Chapter 131 Begins in Taoyuan, Finally in Taoyuan (The Finale)
In February of the twenty-eighth year of Zhangwu, it was 228 AD in the Western calendar and 368 in the Han calendar.
Emperor Liu Bei of the Han Dynasty was 68 years old.
His hair and beard were gray, and his originally smooth face was covered with wrinkles and age spots.
Time is always people's biggest enemy.
No matter you are a wealthy landowner with a net worth of billions, or an emperor or general with overwhelming power, you will eventually be unable to escape the fate of aging.
Over the years, Liu Bei has bid farewell to countless old friends. At the beginning of this year, he once again felt this heart-wrenching sadness.
His wife Li, who had been with him for more than 40 years, passed away at the age of 62. The 40 years of mutual support could not withstand the ravages of time in the end, leaving people with endless regrets.
In February, after the funeral was held for the queen, Liu Bei was full of expectations and full of a mentality of wanting to return to his roots after the sunset. When he went to Taoyuan, Zhang Fei fell ill again.
At this age, even in the 21st century with advanced technology, a slight headache or fever, or even a fall, may have serious consequences.
Not to mention that Zhang Fei is already sixty-three years old. Although his body is healthy, it will inevitably become weak as he gets older. He occasionally felt cold a few days ago, and now he still has fever and cough all day long.
Fortunately, Wu Pu was sent to check immediately, and it was confirmed that it was just a common cold, not a serious illness. He took medicine and rested for a while.
However, Liu Guan, Chen, and the Duke of Yan were alerted. When they learned that Zhang Fei was ill, Liu Bei, Guan Yu, and Chen Mu came to visit him immediately.
Liu Bei has always been generous to his three brothers.
Whether it is the residence of the Duke of Qin, the Duke of Qi or the Duke of Yan, they are all the largest mansions in Luoyang City.
For example, the Duke's Palace of Yan is in the former Liangji Garden, the Duke's Palace of Qin is in Pingle Garden, and the Duke's Palace of Qi is in Guangcheng Garden. They are all new mansions built on the original site.
The previous gardens and mansions were destroyed by the war. Although the new mansion is not as luxurious as before, it is more advantageous in that it covers a large area and is not far from the West Market.
After Liu Bei, Guan Yu, and Chen Mu arrived, they saw Zhang Fei waving a snake spear measuring eight feet in the yard. Although he was old, his movements were not slow. He was spinning like an electric fan, making the leaves of the big tree next to him rustle and shake.
.
"Big brother, second brother and fourth brother, you are here."
Seeing the three of them, Zhang Fei pretended to be relaxed, laughed, stopped dancing, held the spear in one hand, wiped his sweat with the other hand, and said, "I haven't practiced for a long time, so I feel rusty."
Liu Bei frowned and said: "Third brother, since you are sick, you should listen to the doctor and have a good rest. How can you move around at will? What if something goes wrong?"
Zhang Fei threw the spear in his hand to Zhang Bao, the eldest son who had been waiting beside him, stretched out his right arm and showed off his knotted muscles, and said cheerfully: "It doesn't matter, it's just a minor illness. You see, I'm not doing well."
?"
The words were not spoken yet.
He suddenly covered his mouth, holding in something.
Guan Yu immediately went up and held his hand, while Liu Bei slapped his back, and then Zhang Fei began to cough violently.
"Cough cough cough..."
Because I was forced to hold back the cough, and after finally releasing it, it became more intense than before. The cough caused tears and mucus to keep coming out, which was very embarrassing.
"Father."
Zhang Fei's second son Zhang Shao on the other side quickly handed over the handkerchief.
"Brother, I..."
Zhang Fei held Guan Yu's shoulder with one hand and pressed his own chest with the other. He did not take the handkerchief from his son. When he raised his head again, his face was already full of tears, and his face was covered with snot and tears.
Chen Mu took the handkerchief, carefully wiped the dirt on the third brother's face, and said softly: "Third brother, we all understand what you mean. Time is not forgiving. Sometimes, we have to admit that we are old.
, but precisely because of this, we cannot force it.”
In fact, the three brothers had already figured out that Zhang Fei's illness might be just a common cold. If he was young, these would not be illnesses at all, and they would be over with a little resistance.
But at this age, the body's resistance is extremely weakened, and even a cold will have a great impact. Normal people should have a good rest and take medicine to recuperate their bodies.
But Zhang Fei stood up and danced with his spear, just to prove that he was in good health and not to delay his trip, fearing that it would delay Liu Bei's long-cherished wish for many years.
The result is counterproductive. If you continue to exercise when your body is weak, your body will not be able to hold on and will become even weaker.
"It's all useless to me..."
Zhang Fei really cried this time.
For the first time, he felt like a useless person and a drag on everyone.
It's like a person who is as light as a swallow and runs very fast.
