Chapter 126: Red Gold Hero, Holding Hands with Dawn

After the night, there will be dawn.

Walking forward in the misty rain and facing the moist river breeze, Gu Guan suddenly felt an indescribable joy in his heart.

The war that has lasted for several years is finally coming to an end.

The two walked hand in hand for a while until the beach narrowed and the river tide came up. Then they took the reins that Xie Yun and Xie Zi had been holding behind them and climbed up.

The army slowly returned to the city, and the two men also walked at a moderate pace. The strong war horses sensed this emotion and their steps became lighter.

Facing the night before dawn, they crossed Jinfeng Mountain. When they arrived at the city of Pengcheng, a ray of morning sun burst out, and half of the gray sky turned golden and red, and the atmosphere suddenly became warm.

From a distance, one could hear the roar and cheers like a tsunami, wave after wave. Even many common people who had taken refuge in the nearby mountains could hear the waves of joy that erupted like a tide at dawn.

This wave of cheers reached its peak in an instant when Xie Ci returned to the north gate of Pengcheng.

Pengcheng was completely captured. Three hours after Xie Ci's flag was planted on the arrow tower, the street fighting was declared over.

The drizzling rain had ceased at some point, but the scent of gunpowder lingered, leaving patches of charred black and crimson everywhere. Amidst the roaring roar, Qin Xian, clad in deep black armor, rushed forward, his murderous aura still lingering, his body a mess. His excitement was uncontrollable, he threw down his long sword and knelt on one knee with a thud. "Major General! Pengcheng has been taken—"

Qin Xian had changed his name to Xie Ci as the commander-in-chief for a long time, but under extreme emotion, the old name hidden deep in his heart came out.

"good!"

Xie Ci shouted, and rushed forward to help Qin Xian up, "Uncle Qin, get up quickly."

Qin Xian stood up and realized that his eyes were already filled with tears, his eye sockets were red, tears were streaming down his face, and he was crying and laughing at the same time.

The young general in front of him was so powerful and at the peak of his career, carrying on the legacy and forging a new path. Looking at him, he was deeply moved.

Qin Xian, Chen Yan, Su Zhen, and Kou Wenshao, especially Qin Xian, regarded themselves as members of the Xie family army from the very beginning, and followed him stubbornly, regardless of everything.

Xie Ci also has deep feelings for them, especially Qin Xian. He only discovered today that Qin Xian has aged a lot without him noticing. This super warrior who still has a strong physique has a lot more silver hair on his temples. When he cries, crow's feet are obvious. Qin Xian is almost fifty years old.

But Qin Xian was very happy and relieved. In his lifetime, when he still had the strength to spare, he was able to help Xie Ci Ding to stabilize the world and take the last step. He did not let himself down and did not let his old general down.

He was extremely excited and even thought that even if he went there in the future and met his old master, he would have a lot to say and show off.

Qin Xian laughed until tears streamed down his face. He felt embarrassed, but no one laughed at him. Behind Xie Ci, Zhang Shen, Huang Zongxi, He Yuan, and others couldn't help but smile with tears in their eyes.

Xie Ci took a step forward and hugged Qin Xian tightly. He whispered in Qin Xian's ear, "Uncle Qin, this is a new beginning. I will need you in the future."

You have to take care of yourself.

As vigorous as ever.

When he enters the imperial court in the future, the people Xie Ci will rely on and command will of course be his confidants, who else could he rely on?

Xie Ci was worried that Qin Xian would feel old and sick all of a sudden after completing his mission. He had seen too many uncles and aunts like this since he was a child, so he said this immediately.

Qin Xian's spirits lifted, and even his tears of sorrow and laughter subsided a little. He immediately said, "Yes! What the young general said is right."

He cannot get old yet. Thinking of the many things that will happen in the future, Qin Xian's spirit is immediately lifted back.

It’s still too early. I don’t know if twenty years will be enough for him.

Xie Ci raised his hand and wiped Qin Xian's tears with the black gauze protecting his palm, and he immediately smiled.

