Chapter 226 Wake Up

Another five years passed, and Zhang Rongling was forty-seven years old.

Under his Jin and Yuan offensive, the entire southwest region was in ruins and full of complaints. Peasant uprisings occurred from time to time, but Zhang Rongling didn't care. The army under his control was getting better and better equipped, and all the officers in the army became his private army. His words were more effective in this team than imperial edicts.

The censors also accepted his benefits, and even the secret guards who secretly represented the emperor were bribed by him. Their interests were tied together to form a huge interest group.

These people, from top to bottom, all spoke well of him.

What's more, the eunuchs in the palace began to mention his name frequently in the emperor's ears, so that the emperor had an impression of him, the minister who was transferred to a distant place.

“Whose painting is this?”

The emperor, who had just returned from the Deer Garden, looked at the calligraphy and painting on the table, and a trace of surprise flashed in his eyes. He quickly walked over and picked up the scroll, his eyes full of admiration. Zhang Rongling had known about the good calligraphy and painting of the time. In order to find an opportunity, he practiced calligraphy and painting for five years, and his calligraphy and painting became great.

Even the most treacherous and evil people are people of great perseverance.

Nowadays, Zhang Rongling's paintings are hard to come by outside, and he also gave himself an elegant and unique name - Mr. Qingzhu.

"It's Mr. Qingzhu's painting."

The eunuch who had accepted Zhang Rongling's benefits immediately spoke up. Zhang Rongling had spent countless amounts of money to feed this eunuch over the years, and now he was finally seeing results.

"Mr. Qingzhu?"

The emperor frowned. He couldn't remember who this person was.

"It is the former Shangshu Zhang Rongling." The chief eunuch spoke immediately.

"Mr. Zhang is currently the governor of the southwest, responsible for suppressing the Japanese pirates and governing the southwest. Under his management over the years, the southwest has been thriving, and the silver paid to the national treasury every year is in full. I heard from the people below that Mr. Zhang governs well, and the people are grateful to him and even gave him an umbrella for the people."

“It’s him!”

The emperor, who already had some impression, was immediately in a good mood. He looked at the calligraphy and painting in his hand and said with admiration.

"Calligraphy and painting are like people. The person who can paint such a famous painting must be a loyal minister. It is a pity to keep such a talented person in the local area. Transfer him back."

The emperor looked at the scroll in his hand and couldn't let it go for a moment. The beauty in the scroll made him itchy.

In my heart, I have high hopes for Zhang Rongling, this "virtuous minister".

Three months later.

Zhang Rongling returned to Beijing again, and this time no one stopped him.

The officials who had accepted his money and those members of the New Party who had lost power gathered around him. This time, with the help of people in the palace, it took him only half a year to successfully enter the cabinet and become a minister of the holy dynasty, the highest position in the country.

This year, Zhang Rongling was 48 years old.

He was dressed in a crimson official robe and stood at the front of the hall. The only person blocking his way was the prime minister.

"Three months from now, on the birthday of Emperor Donghua, I plan to rebuild the Donghua Palace to thank the Emperor for his protection. What do you think?"

The emperor sat on the dragon throne and talked about his plans. He felt that the holy dynasty had reached its peak under his rule, with peace and prosperity in the country and all races coming to pay tribute. As an emperor of a prosperous era, he should offer sacrifices to the gods so that future generations would remember him.

"Your Majesty, there is a severe drought in Dongjun and the treasury is empty. We simply cannot spare the money to repair the palace."

The Minister of Revenue knelt down with sweat all over his forehead, looking at the Prime Minister for help.

He was an official of the Prime Minister's line, in charge of the purse of the Holy Dynasty. This position was like a volcano for the Minister of Revenue. If the Holy Dynasty had money, these would not be a big deal, and he would just have to pay the money. But now the Holy Dynasty was empty, and many officials' salaries were in arrears for half a year. There was no time to fill the holes, so how could there be money to repair the palace?

"Your Majesty, you can just offer sacrifices to the heavens and kill animals to comfort the Emperor. Why do you need to build a large palace? As a monarch, you should put the people of the world first and must not be greedy for pleasure and waste the people's energy."

The prime minister stepped forward and pushed back the emperor's will.

This incident made the emperor very unhappy. He felt that although he was the ruler of the world, he could not even take out the money to build a palace.

The court officials are all rats, stealing the country's wealth and treating the king and his father harshly.

Zhang Rongling, who had been standing by without saying a word, suddenly had a flicker in his eyes. He knew his chance had come.

After the court meeting, Zhang Rongling found an opportunity to enter the palace to paint for the emperor.

Taking advantage of this opportunity, Zhang Rongling vigorously promoted his own reforms, and bluntly said that the emperor and father should enjoy the world, and the prime minister was just a figurehead, etc. The emperor, who was already dissatisfied with the prime minister, immediately made up his mind to change the prime minister. After two years of game, the prime minister of the "old party" successfully retired, and Zhang Rongling, who represented the "new party", took the position of prime minister and stood on the stage he had always dreamed of.

This year, Zhang Rongling is fifty years old.

Chen Luo is seventy-three years old.

