Han Shizu

Chapter 2053 Final Chapter
In order to speed up his return to Beijing, the old emperor chose to take the water route. In order to allow the entire camp to travel with the crowd, the Chief Secretary of Jiangnan Province urgently mobilized hundreds of large ships for transportation. At the same time, the Chief Secretary of Jiangnan Province also escorted the navy with his troops.

It is true that the old emperor's body was weak and could no longer support the rapid land transportation. At the same time, the camp was accompanied by thousands of people and a lot of baggage. If you wanted to improve the transfer efficiency, sailing was a relatively suitable way.

However, even so, in this tight arrangement, from packing up, boarding the ship to setting sail, the entire camp team was inevitably in a chaotic and tense atmosphere. Coupled with the scorching sun, it was even more boring.

At the same time, if you want to ensure speed, just relying on sails and oars is not enough.Therefore, from Lianghuai to Henan, the governments along the way that received the order also urgently deployed trackers to pull fiber for the fleet as if preparing for war.

As a result, the scene on the canal reappeared many years ago when the old emperor visited the south. The scene was also spectacular. Along the canal, thousands of trackers uniformly shouted slogans and pulled the heavy boats on the water step by step. of boats.

There are oars and oars in the middle of the boat to move the water, and flags are flying on the hull. There are also some dignitaries, soldiers, and palace officials accompanying the boat beside the boat. They are holding parasols and drinking herbal tea. They look at them with a kind of pity and curiosity. Looking down at the hardworking trackers on the shore like a drama
The difference from that time was that this time, the old emperor was no longer riding in an extremely luxurious "dragon boat", and the number of trackers who pulled his body was not as exaggerated as before, but the dragon flags placed all over the boat still glowed in the sun. Dazzling and colorful.

In midsummer, the sun is as scorching as fire, and the bright sun above our head is radiating heat to its fullest, treating all living beings with the most fair and just attitude.

On the three-story boat, the old emperor was still dressed in a single suit and a light robe, with his shoulders slightly hunched and listless. He looked numbly at the trackers on the shore who were struggling to pull him.

The summer is scorching and extremely hot. The trackers are either wearing short clothes or simply topless. All of them are bent over and working hard, silently enduring the wanton baking of the scorching sun.

Every chant and every step is solid and powerful, and at the same time it also gives people a heavy feeling. The blood marks on the shoulders can be clearly felt even from a distance of more than ten feet. Of course, the old emperor It's invisible, he just feels it with an indifferent heart
The trackers all have different body shapes, tall or short, strong or weak, and I don’t know if the government will recruit them. Will everyone be paid the same price, or not paid at all?The local government should not be so bold.
The old emperor did not hold an umbrella and was directly exposed to the sun. This was probably the first time in decades that he faced the sun so hard. He did not even shed much sweat on his forehead, but calmly immersed himself in the scenery on the summer canal. In the "landscape".

The old emperor's condition was obviously not normal. His grandson Liu Wenhuan, who had been waiting by his side, was very uncomfortable. He felt extremely uncomfortable being exposed to the sun. He couldn't help but persuade him: "Grandpa, the exposure to the sun here will hurt your body. Please return to the cabin to rest." .”

The old emperor heard the persuasion, but was still immersed in his own world. He raised his hand and pointed at the ant-like trackers beside the canal, and said: "When Emperor Yang of the Sui Dynasty went on patrol, was it the same situation along the Grand Canal?"

The old emperor was always like this, always asking such difficult questions. When Liu Wenhuan heard this, he quickly started to think about it. He was still thinking about how to answer appropriately, and then he heard the old emperor say leisurely:
“In my life, I cannot speak of great virtues, but I have achieved great achievements and great deeds, which can be traced back through the ages and thousands of years later. However, I boast that I am worthy of any emperor.

I have experienced great joy and great joy, endured great sorrow and great pain, and of course I have also committed great crimes.But I don’t rejoice in the good, nor feel guilty about the ugly. It’s not about how high my realm is, it’s just that I have self-knowledge. I am not a perfect person, let alone a saint!

Those who have achieved great things since ancient times do not stick to trivial matters. Any king who does something can hardly be called a good person!

These hard-working trackers in front of me were exposed to the scorching heat and shed blood and sweat because of an imperial edict. This must be the last evil thing I did."

The old emperor's nagging left Liu Wenhuan speechless for a moment. He really couldn't understand his grandfather's mentality at this time. He seemed to be pitying the trackers. If so, he could just issue an edict and let them go home. What was the meaning of such words?
"Wenhuan!" While thinking, the old emperor called Liu Wenhuan, and then confessed: "You must take this as a warning! Don't be like your grandfather who put your personal desires above the world.

