Chapter 226 Wake Up

Five years later, Zhang Rongling was 47 years old.

Under the Jin and Yuan offensive, the entire southwest region was in ruins, and people's livelihood was in trouble. Peasant uprisings occurred from time to time, but Zhang Rongling didn't care. The army he controlled was getting better and better equipped, and the officials in the army became his private army. His words were more effective in this team than the imperial edict.

The censors also accepted his benefits, and even the secret guards who secretly represented the emperor's eyes were bought by him. The interests were tied together to form a huge interest group.

These people, from top to bottom, all said good things about him.

There were also eunuchs in the palace who began to mention his name frequently in the emperor's ears, which made the emperor have an impression of him, the Shangshu who was transferred far away.

"Whose painting is this?"

The emperor, who had just returned from Luyuan, looked at the calligraphy and painting on the table, and a trace of surprise flashed in his eyes. He quickly walked over and picked up the scroll, his eyes full of appreciation. Zhang Rongling had known about the good calligraphy and painting of the time. In order to find an opportunity, he practiced calligraphy and painting for five years, and his calligraphy and painting became a great success.

The most treacherous and evil are also people with great perseverance.

Now Zhang Rongling's paintings are hard to find outside, and he also gave himself an elegant and unique name - Mr. Qingzhu.

"It's Mr. Qingzhu's painting."

The eunuch who accepted Zhang Rongling's benefits immediately spoke up. In order to feed this eunuch over the years, Zhang Rongling didn't know how much money he had spent, and now he finally saw the results.

"Mr. Qingzhu?"

The emperor frowned, he couldn't remember who this person was for a while.

"It was the former Shangshu Zhang Rongling." The eunuch immediately spoke up.

"Mr. Zhang is currently guarding the southwest, responsible for suppressing Japanese pirates and southwest government affairs. Under his management over the years, the southwest has been thriving, and the silver paid to the treasury every year is full. I heard from the people below that Mr. Zhang governs well, and the people are grateful to him, and they also gave him an umbrella for the people."

"It turned out to be him!"

The emperor, who had some impression, was in a good mood immediately, looking at the calligraphy and painting in his hand, and said with admiration.

"Paintings and calligraphy are like people. Those who can paint such famous paintings must be loyal ministers. It's a pity to keep such a talented person in the local area. Transfer him back."

The emperor looked at the scroll in his hand and couldn't let it go for a while. The beauty on the scroll made him itch.

He had expectations for Zhang Rongling, the "virtuous minister".

Three months later.

Zhang Rongling returned to Beijing again, and this time no one stopped him.

The officials who took his money and the members of the New Party who lost power gathered around him. This time, with the help of someone in the palace, he successfully entered the cabinet in just half a year and became a cabinet elder of the Holy Dynasty, the highest position among the ministers.

This year, Zhang Rongling was 48 years old.

Dressed in a crimson official robe, he stood at the front of the hall. The only one who blocked his steps was the prime minister.

"Three months later, on the birthday of Emperor Donghua, I plan to rebuild the Donghua Hall to comfort the emperor's blessing. What do you think?"

The emperor sat on the dragon throne and talked about his plan. He felt that the Holy Dynasty had reached its peak under his leadership, with peace and prosperity in the country and all races coming to pay tribute. As an emperor of a prosperous era, he should offer sacrifices to the gods and let future generations remember him.

"Your Majesty, there is a severe drought in Dongjun and the treasury is empty. We really can't spare the money to repair the palace."

The Minister of Revenue knelt down with sweat on his forehead, looking at the prime minister for help.

He was an official of the prime minister's department, in charge of the purse of the Holy Dynasty. This position was like a volcano for the Minister of Revenue. If the Holy Dynasty had money, these would naturally not be a big deal. He just had to pay the money. But now the Holy Dynasty is empty inside, and many officials' salaries have been in arrears for half a year. It's too late to fill the holes, so where is the money to repair the palace.

"Your Majesty, it's enough to comfort the emperor to offer sacrifices to the gods and kill animals. Why do you need to repair the palace? As a monarch, you should put the people of the world first and must not be greedy for pleasure and waste the people's strength."

The prime minister stepped forward and pushed back the emperor's will.

The emperor was very unhappy about this incident. He felt that he was the ruler of the world, but he couldn't even take out the money to build a palace.

The court officials were all rats, stealing the country's wealth and treating the emperor harshly.

Zhang Rongling, who stood by and said nothing, flickered his eyes. He knew his chance had come.

After the court meeting, Zhang Rongling found an opportunity to enter the palace to paint for the emperor.

Taking this opportunity, Zhang Rongling vigorously promoted his reforms and bluntly said that the emperor should enjoy the world, and the prime minister was just a figurehead. The emperor, who was already dissatisfied with the prime minister, immediately made up his mind to change the prime minister. After two years of game, the prime minister of the "old party" successfully retired, and Zhang Rongling, who represented the "new party", took the position of prime minister and stood on the stage he had dreamed of.

This year, Zhang Rongling was fifty years old.

Chen Luo was seventy-three years old.

