Seventy-one wills

  Lü Hou covered the door and also covered up the whispers that flowed out of the palace.

  "Your Majesty," Liu Ying knelt before the bed, forcing a smile, "the illness must still be treated. In the past, Bian Que saw Cai Huan Gong and said that one cannot conceal their illness or avoid doctors."

  "Foolish child," Liu Bang said with a sigh, "the Emperor rose from humble beginnings, taking the world with a three-foot sword, relying on Heaven's will. Since fate is in Heaven's hands, even if Bian Yanshen were reborn, what would be the use?"

  Liu Ying hung her head and wept.

  "What's the crying for?" Liu Bang waved his hand and said, "The Emperor has lived long enough, seen a lot, and struggled enough. It's time to take a rest. As for you," he looked at his son's neatly tied black hair and the thin shoulders beneath it, and sighed with pity, "You're still young. If you were a bit older, after coming of age, taking on this burden would be just right."

  Liu Ying wiped away her tears and asked, "Is there anything about state affairs that Your Majesty wishes to entrust to me?"

  "Hmph, what's there to be handed over?" Liu Bang looked up at the sky and let out a loud laugh, "When I first conquered this world, who had handed over instructions on how to be an emperor to me?"

  The curtains hung low, and Liu Bang asked, "Ying'er, have you ever thought about what kind of emperor you want to be?"

  "The son had never thought carefully about it," Liu said with a furrowed brow, thinking and speaking at the same time, "When Dongyuan asked me, I said that I just hoped for peace and happiness among the people, free from the sufferings of war. Later, when I was ordered to lead an expedition against Ying Bu, Xu Xiang told me that as a superior, what is most important to learn is not some particular skill or technique, but how to control those below you. The Son of Heaven has countless officials and ministers, some wise, some foolish, some good, some treacherous. These things in themselves are not wrong, the key is for the Son of Heaven to arrange them properly, bringing out their greatest effectiveness. I thought about it for a long time afterwards, and felt that there was some truth to it."

  He spoke with a pair of shining eyes, having an uncommon confident glow. Liu Bang closed his eyes and stopped looking, murmuring to himself, "Xu Xiang, Xu Xiang."

  "Hey, I didn't expect this kid to have such insight."

  "Ying Er," he said sternly, "after you ascend to the throne, find an excuse and get rid of him."

  "Why?" Liu Ying was shocked, "Xu Qing has a good talent in his belly, and the child will rely on him in the future."

  "Good-for-nothing." Liu Bang glared at him with a 'hate iron for not becoming steel' expression, "You also said it, for the superior, for the superior. Xu Xiang is not a superior person, but he understands the way of superiors, how can he be allowed to stay?"

  Liu Ying remained silent.

  The Emperor wanted to throw a tantrum, but suddenly started coughing violently. Liu Ying was shocked and quickly supported him, gently patting his back. When he finally calmed down, Liu Bang's heart had turned cold. He sighed, "Forget it, forget it, have it your way. If you suffer losses in the future, don't regret what you said today."

  Liu Ying did not dare to argue again, and asked, "The Son of Heaven controls the hundred officials, and the most important among the hundred officials is the Prime Minister. After Father Emperor's hundredth birthday, if Xiao Prime Minister also passes away, who can be ordered to replace him?"

  "Ziying." Liu Bang said with a sigh.

  "What's next?" "Wang Ling and Chen Ping will take care of it from now on. Don't ask me again later, you'll be grown up by then and should be able to make your own decisions. That's all for state affairs, I still want to discuss family matters."

  "Your Majesty, please give your orders." Liu Ying said respectfully.

  "Ying'er," Liu Bang gazed at his second son in front of him, with a loving expression. He was gentle and young, respectful and filial. But, "Do you resent your father?"

  Liu Ying stiffened for a moment and said, "Your Majesty's benevolence is like thunder and rain, all blessings. I, your subject, dare not decline." Her eyes were calm and tranquil.

  You are my lord, you are my father. Whether you treat me well or badly, I can only endure it and must not complain.

  It's still a complaint then.

  Liu Bang smiled and said, "You have a kind heart, I can entrust the Han Empire to you with peace of mind. But Ying'er, I'm entrusting the Liu family to you, can you handle it?" He suddenly exerted force, grasped Liu Ying's hand, and stared into his son's eyes, "I'm entrusting your younger brother to you, you must swear before me to protect them all."

  Liu Ying met his gaze without blinking, "This is natural."

  "He said, 'They are the sons of the emperor, and they are also brothers of the son. The son will naturally protect them all, including Ruyi.'"

  "As he wished, as he wished," Liu Bang murmured, letting go, reciting the name of his young son.

  Everything goes as one wishes for all eternity.

  "Is everything all right?" Liu Bang asked in a soft voice.

  "Ru Yi is far away in Zhao's land as king, it's naturally very good." Liu Ying's voice said beside him.

