When Wang Xu and Xu Shu rushed to Zhou Zhi's mansion, it was already full of people, including ministers from the court, friends of Zhou Zhi, and his subordinates.

Zhang Jing, Xiang Tian and Ma Yi were all there, and their expressions were also very heavy.

"Xiangtian, how is Zhou Zhi?" Wang Xu strode in front of the three of them and asked urgently.

"Hey!" The three of them sighed in unison and shook their heads lightly involuntarily.

"There's no way around it?"

"It's gone!" Xiang Tian raised his head and looked at Wang Xu, his face sad. "I just heard that he had a recurrence of his old illness as early as last year's expedition to Wu, and you also know the condition of his body, it was simply suppressed by drugs and his strong internal breath, this time there is really no way, he has survived to fight Wu Guo, and it has completely deteriorated."

When Wang Xu heard the affirmative answer, his eyes instantly moistened.

"Let's go! Let's go in and have a look! ”

Several people followed into the house, and when Wang Xu saw Zhou Zhi lying on the bed, he couldn't control his emotions in an instant.

At this time, Zhou Zhi was so thin that it was difficult to distinguish his appearance, not to mention the doctor, even ordinary people knew that his time was short. Only the faint smile and those bright eyes still show his demeanor, showing his heart to everyone.

"Boss, you're here!" Zhou Zhi smiled faintly, and the clouds were light and light.

Wang Xu's face was painful, his lips trembled for a long time, and he suddenly scolded bitterly: "I let you rest, but you don't listen!" Now it's all right! That's what you want? The state of Chu has become a big trend, even if you are missing, there can also be suitable people to go, you are doing it like this now, how to get it? ”

"But this is my wish! I'm satisfied! Zhou Zhi still smiled faintly. Distant gaze.

"Remember? It was in that small mountain village. You saved me. And I tested you, and finally on that morning when the sun was rising, I rode after you! At that time, I just wanted to follow you to see the scenery outside, and deep down I still had fear and worry about you, but from that time on, everything was doomed! It can be said that you led me down this path. This point of no return! ”

"You hate me?"

"Of course not, those grievances were gone long ago when we fought against the Yellow Turbans, otherwise why would I suffer that mortal arrow for you! On the contrary, I thank you and admire you for guiding me on this path and making my life worthwhile! In my heart, you are the best big brother in my life! ”

"No, I'm not!" Wang Xu left tears of pain. "If you hadn't been injured a few times back then, you wouldn't have died so early!"

"Brother! What are you talking about? We have gained more than we have lost, and that's what you taught me! ”

Wang Xu was silent. After a while, he said sadly, "What do we need to do?" ”

Zhou Zhi smiled, smiled very easily, very indifferently. "No, it's been said before! Oh! By the way, you have to help me pay back the debts I owe, and you can find a way to solve so many orphanages I built! ”

Speaking of this, his expression was slightly gloomy. "If my only regret is that I didn't see the unification of the world, but the number of lives is like this, no matter how I can't force it, that day I stood on the head of Jianye City, I really feel that this life has not been in vain, but if I can give me a few more years, so that I can also stand at the head of Yecheng It would be better."

Wang Xu and the others were all silent, they no longer knew what to say or what to do, they could only listen quietly.

On this day, they talked a lot, although Zhou Zhi was about to die, he was in good spirits, and he always had a faint smile, but his voice was too weak.

It wasn't until Zhou Zhi fell asleep in exhaustion that Wang Xu and the others left his room.

In the next two days, they didn't bother too much, but visited from time to time, giving more time to Zhou Zhi's family, and Wang Xu was officially promoted to the title of King of England.

On the fourth day, the general of the town army of Chu State, King Zhou Zhi died of illness before dawn!

Wang Xu was full of grief and personally presided over the funeral for him, and the whole country mourned, and the whole Xiangyang was covered with pure white.

The brother who values love and righteousness and always faces life with a childlike mentality goes away with the wind!

The general of Chu State, who was both wise and brave, good at inside and clumsy on the outside, was never seen again.

Since then, the state of Chu has lost a notorious rogue general, and it has also lost a revered and loyal defender!

That morning of the rising sun, he left the mountain village with his lame riding skills, from growth to maturity, from maturity to invincibility, he used his life and blood to defend his dreams, defend his dignity, and defend the land of China! Composed a heroic hymn of his own! has gone through a magnificent life!

The wind blew lightly, blowing the white mourning flowers in the sky, taking away his life, but not his story!

Sheng Xiao sang lightly, playing a heart-wrenching sorrow, calling away his face, but leaving his praise!

The crying resounded throughout Xiangyang, the mourning music pierced the sky, and countless people burst into tears, but Zhou Zhi, who had fallen asleep forever, always had a faint smile on his face, peaceful and quiet!

On that day, Wang Xu's mind flashed all the memories, and the voice seemed to be echoing in his ears all the time, and the figure in front of him lingered......

After that, a long time later, Wang Xu recovered from his sadness and moved forward again towards the goal that had not yet been achieved.

