Chapter 743: What will become of the Han Dynasty? Luo Chuan dies!
Time is irreversible, let's go back a little.
Liu Bei had not yet established a country.
He counted his losses with great sorrow, his hands shaking and he growled under his breath.
You thief!
I, Liu Bei, cannot coexist with you!
What does it mean to win people’s hearts?
The common people were willing to fight for Liu Bei, and the scholars and powerful people were willing to open their pockets for Liu Bei. This is called winning the hearts of the people.
…
Outside Linzi City.
The sky was gloomy, with thick, gray clouds covering the sky. Snow was slowly falling outside the city. White snowflakes were floating everywhere, landing on the hills not far from Linzi City and hanging on the trees with no leaves left. Waves of coldness came over.
The boundless Chu army arrived outside the city under the command of Liu Bei. He was dressed in military uniform with endless emotion on his face.
Liu Bei was riding on a horse, the cold wind blew across his cheeks. He was wearing a thick brocade robe, and his face smelled of the cold wind, with red bloodshot and cracked marks.
There was a carriage parked next to him, with a thick curtain falling on the carriage, making people wonder who could enjoy a carriage alone in front of the Lord of Chu.
Liu Bei held the sword in his hand and seemed not to feel the cold at all, or perhaps he was just too excited.
Zhang Yan walked slowly to Liu Bei in the heavy snow. All the officials of Chu State were looking at him. He knelt on his knees in front of Liu Bei's horse, with a hint of bitterness in his eyes.
Young Master Yan, I, Zhang Yan, have kept my promise for so long, and I have done my best for you!
He took a deep breath and said loudly: "King of Chu, Zhang Yan led the Qingzhou army to surrender!"
Yuan Shao died of illness, Zhao was defeated, and had no choice but to surrender. This was Zhang Yan's situation.
Liu Bei took the sword raised by Zhang Yan and then raised it high. The endless army of Chu State immediately shouted in unison.
Liu Bei laughed loudly and said, "Zi Qi, we are back in Qingzhou!
Wenshen, we are back to Linzi!
When we retreated from Qingzhou, I thought we would never be able to return to Linzi.
When we were ambushed by Cao's bandits and blocked our way that day, I thought our great wish would come to an end.
I didn’t expect it, I didn’t expect it!
There will be a day when we can return to Qingzhou."
His words were filled with endless emotion and sighs, but also with lofty ambitions.
Liu Bei raised his head and said loudly: "Send this news to Yinghou State, let Yinghou be happy, tell this news to Mi, Xiao, Han, Chen, and every big family who generously donated to me a year ago, and tell every citizen that I, Liu Bei, have not let them down!"
Lu Shen let the cold wind blow across his cheeks. Even the extreme cold could not extinguish the fire in his heart.
Finally, I'm home.
Guan Yu, Zhang Fei and Zhao Yun led a large army and all looked at Liu Bei with smiles.
Chen Deng couldn't help laughing. It was indeed the Liu Xuande he had always admired. He was so handsome and had the strategy of a king!
Liu Ye exhaled deeply and looked at Man Chong with a smug look, as if to say, you are the most outstanding person in my Liu family, what do you think?
"Your Majesty has lived up to Qingxu, and you will live up to the world in the future!"
A slightly weak voice came from the carriage. It was naturally Luo Qi.
Everyone stood in awe. After Liu Bei was ambushed and defeated, Marquis Ying mobilized 3,000 elite soldiers from his country. After they were armored, they became an indispensable presence in the attack on Qingzhou.
Who can shake the position of Yinghou's lineage in Liu Bei's heart?
Even the Marquis Wushuang Zhongwu, who gave Liu Bei soldiers, supplies and fame to start his career, is not as good as the Marquis Ying lineage who always helped him!
Luo Qi lifted the thick curtain. He was a brave general who could charge into the battlefield, but now he could hardly even ride a horse.
A cold wind blew, and he was shocked by the cold wind and immediately coughed twice. On a windy and snowy day, he still felt cold even though he was wearing thick brocade clothes.
Qingzhou is much colder than Xuzhou, but he must come to retake Qingzhou.
Mi Zhen looked at him worriedly, and Liu Bei wanted him to get back to the car quickly.