Xie Ci turned around and said to his trusted companions, "The same goes for you gentlemen. You and I will enjoy peace, but we will also have to bear another kind of hardship and responsibility."

The generals were filled with excitement and fell to their knees, saying in unison: "We will definitely live up to our lord's expectations today!"

"rise!"

The thank you speech was brief and resounding, and everyone responded in unison: "Yes!"

The river wind blew in gusts, and the huge red and black general flag on the arrow tower fluttered in the wind.

The morning sun passed over the mountains and across the earth, falling on the city walls. The bright red and dark black colors were vivid and dazzling in the sunlight. A huge "Thank you" character was drawn with iron and silver hooks, fluttering in the wind, but standing still.

…

That night, Xie Ci ordered the victorious Northern Army to rest in Pengcheng.

After a busy and tiring day, on a moonlit night, Xie Ci sneaked into Gu Wan's room.

He had never done this before, but on this night when he had allowed the entire army to relax and rest after a great victory, he finally allowed himself to make an exception.

When Gu Wan saw him, he burst out laughing and lifted the corner of the quilt a little to let him in.

Xie Ci's cheeks flushed, but he immediately crawled into her bed through the small opening she had opened.

He took off his helmet but not his armor, and just lay on the bed. Gu Wan rolled into his arms, and he immediately tightened his arm and hugged her tightly.

Gu Guan rested her head on his armpits, the hard armor against his powerful chest. The darkness inside the tent made it hard to see each other's expressions, but she suddenly touched his eyebrows and left chest, her flexible fingertips carrying the warmth of his body temperature. She whispered, "Don't think too much. Look at Uncle Qin and the others. Dad and my brothers must be very happy too."

Xie Ci felt a warm and bitter feeling in his heart. In this world, only Gu Wan could truly and delicately understand the emotions and feelings in his heart.

During the day, Xie Ci walked with a firm step, his demeanor was calm and his expression was relaxed. His command and arrangements were orderly, and the entire army immediately had a backbone from top to bottom.

But how could Xie Ci not have any emotional fluctuations at all?

Looking back today, Lu Xinyi and the others were merely greedy and decadent. Xie Ci, who was once confused and desolate, had naturally found the answer after wading through the thorns.

The biggest difference between him and these people is probably that he is determined to make changes, turn the world upside down, and have no regrets even if he dies.

All the life and death experiences in the past eventually became a mark on the growth line. They were thrilling at the time, but looking back, my heart is calm.

But there are always some words that cannot calm me down.

Looking back on the past, he inevitably recalled his father and brother who had passed away long ago.

I am condemned by thousands of people and have gone to jail, but I still feel guilty towards my wife and children.

Xie Ci has understood and agreed with their choice, and he has no regrets about devoting himself to this. He has indeed let go of his father and brother's sacrifice, but that does not mean that his emotions have also disappeared.

No resentment, no depression, but they existed vividly in his memory and never faded.

On this night of great victory, it was hard for him not to think of them.

He has endured the long dark night and is about to step into the morning light.

Thinking of them falling silently before dawn, my heart is filled with emotion, melancholy and sadness.

Gu Wan patted his heart lightly and put his face against his left chest, silently accompanying him. Xie Ci smiled and said, "It's okay, I'm just a little melancholy."

He took a deep breath and said, "Everything will be fine tomorrow morning."

One night was enough for him to recover.

…

The main force of the Northern Army rested in Pengcheng for a month.

During this period, Xie Ci initially eliminated the Jiangnan families, and at the same time ordered Qin Xian, Zhang Shen and Lu Liang to lead troops to Jingnan to eliminate the remaining forces of the Zhu family.

At this point, Jiangnan and Jingnan were initially pacified.

In April, Xie Ci led a large army westward, heading towards the southwest.

The uncle and nephew of the Luo family have surrendered, and the more than 200,000 Jingnan troops have been dealt with in advance by Xie Ci. In the past month, the southwestern generals and captains who surrendered to the Northern Army have been sending letters back and forth to the southwest after obtaining Xie Ci's permission.