Now, the state of Chu has achieved the trend of unification, and it only needs to be gradual and gradual, and the current situation of the state of Wei is simply unable to resist. In the next three years, the state of Chu completed the comprehensive subjugation and rectification of all ethnic groups and tribes in Liangzhou, and completely lifted the hidden dangers of Liangzhou.

At the same time, the territory of the former Wu State was also reformed and rectified within these three years, and it was quickly incorporated into the new system of the Chu State. Among those Wu State civil and military forces, except for those who are really older, almost all the others have been gradually activated within three years, even Sun Ce and Zhou Yu and others finally chose to serve in Chu under many influences.

The military strength of the state of Chu has also expanded again, not only the two new corps of Qilin and Huguo, which have been included in the Guards Legion, but also the border guards have also increased significantly. The navy army was separated from the border army and became a separate system, and Lu Xun was promoted to the general of Zhenhai, second to the general, and the same level as the hussar general, and was always in charge of the navy.

The original Haiyun Legion was stationed in the coastal ports of the East China Sea to carry out a comprehensive configuration replacement, and all the past warships were returned to the factory for reconstruction, mainly to compete for the sea.

The newly established naval army in the South China Sea is still being formed, named the Coast Guard Regiment!

Compared with the prosperity of Chu, the situation of Wei is worrying, and people's hearts are fluctuating. The behemoth of the State of Chu is like a huge mountain, always pressing on the shoulders of the civil and military forces of the State of Wei.

Cao Cao is suspicious by nature, he has been depressed all the year round, he has suffered from headaches for many years, in recent years, he has become more and more aging, his body has gradually weakened, and his condition has worsened rapidly.

In the winter of 222, Cao Cao died of illness, and his eldest son Cao Ang ascended the throne, and the Wei State was terrified!

In the first month of 223, Wang Xu took advantage of Cao Cao's illness and Cao Ang's unstable foothold to gather the main force of 700,000 and march into the northern part of the Central Plains in five ways, launching the mighty Fourth Northern Expedition. Because the Wei State was in the alternation of the old and the new, Cheng Yu and many other old ministers had already died of illness, and it was difficult to resist the talented Chu army, and they were defeated and retreated.

After the war lasted for five months, Sima Yi, the new general of the Wei army, was forced by the situation to give up the Central Plains south of the Yellow River, no longer clash with the powerful Chu State on the long front of the Central Plains, and concentrated his forces to retreat to the dangerous passes along the Yellow River, keep the foundation of the Wei State, and wait for the Chu State to decline in the distant future, and then wait for the opportunity to move.

Cao Ang agreed!

At the beginning of July, the armies of the Chu State successively approached the Yellow River, and sent elite troops to cross the Yellow River seven times, but they were all stubbornly resisted and suffered heavy casualties.

In August, Wang Xu ordered the deployment of defenses along the Yellow River to stabilize the Central Plains, announcing the end of the Fourth Northern Expedition.

Just a few days later, Wang Xu suddenly received good news from the Dunhuang Taishou Su Ze in the palace of the king of Chu, saying that Pan Jun, Liu Min and Yang Aruo had returned to Yumen Pass.

This really frightened him, it has been nearly ten years since the two of them went to the Western Regions, and there has been no news, he has always thought that they are afraid that they have been killed, and he plans to send troops to the Western Regions after unifying the world, and really investigate what happened to them, but he didn't think about it.

Two months later, when Pan Jun and others arrived in Xiangyang with a convoy, Wang Xu personally led hundreds of civil and military officials out of the city for ten miles to greet them.

When they met again, Pan Jun and Liu Min couldn't stop crying, choked up and couldn't speak for a long time, just grabbed Wang Xu's hand and kept shouting: "Lord, we're back, we're back!" ”

Wang Xu saw the excited and crazy appearance of the two, and his heart was really touched.

The two may not be accustomed to calling him His Majesty, and in their excitement, they have always called him as the lord, and some old colleagues gently reminded him, but Wang Xu interrupted first: "Their title is very kind!" ”

After that, the two gradually regained their calm under Wang Xu's relief, and after returning to the palace of the king of Chu, they told the legend they had experienced in the past ten years in public.

It turned out that after they went to the Western Regions, they found that the Han Dynasty's Western Regions Governor's Mansion had long since lost its effectiveness, and most of the countries in the Western Regions had been forced to attach themselves to the Anxi Empire.

They then went to the countries to inquire about the situation, but they learned that in fact, those countries were not willing to obey the orders and rested, and they had long been eager to obey the Han again.

But there is a premise, that is, the Han must ensure that the Rest Empire does not conquer them and ensure their safety. At the same time, they also learned that the Anxi Empire and the distant Great Qin, that is, the Roman Empire, had been fighting for many years, and they had been beaten so much that they could not hold their heads up, and the newly rising Sassanid Empire had also attacked them all the year round.

Pan Jun and Liu Min knew very well that under the circumstances at that time, it was impossible for the Chu State to have the strength to go to the distant Western Regions to rest in peace, and they wanted to give up, but they were unwilling to return in vain, so they finally decided to go to rest in the name of the Great Han, hoping to understand the situation and adapt to the situation.

I didn't think about it, so I never left. (To be continued......)