In the inner room of Xu Xiao's small courtyard, Xu Weixiong's wheelchair was close to the door. Her hands were placed on her lap, tightly clenched. Xu Longxiang, who had hurried back home, stood at the head of the bed with red eyes, her head bowed.
Looking from outside the door, she could only see the back of a person sitting by the bed.
The old man lying on the bed tried his best to suppress his coughs and said slowly, "Dad knows you don't like this Xu Xiao who only knows how to prattle and reason. Yes, your dad is very good at using swords and spears. I'm not a person who preaches reason without permission, and I don't like it either. All these years, I've been a rough man who beats whoever scolds me. I'm an old man who stands on the left and right of the throne room with a saber, depending on my mood. But Nian 'er, if I don't say these things and finish my words, I won't be at ease. Remember, since you're the King of Beiliang, you have to be able to listen to what you don't want to hear. You have to be able to tolerate people you don't like. The same rice feeds different kinds of people, and everyone has their own difficulties, so they have their own love, hate, and temper. Especially those who don't remember the good of others. Most of the time, you have to endure it. Who asked you to be the King of Beiliang? You don't have to lose to anyone, but you have to take care of the overall situation. I've been the Great General and King of Beiliang for so many years, but I also have a lot of grievances that I can't tell anyone. I remember that year when I took a group of old brothers out of Jinzhou to Liao, we were miserably harmed by a powerful military officer in Liyang. Many of our brothers died. In a fit of anger, I took more than forty brothers who didn't die and went to his house. Of course, we didn't go there to eat and drink, but to kill his entire family. We tied them up and dragged them into the courtyard. Do you know what happened after that? That guy's name was Cai Qinghe. Now, there was definitely no one who remembered him. Cai Qinghe was unscrupulous in climbing up the officialdom. This guy was cold-blooded and ruthless when he was scheming against others. He agreed that the two armies would advance and retreat together, but in the end, he watched as my eight hundred people fought against two thousand enemies without bringing his thousand people into the battlefield. After that, he even brought a message to me, saying that he would rather not have military merits than let me, Xu Xiao, take the position. Such a formidable person, before he died, he knelt on the ground and kowtowed to me, saying that as long as I let his wife and children go, he was willing to die and commit suicide. He was not afraid of being cut into pieces. In the end, of course, I didn't agree to his request. His entire family of more than thirty people, old and young, were all killed in front of him. That's because I, Xu Xiao, still had more than forty brothers standing behind me. Moreover, if I didn't do that, there was bound to be a second Wang Qinghe and a third Song Qinghe who would jump out and harm me. I, Xu Xiao, may not be afraid of death, but I'm afraid of my brothers dying for me! Fighting for the country? Fighting for the country requires people to die. Many people have died. As long as I, Xu Xiao, am alive, I owe it to those old brothers who died long ago. "
"When did Father become afraid of death? It was after I married your mother. In Father's world, it was much easier to die than to live. Those who were afraid of death might not necessarily be able to avoid death, but those who weren't afraid of death would definitely die. Father had seen too many people die like this. Moreover, many of them died in Father's hands. But the older Father got, the more I didn't dare to kill people. Father told himself that even if he didn't care about himself, he had to accumulate virtue and fortune for his four children. Wasn't this the reason? No matter how uncouth Father was, he also knew that as a parent under the heavens, there was no reason for him to leave anything good for himself! When Father was young, he wasn't sensible. He was much more sensible than you were when you were young. He only knew how to muddle along, thinking about the outside world all day long. He wished he could leave home thousands of miles away. How could he think about any home? After the two elders left, he didn't feel that he had a home. When he left Liao, he told himself that even if he were to die, he would die in glory outside. He would rather die than return to that small place. Later, he met your mother. After tricking your mother into the family, he felt that wherever she was, that was where my home was. Later, when you guys were born and she left, he felt that wherever you guys were, that was where my home was. Our family was different from many other families. In our family, it was the other way around. Your mother always played the role of the good cop and played the role of the bad guy. As for Father, he protected the few of you. Your mother rarely got angry. There was once when Father and Mother weren't by your side. When Father and Mother bullied you, you should fight back. If you couldn't beat them, you should