  "Alright, alright." Liu Bang laughed repeatedly, "I know about Rong Er's character, I'm not afraid that you'll deceive me. Since you've already agreed, I can rest assured now." He laughed so hard that he bent his waist, without noticing the hurt look in his son's eyes.

  "I also want you to promise me that after I die in a hundred years, no one from the Lü or Zhang families will be made king."

  Liu Ying hesitated for a moment before asking, "Why?"

  Lü's family was doomed anyway, but Zhang Ao was wrongly accused by Liu Bang and removed from his position as King of Zhao. The father and son duo had a tacit understanding.

  "You're really stupid when I call you stupid," Liu Bang said with a cold smile. "You're still resentful about your brother-in-law, aren't you? Do you think brothers-in-law are truly kin? For emperors, there's no such thing as true relatives." Liu Bang's eyes were icy cold. "The only real kin is interest. When interests align, enemies can become kin. When interests clash, kin can become enemies."

  "Those vassal kings of different surnames are just pieces of flesh cut off by the Liu clan. Yan Zhuo, Ying Bu, which one of them did not rebel as a vassal king? I can easily help you eliminate these tumors one by one, but instead, you keep sending your own flesh to others' mouths?"

  Liu Ying nodded and replied, "I understand."

  "It won't do." The Emperor shook his head, "I want you to take an oath."

  Liu Ying reluctantly raised his hand and made a vow, only then did Liu Bang nod in satisfaction, scolding angrily, "And I don't know what kind of sly head Sun Shu Tong is, how he taught such a foolish disciple. Gē lǎo ----"

  He had originally wanted to scold Liu Ying's father, but suddenly remembered that scolding Liu Ying's father would be equivalent to scolding his own head. He hastily stopped himself and said with hatred, "I have always hated those corrupt and pedantic Confucians, but I never thought that in the end, my own son would become a pedant."

  "Your Majesty." Liu Ying slightly furrowed her brow and said, "There are also Confucian scholars who can help the world and govern the country. Your Majesty shouldn't dislike them so much."

  Liu Bang's eyes widened in anger, pointing at his son's nose and scolding: "I'll wait and see, if one day someone can pull you down and tear off that hypocritical mask of yours."

  He was furious, but to Liu Ying, it was just his old father throwing a childish tantrum. Unfazed, he smiled and said, "The imperial physician's medicine is ready, Your Majesty. I'll serve it to you."

  Liu Bang said, "I'm tired, you can go down now."

  Liu Ying then put down the porcelain bowl on the tray held by the palace maid, stood up and backed out of the hall, drawing the curtains as he did so. He turned his head to take one last look, and on the magnificent bed, Liu Bang lay sleeping with his eyes closed, already old and frail, no longer possessing the spirit that had once laughed and scolded his way across the land, with a thousand thoughts swirling in his mind.

  From start to finish, he didn't mention Qi Yi at all.

  Qī Yì's high-pitched voice came from the Divine Temple, "I'm going to Huài Lǐ. Your Majesty is ill, I want to attend to him in person."

  The magnificent vermilion pillars, the inlaid floor with shell carvings, and the black-armored captain blocking the gate. Not a single step back, his voice icy cold, "Madam, by order of Her Majesty, you are not allowed to leave the Temple of Immortals without permission."

  "What right do you have?" Qi Yi flung her sleeves in a rage, her beautiful eyes wide with anger. "What is the Empress? When can she control me?" Her slender fingers pointed straight at the person, "You are so bold. Wait until His Majesty returns, wait until His Majesty returns..." Her voice gradually lowered to a whisper, Qi Yi looked around frantically, standing in the center of the Divine Flower Hall.

  Sanlang, you... But can't come back?

  I didn't mean to annoy you. I deliberately ignored you.

  If I had known this earlier, I would have smiled in front of you every day. Without troubling you, I would have accompanied you back to Fengpei with a smile, and dignifiedly played the role of your wife in front of your parents, fearing no one's gaze.

  She suddenly felt very cold, the High Emperor's palace was named Divine Immortal, with one zither and one pillar, adorned with beautiful patterns. She had always loved it dearly, but at this moment, she felt empty and couldn't find a place to settle. The Divine Immortal Palace was so big and so desolate, Qi Yi stood alone in the middle of it, as if she were in an endless ocean, drifting aimlessly without anything to rely on.

  "Madam." Someone called out softly and Perlan went forward to help her up.

  "Pei Lan," Qi Yi hugged her, outside the palace a thunderclap sounded, and under the lightning she trembled with fear, "The Emperor won't be in trouble, will he? He won't be in trouble." Almost on the verge of madness, Pei Lan repeatedly comforted her, feeling a sudden pang of sympathy. Once the person who held the flower had gone, how could the flower still withstand the wind and rain?

  Another loud clap of thunder, the gloomy sky, cold rain poured down, wetting the red peony flowers in front of the temple, a mess of red petals. The Temple of the Gods was ornate and resplendent, but it no longer had the vibrant vitality of its former master.