Suddenly one day there is a problem with his foot and he can't run, he may have some kind of emotion.
I resented my feet for being like this, and then hammered them hard, hating myself for being incompetent.
Liu Bei missed Taoyuan very much, why didn't Zhang Fei and Guan Yu not want to go back and see it again?
People have reached old age.
I always like to miss my lost youth.
Since that year when the peach blossoms were in full bloom, he had had wine and conviviality with his three brothers in the peach garden, and he had not returned to Zhuojun for more than thirty years.
Over the years, there have always been delays in things big and small. Unfortunately, his two children, who are almost 20 years old, have never been back to their hometown to visit. Zhang Fei himself wants to go back.
But before departure, he fell ill, and Zhang Fei wished he could have two hammers on his chest. If this could help him recover, he would be willing to have two more blows.
Liu Bei smiled and comforted him and said: "Yide, it actually doesn't matter whether you go back or not. As long as the four of us are together, everywhere is a peach garden."
"Third brother, you don't have to be so sad. If you can't go in the spring, then go in the summer."
Chen Mu also smiled and said: "The Taoyuan is right there and we can't run away. In our old age, we should be thankful that we have supported each other along the way and have never been separated, instead of resenting ourselves, right?"
Zhang Fei was stunned: "Don't you blame me? It's all because of me, and I can't go."
"Ha ha ha ha."
Liu, Guan, and Chen looked at each other and smiled.
Chen Mu said: "No one will blame you, and the third brother will not blame himself. At this age, just let everything take its course."
"yes."
Liu Bei sighed: "Birth, old age, illness and death are normal things in life. How can I blame my third brother?"
Guan Yu also said: "Third brother, please rest in peace and recuperate. We will leave after you are cured."
Zhang Fei wiped his tears, his eyes were already red.
If you have a brother like this, what else can you ask for?
Spring passes and summer comes.
More than a month has passed again.
By the end of March, it started to rain in Luoyang.
This period is the Cold Food Festival of the Han Dynasty, which is also the Qingming Festival in later generations.
As the saying goes, it rains heavily during the Qingming Festival. During the Han Dynasty, the Cold Food Festival had a very high status, and every household had to prepare for the festival.
After the Cold Food Festival and the National Day, Zhang Fei's condition improved a lot. In late April, the emperor set out again to visit Hebei, Youzhou and other places.
In the past few years, the emperor went to the south to inspect the situation in the south. The development in the north is still in full swing. Hebei's steel output is increasing day by day. By this year, the output of Jizhou alone has reached an annual output of three million tons.
We must know that Hebei's output was only more than one million tons three years ago. In just three years, it tripled. We can know how far places like Wei County and Zhao State have developed despite their advantage in mineral location.
Swift and fierce.
And Qingzhou is not slow either. It used to have an annual output of two million tons, but now it has reached a level of more than five million tons. By the end of this year or next year, Dahan's total output value will be tens of millions of tons.
The increase in steel production capacity has driven the entire economy of Hebei. Now both sides of the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal are extremely prosperous and lively, and counties and cities in various places are developing rapidly, and there is a dance of singing and dancing.
Perhaps there are still many poor people in the Han Dynasty, but grassroots governance is not that simple. Fortunately, the Han Dynasty has not yet fully formed the gentry and clan culture. For example, the formation of the gentry will not be until the Jin Dynasty, and the formation of the clan will not be until the Tang and Song Dynasties.
Therefore, as long as the grassroots governance of the Han Dynasty finds the right method, it will not be as troublesome as the Ming and Qing Dynasties. You must know that during the Ming and Qing Dynasties, the clan power in Jiangxi, Fujian, Guangzhou and other places in the south was very large, which can be said to be a model of imperial power not going to the countryside.
In the Han Dynasty, when the power of clans was not greater than that of the royal family, grassroots civil servants were used to solve the problem of governance that had previously relied solely on village clan elders. This made it easier to prevent the situation in which big clans in the countryside controlled the countryside.
Especially in the Hebei region, as industrialization deepens, roads are being built everywhere in the originally endless and extremely flat North China Plain, and the economy is also developing at a rapid pace.
Liu Bei set out in late April and successively inspected the industrial conditions along Wei County, Zhao State, Julu and other places, and then went all the way north, arriving at Zhuo County in early June. Now Zhuo County has become an international metropolis.
Nomads gather here.
The Yongji Canal was dug from Sili to Tianjin, connecting several rivers such as Juma River and Laishui River. Zhuoxian County is just south of Laishui River, so the fleet first went to Quanzhou, which was Tianjin in the Han Dynasty, and then went upstream.
Then go up to Anci and Zhuoxian.
When Tianzi Luanjia disembarked from the Laishui River, he saw a busy Zhuoxian pier. The entire pier was endless, with countless people coming and going, connecting the bustling city, warehouses, and streets.
