bayedsolid Chapter 727 The one who walked down from the Lingyan Pavilion was Emperor Qianwu.
Chapter 727 The one who walked down from the Lingyan Pavilion was Emperor Qianwu.
Li Chengqian slowly raised his hand, carrying the weight of years and the myriad emotions in his heart at the moment, and gently stroked the beard of Fang Xuanling in the portrait with a slight trembling.
As the beard was stroked by his fingertips, it seemed as if it was no longer painted with pigments in the painting, but existed in reality, carrying Fang Xuanling's voice, appearance and smile from the past.
"Prime Minister Fang, if you were still here, you would definitely understand what I mean."
His voice was as light as the air flowing slowly through the Lingyan Pavilion, yet it carried an unspeakable heaviness. "I'm alone, and I'm really tired."
Every word seemed to be squeezed out from the most exhausted corner of his soul, echoing slowly in this empty and silent pavilion.
"But it will be soon. I won't envy you anymore. Soon, I will be able to sleep in the ground like you."
His gaze slowly moved, as if being pulled by an invisible thread, scanning the familiar faces one by one.
Changsun Wuji, with his eyes full of wisdom and depth, seemed to be still planning the political affairs of the Tang Dynasty.
Cheng Yaojin, with his iconic grin and unrestrained look, seems as if he is about to rush out shouting "I'm Old Cheng" in the next second.
Yuchi Jingde has a heroic and fierce look on his face, and you can almost hear his roar on the battlefield.
Qin Qiong, with a solemn expression, exudes an air of loyalty and bravery...
These past figures, accompanying the rise and fall, honor and disgrace of the Tang Dynasty, are also deeply imprinted in Li Chengqian's life.
Until he reached the last portrait, his feet seemed to be suddenly nailed to the ground and he could no longer move an inch.
He stared at the portrait, and in an instant, his heart seemed to be stabbed by a sharp dagger, and the sour emotions flooded him like a surging tide.
This is a portrait of a happy reunion. The scene in the painting is so vivid, as if time has been frozen at the most beautiful moment.
Li Chengqian sat next to Li Shimin, his face full of a gentle smile at this moment, which was the kind of relaxation he could only have in front of his family and close ministers.
Su Zhi sat beside him, smiling, carefully picking up food for him. Her movements were gentle, and the love in her eyes seemed to be overflowing.
Cheng Yaojin and Yuchi Jingde were holding their wine glasses, their faces flushed, the veins on their necks bulging, and they were bragging excitedly. Their exaggerated gestures seemed to be able to poke a hole in the sky.
Everyone around them was laughing so hard that they fell over, and the whole scene was filled with joy.
Fang Xuanling twirled his beard and smiled until his eyes narrowed into slits. His usual calmness and wisdom were replaced by pure joy at this moment.
Qin Ruzhao and Zhang Xianhuai were arm in arm, as close as brothers.
Lin Dafu and Mr. Qi teased each other, exchanging witty remarks and neither of them gave in.
Outside the door, Li Mingda and Li Jiming, who were still little kids at that time, covered their ears with their eyes wide open, staring at the brilliant fireworks blooming outside without blinking. The light of the fireworks reflected on their tender little faces, colorful and brilliant.
In the lower right corner of the portrait, there is a clear signature: Recorded on the New Year's Day of the second year of Qianwu.
In the blink of an eye, eighteen years have passed. It seems like a lifetime ago.
Even Li Chengqian only suddenly remembered when he saw this portrait that he was afraid of losing this moment and had asked Mr. Qi to paint this beautiful moment.
Now, the thing that I feared the most back then has finally come, and the laughter and warmth I once had have become a distant memory.
“It was great back then.”
Li Chengqian muttered to himself, the nostalgia thick in his voice. He involuntarily moved closer, his eyes wide open, staring at the portraits without blinking, as if he wanted to carve the appearance of these people deeply into his soul with his gaze. How he wished he could see their appearance more vividly.
But they had been gone for too long, and the torrent of time had mercilessly washed away his memory. He found that he could hardly remember anything. Even Li Shimin's once extremely familiar face had gradually become blurred in his mind and no longer clear.
As he watched, Li Chengqian felt an immense bitterness in his heart. It was a pain that went deep into his bones, and it could not be described with just the word "bitter".
Before, when he first came to this era, he never really considered himself a local. He just felt that all this was like a game that he could wake up from at any time, an illusory dream.
But as time slowly passed, he experienced countless storms on the land of the Tang Dynasty. From the high-spirited moment when he first ascended the throne as the crown prince to the painstaking efforts when he later ascended the throne as the emperor, he was getting closer and closer to the "Emperor" of the Tang Dynasty - the supreme power and responsibility, until he was completely integrated with him.
Now, he feels that his previous life is too far away from him, so far away that it seems like just a fleeting dream.
My previous life was really ordinary, so ordinary that it couldn't be more ordinary. I lived a routine life every day and thought that this life would be so ordinary.
Just when he felt numb to life, a boss, perhaps out of a momentary interest, or perhaps because he saw some qualities in him, gave him a card and said only one sentence to him: "Young man, you should enjoy life."
“Don’t make your life too hard.”
He seemed to be driven by an inexplicable impulse at the time. After getting the card, he began to live a luxurious life. For a whole year, he indulged in a life of luxury and had no idea how much money he had spent.
He didn't want to ask where the money came from or who the boss was. He just wanted to enjoy himself while he could.
However, all this indulgence and freedom burst in an instant like a bubble the moment he arrived in the Tang Dynasty.
He began to miss the carefree life of his previous life, and often recalled his time as the crown prince. Although he had troubles back then, it was a far cry from the heavy pressure he faced today.
"It's so difficult to save the world with just one thought!"
He sighed softly. He did feel a little regretful. He regretted getting caught up in this endless responsibility.
But if time could go back and he could choose again, a hint of determination would flash in his eyes, and he would still do it, even if it would end up in such a difficult situation.
Someone has to stand up and shoulder this heavy responsibility for the millions of people in the Tang Dynasty and for the future of this land, right?
Life is a journey of self-cultivation. Even if the road ahead is full of thorns, even if the food in your mouth is bitter, you should strive to chew it and taste the sweetness, right?
He slowly opened his arms, as if to embrace the memories in the pavilion, and as if to accept all the past and future.
He felt the people in the portraits looking at him, as if they had never really left and were always accompanying him silently.
Gentlemen, wait and see."
His voice gradually became louder and more majestic, echoing in the Lingyan Pavilion for a long time. "During my Qianwu Dynasty, everyone was like a dragon."
His eyes became more determined than ever before. He had never been alone in walking on this difficult road.
Behind him were countless Tang Dynasty soldiers, wearing armor, fighting bloody battles, and defending the dignity and territory of the Tang Dynasty with their lives.
There were meritorious officials who made great contributions to the Tang Dynasty and laid the foundation of the Tang Dynasty.
He has loyal friends who give him support and encouragement when he is confused and helpless.
There are students who are eager to learn and inherit his ideas and ambitions.
Blood-related relatives give him warmth and care.
Having enemies who are in direct conflict with him motivates him to become stronger and stronger, and he dares not slack off in the slightest.
There are also like-minded companions who fight alongside him and never leave him.
They were all watching, all eyes were focused on him, watching whether he could rely on himself to lead the Tang Dynasty into a brand new era, an era where the bones of the Han people would always stand straight and never bend!
That night, the one who walked into the Lingyan Pavilion was the confused Li Chengqian.
The one who walked down from the Lingyan Pavilion was Emperor Qianwu.