Loving people as one’s own children is easier said than done!If the emperor doesn't love his people, how can we expect the powerful, bureaucrats, and magistrates? "

The old emperor was still oscillating between hypocrisy and truth, talking more than taking action. Although he spoke a lot of enlightened truths and emotions, he did not show much mercy to the trackers who were stretching under the scorching sun, and some time to breathe and replenish water. Time is probably a gift.

Starting from Yangzhou, it passed through Hangou and entered the Huaihe River, then went west and turned north to Bian. With the efforts of tens of thousands of trackers in the prefectures and counties along the way, the fleet sailed quickly along the canal towards Tokyo.

The pace was relatively steady along the way, but not to mention the trackers, but also the officials accompanying them became depressed, anxious, and uninterested during this continuous and unreasonable boating process. It was not just due to the weather. , the atmosphere of the entire camp has been in a weird state for a long time, just like the dullness before a mountain rain is about to come.

Until Songzhou, thanks to a heavy rain, everyone's tense nerves finally had a chance to relax, and their tired bodies were able to get temporary relief.

The heavy rain fell straight down on Bianshui River, and the falling lines were clearly visible. The sound of raindrops completely filled my ears. For a moment, it seemed that all the sounds in the world were unified into the sound of summer rain.

The fleet was moored at the pier southwest of Songcheng. Even though it was a large ship made of thousands of materials, it was still shaking in the storm.

The old emperor once again stood on the side of the ship, still in the same position, but wearing a leather raincoat and a big umbrella on his head. Even though the old emperor at this time had an indifferent attitude towards all affairs in the world, No need to get wet in the rain.

Under the curtain of rain, what the old emperor was watching numbly were the trackers on the pier.Along the way back to the city, the trackers changed batch after batch, but in the eyes of the old emperor, they were all the same.They are all gangsters at the lowest level in Han society, and they are as worthless as ants.

The former was still sweating profusely from being exposed to the sun, but now he was shivering under the violent wind and rain.Although there were shelters on the shore to shelter from the rain, they were not very effective at covering up, and most of the people were wet.

The dry food to satisfy the hunger was probably wetted by the rain, but it was still enjoyable to eat.Overseers wearing rain gear were patrolling, and two or three people could suppress hundreds of people. Even if they were punched and kicked, no one resisted.No matter how heavy the rain was, they did not dare to go far. They huddled together, waiting for the rain to stop at any time, and continued to stretch His Majesty the Emperor. For coolies like them, this was a blessing from God.
As time passed, the rain still showed no signs of stopping, and the scene in front of me gradually became blurred. There were no other colors in my vision except a dull dark tone.

Even with the support of bamboo joints, the old emperor still could not stand for a long time. When fatigue hit his body, the old emperor had to choose to go back to the cabin.The bamboo joint in his hand has been repaired several times, and it broke again when he smashed it in Guangzhou last year. But perhaps it was because of the cracks and repairs that the old emperor did not want to replace it with a new one.

"Pass the edict!" Before entering the cabin, the old emperor ordered to Hood: "After the rain stops, abandon the boat and land, and set off to the northeast, not to Tokyo!"

Hu De was slightly stunned when he heard the order. He obviously didn't know what the old emperor was up to, so he couldn't help asking: "Where do the officials want to go?" The old emperor was silent for a while, and then said in a deep voice: "To Mount Tai!"

In late June, we arrived at Yanzhou and Mount Tai in a relatively calm and stable state compared to the previous rush.

The last time the old emperor arrived at Mount Tai was when he was enshrined in Zen. Nearly twenty years have passed.Even for the old emperor, it is a long time ago. Even though he is only 62 years old, his 45-year imperial career is still a long time.
He did not go to the state capital, but had a clear goal. He went straight to Mount Tai, and the camp was stationed at the foot of Mount Tai. Compared with the time when he was enshrined in Zen, this time it was obviously not as grand.Even the five-color altar where the old emperor personally went to worship was deserted and faded.

The midsummer night was still hot. Under the night, the camp was brightly illuminated by dots of lights. From the imperial camp, the guards to the rear guards, everyone was busy.

However, they were busy but not in a hurry, and everyone was tidying up and down in an orderly manner. Everyone seemed to have a premonition that they could have a good rest when they arrived at Mount Tai. If His Majesty the Emperor got into the mood and felt hasty, he would perform another Zen ceremony and sacrifice. The time will be more sufficient, I really can’t say for sure.

There is really no reason for many things. Take Mount Tai as an example. The old emperor never thought that he was so majestic and majestic that he could be responsible for his immortal achievements, but he still chose Mount Tai as the place of enshrinement according to tradition. .

Although I obviously have a certain prejudice against Confucianism, I still cannot help but use some of its ideas in the actual governance of the country. Otherwise, would anyone really be able to twist the old emperor's thigh in another place to enshrine Zen?If you want to martyr the old emperor, you can simply do it.And to this day, when recalling the glory of that year, the old emperor still does not forget to come to Mount Tai again and come to the place where the inscription was made to worship heaven.

