In the summer and May of the seventh year of Zhang Wu, Liu Bei returned to Xiangyang.

Zhuge Liang and Liu Chan greeted each other, and after Liu Bei rested in the palace for a night, he went to Mi Zhu's mourning hall with his sick body the next day and took one last look at Mi Zhu.

Jian Yong, Sun Qian, Mi Zhu, and Mi Fang were Liu Bei who followed in Xuzhou, Mi Fang was not valued by Liu Bei, but Jian Yong, Sun Qian, and Mi Zhu have always been his trusted henchmen, and when Liu Bei was the king of Hanzhong in history, Mi Zhu was the first, and Sun Qian and Jian Yong were tied for second.

It's just that Sun Qian and Jian Yong died of illness as early as the end of Jian'an, and even the generals who Liu Bei collected when he was the pastor of Yuzhou, only Shiren, Liu Yan, Yuan Qi, and Chen Zhi are still alive, and there are few of the earliest ministers left.

Now that Mi Zhu is dead, only Mi Fang will be left in the Yuan Cong who followed Xuzhou.

Liu Bei later summoned Mi Fang, Shiren, Liu Yan, Yuan Qi and others to talk about the recent situation, and then recounted the past in Yuzhou, and talked about the indulgence, but he was already in tears and heartbroken.

At the end of May, in the back garden of the Xiangyang Palace, after personally selecting a cemetery for Mi Zhu and watching him buried, Liu Bei still wanted to return to Wancheng and always pay attention to front-line military affairs.

Under the desperate persuasion of Zhuge Liang, Ma Liang, Zhou Budo, Yang Yi and others, they finally dispelled this idea and continued to recuperate in Xiangyang.

However, if he was on the front line, he might feel a little more comfortable because he had been watching the situation on the front line. is not on the front line, every day is worrying, it is a bad thing, which makes Liu Bei sad, and finally fell ill in bed in mid-June, unable to get off the ground.

Although he was sick before, he could barely walk, but now his condition has worsened. He also heard that Zhang Fei was accidentally shot by an arrow in the battle with Xiahou Yuan, which was said to be a minor injury, but it still made Liu Bei panic.

"Second brother, third brother."

On the night of June 14, in the Xiangyang Palace, Liu Bei woke up in his sleep, and when he woke up, he was in a cold sweat, panting constantly, and his whole body was in pain like pins and needles.

He dreamed that Guan Yu was killed in battle while continuing his attack on Henan, and that Zhang Fei was also killed by arrows in an engagement with Cao's army.

But when I woke up, I realized that it was a dream, and a nightmare.

It turned out to be a dream.

Liu Bei's mood calmed down a little, and when he came back to his senses, he found that his face was already stained with tears, and his pillow was wet with tears.

In the back of his heart, it was the most terrible thing that he dared not recall.

Unconsciously tears continue to fall.

He couldn't imagine it after all.

If the second brother and the third brother died before him, how sad and desperate he should be.

"Your Majesty."

Chen Zhi, who was guarding outside, heard the movement and hurriedly broke in.

"Uncle to. Ahem, ahem."

Liu Bei barely wiped his tears, gasped, and then coughed violently.

"The minister is here."

Chen Zhi lit the candle first, and then took three steps and two steps to Liu Bei's side.

Liu Bei endured the discomfort of his body and said softly: "Send someone to the front line to convey the order, and summon the second and third brothers Xiaoqing to come back." ”

Chen Zhi hurriedly said: "But Your Majesty, the general, the hussar general, and the chariot cavalry general are now."

Liu Bei sighed and said: "I feel that the destiny of heaven is coming, maybe it won't be long before I die, I will die, before I die, I want to take another look at the second and third brothers, and there are still some things to explain to Xiaoqing." ”

“.”

Chen Zhi hesitated for a moment, and finally could only say, "Only." ”

In fact, everyone knows that this is the key at this time.

Shen Chenxi broke through the pass and won Chang'an, and the situation on the battlefield on the Western Front was very good.

Guan Yu also won consecutive battles on the Eastern Front, first breaking Cao Xiu, and then besieging Hefei for more than a year, and finally captured Xue Yi when Cao's army broke through, and Zhang Liao also died of illness in the army.

In the case that both the eastern and western fronts on Cao Wei's side fell into disadvantage, as long as it took another year and a half, Guan Yu and Shen Chen could continue to send troops, one to attack Henan, and cooperate with the main force of the Henan Han army to fight Cao Wei, and the other to attack Bingzhou or Tongguan, threatening Cao Wei's old nest Luoyang.

It can be said that this time is the time when Liu Bei's group is strong, although Guanzhong and Huainan are uninhabited for thousands of miles, and it takes time to hoard grain and grass transportation, and Cao Wei arranged heavy troops to guard Tongguan and Runan, so that Shen Chen Guan Yu could not continue to march for the time being.

