Silver Fox of the Three Kingdoms

Chapter 442
On June 21, the seventh year of Zhang Wu, Zhang Fei returned to Xiangyang.

The front line in Henan was the closest, and the edict was sent to Wancheng by carrier pigeon, and then sent from Wancheng to the front line. The speed of message transmission was also the fastest, so Zhang Fei came back the fastest.

In the past few days, Liu Bei has become more seriously ill, and sometimes even fell into a coma, with a persistent high fever, almost on the verge of death.

When Zhang Fei heard the news, he was very anxious. At this time, he was wearing a bandage on his arm. On the boat on the Hanshui River, the head of Xiangyang City was clearly visible in the distance, but he was walking anxiously back and forth on the bow of the boat, like an ant on a hot pot. .

"Quick, quick."

He said.

Seeing that he was so anxious, a young man in his twenties comforted him, "Father, it is already the fastest time, and we will arrive in Xiangyang soon."

The young man is Zhang Bao. His mother Xiahou was snatched away by Zhang Fei five years ago in Jian'an, and she gave birth to him within two years. She is now 24 years old. This time Zhang Fei is the general of the Northern Expedition, and he will follow him. I also met my mother's uncle and my uncle and grandfather Xia Houyuan on the battlefield.

Zhang Fei's right arm was injured, so he patted the side of the boat with his left hand, and said bitterly: "Your uncle is not in good health, and now you suddenly call me back, something must have happened, how can I not be in a hurry."

"Look, father, the prime minister is waiting for us on the shore."

Zhang Bao quickly pointed to the distance.

Zhang Fei hurriedly looked over, and saw that there was already a convoy waiting at the pier, and Zhuge Liang's guard of honor could be seen from a distance.

Soon the ship docked.

Zhang Fei quickly jumped onto the shore without waiting for the boat to stop, and quickly came to Zhuge Liang and asked anxiously, "Prime Minister, how is my eldest brother?"

"General Cheqi, His Majesty is waiting for you, let's go."

Zhuge Liang signaled him to get in the car.

Zhang Fei was so anxious that he simply grabbed the horse of a soldier in the guard of honor and said, "I'll go to the palace first."

Saying that, he reined in his horse and rushed to the palace.

Zhuge Liang was helpless, but he also understood his mood, so he had no choice but to follow behind him.

Zhang Fei galloped all the way to the outside of the palace. The soldiers wanted to intercept him, but they suddenly saw Zhang Fei glaring at him, recognized him, and hurriedly stepped aside, and the attendants led him all the way to the back garden.

"Big brother, big brother!"

Zhang Fei almost trotted into the courtyard, Ma Liang outside the door shook his head at him, signaling to be quiet.

But Zhang Feihui misunderstood, thinking that Liu Bei was dead, and rushed into the room almost crying, "Brother."

"Wide."

Liu Bei happened to wake up today, and his health seemed to be a little better. Hearing Zhang Fei's voice, he responded with a forced smile.

Zhang Fei came to Liu Bei's bed in three steps at a time, and was shocked when he saw Liu Bei's appearance.

Last year, when Liu Bei left the front line and returned to the rear to recuperate, he was still old and his body was normal, but after he came back, in just over half a year, his appearance had changed drastically.

I saw Liu Bei on the hospital bed as thin as a stick, looking like a dead wood, his hair was all gray, and his eyes seemed to be sunken in, almost inhuman.

"Brother!"

Seeing this scene, Zhang Fei was so distressed that he burst into tears. He knelt down on the bed and cried, "Why did you become like this?"

Liu Bei stretched out his hand to touch Zhang Fei's face, feeling that the third brother still had a needle-pricked beard even though he was sixty years old, he forced a smile and said: "You are so old, don't always be like a child, life and death are normal, Nothing to be sad about."

"woo woo woo woo."

Zhang Fei felt very sad and burst into tears.

Seeing that his arm was bandaged, Liu Bei changed the subject and asked, "I heard that you were injured before, how is it now?"

Zhang Fei shook his head and said, "It's okay, I was shot by that kid from Xiahou's family."

He was talking about Xiahouba.

Xia Houyuan has always regarded Xiahou family as his own daughter, even in order to support his deceased brother's only daughter, he once abandoned his youngest son in a famine year just to save her. After Zhang Fei abducted Xiahou family, Xia Houyuan has always hated Zhang Fei. to the bone.

Although they are relatives, but this time on the battlefield, Xiahouyuan wanted to kill Zhang Fei more than anyone else, so Xiahouyuan's second son Xiahouba shot Zhang Fei in the arm during a fierce attack on the Han army camp.

Liu Bei persuaded: "Although we are in the same situation as the Xiahou family of Cao's family, Xiahou Miaocai is your wife's relative after all. He can be merciless on the battlefield. If he is captured alive, he should treat him well."

"Yes Yes Yes."

Zhang Fei repeatedly nodded in response, tears kept falling, seeing Liu Bei's sickly appearance made him extremely painful.

