The sound of intermittent prayers entered the bedroom, and an ominous premonition came over him. The prince stood up from the bed and said, "Mother, I have to go out to accompany Mary. I must be with her at this time." The maids rushed over to help him.
Queen: "Prince, you are seriously injured, so be careful!" Before she could finish her words, the prince fell to the ground and his wound burst.
"Prince, my son... my son!" the queen shouted heartbreakingly.
Seven days later, Zhang Si sat majestically high in the hall. Qiu Yunlong sat on the chair on his upper left side. A group of civil and military ministers lined up on both sides of the hall.
Zhang Si: "Dear dear friends, this time Nanzhao was able to relieve the national crisis. You are all ministers with meritorious service. I will reward you based on your merits. The Jingnan martyrs who unfortunately died on the battlefield should be given heavy sums of money to comfort their families. Xiao Zhongneng, Recently, you will work with the officials of the Ministry of War to draw up a detailed list of soldiers who died in the war. All orphans and widowers will be listed in detail before issuing pensions. Do not leave out any omissions."
Xiao Zhongneng came out and said, "I will take care of it today."
Zhang Si: "Wei Piye."
Wei Piye came out and said, "I'm here."
Zhang Si: "You will compile a merit book today and list everyone's merits in this campaign in detail. I will review the awards for you."
Wei Piye: "Your Majesty. During this national crisis, all the military generals bravely took the lead and sacrificed their lives for the country. Although we civil servants had the intention to serve the country, we did not do our best and became a burden to the country at the critical moment. Therefore, all military generals should be greatly commended. , It is really inconvenient for civil servants to list their merits in order to avoid unclear rewards. I hope Your Majesty will be considerate."
Minister Yang Wenju listed the list: "Your Majesty, if Nanzhao can make peace this time without a fight, the crown prince and crown princess have really made supreme contributions. Compared with them, each person's contribution is as insignificant as a chicken's elbow compared to an elephant's foot. Therefore. The Crown Prince and Crown Princess should be greatly commended."
Zhang Si: "What Yang Aiqing said makes sense. Although guarding the territory is what these two people should do, rewards are necessary."
Qiu Yunlong stood up: "Your Majesty, this truce should be regarded as a great victory. The crown prince cannot take the credit alone. Before the war, our leader had set up an altar to perform rituals, and received the protection of various gods to avoid the massacre of the city today. I hope your Majesty will soon be in trouble. Arrange to set up an altar to fulfill the vows and thank all the gods."
Zhang Si: "What the Imperial Master said is true. This battle can avoid a great disaster, and the Imperial Master's contribution is indispensable. I will soon build a large-scale construction project to expand the Brahmin temple, and will reward all the Brahmin masters."
Qiu Yunlong sat down proudly.
Zhang Si: "The prince insists on protecting the soul and goes to the Western Liao Kingdom. I wonder what your beloved ministers have to say?"
Wei Piye: "Your Majesty, this matter must be discontinued. The Magadha people are fierce and barbaric, and the prince's departure will definitely bring disaster. Therefore, your majesty must try every means to prevent the prince from moving forward."
Yang Wenju: "We think that with the prince's ability, this trip can be said to kill two birds with one stone. One is to protect the soul, without losing the demeanor of my crown prince, who promises a thousand pieces of gold. The other is to make peace between the two countries forever. With the prince's ability, he will definitely live up to everyone's expectations." . I hope your Majesty will think twice."
The ministers are chattering, and I am the one talking about you.
Zhang Si shook his head slightly and sighed.
Night falls slowly.
The prince and Mary had finished their meal, and the maids were cleaning up.
Prince: "My dear concubine, I have something to ask of you."
Mary: "What's the matter?"
Prince: "We will be setting off soon. I want you to accompany me to the mausoleum tonight to say goodbye to my mother."
Mary: "Yes, Prince, I almost forgot about this. It would be best to ask someone to inform the mausoleum to make preparations early."