Luo Qi didn't care. Luo's attitude towards life has always been that length is not as important as width.
He tightened his brocade fur coat and chuckled, "Congratulations, Your Majesty, on taking back Qingzhou. This is just the beginning of your glorious journey.
We will always win.
Yanzhou, Jizhou and Yuzhou will all be in our hands.
Until the day when the Han Dynasty is restored!"
Liu Bei put away his worries and laughed out loud. He pointed his whip forward and said loudly, "Zi Qi, I wanted to join you in Linzi City, but you will definitely not agree.
To this Linzi City, I will go first and you will follow.
This will be the case for every state and county we capture in the future.
I am in front, and you follow.
Han Wumu was the first to establish the Han Dynasty, but he was never made a king. As a result, now the world is full of self-proclaimed kings, which is ridiculous.
If I ever manage to fully revive the Han Dynasty, I will definitely crown the lineage of Marquis Ying as king.
Conquer a true king!
The king appointed by the emperor!
So Ziqi, you must take care of your health.
You must wait for the day when I recover Luoyang!
Let’s start from Linzi!”
Looking at the high-spirited Liu Bei, Luo Qi had a warm smile on his face.
He chuckled and said, "Don't worry, Your Majesty, there will be a day when we can recover the two capitals. There will be a day."
Liu Bei laughed out loud, but a trace of worry flashed in his eyes. Luo Qi's body was getting weaker and weaker. What would happen if something happened to Luo Qi?
Snow was falling all over the world, covering the earth in a vast expanse of white. In the howling wind, the snow grew heavier and heavier, blowing people's faces so hard that it hurt.
Liu Bei rode his horse forward and Luo Qi followed behind.
Guan Yu, Zhang Fei and Zhao Yun did not look like generals, but rather like guards riding along on horseback. However, being Liu Bei's guards was what they longed for.
Liu Bei looked back and saw that Lu Shen had not followed him, so he said loudly: "Chang Shen, this is your ancestral land, why don't you follow me?"
Tears welled up in Lu Shen's eyes, and the cold wind made his eyes hurt.
After many years, he finally returned to Linzi, but everything here had changed and all the tribesmen who once lived here were gone.
His father, Duke Qi of the last Han Dynasty, died of illness in Yecheng several years ago.
If he had not followed Liu Bei and left his home and career to go to Xuzhou, would he have been depressed in Yecheng for the rest of his life?
Will there ever be a time to return to my ancestral land?
Lu Shen rode his horse to the side of Luo Qi's carriage and said to Liu Bei in a deep voice: "Your Majesty, I was just expressing my gratitude to my ancestor Taigong for being enfeoffed by King Wu of Zhou 1,300 years ago for his meritorious service.
From then on, generations of the Lu family shed blood here and built the great country of Xia from nothing.
I am grateful to my ancestor, King Weiguang of Qi, who joined Emperor Gao in conquering the Qin State three hundred years ago and was granted the title of King of Qi.
I am grateful that I can follow Your Majesty into Linzi City again today. I wish you glory and success, and I hope that your descendants will remember your name and my name.
This life is worthwhile! "
Lu Shen clenched his fists so hard that his nails cut into his palms. He was burdened with a heavy responsibility, which was to restore the glory of the Lu family!
Liu Bei was startled at first, then stunned. He looked deeply at his brother-in-law, patted him on the shoulder and said, "Just as Ziqi said, we will achieve great things one day, and the Lu family will prosper again along with the Liu family."
Thousands of mountains are lonely and all traces have been destroyed.
But Liu Bei's words brought warmth and longing to everyone's hearts.
…
The Kingdom of England.
In the last marquisate of the world, Ying Hou Luochuan had white hair on his temples. He lay in the house with the window open, looking at the snowflakes falling outside.
Luo Qian was sitting next to him, brewing tea, fiddling with the tea set and saying, “Ah Chu is doing very well in Jiangdong.
The King of Chu has captured the entire Qingzhou. Seeing that he has stationed his troops in Taishan County and Qingzhou, his next step may be to attack Jizhou.
