Jiuxi

Chapter 955: 953 [Death is the End]

While everyone was staring in deep thought, Li Tianrun finally stopped to take a breath.

He understood why they were hesitant and could understand their feelings, but as a warrior who had fought with the Jing army all his life and contributed everything to Da Qi, Li Tianrun really didn't want to see the court miss the opportunity and give the enemy a chance to breathe and heal.

In fact, he didn't mention one more consideration, which is also the most important one.

If the imperial court controlled the logistics of the border troops and forced Lu Chen to stop fighting and rest, civil unrest would surely break out.

By then, the imperial court will have to bear the consequences of its own actions, and Lu Chen will not have a good ending either, because he is a minister after all, not a king, and he will inevitably lose the support of the people if he takes the initiative to provoke civil strife.

After a long while, Queen Mother Ning asked, "Duke, can the Jinglian people really master the art of firearms in a short period of time?"

Li Tianrun looked over with his cloudy eyes and secretly sighed that this was an extremely smart woman. On the surface, this sentence was asking Jingguo, but in fact it concealed a deeper meaning: If the people of Jinglian can do it, then why can't the court of Daqi do it?
Now no one can tell exactly how powerful firearms are, but if the imperial court can conduct its own research, it will avoid a lot of trouble, such as not having to force Lu Chen to offer up the technology for firearms, and it will also boost the confidence of many people in the imperial court.

Thinking of this, Li Tianrun said calmly: "Your Majesty, I don't know the specific situation of firearms, but I always believe that many things in this world are difficult to create from scratch, and the difficulty lies in how to take the first step. Two thousand years ago, people domesticated horses as mounts, but until the stirrup appeared, cavalry could not form combat power. Of course, firearms are definitely countless times more complicated than stirrups, but now someone has pointed out the direction. With Jingguo's strength and talent, we will definitely make a breakthrough in time."

Empress Dowager Ning nodded and said, "Your words have enlightened me."

After a brief silence, Xu Zuo said, "Duke, the worry about the treasury is not an excuse. We don't know how long this war will last, and how much military funds we will need to prepare in the future. We really have no idea. The court has been engaged in military operations for many years, and military expenses have increased year by year. It is almost impossible to take care of the people. This is not a long-term solution."

"The imperial court has its own difficulties. I believe Lu Chen can understand this."

Li Tianrun remained calm and said, "Let me sort it out briefly. Regarding the subsequent military expenditure, there is actually only one thing that must be dealt with, and that is the compensation for the injured and dead soldiers. No matter how difficult the situation is, the court must pay this money, otherwise it will endanger the country."

Queen Mother Ning said calmly: "Please rest assured, Duke. Even if I empty the treasury, I will not let the soldiers shed blood and tears."

Xue Nanting and Xu Zuo stood up quickly. The former said with a sigh, "As a prime minister, I feel ashamed that I cannot share your worries."

Queen Mother Ning said gently, "Prime Minister Xue and Prime Minister Xu, please take a seat. I know that you are devoted to state affairs. In this difficult situation, the monarch and his subjects should work together to overcome the difficulties. There is no need to feel too guilty."

The two prime ministers thanked him and took their seats.

Li Tianrun smiled and continued, "In addition to this pension, other expenses can be divided into two aspects. One is logistical supply. Minister Gao of the Ministry of Revenue is a capable minister. Although he said it in the court, he must have prepared three months of supplies for the Jiangbei army, which is enough for Lu Chen to recover the old capital. The second is post-war rewards, which is not difficult. Jiangbei has been in war for many years and has a small population and a large land area. It is not as densely populated as Jiangnan. The court can reward the unowned land to the soldiers. On the one hand, it can alleviate the worry of the silver shortage, and on the other hand, it can win the hearts of the soldiers with the grace from the superiors."

Xue Nanting and Xu Zuo looked at each other in surprise.

This was the countermeasure they had discussed privately. Unexpectedly, Li Tianrun, a military hero who had never acted as an agent for government affairs, could come up with such an appropriate idea.