But Liu Bei had already looked away, and said: "I am very old, and I have no regrets in life. I just worry about the things behind me. After I leave, I will keep my second and third brothers. Yide, you have a violent temper and are not suitable for national affairs. In matters, you should listen more to your second brother, Kong Ming and Xiaoqing, and you must not act recklessly."

"Yes."

Zhang Fei held Liu Bei's hand tightly and responded.

Liu Bei continued to say with difficulty: "Now that the country is governed by Kong Ming, I can go away with peace of mind. I just don't care about my child. From now on, he will be entrusted to the second and third brothers."

"Elder brother, Yide will never forget the elder brother's entrustment! Huh, huh."

"Third brother, don't make trouble with drinking in the future."

"I know brother."

"You are also getting older now, less wielding knives and guns, and more commanding from the rear."

"I know, I know, woo woo woo."

"and also."

"Okay, I've written them all down."

Zhang Fei has been crying so much that he promised Liu Bei everything now.

But Liu Bei continued to instruct.

Among the few people, he was the most worried about Zhang Fei. Zhang Fei had a bad habit of beating soldiers after drinking before.

Later, Shen Chen had conflicts with him over this, and Liu Bei and Guan Yu stood firmly on Shen Chen's side, and gave Zhang Fei a stern lesson.

After that time, Zhang Fei couldn't say that he had changed his past, but he hardly did it.

The main reason is that once he drank, the generals would give him the strongest shochu. He would pour several catties of [-]-[-]-degree spirits into his stomach, and a cow would be drunk. How could he have the strength to whip the soldiers?

But even though he stopped whipping the soldiers, his reckless temper remained unchanged.

Even though he is over sixty years old and has gray and white hair, he still has a fiery temper. He always wants to fight in battle on the battlefield, which is worrying.

Liu Bei was afraid that Zhang Fei would go to the battlefield privately without supervision after his death, so he kept nagging and exhorting him.

In fact, he also thought about making Zhang Fei a minister of Tuogu.

But when he thought of Zhang Fei's temperament, he was really not suitable to be an important minister of the country, so he gave up, and only missed his brother before he died, so he was called back.

It was Zhuge Liang, Shen Chen and Guan Yu who Liu Bei really wanted to support Gu.

Needless to say, Zhuge Liang and Shen Chen, Guan Yu is also the commander of one side, capable of writing and martial arts, and Yide also listens to him. If the second brother can live a few more years, maybe the country will be more prosperous.

Liu Bei thought so in his heart.

He babbled on for a while, and his voice became weaker and weaker, until finally only Zhang Fei's cry remained.

When Zhang Fei looked up, he realized that Liu Bei had fallen asleep at some point.

Zhang Fei was shocked. He thought Liu Bei was dead, so he quickly reached out to grab him. Unexpectedly, the doctor next to him hurriedly pulled him back and told him in a low voice that His Majesty was asleep and had a weak pulse, which made him feel relieved.

He didn't dare to disturb him at the moment, and went home first after leaving the palace.After seeing his wife and children, he came back and continued to stay by Liu Bei's side, not daring to leave for a moment.

A few days later, Shen Chen also returned to Xiangyang.

Although Guan Yu delivered the letter very quickly, it was very slow in returning.Because the whole journey is sailing against the current, even if the sailors paddle hard, the speed is far behind the speed when the wind is smooth, so it will take two days to arrive.

Shen Chen, on the other hand, went all the way fast. Except when sleeping, he changed horses and did not change people along the way. It took three days to run more than 1000 miles from Wuguan back to Xiangyang.

When he hurried to the palace, Liu Bei was still asleep in the house, so he didn't wake him up, but waited until Liu Bei woke up in the afternoon.

"His Majesty."

Liu Bei is now lying in bed for more than twelve hours a day, waking up less and less.

Seeing him waking up slowly at this moment, Empress Wu hurriedly helped him to drink some porridge and some soup. After working for a long time and helping Liu Bei take care of him, the attendant next to him told him: "General Hussars is back."

"Xiaoqing is back?"

Liu Bei said weakly: "Summon to come in."

"His Majesty."

Shen Chen entered the room, and seeing Liu Bei's current state, he was shocked and said, "What's up, Your Majesty?"

When Xuzhou was back then, Liu Bei, the high-spirited young man, was still vivid in his memory.

After many years, it has become like this, like a dead tree, which shocked Shen Chen endlessly.

"Birth, old age, sickness and death are human nature, Xiaoqing doesn't need to worry about it."

Liu Bei smiled and said softly: "How is the situation in Guanzhong now?"

He didn't want Shen Chen and the others to worry about their health and illness all the time, so he changed the subject and chatted about Guanzhong.

With sad eyes, Shen Chen went to Liu Bei's bed and knelt down and said, "Your Majesty, don't worry, Guanzhong is now fully prepared. I want to attack Hedong and Bingzhou this year, and cooperate with the General and General Cheqi to take the land of Henan."

"That's fine, that's fine."