But the current situation is very favorable to Liu Bei's group, if Liu Bei calls back the three main generals now, although it will have little impact on the front line, it is not a good thing after all.

It's okay to say here in Henan that Zhang Fei has actually been just hanging the name of the main general, and in fact, it is Pang Tong and Fa Zheng who are leading the troops.

But Guan Zhong and Huainan are different, Shen Chen and Guan Yu are the backbone, even if Zhao Yun, Pang De, Wei Yan and others can temporarily serve as the main generals, after all, they are not as strong as Shen Chen and Guan Yu.

So the departure of the coach at this point in time may indeed have a certain impact.

Of course.

The impact will not be very large.

At present, Shen Chen and Guan Yu have no intention of continuing to march into the army, and they still need to wait for the opportunity, so let Zhao Yun, Pang De, Wei Yan and others temporarily take over the military affairs first, and focus on defense of Guanzhong and Huainan, there is still no big problem.

In this way, Shen Chen Guan Yu only needs to explain the defensive task and order the three of them not to take the initiative to attack, and there will be no accidents.

However, for the sake of safety, Chen Zhi did not immediately convey Liu Bei's order, but first sent someone to the Prime Minister's Mansion and informed Zhuge Liang of the matter.

It was already midnight at that time, and after Zhuge Liang got the news, he did not go to the palace immediately, but asked Chen Zhixian not to pass the order, and he did not go to the palace to see Liu Bei until after dawn.

Liu Bei has been sick recently and can't get under the bed, the house is full of medicinal fragrance, Zhuge Liang came to the West Palace of the Son of Heaven in the backyard of the palace, and entered the house after playing.

Empress Wu, Mrs. Gan, Mrs. Mi, as well as Adou, Liu Yong, Liu Li, Liu Ning and other children were all accompanying by the bedside, Chen Zhi stood at the door dutifully to guard, and the rest of the Taiyi Ling, Ma Liang, Yang Yi and others were also on the side.

After Zhuge Liang entered, he saw Liu Bei's thin face, as if he had aged a few years overnight, and he felt a little distressed for a while, and his face couldn't help but grieve.

The twilight of the hero, the resignation of the beauty, this is probably the saddest thing in the world.

When Liu Bei learned of Zhuge Liang's arrival, he leaned against the wooden collapse with the support of the queen, turned his head to look at Zhuge Liang, and said softly: "Kong Ming." ”

"The minister is here."

Zhuge Liang adjusted his complexion, stepped forward and said, "Your Majesty is blessed." ”

"Huh."

Liu Bei laughed miserably: "I know my body, I am afraid that I will die soon, how can I talk about all blessings?" ”

Zhuge Liang said seriously: "Your Majesty is the safety of the country and the great cause of the Northern Expedition, since you should have a long life and a healthy body, Your Majesty also needs to recuperate with peace of mind, please believe in yourself, everything will be fine." ”

Liu Bei shook his head and said, "My body is in pain, and the day of death is near, so I am only worried about what will happen behind me." Fortunately, Kong Ming and Xiaoqing can inherit my ambition, dominate the world, revive the Han dynasty, and make the people of the country and the people safe, and die without regrets. Kong Ming came just in time, I am about to summon you, the second brother, the third brother and Xiaoqing, and I have something to say to you. ”

Zhuge Liang said: "Now is the time of the Northern Expedition, and the generals on the front line are leaving, I'm afraid."

"It doesn't matter."

Liu Bei said softly: "There is no war between Guanzhong and Huainan, so it is enough for Zhao Yun, Pang De, and Wei Yan to defend the town, and there are Shiyuan and Xiaozhi in Henan, so it should be no hindrance." I have not yet achieved my great cause, and I have no face to see my ancestors, only by entrusting the cause of the Northern Expedition to you, can I feel at ease. ”

Zhuge Liang looked at Liu Bei's old face, his face was already full of life, and he was sad for a while, he knew that Liu Bei was going to confess his last words, so he didn't stop it, and said: "Yes, the minister will go to ask Shang Shutai to send a letter to recall the generals." ”

"Hmm."

Liu Bei nodded, watched Zhuge Liang leave backwards, and then looked at Liu Chan again: "Adou." ”

"Father."

Liu Chan knelt on the edge of the bed with a sad face and served.

Liu Bei said softly: "I was just a minor dysentery at first, but I didn't expect to stay in the army for a long time, and I was infected with some other miscellaneous diseases. People say that fifty years old cannot be called an untimely death, I am already over sixty years old, nearly seventy years old, and there is nothing to regret, so don't be sad anymore. ”

"Yes."

Liu Chan wiped his tears and was heartbroken, although Liu Bei said so, but thinking that his generous father was about to leave him, how could he hold back the sadness in his heart and not shed tears?