Finally, the Northern Army arrived at Jiange Pass, a key pass in the southwest. The southwest held out for only one day before opening the pass and surrendering, allowing Xie Ci's army to enter the pass.

In mid-May, Xie Ci led his army through Hanzhong and arrived in Longnan, wiping out all the self-reliant tyrants and bandit camps, big and small, in Shaanxi.

At this point, the world was at peace.

In July of that year, after communicating with Zhang Yuanrang, Xie Ci led a large army across Taihang Mountain, went south to cross the Yellow River, and arrived at Sishui Pass with a million soldiers.

Zhang Yuanrang opened the gate and welcomed Xie Ci's army into the pass.

…

It was autumn when we entered the customs. The tips of the thatch grass began to turn yellow, and the fluffy waves of foxtail grass swayed in the autumn wind.

Xie Ci and his army had been advancing triumphantly, sweeping across the north and south, but after reaching Guanzhong and the capital, they all became quiet without any prior agreement.

All the generals, including Qin Xian and Huang Zongxi, who were standing behind Xie Ci, were inevitably a little uncomfortable in silence. After all, they were the army of justice who had driven out the northern barbarians and brought peace to the world.

But when I came to Gyeonggi and Jungdu, justice no longer seemed to be an issue.

After all, the Wei court is still there, and they are all ministers of the Wei.

When the army enters the pass, no matter how much justice they understand, it is still a usurpation of the dynasty.

It's going to be stabbed in the spine.

However, Xie Ci and his companions soon discovered that the reaction of the people in the capital was a little different from what they had imagined.

From a distance, one could see the bustling crowds of people, so huge that there was no end in sight. The Jingzhao Prefecture had to send out yamen runners to maintain order.

The sound of the army advancing silently was majestic, silent and orderly. When the dark iron armor appeared at the end of the sight, a commotion immediately arose, and cheers spread out like waves, boiling.

Zhang Yuanrang certainly couldn't have arranged any kind of reception, yet the people of the capital spontaneously lined the streets to greet him. The area nearly a hundred miles from the east gate of Zhongdu was already packed with people. The wide official road was lined with people on both sides, even on the rooftops and treetops.

"this……"

Xie Ci was surprised for a moment.

At this time, a woman riding a slow horse came running up from a distance and was stopped for a moment by Xie Ci's guard, but Xie Ci quickly ordered her to pass.

She was a young woman with a pretty face, but with a blue scarf wrapped around her head, she already had the air of a commoner. She was laughing, and as she laughed she became moved to tears. She quickly came forward, turned over, and carefully unfolded in her arms the two-foot-wide and ten-foot-wide silk banner with a red background and gold characters.

Four big words, "Red Gold Hero"!

The golden threads used to embroider the characters are all made of pure gold threads. They were made with the money collected by the sisters. The sister with the best embroidery skills worked day and night for several months. They started cutting and making them as soon as the news of the victory in Pengcheng was reported, and they were just finished recently.

This woman was none other than the representative of the captive women from Zhongdu who were rescued from the seventeen cities of the north after Xie Ci defeated and expelled the Northern Rong army.

After she presented the brocade plaque to Xie Ci, she knelt down on both knees and kowtowed three times solemnly and properly.

Tears welled up in her eyes. "Thank you for saving us. It's such a great kindness, and I can never repay you. We sisters have enshrined a longevity tablet at home, and we hope you will live a happy and peaceful life!"

The man in black armor in front of me is like a god.

Many of the sisters who came with her burst into tears and knelt down to kowtow.

With a buzzing sound, all the people on the official road were sad and moved at the same time.

Xie Ci's eyes were hot for a moment. He dismounted and wanted to help the woman up, but the woman didn't need him to help. She stood up, bowed deeply, and trotted away holding the reins.

The people in the capital area actually had a very high acceptance of Xie Ci, because Guanzhong was a place that had suffered from massacres and ravages by foreign invaders, and the situation that Xie Ci and others had worried about did not occur at all.

Xie Ci was a great hero who drove out the northern barbarians and pacified the world.

Even scholars with truly pedantic ideas cannot deny this.

