Aspirations for Nation and Beauty: Chapter 1 The cold wind and rain

The solitary lamp in the room is like a bean, and the wind is cold and rainy outside the window. Although the charcoal wood stove in the room is still hot, the old man leaning on the soft and thick yellow silk brocade cushion has his eyes half closed, his scorched cheeks Thin to the point of skin and bones, those eyes that once dominated the world looked so dull and lifeless at this moment, and the drooping bags under the eyes were even more blue with black, as if they hadn't rested for many days. The ups and downs of the chest trembled with the occasional red tide on the face, which made people feel sad.

However, the expression on that face was quite calm, and the eyes that opened and closed from time to time also proved that the old man had not lost his will. The little **** standing in the corner with his head bowed seemed to be holding his breath, fearing that he might offend the old man whose mood had been extremely unstable in the past few days.

The lady in palace costume sitting next to the dragon bed sighed softly, and picked up the jade bowl on the coffee table beside her, "Your Majesty, you should drink the medicine first, seeing that your health has improved somewhat Now, you don’t drink medicine like this, it’s very bad for your health.”

He moved his head slightly to show that he had heard the other person's words, but the old man didn't say a word, he just closed his eyes and rested silently. The brocade covering the old man was tucked away.

"Concubine An, go back and rest. I just want to take a good rest. Don't worry, I know my own body. This disease can't overwhelm me!" A look of firmness flashed across his face, but the old man was actually not sure about his body, but at this moment, he couldn't believe anyone, and the fatigue hit him one after another. Too much energy to ask about these things.

Glancing at the old man's face, he could see that the other party was not talking ironically. The lady in palace attire got up speechlessly, and walked out the door with her graceful waist twisted. The room was finally clean.

The corners of the old man's mouth twitched slightly, and the old man stared blankly at the top of the yellow satin tent. The silence made him feel extremely depressed, but at this time he didn't want to see anyone, he just wanted to be alone and quiet , although this is really not a good time.

In the blink of an eye, the tent roof with a few folds seemed to turn into a map of the empire that I was very familiar with. I don’t know what the black dots are, and when my eyes are dim, it seems to have become a city on this land. The shadow of the candlelight is reflected on the top of the tent, and the map in my memory is also divided into several pieces. Beiyuan, Hehe Shuo, Guanxi, Sanjiang, Tiannan and even Yanyun, the colors of each piece of land seem to be different, and several blurred faces appear in the somewhat drowsy mind one after another.

"Could it be that the inheritance left to me by my ancestors is really going to be lost in my own hands?" For a moment, turbid tears fell from the corners of his eyes uncontrollably. The old man seemed to be addicted to not noticing his gaffe. , I haven't tasted this kind of taste for a long time. It seems that something in my heart has been vented all of a sudden. Although this has no effect on reality, the feeling of depression in my heart has been relieved a lot.

"No, absolutely, I can't be so decadent, I can't just admit defeat like this!" The character of not admitting defeat that has been developed over the years seems to have popped up in the old man's heart, but the situation in front of him has completely lost control , especially after I was in poor health and unable to go to court, everything seemed to be messed up. I thought I could stabilize my position with a few veteran officials, but the successive defeats on the battlefield seemed to make it impossible for even veteran officials like He Zhiqiu to control the court and the opposition. Situ Mingyue felt the faint harbinger of a huge storm looming from the aggressive questioning in the news media, and the overwhelming criticism and attacks made several veteran ministers repeatedly ask for sick leave. At this time, some sacrifices had to be made.

Thinking of this, the old man closed his eyes in pain. He didn't want to do this, but under such circumstances, as the king of a country who had to consider for the Situ family, he had to do this, even if it was a little despicable, he couldn't care less. He looked up and sighed, He Aiqing, I'm really sorry, if you want to maintain the hearts of the people, someone must take this responsibility. As a ruler, you have to make such a decision, and as a minister, you have to accept this decision.

He Zhiqiu sat in the study calmly and looked at the gendarmerie commander standing under him who was a little uneasy. He was still his subordinate yesterday, but today he had to come to search his mansion, and took a sip of the curling mist With the raised teacup, He Zhiqiu greeted the other party to take a seat with a smile, as if the other party was the one being searched and she was the one who presided over the matter.

