PFC Chapter 702 The general is still there, but he is no longer young.
Chapter 702 The general is still there, but he is no longer young.
Zhang Xuanwei and Li Chunfeng were standing in their positions, their eyes inadvertently glancing forward.
At the moment when the red tripod with dragon pattern was slowly carried into the hall, they seemed to be pulled by an invisible powerful force and stood up almost at the same time.
Zhang Xuanwei's eyes widened instantly, staring at the tripod intently. He saw a majestic aura gathering and surging on the top of the tripod. His breathing became unconsciously rapid, and his heart was like a raging storm, unable to calm down for a long time.
What is now condensed on it is clearly the fate of the Tang Dynasty!
That is a symbol of the rise and fall of the Tang Dynasty!
Rutherford was standing aside with a calm expression.
Since he dared to present this tripod, he must have spent a lot of energy in advance, reading through the mountains of Tang Dynasty historical materials, and he knew the origin of this tripod very well.
At this moment, he adjusted his unique attire and respectfully bowed to Li Jingyou, who sat high on the dragon throne. He spoke in the slightly stiff official language of the Tang Dynasty, "Your Majesty, the Supreme Emperor of the Tang Dynasty, I believe that this dragon-patterned red tripod will be familiar to you."
"Back then, King Wu of Qin was ambitious and wanted to demonstrate the power of the Qin State by lifting a tripod, but unfortunately he died of a broken leg."
Rutherford paused briefly, scanning the faces of everyone in the hall one by one, observing their subtle reactions, and then continued, "However, I have heard that what he raised was actually the destiny of the Qin Dynasty. It was because of this that the First Emperor was able to follow this destiny, sweep across the six kingdoms, and establish the Qin Empire that shook the world."
"But now, the Tang Dynasty is prosperous and its territory is vast, far surpassing many dynasties in history. It can be called a model of prosperity."
"King Wu of Qin was able to lift the tripod even in such a difficult situation. I wonder if there are any brave men in this vast and talented Tang Dynasty who can lift this dragon-inscribed red tripod and allow us, the foreign envoys, to broaden our horizons and witness the extraordinary spirit of the Tang Dynasty."
After Rutherford finished speaking, the corners of his mouth rose slightly, revealing a hint of provocative smile.
As soon as these words were spoken, the entire hall exploded and everyone was horrified.
Everyone's eyes were focused on the tall and heavy red tripod with dragon pattern. Judging from its appearance alone, such a huge tripod seemed to be heavier than one could imagine. How could it be easily lifted by human power?
Li Chunfeng, his eyes wide open with anger at this moment, stepped forward directly.
He pointed at Rutherford and shouted, "You bold lunatic! How dare you, a foreign envoy, speak nonsense and make false statements before the Emperor of the Tang Dynasty!"
"Your Majesty, this man's words are outrageous and his intentions are sinister. I implore Your Majesty to immediately order his execution to uphold the law and uphold the prestige of the Tang Dynasty. Let these foreigners know that the majesty of the Tang Dynasty is inviolable!"
After Li Chunfeng finished speaking, his chest heaved violently.
Li Jingyou sat on the high dragon throne, his expression as calm as water. He first looked at the indignant Li Chunfeng, but did not immediately express his opinion. Then he slowly turned his gaze to Rutherford.
Rutherford and Li Jingyou's eyes met in the air. In an instant, he seemed to understand the deep meaning that flashed in His Majesty's eyes, and immediately understood it.
"Your Majesty, every word I say comes from the heart and is not made up."
Rutherford bowed respectfully again and said calmly, "Since everyone says that lifting such a huge tripod is beyond human power, then I would like to ask, how did King Wu of Qin lift it?"
"Could it be that the prosperous Tang Dynasty today is actually inferior to the once isolated Qin State?"
"I also heard that years ago, our Arab envoys presented a majestic lion as tribute. When everyone else retreated in fear, a young general stepped forward and successfully subdued the ferocious lion with just three punches and two kicks."
"At that time, Emperor Gaozong personally praised him, saying that he was a pillar of the Tang Dynasty, born with supernatural powers and unmatched."
Rutherford continued to press, "I boldly speculate that this general's power is probably not inferior to that of King Wu of Qin, right?"
"I wonder if that once-famous young general is still in this hall right now?"
After hearing Rutherford's words, everyone's eyes seemed to be drawn by an invisible hand and turned to Qin Ruzhao who was drinking alone.
Qin Ruzhao was wearing a calm and dignified general's robe, with a calm expression.
He held the wine cup in his hand and gently swirled the wine in the cup, and the aroma of the wine slowly spread around him.
Almost at the same moment, many ministers with extremely keen political acumen subconsciously frowned.
They looked at Rutherford, who looked very proud, with complicated expressions, and then cast their gazes at His Majesty, who was sitting high on the high platform with an unfathomable expression, and couldn't help but gasp in their hearts.
If all this seemingly accidental happening was actually carefully arranged by His Majesty behind the scenes, then His Majesty's deep scheming and sophisticated methods are truly chilling.
Li Jingyou looked at Qin Ruzhao with a meaningful smile on his face, and called softly: "Brother Qin... look at this..."
Before Li Jingyou could finish his words, Qin Ruzhao slowly stood up.
His movements were neither hurried nor slow, but with a sense of determination, he directly interrupted Li Jingyou's words.
"Your Majesty, please don't call me Brother Qin. We are now in a relationship between monarch and subject, and we must strictly abide by the etiquette between monarch and subject."
After saying this, he turned his head slightly, looked directly at Rutherford, and said in a deep voice: "The general is still here, but he is no longer the young man he was back then."
After saying that, he slowly reached out and carefully took out the military token of the Fifth Battalion from his arms.
This military token was once a symbol of the heavy military power in his hands. At this moment, he placed it gently on the table, making a slight but seemingly heavy muffled sound.
Qin Ruzhao straightened his back, took a deep breath, and walked slowly towards the red cauldron with dragon pattern, step by step.
"General, General, you can't do that!"
Wang Wen was sitting in the last row. Seeing that Qin Ruzhao actually wanted to lift the tripod without hesitation, he could no longer suppress his worry. He stood up suddenly and shouted loudly, his voice trembling.
Qin Ruzhao paused, slowly turned his head, and glanced at Wang Wen. His eyes held a soothing look as he nodded gently at Wang Wen and said firmly, "It's okay."
He walked to the red cauldron with dragon pattern and slowly stretched out his hands. His hands were covered with calluses from years of fighting.
His fingertips gently stroked the inscription on the tripod.
He stood up and slowly looked around at the various officials in the court. Those familiar faces were now few and far between.
Xianhuai, who once shared life and death with him, is not here, and His Majesty, who once showed him great kindness, is not here either.
Fortunately, they are not here.
You don't have to see what you are facing now.
"I was highly regarded by the late emperor, and became famous at a young age. I was given the title of Divine Martial General, and I have held military power to this day, without any fear."
Qin Ruzhao murmured in a low voice.