Liu Bei stroked Liu Chan's head and said softly: "The country has a prime minister and a hussar general, I have nothing to worry about, except for a few of your brothers, before Mr. Shooting Yuan taught you to read, saying that you read very well, and even the prime minister praised your intelligence, it can be seen that your knowledge has been greatly improved, exceeding the expectations of the prime minister, if this is the case, it would be great." ”

Liu Chan barely showed a smile with tears in his eyes, and said with a forced smile: "If my father's health can get better, the child will definitely work harder to study." ”

Liu Bei smiled: "Okay, good, you have to work hard, hard work is a good thing, the great cause of my Northern Expedition will be pinned on you and the prime minister and the hussar general." To be virtuous, you must be convincing, don't take evil as small, don't take good as small, you must remember this sentence. ”

"Yes."

Liu Chan nodded again and again: "Erchen remembers." ”

Liu Bei raised his head and looked at the ceiling, tears kept falling, coughed a few times from time to time, and then sighed: "Your father and I are shallow, and we can't revive the Han dynasty like Emperor Gaozu and Emperor Shizu, you must not follow me, you must have your own ambitions, you can't be ambitious, even if you become an emperor in the future, you have to discuss more with the prime minister and the hussar general, understand?" ”

Liu Chan couldn't cry anymore, and said with a crying voice: "The child understands, but in the child's heart, his father has always been a great hero who stands up to the sky, and everyone in the world praises his father's moral character, and the child will never be praised by the sea like his father in his life." ”

"Haha."

Liu Bei laughed and said: "If you want to be a hero, you can't just say it with your mouth, but you should do it with practical actions." Caring for the people is something you must do in the future. Xiaoqing said that power should not be abused, but should be used in the right place, on weekdays, just like I used to take you, you can go to the people to see the suffering, understand the lives of the people, and be kind to the people of the world. ”

"Yes, the boy knows."

Liu Chan felt that his father seemed to be confessing his last words, and the tears could not be kept falling, he could only keep wiping the tears on his face, and the sadness in his heart could not be described in words.

Liu Bei looked at his sad appearance and said, "My son doesn't need to be sad, he must remember what he said for his father." In addition to recuperating oneself, one can also read "Zhuziyan", "Shen's Sutra", "Treatise on Ren", "Hanshu", "Book of Rites", and read through the hundred schools of thought of Zhuzi in your spare time, as well as "Liutao", "Shangjunshu", "Shenzi", "Han Feizi", and "Guanzi", so as to enhance people's will and wisdom. ”

"Yes."

Liu Chan continued to respond, keeping Liu Bei's words firmly in his heart.

"I heard that the hussar general sent you a few scriptures he wrote, and they were lost before they were delivered, there is no need to worry, the hussar general is a great Confucian in the world, and his knowledge is unmatched by the world, so I want to ask him for advice on the unity of knowledge and action."

Liu Bei instructed: "These books can be used as our family motto to study, whether it is my heirs or your heirs, we must study them from generation to generation." Man is not a plant or tree, and his life and character are equivalent. Although I am a descendant of Gaozu Miao, I am also from a reckless background, no different from the common people. Since you have come from the head of the Qian, you must return to the head of the Qian, and you must remember that you and the people will always be one. ”

Liu Chan replied seriously: "Yes, the hussar general once said that the king and the people are fish and water, and the people can do without the king, but the king cannot do without the people." Only by treating the people well and loving all the people will the people and the people love the king. The child always remembers, and the child will never forget, and the child's heirs will be passed on from generation to generation. ”

"Father, we will not forget our father's entrustment."

"Yes, father, the child must remember."

Liu Yong and Liu Li also kowtowed and said.

"Well, ahem, ahem."

Liu Bei nodded in satisfaction, and then coughed continuously.

Historically, he had dysentery, commonly known as diarrhea, and his gastrointestinal function was very poor.

Later, due to the death of Guan Yu and Zhang Fei, coupled with the fiasco of the Battle of Yiling, the condition worsened, and finally died of illness in White Emperor City.

Although there is no such thing as Guan Yu, Zhang Fei and the battle of Yiling, the disease of dysentery has always been there.

The main reason is that when he was young, he fought in the north and south, and he often starved and fed, and lived a life of exile, which damaged his stomach and body.

When I was young, I was okay and I was able to hold on. However, as you get older, your resistance becomes worse, and the underlying diseases of your early years, together with old injuries and later diseases, cause some other diseases.

For example, heart disease, lung disease and kidney failure, so that even if Liu Bei has been recuperating his body, he has not been able to get better.

At the moment, he was in pain everywhere, he couldn't eat well, he couldn't sleep well, his gastrointestinal dysfunction, coupled with many problems such as his lungs and heart, made him almost eat as much as he wanted, and his body was extremely thin.

At this time, Liu Bei also felt that the destiny had arrived, so he began to prepare to arrange the things behind him.

It's just sad after all.

(End of chapter)