Establishing a thousand-year family from the nobles of the Western Han Dynasty

Chapter 61 Withering and Rebirth

I think the last time I saw my father was when he went into Wu alone to kill King Liu Bi of Wu. It has been about ten or twenty years. I was deeply touched.

Xu Gong has always had a special dependence on his father. He has been afraid of death since he was a child. Although he is proficient in martial arts and military tactics, he just can't go to the battlefield and trembles at the sight of blood.

He felt that he had brought shame to his father, although his father did not blame him but instead encouraged him to keep working hard, but that's how people are. If they were blamed, that might not be a big deal, but they are afraid of this kind of thing, and the guilt in their hearts will become more and more intense.

Although Xu Gong overcame this fear later, he killed Hu Duo in battle and led the Han army to defeat the Donghu army of hundreds of thousands in one fell swoop, turning the tide of defeat and becoming the powerful prime minister and the minister entrusted with the care of the emperor's young son.

But unfortunately, his father had passed away and did not see all of this. When he learned that his father was not dead that day, he felt unimaginably good.

Xu Zhen slowly put down the fishing rod in his hand and walked over slowly: "My son, get up quickly."

"Thank you, father." Xu Gong, who was already in his fifties, stood up, tears even flowing from the corners of his eyes.

He was already in his twilight years now, but his father looked as young as he did in his youth. It was a very strange feeling.

"Father, you summoned Gong here so late at night. Are you going to... reprimand Gong for his incompetence?" Xu Gong lowered his head. The prime minister and Marquis Jing, who had held power for more than 20 years, now acted like a child who had done something wrong.

This is what he feared the most. If his father blamed him, he really didn't know what to do, because the Xu family was indeed going downhill.

I have let down the entire family.

"No, I am not blaming you. On the contrary, you have done very well. It is beyond my expectation. When you were a child, you were reckless and incompetent, but now you are worthy of being a famous prime minister and general."

Xu Zhen shook his head slightly. He was really satisfied with his son. He successfully took over the family when the family was in a period of transition, and achieved a level that was not inferior to what he had done in his youth.

He climbed up from a minor general to the high position of prime minister, and held this position for twenty consecutive years. Xu Zhou, Xu Gong and others also climbed to important positions. He also founded the Imperial Academy and was respected by scholars. It can be said that he laid a solid foundation.

He was very satisfied with the current situation. Liu Che did have the intention to suppress the Xu family, but that was all. It was actually good that he did not intend to kill them all.

"Father, you don't need to comfort Gong. If you do something bad, it's bad. Criticism is justified."

Xu Gong lowered his head. He thought his father was comforting him. Even when he was alive, His Majesty would still suppress the Xu family.

Of course, this actually depends on Liu Che. If he gets the urge, it is possible that Xu Zhou will be appointed as prime minister. But it should be impossible for him to be in charge of both military and political affairs like he is now. The primary point of weakening of the court is actually the military power, and the court is secondary. If the emperor wants, he can take it back at any time.

The people in the Xu family who hold military power now are mainly Xu Gong, Xu Nan and their nephews Xu Zhu and Xu Yao. They all hold important positions in the northern and southern armies and actually control the central military power.

Although Liu Che was more effective in speaking, he was definitely cautious due to his personality.

Xu Zhen took his hand and walked to a blooming peach tree, and said meaningfully:

"Gong, do you think this peach tree is beautiful?"

Xu Gong looked up at the sky, feeling the petals filling the air, and then said, "It's very beautiful. It looks like it has been blooming for quite some time."

"Then when do you think these peach blossom petals will all fall and wither?"

"Winter."

"When will new branches grow after withering?" "Spring... spring." After hearing this, Xu Gong was stunned and then fell into deep thought.

It seems that this is the truth his father wants to teach him. Everything has its time to bloom and wither, but withering does not mean destruction, but the birth of new life! The flowers that bloom again will be more beautiful and more tenacious than before!

"Father, do you want to tell Gong not to be too obsessed with temporary power and interests, but to look at the long-term?" Xu Gong found that he had understood. Yes, he was too obsessed with the so-called authority. No family can hold power forever. The Xu family has done quite well.

If my father had not stopped me and I had successfully gone to the Weiyang Palace to find His Majesty, that would have truly put Xu in a passive position.

Given Xu Gong's reputation, Liu Che certainly had no reason to refuse, but his suspicion of the Xu family would be even stronger, and even Xu Gong would not be spared!

The thought of this made him feel frightened. If he dragged the entire family into the abyss because of his short-sightedness, he would die with regret.

"Well, you are a teachable boy. You finally understand what your father means." Xu Zhen nodded with satisfaction. This is what he wanted to express.

"Everything has its positive and negative sides. You can't just look at the bad side. Liu Che's suppression of the Xu family is not entirely bad. It just so happens that we can stay out of it and get rid of some unnecessary suspicion. We will be reused in the future."

"My child, remember, you must go with the flow when it comes to court affairs. Don't go against the emperor. There is still a long way to go."

Xu Gong also understood it immediately: "I will remember this, thank you for your teachings, father!"

"Well, let's go back." Xu Zhen waved his hand and ended the power of "Xiaomengtai".

Then Xu Gong's body slowly became illusory, and disappeared from the spot when he bowed for the last time. I believe that he will be able to calm down after he returns.

[First Ancestor: Xu Zhen]

[Householder: Xu Gong]

[Status: Marquis, Prime Minister of the Han Dynasty, Teacher of the Emperor]

[Faction: Han Emperor]

[Attributes: Politics (78), Command (95), Wisdom (69), Military Strength (97), Controlling People (85), Literary Strategy (71)]

[Faction attitude: Han Emperor (friendly), ministers (respect), Xiongnu (blood hatred), soldiers (respect), Confucian scholars (respect), lawmen (respect), relatives (respect)]

[Props:
Golden God-Descending Order (Haotian Servant, God descends from the sky): Use this item to summon the gods to appear, call the wind and rain, meteorites to hit, and turn defeat into victory in a disadvantageous battle.
Gold·Innate Spirit Gathering Card (Supporting a building that is about to collapse, reversing the tide): Guaranteed to summon a heroic spirit with an average attribute of 95 or above

Golden Clan Cauldron (God bless, this is a family of destiny!): The minimum qualifications of the family's descendants are greatly improved, the probability of top talents appearing is slightly increased, and they are almost never to die in childhood.
Red Death Totem: It can protect the family from a certain death, showing the way to continue the family heritage.

Red Nativity Card: When the family is in absolute crisis, you can summon the Heroic Spirit of Valhalla to possess you temporarily (can be used three times)
Red Dream Platform: Can be used to convey orders to the future head of the Xu family through dreams, and can be used repeatedly.

Red Longevity Pill: can forcibly extend one’s life by ten years.

Purple Sprint: Marching speed increased by 200% (avoiding any objective factors) × 2
Purple Fireworks Order: Summons a spectacular thunderbolt x 5
Purple: Late Bloomer: Ten points of random attributes are awarded for each year after age 70, with all attributes increased up to 95.

Purple: Makes a small army of 2 people invulnerable to swords and spears, skilled in archery and horse riding, and proficient in military strategy (can be used when the morale reaches life and death, the life span of the soldiers will be greatly reduced) x
Yellow·Rebellious×27
Yellow·East Wind Break: Summons a hurricane blowing eastward x 7
Yellow Swallow Snow: Summon a snow cloud x 7
Yellow Resurrection Rain: Summons a rain cloud x 6
White props × 189】

(End of this chapter)