The swords were scattered, and the rebellion was quelled. Before re-entering Chang'an City, Emperor Liu Ju looked at the majestic capital and couldn't help but ask the person he trusted the most the question that made him feel painful.

"Brother Yuan, these clans and royal families are already extremely rich, but why do they still start a rebellion? In the past, when I was studying in Bowangyuan, I once heard the masters say that there is much help for the righteous and little help for the unjust. Many help, the world helps, few helps, relatives are ...... Could it really be that I've failed so much that even they have to fight against each other? ”

Yuan Zhao, who was walking beside him, heard the sadness in his words. He withdrew his gaze and groaned slightly. Then he stared earnestly into the emperor's eyes and began to speak.

Actually, such a question should not be answered by me. After going through so many things, I believe that Your Majesty should have understood the complexity of human nature. If you think about it, you'll understand ....... ”

A hint of gloom flashed in the Emperor's eyes. Perhaps, he is not completely ignorant of the relationship, but out of his generosity and kindness all along, he is not willing to speculate on the evil side.

The broad walls of the Containing Light Gate obscured the last rays of light. The city gate cave that bears the mottled years is a little gloomy, and the horse's hooves are trampling, and the sound of the two people's answers is extremely dull.

"From the Yang Palace all the way to Zhongnan Mountain, so many people died in this rebellion to protect my safety...... And in that mountain courtyard, I watched General Li bravely kill the enemy and die with his own eyes! The dead can never be resurrected, and no matter how much I grieve in my heart, it will never be undone. But what is the cause of all this? ”

"It's very simple, it's all about satisfying the needs of power and profit!"

"But they are not satisfied that they have attained the greatest glory and honor in this world?"

"Your Majesty, have you ever heard of a saying that people's hearts are not enough to swallow elephants? Human ** can never be satisfied, and greed is an innate original sin. What you already have is afraid of losing, and what you don't have wants to get...... Life and death, the cycle repeats, that's all. ”

"Brother Yuan, now that it's happened, I won't hide it from you anymore. In fact, since I ascended to the throne ten years ago, I have always felt bored and tired. Those who can't read the world's chapters all day long, the endless battles of courtiers, and all kinds of rules and etiquette that emperors should follow...... None of this gave me any sense of freedom. Even the selection of harem concubines must take into account various political-related factors, and they must not be arbitrary. I don't understand more and more, is this supreme power really that important? ”

"What Your Majesty said is only one aspect. Power is important, of course! It just depends on whose hands it is in and what it is used for. ”

"Huh! In Weiyang Palace, as well as in this Chang'an City, and even in the entire territory of the world, since Emperor Gaozu founded this dynasty a hundred years ago, there have been constant rebellions, whether it is internal or external troubles, almost most of the time there are wars. There are very few days of real stability and stability. If the root of all this lies in this power, then it is really the culprit! Isn't there anyone who can escape its control...... Even Brother Yuan, you can't? ”

Walking from the darkness of the city gate into the twilight of the city, the emperor's face was a little unclear. But his last question seemed to freeze the twilight for a moment. The Yulin army that followed closely behind was taken aback, and they all stopped in unison and distanced themselves from the two horses in front.

Lights were already starting to come on on the long street in the distance. Although the rebellion in the city has subsided, there are still a few fires that have not been extinguished, and there are faint weepings, which are some of the families that have been affected this time, and have suffered a sudden and inexplicable disaster.

The expression on Yuan Zhao's face was confused. He didn't look at the emperor, but just let out a long sigh and said without concealment.

"There is no one in this world who has the ability to escape the temptation of power...... Even if you are called a sage, you can't! Countless people fought to the death for this temptation, accompanied by the rise and fall of dynasties, generation after generation, and the cycle continued. This is a dead knot that is difficult to untie! ”

Hearing his answer, Emperor Liu Ju didn't seem too surprised. The two of them watched as the lights gradually lit up near and far. After a moment of silence, he suddenly asked again.

"A large part of the reason for the rebellion of the clan nobles is that they are afraid that your power is too strong and will be too big to be uncontrollable in the future...... So, Brother Yuan, do you also have the ambition to be an emperor? ”

Liu Ju turned his head and looked at Yuan Zhao's eyes calmly. No one knew what he meant by asking. If you change the occasion and change the pair of monarchs and ministers, the subtext of this sentence is a monstrous disaster, connecting the nine clans!

The emperor asked calmly, and the people beside him still replied calmly: "Your Majesty, even you feel tired sitting on the Hanyuan Palace, let alone someone else!"

