Ning Chuchu stayed up all night.
Of course, everyone in the gathering field, even Xiao Baozi, who was about to go to sleep, did not fall asleep yet.
Ning Chuchu was in a wing on the east side.
Sitting opposite her was Huai Pingshan, who had been disabled from martial arts after being simply bandaged by Xiao Wu!
This is her biological grandfather!
The old man who used to be in Duke Huai's mansion looked even older now.
But the look in his old eyes wasn't completely desperate.
"Grandpa is old."
"In fact, he should have died a long time ago."
"I just can't let you two brothers and sisters go, so I've managed to survive until now."
"You...you have forgotten what grandpa told you when you and the prince came to the Duke's Mansion!"
"Grandpa asked you to keep a calm relationship with Li Chenan... but you got yourself into it."
"Grandpa originally hoped to have a good talk with Mrs. Fan. He thought that in the face of the current situation, it would be the best time to ask Mrs. Fan to come out and take charge of the overall situation and help your brother ascend the throne as emperor."
"But what grandpa didn't expect... was that she didn't agree."
"What can she do if she disagrees with the unexpected news? It's not easy for the prince to be in the East Palace for so many years. It's hard to get ahead, but Fan Taohua still hopes to welcome the eldest son of the emperor to return to the throne."
"Grandpa would not have lost because Fan Taohua fought in Huaishan County and she met Xi Wei who had become a great master!"
"The two are equally skilled in martial arts, but Xi Wei has the Red Flame Army to help her, while Fan Taohua's Shenwu Army was sent to the palace by her."
"So Fan Taohua was defeated. Xi Wei could have killed her, but in the end he let her go."
"Grandpa thought that Fan Taohua needed the power in Grandpa's hands to deal with Xi Wei, but she actually would rather die than surrender."
"She is still the same Fan Taohua."
"And grandpa never expected to lose at the hands of Li Chenan... Before we lose everything, your two uncles have probably led their troops into the city."
Ning Chuchu left two lines of tears, because of her grandfather's current situation, and because of the many things that her grandfather had done for her brother and herself over the years.
However, she did not care about whether her brother could become emperor, but asked:
"Was the death of Queen Lu really caused by the queen mother?"
Huai Pingshan did not answer.
"Who exactly is Li Chenan?"
Huaipingshan still didn't answer.
"Who is that Miss Xiao?"
Huai Pingshan suddenly smiled: "These are actually not important. Do you really want to know?"
"Yeah!" Ning Chuchu nodded.
"Come here with your ears."
Ning Chuchu walked over and bent down.
Huai Pingshan whispered: "If the prince cannot ascend the throne as emperor, tell him to go to the ancestral home of the Huai family... where is your uncle."
After saying this, Huai Pingshan pulled out the sword from Ning Chuchu's waist.
He pierced the chest with his sword, and in Ning Chuchu's horrified eyes, he smiled slightly:
"Tell him not to lose weight...just be a little fatter...it's harmless to humans and animals, that's fine!"
Huai Pingshan's head drooped and he was breathless, full of unwillingness and regret.
…
…
No matter how long the night is, dawn will always come.
On October 17, the 23rd year of Zhaohua, the autumn rain that lasted for several days stopped and the sky dawned.
Hua Manting closed an ancient book on the table and beat her legs, which were sore from sitting all night.
He stood up, opened the door with a creak, walked outside, looked at the blue sky, and smelled the fresh air washed by the autumn rain.
A new day has come.
After the rain it will eventually clear up.
Just then, a homing pigeon flew over and landed on his shoulder.
There is a small note tied to the pigeon's leg.
He took it off and opened it to see...
He suddenly took a deep breath, held it for ten breaths before letting out a long breath, and then looked up at the sky with his hands behind his back for a long time.
Su Muxin was right behind him.
"Teacher, is this a matter in Kyoto?"
Hua Manting shook her head and walked towards the yard.
At this moment, Su Muxin suddenly noticed that the teacher's back was hunched.