Moreover, it would be more appropriate for Li Tianrun to propose this initiative, so the two did not say much.

Queen Mother Ning also understood this truth and said with emotion: "The Duke is truly the pillar of the Great Qi."

"Your Majesty is so complimentary."

Li Tianrun bowed his head slightly, then said to Li Liangyu who was standing solemnly beside him: "Bring it here."

Li Liangyu walked to the treasure chest, took out a box from it, and then stood in front of the emperor holding it in both hands.

Queen Mother Ning had a vague guess and asked Li Tianrun, "What does the Duke mean by this?"

"Your Majesty, I have been promoted from an ordinary frontier army lieutenant to a duke and share the fate of the country. I am really terrified. Over the years, from Emperor Gaozong, Emperor Zhezong to Your Majesty and the Emperor, you have shown me countless favors and rewards, which have allowed me to accumulate a huge fortune."

Li Tianrun coughed twice and said sincerely: "I accept the honor bestowed by the court, but I cannot take these worldly possessions into my coffin."

Queen Mother Ning quickly advised, "Duke, this move must not be done. Marquis Nanxun had suggested it at the court meeting before, but Prime Minister Xue decisively stopped him. I also hold the same attitude. Even if the court is in a difficult situation for a while, we cannot let all the ministers and officials lose their homes and careers."

"That idiot Li Jingda is just sulking with the elders. Your Majesty, please do not argue with him for the sake of his small contributions."

Li Tianrun helped Li Jingda explain briefly, and then said: "Your Majesty, it's not that I don't have selfish motives, but I only have one son and one daughter. Now my daughter has married Lu Chen, so I don't need to worry too much. My son has his own destiny, and I have left him a share of the family business. Even if he is mediocre and incompetent, the old house and farm I left behind can ensure that he will not starve to death. I have no regrets in this life, so please fulfill my last wish, Your Majesty."

He looked at the box in Li Liangyu's hand and said softly, "More than a month ago, I felt that my time was running out, so I asked my son and my family to raise money for this matter. A total of 360,000 taels of silver were obtained, all of which were deposited in Yongshengchang Bank. Today, I will hand this money over to Your Majesty. I am willing to do my best for Da Qi, and I hope Your Majesty will accept it."

The Empress Dowager Ning's eyes were slightly red, and Li Daoming stared at the old man who was becoming increasingly weak on the sickbed.

Xue Nanting and Xu Zuo were even more shocked and filled with respect.

"Duke, I...I promise you that I will persevere in the Northern Expedition until our army recovers all the lost territory that we have not seen for twenty years."

Empress Dowager Ning has always been very insightful, but she is unable to express herself at this moment.

Seeing this, Yuan Yuji stepped forward and took the box from Li Liangyu with great respect.

"Cough cough..."

Li Tianrun raised his hand and touched his chest, then looked at the two prime ministers and said, "Prime Minister Xue, Prime Minister Xu."

Xue Nanting and Xu Zuo sat upright and said in unison, "Please speak, Duke."

"I know the worries in your hearts, but I want to say that the future of Da Qi does not only depend on your majesty and the emperor, not only on Lu Chen and the border troops, but is also closely related to every decision you make."

Li Tianrun looked at them steadily and said earnestly, "You two are the prime ministers of the current dynasty. You are the leaders of all the officials and are role models for scholars all over the world. I know very well that you are not hypocrites. You have both integrity and talent. As long as you are determined to be loyal to the emperor, not afraid of rumors and gossip, and not afraid of being killed, who in the world can make you change your ways? How to maintain the overall situation and how to protect the imperial family will be quite difficult, but I believe you will be able to overcome all difficulties and protect the country."

Xue Nanting and Xu Zuo stood up and bowed, saying, "We will accept your instruction."

Li Tianrun nodded slightly, and then said to Queen Mother Ning: "Your Majesty, this is all I want to say." Queen Mother Ning looked at his face, and those words of comfort could not be said after all. Finally, she said with sadness: "Duke, do you have any other instructions?"