use stones to smash them. If you could pick up a knife, you should use a knife to chop them. Your mother got angry. At first, Father felt that it was reasonable. My son was such a kind-hearted child. Who would dare to bully him? How could I not let him lie in bed?! My son let other people's sons lie in bed. As his father, Xu Xiao, let his father lie in bed together. This was the principle of the old Xu family! After your mother got angry, she calmly told me that it wasn't that she couldn't bear for others to bully Xiaonian. It was just that Xiaonian was destined to not be a child of an ordinary family. If he developed a fierce and perverse character, he would never know how to be kind to others. He wouldn't know that suffering losses was a blessing. In the end, the one who would suffer the most would definitely be her own child. She even said that Xu Xiao would die of old age one day. At that time, no one would be able to protect Xiaonian. Your mother passed away early. Father, who was the most unruly person, couldn't teach you anything. However, I firmly remembered your mother's words. Spoiling a child is equivalent to killing a child. Nian 'er, those few times when I got angry at you, it wasn't because I blamed you. It was because I didn't fulfill my duty as a father well. In the past, you were always unwilling to call me Father. I really wasn't angry. Every time you hit me with a broom, every time you hit me, it hurt more and more. I knew then that Father was old and you had grown up. This was a great thing. "
The old man's words were intermittent. They were always interrupted by heavy breathing and difficult coughs.
That young figure didn't say anything. He only held the hands of the old man on the bed with both hands.
This old man who had never shed tears in front of any of his children, this old martial artist who had been cursed by all levels of society as a butcher, finally couldn't stop his tears from flowing today. Even if the old man wanted to wipe them away, his essence, energy, and spirit had long dried up like oil in a lamp. He also didn't have the strength to raise his hand.
Meanwhile, that young man whose expression couldn't even be seen by his older sister and younger brother didn't even dare to stretch out a hand to help the old man wipe away his tears. He was scared that once he let go, the old man really would leave.
"Being called a loner after becoming an emperor is because there is a difference between the monarch and his subjects. Moreover, after being an emperor for so long, you really don't see yourself as a human anymore. You really think you're some bullshit son of heaven. Our Xu family relied on our own efforts to become this King of Beiliang. He's not much different from an emperor. Nian 'er, let's not talk about other things. The feeling of being a loner is not good. Father has tasted it before, so I don't want you to walk down this old path even more. That's why back then, when I let Yan Jiexi's family go and let them go to the capital to become relatives of the imperial family, father has never regretted it. Xu Xiao even dared to curse the old Grand Secretary until he was half angered to death, so how could he place a pedantic scholar in his eyes? Father just doesn't want you and Yan Chiji brothers to become enemies. Even if you two are destined not to be brothers, it's good enough to let you two have some good memories. Father's happiest moments these past few years, one was returning home from the border, seeing all of you well, the other was occasionally dreaming of your mother. Ever since your mother agreed to marry me, I, Xu Xiao, have always owed her. The only thing father complains about her is that she left early. Between husband and wife, the one who leaves later is the one who suffers the most. This suffering isn't about working hard for the family business, it's all what we men should do. It's just that many times, when something good happens, there's no one by my side to say a few words. Either that, I miss her very much, but I can't see her, right? The world is very big, father has traveled to many places and met many people, but in father's eyes, there has always been only one woman, your mother. "
At the door, Xu Weixiong covered his mouth with a fist, still sobbing uncontrollably.
"The loquat tree in the courtyard was personally planted by your mother after she came here. In the future, when there are loquats and you miss father and mother, remember to pluck some and put them on the grave."
"Nian 'er, father will leave your second sister and Huang Man'er in your care, as well as our Xu family. Our Xu family's 300,000 armored cavalry, in the future, you'll have to carry them alone. You'll be very tired, don't blame father for letting you take on this burden. "
The young figure nodded.
Huang Man'er raised his arm to cover his face, sobbing softly.
When the old man said the last words of his life, Xu Weixiong threw himself out of the wheelchair, wailing loudly.
The young figure raised his head.
With his back to the siblings, he only opened his mouth wide, crying silently for fear of disturbing the old man who had his eyes closed.
In the end, the old man said, "Father, sleep for a while."
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