He no longer walked as straight as before.
He walked very slowly.
Even a little staggering!
As he grew older, his back became more and more hunched, turning him into a little old man.
Su Muxin then remembered that the teacher was actually very old.
The flower garden came to a peach tree.
Of course, the peach trees in late autumn had no flowers, not even a single leaf.
It's bare.
Swaying slightly in the late autumn morning breeze, it seemed a little cold.
Hua Manting stretched out a hand, touched the peach tree, and whispered: "You are such a person..."
"You people...!"
"Is it worth it?"
"Teacher, what happened?"
"Fan Taohua is dead."
"Shang Di is dead."
"Chang Sun Jinghong is also dead."
"And Wu Xichen, he died in Yue Kingdom."
"Jitai is dead, Huaipingshan is dead, Duke Yan, Duke Luo, Duke Cheng, and Duke Qi... Even if they don't die, they will never have the same glory as before."
"These old guys are dead. This world... belongs to young people like you."
Su Muxin was shocked!
"Teacher...this is all Xi Wei's doing?"
Hua Manting pondered for a moment, "Some are yes, some are not... For example, Xi Wei did not want Shang Di, Changsun Jinghong and Fan Taohua to die."
"Because there is justice in their hearts, but the justice they insist on is different, but they are all selfless."
"The real ones who deserve to die are the five princes' palaces!"
"...why?"
"The five major government offices occupy the most profitable businesses in Ningguo, but they don't have to pay a penny of taxes to Ningguo!"
"They are the biggest borers!"
"They enjoy supreme rights, but they have not fulfilled any of the obligations they should have fulfilled. This is...unfair!"
Su Muxin pursed her lips and suddenly asked in a low voice: "Teacher, who are you?"
Hua Manting turned around and looked at his disciple, with a smile on his sad face:
"A teacher is a teacher."
"Teachers preach, teach, and resolve doubts...not limited to book knowledge, but also occasionally pursue strategies to save the country."
"That's what Li Chen'an said that was engraved on the stone tablet: establish a heart for the world, establish a destiny for the people, and create peace for all generations."
"You...go take a look outside the palace. If you see Li Chenan, give him a message as your master."
"good!"
"Tell him, in a world of great strife, if you don't fight, you will perish! It's for the sake of the country and the livelihood of the people in the world!"
"Disciple, obey!"
Su Muxin walked away from the small courtyard.
Hua Manting looked at the peach tree again and touched the peach tree. "Twenty years ago, this peach tree was planted by Xiao Mantou and you."
"Xiao Mantou is dead, and so are you. It doesn't matter if you die, it's all gone!"
He turned around and slowly walked into the pavilion. Just as he sat down, a person fell from the sky.
He is General Wu Mian.
He bowed his hands and said something to Hua Manting: "Attack the imperial palace or not?"
"Has Li Chenan entered Kyoto?"
"We have arrived at Suzaku Avenue."
"Assist him to eliminate the soldiers in Nanping City and Fenglai City."
"From now on, the Red Flame Army will obey Li Chenan's orders and there is no need to report anything to me."
"gentlemen……?!"
Hua Manting waved her hand, "Go ahead, I'm just a bad old man who teaches, and Li Chenan is my lifelong friend... I'm old, and this world belongs to them after all."
"Xi Wei is dead from now on."
"Died in Changle Palace."
Wu Mian was shocked and pondered for a moment, "But what if he doesn't want to ascend the throne as emperor?"
"There's something wrong in Kyoto. Take some people to Shuzhou and find Hexi Mountain."
"With the death of the emperor's eldest son, Fan Taohua's hope has been shattered. Changsun Jinghong's protection no longer exists. If Li Chenan does not ascend the throne as emperor, he will definitely go to Shuzhou... He will know that he is the emperor's eldest son!"
"So, this throne is still his!"
"...There is still Zhongli Po in Dingguo Hou Mansion. How to deal with it?"
"Don't ask me, ask...Li Chenan!"