Worship, respect, and thanks Before the person arrived, the discussion among the people had already begun.

The majestic momentum of the army is fascinating.

The cheers were like a tide, and many people who had just come to join in the fun were also infected by the mood and became excited and expectant.

Xie Ci took a deep breath and jumped on the horse.

He looked back at Gu Guan, whose eyes curved into a smile. She was in charge of the intelligence department, so it was obvious that she knew about it, but she had a surprise for them.

Xie Ci smiled, turned around, solemnized his expression, and led the army slowly into the city.

…

On that day, except for the imperial city, the imperial guards of the Southern and Northern Yamen retreated silently, and the Northern Army took over the defense of Zhongdu.

But Xie Ci had more than one surprise.

Even Gu Wan didn’t know about the latter.

After entering the city, they met with Zhang Yuanrang. After finishing their work, Xie Ci and Gu Wan said, "Let's go out of the city for a walk."

A long time ago, he regretted that he could not ride with her through the streets and countryside at the age when he was most free and unrestrained, and see the best years and scenery.

But fortunately, it’s not too late now.

Gu Guan smiled, and the two of them changed into casual clothes that day, rode out of the city, and walked along the suburban dirt roads that Xie Ci had walked on so freely in the past.

It is autumn, but the tail of summer is still there. The sun is not very hot, but it is golden. The green mountains and grass are slightly yellow, and the leaves of some unknown trees have a slight layer of red.

The two men rode past. It had been several days since the last horse race in the suburbs of Beijing. When they returned to the old place, their mood was completely different.

The two of them held hands and spent a day walking to many places. Xie Ci told her many stories in detail.

His youth, his youth.

Finally, by the stream where they had made their love, Xie Ci gently embraced her and reverently placed a light kiss on her forehead.

Thank you, it’s great that I met you.

I wasn't good enough back then, but fortunately you didn't despise me.

Afterwards, the two rode their horses to the Ba River, the final destination of their trip.

The person who was going to pick up Madam Xun was already on the way. They had been married for a long time, and it was belated that they paid their respects to their parents.

They came to the bank of the Ba River, where there were four small tombs, one big and three small.

But surprisingly, the grave was filled with flowers and paper money, as well as many offerings that were obviously brought by ordinary people.

Surrounded by hills, on the small hillside, long golden and green grass half-surrounds the four small graves, but the weeds in front of and behind the graves have been cleared away.

A farmer passed by here and learned a few words in the clan middle school. He recognized "Xie Gong Xinzhong" and later recognized "Xiong Xian", "Xiong Yan" and "Xiong Bian".

These four small tombs, nestled among the weeds and quietly gazing at the Ba River, were discovered by nearby villagers at some point. The villagers did not make a fuss but would come to pay their respects during festivals and repair and clean the tombs from time to time.

A few years have passed, and the small earthen grave is still intact.

The welcoming crowd the day before might not have touched Xie Ci as deeply as this scene. He was stunned and stood quietly for a long time. Finally, he walked forward quickly and bent down to carefully look at these crude and simple offerings. He reached out and gently touched the rough tombstone.

In an instant, tears filled my eyelashes.

Gu Guan stood behind with a smile on her face, not moving forward. She watched with a smile, then turned her head to look at Xie Yun and the others, whose eyes were red and filled with tears.

That’s great.

As Xie Ci became famous throughout the world as a peerless hero, all the deeds of his father, brother, and even Pang Huai, Grand Tutor Wen, and others, spread throughout the country.

Even though the imperial court was overwhelmingly strong at that time, the common people at the bottom believed in their own truth and they did not discredit Xie Xinzhong and his son.

This may be the greatest affirmation and comfort to Xie Xinzhong and his son, Pang Huaiwen Taishi and others.

…

In August of that year, the young Emperor Qingshou of the Wei Dynasty issued a long edict of self-criticism. He wrote it himself with a childish penmanship, and it was polished by the Grand Secretary of the Cabinet.

The young emperor from the younger clan succeeded the older clan and was nominally the son of Emperor Longqing.