In fact, the scale of Zhuoxian Wharf is actually not as large as Quanzhou Wharf.
Because at this time, Quanzhou had become a northern freight distribution center. From Quanzhou, you could go to Liaodong, south to Qingzhou, or even all the way to Southeast Asia. You could also go to inland cities through canals, so Quanzhou's shipping was more developed than Zhuoxian.
But Quanzhou relied on transportation, and Zhuoxian relied on the textile industry.
Not long after Liu Bei succeeded to the throne in the early years of Zhangwu, Chen Mu was already laying out plans for Zhuo County.
He ordered Ma Jun to improve the spinning machine and start a pilot project in Zhuoxian County. Then, using the wool from Monan, he gradually began to build the textile industry.
In the beginning, there were only two small factories, recruiting more than a dozen female workers, and only a dozen looms.
By the time the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal was opened, after more than ten years of development, the city was dotted with factories of all sizes, and countless amounts of wool were transported from Monan every day.
Now in the 28th year of Zhangwu's reign, the textile industry in Zhuo County has been operating for more than 20 years and has a complete system and system.
There are no less than a thousand factories, large and small, companies and even small workshops within families, producing tons of textiles every day, which are transported to Quanzhou port by shipping and then sent to all parts of the country and other places overseas.
Not only the textile industry, but also the beef and mutton animal husbandry in Monan. In the past, northerners ate more meat, wheat, and millet. Of course, this refers to the northern aristocrats. Northern civilians still mainly ate millet and wheat, with very little meat.
In the south, even the nobles found it difficult to eat meat, because productivity was insufficient, and ordinary civilians could barely maintain their food and clothing by farming, let alone raising livestock.
Even if people want to raise cattle, sheep, chickens and ducks, they have to have money to buy them. In ancient times, cattle were a valuable labor force. Except for wealthy families, it was impossible for ordinary families to have cattle.
But this phenomenon does not exist on the grassland.
Herdsmen make a living by raising cattle and sheep. In their eyes, raising cattle and sheep is no different from Han farming.
However, due to underdeveloped transportation, it was difficult for them to transport live cattle and sheep to the south. Just feeding and drinking the cattle and sheep along the way was an astronomical cost, and it was not easy to manage the cattle and sheep after traveling long distances.
Needless to say, as for dead beef and mutton, in an era without refrigeration technology, it would rot and stink in a few days, and it could not be transported very far.
Therefore, in the past, once a natural or man-made disaster occurred and a large number of livestock froze to death, the nomadic people had no choice but to go south to conquer the Central Plains Dynasty. For thousands of years, the two sides were in an endless cycle.
But now this situation is no longer possible. The development of the new era and the advancement of science and technology have made all this a thing of the past.
Firearms allowed nomads to sing and dance.
Steamboats could carry live cattle and sheep all over the country in ten days.
For the Huns, Xianbei, and Wuhuan people who are currently surrendered to the Han Dynasty, if they want to live, they must be obedient.
So now Zhuoxian has become the starting point for the development of the textile industry and animal husbandry. The grassland peoples sent wool, cattle and sheep to Zhuoxian, and then they were shipped south from Zhuoxian, forming the first link in the trade chain.
When Liu Bei came, what he saw was the prosperity of this huge trade.
There are hundreds of boats of various sizes parked at the Zhuoxian pier, and the steamboats blow their whistles every day. If Chen Mu hadn't expanded the river channel during the initial excavation, there wouldn't be so many boats on the river.
Boatmen and laborers came and went constantly to carry goods, and a large open space was planned further away, which was filled with cattle and sheep, all waiting to be put on ships to be transported to the south.
Moreover, due to the arrival of Liu Bei's fleet, today's shipping control has had a great impact on the freight from Zhuoxian to Quanzhou. Therefore, the number of shipping has been reduced a lot in the past few days, almost cut in half.
Because Liu Bei came upstream from the Quanzhou port, the shipping fleet certainly could not hedge against the Emperor's fleet, so he could only choose to go in the opposite direction, from the Juma River in the upper reaches of the Laishui River to the south, to the Hutuo River, and then eastward into the Dongcheng River.
Yongji Canal, then to Quanzhou, a long circle.
There are two Yongji Canal rivers in Hebei. One goes from Luoyang to Zhuoxian via Weijun, Zhao, Julu, Anping, Zhongshan, and Hejian. The other connects Qingzhou Plain, Jizhou, Qinghe, and Bohai.
country, Hejian Kingdom to Quanzhou and then north to Zhuoxian County.
There are two different routes in the east and west. The West Yongji Canal can reach Chang'an-Luoyang-Zhuoxian. The East Yongji Canal can reach Zhuoxian-Linzi-Yuhang. The Tongji Canal in Henan is also divided into two sections: east and west.
