According to Jing Jiu's suggestion, the Blue Bird wandered around this world in search of those who might be able to see through the secrets of heaven. In the end, she went to Zhao's Imperial Palace.
She didn't like going to Zhao's Imperial Palace because it was filled with the smell of medicine and darkness, which was completely different from the image of Zhao in the mainland.
Moreover, she disliked that eunuch very much.
The Blue Bird landed on the corner of the eaves, looking like an animal on the eaves in the twilight.
He Zhan glanced at her imperceptibly and then withdrew his gaze, continuing to read the Edict of Self-Condemnation of Emperor Chu in his hand.
His eyebrows were very thin, and his face was a bit pale. The longer his gaze stayed on the edict, the higher his eyebrows were raised, and the more gloomy his expression became.
Having stayed in the Illusionary Realm for too long, he had forgotten many things, and there were still many things that he couldn't forget, such as the pain in his childhood, the annoying Blue Bird that occasionally appeared, and the identities of some people. He knew that Emperor Chu was like him, and he was even more clear that Crown Prince Jing should be his friend. However, it was probably because of the word "friend" that he had never contacted Cangzhou directly.
The death of Crown Prince Jing didn't make him feel sad. On the contrary, the Edict of Self-Condemnation made him feel aggrieved and angry on behalf of Emperor Chu, and he felt that life was really boring.
Living was really a dull and uninteresting thing.
He Zhan left the imperial study and came to the front of a palace, taking the medicine handed to him by a palace maid.
This medicine was made by himself. The pharmacy was under the strictest supervision, and no one could poison it. Feeling the warmth from the bottom of the bowl, he nodded satisfactorily, pushed open the door, and walked in. He said to the young man in bright yellow behind the desk, "Your Majesty, it's time to take the medicine."
Emperor Zhao looked at him and smiled. Then, he started coughing painfully.
His face was very pale. Standing next to He Zhan, they looked like twin brothers. However, He Zhan's paleness came from the rare sunlight, while the Emperor's paleness came from his illness.
Zhao Huang took the bowl of medicine and drank it in one gulp. He also took the wax gourd candy that He Zhan took out from the box and put it in his mouth. His complexion and spirit were much better.
He Zhan advised, "There's no need to push yourself so hard. There's no harm in resting for a while."
Zhao Huang walked to the wall and pulled the curtain aside. He pointed at the map of the continent and said, "There are still so many places waiting for us. How can we not be anxious?"
His father was bound to become one of the most famous incompetent rulers in history, and in contrast, he was bound to become one of the most famous wise rulers in history. Under his rule, Zhao showed a flourishing attitude and gradually revealed its edge. All the dark side returned to Elder He, so his image was incomparably bright, and he won the hearts of the people.
He Zhan thought of the previous self-incriminating edict and said indifferently, "At least we don't have to worry about the Chu Kingdom anymore."
Zhao Huang said, "Jing Of Silla doesn't have enough courage and is afraid of Mr. Shaoyue's ability. He won't dare to rebel and will only take Cangzhou to another place."
He Zhan said, "I haven't had much contact with Cangzhou in recent years, so it's hard to win it over. But even if he wants to go to Xianyang, I'll find a way to cut more of his flesh."
"That's the general plan. You and the military can decide how to carry it out, but …"
Zhao Huang glanced at him and said, "You don't have to be as ruthless as you were in the past and ruin your reputation. It won't do you any good."
He Zhan said calmly, "I like to make people afraid. It's convenient to get things done this way."
Zhao Huang shook his head and pointed at another place on the map, saying, "The canal in Ji County is almost ready. You can leave the task of building the high dam to someone else."
Looking at that place, He Zhan thought back to many years ago.
At that time, he was still a little eunuch in Concubine Ping's palace, and His Majesty was still the crown prince who could be sentenced to death at any time.
They talked about many things by the lake in the imperial garden, such as how to get out of the current situation and what they would do if they succeeded.
The canal in Ji County was one of their topics.
This canal was very important to Zhao. Once it was repaired, it could irrigate thousands of acres of fertile land. At the same time, it would become a sharp sword hanging over the head of the Qi Kingdom.
In order to repair this canal, Zhao spent a great deal of resources and energy. He was even forced to slow down the process of digesting Luo.
Now it seemed that it was all worth it.
If the high dam were to be used in the future, it would be harmful to the harmony of the world. The person in charge of it would definitely be infamous. Therefore, Zhao Huang didn't want He Zhan to take over personally.
He Zhan didn't refuse His Majesty's kindness this time. He said, "I'll choose a suitable person. The people of Qi will definitely find a way to make trouble, and then I'll kill another group."
The Emperor smiled helplessly and said, "Can you stop thinking about killing people all day long?"
As the dusk deepened, the shadows from the windows faded, and the light in the hall became red and warm.
The Emperor and He Zhan's voices became softer and softer.
The eunuchs and palace maids watched this scene from outside the hall with smiles on their faces.
The people in the palace were already used to seeing such a scene of the emperor and his official discussing the state affairs together.
It was a pity that Elder He was a eunuch with a terrible reputation. Otherwise, he would have become a legend in history.
As night fell, lights were lit in the palace.
The Emperor was a little tired. He coughed a few times and sat down on the bed with He Zhan's help.
He Zhan said again, "Take care of yourself."
