On the second day after the northeastern corner of the beam collapsed, a group of Wei people gathered here in an area in the east of the city that had been flooded with turbid water and was completely unable to move. They were all exhausted and depressed.
During the three-month flood siege of the city, although the food in the city was still enough to eat, and there was no tragedy of exchanging food for food, due to the lack of a dry open space, they had to cook in a pot, and because of the lack of firewood, what happened to the food?
Getting it into your mouth has become the most difficult problem.
First burn the wooden furniture in the house, then the expensive lacquerware, and finally the gorgeous silks. These things are not worth a piece of worthless firewood for cooking. When the silks, silks and linen are also burned,
It was Gaoguan and Kuanxiu's turn to suffer.
This is still the method of rich people. Poor people are even worse and can only survive by chewing uncooked rice.
So this group of elegant and noble scholar-bureaucrats in the past were all in rags, their crowns and belts were missing, and their lower clothes were shortened. They looked like the mud legs they despised. They stood barefoot in the muddy water, but they still spoke and behaved cautiously.
Wear etiquette.
Their chat didn't last long. As something was being transported out of the yard, everyone went over to help. Although they were all doctors and scribes who were not involved in production, they all rolled up their sleeves and worked together to carry a
Painted the coffin, then waded through the streets with water up to the shin, and walked towards the high-stage palace in the distance, which was much higher than the ground...
That high platform is called "Fantai" and it was a palace built during the reign of King Hui of Wei. It is located on a very high ground, with flowers and trees, Fusu, birds singing and fragrance of flowers, and pavilions and pavilions. It is so beautiful. At that time, King Hui of Wei took his two most beloved beauties with him all day long.
Baitai, I have to come to Fantai to have some fun.
Nowadays, it is like an isolated island in the sea, and it has become one of the few places to stay in the east of the city. During the siege, the King of Wei allowed the noble officials from the east of the city to bring their families to take refuge here.
The nobles and officials of the Wei State flocked to the place, but only one person did not leave. The ninety-year-old Tang Ju stayed at home, vowing to work hard and live and die with the people of the Wei State, and determined not to go to Fantai.
When his disciples tried to persuade him, Tang Ju reprimanded him:
"When I was thirty-one years old, the Yan army entered Qi and killed King Min of Qi. They attacked more than 70 cities in Qi, leaving only Ju and Jimo. At that time, Tian only guarded Jimo, and he was in charge of the banquet. He shared the same food and clothing with the soldiers.
We worked hard together, and our wives and concubines were organized among the troops! Only then did we achieve the feat of restoring the country after being trapped for three years!"
"Now that Daliang is besieged and in great danger, as a high official, how can I abandon the people and seek refuge on a high platform? We must work together, and the high officials and the people are one. Only in this way can we unite the will of the people and build a city!"
Even so, Tang Ju could persuade his descendants and disciples to stay, but he could not persuade the king of Wei and the nobles to run to the high platform of the palace, close the door tightly, continue to feast and play, and stay drunk all day long to numb themselves and pretend.
Zuo didn't know the fate of the Wei State that could be destroyed at any time.
The actions of the Wei nobles made the Wei people feel more and more chilled, and their morale became lower and lower day by day.
Now, the walls of the beams have finally collapsed, and Tang Ju, who was the last spiritual pillar of the city guards, was also shocked to hear that the city collapsed, regretfully and unwillingly, and breathed his last...
Inside the coffin, which was carried by many people, was Tang Ju's body.
…
The group of people trekked to Fantai with difficulty. A few days ago, there were many retainers of the nobles and private soldiers guarding the place, preventing people from going up. Now, the palace gate is empty.
After the city was broken, King Wei immediately announced that the whole city would lay down their weapons and choose to surrender. Tomorrow, the public officials and nobles would follow King Wei out of the city to surrender and leave this drowned city. The retainers and private soldiers also dispersed and went their separate ways.
Tang Ju's descendants and disciples plan to bury the old man's body here, because this is one of the few places where there is still a touch of loess.
However, a young man of seventeen or eighteen years old stood at the gate of Fantai Palace, stretched out his hand, and stopped everyone.
"Great-grandfather cannot be buried in Fantai!" he said loudly.
Tang Li is one of Tang Ju's many great-grandsons. He has been with Tang Ju since he was a child. In the past few days, he was the one taking care of Tang Ju's daily life.
When Tang Ju entered the coffin, everyone could not find Tang Li. He was probably crying somewhere, but unexpectedly he came here to stop the coffin.
"Tang Li!" Tang Li's father, Tang Ju's grandson, scolded him angrily: "How dare you block the coffin, you unworthy descendant? Why don't you get out of the way!"