, connecting the two Yongji Canals respectively.
In this way, the water routes across the country are completely connected, and except for the direct river channel from Chang'an to Shuzhou, the rest of the country forms a perfect cycle.
The Tianzi fleet is equivalent to blocking the route from Quzhuo County in Dongyongji to Quanzhou, so people naturally have no choice but to take another route.
However, Liu Bei also knew that his arrival would cause trouble to the local area, so the control only lasted for one day. After he arrived in Zhuoxian, the accompanying army immediately docked and disembarked, and ordered the fleet to turn around and head south, docking at Quanzhou Wharf, which is the seaport.
, the space is larger and will not cause fleet congestion.
Tens of thousands of troops disembarked, and the leading honor guard was already lined up at the dock. Officials of all sizes in Youzhou were already waiting. Zhuo County was now the northern capital and the seat of Youzhou government. Officials of all sizes from the state capital came to greet them.
Interestingly, the new Youzhou pastor the year before last was Sima Yi.
Sima Yi, who is 49 years old this year, stands at the front of the team. In his official career, he is already one step behind Zhuge Liang, and even one step behind Chen Qun and Yang Xiu.
A few years ago, Zhuge Liang went to the cabinet, Chen Qun and Yang Xiu both went to Jiuqing, and even Lu Yi was on an equal footing with him, and now he is transferred to Guangzhou Mu.
Therefore, this time he wanted to seize the opportunity. As long as the emperor could see his political achievements, he would be able to go to the central government in the future.
Liu Bei, Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, Chen Mu and the others disembarked from the ship. Sima Yi and other officials from Youzhou rushed over to greet them, bowed their hands and said, "I will see your Majesty, the Prime Minister, the General of Hussars, and the General of Chariots."
"No gift."
Liu Bei stood on the pier and looked around. The pier was wide and clean. Not far away were cement streets, red brick houses, bell towers, factories, and buildings of various sizes rising from the ground, like a brand new world.
The steam engines roared incessantly, and in the distance there was a sea of people in the streets and alleys, coming to see the Emperor's fleet, working at the dock, and merchants coming and going in an endless stream, blocking the entire dock.
However, there were soldiers guarding the outside. Although the people wanted to see what the emperor looked like, they could only watch from a distance. Some even climbed upstairs to use telescopes to see.
"Your Majesty, the palace is ready. You can go and wash yourself off first."
Sima Yi said again.
Liu Bei shook his head and said: "It doesn't matter, I want to go somewhere first."
"I understand."
Sima Yi immediately knew where Liu Bei wanted to go, so he stepped back and got out of the way.
In recent years, news has spread throughout the government and the public that the emperor wants to return to Taoyuan. It is the place where the emperor and the three brothers became sworn brothers, and where they started their careers.
For example, after Emperor Guangwu Liu Xiu ascended the throne, his favorite thing was to go back to his hometown Caiyang to worship his ancestors, which was recorded six times.
So Sima Yi also made arrangements early. If Liu Bei wanted to rest first, he would go to the palace. If he wanted to inspect, he would take him to inspect the whole city. If he wanted to return to Taoyuan, he had already prepared a vehicle.
The accompanying Yulin Guards and Huben Army lined up on both sides to protect the emperor and other high-level officials who got on the carriage. The local government officials in Zhuo County also evacuated the crowd and headed all the way to the south of the city.
Zhang Fei's manor is actually outside the city. After all, a huge peach orchard cannot be in the city. However, through the expansion of Zhuoxian County in recent years, it has merged the original suburbs together, and even annexed a large number of surrounding towns and farmland.
This also includes Zhang Fei's manor.
Fortunately, everyone knows who owns this manor, and even the local officials responsible for the demolition dare not move it, so it is still well preserved. Both the Zhang family mansion and the huge peach garden still stand in their original positions.
Over the years, local officials have worked hard to maintain and repair the mansion. The mansion has not fallen into disrepair and collapsed due to being uninhabited for a long time. Although new materials have been used in many places, the overall appearance is still preserved.
Liu Bei, Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, Chen Mu walked out of this house in their youth, and the heroes came back in their old age. All of them were gray-haired. When they saw the house in their memories, they couldn't help but sigh.
Entering the yard, it was still the same vestibule as before. The bluestone slabs had not been replaced. Zhang Fei glanced around and saw that the vestibule was not big. Some flowers, plants and trees had been planted. It could be seen that people usually trimmed the vestibule. It was neat and concise, and there was no dust or debris in the house.
, very clean.
After entering from the vestibule, you will see a group of connected courtyards, with cornices and brackets, and gray-walled courtyards. I still remember that Zhuoxian County in the past was actually a small county town of rammed earth. Even the city walls were built of rammed earth, and most of the people's houses were made of wood.
Or dirt.
