Pengcheng ----

Du Li, the secretary of the military department, is now the highest-ranking official in Pengcheng, because the emperor is seriously ill, almost everything is decided by Du Li.

The fierce Di people arrived outside Pengcheng two days ago, but they did not launch an attack for a long time, which made Du Li, who was worried about the emperor's condition, even more exhausted.

"Du Lao!" General Zhou Xun walked into Du Li's office with a flying stride.

Du Li, who was approving the official document, put down the brush in his hand, quickly stood up, and said hurriedly: "General Zhou, how is the situation?" ”

Zhou Xun swished in a series of armors, and when he came to Du Li's office, he took two breaths before saying: "I just got the news, Lord Zhao Zhiren, the Taishou of Fencheng, led 5,000 troops to King Qin, and met a fierce Di man a hundred miles east of Pengcheng, Lord Zhao died, and 5,000 reinforcements were wiped out. ”

"Alas...!" Du Li slapped the case fiercely, and said bitterly: "The barbarians are strong, why are they enemies!" What about the other princes? Why didn't Lord Zhao come with reinforcements from other places? ”

Only 5,000 foot soldiers collided with the fierce iron cavalry in the plains, which is undoubtedly a sheep into the mouth of a tiger.

Zhou Xun shook his head a little disappointed and said, "There are no reinforcements from elsewhere, Lord Zhao is currently the largest support army." ”

Du Li said angrily: "What about the ordinary people in the same state? As far as I know, there are nearly 20,000 people with armor in the Tongzhou capital, and it is only three days away from Pengcheng, so why don't you come? ”

"Hua often said that there were a large number of fierce rangers in the same state capital, and it was difficult to save the driver due to insufficient self-protection." Zhou Xun said.

"Nonsense! You and I both know that now almost all the troops of the Fierce Di people are in Pengcheng, where did he get a large number of fierce cavalry in the same state capital? ”

Zhou Xun shook his head and didn't speak, Hua Chang was obviously shirking, but now there was nothing he could do.

Du Li said again: "There is also Fengzhou Thorn Shi Kong Hong, who is closer to Pengcheng, and Xie Chonggong, the Rongwei general of Xingyuan City, and there is no news?" ”

Zhou Xun sighed and did not speak.

These people either can't shirk it for various reasons, or simply ignore the emperor's edict at all.

Du Li's eyes were red, and he scolded angrily: "Rebel and thief! They are all rebellious ministers and thieves!! ”

Seeing this, Zhou Xun hurriedly said: "Old Du, it's useless for you to be angry, it's better to take care of your body, now Pengcheng is all supported by you..." ”

Du Li sat down a little disappointed when he heard this, shook his head with a sad face, and said: "The emperor is too worried, he can't eat or drink, and his body is already getting worse day by day..."

"Alas....can the matter discussed in the previous two days be conclusive?" Zhou Xun asked.

Du Li glanced at Zhou Xun and said, "The emperor's attitude has eased up in this matter, but he still refuses to give in, and we still need to do our best to dissuade him." ”

Zhou Xun sighed: "How could the emperor think of passing on the throne to Yang Yi, would he... Could it be Concubine Ning saying something next to her? ”

Du Li shook his head without thinking about it: "Concubine Ning Niangniang is more resolute than you and me in opposing Yang Yi's succession, she is a virtuous concubine, so she can naturally see that Yang Yi is not suitable to be the emperor at all, at least for now, she can't pass on the throne to him." ”

"Yang Yi has no power, no power, and no prestige, how can he be in charge of the world? Relying on you and me alone can't protect him at all. And now that Yang Jie has set up his own new emperor in the capital, if the emperor forcibly puts Yang Yi on the throne again, then Daguang will be completely divided into two, how can he resist the fierce people who are eyeing him? ”

Zhou Xun nodded and said: "The matter of succession is related to the prosperity of the world, and this matter must be considered in the long run, but I am afraid of the emperor's body..."

"Alas... That's what worries me the most...."

At this moment, a guard ran into the lobby quickly, and shouted in a hoarse voice: "My lord!" My lord!! Oh no!! ”

Du Li's heart trembled, stood up, and condensed: "Why are you panicking? ”

"Fierce... The Fierce Men are attacking the city!! ”

"What!" Du Li walked down the hall quickly, came to the door, and sure enough, he could faintly hear the sound of killing outside the city.

"The fierce Di people launched an attack from the Northeast Second Road at the same time, and the offensive was quite fierce, and the generals who defended the city in both places sent people to ask for reinforcements as soon as possible!"

Zhou Xun also hurried to the door, and said hurriedly: "Old Du, you go to the emperor to report, and I will go to the city wall to take a look immediately!" ”

Du Li nodded and said, "General Zhou must be careful!" ”

Zhou Xun nodded and said no more, bowed his hand and went out to take the war horse from the guards, and ran towards the city wall quickly.

"Hurry up and prepare the horse, I'm going to see the emperor!"

Du Li did not dare to hesitate, and hurriedly ordered his subordinates to prepare horses to meet the emperor, and had already made up his mind that if the war was urgent, he would persuade the emperor to flee first.

Running all the way to the courtyard where the emperor lived, Du Li didn't care about the obstruction of the guards at the door, and rushed straight inside, where is there time to wait for someone to report before entering at this time.

After coming to Pengcheng, all the military affairs were in charge of Du Li, he knew very well what the state of the Daguang army in Pengcheng was now, and the morale had fallen to the bottom in the case of successive defeats and lack of food and grass supplies.

