Time is like an arrow, the sun and the moon are like a shuttle, and five years have passed in the blink of an eye.

It's been five years, and it hasn't been opened in the past five years since the closure of Hangu Pass. And the soldiers guarding the pass, looking at the doormen who had begun to rust, began to wonder if the city gate could be opened when Cao De ordered it to be opened.

It's been five years. It has now been 14 years since Jian'an. And the plague also raged in Dahan for five whole years. In five years, Dahan's population plummeted by a quarter. However, what is even more tragic is not in the Han Dynasty, but in the grasslands, even in the Western Regions, and even further to the West.

Under the double blow of the plague and Ma Chao, the Xianbei people chose to leave their homeland and migrate westward on a large scale. And the first one to suffer was Cao De's Western Regions Protectorate.

At first, because there was almost no trace of the plague in Liangzhou, Cao De did not warn Ding Chong in the Western Regions at all. And when the Xianbei people broke into the territory of the Western Regions Protectorate, Ding Chong immediately gathered a united army of 50,000 to block the Xianbei people. But the plague doesn't depend on your race. Unfortunately, Ding Chong's united army was infected by the Xianbei people. And Ding Chong himself was also very unfortunate to be infected with the plague.

The Western Regions Protectorate, which had just been integrated for less than two years, collapsed again. And Ding Chong is fortunate to have the help of the king of Pu and the former third prince and current king of Dawan Kingdom, Ding Chong's ashes were put into the Yumen Pass, and there is also a last word written by Ding Chong when he was dying. When Ding Chong's ashes and relics were delivered to Chang'an, Cao De was in a meeting for a routine court meeting!

When Pei Yuanshao leaned in Cao De's ear and said to Cao De: "The relics of Ding Chongdu's protection have arrived outside the palace!" ”

Cao De was stunned for a moment, and stretched out his hand to stop Zhang Lu, who was making a report. "Enter the temple!" Cao De stood up from the prime minister's seat, tidied up his shirt, and said in a deep voice.

"No!" Pei Yuanshao agreed, immediately turned around, and shouted loudly outside: "The king's edict, Xuan, the Western Regions will protect Ding Chong into the palace!" ”

Immediately after, the guards at the door also shouted loudly: "The king's edict, Xuan, the Western Regions will protect Ding Chong into the palace!" ”

"The King's Message,......"

Bursts of shouts spread from the Chongde Hall to the palace gate of Yongle Palace. A knight with a red silk on his head and a big red cloak held a gray-white jar in both hands and stepped forward. Behind him, there were two people, one holding Ding Chong's relics, and the other holding the letter that Ding Chong wanted to present to Cao De.

"Click!" With the sound of footsteps, the civil and military ministers in the main hall turned around in unison, but the first thing they noticed was the altar. And Cao De, who had been standing under Liu Wei, walked down at the moment when Ding Chong's ashes entered the hall. Clench your fists, bend over, and salute! "Welcome, the hero of the Han Dynasty, Ding Duhu!"

Immediately, all the civil and military ministers in the entire hall stood up together, "Welcome, the hero of the Han Dynasty, Ding Duhu!" ”

"Ding Chong, go home!" Cao De muttered and took the altar from the knight's hand.

"King Qi, the Western Regions Protector Ding Chong Ding protects ......." Immediately, the knight who "escorted" Ding Chong into the hall loudly said the cause of Ding Chong's death, "Ding Du escorts the table to the prime minister!" ”

"Read!"

Pei Yuanshao immediately stepped forward to take over Ding Chong's recital,

"My lord, the ministers are worshipped. ......, on the day of the westward journey, the prince once instructed the ministers to return to the roots. The minister may not be able to go back. But the minister is a Han man in the end, and he is a minister of the public in the end! ”

When Ding Chong felt unwell, he had already begun to prepare for the Metropolitan Protectorate. Ding Chong left a lot of Cao De, which was all Ding Chong's preparation for Cao De's entry into the Western Regions again, but it is really difficult to say whether Cao De can still use it. However, at the end of Ding Chong's letter, Ding Chong wrote: "Gong, in the face of danger, raised troops and saved the Han and water and fire several times. Fight for the Yellow Turban, destroy Dong Zhuo, conquer Beidi, and Anxi Regions. In terms of the greatness of the merit, it is unique, and Gaozu and Emperor Wu are not as good as it. Now, the Han Dynasty is disintegrating and analyzing, and the ministers cry blood and plead with the public ,......"

When Pei Yuanshao read this, he suddenly stopped and looked up at Cao De.

"Read!" Cao De kept holding the jar and never raised his head.

"The ministers weep blood and implore the duke, that is, the emperor's throne!"

When the last three words popped out of Pei Yuanshao's mouth, everyone present felt that their hearts suddenly beat violently. 'That is, the emperor's throne! However, there was still no sound in the whole hall, only the sound of the heart beating "poof". And the most exciting ones here are probably Jia Xu and Liu Wei.

"Haha......" Suddenly, Cao De smiled. Then Cao De put the jar in his hand on the steps below Liu Wei, "Ding has a heart." But I'm afraid you're going to be disappointed. Cao De spoke, and sat down on the steps, "You are a Han man after all, why don't I be." His Royal Highness, Ding Chong was ordered to be in danger, and he worked tirelessly to go to the Western Regions. It's a big deal. What's more, Ding Du is a big man, and there is no queen. I implore Your Majesty to be a loyal marquis and forever record the history of Han China! ”

"Accurate!" Although it was only a small word 'quasi', Liu Wei seemed to have exhausted all his strength. You know, just now, but it's just a little bit, and I don't even need to say the word 'quasi'.

"Your Highness Shengming!" As soon as Jia Xu finished speaking, he immediately stood up and shouted loudly.

"Your Highness Shengming!"

"Someone, send the ashes of the loyal marquis to Yumen Guan Jianzhuo. Zhonghou has been in the Western Regions all his life, and he is concerned about the affairs of the Western Regions, so I want Zhonghou to always guard that land; I want the Marquis to watch our knights gallop across the Western Regions again! ”

"Yes!"

"Your Highness, Prime Minister!" Just when the gray-white altar was transferred back from the hand of Cao De to the hand of the knight, a squire walked out, "Loyal marquis, loyal and brave, and has made countless meritorious contributions to my Han and Hanzhong." Therefore, the will of the loyal marquis should be fulfilled by my generation. I beg the Prime Minister to ......"

"Someone!" Before the man could finish speaking, Cao De interrupted him, "Drag this liao out and put it in prison!" ”

"No!" The two guards responded in unison, grabbed the man's arm and began to pull it out.

"Prime Minister, Your Highness, the minister is not guilty, the minister is not guilty!"

Cao De snorted coldly and walked away. To be honest, today's incident has a great impact on Cao De. That is, the emperor's throne, this is the emperor's throne. That seat, from ancient times to the present, how many people have been worried, and now they are placed in front of Cao De like this, you say that Cao De is not heartbeat, it is impossible. But Cao De also understands that now, it's not time yet!

Cao De had just returned to his study, and then a series of noisy footsteps came, "Prime Minister, Shang Shuling is here with the civil and military forces of the Manchu Dynasty!" ”

"Let Jia Xu come in, and the rest of the people will be pushed back." Cao De said a little tiredly.

As soon as Jia Xu walked into the study, Cao De said to Jia Xu: "If Wen He is talking about the emperor's throne, then Wen He should please go back!" ”

"Prime Minister!"

"Let's go back! The world is undecided, and the plague is rampant ......, alas~! Let's go back! Cao De sighed, turned around and walked to the back of the screen...... "Persuade the hundred officials for me......"