Only because his family was one of the largest households in Zhuo County, it had a monopoly on the local meat business. In addition, there were countless manors outside the city, so the house was made of bricks and tiles. This was a status symbol for powerful landowners at the time.
Cao Zhi once wrote a poem about this, praising such a house as a residence for nobles. In order to help Liu Bei recruit troops, Zhang Fei sold all the manor, residence and land.
Now when I come back and see the Zhang family mansion that remains unchanged in my memory, Zhang Fei's eyes are full of memories and nostalgia.
"Third brother, that room is where we discuss important matters."
Chen Mu pointed to the hall in the back room and said with a smile: "I still remember that the second brother and the third brother didn't know each other at that time. It was the eldest brother who stopped us. It happened to rain, and the third brother invited us to come to the house to drink. It was at this time that the eldest brother
I lament that the country is in ruins, but he is a member of the clan but cannot help the Han Dynasty."
"Hahahahaha."
Zhang Fei laughed and said, "That's right, that's right. Let's go over and have a look."
Four people came to the house.
I saw that the furnishings in the house had not changed much and were still the same as before. However, the furniture was all new. After all, the original old furniture had already decayed after more than forty years.
Liu Bei glanced around the room and was filled with emotion for a moment. With tears in his eyes, the memories came back to his heart and he said softly: "The words of the three virtuous brothers back then are as if they are in my ears and vivid in my eyes. Unknowingly, so much has passed."
After a long time, the three brothers have all grown old."
"yes."
Guan Yu also sighed and pointed to the seat and said: "I stood there at that time and told my elder brother that I would follow him and create a career together."
"Yes, I was sitting there when..."
Zhang Fei was just waiting to recall, when he suddenly remembered that all he could say at that time was "Me too", and he was a little unable to say anything for a while.
Chen Mu teased: "The third brother said that I was the same at that time. Didn't you just follow the second brother's words?"
"You guy."
Zhang Fei sneered and said, "Weren't you the same as me then?"
Chen Mu laughed and said: "At that time, the words of the second brother were touching. If I said something, it would be a bit overwhelming, so I had to echo the second brother and the third brother. It is also human nature."
"Hahahahaha."
Several people were amused by Chen Mu. The four old men, who were more than two hundred years old in total, were laughing with tears in their eyes.
One by one, they sat back in their seats where they had discussed important matters together and ordered Xu Chu to bring wine.
Wait for Xu Chu to bring wine and pour it for everyone.
Liu Bei raised his glass and said, "Come, let's have another drink together."
"Okay, let's have a drink together."
The four drank it all in one gulp, wiped the corners of their mouths, and looked at each other with a smile.
Chen Mu sighed: "When we left, the world was in chaos. Now that we are back, the world is peaceful, but we are all old and can no longer ride horses and sing."
"Whoever says no, I'll go horse riding later."
Zhang Fei shouted.
A man cannot say no, even if he is an old man, he still has to stand and not fall down.
Chen Mu smiled and waved his hand: "Forget it, I'm already sixty or seventy years old. Don't break your bones. It's better to sit in the car safely."
"Go to the peach garden and have a look. At this season, the peach blossoms have long since withered, but the garden should be full of unripe peaches."
Zhang Fei suggested.
The peach orchard belongs to his family, and he knows best when the peach blossoms bloom and when the peaches ripen.
Several people left the house, got on the carriage and headed towards Taoyuan.
Walking all the way south for several miles, it used to be farmland and wilderness outside the southern city of Zhuoxian County, but now it has turned into factories, high-rise buildings and streets. After more than 20 years of changes in the new era, no one can recognize this place.
My former hometown.
In fact, Zhang Fei's parents died young, and the clan has no relatives. The only memories of Zhuo County are Taoyuan and the mansion left by his ancestors.
The same goes for Liu Bei.
His family is not in the county town of Zhuoxian, but in Lousang Township, more than ten miles southwest of the city. But the clan has also moved away, and he has no acquaintances there.
People say returning home in fine clothes, but when the countryside is full of strangers, that scene is the saddest scene.
The only thing I care about is Taoyuan.
The four brothers soon arrived outside the Taoyuan. This garden covers an area of nearly 300 acres, almost as big as thirty football fields. There are a large number of peach trees densely planted in it, so the locals call it Zhangjia Taoyuan.
The perimeter of Taoyuan is surrounded by a wall, and no buildings are allowed for tens of meters around it. Compared with the nearby bustling city, this garden is like a paradise, undisturbed and quiet.
The original local officials had been sending people to take care of the place. After Liu Guan and Zhang Chen came back, the Zhuoxian County magistrate diligently introduced: "Your Majesty, the Taoyuan has been kept as it is over the years. I often send people to clean the fallen leaves in the garden, and the leaves are harvested every year.
The peaches were also given to the surrounding people according to His Majesty's instructions, which benefited countless people."
"Very good."