Although he came with great fanfare, the old emperor seemed very simple when he returned to Mount Tai. He did not display any ceremonial guards or wear royal robes, but just wore casual clothes. He was only escorted by a few entourage and visited Mount Tai as if on an outing.

There is no doubt that the Fengchan Platform is his ultimate goal. He must gather his strength and walk the ladder to heaven again. Twenty years later, the old emperor was already old and frail, not as good as before, but he still showed his stubbornness when he walked up the ladder to heaven, not allowing anyone to help him, even if he walked slower.

The merit monument standing on the top of Mount Tai has absorbed the essence of the sun and moon for nearly twenty years, and has also been exposed to wind, sun and rain. The extra sense of obsolescence may be the precipitation of history.

Standing in front of the monument for a long time, the old emperor raised his head and silently stared at the congratulatory message praising him. His heart, which was not very stable, finally gave birth to some warmth that even summer could not bring him.

He only reached forward and touched the stele body gently. The old emperor didn't say much. He turned around and headed towards the Fengchan platform like an old man.The old emperor was still on stage alone, very tired from walking. When he stood at the so-called "reception between heaven and man", the old emperor originally thought that he would have infinite emotions, but the fact was that his mind was blank, as if the past was all clouds and fame. All turned into dung.

The weather in Fuqi was so hot that it made people breathless. On the top of the mountain, facing the bright sun in the sky, the old emperor was in a trance. He even felt a little cold.
At night, in the camp and the imperial tent, dozens of oil lamps illuminated the small space. However, the lights flickered a little, and the tent curtains were open. Under the influence of the night wind, they flickered frequently.

Before long, four figures entered the tent under the leadership of Hu De, including Li Shaoyou, Duke of Shou, Li Jian, Bo of Ding'an, and the two grandsons of the emperor Wen Huan and Wen Ji.The four of them looked at the old emperor nervously. Something was wrong with him. He looked so weak that he had almost lost all his energy and energy. This was the first time for those who were familiar with the old emperor.

Without the slightest hesitation, the four of them knelt down. At this moment, a heavy shadow cast over everyone's hearts, and everyone was shrouded in an inexplicable sense of fear.This was a heart-wrenching shock. Until this moment, it would be difficult for anyone to describe the panic and confusion in it.

The old emperor waved his hand and dismissed the servants serving in the palace, leaving only six people in the tent besides the old emperor. Naturally, Hu De was among them as the head of the chamberlain, and there was also the servant who was rarely used by the old emperor.
Slowly turning his head, the old emperor looked at Ding'an Bo Li Jian, and said feebly: "Yuan Hui, you have been my guard for 45 years. Some people even teased you as a gatekeeper noble, guarding Uncle Hou. You have wronged you all these years. Got it!"

When Li Jian heard this, he kowtowed immediately, his emotions burst out, and he choked with sobs: "Your Majesty, this is my supreme honor, why should I complain!"

"Then, you can serve as my last duty! After you send me back to Beijing, you can resign and retire!" the old emperor said weakly.

"Old minister, I'm here to serve you!" Elder Li Jian kowtowed with tears in his eyes.

The old emperor looked at Li Shaoyou again, and his voice kept the same rhythm: "Brother You, there is no need to say anything between you and me. I leave my funeral affairs to you! Give the prince a message, I am very satisfied with him. "

"Yes!" Li Shaoyou tried his best to control his emotions.

Finally, the old emperor looked at the two brothers Liu Wenhuan and Liu Wenji who were already at a loss. He suddenly struggled, mustered up his strength, and said, "You brothers, take care of yourself!"

The two brothers stared blankly at the old emperor, unable to speak, but their eyes were getting redder and redder.The man who was recording next to him had his hands shaking, and his eyes kept glancing towards the old emperor. However, the old emperor seemed to have finished explaining everything he wanted to say.

Lying on the couch, his eyes gradually became blurred and lifeless. After an unknown amount of time, when the atmosphere in the tent was completely enveloped in sadness, the old emperor hesitated again and murmured intermittently in a low voice:

"They say that before you die, you can look back on your entire life. Why can't I see anything? No, I still saw it. Is this the Han Empire? This -"

Suddenly, the old emperor's eyes widened, and the whites of his eyes were bloodshot, as if he had seen something horrific. By the time the courtiers in front of the bed reacted, the old emperor had stopped making any sound.

On June 30, the 992th year of Kaibao's reign (29), Emperor Liu Chengyou of the Han Dynasty passed away while camping in Mount Tai. He was sixty and two years old. He reigned for 45 years and made countless achievements and demerits!

Finish.

(End of this chapter)