"Hahaha! Brother Yuan, I actually don't understand that from ancient times to the present, dynasties have changed. Being an emperor is obviously a chore, why are so many people rushing to it, and they don't hesitate to step over the mountains of corpses and blood to sit in that seat? Is it just because of that little luxury? ”

The group of people returning to the city turned a few streets and finally set foot on the south end of Suzaku Street. The shadow of Weiyang Palace in the distance is already in sight. Yuan Zhao, who knew very well what Emperor Liu Ju was thinking, nodded slightly. An inexplicable smile appeared on his face, and he said lightly to him.

"Your Majesty, you're about to go to Weiyang Palace. Until then, let me tell you a story. ”

"Good...... Be all ears! ”

Horses' hooves trampled through the streets, and many people finally saw the costumes of this group of feather forest soldiers in the twilight. There was a look of shock on their faces, but there was also a lot of joy. Since His Majesty the Emperor has returned unharmed, it means that the rebels have been completely wiped out...... That's really good news! Reassuring.

In the ranks of the Yulin Army, which was vigilantly protecting the march, Emperor Liu Ju began to listen to Yuan Zhao tell an ancient legend that had been unknown for centuries.

"Legend has it that there was an evil dragon in the ancient land, and every year people would ask people to sacrifice tributes and beautiful women for their enjoyment. The people could not bear the disturbance and rose up in revolt. Every year, a young hero is chosen to assassinate the dragon, but no one returns. When another hero set off, someone quietly followed to watch. When he arrived at the dragon's lair, he saw gold and silver treasures all over the ground, and the evil dragon attached to it. Then the brave hero stabbed the dragon to death with his sword, sat on the dragon's corpse and looked at the glittering gold and silver treasures, and slowly, the scales grew on the boy's body, and he became another evil dragon. The boy who slays the dragon will one day become a dragon! Alas! That's how things are in the world. In fact, as long as we understand **, we can make those "obsessions" we have no longer be so "persistent". You know, when we stare into the abyss, the abyss is staring at us...... Your Majesty, do you understand the truth behind this? ”

The Emperor lowered his head and only nodded slightly. He didn't say anything more, and he didn't continue to ask why. It has been silent until the Vermilion Bird Gate of Weiyang Palace. He rubbed his forehead vigorously, as if to shake off some questions that he hadn't thought through completely. Then he changed the subject and finally asked.

"Brother Yuan, the current Han Empire has opened up thousands of miles and the four seas are flat. The scale is unprecedented, unparalleled! You should rest easy, right? ”

"Your Majesty, it would be wrong for you to think so, and it would be a big mistake! On the contrary, our country needs to be in peace for a long time so that we do not repeat the mistakes of the past and the mistakes of previous dynasties...... Now is a critical intersection of life and death! ”

The emperor looked at him in surprise, definitely not expecting him to answer like this. The current Han Dynasty is unprecedentedly prosperous, and there are no ancients before. This is a fact that no one can deny. Even if there has just been a rebellion in Chang'an, it will not hinder the overall situation. He really didn't understand why Yuan Zhao said things so seriously in a serious tone.

"How do you say that......?"

"Born in sorrow, die in peace. If you enter, you will not be able to leave home, and if you go out, you will be invincible to foreign patients, and the country will die! And the current Han Dynasty is at such a stage. ”

Emperor Liu Ju studied since he was a child, and there were many knowledgeable masters. However, no such thing has ever been heard. His expression was shocked, and he muttered these two sentences carefully in his mouth, and for a while, his heart set off a thousand waves.

"Give me time. I...... Think about it! ”

"Good! Your Majesty is still young. If there are many things to do from now, then everything is in time! ”

The Suzaku Gate was opened to welcome His Majesty the Emperor back to the palace. The traces left by the rebels have not yet had time to be cleaned, and many of the broken spots are covered with slashes and axes. The unlucky ministers of the court did not care about the undried blood on the ground, and they fell to the ground, tears streaming down their eyes.

"Your Majesty...... Lucky! The Han Empire was fortunate. ”

For the rest of his life after the catastrophe, the monarchs and ministers wept at each other. When Dongfang Shuo, Sima Xiangru and the others raised their heads, they crossed the crowd, their eyes met the people who had returned thousands of miles, and they all felt the weight of it, and they were extremely pleased with each other. However, it is difficult to eliminate grief in the heart.

"It's a pity...... Brother Ziyun Xian was unfortunately assassinated. You can no longer drink with us and create a better future! Before he died, he asked someone to bring it back and let us pass it on to you. ”

Yuan Zhao stretched out his hand and took a book of laws handed over by Dongfang Shuo. When I opened it, the notes on it were neat and organized, and most of them had been revised. And the colors in those handwritings, speckled and speckled, were all red. The corners of his eyes turned red unconsciously.

"His blood will not be shed in vain......!"