Liu Bei nodded with satisfaction.
The garden care staff in front has already opened the door.
A group of people came to the garden.
The outermost is a courtyard, which was originally built by Zhang Fei in Taoyuan.
There is a martial arts field near the door, where Zhang Fei often practices martial arts.
"This brick..."
After Zhang Fei walked in, he looked at a brick on the ground in trance.
The garden caretaker hurriedly said: "General, this brick is broken and has been repaired."
"That's it..."
Zhang Fei was a little disappointed. The brick was at the door. His father broke it when he was practicing martial arts with him when he was a child. Later, his father died of illness and he rarely managed the family business, so he never repaired it.
Every time he went in and out of Taoyuan, he would step on this brick and feel the unevenness of the brick, which gradually became a habit.
Now that I step on it again, the original sense of familiarity has been lost, as if something has been lost and can never be found again.
Liu Bei walked slowly in the peach orchard with his hands behind his hands. He saw the peach branches with lush leaves and full of green fruits. He shook his head and said: "What a pity, there are no peach blossoms, only peach leaves and peach fruits."
It is midsummer in June now, and the peach trees will not bloom until late February, early March, and then start to wither around April. At this time, there are only green leaves and immature green fruits in the yard.
The summer wind came slowly, Liu Bei, Guan Yu, Zhang Fei and Chen Mu walked in. The warm sunshine fell, and the peach branches and leaves swayed gently in the wind.
In the endless sea of peach trees, the wind makes the branches and leaves rustle, and you can faintly see the open space in the center.
"I'm back, my peach garden."
Zhang Fei opened his arms, and for some unknown reason, he suddenly let out a shout, just like he did more than forty years ago, standing under the peach tree and looking up at the sky.
Liu Bei, Guan Yu and Chen Mu followed behind. The three of them no longer had the excitement of that year, and only had sighs and memories in their eyes.
Spring passes and autumn comes, and before you know it, more than forty years have passed, and most of your life has passed.
that year.
They knelt under the peach tree, sworn sworn brothers, and vowed to quell this troubled world and save the world.
that year.
They returned to Taoyuan, playing drums and piano, singing and drinking together.
that year.
The peach blossoms were in full bloom, and they went out and never came back.
It's now over half a hundred years old.
At this moment, Chen Mu also had tears in his eyes and said softly: "Zhongda."
"exist."
Sima Yi walked gently behind him.
Chen Mu said: "Go to the open space and bring the drums and harp, as well as wine. Remember to ask for millet wine and not strong wine. Put the mat on it and you can go out."
"yes."
Sima Yi retreated.
The four of them walked in the peach garden and went deep into the peach forest.
There is a ditch outside the courtyard that leads the water into the garden. Just like in the past, the servants carried vats of fine wine, two drums, a guqin and several straw mats and placed them in the open space in the center of the peach garden.
After they all exited, the four of them sat down, smelling the fragrance of peach leaves blown by the summer wind and the taste of millet wine, and began to drink one after another.
After drinking one cup after another, just like back then, you came and went, talking about interesting things, and before you knew it, it was already evening.
"Brother, I'll play the piano for fun."
Chen Mu stood up and played.
"I'll play the drums."
Liu Bei also stood up.
"I'll ring the bell."
Zhang Fei walked under the bronze bell.
Guan Yu looked around and saw that he had come to dance the sword that year.
But today, he didn't bring the Qinglong Yanyue Sword, so he broke off a peach branch and chuckled, "I'll dance with the sword."
Winter winter winter winter.
The sound of beating drums sounded. Chen Mu closed his eyes and stroked the piano gently.
The music resounded throughout Taoyuan.
Guan Yu used a peach branch to dance with his sword, and suddenly someone sang a song.
"The horses' hooves raise dust and the wind changes color, and they roar and roar.
Territory does not know how to divide and unite, it only laments the separation between people.
The yellow sand moves away in different directions with the wind, so what happens in the world.
Time cannot understand the wishes of the people, who will judge the merits and demerits.
When a new city rises and the old city is destroyed, what can be defended?
Only when you seek a foothold and open up new areas can you show your courage.
New cities are opened and fortified cities are captured, leaving nothing behind.
A page of history will remember that you are all strong.
Conquer with war, obey with virtue, and build a country with lofty sentiments.
When you have the right time, gather people and you can control the country."
That was Chen Mu singing.
The sound of the piano rose and fell with his singing. Liu Bei, Guan Yu, and Zhang Fei had never heard this song.
But it was as if happiness came to my heart, and it also followed the sound of his piano in perfect rhythm.
In an instant, it was like a silver vase being broken, water slurry bursting out, and the cavalry protruding with swords and guns.
The sound of drums, bells, piano, and even the vigorous sound of sword dancing suddenly collided together, erupting into a fierce collision.