Qi'er is not in good health, but Jizhou is too important to the King of Chu, he will definitely go there in person, I am very worried. "
Luo Chuan looked at the snowflakes as if in a trance and said, "It can't be stopped. I see the shadows of our ancestors Duke Xuan and King Wen in Aqi.
A person's life will determine his fate, and Aqi's fate will eventually come."
Luo Qian's hands trembled. Duke Xuan of Luo and King Wen of Luo, even among the loyal and capable sons of the Luo family, these two were well-known for their dedication to their work.
Luo Qian's lips and throat felt dry, and Luo Chuan said with some emotion: "Liu Xuande, Liu Xuande.
It has been about twenty years since he came to prominence, and he has risen from an idle clan member to the king of a country.
At first, his status was too low for me to serve as an official. Later, Qi'er served as an official but I could not. Until now, I am already very old and half buried in the ground.
Qian'er, Akong met Emperor Xiaomin at the end of his life.
Why haven't I met a Han emperor worthy of loyalty?
I am the Great Han Yinghou, why not?"
The rising mist seemed to blur Luo Qian's eyes. She seemed to be in tears and held her husband's hand tightly. "My dear, this is the misfortune of the Han Dynasty, not your misfortune."
Luo Chuan said softly: "Really?
So be it, perhaps meeting Emperor Ling is my destiny.
Conquering Jizhou will be another turning point in the fate of the King of Chu. Gather all the power in the country and hand it over to Qi'er.
This is the last strength and foundation of the Yinghou Kingdom, which can help the King of Chu.
It's up to man to propose!
My elder brother is a man of extraordinary talent. He sentenced the Han to death. I should have accepted his fate, but I, an ordinary person with mediocre talent, wanted to see if it was really so. "
Luo Chuan's words were full of desolation, and Luo Qian's face was also full of pessimism.
Luo Xiao is the insurmountable peak of the Luo clan. To the disciples of the Luo clan, his words are like the law of heaven. He said that the Han Dynasty would be difficult to revive, and that the Han Dynasty's mandate of heaven was cut off. How could the disciples of the Luo clan convince themselves?
All attempts are just out of unwillingness.
It is the same with Luokong and Luochuan.
…
Every winter, in this lonely, cold and bleak season, there are always people who cannot hold on. Many people suddenly faint in the winter and never wake up again.
Luochuan and Luo Qian watch the snow and make tea by the window every day.
Or the two of them could study the situation in the world, just like playing chess, using the various states of the world as chess pieces.
This kind of life is quite peaceful, and the two of them have been living this way for many years.
Luo Chuan and Luo Qian didn't know how many years they would continue to live like this.
After another heavy snowfall, the plum tree in the yard suddenly had its branches and leaves broken on a snowy night.
The next day, Luochuan, who was preparing to go to appreciate the snow plum blossoms, looked at the broken gap. He was silent for a moment, then fell into the snow on the ground.
Completely beyond everyone's expectations, he just fell straight into the snow. His fur coat, his hat, even his face and hands were all covered with snow. The white snow was just like his white face.
Luo Qian picked him up in fear. This was not difficult for a girl from the Luo family, especially since Luo Qian was an excellent swordsman and very strong.
But at this moment, as she hugged Luochuan, she felt weak all over. She didn't know if it was the whistling cold wind or coming from the bottom of her heart, but she just felt a chill.
Back in the house, the warm atmosphere instantly surrounded the two of them, like a glacier melting, and Luochuan woke up.
Then he found himself being held by Luo Qian, and asked in confusion: "Madam, why is this happening?"
Luo Qian held Luo Chuan in her arms, and they stared into each other's eyes. After a while, Luo Qian put Luo Chuan on the bed, and then whispered, "My dear, you just fainted and fell in the snow. I think you are sick, and we should ask a doctor to come."
Fainted?
Luo Chuan looked at the parts of his body that had melted into snow water, and suddenly realized, "So that's how it is. I should be fine now, no need to call a doctor."
As soon as he finished speaking, he fell into coma again. Before he fell into coma, all he saw was Luo Qian's anxious expression.
When Luo Chuan woke up again, Luo Qian was still sitting beside him. Before his wife could speak, Luo Chuan said, "Madam, you are right. I must be sick and need a doctor to treat me."