Li Tianrun smiled with difficulty, said no more, and slowly closed his eyes.

After a moment's silence, Empress Dowager Ning took Li Daoming's hand and walked out slowly with the two prime ministers.

Li Liangyu saw his father off until he reached the outside of the palace. Only when the imperial guards escorted the emperor and the prime minister's sedan chair away did he return to the main room in the backyard.

Regarding today's meeting between the emperor and his ministers, he did have some things he didn't quite understand, especially his father's final words to the two prime ministers. Did he really think that Lu Chen would be a loyal minister of Da Qi for his entire life?

It’s a pity that Li Tianrun no longer has the energy to continue teaching him.

After an unknown amount of time, Li Tianrun's weathered voice rang out from the sickbed.

"Good jade."

"My son is here."

"There is a memorial on the shelf. After I die, you will go to the palace and present it to the emperor in person. At this difficult time for the country, the funeral should be simple. In addition... I wrote in the memorial that there is no need to confer a title or posthumous title on me after my death. Lu Chen and your sister are leading troops outside and do not need to return to the capital to attend the funeral. They can burn incense and worship at the border. When the empress dowager sees this, she will naturally understand my intentions and will not cause any trouble."

"Yes, father."

Li Liangyu's voice trembled and tears kept flowing.

Li Tianrun was silent for a long time. He raised his hand and took out an envelope with intact wax from under his pillow with great difficulty. He held it in front of him tremblingly and handed it to Li Liangyu. He held his hand and said, "When you see Lu Chen in the future, hand this letter to him in person."

"Yes, father."

Li Liangyu wanted to ask, but Li Tianrun waved his hand weakly and said softly: "Go down, leave me alone."

Night gradually fell.

Li Tianrun listened to the faint sound of the wind outside, felt the pain in his internal organs, and said to himself: "You have tortured me for so many years, and you still refuse to stop at this time. But I am about to die, and you will have no chance in the future."

Countless images emerged in his mind.

The Jing River is dangerous, and the Heng River is majestic.

One defeat lasted two thousand miles, one defense lasted fifteen years.

In a trance, countless heroes appeared in his sight.

Yang Guangyuan, Emperor Jing, Qing Yugong, Xiao Wangzhi...

Finally, there is Li Duan’s thin and resolute face.

And his gentle and sincere voice.

"Lord Li, do you think we can drive those Jinglian people back?"

"Your Majesty, I can."

"Hahaha, I believe you, but I don't know when that day will come, and I don't know if I can see it with my own eyes."

"Your Majesty, I don't think it matters whether we can see it or not. I firmly believe that one day, the people of Qi will be able to recover their land and see the light of day again. Perhaps this will require the efforts of many people or even the cost of their lives, but that day will definitely come!"

"Okay! For that day to come, I am willing to work together with you and remain committed!"

"His Majesty……"

Time goes by and the years pass by.

Li Tianrun looked up, tears welling up in his eyes, and murmured, "We have recovered our homeland, we have done it..."

The sound of the wind was sudden and sharp, like the sound of a funeral pyre.

In the first year of Yongning in the Great Qi Dynasty, on the sixth day of the twelfth month, late at night.

Duke of Wei Li Tianrun passed away.

The whole country mourned.

The next morning, Empress Dowager Ning, accompanied by the Emperor and all the civil and military officials in the court, went to the Duke of Wei's Mansion. Although Li Tianrun stated in his will that there was no need to confer a title or posthumous title on him, Empress Dowager Ning firmly refused. She agreed not to allow Lu Chen and Li Bingxue to return to Beijing for funerals during the war, and also agreed to continue the Northern Expedition to recover lost territory, but she would not compromise on this matter.

In the afternoon, Empress Dowager Ning issued an imperial decree to announce it to the world.

Li Tianrun was posthumously awarded the title of Prince of Loyalty and Righteousness, and his son Li Liangyu was given the title of Marquis of Changning.

The posthumous title was "Zhongwu".

(End of this chapter)