Unlike the thrilling Pingduguan Pass, the majestic imperial palace was still a scene of peace and prosperity. After Zhao Yan dealt with the government affairs in the court, he returned to the Qianyuan Palace to review today's memorials.

In the winter, the air in the palace was dry and cold. The Qianyuan Palace was heated by floor heating and charcoal stoves, exuding a warm feeling different from the outside. Zhao Yan finished reviewing several memorials, and his eyes suddenly touched several newspapers pressed on the table. The incense sticks next to the screen were curling up, making his eyes swell. His hand trembled as he wrote, and then he sighed softly, picked up the newspapers that he had read over and over again, and opened them again. The words were still shocking: "Wu Ren and Mu Rong designed provocations to cause the Xiao family army to revolt. The lieutenant Zou Wu betrayed the country and led the Black Cavalry into the pass. Pingdu Pass was breached." "The Yanzhou and Youzhou armies were almost completely wiped out. Only 40,000 people were left in the Xiao family army. The commander Zheng Long fought desperately to stop the Black Cavalry in front of the Wei River and retreated to Qingzhou City." "The lieutenant generals of the two states, Yue Kewei, died for his country. The city of Pingdu Pass was massacred for three days..."

When Zhao Yan's eyes touched the last few words, his heart suddenly shrank, and he fiercely clenched the silk in his hand, with deep pain on his face. At this time, an eunuch ran in from outside the palace gate and said, "Your Majesty, there is another report from the front line."

Zhao Yan calmed down his excitement, and when he raised his head, his face had returned to normal. He said calmly, "Read it."

The eunuch finished reading the report in his hand, which still said that the war situation in the front was sticky and severe cold weather was about to come, urging the capital to speed up the transportation of food and money. Zhao Yan waved his hand and said, "Okay, leave now."

The eunuch continued to bow and said, "Along with this report, there is also something sent by Marquis Xuanyuan."

Zhao Yan's body stiffened, and then he said softly: "What is it? Bring it up."

The eunuch withdrew respectfully, and when he reentered the hall, he held something in his hand, which turned out to be the tiger skin that was split in two on the top of Zhongshan Mountain. Zhao Yan's body shuddered suddenly, and he stretched out his hand to slowly stroke the fur, and then he thought of the friendship between the two of them fighting side by side and hunting the tiger king that year. His heart was suddenly like a wave hitting the shore, and he couldn't calm down for a long time.

Zhao Yan dismissed the eunuch from the palace and sat there in a daze for a long time, until the sunset dyed the sky red. Xia Qing, who had been promoted to the commander of the imperial guards, came into the palace to report the military situation. After he finished speaking for a long time, there was no response. When he looked up, he saw Zhao Yan's expression was dazed, as if he had been thinking about something. He felt a little curious and asked, "Your Majesty, is there anything on your mind?"

Zhao Yan turned his head and looked at him, tapping his fingers on the table, and suddenly said, "General Xia, can you tell me what is the true way of an emperor?"

Xia Qing was startled, and quickly lifted his robe and knelt down, saying: "Xia Qing dare not speak nonsense about the important matters of the royal family."

Zhao Yan shook his head and smiled bitterly, saying, "Get up, I'm just asking casually, I won't punish you." His eyes became a little dim, and he said, "I just don't understand something. You said, Pingdu Pass was lost when the situation was good, and tens of thousands of people in the city died at the hands of the Black Cavalry. Is all this because of me?"

Xia Qing quickly replied, "Pingdu Pass was lost because of the Black Cavalry leader's treacherous tactics and his collusion with Zou Wu to secretly instigate. How can Your Majesty take all the blame on yourself?"

Zhao Yan sighed and said, "If I hadn't sent a secret letter to Yue Kewei before I set out, asking him to keep an eye on Xiao Du's movements and take back the military power when victory or defeat was about to be decided, he wouldn't have been easily deceived by the traitor and given the Black Cavalry the opportunity to march straight in. This time, if Xiao Du hadn't used a trick to take back the city in time, I'm afraid most of the Central Plains would have been affected."

Xia Qing looked a little embarrassed, and he opened his mouth but said nothing. Zhao Yan didn't care about his response, and seemed to just want to say what was suppressed in his heart. He rubbed his eyebrows, stood up and looked at the flickering gauze lights under the eaves outside the palace, and said: "Everyone has told me since I was a child that a king needs to be decisive and know how to rule people with power, but now I am increasingly confused. Have I done anything wrong in these years?"

Xia Qing's face became more hesitant. He thought for a long time, and finally made up his mind. He said, "I have something to say, but I don't know whether I should say it or not. Please forgive my sins first, Your Majesty."

Zhao Yan turned his head and looked at him, saying, "Go ahead."

Xia Qing's eyes flickered slightly, and he said, "A gentleman whom I admire very much once told me that the true way of an emperor is to trust people, be kind to people, and use people, rather than playing tricks to harm people, envy people, and scheme against people. Only those who can do the former are wise rulers, and those who can only do the latter are just winners."

Zhao Yan listened quietly, and it seemed as if a fire had ignited in front of his eyes, illuminating his mind. He asked, "Where is this person you are talking about now?"