Luo Qian had a sad look in her eyes and whispered, "The doctor came and said that my dear, you just need to have a good rest."
Hearing this, Luo Chuan glanced at Luo Qian, then said softly, "Madam, every time you lie, your eyes blink quickly, so you are lying."
Luo Qian rolled her eyes at Luo Chuan when she heard this. She knew that Luo Chuan was trying to trick her, so she whispered, "I've been with you for decades and I've never lied to you. You're talking nonsense, do you know that?"
Luo Chuan slowly closed his eyes and opened them again, with a slight smile on his face: “Yes, Madam, you will not lie, especially in front of me.
I am sick, very sick.”
His words were not questions but statements.
Luo Qian felt very uncomfortable, but she nodded gently, and then said: "The doctor couldn't find any problems and said you are fine."
I'm clearly sick, but I don't know what's wrong.
This shows that the disease cannot be cured.
There was silence in the room for a long time. Luo Chuan opened his arms and said softly, "Madam, give me a hug."
…
When Luo Qi, Liu Bei and others arrived at Yinghou State, Luochuan had been in a coma for longer and longer periods of time.
Luo Qi and others went to pay a visit to their mother first, who was the legitimate daughter of the Luo family, which was extremely rare even nowadays.
There was obvious sadness between Luo Qian's eyebrows and eyes. Even though she was gradually entering old age, she still had a well-proportioned figure and looked dignified and inviolable.
Luo Qi was about to speak when Luo Qian said softly, "Go see your father."
Luo Qi paused, feeling even more sad.
The group followed Luo Qian quietly into the house and saw Luo Chuan lying on the sickbed, his face looked haggard and even a little collapsed.
As if he heard the footsteps of the group of people, Luochuan woke up from his deep sleep.
Although Liu Bei is now a vassal king, his status is not higher than Luochuan. Luochuan has never been his subject unless he becomes emperor.
However, Luochuan still bowed to Liu Bei.
After Liu Bei returned the gift, Luo Chuan looked at everyone, leaned on Luo Qian and asked softly, "The King of Chu is not planning to attack Zhao, so coming to visit a dying man like me, isn't that delaying important matters?"
Upon hearing this, Liu Bei covered his face and cried, "What are you saying, my lord?
If it weren't for you, how could I, Liu Bei, be where I am today?
In the past, the unparalleled loyal and martial marquis passed away and turned directly into blood jade. I can only pay tribute to him from afar.
Now Linzi and Yinghou State are only a stone's throw away. If I cannot send you off, I will spend the rest of my life in regret."
Luo Chuan looked at Liu Bei, who was expressing his true feelings, and said with some reminiscence: "King of Chu, do you know why I chose you among the thousands of Liu clan members in the world to help you?
Because I see the style of Emperor Gao in you.
You are different from Emperor Guangwu, very different.
Some people in this world have misunderstandings about Emperor Gao, saying that after he conquered the world, he killed his meritorious officials, but what is the truth?
Emperor Gao conferred titles on so many marquises, and almost every one of them was passed down for at least three generations, and could be passed down to seven families after three hundred years. This level of generosity was really rare.
You are also a generous person, so you can gather such a group of people around you.
Guan Yu, Zhang Fei and Zhao Zilong are all rare righteous men.
These people are willing to die for you, and this is the foundation for you to accomplish great things.
King of Chu.
Always remember that the Han Dynasty was founded on grace and kindness. Never throw these away and try to play power games in vain.
Everyone has his own way to follow. You have walked along the path of benevolence and righteousness until now. Your voice is getting louder and louder, and your power is growing stronger and stronger.
I know you are getting tired, but you must persevere."
No one expected that Luochuan would say these words to Liu Bei in the last moments of his life.
Perhaps someone had said these words to Liu Bei before, but the effect was not as good as that of Luo Chuan now. Liu Bei held Luo Chuan's hand and cried softly, "Don't worry, my lord. I understand that only virtue and morality can win people's hearts."
Luo Chuan released Liu Bei's hand and suddenly said, "If you were Emperor Ling, perhaps the Han Dynasty could be revived.
The greatest disaster is probably that a person who should not be emperor sits on the throne.”
