mesbooks Chapter 2301 The Death of Han Xing
Chapter 2301 The Death of Han Xing
Chu Ning suddenly realized that Han Xing's unusual spirit and perseverance yesterday were actually the last burst of his life!
His decision to adopt his advice may have been the final push that allowed him to completely relax and exhaust himself!
My heart is breaking!
Chu Ning felt a sour, painful sensation rush to her nose.
Han Xing was not only a veteran general with outstanding achievements, but also a key minister who was strongly recommended by Empress Shen Wanying!
Shen Wanying had a keen eye; the Han Xing she recommended had made great contributions to the expansion of the Chu state since he joined the army, fighting in the east and west.
In the battles against Zhao, Jin, and Han, Han Xing always led the charge and strategized.
He helped Chu Ning eliminate several powerful enemies, saving countless troops, money, and provisions, and also stabilized the hearts of the people in the newly acquired territories.
It can be said that Han Xing made a great contribution to the prosperity of the State of Chu today!
In Chu Ning's heart, Han Xing was not only a subject, but also, to some extent, represented the deep and selfless assistance and trust of Empress Shen Wanying.
How could he bear to watch such a meritorious veteran, who had just devoted himself to his country and the state of Chu, pass away tragically on the desolate wilderness on his victorious return journey?
"drive!"
Without the slightest hesitation, Chu Ning spurred his horse, and Wuyun Gaixue let out a long neigh, charging towards the special carriage in the middle of the group like an arrow released from a bow!
His dark cloak billowed wildly behind him, kicking up a trail of dust.
"His Majesty!"
Xue Huaide, Zhao Yu, and the others exclaimed in surprise and quickly urged their horses to follow.
Feng Mulan heard the commotion from inside the imperial carriage and hurriedly ordered her men to speed up.
Chu Ning was extremely anxious and disregarded his status, rushing all the way to Han Xing's carriage.
The carriage had stopped, and the guards and military doctors around it were all kneeling on the ground, their faces ashen, and the atmosphere was extremely oppressive.
The carriage curtains were tightly closed, and from inside came the faint, suppressed, and urgent whispers of the military doctor, as well as... a heartbreaking, extremely faint gasp.
Chu Ning leaped off his horse and almost stumbled to the front of the carriage, where he yanked open the curtain.
Inside the car, the light was dim.
Han Xing lay on a thick brocade quilt, covered with a warm blanket.
However, that once resolute and dignified face was now ashen and lifeless, with sunken eyes, sunken cheeks, and dry, purplish lips.
His eyes were closed, and only his chest was rising and falling very faintly, as if it might stop at any moment.
An old military doctor was kneeling beside him, his fingers resting on his withered wrist, his brows furrowed, his forehead covered in cold sweat, and his eyes filled with despair and helplessness.
Upon seeing Chu Ning's sudden appearance, the military doctor and attendants inside the carriage were so frightened that they immediately kowtowed.
Chu Ning seemed not to see it. His gaze was fixed on Han Xing's dying face. His heart felt like it was being squeezed tightly by an invisible hand, and he was in so much pain that he could hardly breathe.
He slowly crouched down, approaching Han Xing, his voice trembling slightly, and softly called out:
"Han Qing... General Han... I... I've come to see you."
Han Xing seemed to hear the call, or perhaps it was the last vestiges of his consciousness struggling. His tightly closed eyelids trembled very slightly.
Immediately afterwards, his withered, calloused, and scarred hands unconsciously groped and grasped at the brocade quilt, as if searching for something to lean on.
Chu Ning was deeply saddened and reached out without hesitation to grasp Han Xing's cold, trembling hand.
The hand was icy cold, devoid of any warmth, with loose skin and bony joints, yet it possessed an astonishing strength, gripping Chu Ning's hand tightly, as if using the last of its remaining strength.
The sudden grip sent a jolt through Chu Ning.
He felt Han Xing's fingers trembling violently, not from the cold, but from the final struggle before life slipped away and... a kind of intense obsession.
"His Majesty……"
A faint, almost imperceptible sound, as if squeezed from the depths of the throat, rang out intermittently.
Han Xing opened his eyes with great difficulty and slowly, just a crack.
The eyes were already cloudy and dull, as if covered by a thick layer of shadow, yet they still stubbornly and diligently tried to focus, trying to see the figure in front of them clearly.
Chu Ning quickly leaned closer, tightly grasping that cold hand, and said repeatedly:
"I'm here! Minister Han, I'm here! What do you want to say? Speak slowly, I'm listening!"
Han Xing's chest heaved violently, emitting a heartbreaking, wheezing sound like a broken bellows.
His lips moved, but his voice was so faint that it was almost drowned out by the sound of the wind outside the carriage and the noise of the distant army.
But every word seemed to be a cry from the soul, reaching Chu Ning's ears with crystal clarity:
"Your Majesty...please...please do not change your mind because of...the death of this old minister."
His fingers tightened spasmodically in Chu Ning's palm, and a final, almost stubborn light burst forth in his cloudy eyes as he stared intently in Chu Ning's direction.
"Northern Expedition...The Great Tang Dynasty, haste...cannot be hasty, the country...the nation is not yet stable, the army...the military strength has not yet recovered, we must not...we must not act too hastily..."
"We must wait... wait until... after spring, when the grain... grain supplies are plentiful, the soldiers... soldiers are replenished, and internal troubles are eliminated, before... before launching an uprising."
"Stabilize...stabilize...first...first stabilize...the foundation of our Great Chu..."
"Your Majesty, grant this old minister's... promise..."
Every word seemed to be squeezed out of his failing lungs and his broken life.
It was filled with the smell of blood and foam, yet it carried an unquestionable sincerity and unwavering loyalty.
In the end, the voice was as faint as a whisper, yet it still stubbornly repeated the word "agree".
This old general, who spent his life fighting and expanding the territory of the Chu state, suffered greatly from torture in his later years.
In the final moments of life, what one thinks about and is preoccupied with is not personal life or death, honor or disgrace, nor the safety and future of one's family.
It wasn't even resentment towards the perpetrator, but rather—the Chu state for which he had fought his entire life!
It is that unfinished great cause of unification!
It was his deep concern that His Majesty might waver and change his established, prudent strategy because of his departure!
He fears!
He feared that Chu Ning would be emotionally agitated by his death, and in a fit of rage, launch a military campaign, disrupting the country's plans for recuperation and dragging it back into a dangerous quagmire of war!
Therefore, he mustered his last bit of strength to grab Chu Ning's hand and to etch this advice, which he had earned with his life, into Chu Ning's heart!
As Chu Ning listened to these heart-wrenching, soul-stirring final words, a surge of immense grief and sorrow welled up in his eyes.
My throat felt like it was blocked, and I could barely breathe.
He looked at Han Xing's face, which was even more distorted and ashen from exertion, and at those eyes that were gradually losing focus but still stubbornly "staring" at him.
Feel the increasingly weak but still persistent force coming from my palm...
"I...I promise you!"