The sunset turned the sky red. Ning Feng, the Great Chu State Counselor who was trudging between the mountains and forests on the border between Chu and Han, carefully observing the terrain and energy conditions to judge the possible movements of the Han army, suddenly stopped and raised his head in confusion.
Toward the sky.
Above the blue sky, a bright flaming cloud extends from south to west, toward the direction where the sun is about to set. The gorgeous light falls on the ground, making people feel warm in their hearts.
"Master, do you see anything?"
"Is there anything unusual in the sky?"
The two apprentices who followed him out to investigate were shocked when they saw him suddenly dazed, and couldn't help asking questions.
It can be said that the Great Chu Kingdom has gone from bad to worse in the past two years. Since the last battle between Chu and Han, the Western Army collapsed instantly under the fierce attack of the Han Teng Snake Legion, and the Chu people have completely lost their spirit. Since then, the Han Dynasty has shown strict military discipline and strength
The construction ability made those warriors who were originally full of grief and indignation feel that their clenched fists were hitting the cotton, with nowhere to exert their strength, and they became even more depressed.
The Emperor is getting older and his health is getting worse and worse. In the past six months, he has spent most of his time in the hospital bed. His Highness, on the other hand, behaves mediocrely - the biggest problem is not mediocrity, but his
Lack of magnanimity as a king.
This prince of the Chu State was an extremely regular person. He was silent and withdrawn in the court. He was taciturn in front of ministers. He never made mistakes related to etiquette and law. All his administration and behavior appeared to be very formal.
But it's just a formal one, and I can't see any bright spots.
It's like... the person who sits on the throne of commanding the sixteen counties in the southeast instead of His Majesty is not a person who is about to become an emperor, but looks like a puppet with the sign of "Emperor" on it.
Of course, this is not that the important ministers are evading the emperor. Although the Chu Dynasty is gradually declining, there are still two civil and military heroes guarding the city of Changning. The national counselor Huntian Hou Ning Feng and the chief instructor of the Forbidden Army Nanhua Hou Shen Yi, although they cannot have all the power.
towards
It's wild, but it's enough to scare any young man. In addition, the head guard Jian Ji who guards the Forbidden Palace all the year round and never leaves a step... The presence of these three strong men is enough to make everyone dare not try.
To offend the emperor's authority.
But no matter whether they are as wise as Ning Fen or as brave as Shen Yi, they can't think of anything they can do when facing a prince who doesn't feel the slightest vitality and is like a marionette.
His Royal Highness the Crown Prince did not make any mistakes. In fact, he did quite well. But he actually did not make any mistakes. He just lacked energy, enthusiasm, ambition and courage. Although he was alive, he was like a walking zombie.
In the court, the most common words he said were "According to Qing's instructions"; in the inner palace, the most common words he said were "I'm tired" - I didn't know that he was so young.
Why do you look as depressed as an old man?
But Ning Feng knew that this ridiculous appearance just proved that this prince was the true son of the Great Chu Kingdom.
As the most orthodox heir of this country, he began to preside over state affairs after His Majesty fell ill, and he began to be infected by the national destiny of the Chu Kingdom.
But he is not the emperor yet. Before His Majesty passes the throne, the lamp of destiny that protects the emperor of the Chu Kingdom will not protect him or block him from the pressure caused by the declining fortune of the country. In the face of this heavy pressure
, the prince, who was originally only a middle-aged man, was deeply eroded.
The feeling of powerlessness he showed was exactly the manifestation of the national destiny of the Chu Kingdom. This prince was like a mirror, faithfully reflecting the country's destiny.
Ning Feng twice persuaded His Majesty to pass the throne as soon as possible, but His Majesty always laughed and refused.
"I'm not obsessed with the throne - power is of no use to people who are about to die. I just... alas! You won't understand!" Dachu, who is obviously not yet in his twilight years, but has aged terribly. The emperor's smile was very calm, with a kind of indifference that could see through life and death, which made the ministers feel a deep sense of powerlessness, "In short, there is nothing wrong with this now, just leave it like this..."
"This can't go on like this!" More than one minister has gone to Ning Feng privately to persuade the Imperial Preceptor to abolish the establishment. Not all of them are selfish, and many of them do propose this out of loyalty to the country. Here comes the treacherous suggestion.
Ning Feng was once tempted, but Shen Nanhua, the instructor of the Forbidden Army, didn't agree, and Jian Ji, the head guard of the inner palace, didn't agree, so he couldn't think of anything.
With his ability, no matter which one of the two he faced, he would not be sure of victory; if one versus two, he would probably be defeated in an instant.
"It would be great if Uncle Master was still here..." He often said to himself like this in private.
His uncle, Senior Xiao, the Buyi Divine Prime Minister, is a real Gang Flying Immortal. He has the ability to enter and exit the Qingming, the power to destroy cities and demolish strongholds, and has the unpredictable power of ghosts and ghosts, and the ability to steal the sky and change the sun... Duan is incredibly powerful!