The horse's hooves are flying with dust and changing color, and the cold wind is whistling around the pole.
The intensive sound of drums and bells, mixed with the sound of the piano, has a slightly chilling air, like the vast sea water constantly washing the coast, with endless waves rushing in again and again.
After several consecutive high-pitched rhythms, the rapid drumming gradually slowed down, the bells drifted leisurely, and the piano solo sounded like regret, like mourning, and like the end.
Along with the music, the singing voice is sometimes high, sometimes low, sometimes burning, sometimes dead.
At the end.
The drum beats softly, like a hero in his twilight years.
The bells ring mournfully, as if they are getting old.
the river is long and tempestuous, it was like a hero.
The peach leaves all over the garden were swaying in the wind, and fallen leaves were flying in the air.
Chen Mu stopped singing and calmed down his music.
Liu Bei stopped playing drums.
Zhang Fei put down the bronze hammers on his hands and feet.
Guan Yu danced to the end, as if exhausted, he stood tall with his sword in his hand and slowly fell down.
The sound of the drums ceased, the bells ceased ringing, the singing ceased, the swords and spears ceased.
"ever!"
With the last shrill sound of the piano, the song ended.
The lingering sound goes away with the wind.
The dusk song stops slowly.
In the evening, the sun sets, and the gorgeous sunset covers the night sky.
The night rises and the sky is filled with stars.
The four of them met and laughed, with tears in their laughter. By the end, they were crying so hard that their hearts were broken.
They remember singing loudly in the peach blossom forest that year.
I also remember the heroic spirit and ambition when the four brothers in Taoyuan became sworn brothers in the spring breeze of that year.
That bow.
The spring breeze brings me joy when I meet a close friend.
The peach blossoms also reflect the altar with smiles.
That bow.
Serving the country in peace and prosperity.
Make great achievements and show your talents.
If you can have three close friends in life, you will die without regrets.
At least they can still walk, dance, drink and laugh, which is enough.
In June of the 28th year of Zhangwu's reign, Liu Bei visited Taoyuan.
Spring passes and autumn comes.
In the blink of an eye, it’s spring of the second year.
In February of the 29th year of Zhangwu's reign, they came back together to see the peach blossoms.
When they were dying, the world was at peace, they helped the Han Dynasty, and returned to their original peach garden to drink.
At the beginning of Zhangwu's 31st year, Liu Bei fell seriously ill and was lost in the lakes. He only kept whispering two words "Taoyuan, Taoyuan" softly.
Guan Yu, Zhang Fei and Chen Mu followed his edict with tears in their eyes. Instead of placing Liu Bei's imperial mausoleum in the Mangshan Imperial Cemetery, he sent people to Zhuoxian County to build the imperial mausoleum in Taoyuan.
By mid-February, Emperor Liu Xuande of the Han Dynasty died of illness at the age of seventy-one.
The three brothers cried until they vomited blood and almost wanted to follow the late emperor away.
Later, although Chen Mu was extremely sad, he had to cheer up and take care of the late emperor's funeral.
The first is Liu Bei’s posthumous title.
The court discussed for a long time and finally decided to give him the posthumous title "Zhang Wu".
This is similar to Liu Xiu's Emperor Guangwu.
There was no hesitation in choosing the name of the temple, and it was called "Ancestor of Hanzhong".
In March, the Manchu ministers carried the emperor's coffin northward to Zhuojun.
In mid-March, the late emperor was buried in Taoyuan, Zhuo County.
The peach blossoms were in bloom at that time.
When the peach blossoms were about to fade in April, peach blossoms were flying all over the sky to commemorate the funeral of Emperor Zhang Wu.
Not long after Liu Bei died of illness, Guan Yu also fell ill due to excessive grief.
In October of the thirty-first year of Zhang Wu, Guan Yu followed Liu Bei and died at the age of seventy.
Zhang Fei and Chen Mu were hit twice in a row. They were so sad and angry that their hair turned white and their faces were as old as an eighty-year-old man.
The newly enthroned emperor Liu Feng personally buried his second uncle. Before the late emperor was buried, Guan, Zhang, and Chen had already built three guard mausoleums near the late emperor's tomb to protect the late emperor.
Now that Guan Yu had left, he was buried in the peach garden. Chen Mu, the prime minister of the Han Dynasty, wept and recited a eulogy for him, and he was given the posthumous title of "Wucheng Gong".
Two years later, Zhang Fei also died at the age of sixty-eight. Chen Mu, the Prime Minister of the Han Dynasty, buried him and gave him the posthumous title of "Gong Wuwei".
Five years later, in the seventh year of the reign of the new emperor, AD 238 in the Western calendar and 378 in the Han calendar, the seventy-one-year-old Prime Minister Chen Zigui officially resigned from the position of prime minister, begged for his bones and returned to his hometown to prepare for the rest of his life.