After saying that, Luochuan looked at Luo Qi with a hint of guilt on his face.
He has two sons. Luo Chu's future is bright, while Luo Qi's future is bumpy and difficult. How can he not feel guilty towards Luo Qi?
Only Luo's son could understand this kind of thing. Luo Qi said dejectedly, "Father, people live in this world for countless things, but not to live longer, so father does not need to worry about his son.
My son has been very happy these years, happier than ever before."
Hearing this, Luo Chuan held Luo Qi's hand and was silent for a moment, then slowly said: "After I die, you will inherit the title of Marquis Ying.
However, the situation in the world has reached this point now, and false reputation is no longer important.
The Marquis Ying is not the golden book, but the oath made between Emperor Gao and Marquis Ying three hundred years ago.
Make the river like a belt, and Mount Tai like a mighty sword, so that the country will be forever peaceful, and love will extend to all descendants."
Luochuan sang softly in front of everyone: "Even if the river becomes as thin as a belt, even if Mount Tai is as flat as a grindstone, your fiefdom will always be stable, and your descendants will be blessed with endless blessings."
Everyone in the room sang Emperor Xuan's oath in unison in response: "Even if the mountains are worn away, even if the seas dry up, your titles will be passed down and will prosper along with the Han Dynasty."
This ancient oath song that has been passed down for two or three hundred years seems to have magical power. Luochuan's spirit is getting better and better, and he claps gently to the beat.
After everyone finished singing, Luo Chuan patted Luo Qi's arm and said, "That's it. We will obey the ancient oath, follow the King of Chu, and prosper the Han Dynasty.
After your father dies, you will take all the remaining guards of Yinghou State to Qingzhou.
After your father dies, your mother will bring his body back to Zhaocheng. You don't have to come to pay your respects to avoid any accidents.
A Jin will preside over the funeral for your father, you don't have to worry.
It’s just that it won’t be easy to see your mother in the future. If one day you can completely recover Jizhou, you can go to Zhaocheng to pay homage to her.”
Luochuan kept talking about how the man who was once a role model for the world is now just an ordinary person with many regrets.
His voice became lower and lower, and finally he fell completely into Luo Qian's arms, holding his wife's hand, and whispered inaudibly: "If there is an afterlife, I still want to be with you, just stay in Luoying City like this, watching the flowers bloom and fall, and the plants wither and flourish. It's really nice."
That's great.
Luo Qian felt her heart stop beating completely and couldn't help sobbing. Seeing Ying Hou Luo Chuan die in front of her, everyone felt as if their heart was being tightened.
One of the pillars of the Han Dynasty collapsed at this moment. The second half of his life was spent cultivating Luo Qi and Liu Bei, two new pillars.
Perhaps there was no regret. He lay safely in Luo Qian's arms, with even a hint of a smile on his lips.
…
The news of the death of Ying Hou Luochuan was naturally a major event that was enough to shock the world. He was Ying Hou of the Han Dynasty, but he was also one of the leaders of the scholars in the world.
If the world had not reached the point of conflict among nations, everyone in the world except the royal family would have to bow before Luochuan.
The most important thing after the death of a great figure like Luochuan is to determine his posthumous title.
Even though Liu Bei hated Cao Cao to the core, he still submitted a document to the court in Xuchang, asking the Han emperor to determine a posthumous title for Luochuan.
As Liu Bei said, "Your Excellency has been a Han official all your life. I am not qualified to give you a posthumous title. If one day I become an emperor, I will definitely give you a posthumous title. But at this time, I still need the Emperor of Han to give you a posthumous title, so as not to let you down for your life."
After the Xuchang court and Cao Cao received the news of Luochuan's death, they sighed slightly, said nothing, and handed it directly to the ministers in the court.
The officials of Wei State were not qualified to take the lead in discussing the posthumous title due to their official rank, but after a large-scale killing, Cao Cao was now the leader of the court, and it didn’t take long before Luochuan’s posthumous title was discussed - Zhongyi.
In the history of the Han Dynasty, the person most famous for this posthumous title happened to be a Duke Zhao, Duke Zhaozhongyi of the early Han Dynasty. He died in Luo River, and his great reform cause was not accomplished, and he died with regret.
