After reading the letter in his hand, Shang Huai threw it into the brazier.
The letter details the actions of Crown Prince Xiao Chengci in the capital.
After Xiao Chengci smashed the temple, His Majesty was furious and imprisoned the Crown Prince Xiao Chengci in jail for more than ten days.
People from all walks of life, both in the court and among the public, are pleading for Xiao Chengci's life.
This letter was written to Shang Huai by his aunt, Lady Yuan, asking him to also write a letter to His Majesty, pleading for Xiao Chengci's life.
Lady Yuan did this to put the Empress at ease.
This can also be seen as Shang Huai expressing his stance to His Majesty that he no longer holds a grudge against what happened before.
Shang Huai stared expressionlessly as the letter burned to ashes, begging him to plead for Xiao Chengci?
Absolutely impossible.
What about Pei Zhi's death?
The merchant's father lifted the thick military tent flap and stood at the door, shaking off the cold air.
"Didn't I tell you to rest at home for a few more days? Why did you come to the military camp?"
After Shang Huai returned to the north, he fell ill.
Shang Huai has always been in good health. Despite living in the frigid north, he doesn't even know when he last got sick.
Shang's father guessed that Shang Huai was heartbroken because of love.
But Shang's father was a rough and uncultured man and didn't know how to comfort him, so he could only let Shang Huai slowly get through it on his own.
"I am much better now, Father. You should go back to the General's Mansion to recuperate."
The father sighed, "You brat, are you thinking your father is useless now?"
In the military camp, starting last year, Shang Huai has been in charge of arranging all affairs, from top to bottom.
Shang Huai joined the army at a very young age, so everyone in the army respected him.
Because of the injuries he sustained on the battlefield in his early years, and the lack of proper rest, his father suffered many long-term health problems.
In the past two years, it has become more and more serious. In this kind of cold weather, the old injuries will feel a dull pain.
Fortunately, Shang Huai is successful, which saves his father a lot of worry.
"My grandparents are getting old, so someone needs to stay home to take care of them."
“Your grandfather gets up early every day to practice boxing. Last time he punched me and almost knocked me down. He’s very healthy.” Mr. Shang coughed twice after he finished speaking.
Shang Huai got up, picked up the teapot, and poured a glass of water for his father.
After taking a sip of the hot milk, the merchant's father felt much more relaxed.
"We need to keep a close eye on the military camp these days. The weather is getting colder and colder. Who knows if these Xiongnu will take this opportunity to make a move?"
The weather is cold, making it unsuitable for combat.
However, the Xiongnu people had lived in the north for generations, a fact that the Zhenbei Army could not match.
So when Shang Huai fell ill, his father had to keep a close watch on him every day to prevent the Xiongnu from making any trouble.
"I'm here, you can go back and rest now."
“Alright.” The father of Shang did not refuse. In any case, over the years, Shang Huai’s name had been more useful to the Xiongnu than his own father’s.
The merchant's father picked up his cloak, thought for a moment, then stopped. "Ah Huai?"
Shang Huai turned to look at his father, wondering what his father wanted to say.
"We who are alive should still look forward."
Shang's father did not believe that Shang Huai needed comforting.
From childhood to adulthood, countless people around Shang Huai have died.
Shang Huai should have accepted death long ago.
This time, however, it was a girl that Shang Huai liked, and Shang's father, unusually, still offered some words of comfort.
"Father, you should hurry up and leave, it will be dark soon."
As the weather gets colder in the north, it gets dark earlier and earlier.
This time, the merchant's father didn't refuse and turned to leave.
After Shang's father had completely left, Shang Huai took out a letter from his pocket.
The handwriting on the letter was very distorted, like the kind of writing a child who has just learned to read could produce.
This letter was written by the Xiongnu prince to Shang Huai.
The specific meaning is that Shang Huai has been the uncrowned king for too long, and does he want to become the real king?
If Shang Huai is willing, the Xiongnu people are willing to give him their full support.
In the past, the Xiongnu prince would send Shang Huai such a letter every six months.
It's nothing more than stirring up Shang Huai's desires and trying to sow discord.
In the past, Shang Huai would scoff at such letters after reading them and then burn them.
Shang Huai rubbed the letter in his hand, then sneered and threw it into the fire.
Shang Huai got up, picked up the knife beside him, and had a rough plan in mind.
The Xiongnu tried to win him over time.
It's just that I'm afraid of him and I respect him.
Shang Huai would certainly not give that chance; otherwise, how could he face the soldiers and brothers who died at the hands of the Xiongnu?
But Shang Huai also admitted that he was indeed dissatisfied with the one on the throne.
A single sentence can determine a person's life or death.
Emperor Xiao sat firmly on the throne, relying on his family's generations of fighting in the north.
With a single word from Emperor Xiao, he could decide the fate of his beloved girl.
They wouldn't even show mercy because of their family's generations of military achievements in guarding the north.
If Emperor Xiao can treat the girl he likes this way now, will he treat the Zhenbei Army the same way in the future?
Shang Huai picked up the knife from the side and held it in his hand. Wouldn't it be more satisfying to hold power in one's own hands than to wield a sword?
In the capital, Emperor Xiao personally went to the prison and escorted Xiao Chengci out.
The temple has been almost completely rebuilt and is now in its final stages.
The very first brick in the temple was laid by Xiao Di.
Now, the last piece, Xiao Chengci, has arrived.
Emperor Xiao was worried that Xiao Chengci would cause trouble, so he personally kept an eye on Xiao Chengci.
Unexpectedly, Xiao Chengci tidied himself up this time, and honestly performed the three bows and nine kowtows to complete the last tile of the project.
To Emperor Xiao's surprise, was this the same person who had smashed up the temple before?
Could it be that Xiao Chengci has been driven mad by being locked up?
"Master, please take me to light a lamp for the deceased."
The host looked at Emperor Xiao, who nodded slightly.
The abbot led Xiao Chengci to a side hall, where Xiao Chengci washed his hands, devoutly wrote down Pei Zhi's name, and personally lit the lamp.
Looking at the flickering lights, Xiao Chengci humbly said, "I would trouble you, Master, to have someone come and check on them every day, so that the lights don't go out."
The abbot wanted to say that the lamps for the deceased in their temple will not go out even if the wind blows, as long as special oil is added regularly.
The abbot cautiously replied, "Your Highness, rest assured, this old monk will certainly keep it in mind."
The prince before me is the kind of person who would burn down a temple if he was dissatisfied.
The temple had been rebuilt with great difficulty, so he would listen to whatever His Highness said.
Xiao Chengci asked, "If you light a lamp for rebirth, will you have an afterlife?"
After a moment's hesitation, the host spoke frankly: "The lamps for the deceased are merely a way for the living to express their hopes for the departed."
After the host finished speaking, he looked at His Highness with concern, fearing that His Highness might fly into a rage and kick over the lamp burner in front of him.
Xiao Chengci nodded. "That's fine too. It leaves me with something to hold onto."
After lighting the lamps, Emperor Xiao took Xiao Chengci to the main hall to pray for the country.
After offering his prayers, Xiao Chengci said, "Father, I wish to stay in the temple for a while."
Emperor Xiao asked, puzzled, "Didn't you used to hate coming to temples the most?"
"You're not planning to become a monk, are you?"
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