The sixth year of Tianfeng, winter and October.

The magnificent Xuanfang of Weiyang Palace, supported by stout beams and columns, is as vast and empty as the universe. Even if His Royal Highness has knelt on the ground in the dark, he still can't bring half a sense of fulfillment to this quaint and desolate palace.

Wang Mang sat high on the hall and looked at the court in front of him with cold eyes.

As soon as the government of the DPRK was over, officials retreated one after another. Wang Mang didn't care about the sound of the little yellow door beside him leaving, he just sat quietly, motionless, looking at the hall that was even more empty due to the dispersal of hundreds of officials.

The ministers present, their deferential posture, and the voice of His Majesty chanting in their mouths, did not bring him the slightest joy.

On the contrary, there was only disgust in his heart. Endless disgust.

Whether it is his current identity as the Son of Heaven or the stupid ministers he needs to face, Wang Mang's heart is full of irritability.

It has been eleven years since he obtained the jade seal of the country and ascended to the position of the Son of Heaven.

He has also become a sixty-three-year-old man.

After the age of sixty, every time he got up, Wang Mang could feel that his body had advanced in the direction of aging.

His physical strength began to decline. Just a little farther away, you'll be out of breath. The daily sleep has been reduced to less than three hours - and, once you wake up, no matter how hard you try, you can't sleep.

Even the food on weekdays is getting less and less, and no matter how exquisite the food is, it is difficult to arouse his appetite.

Death was getting closer and closer to him.

But this is not what Wang Mang is worried about.

Man is inherently mortal, and he knows this very well. He never had any fear of death.

After death, people are just turned into a handful of loess - in the world after death, there is no yellow spring, and there is no heavenly realm. To die is to be nothing.

And in the face of the true nothingness, there is no need for fear. Moreover, for him, he has long surpassed life and death, otherwise how would he have come to this era, to this body, to complete this feat that made the whole world tremble!

The only thing he worries about is whether the ideal in his heart can really be realized.

Eleven years ago, Wang Mang finally achieved the highest power in the world. No one stopped in front of him, competing with him for power and profit, and intriguing. His will was finally able to resound throughout the land as a voice that the whole world must obey.

But even if there is no obstruction, the new world that Wang Mang wants has still not appeared.

Moreover, it still seems so far away.

His Royal Highness's ministers are reporting on the disaster situation in various parts of the country, and the party members who have rebelled against each other.

Yizhou County Yiren Dong Silkworm, Ruodou and others raised troops, killed the county guards, and occupied the city. The general Lien Dan, who went to counterinsurgency, not only failed to suppress it, but was defeated.

Yue County Yi Da Mu also rebelled, and in just a few months, tens of thousands of people gathered.

As for the Xiongnu in the north, they frequently invaded the border, from Liangzhou Yongzhou in the west to Youzhou in the east, and they were within the scope of their attacks everywhere.

In addition to these side troubles, what is more important is internal worries.

To the east of Hangu Pass, there has been a severe drought for many years. No matter how Wang Mang mobilizes the granary of the national treasury for disaster relief, it is still a drop in the bucket.

In the fifth year of Tianfeng in the previous year, after the catastrophe in Xuzhou, Qingzhou, Fan Chong, the evil man of Lang, led more than 100 people to rise up in Juxian County to occupy the area of Mount Tai. And this year, Fan Chong's fellow townsman Feng'an and Donghai people Xu Xuan, Xie Lu, Yang Yin and other tens of thousands of people gathered to join Fan Chong. After growing in popularity, it has established its own territory in the Qingxu area in an instant, known as the Red Eyebrow Army.

Also last year, Diao Zidu, a native of the East China Sea, also raised troops to echo Fan Chongyao, occupying the Yanzhou area of Xuzhou, with tens of thousands of troops.

If it's just a force, it's fine. But the number of displaced people trapped by these rebels is as high as hundreds of thousands. What's more, under the successive disasters, where did they get so much food, grass and military salaries to mobilize soldiers and horses to suppress it?

But these are not the most helpless things in Wang Mang's heart.

"Teacher, are you still upset?"

Wang Mu slowly walked out of the corner of the main hall, walked to Wang Mang's side, and asked softly.

Eleven years have passed, and Wang Mu, who is nearly thirty years old, has a short mustache on his upper lip, and his face, which was still a little immature, is now a little more weathered.

It's just that even though Wang Mang has been the Son of Heaven for eleven years, Wang Mu has never called him Your Majesty. From beginning to end, there has been only one title - that is, teacher.

Because this is Wang Mang's most important identity for him. What's more, because he is the only one, knowing that Wang Mang beats deep down in his heart, he deeply dislikes the identity and title of the emperor.

Wang Mu's official position is not high, he is just a servant - he doesn't need it, and he doesn't care about any official position. The official position of serving in the middle is just to make it easier for him to serve by Wang Mang's side.

"Zihe, come and have two drinks with me." Wang Mang raised his head and looked at Wang Mu. There was a deep exhaustion in his eyes.

Zihe is Wang Mu's cousin. After he performed the crown salute, Wang Mang no longer called him Mu'er as he did when he was young.

"Obey the order, the disciple will order the Yellow Gate to arrange it." Wang Mu nodded, and was about to turn around, but was stopped by Wang Mang.

"Nope. Today...... I don't want to be in the palace. Wang Mang looked at the entrance of the hall in the distance. Although he was so far away, he still saw the outside of the hall, and snowflakes began to flutter: "It's snowing again, accompany me out of the palace and look at the snow." ”

"Yes, Teacher."

Wang Mu nodded lightly, stretched out his hand, and helped his teacher. When his hand touched the teacher's arm, he sighed heavily.

Teacher, thin again.