  In the summer of the 12th year of Han, on the fourth month, jiachen day (April 25), Emperor Gaozu Liu Bang passed away at Changle Palace.

  On the third day of the fifth month, the Emperor's carriage returned to Chang'an.

  "Perlan auntie," the twelve-year-old maid with a small bun asked in a low voice under the long corridor, "these days, the atmosphere in the palace looks bleak, is it, is it, Your Majesty... has passed away?"

  "Nonsense," Pei Lan retorted coldly, "Is this how you should be speculating as a palace servant?"

  Xiao Gongnv bowed her head and apologized, her face filled with fear. Pei Lan also didn't dare to say more, sighed, turned around and entered the palace.

  In my heart, I actually know that the emperor who used to indulge in wine and song is probably really unable to pass this hurdle. And in this Chang Le Palace, Empress Lü and Concubine Qi have been fighting for half their lives. Once Your Majesty passes away, Concubine Qi will lose her reliance and end up in what kind of situation?

  The wind and rain are coming to Chang Le Palace.

  On the 5th day of the 4th month, Crown Prince Liu Ying visited the Changxin Palace to pay his respects to Empress Lü. They sat facing each other, and he asked, "Father has been gone for several days; why haven't you announced his death?"

  "Ying'er," Empress Lü said with tears in her eyes, "the empress dowager will not harm you. Your father has passed away, and the high-ranking generals in the court hold powerful armies. If they see that the young master is too young to obey them, it will be a great disaster. Wait until the empress dowager uses your late father's name to take control of their troops, and then she will naturally give your late father a grand funeral."

  "The Empress Dowager's concern for her son is understood by the son. Liu Ying smiled and said, "However, I have not yet had a rebellious heart, but you already have suspicions about me, which is a great calamity. Moreover," he slightly raised his eyebrows, with determination in his eyes, "I am the one who openly and uprightly inherited the throne from my father, but the Empress Dowager's actions will make people think that I am unscrupulous, and the emperor's position will be illegitimate."

  Lü Wei was speechless, and only then did he realize that his weak son had grown up without him knowing it. The young eagle had grown its wings and was eager to soar in the blue sky.

  It's comforting yet heart-wrenching.

  On the fourth day of the sixth month, in the Chang Le Palace, the imperial attendant Zhang Huan's eyes were filled with hot tears, his face solemn as he climbed up to the bell tower, grasped the mallet and struck the great bronze bell.

  Dong, dong, dong......

  The bell's clear and crisp sound resonated throughout the Chang Le Palace, from top to bottom. In an instant, everyone in the palace, from those sweeping the floor to those bowing at their desks, from those singing and dancing to those kneeling for a long time, all stopped what they were doing, with tears streaming down their faces and onto their collars.

  In the Immortal Temple, Qi Yi, dressed in a plain white robe, was combing her hair in front of the mirror. Suddenly, her hand holding the comb stopped amidst her dark locks, and tears flowed down her cheeks like pearls rolling off a broken string.

  "Your Majesty, I want to see Your Majesty." She suddenly jumped up, wanting to rush out of the temple like a madwoman, but was firmly blocked by the guards outside the palace. A mournful cry escaped her throat, but no one paid attention. After struggling for a long time, she slowly fell to the ground, sobbing uncontrollably.

  "Do you still think you are the spoiled and favored Empress Dowager?" The armored guard looked coldly at the disheveled beauty crying on the ground, his lips curling up in a sinister smile. He raised his head, gazing at the sky above the Chang Le Palace, "Now, the Chang Le Palace has changed its sky."

  Dong, dong, dong......

  The bell's loud sound spread throughout the sky above Chang'an City.

  The whole city's citizens stopped their actions at the same time, looking back in the direction of the bell sound. It was unclear who shouted out the first "Your Majesty", as a surging tide of people rushed towards the vermilion walls of the Longevity Palace and knelt down.

  Dong, dong, dong......

  The bell rang out when Zhang Yan was playing the piano under the window, the piano string snapped with a crack, and a bloody mark was cut on her fingertips, but she didn't notice it at all, just staring blankly.

  "A Yan."

  Behind her, the room door was pushed open and Lu Yuan walked in with a pale face, red eyes, and a hoarse voice. "Your grandfather," she paused, "has passed away."

  The tolling of the twelve-stroke bell is the funeral dirge for the departing emperor.

  Emperor Gaozu Liu Bang spent his life on horseback, and died at the age of 65. In the fourth month of the twelfth year of the Han dynasty, on the day of Ding Wei, a funeral was held, and on the same day, a general amnesty was granted to the whole country.

  Yes. Finally let out a long sigh, Liu Bang's life was great and his death was glorious.

  Your sacrifice is for the better development of the story.

  Qī yì children's shoes, don't... I won't say anything else, you take care of yourself.

  So, comrades, let's go up and vote for the pink ticket.

  Tears welled up in her eyes.