This is a very good posthumous title, unbiased.
Marquis Yingzhongyi.
Everyone knew that this was the last Yinghou of the Later Han Dynasty, and Luo Qi would not accept the title of Yinghou from the Xuchang court.
As for what the future will be like, no one knows.
A team from the Yinghou Kingdom slowly left and headed towards the Zhaogong Kingdom. In the convoy, the coffin was carefully sealed.
…
Wu State.
All the ministers of the Wu State outside the palace were pacing anxiously. The messenger who brought the news had been in there for quite some time but still hadn't come out.
It is conceivable how great a shock the Duke of Yuzhang suffered. All the ministers gathered here because they were worried that Luo Chu would choose to attend the funeral and see Marquis Ying for the last time.
That was too dangerous, and no one wanted to see that scene.
If Luo Chu were lost in the Central Plains, it would be hard to tell what kind of future the Wu State, which had just enjoyed a good situation, would have.
"My dear ministers, the Duke invites you to enter the palace."
Everyone then swarmed in, and as soon as they entered, they saw Luo Chu sitting upright at the top, wearing mourning clothes, and Xiao Qiao sitting next to him, also in mourning clothes.
When Luo Chu saw everyone coming in, his first words were: "Don't worry, my dear ministers. I will not go to Zhaocheng to attend the funeral. The overall situation is more important. I understand."
Before everyone could breathe a sigh of relief, Luo Chu said again: "I cannot go to Zhaocheng to attend the funeral. This is my fault. I will be in mourning in Wu in the future. I hope you will be careful about your words and actions.
That's it.
Gentlemen, please go back."
Luo Chu actually ordered everyone to leave without waiting for them to say anything. This was an unprecedented behavior, but everyone understood that Luo Chu was probably in a bad mood and didn't want to see too many people.
Since Luo Chu was not going back to Zhaocheng to attend the funeral, there was no big deal. After everyone looked at each other, they said goodbye and left.
Looking at everyone leaving, Luo Chu, who was sitting upright, suddenly collapsed and tears instantly filled his eyes.
"Madam, will my father blame me for not even seeing him for the last time because of all these mundane matters?"
Xiao Qiao held Luo Chu in her arms and said softly, “Don’t worry, my husband. How could my father blame you?
I'm afraid that if you really take the risk to go to Zhaocheng to attend the funeral, your father will blame you.
One day, we will return to Zhaocheng, yes."
…
Luochuan passed away.
With the wind, with the passing of the cold winter, with the passing of the spring breeze, it will eventually pass.
Too many people have died over the years, including nobles and ordinary people, and everyone has become numb to death.
The pace of war will never stop, in the Central Plains, Guanzhong, and even in the grasslands!
————
Chuan was a man of strong character. When he was young, he visited Luoyang. When he saw injustice, he would draw his sword to help. The scholars and people praised him for being righteous. When the government was corrupt, Chuan was inspired to resign and return to his country. He often protected heroes. When the Party Persecution came, Chuan rebuked Emperor Ling and defended integrity. The world praised him and called him a role model.
When Emperor Lingdi was in chaos, the Taiping Rebellion broke out. Chuan was loyal and diligent, and marched eastward to serve the king. Unfortunately, he failed before he could accomplish his mission. The Han Dynasty suddenly declined, but Chuan showed no regrets. Instead, he forced himself to raise his voice and looked for the princes in order to find Guangwu. Liu Bei was lucky and rose to power.
Chuan inherited his ancestors' business and was the most respected person under the Liu family in the Han Dynasty. Therefore, he had a wish for prosperity. However, times were difficult and great undertakings were hard to accomplish. The princes rose up as kings and the Han Dynasty was almost gone. A strong man is easily broken, so Chuan gave up hope and died.
Emperor Ling was loyal but not trustworthy, he did not use the wise men, Chuan had talent but did not show it, and it is difficult to record it in history. Doesn't it mean that wise ministers also need a sage king to match them?
What a pity! - "Book of the Later Han Dynasty: Biography of Marquis Luoying"
I finally finished writing it. I am very satisfied with this chapter. It was worth it that I kept it waiting for two days!
(End of this chapter)
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