In the past few decades, the Great Chu Kingdom has encountered crises more than once, but Uncle Xiao and Mr. Ji Shihou Wu have joined forces to save the Great Chu Kingdom from destruction time and time again. Their grace and grace are really fascinating!
But everything has passed. Uncle Xiao has reincarnated himself in order to pursue the supreme road; Senior Wu is disillusioned with the power of the country and will probably never step into the mortal world again... The one who supports the Great Chu State now is just one person. A dabbler who had learned a little bit from Uncle Xiao, and two warriors who could barely pass some guidance from Senior Wu.
"Each generation is really inferior to the last... I remember that when I was still a junior, Dachu State had a national counselor named Changchun Zhenren, a good prime minister and a famous general, a world-famous Dongshan County soldier, a talented and strategic Majesty, and a Tibetan army that could defeat the enemy. Nanping County of a country..." Perhaps it is because people like to reminisce when they are old. Ning Feng, who has just passed his 100th birthday, often recalls the things that happened when he was really young.
When he recalled it once, he sighed.
Over the past hundred years, he had watched the Great Chu State grow from prosperity to decline, and although he himself struggled with those heroes and exerted a lot of effort together, when he looked back, he only felt nostalgia and a sense of powerlessness. There's nothing heroic about it.
Probably... As the national advisor of the Great Chu Kingdom, his own destiny is also connected with the national destiny of the country. When the national destiny declines, he himself will also be affected.
In the past period of time, he had been feeling depressed and tired. It was not until that moment when he saw the red clouds across the sky that his heart suddenly cheered up, just like a cold person drinking a glass of hot wine. A warm feeling soon spread all over my body, and I felt much more energetic.
Hearing the worried and concerned words of his disciples, he smiled and lowered his head.
"Nothing, I just saw an acquaintance."
Familiar? The two apprentices looked around in surprise, but all they could see was a mountain forest under the setting sun, and they could only hear the strong mountain wind blowing in the evening. There was not even a single figure in sight!
Ning Feng smiled and did not explain, but he couldn't help but look at the sky.
The fiery cloud that spanned half of the sky was still there, but the warm feeling was gone.
He didn't know whether it was because the senior who flew across the sky on a cloud of fire had withdrawn his magic? Or was everything just his illusion?
Maybe... the senior who had become disillusioned with the Chu Kingdom and no longer entered the world saw his dejected look and helped him; or maybe, this courage has always been deep in his heart.
Hiding, but being suppressed by the harsh reality, hiding deeper and deeper, only to wake up again when seeing the flame that has been invincible in memory?
"Don't think so wildly. This is something that has nothing to do with us." He clapped his hands and told the two disciples who were still looking around to stop wasting time. "It's getting late, and we still have a lot of things to do. First, we have a lot of things to do.
Let’s get the business done!”
"Master... we are investigating everywhere like fools, but the gap in combat power between the cavalry and the cavalry is really useful. No matter how much information we collect, we will still lose in a fight."
"Perhaps this is indeed the case." Ning Feng did not shy away from admitting his failure, but there was no trace of dejection or melancholy on his face. Instead, he was full of fighting spirit, "But... you have to remember one thing."
He turned around, his eyes shining like the rising Chang Geng star.
"No matter what happens in this world, no matter how slim the hope may seem, as long as you are willing to work hard, there is always a little bit of hope; and no matter how promising something is, if you don't do it, it will just come to nothing."
"Hope is not said, but done!"
"Is there really hope for the Great Chu Kingdom?" The older apprentice hesitated for a moment, but still asked the question he had wanted to ask for a long time.
"Who knows! But I will keep working hard." Ning Feng laughed, turned and walked towards the vast mountains, "Maybe my efforts can win a little hope!"
As he spoke, he waved to his disciples to follow him.
The two apprentices looked at me and I looked at you. They didn't really believe what the master said.
But they can see that the master who has become more and more depressed and weak these days, and who looks more and more like the inactive His Highness the Crown Prince, has regained his vitality. The master of the country, Hou Tianhou!
The confusion in his four eyes gradually dissipated, replaced by excitement and elation.
"Master, wait for us!"
"Yes! You're walking too fast! We won't be able to keep up!"
"Young people should not be afraid of hardships, so work harder!"
"Yes! Master!"
"Haha! This is the momentum! With this momentum, you can try anything no matter what!"
"Yes! Master!"
The three figures walked farther and farther under the gradually setting sun, gradually disappearing into the dark forest.
As he was riding a cloud, he was leading a large group of people waiting outside the gate of Kantian Sect. Wu Jie suddenly changed his expression and smiled.
"Elder brother, why are you laughing?" An Ziqing asked curiously.
"Because I saw something worth being happy about." Wu Jie said, making a connection with the talisman that was attached to Ning Feng's body just now.
Regardless of whether Da Chu can overcome the current difficulties, seeing Xiao Buyi's students get back on their feet is something worth laughing about!