Tang Li knelt down in the water, lowered his head and said: "My great-grandfather kept saying when he was dying, if Uncle Boyi and Qi didn't eat Zhousu, he didn't want to be buried in Qin!"
Someone said: "In Daliang City, where can we get to Qin?"
The young man pointed to Fan Tai behind him and said: "Now the King of Wei has brought hundreds of officials from the public family to leave the city and surrender to Qin. After today, Wei will be dead. After tomorrow, this will be the territory of Qin! My great-grandfather fought with Qin all his life. Under the Yellow Springs
, how can he rest in peace?”
"Furthermore, Fantai was built by a foolish king named King Hui of Wei. King Hui indulged in drinking and debauchery and delayed state affairs. Great-grandfather has always been displeased, let alone buried him here!"
"Then where do you think we should be buried?" Tang Li's father, carrying the heavy coffin, said sadly and angrily with tears in his eyes: "Within this hundred miles radius, where is there any earth of the size of Wei!?"
Others also sighed.
"The country has perished, let alone the country!"
"The city is full of water and chaos. I can't wait to be sent out of the city. Do we have to wait for the Qin people to humiliate the master's body?"
"Even if a person dies, he must be buried in the ground."
"I..." Tang Li had no idea for a moment and could only watch helplessly as everyone carried Tang Ju's coffin onto the platform.
As a junior, his words were useless. In the end, he could only wipe his tears and follow. Together with everyone, he buried the coffin in a corner of the platform and began a simple funeral.
The conditions in the city were simple, with no plain silk or black cloth, but there was no shortage of people singing elegy and beating their chests and crying bitterly.
They were not only mourning for Tang Ju, but also mourning for the Wei State Sheji, which was about to perish.
"More than four hundred years ago, Bi Wan, an official of the Jin Dynasty, was granted the title of Wei family. A fortune teller predicted that after Bi Wan, there would be a great number. Ten thousand is the full number; Wei is also famous. The emperor calls it Zhaomin, and the princes call it Wanmin.
.My destiny is so great that if I follow the full number, there will definitely be many..."
"As expected, two hundred years later, a grandson of the Wei family named Wei Huanzi, together with Han Kangzi and Zhao Xiangzi, attacked Zhibo and divided his land."
"Another fifty years later, Huanzi's grandson was named Wenhou of Wei. Under the orders of the emperor, he led Han Wei to attack Qi. He entered the Great Wall and fought at Zhenqiu. He beheaded 30,000 people and captured 2,000 chariots. He captured the princes of Qi and returned to the Zhou Dynasty.
Become a prince, and the Kingdom of Wei begins to rise!"
"At the time of Marquis Wen, Wei had Li Kui and Zhai Huang as prime ministers, promulgating laws and scriptures, Ximen Bao ruled in Ye, Hedong and Henei families had enough people, and the government was well-connected. There were also Zixia, Tian Zifang, and Duan Qianmu lecturing in Xihe.
At that time, all the scholars gathered in Wei. With Leyang and Wu Qi as generals, they raised military soldiers, defeated Qi in the east, forced Qin in the west, conquered Zhongshan in the north, and defeated the powerful Chu in the south. At that time, the Wei state was worthy of being the best in the world.
overlord!"
"As for King Hui, he still continued his hegemony for three generations. There was a meeting of Fengze, and the twelve princes of Sishang bowed their heads. Qin and Qi also went to Wei. Unfortunately, King Hui was dim and unclear. In his later years, he was defeated by Qi in the east and his eldest son died; he died in the west.
The land of Qin was more than 700 miles away, and tens of thousands of soldiers died..."
"By the time of King Xiang, Wei had lost its hegemony and was sandwiched between the three powerful powers of Qin, Chu and Qi, and was becoming increasingly humble."
"Tang Gong was born in the year when Mencius met King Xiang of Wei." A doctor who had family connections with the Tang family sighed.
"Tang Gong lived for ninety years. He saw the decline of the Wei State. Although he assisted Mr. Xinling to revive the country for a while, the Wei State still could not escape the fate of national subjugation."
"Fortunately, Duke Tang didn't have to be like us to witness the scene of King Wei's surrender!"
More and more people gathered, most of them lying in front of Tang Ju's tomb crying and complaining about the pain of the country's subjugation. Seeing that everyone became more and more sad and angry, Tang Li couldn't listen anymore. He bowed his head three times towards his great-grandfather's tomb and left Fantai silently.
…
The four gates of Daliang have been opened, but the Qin people have not yet come in. The city has been soaked in water for too long, and the epidemic is prevalent. The Qin people will not take this risk.
They asked King Wei to surrender with everyone in the city. At that time, the King of Wei's family would be sent to Guanzhong as spoils of war, and the Wei people in Daliang City would be separated and resettled.