Xia Qing's face became somewhat sad, and he said slowly: "He has gone to a very far place, and I am afraid that no one will ever see him again. I am just an acquaintance of him, but I have kept in my heart the time we met and talked, and I dare not forget it."

Zhao Yan seemed to have some feeling in his heart. After a long while, he waved his hand and said, "I understand. You can leave first."

Xia Qing walked to the veranda, looked up at the bright moon and stars, and seemed to see the man smiling at him humbly again. He sighed softly and said silently in his heart: "Mr. Luo, I have already told His Majesty what you said to me. If he can understand it, your spirit in heaven can also be comforted."

In the palace where the charcoal fire was glowing, Zhao Yan walked slowly to the tiger skin. It was as if he had returned to the top of Zhongshan Mountain many years ago. On the top of the mountain in the early morning light, the breeze made the leaves rustle, and the fragrance of grass and trees was everywhere. There were two young men, one black and one white, standing side by side. The young man in white looked at the beautiful mountains and rivers below the mountain, and said in a daze, "Chongjiang, do you think I will be a good emperor in the future?"

The young man in black turned around and looked at him, his face full of excitement and faith, "What are you afraid of? I'll help you! If you go the wrong way, I'll pull you, if you get tired, I'll push you. Anyway, you and I are brothers of one mind, and the kingdom you will rule in the future will definitely be the best era!"

The young man's smile slowly grew in his memory, simple and clean, making him want to run away. Zhao Yan felt his hands stung by the fur, and tears flowed down his cheeks as he closed his eyes. It turned out that he had always gone too far and had forgotten that he only wanted to be a good emperor. Across the night sky, he seemed to see the man at the border again, looking at him expectantly.

So he finally made up his mind, walked to the table and began to draft an imperial edict. The candlelight flickered slightly in the veil, and his heart seemed to be rekindled, and he was filled with passion again.

Chongjiang, I have taken so many wrong turns before, are you willing to help me again?

A few days later, inside Pingdu Pass, Yuan Xi stared at the bowl of black medicine in front of him, pursed his lips timidly, and said, "How long do I have to drink this?"

Cui Yuan handed the medicine bowl to her and took out the needle box, saying, "How many people have begged for this bowl of medicine but couldn't get it. If you don't believe me, you can just let me go. Anyway, I was brought here by your marquis. You don't know how much I miss my little courtyard now."

Yuan Xi smiled softly and said, "How dare I not believe you, Doctor Cui, but this medicine is too bitter. Drinking too much makes my stomach sour. Also, if you leave, who will be there to talk to me and teach me how to improve my medical skills?"

After the battle situation at Pingdu Pass stabilized, Xiao Du took Cui Yuan down the mountain to treat Yuan Xi. Unexpectedly, although the two had different personalities, they surprisingly got along very well. They started talking about medicine and the structure of the human body, and gradually began to talk about everything, and they became a pair of close friends.

So when Cui Yuan heard her words, he just snorted, tapped her forehead with his finger, and said, "You, you dared to charge into the city when the Black Cavalry entered. You were not afraid of death, but you were afraid of this bitter medicine. I really don't know what to say to you."

Yuan Xi lowered her head and smiled shyly. It had been several months since the disaster of Pingduguan, and she was finally able to face that pain calmly. Seeing that she drank the medicine in her hand obediently, Cui Yuan nodded with satisfaction and began to give her acupuncture.

Yuan Xi watched her insert the golden needle into her acupuncture points, and couldn't help but ask softly: "A Yuan, do you think I can really get pregnant?"

Cui Yuan glared at me and said, "I've already told you that if you question my medical skills again, I'll pack up and go back to my Yunchong Mountain. Let's see what you can do!"

Yuan Xi tried to comfort her with kind words, but she was also a little curious and asked, "Yuan, you are so young, how did you learn such good medical skills?"

Cui Yuan was stunned for a moment, then he smiled slyly and whispered in her ear: "Let me tell you a secret. I'm not as young as I look."

Yuan Xi stared at the stunning face in front of her with wide eyes. She looked no older than twenty, but what did she mean by not young? Cui Yuan then spoke proudly, "Actually, I am at least twenty years older than you. However, I stayed in the mountains every day to study and accidentally learned a secret technique. I used a lot of precious herbs to nourish myself, which allowed me to keep my face young."

Yuan Xi was really shocked. This meant that her sister was already nearly 40 years old. She thought that since Cui Yuan came, the young lieutenants under Xiao Du had been running to the mansion every now and then, trying to show their courtesy to Cui Yuan in various ways. If they knew her real age, their expressions would be very interesting. At this time, Cui Yuan sighed and stroked his face and said, "Who made this face so beautiful? How can I bear to let it have wrinkles?" She smiled and winked at Yuan Xi, saying, "This is a secret between us. Don't tell anyone."

Yuan Xi was used to her narcissistic look, so she smiled and nodded. The two chatted for a while. At this time, the door opened and Xiao Du strode in. When he saw Cui Yuan still in the room, he couldn't help but frowned and said, "Why are you still giving acupuncture?"