Zhang Rongling's hair began to turn white and his face began to wrinkle. His wife Junru was also 47 years old, and their children had grown up and started to enter politics. As prime minister, Zhang Rongling used his power to the limit, opening the door for his two sons to cheat in the imperial examinations, so that they could pass the imperial examinations in their twenties and get their names on the list of successful candidates.

Under Zhang Rongling's "New Deal", the Holy Dynasty began to reform. Unlike the dispute between the old and new parties, the basis of Zhang Rongling's reform was to make money. On this basis, the local nobles and powerful people led a carnival, land annexation was serious, and selling children and daughters was everywhere.

Compared with the miserable conditions in other places, the capital was prosperous and peaceful.

Under the influence of Zhang Rongling, the emperor became more and more greedy for pleasure. With the encouragement of those around him, he felt that his achievements surpassed those of Taizu and his virtue surpassed those of the Three Sovereigns.

Twenty years.

Zhang Rongling extended his power to all aspects, including civil officials, military officials, and palace eunuchs. At this point, Zhang Rongling's power had reached its peak, and his foundation in the outside world was also broken. His aura officially fell to the Qi Refining Realm, and his chest and head were burned by black fire.

Just when Zhang Rongling was standing at the pinnacle of his life and ready to enjoy it, aliens invaded.

Under Zhang Rongling's "New Deal", the border troops were no match for the foreign races, and they lost a lot of land in just a few months. The foreign races fought all the way to the capital, and the emperor, who had woken up from his dream of being the "greatest emperor in history", fled in panic with his ministers.

The country was destroyed and the family was ruined.

The seventy-year-old Prime Minister Zhang Rongling was also among those who could not escape. He was separated from his two sons and was only protected by a group of servants.

The situation was chaotic and Zhang Rongling was old. After running for a while, he was abandoned by the family servants. He, Chen Luo and his wife Junru were left in the wilderness.

The ground was littered with corpses and devastation.

Two days later, Zhang Rongling's wife Junru died.

"Junru? Junru"

Seventy-year-old Zhang Rongling sat in the ruins, holding the woman in his arms and crying bitterly. He was puzzled. He had come this far, why did he end up like this? He had been chasing all his life, but in the end, he got nothing.

"She is dead."

Chen Luo stood by, he was already 93 years old, this age is already a living god. But Chen Luo still stood tall and straight, with white beard and hair, like a god.

"Why?"

Sensing the woman in his hand getting colder and colder, Zhang Rongling looked up at Chen Luo and asked his first question.

He was puzzled.

"I don't know either."

Chen Luo really didn't know. The mummy's brain told him that he could escape the calamity by killing it, but what was the calamity? He couldn't even see it, so how could he kill it? He couldn't kill himself, could he? He didn't think that Zhang Rongling could escape the calamity by killing him. This so-called calamity should be an abstract thing.

"ha!"

Zhang Rongling smiled. He gently put the woman in his arms down, picked up a stone from the side and slowly dug a hole.

He buried the woman little by little.

Chen Luo stood by and watched, but did not help. Zhang Rongling's life had come to an end, and his Heart Demon Tribulation was about to end. He could sense it as he practiced the Heart Demon Technique.

As the woman was buried, Zhang Rongling's energy was almost exhausted.

He was lying in the ruins, extremely hungry. He hadn't eaten for two days. When the group of servants escaped, they snatched all his food. Chen Luo also sat down next to him, just like he had been accompanying him all these years. He had been silently accompanying Zhang Rongling since he passed the imperial examination. He watched him go from a high-spirited young man to his current ending step by step.

“So thirsty.”

Zhang Rongling leaned against a dead tree, looked up at the vultures circling in the sky, and said something with dry lips.

Just at this moment, a farmer passed by with a cart, on which lay an old woman with gray hair and chicken skin. The two men also noticed them, and the old woman on the cart turned her head and her eyes met Zhang Rongling's.

With just one glance, Zhang Rongling's memory began to flow back.

He thought of this woman.

Thinking of the woman he had asked his second uncle to give up in order to get close to the rich and powerful many years ago, her eyes were still the same as before, and she smiled when she saw Zhang Rongling. Zhang Rongling turned his eyes and saw the farmer pulling the cart in front. On the man's chest, there was a peace amulet hanging.

"Hahaha, Jie? Jie! I see, that's how it is."

Zhang Rongling suddenly laughed.

Along with laughter, he seemed to have a last ray of light, his energy and spirit returned to the peak, and he actually stood up from the side of the dead tree. The colors around him began to fade, a layer of fog rose in the whole world, and the sound of fighting faded away.

"Second uncle?"

Zhang Rongling's gaze fell on Chen Luo. Only at this moment did he finally remember who he was and what he was doing.

He is Zhang Rongling!

He is going through the tribulation of inner demon.

"Do you regret it?"

Chen Luo looked at Zhang Rongling who had "woke up" and suddenly asked a question. Many years ago, he had reminded him to "let it go", but Zhang Rongling was unwilling at that time, and made it clear that if there was really another side, then Zhang Rongling on that side would never wake up.

“No regrets.”

Zhang Rongling looked at Chen Luo and said seriously.

(End of this chapter)