As a man who had subjugated his country, Tang Li did not know where he should go. After being soaked in water for more than two months, the demoralized Liang Wei people no longer had the spirit to resist. He could only bleed in the water and stumble.
Walked home and opened the study door...
The place was also flooded, up to the base of the feet. In order for the family to have a hot meal, all the dry things in the house were burned as firewood. Even the slips that Tang Ju had collected for many years were not spared. But only a corner of the bookshelf.
A pile of old bamboo scrolls wrapped in Gebu, Tang Ju said not to burn them.
Tang Li walked over and opened them.
Among them, there are "Duan Chang", "Zhang Zi" and "Su Zi", all of which are the deeds of politicians. They record the words and deeds of Zhang Yi, Su Qin, Su Dai and others who lobbied the princes and looked down upon them.
A must-have for young people who want to learn the theory of balancing shortcomings and longings.
Tang Li once had such a dream. From the age of ten, he read these books as stories. He admired Zhang Yi and Su Qin's feat of single-handedly leveraging the balance of the princes. He tried to figure out its sentences, deliberately imitated them, and copied them!
He hoped that one day he would be able to develop such skills, inherit his great-grandfather's business, lobby the princes, initiate a coalition, and turn the Wei Kingdom into danger!
Unfortunately, before he could finish learning his great-grandfather's skills, Tang Ju passed away and the Wei Kingdom was about to fall...
Tang Li closed the slips and took out a few bamboo scrolls that had been hidden in his arms and had not been taken out at the funeral. They were originally intended to be burned to his great-grandfather.
This is "Tang Zi", which Tang Li quietly wrote before the war started. He wanted to record his great-grandfather's deeds that fulfilled his mission through his own pen, so that his great-grandfather could be remembered by future generations like Zhang Yi and Su Qin...
But as soon as he finished writing, Daliang fell into siege.
When I unfolded this half-volume of "Tang Zi" on the case, I saw that three stories had already been written on it: "Qin and Wei Wei for the Country", "Tang Ju Speaks of Lord Xinling", and "Tang Jie Meets Chunshen Lord", all of which were written by Tang Ju.
The true events of using Zongheng's words skillfully to persuade King Zhao of Qin, Lord Chunshen, and Lord Xinling.
It stands to reason that when Tang Ju dies and Wei dies, the story of "Tang Zi" will come to an abrupt end.
But, is that really the end of it?
Big drops of tears fell on the bamboo slips, moistening the withered bamboo slips.
"I'm not willing to give in!" Tang Li gritted his teeth, thinking of his great-grandfather who regretfully passed away, and of the Wei State that he had worked hard all his life to save and now fell. Tang Li's heart was bleeding...
He was somewhat unwilling to accept this fact and wanted to do something to make himself less uncomfortable.
Driven by this unwillingness, Tang Li found a pen, rubbed the ink with the turbid water below, rolled up his sleeves, and began to write a new, but fictitious story on the bamboo slips...
"The King of Qin sent people to say to Lord Anling: I want to use a land of five hundred miles to Anling. Lord Anling will allow me..."
He placed the beginning of the story in Anling, a place in the territory of the Wei lord that Tang Ju had taken him to visit a few years ago. The Anling lord resisted the Qin army at the beginning of the war.
, but his small armed forces were quickly wiped out, and Lord Anling had no choice but to surrender.
Tang Li reshaped Lord Anling and turned him into the wise monarch that the people of Wei had longed for...
Then, in Tang Li's writing, the deceased great-grandfather Tang Ju came back to life.
"Tang Ju said to him: Lord Anling received the land from the previous king and guarded it. Although he dared not change it for a thousand miles, how could it be five hundred miles straight?"
With tears in his eyes, Tang Li seemed to really see his great-grandfather still sitting in front of him, telling him the art of short and long. He asked his grandfather to say what he often said to Tang Li when the King of Qin was tempting him.
talk.
Don’t dare abandon the land of your ancestors!
This is in sharp contrast to the previous Wei kings who did not cherish the land of their ancestors and gave it to Qin.
When he wrote this, he got stuck, but after biting the pen barrel and thinking about it, and then flipping through some passages in "Zhang Zi" and "Su Zi", Tang Li's eyes lit up, and the pen in his hand became faster and faster.
The thrilling conflict clearly appeared on the bamboo slips.
The King of Qin is domineering and wants to seize every piece of land in the world. Since the soft approach is not enough, he wants to use the hard one!
He arrogantly called himself the Son of Heaven, and said that the Emperor's wrath would "lay millions of corpses and bleed for thousands of miles", trying to intimidate Tang Ju!
