Xiao Ruxun covered Xiao Guoliang's mouth violently.
"Let me finish! The natives of the Nanyang are a bunch of lazy, vicious, and stupid people. If they meet with hostility, they must not be soft-hearted. They must arm the local Han people and kill them all. They must occupy as many islands and land as they can. When they have enough resources and land, they must develop firearms and ships. They must also promote education and encourage childbirth, so that everyone can have children.
Also, you must not trust Franco and Barbodes rhododendri. If they want to start a war, you must not be afraid and fight with all your might! If you can do as I say and defeat the natives and Barbodes rhododendri, you might be able to establish a new China in Southeast Asia! A new China! When that time comes, you will be remembered by the future generations and will be remembered by the present generation! "
The old man's eyes flickered with a strange light, like a dying man who had seen a straw to clutch at.
"Zining, you're the son I'm most proud of. You've learned my art of war, you're experienced, and you know strategy. You're my most beloved son. I'm sending you to Southeast Asia to leave a spark for China. Remember, remember, don't go on a northern expedition when you're not strong enough, when the population is less than ten million. You must never go on a northern expedition without careful consideration! You must warn your future generations that they must not go on a northern expedition! "
"Father … this …"
Xiao Guoliang could not keep up with his father's thinking.
"You will understand, you will understand very soon. You will understand why I am doing this."
After saying this, Xiao Ruxun stood up shakily and walked outside.
The temperature during the Little Ice Age was so cold that even on Hainan Island, one could still feel the cold.
It had been fifty years. He had been living in seclusion in Jingzhou for fifty years. From the north to the south, from pride to disappointment, from hope to despair. It had been fifty years. Xiao Ruxun had hoped that he could die before the Jiashen Kingdom changed so that he would not have to feel pain and sadness. However, the more he wanted to die, the more he could not.
After training his three sons, Xiao Ruxun felt that he had nothing left to live for. He had found a way out for his family, even for his fellow villagers and his former subordinates who were willing to follow him. He had nothing left to worry about.
Although it was the country that rejected him, he still felt that he had let down the Great Ming Dynasty and the people of the Great Ming Dynasty who were about to suffer great pain and nightmares. He really could not watch the Central Plains sink and the Shenzhou Empire fall. He tried his best to do something for the Great Ming Dynasty, but he was powerless because of his damned status as a general!
Daming rejected his kindness again and again. Daming disappointed him again and again, made him suffer, and finally made him despair.
After the age of sixty, he would dream of what Yuan Huang had said to him in the middle of the night countless times. If he had chosen that path at that time, would the land of China be different? Would it have changed? Would everything be different? Would the Chinese civilization be able to be passed on smoothly and not be cut off?
Sometimes, he hated himself. He hated himself for not being ruthless enough. He hated himself for not being decisive enough. He could have made such a decision, but he still gave it up. For the sake of Daming in his heart, he gave up everything. He had to find a way to save Daming. However, a general was a general. This identity had dragged down his whole life, dragged down Daming, and made Daming unable to grasp the last hope.
Those bastards! Those bastards! Would they only be happy when the Manchu Qing slaughtered them all?! Would they be satisfied?!
He saw with his own eyes how the rich people in Jiangnan lived, and how the refugees in the north lived. Those vermin hollowed out the Daming Dynasty. In the end, all the wealth they accumulated was taken by the Manchu Qing. All of it was taken away by the Manchu Qing, and the people were also killed. On top of that, a new bloody order was established. From then on, China was no longer China …
Dragging that disgusting rat tail and wearing extremely ugly clothes, he was trampled on by others, but he could not do anything about it.
If he had taken a different path back then, would this world be different?
Xiao Ruxun stretched out his withered old hand and grasped the air, as if he wanted to grasp something. However, he could not grasp anything.
The power of a single person was really too small.
If, if he could do it again, would the world be different?
If, if he could really do it again …
Xiao Guoliang left. He left with those who were willing to follow him, and those who were willing to listen to him. The 13 big ships were packed to the brim, carrying the hope and spark of the Chinese civilization, and left Xiao Ruxun's sight.
Xiao Ruxun would not leave. He would never leave the soil that gave birth to him, even if this soil was about to be trampled beyond recognition by the iron hooves of the foreign races.
On the first day of the fifth month of the 17th year of Chong Zhen, a heartbreaking piece of news floated across the sea and entered the ears of Xiao Ruxun, who was alone in his old residence with an old servant.
On the 19th day of the third month of the 17th year of Chong Zhen, the Daming Emperor Zhu Youjian hanged himself on Jingshan Mountain in the capital …
Before the Emperor died, he left a final edict on a blue robe.
"In the seventeen years since I ascended to the throne, although I have bowed to bandits, and the wrath of the heavens, it was all the officials who wronged me, causing the bandits to approach the capital. When I die, I have no face to see my ancestors. I will take off my crown and cover my face with my hair. I will allow the bandits to split my corpse, but do not harm a single person."
After hearing this, Xiao Ruxun was silent. He and the old servant, dressed in white and wearing a white scarf, faced the north and bowed.
All the people who did not leave Wenchang County with the three sons of the Xiao clan gathered together, and together with Xiao Ruxun, they faced the north and bowed.
The emperor guarded the gates of the country, and the emperor died for the country. These words were easy to say, but how difficult was it to do? Not to mention the supreme ruler of a country. How desperate must he be before he hanged himself?
All the officials wronged me …
Xiao Ruxun felt that he was one of those people who had wronged Zhu Youjian. Although Zhu Youjian had committed all sorts of mistakes, he had still been buried with his country, while he himself was still alive.
This wasn't fair. He had clearly said that he would replace Xiao Ruxun to fight for the Great Ming Dynasty, but he had gone back on his word. Therefore, whether it was him or Xiao Ruxun, they should put an end to all of this at this moment.
Thus, Xiao Ruxun and his old servant walked from Wenchang County to the northernmost point of Hainan Island. As he gazed at the faintly visible Divine Continent, Xiao Ruxun slowly kneeled and took out the pistol that Zhao Shizhen had forged for him.
"Laoshan, I should go. What about you?"
"Master will go first. This old servant will quickly catch up."
Xiao Ruxun nodded silently.
"I heard that before the former emperor died, there was only one eunuch with him. Laoshan, what do you think the former emperor was thinking at that time?"
The old servant was silent.
"Probably like me, he regretted it too much, right?"
"Master …"
Xiao Ruxun smiled bitterly and looked at the Divine Continent with infinite nostalgia. He pointed the pistol at his mouth, opened his mouth, and was about to put the muzzle in, but he took it out again.
"Laoshan, take your time. I want you to do one last thing for me."
"Master, please say it."
"After I die, burn my body, bury my ashes in the soil, and put up a wooden sign on it. Write 'Daming, Xiao Ruxun died here'."
"Yes, Master."
Xiao Ruxun nodded, put the muzzle in his mouth, and put his finger on the trigger.
Fifty years of time was like a dream. What had he actually done? What had he obtained? What had he changed?
In the end, he had still let down time, let down time.
If … if he could do it again …
"Bang!"
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