He reviewed the crimes of his father and brother, such as tyranny, extortion, and forced opening of gates, which had betrayed the people of the world. At the end of the edict, he said that he was young and incompetent and could not shoulder the responsibility of the country, which was now suffering from many serious problems. He was in fear day and night.

Finally, Emperor Qingshou abdicated and gave his thanks to King Wucheng, the Grand Marshal and General of Qibei.

In the same year, Xie Ci ascended the throne.

The Great Wei Dynasty completely withdrew from the stage of history, and the country opened a new chapter. Xie Ci re-established the new dynasty, named the country Qi, and established the Yongping era.

The young emperor of the Former Wei Dynasty was granted the title of Marquis of Liushan, and a marquisate was built on his fiefdom. He then moved to Liushan.

The purged members of the Li clan went along with them.

That year, Xie Ci finally realized his old wish and brought his father and brother's spirit tablets into the Taimiao.

Also enshrined in the Taimiao were Grand Tutor Wen, Pang Huai and other pioneers and righteous men who sacrificed their lives before the dawn.

Xie Ci personally wrote the eulogy and edict, clearly recounting their deeds.

On that day, Pang Li, Shang Rong, Zhao Xinhe and others burst into tears on the spot.

…

He thanked all the civil and military officials under his command, paid tribute in person, and bowed deeply.

When all the ceremonies were over, everyone left.

Xie Ci and Gu Guan stood in the huge hall, looking up at the throne with a blue background and gold edges. The afternoon sun shone in, making the hall solemn and bright.

Xie Ci suddenly became happy after discovering that the people were secretly worshipping his father and brother.

He was a little sad today, but more happy.

He and Gu Wan stood shoulder to shoulder in front of the long altar, talking a lot with his father and brother. These private family conversations had been discussed many times before.

What he mainly wanted to say today was that he would never let down the teachings of his father and brothers, and asked them to supervise him.

Xie Ci paid his respects to his father and brother, then took Gu Wan's hand and went to see Master Wen, Pang Huai and others, and spoke to them one by one.

Finally, I arrived at the temple gate, stepped over the brand new threshold, and stood on the high white marble platform.

"You have to supervise me too."

Xie Ci was a little nervous, fearing that he would go astray one day in the future.

Gu Guan burst out laughing: "Of course."

The two of them hold hands and walk together on the road to the future.

Facing the golden autumn sun, they quickly walked down the platform. On the last step, Gu Wan jumped onto Xie Ci's back. She smiled and said, "I want you to carry me!"

Xie Ci's previous mood immediately disappeared, and his heartbeat became faster and he looked forward to it! Well, it was almost evening. Since entering the city, not counting the military, he immediately slept in the same room with Gu Wan.

During this period, the taste of honey is like adding oil to honey, and you will know the taste of honey.

Xie Ci immediately said, "Are you tired? Let's go back and have some sleep first."

It’s okay to sleep first and then get up to do things!

Gu Wan laughed heartily: "What are you waiting for? Let's go!"

Xie Ci couldn't help laughing. He looked back at the tall Taimiao for the last time, then turned around and ran away.

The Imperial Astronomical Observatory said that this winter will be better than last year, and we hope that it will get better every year.

The warm and golden sunlight shines on the white marble square with traces of time and on the two of them. The road ahead is still long, but it doesn't matter, because he knows that Gu Wan will always accompany him.

The travel and war finally ended, and the two finally had a peaceful life together.

The whole family is together, and there will be more people in the future.

It will definitely get better in the future.

The sunlight casts a golden glow on their brows, just like the golden years they will spend together in the future.

The author has something to say:

The main text of the story ends here! Extra chapters will be updated irregularly, A Xiu will try to update next month, hahahaha

As for the new article, it may not be published so soon. A Xiu's cervical and lumbar vertebrae have been feeling a bit overloaded recently, so she plans to put exercise on her schedule for a while to adjust. The new article may be published around the Chinese New Year.

Haha anyway, Ah Xiu will do it as soon as possible hehe. Finally, thank you babies for your company for the past four months. I love you so much!!! See you in the extra chapters and new articles!! (/≧▽≦)/