"My lord,..." The corner of his mouth trembled abnormally like a cut open wound. The officer in black armor looked ashamed, and he didn't even dare to look directly at the man in a Confucian shirt sitting in the middle of the middle hall. The old man, with a pair of big hands full of strength, rubbed back and forth in front of his lower abdomen coyly, He Zhiqiu couldn't help laughing when he saw it.

"Don't call me that old man. Now I'm a commoner waiting to be examined. I'll ask Mr. Qin to take care of me." He Zhiqiu's weather-beaten face showed unprecedented ease. After the rejection, he knew clearly that this moment had finally come. When there was a wave of riots from the government and the people in the imperial capital, he vaguely felt that his fate was doomed. The fall of Heshuo County and the criticism from the government and the people all needed an explanation. The Sea Cucumber Military Port was just an insignificant excuse, the squadron was just a few broken ships, and even the naval headquarters seemed to have forgotten that there was a squadron there, but now it became his heinous crime. Maybe Ning Yuanwang is right. Either the empire cannot be defeated, or it cannot be defeated by the insignificant Japanese. Let yourself bear the blame. Presumably, your seclusion at home will allow many people to sleep peacefully. I feel it.

"My lord, please don't say that. This subordinate has no choice but to forgive me for my difficulties." Officer Xuanjia's face was even more embarrassing, "Your Majesty did not give any other instructions, just I just ask you to cultivate yourself at home."

"Bright, you don't need to say more, don't you understand this after so many years of official career, you just follow His Majesty's will, I only have this house, all the things are here, there is no other real estate outside the house, It must disappoint many people." He Zhiqiu sighed with emotion, Qin Mingliang is the nephew of Minister of Agriculture Qin Yuedong, he is loyal to His Majesty, and has a good relationship with himself, so let him inspect his family, His Majesty is Are you worried about saying something you shouldn't say in your anger, or are you thinking about old feelings and can't bear to see yourself in the hands of others? But all of this seems to be meaningless. He Zhiqiu's heart is full of calmness. After decades of ups and downs in the officialdom, he finally ended up in a confiscated house awaiting investigation. I shut my mouth tightly, it seems that I still have the hope that I can live the rest of my life in peace and contentment. Thinking of this, He Zhiqiu even felt a sense of hope in his heart. There will be no annoying government affairs, no complicated interpersonal relationships, and no cumbersome greetings. Coming and going, isn't this the life I long for?

He Zhiqiu stood up easily, and looked at the military police who were busy searching the various places in his mansion in the courtyard with his hands behind his back. He could see that these military police had been instructed by their superiors, and they seemed to be very well-behaved. The situation in this situation has long been a mess. The whole family has already received their master's orders. Although they were a little panicked, seeing their master's calm appearance, they gradually felt relieved. Several servants also silently cleaned and tidied up the room that had been searched by the military police. .

The sky in the west is gloomy and black, which indicates that there will be rain and snow again. He Zhiqiu looks at the distant sky with some melancholy. Is the cloud from the west just rain and snow? Right~IndoMTL.com~ I don’t miss the position of the Minister of Military Affairs, which seems to be a powerful position, but it still makes him a little hard to let go of this position for many years. At present, He Zhiqiu doesn't know where the empire will go next. The princes' obedience and indifference, His Majesty's ambiguous attitude, the ups and downs of the aristocratic families, and the looking around of the local forces, all these are full of endless variables. It has nothing to do with me, and I seem to be able to sit down quietly, drink tea, cultivate my mind and cultivate my nature, but can I really let go of this heart?

With the downfall of the Minister of Military Affairs, a series of political storms quickly set off in the imperial court. His Majesty the Emperor, who had not been in power for several months, unexpectedly came to govern in person. , Immediately afterwards, a large number of officers headed by the commander of the Imperial Navy Fleet were dismissed, and the head of the Seventh Legion, who was jointly responsible, was fined for three months, as an example to others, and the collapsed third and fourth The legion was announced to be re-established on the outskirts of the imperial capital, which attracted the attention of the entire empire, especially Ying Jianming, the deputy head of the First Division of the Fourth Army, who escaped the Taiping Army's encirclement and annihilation in the Battle of Heshuo. This appointment is even more surprising. The commander of the Fourth Army was appointed by the former First Division of the Praetorian Guards. It is not surprising that the division head was promoted, but Ying Jianming was just a soldier who was born as a civilian, and no one could know the background of this guy. rare.

The wheel of history slowly rolls forward, ushering in the Spring Festival of the Tang people in 697 in the Gregorian calendar in the mainland.