However, the ninety-year-old Tang Ju was used to seeing the world, so how could he be afraid of him? He asked, "Has your Majesty heard of the wrath of Bu Yi?"
In Tang Li's works, Qin Wangzheng, who was born with the face of a villain and a nouveau riche, waved his hand disdainfully and said: "The anger of the common people can also be used to steal the earth and ears with the head..."
The real climax came. Tang Li bit his nails while writing down Tang Ju's answer: "This is the anger of a mediocre man, not the anger of a scholar..."
So, what is the wrath of a scholar?
The images of chivalrous assassins who were not afraid of rape in history appeared before Tang Li's eyes.
When Zhuan Zhu stabs Wang Liao, comets strike at the moon; when Nie Zheng stabs Han puppets, a white rainbow pierces the sun; when Yao Li stabs Qing Ji, the warehouse eagle strikes the palace!
In Tang Li's view, the times need such a lone hero. When the military and national power could not compete with Qin, he single-handedly killed the greedy King of Qin and took out his tiger and wolf heart!
The first Jing Ke fell, but there will definitely be a second and third Jing Ke!
As he wrote this, Tang Li was completely intoxicated. For the sake of the plot he wanted, he ignored facts and logic and directly asked Tang Ju to stand up with his sword!
"If a soldier is angry, he will lay down two corpses and bleed for five steps. The world will be plain. This is the case today!"
What? You can’t bring a sword when you meet the King of Qin? It doesn’t matter. Tang Ju’s “sword” didn’t come from hiding, nor did it come in through manipulation, nor was it taken from others. It was a sword that symbolized people’s sympathy for the weak and weak hearts. It fell from the sky.
A sword of justice!
"nice!"
He burst out laughing, as if he really saw that although his great-grandfather was gray-haired, he still exuded the heroic spirit of a common man, which frightened the King of Qin and made him kneel down to apologize...
Tang Li, the man who lost his country, relied on his pen on this bamboo slip to win a victory for the people of Wei that could not be achieved in reality.
"Hahahaha, so happy, so happy! The King of Qin, who has the heart of a tiger and a wolf, will be forced into such an embarrassing situation by his great-grandfather!"
But his laughter became smaller and smaller, became more and more unpleasant, and finally turned into howling.
Doesn't Tang Li know that this is all fake?
The land of his ancestors had long been cut off piece by piece by the King of Wei. His great-grandfather had never seen the King of Qin in his life. Lord Anling had surrendered long ago, and there were no ordinary men who drew their swords to force the king...
It was all made up by him!
Faced with the death of his great-grandfather, the pain of national subjugation, the messy Daliang City, and the cruel and biting reality, Tang Li could only comfort himself with exaggerated stories and flamboyant words.
"What is the use?"
He broke the pen, slapped the table, and shouted at the top of his lungs:
"Liang Liang has collapsed. Tomorrow the King of Wei will lead the entire city to surrender to the Qin army!"
"The State of Wei two hundred years ago is dead! It's dead!"
After returning to reality, Tang Li began to look for knives and candles everywhere to destroy what he had just written.
But when he pressed the knife on the first ink character, he hesitated again. After a difficult choice, he finally threw away the knife, put away the bamboo scroll, and put it together with the other three chapters of "Tang Zi".
That's it, regardless of whether it is true or false, the Wei Kingdom has died, and Tang Ju has also passed away, so what does it matter if it is true or false, just keep it.
Perhaps, letting it spread can balance the hearts of many subjugated and dying people.
Perhaps, it can inspire more people just like it inspires itself today, telling them that even if the country perishes, the country collapses, and the home is deserted, they should not forget the soldier's heart that is not afraid of violence!
Tang Li squeezed the bamboo scroll tightly and swore: "As long as this determination does not die, I believe that one day, the Wei people will be able to recover the country and regain the beams. By then, there will no longer be Qin on Fantai. Great-grandfather
You can also rest your eyes in peace!”
So, let’s give this story a name.
Tang Li has already thought about it.
"Tang Ju, you have fulfilled your mission!"
…
Different from the hearty stories written by Tang Li, the winner is always the winner, the loser is always the loser, the winner is the king and the loser is the enemy. The reality will not change in any way because of an article by a strategist or a diary.
On the third day after the collapse of Daliang City, bells and drums rang out loudly outside Daliang City. The Qin army was neatly arrayed here, with their General Wang Ben majestically riding a horse and cart in front.
Heifu, who was standing in the crowd of soldiers watching the excitement, kept standing on tiptoe. He finally saw that inside the open west gate of the beam, the last king of Wei was bound with his face naked, holding a sheep on his left and a straw on his right, walking on his knees in the water one foot deep.
Then, he knelt all the way to the outside of the city gate and surrendered to the Qin army...