A bright moon hangs high in the sky. The queen's huge mausoleum is solemn and solemn and heavily guarded.
On the memorial platform, the prince and Mary stood respectfully, burned incense and prayed devoutly in front of the queen's memorial tablet.
The prince's five personal warriors followed him closely.
After the prince finished praying, he respectfully laid the incense, turned back silently, and strolled to the edge of the corridor.
In the distance, there are mountains and mountains, and some peaks stand proudly in the night.
The mountain wind blows, and fallen leaves are flying in the empty mausoleum.
The prince stood in the wind, looking at the sky, thoughtfully. A shooting star streaked across the sky.
Mary took a cloak from Zhang Xiaowei, walked to the prince, and gently put it on the prince.
The two looked at each other for a long time and hugged each other side by side.
The prince looked at Mary with infinite sadness and said: "My dear concubine, my father, the queen, and my queen have been in love with each other for more than ten years. Unfortunately, my mother died before I was born three dynasties, leaving my father with endless sorrow. I have been taken care of by my aunt since I was a child. Big, I remember my aunt as my biological mother, but my mother’s gift of childbirth can no longer be repaid in this life.”
Mary consoled her: "Prince, it's rare for you to have such filial piety. If my mother knows this, she should be smiling."
Prince: "Sometimes, I always think that since birth, people have to suffer endless pain, physical illness and injury; mentally they also have to suffer the pain of separation, and the loss of loved ones is even more painful. Everyone We are worried and afraid of aging and death. There are more things that we cannot feel in the palace. What about the people? How many people are worrying about tomorrow's life and rushing for the next meal! They and their families are divided into grades. How can you and I imagine the sufferings of those at the lower level and the slavery they are subject to? Hey, how wonderful it would be if people had no pain, no aging, and no death!"
Mary: "So, Prince, you want to be a wise king like your father. You can, you can even surpass your father."
The two leaned on each other for a long time, holding their hands tightly together.
Suddenly, the sound of rapid horse hooves sounded in the silent square, approaching from far away.
The prince's five warriors unsheathed their swords in unison.
A snow-white horse, wearing a red cloak, came speeding towards the foot of the mourning platform. Before he could stand on his heels, the man on the horse immediately turned over and dismounted. It was Shan Shan. She quickly ran up to the altar.
Shan Dan: "Prince, are you leaving tomorrow?"
The prince nodded.
Shan Dan: "I'm going too. You must take me with you."
The prince said coldly: "I will not take you there, and the imperial master will not agree. You are a saint, and you will go to thousands of mountains and rivers. Do you know how dangerous it is?"
Shan Dan: "I don't care. Anyway, I have been with you since I was a child and have never left you for a day. I haven't seen you for a day today, and I am so anxious. You want to leave, and you have been gone for so long. What should I do?" She shook her head. He put his hand on the prince's shoulder and begged: "Prince, good prince, just take me with you. Just promise me."
Seeing that the prince ignored her, Shan Shan turned to Mary and begged: "Princess, good sister, please help, help me."
Mary and the five warriors looked at each other and then laughed heartily.
Shan Dan became more and more anxious: "I'm real, but you are laughing at me." He sat down on the steps of the corridor angrily.
Prince: "Shan Shan, you can't be too willful. You are not young anymore. You should have thought about your own affairs a long time ago. How can you live like this every day? Does the Imperial Master know if you come out tonight?"
Just ignore it.
Prince: "Zhang Zhiguang and Zhang Zhidong like you very much, and your father also thinks highly of them."
Shan Dan: "Don't mention them in front of me, it's disgusting."
The prince said firmly: "Shan Shan, be obedient. This is no joke. Get up, the ground is cold."
Shan Shan Leng Ding jumped up from the ground and shouted at the prince: "I don't care, anyway, if you don't take me, I will go by myself tomorrow." After saying that, he ran down the coffin in anger.
Mary gently pulled the corner of the prince's clothes and said with a smile: "Prince, you are in trouble."
…