Cui Yuan had been holding a grudge against Xiao Du ever since that day, and he was not happy with him. So he snorted and said, "Why do you have to choose the right time for acupuncture? Who knew you would come back so early? I, Cui Yuan, have been practicing medicine for so many years, and even the most powerful officials have to wait when they come to me, so you just have to put up with it for now."

Xiao Du knew that Yuan Xi was good friends with her, and he was too lazy to argue with her, so he had to wait patiently for a while. When he saw that she finally started to withdraw the needles and Yuan Xi smiled mysteriously, he took her hand and asked, "What were you talking about just now? Why are you smiling so happily?"

Cui Yuan rolled his eyes, quickly put away everything in his hands, and ran out the door while shouting: "Let's talk about how you grabbed me and wouldn't let me leave that day in the cave!"

Xiao Du's face darkened, and he was about to settle the score with her, but Cui Yuan had already fled quickly. Xiao Du was angry and anxious, and looked at Yuan Xi who was still smiling on the bed and said: "Don't listen to her, I explained that matter to you..."

Yuan Xi knew that Cui Yuan was deliberately trying to piss him off, but he also found it very amusing to see him so angry and upset, so he pulled his arm and said with a smile, "She was just joking with you, and she made you so angry."

Xiao Du looked aggrieved. "I'm just afraid that you'll think too much. If you ask me, you shouldn't be too close to this kind of person. He's a weird guy. Who knows what he's thinking?"

Yuan Xi shook his head helplessly and was about to say that he was stingy, when suddenly someone ran in from outside the door and said to Xiao Du with a happy face: "My Lord, the food and rations have finally arrived!"

Xiao Du and Yuan Xi looked at each other in surprise and hurried out to check. What they never expected was that on that day, along with the food and money, there was also an imperial edict: Xiao Du, the Marquis of Xuanyuan, had repeatedly fought against foreign enemies and made contributions to the country, so he was specially granted the title of Loyal and Brave King, and was granted Qingzhou, Yanzhou, Youzhou, and Huzhou as his fiefdoms. All the soldiers who died in the battle of Pingdu Pass were given additional titles.

The several states and counties granted by the imperial edict were all the first line of defense against foreign enemies. This title of king was equivalent to handing over the entire border defense of Damu to Xiao Du.

In February of the following year, the Xiao family army, led by the loyal and brave king, defeated the remaining black cavalry. The leader of the Mu Rong, Ashina Heli, was killed on the spot, and the second prince of the Wu Kingdom, Dianyun, was seriously injured. His personal soldiers escorted Langxi back to his country. Since then, the vitality of the two tribes has been severely damaged and they have no strength to invade the Central Plains again. Other tribes were frightened by the reputation of the loyal and brave king and dared not easily set foot in the Central Plains. As a result, the Great Mu Dynasty enjoyed decades of stability.

The people in the border towns were finally free from the suffering of war, so they regarded King Chung-Yong as a hero and expressed their gratitude to him. At the same time, King Chung-Yong ordered tax reductions, and the people were able to rest and recuperate. Qingzhou, Yanzhou and other places also began to become increasingly prosperous.

Winter comes and summer goes, and it is dusk again this day. On the Fengcui Mountain outside Qingzhou City, a red sun is slowly sinking into the sky. The golden glow outlines two figures snuggling together. They occasionally whisper to each other, and occasionally stare at each other quietly, as if there is only room for each other in the world.

As the golden light in the sky was submerged in the river, Yuan Xi's face gradually showed fatigue. He yawned and said lazily, "I don't know why, but I always feel so tired recently?"

Xiao Du pressed her head to his shoulder, caressing her cheeks and saying softly, "Then sleep for a while. I'll wait for you anyway."

Yuan Xi leaned on his broad shoulders, closed her eyes comfortably, and murmured softly: "It's getting dark, why don't you carry me down the mountain."

Xiao Du smiled and nodded, and Yuan Xi dazedly lay on his back, the breeze blowing gently, making her feel warm and peaceful. She then leaned forward and secretly kissed him on the face, then put her face against his back and whispered, "My husband is the best husband in the world."

If someone passed by at this time, they would certainly be surprised to find that the general who became famous at a young age, the loyal and brave king who was ruthless and decisive on the battlefield, would smile with pride at this compliment that was so common between husband and wife, as if this was the only thing in his life that he was proud of.

(End of text)

The author has something to say: The main text ends here. There will be an epilogue and extra chapter later, and then it will be completely over. I feel so reluctant to part with you!

This ending may not be realistic enough, but the author is very satisfied with it. The previous chapters are all in the hope that this ending can be more logical. The conversation between Xia Qing and Zhao Yan was inspired by an answer I saw on Zhihu. When I read it, I felt that true power should not rely on conspiracy to harm people, but on the wisdom of knowing how to use people. Although history may be full of thick black, blood, and success and failure, the author always believes that it takes more than these to build a great dynasty, so the ending of this article will definitely be bright and full of hope. That's all I have to say, I hope you will be satisfied too o (^▽^) o