Liu Feng, the emperor of the Han Dynasty, tried every means to persuade him to stay, but the prime minister did not change his ambition and only wanted to return to Puyin to retire.
In desperation, Liu Feng had no choice but to reward him countless times and agreed to his request.
On the day of departure, tens of thousands of people gathered at Luoyang Pier. The Han Emperor Liu Feng and the new Prime Minister Zhuge Liang came to see Chen Mu off.
After the greetings, under the gaze of countless people, the former prime minister Chen Zigui, who had dedicated his life to the Han Dynasty, took their share of memories and took a boat to go north.
In early February, Chen Mu returned to Puyin and settled down at home for a month.
By March, the peach blossoms are blooming.
He went to Taoyuan.
Zhuo County, the northern capital, is changing with each passing day.
In the seventh year after Liu Bei's death, countless high-rise buildings were built here, and the city's prosperity gradually grew.
The only thing that remains unchanged is the peach forest swaying in the wind.
The spring breeze blows.
Countless peach blossoms floated out from the garden and flew all over the sky.
The old Chen Mu returned to the Taoyuan, drove away the troops guarding the mausoleum, and sat alone in front of the imperial mausoleum.
Liu Bei advocated thin burials, and there were no other items in the tomb except for the twin swords that had been with him throughout his life and the bones of Luma who had long since died of old age.
The emperor's mausoleum was just a small earthen bag. If the tombstone in front of the mausoleum hadn't been engraved with "The Tomb of Emperor Zhangwu, the Patriarch of the Han Dynasty", no one would have known that this tomb was Liu Bei's tomb.
Around him, there are two tombs, one is the "Tomb of Guan Yu of Wucheng of the Han Dynasty" and the other is "The Tomb of Zhang Fei, the Duke of Wuwei of the Han Dynasty."
Like Liu Bei, the only funerary objects in the tomb were the Qinglong Yanyue Sword, the Zhangba Snake Spear, the Yellow Claw Flying Lightning, and the Black Cloud Stepping Snow.
Chen Mu stood in front of the tomb, holding a bottle of wine in his hand.
His hair was mottled and white, his face was old, and his eyes were full of affection and tears.
"Big brother, second brother, and third brother, I'm here to see you."
Chen Mu sat down cross-legged, poured three glasses of wine, sprinkled them one by one on the ground, then took a swig himself and glanced at the other tomb.
That is the tomb left for him.
The three tombs surround Liu Bei's tomb in the middle like a triangle of stars arching over the moon, just like the three people who once guarded the imperial mausoleum.
In this tomb, his scholar sword and the corpse of the purple shadow horse that died of old age were buried long ago.
Thousands of years later.
Maybe it will still happen here
Leave their legend behind.
"Time flies so fast. In the blink of an eye, the eldest brother and the second brother have been gone for seven years, and the third brother has been gone for five years."
Chen Mu drank wine alone, crying and laughing at the same time: "You three have left within two years, and you have not violated your original vow to live and die together, but why can't you wait any longer? Wait for me.
."
"I'm the only one left now."
"You are so cruel to abandon me like this."
"Sometimes I think about it and want to go with you."
"I have seen you in my dreams countless times. When I woke up, the pillows were all wet."
"Xun may also be dead, as well as Zang Ba, Zhang Liao, Zhao Yun, Qian Zhao, Xu Chu... they are all dead."
"When you go to that world, you will definitely be happy together, leaving me alone."
"There will soon be no more friends of mine in this world."
"Why am I not dead yet?"
"Why!"
As he spoke, tears streamed down his face.
Drinking the wine one sip after another.
The spring breeze blows.
Dusk has passed, and the stars are shining brightly in the evening.
His voice was hoarse, with a sad smile on his face, and he was crying: "I am the only one left..."
That day, there was a blue moon. The Milky Way filled the sky, shining its light quietly on a white-haired old man.
He lay on the grave and cried into tears.
......．
......．
Postscript: In the twelfth year of the prosperity of the Han Dynasty, Chen Mu, the former prime minister of the Han Dynasty, died of illness. When he died, he was full of smiles. When he was dying, he only repeated the words "Taoyuan, Taoyuan".
His family realized this and sent him to Taoyuan, Zhuo County overnight.
After arriving in Taoyuan, the former Prime Minister reflected on his past, and he actually managed to survive until the present day and Prime Minister Zhuge Liang came to visit. A few days later, Chen Mu passed away in front of the late emperor's mausoleum on a night of dancing peach blossoms at the age of seventy-six.
The emperor and the prime minister personally mourned him in Taoyuan, recited his life's merits, and gave him the posthumous title "Wen Zhenggong". His sculptures and portraits were listed first in the right row of Taoyuan Hall!
Thousands of years later, the story of the four sworn brothers in Taoyuan has been passed down through the ages and will be famous for future generations!