Liu Bei smiled and nodded again and again: "I can see the recovery of Guanzhong and return to the old capital in my lifetime. I am already very satisfied. I have nothing to worry about. The only pity is that I can't see Xiaoqing recovering the north for me. All over the world, cough cough cough cough cough"

At the end, he coughed violently again, coughing up blood from the corner of his mouth, so frightened that Empress Wu and others next to him wiped it with a handkerchief, which shows that Liu Bei's lung disease has reached a very serious level.

Seeing that he was seriously ill, Shen Chen gripped the edge of the bed sadly and said, "Your Majesty. Don't worry, Your Majesty, I will definitely live up to your Majesty's trust."

Liu Bei coughed for a while before finally recovering, and said to him: "Xiaoqing is a man of great wisdom. I am able to be what I am today thanks to Xiaoqing's help. I believe in Xiaoqing, who is a hundred times wiser than Cao Pi. After ruling the world in the future, Qing Be sure to govern the country well, and don’t let the people suffer anymore.”

"Yes."

Shen Chen should come down.

Liu Bei held Shen Chen's hand, and said softly, "From now on, we will entrust Xiaoqing and Kong Ming with major national affairs."

"Yes."

Shen Chen's tears finally fell down uncontrollably.

Liu Bei's voice became smaller and smaller.

Seeing this situation, the imperial physician order advised, "General Hussars, let Your Majesty rest for a while."

"Ah."

Only then did Shen Chen get up, and slowly retreat outside the house.

Now Liu Bei is sleeping more and more, even when he is awake, he often needs someone to serve him before he can eat, otherwise it will be difficult to take care of himself.

What's more important is that Liu Bei spends a lot of energy every time he talks to people.

Therefore, try to reduce the number of guests and the time for visiting guests.

At this time Zhuge Liang was still in government affairs, and Liu Chan, Liu Yong, Liu Li, Liu Ning, Zhang Fei, Zhang Bao, Shen Yin, Shen Xi and others were waiting outside the house.

Everyone was sitting in the hall outside the house. Liu Bei's bedroom was lying on his side in the main hall. Everyone was slumped in the main hall now, and no one could lift their spirits.

Liu Chan, Liu Yong, Liu Li, Zhang Fei, and Zhang Bao came to greet Shen Chen. After Shen Chen returned the salute one by one, he sat next to his wife Liu Ning, hugging his haggard wife, and accompanied by his two sons, they sat together in the hall and meditated .

They can't do anything now, they can only wait for Guan Yu to come back.

Because Liu Bei obviously planned to wait for the three of them to come back before making the final will arrangements, so they could only wait quietly.

In the next few days, everyone visited Liu Bei when Liu Bei was awake, and waited outside the house when he was asleep. It was not until June 29 that Guan Yu hurried back to Xiangyang from Hefei, two thousand miles away.

This is already the fastest speed.

Along the way, sailors were changed instead of boats. During the journey day and night, I didn’t know how many oars were worn out. This is why I arrived in Xiangyang after eight days of traveling against the wind and the current.

Otherwise, in normal times, it will take at least ten days or even 20 days to arrive.

During the eclipse in the morning of June 29, Guan Yu arrived at the Xiangyang Wharf in a hurry. Everyone went to greet him. He was also very anxious and urged him to go to the palace as soon as possible.

Soon the group arrived at the palace.

After Guan Yu had seen Empress Wu, Mrs. Gan, Mrs. Mi and others waiting outside the house, he was ready to go to see him.

It's just that Liu Bei is still asleep at this time.

He usually doesn't wake up until the afternoon, and everyone can only wait.

At the beginning of the afternoon, he finally woke up.

He still ate something as usual, and when he learned that Guan Yu had also returned, Liu Bei seemed to be more energetic and quickly called everyone in.

A group of people entered the hall.

"Brother!"

When Guan Yu saw Liu Bei's appearance, even though Zhang Fei had told him about it before, he was still shocked, and tears also fell down.

Liu Bei said with a smile: "Why are you three like this, you will cry when you see me?"

Guan Yu felt even more distressed when he saw his pale face but forced a smile to comfort himself. He knelt down beside the bed and said, "I haven't seen you for two years, big brother."

Liu Bei comforted, "At this age, it should be time for me to die. Yun Chang doesn't need to be sad."

"Ugh."

Everyone in the back sighed.

Liu Bei said softly: "Everyone go out, Yun Chang, Kong Ming, Xiao Qing, the three of you stay here, I have something to say to you."

"Brother, me."

Zhang Fei was surprised to see that even he had to go out.

Guan Yu said to him: "Yide, you go out first, your voice is too loud, you will disturb the eldest brother, let me talk to the eldest brother."

"Oh."

Zhang Fei didn't doubt that he was there, so he followed the crowd out.

When Liu Bei waited for everyone to go out, he wanted to sit up, but he couldn't straighten his back.

Guan Yu and Shen Chen stepped forward to support him, and then leaned on the back of the wooden couch and sat on the bed.

It wasn't until this time that Liu Bei looked at the three of them with cloudy but hopeful eyes.

All three of them knew that he was going to explain his funeral and entrust the great cause of the country.

(End of this chapter)