White hair began to appear on Zhang Rongling's head and wrinkles began to appear on his face. His wife Junru was also 47 years old, and their children had grown up and started to enter the political arena. As prime minister, Zhang Rongling used his power to the limit, opening the door for his two sons to cheat in the imperial examinations, so that they could pass the imperial examinations in their twenties and get their names on the gold list.

Under Zhang Rongling's "New Deal", the Sheng Dynasty began to reform. Unlike the disputes between the new and old parties, the basis of Zhang Rongling's reform was to make money. Standing on this basis, the local gentry and powerful people led a carnival, land annexation was serious, and selling children and daughters was everywhere.

Compared with the miserable conditions in the local areas, the capital was prosperous and prosperous.

Under the influence of Zhang Ronling, the emperor became more and more greedy for pleasure. Coupled with the encouragement of people around him, he felt that his achievements were greater than those of Taizu and the three emperors.

Twenty years.

Zhang Ronling extended his power to all aspects, including civil servants, military attachés, and palace servants, all of whom had his people. At this point, Zhang Ronling's power has reached its peak, his foundation in the outside world has been shattered, his breath has officially fallen to the Qi Refining Realm, and his chest and head have been burned by black fire.

Just when Zhang Ronling was standing at the peak of his life and ready to enjoy life, aliens invaded.

The frontier army, which had been corrupted under Zhang Ronling's "New Deal", was no match for the foreigners at all, but it had abandoned a large amount of land in just a few months. The foreign weapons and weapons have been fighting all the way to the capital. The emperor, who woke up from the dream of "one emperor for all eternity", and his ministers could not escape in panic.

The country is destroyed and the family is destroyed.

Zhang Ronling, the 70-year-old Prime Minister, was also in the group who could not escape. He was separated from his two sons and was only protected by a group of domestic slaves.

The situation was chaotic. Zhang Ronling was very old. After running for a while, he was abandoned by a domestic slave. He, Chen Luo and his wife Jun Ru were abandoned in the wilderness.

Corpses littered the fields and devastation was everywhere.

Two days later, Zhang Ronling's wife Jun Ru died of illness.

"Jun Ru? Jun Ru"

Seventy-year-old Zhang Ronling sat among the ruins, holding the woman in his arms and crying bitterly. He didn't understand why he would end up like this after he had already come this far. He has been chasing all his life, but in the end he got nothing.

"She's dead."

Chen Luo stood on the side. He was ninety-three years old. At this age, he was already a living god. But Chen Luo is still tall and straight, with white beard and white hair, like a god.

"Why?"

Sensing the growing coldness of the woman in his hands, Zhang Ronling raised his head and looked at Chen Luo and asked his first question.

He didn't understand.

"I don't know either."

Chen Luo really didn't know. The brain of the mummy told him that he could escape from the tribulation by cutting it off, but what was the tribulation? He couldn't even see it, so how could he kill it? He can't kill himself, right? He didn't think that Zhang Ronling would be able to escape the 'catastrophe' by killing him. This so-called disaster should be an abstract thing.

"ha!"

Zhang Ronling smiled. He gently put the woman down in his arms, took a stone from the side and slowly dug a hole.

He started to bury the woman bit by bit.

Chen Luo stood aside and watched, but did not help. Zhang Ronling's life has come to an end, and the inner demon tribulation is about to end. He can sense it as he practices the inner demon art.

With the woman's burial, Zhang Ronling's energy and energy were almost exhausted.

He lay among the ruins, extremely hungry. He had not eaten for two days. When the group of house slaves escaped, they robbed him of all his food. Chen Luo also sat down next to him, just as he had been with him all these years, ever since Zhang Ronling passed the exam and he had been silently accompanying him. Watching him step by step from a high-spirited young man to his current ending.

"So thirsty."

Zhang Ronling leaned against the dead tree behind him, looked up at the vultures circling in the sky, and said something with dry lips.

Just at this moment, a farmer passed by dragging a cart, and an old woman with gray hair and chicken skin was lying on the cart. The two people also noticed them. The old woman on the cart turned her head and her eyes met Zhang Ronling's.

With just one glance, Zhang Ronling's memory started to go back as if going backwards.

He thought of this woman.

Thinking of the woman he asked his second uncle to help him give up many years ago in order to cling to the powerful, her eyes were still the same as before, and she smiled when she saw Zhang Ronling. Zhang Ronling turned his eyes and saw the farmer pulling the cart in front of him. The man had a peace charm hanging on his chest.

"Hahaha calamity? Calamity! So that's it, that's it."

Zhang Ronling suddenly laughed.

Along with the laughter, he felt like he was coming back to his senses, his energy returned to its peak, and he actually stood up from the edge of the dead tree. The colors around him began to fade, a layer of mist rose over the whole world, and the sound of swords faded away.

"Second uncle?"

Zhang Ronling's eyes fell on Chen Luo. At this moment, he finally remembered who he was and what he was doing.

He is Zhang Ronling!

Going through the inner demon tribulation.

"Do you regret it?"

Chen Luo looked at Zhang Ronling who had woken up and asked suddenly. Many years ago, he once gave him some advice and told him to 'let it go', but at that time Zhang Ronling was unwilling and made it clear that if there really was another side, then let Zhang Ronling over there never wake up.

"No regrets."

Zhang Ronling looked at Chen Luo and said seriously.