and the crown prince heard this, their faces changed suddenly, and they looked at each other in astonishment.

Gongsun Cao didn't wait for the two of them to say anything, and then said: "The king, the prince, the old ministers didn't know this situation before, and when they saw that the Qin State was like this to my Yan Kingdom, they thought it was a good thing for my Yan Kingdom. But Gongzi Kang directly told the old minister: "This is the strategy of Qin Xiang Fan Sui's "distant friendship and close attack", so as to use my Yan State to contain the Zhao State, and at the same time weaken the strength of our Yan and Zhao countries." Judging from what Qin Wang Yingji has done in the past few years, the old minister suddenly realized that what Gongzi Kang said was good! ”

Then the old tears flowed down, and said to King Wucheng and the prince: "The king, the prince, now my Yan country is not hopeless, what Guan Gongzi Kang did in Liaodi, my Yan country...... My Yan country still has a lot to do. ”

Then he slowly stretched out his left hand and held the prince's right hand in his hand. He took another breath and said: "The king, the crown prince, now is a world of great contention, and the successor of a country must have a long-term vision, enough courage and ability, in order to make the country stable and far-reaching, and become stronger and stronger."

Now after Gongzikang arrived in Liaodi, he recruited talents, recruited displaced people, cultivated acres of fields, and built industries. In Liaodi, he destroyed the country and built a county, and at a young age, he did what the previous kings of my Yan Kingdom wanted to do but did not do. ”

Speaking of this, the panting voice was louder, and he said intermittently: "The king, the prince, the prince Ji Kang is really a godsend...... God bestows me the blessing of the Yan Kingdom, looking at the king and the prince, you two...... You two stay ...... more, old minister...... The old minister said this, and looked ...... The King and the Crown Prince ...... Forgiveness. ”

At this point, he suddenly gasped and was almost speechless. Seeing this, King Wucheng and the crown prince shouted together: "Imperial doctor, quickly call the imperial doctor." ”

Gongsun Cao already knew that his limit had reached at this time.

In front of him, Gongzi Ji Kang, with a pair of clear eyes, appeared; In my mind, I remembered the scene when I first met Gongzi Kang, and a smile appeared on my face.

"Dare to ask Gongzi, how should my Yan Kingdom deal with the situation in the future?"

"In the long run: we need to change the system, open up wisdom, enrich the country, and strengthen the army. Near: build high walls, accumulate grain, and slow hegemony. ”

……

"The old man also knows about the child's affairs."

"The kid also promised Xiangguo today. After a hundred years of Xiangguo, in addition to plotting rebellion and treason, the boy will ensure the health of the descendants of the Xiangguo family for a hundred years. ”

Thinking of this, Gongsun Cao laughed and muttered in a low voice: "Childe, old minister...... The old minister is leaving! I'm sorry...... I'm sorry, Childe. The old minister can't see it...... See you...... You've got that day. ”

Without waiting for the imperial doctor to come in, he listened to Gongsun Cao use his last strength and shouted: "King Yan Zhaoxian, the old minister is following you!" ”

shouted, slowly let go of the hands of King Wucheng and the crown prince, and slowly closed his eyes.

……

In the eleventh year of King Wucheng, on April 18, the grandson of Yan Xiangguo died.

The news reached Xiangping, and there was a drizzle in Xiangping City.

Although he had been prepared in his heart, Ji Kang still said to Ji Mao, the old manager who came to report the matter to him: "Uncle Ji, what did you say?" Are you saying that Xiangguo Gongsun Cao has passed away? ”

The old manager Ji Mao saw Ji Kang like this, of course he knew what the death of Sun Cao, the grandson of Yan Xianggong, meant to his son Ji Kang. Grief said to Ji Kang: "Childe, please stop mourning!" Xiangguo Gongsun Cao did pass away on April 12. ”

In the study, Ji Kang stood in front of the window for a long time, looking at the drizzle outside, and did not speak for a long time.

Half a day later, he instructed the old manager Ji Mao to say: "Uncle Ji, pass on my order that Xiangping City is not allowed to feast for three days, in order to show my condolences to Xiangguo Gongsun Cao." ”

"No." The old manager Ji Mao was busy going to give orders.

After the old manager Ji Mao walked for a long time, Ji Kang looked in the direction of Jidu and said softly: "Old Xiangguo, go all the way." ”

With that, two lines of tears rolled down.