Du Li's behavior made it very difficult for the guards to deal with it, but fortunately, Zhao Gui, who happened to go to the kitchen to get medicine, passed by and hurriedly asked the guards to let Du Li in.

"Why is Lord Du so reckless?" Zhao Gui said urgently.

"The Fierce Di's siege! I want to see the emperor! Du Li clasped his hands and said.

Zhao Gui was startled, and almost fell down the porcelain bowl in his hand, and hurriedly said, "Master Du come with me quickly!" ”

After Emperor Yang Lu withdrew from Lixian, his health has not been better, and the military imperial doctor diagnosed that the cold has entered the body, and he needs to recuperate well, and he cannot live in a damp and dark place. Therefore, when the army came to Pengcheng, Du Li found a courtyard with an attic for the emperor to live in, and the emperor lived on the small attic in order to avoid the cold and wet.

"Your Majesty! The fierce Di people have attacked the city, please leave here with Weichen quickly! Before he had even gone up to the attic, he was already shouting eagerly.

"Your Majesty...", but when Du Li went up to the attic, the whole person was stunned.

I saw that the emperor who had not seen him for two days had thicker gray hair on his head, and his face was already pale and lifeless, and if it weren't for the slight rise and fall of his chest on the bed, I am afraid that he would be no different from a dead man.

"The Emperor... Emperor. Du Li burst into tears and fell to his knees with a "bang".

Concubine Ning, who had been guarding the emperor for five days and nights sitting next to the bed, was also emaciated, looking at the painful Du Li, and said sadly: "The emperor can't stand the toss anymore...."

"Ahem..."The emperor coughed weakly twice, closed his eyes and smiled: "Ahem... Come on, come on, I can't run, I won't run..."

Du Li cried: "Your Majesty, you can't have anything, if you need you today, the people need you, how can you ignore it?" ”

"Ahem... Cough... I'm tired, I just want to get a good night's sleep, let go of everything, and sleep quietly..."

"Your Majesty..."Although Concubine Ning had cried many times, her tears couldn't stop flowing.

The emperor slowly opened his eyes, looked at Concubine Ning gently, and stretched out his hand. Concubine Ning hurriedly reached forward for her to hold.

The emperor said: "You have been with me for so many years, I have never given you anything, I ask you, what is the most regrettable thing in your life?" ”

Concubine Ning smiled with tears in her eyes: "The most worrying thing in the life of the concubine is naturally the emperor and Yi'er, now that Yi'er has grown up and can go her own way, and the concubine can also be quietly by your side, I am already very satisfied." ”

"More than twenty years ago, when you were selected from Shu to the palace, I still remember very clearly, and I saw you at a glance among hundreds of show girls." The Emperor laughed.

Concubine Ning said: "The concubine also remembered that the emperor said that the people of Shu were outstanding and spiritual, but she sighed that she had no chance to go to the first dynasty. ”

"yes... I'm so glorious, but unfortunately I don't have a chance to see it again..."

"Your Majesty..."

The prince shook Concubine Ning's hand and said: "You have been with me for more than 20 years, I remember that you once asked to go back to Shu to visit relatives, at that time Yi'er's illness was not well, I was worried that the road was far away, and your mother and son could not withstand the twists and turns, so they put the matter aside, and now you will never be able to go back to the imperial capital, so go back to Shu." ”

Concubine Ning wanted to speak, but the emperor said, "Zhao Gui, take a pen and paper." ”

"Your Majesty..."Du Li wanted to speak when he saw this.

The emperor waved his hand lightly and said, "Du Qing, don't panic, I know that what you said is right, Yi'er is indeed not suitable to inherit the throne now, but I owe them two lifetimes to their mother and son, and I only hope that they will not be hurt again after I leave." ”

Du Li was puzzled, and the emperor said: "You draft an edict for me, canonize Yang Yi, the son of the Nine Emperors, as the king of Shu, allow him to build a government in his fief and be autonomous, and be the orthodoxy of the emperor, and all officials in Shu can listen to his orders." ”

"Your Majesty, what are you?" Du Li wondered.

The emperor said: "I know that it is difficult for Yi'er to enter Shuzhong, and I can only do this for him, and the rest can only be fought for by himself..."

"The minister obeys the order..."Du Li bowed down in pain, and also knew that the emperor could still stay awake at this time and did not forcibly pass the throne to Yang Yi, which was already the biggest concession.

Giving Yang Yi an empty title of the king of Shu, at least it will not cause chaos in the world, the division of the great light, in the future, Yang Yi can turn over the river and the sea in Shu or be silent from now on, it can only depend on Yang Yi himself.

Du Li took the pen, ink, paper and inkstone handed over by Zhao Gui, wrote the edict of the king, the emperor signed and painted the seal, and Du Li also stamped his own seal on behalf of the central cabinet, and this edict of the king was also officially effective.

Seeing Du Li carefully put away the edict, the emperor finally smiled with relief, only to feel that he had never been so relaxed, as if he had seen his own life in his mind, the picture of the great light on the wall was getting farther and farther away, until he couldn't see it very clearly, and the voice of Concubine Ning and others shouting to him in his ears gradually became smaller, so small that it was inaudible.

The emperor vaguely saw Concubine Ning with tears streaming down her face, and held her hand and wanted to use it harder, but no matter how hard he tried, his body seemed to be out of control, drifting away, gradually moving away....

In the end, the emperor gave up, and slowly closed his eyes without too much pain, and a tear fell quietly down the white bun.

"Farewell, my country, my great light...."