The Emperor placed his left hand on his knee and waved his right hand. "You know that I don't have many years to live. How can I not be anxious?"
If it were any other official, he would have burst into tears and said that His Majesty was in the prime of his life.
He Zhan didn't do that. He only looked at the Emperor in Silence.
The Emperor lowered his head, looking a little tired.
He Zhan looked at the top of the Emperor's head. The three swirls clearly represented intelligence.
The Emperor had always been a very intelligent person.
"I want to do something for the people of Zhao State and for the people of the world. If I can't do it in time …"
The Emperor still lowered his head and said, "Help me finish these things."
Even if the Emperor didn't ask him to do so, He Zhan would do it anyway because it was what he wanted to do.
He endured the humiliation and pain and walked in the darkness without seeing the sun just to conquer all the countries, become the ruler of the world, and finally win the throne.
He was silent for a long time and suddenly asked, "Are these last words or entrusting an orphan?"
The difference between last words and entrusting an orphan was the word "orphan".
It became very quiet in the hall.
The eunuchs and palace maids had already left.
The Emperor slowly raised his head and looked at him. "You still don't support my decision?"
Just a few days ago, something big happened in Zhao State.
The Emperor was weak and had no children, so he decided to choose a nephew from the royal family to be his adopted son.
Finally, after several selections, the Emperor chose the clever and honest boy from the Prince of Hejian County.
"I have always opposed this decision."
He Zhan calmly said, "He is a wolf cub who can't be raised well."
It was related to the succession of the throne, so a eunuch had no right to comment, let alone speak so rudely and impudently.
The Emperor didn't get angry. After a moment of silence, he said, "This is the only way. Help me keep an eye on him."
He Zhan said, "Okay."
Yet, the Emperor grew angry, because he knew He Zhan was lying.
He Zhan had made his attitude very clear when he asked if these were last words or entrusting an orphan.
"I know that you won't treat that child like you treat me after I die."
The Emperor stared into He Zhan's eyes and said, "Because you have always wanted to be a real emperor."
He Zhan was silent for a while and said, "It's actually not wrong to say so."
There were many rumors about this matter in the court and even in foreign countries. The Emperor didn't ask about it, and He Zhan didn't say anything until tonight.
The Emperor's face grew even paler, and flames of anger danced in his eyes as if he were looking at a traitorous villain.
He Zhan was infuriated by the look in his eyes and said, "Without me, could you become emperor? Without me, you would have died countless times! "
The Emperor said in a low voice, "But this is what you should do!"
He Zhan said with slight mockery, "Why? Because you are the emperor and I am a subject? "
The Emperor was silent for a while and said, "No, because we are friends."
He Zhan said, "I have forgotten many things, but I always remember that the word 'friend' is not to be trusted. Hearing it makes me feel disgusted."
The Emperor was silent for a long time and suddenly said, "Did you do something to the chestnut tree on the slope in the imperial garden?"
He Zhan frowned slightly and said, "How did you know?"
The Emperor said, "You had not completed your martial arts at the time, so it was inevitable that some traces would be left."
He Zhan said, "Back then, you also investigated me and knew that I had a relationship with the old Eunuch Hong, so you became acquainted with me. To put it bluntly, you were also using me."
The Emperor said with some disappointment, "Yes, from the very beginning, we were using each other."
He Zhan said nothing.
The Emperor suddenly coughed, appearing to be in great pain.
He Zhan frowned slightly and took out a medicinal pill. After thinking for a long time, he cut off a quarter of it and fed it to the Emperor, then helped him lie down.
The Emperor's coughing gradually stopped and he calmed down, closing his eyes to rest.
He Zhan took his leave and prepared to leave.
The Emperor suddenly called out to him and looked at his back, asking, "You … are not a person of this world?"
He Zhan's body was somewhat stiff as he said, "What nonsense are you talking about?"
The Emperor withdrew his gaze and looked at the starry sky outside the window.
"In the past, I did not think that this world was fake. It was not until I discovered that you had no feelings for this world that I began to think about this problem."
He Zhan said, "I don't understand what you mean."
The Emperor said, "To this world, you are like an eternal guest. To you, I seem to be an eternal stranger. This is what I mean."
He Zhan lowered his head and thought for a while, then said, "I will serve you to the end. I won't do anything, and I will also ensure the Empress's good fortune for the rest of her life."
Having said this, he walked out of the Palace Hall. From beginning to end, he did not turn around or look back.
"If you were not a eunuch, what would it matter if I gave the throne to you …"
The Emperor's voice came from behind him.
Walking out of the Palace Hall, a eunuch helped him put on a large cloak.
It was unavoidably cold in the depths of the night.
Dozens of eunuchs clustered around him as he walked out of the Royal Palace.
These eunuchs were all He Zhan's subordinates and possessed terrifying battle prowess. Under these circumstances, it would be very difficult to kill He Zhan.
Seeing that the palace gate was right in front of him, He Zhan suddenly stopped and said, "I'm going to take a look somewhere. Wait for me here."
Hearing this, the eunuchs were alarmed. They thought that there were countless heroes and warriors in the world who wanted to kill Elder He. Even the Royal Palace was not safe. What was the eunuch planning to do?
He Zhan came to the Imperial Garden.
He stood under the chestnut tree, silently gazing into the distance.
The starlight shone on his black cloak.
He looked at it like a demon of nostalgia.
…
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