"Your little princess is not like a mortal."

This was the evaluation Yan Shu said after seeing the youngest daughter of Song Beiyun's family for the first time, because this child was born with a pair of bright and bright starry eyes, and with a birthmark born between his eyebrows, it looked like a fairy child walking out of the painting.

“Now is not the time to discuss my daughter.”

Song Beiyun sat at the stone table with his chin on his face, looking worried. Liao Kingdom had already issued an ultimatum to Song Kingdom. If they were to make such a mess, they would really send troops to suppress it.

This is something, Song Beiyun can understand, Zhao Xing's thing... is really not a thing.

But what Song Beiyun can do now is to delay, and delay again and again. But Han Qi can wait, but Fo Baonu can't wait, because the entire output in the first two quarters of the Song Dynasty declined by about fifteen points, and the Liao Kingdom collapsed by ten points.

Although it has gradually recovered, if this continues, the Song Dynasty cannot withstand the Liao Dynasty and the Liao Dynasty cannot withstand it. Zhao Xing is indeed actively organizing production, but the problem is that it takes time to go from chaos to order, and now everyone is racing against time...

"Then what can you discuss if you don't discuss your daughter? Let's drag it out, I hope the official can figure it out. He is an emperor and he can do it slowly."

"But have you ever thought about what would happen if he succeeded?"

Yan Shu shook his head. He did not think about this level, because Zhao Xing's nonsense could not succeed at all. This was something he had already determined in his heart.

Song Beiyun chuckled: "It will create an unprecedented new world."

It is actually not easy to find Yan Shu to understand. There are two things in the world that are the most difficult. Put your ideas into other people's brains and put other people's money into your own pockets. Especially the former is even more difficult hundreds of thousands of times.

At this time, Song Beiyun had nothing to explain, so he could only sit there quietly and smiled sadly.

On the second day, Fo Baonu asked for an explanation again. Song Beiyun promised that in the next two quarters, the production plan formulated at the beginning of this year would definitely be completed, and everything would never be affected next year. If it cannot be fulfilled, the new emperor will be immediately supported after the Spring Festival next year.

This is probably the final compromise, and there is no way. If Zhao Xing can't keep his word, then Song Beiyun will have to keep his word.

He is now in charge of the Golden Seal and becomes the one who is the One Word Jiuding. Even if he is reluctant to give up, he will inevitably be responsible for the people of the world.

Song Beiyun's mentality was actually a bit collapsed due to the difficulties of this decision.

Perhaps it was Fo Baonu who saw his helplessness and embarrassment that he went to the villa in the evening to prepare wine and food for him.

"Don't blame me, I have to consider it for the people. The harvest was not good last year, and if it delayed again this year, things would be difficult to deal with."

"I know, I don't blame you." Song Beiyun leaned against the pavilion, holding the wine glass and staring at the sky in a daze: "I want to retire, but I don't want to do it anymore. After retirement, I go home to be a teacher in school, teach students, and take care of children. Anyway, my whole life will pass soon."

"Don't say anything weird." Fo Baonu held the wine pot and lifted up his sleeves and filled a glass of wine for Song Beiyun: "You said you are difficult, who is not difficult in the world? Are you talking about me? Are you talking about Han Qi? Everyone has a lot of trouble, why are you the only one who is tired?"

"You don't know my dream back then."

"It's different from the past. Now you are in charge of the public service. The people have to rely on you for their own sake. If you leave, who cares about them? Don't worry about giving this world to a ten-year-old child?"

Song Beiyun sighed: "But I am really tired."

"Come on, hug the child." Fo Baonu picked up his cute daughter from the cradle and put it on Song Beiyun's hand: "You don't want your daughter to be sent to marry in the future, right?"

"dare!"

"Do it well."

Song Beiyun looked down at his daughter with his big eyes, and suddenly laughed: "Life is indeed unsatisfactory."

In the days that followed, Song Beiyun's life was completely filled with official duties, and he basically had no time for himself.

Until the end of the year, production was basically restored and everything began to proceed in an orderly manner.

Zhao Xing was still struggling, but after the most enthusiastic and restless period, it has gradually subsided, and many things have also begun to explore and move forward in the normal direction.

On this day, Song Beiyun, who had just presided over the end of the year-end work meeting, found that there was a resignation letter on the table. After he opened it, he found that it was Ding Xiang's resignation letter.

He didn't read the content of the letter, so he got up and went to Ding Xiang. When he went over, he found that Ding Xiang was already packing his luggage, and he was obviously planning to leave.

Song Beiyun was a little confused. The sudden resignation statement made him a little panicked: "Ding Xiang, where are you playing?"

"It's time." Ding Xiang's face was exhausted: "A month later, I will be a sixty-six-year-old, it's time to take a break."

"But what should I do when you leave?"

"When God is about to give a great responsibility to this man, he must first suffer his will." Old Ding smiled with his beard and smiled: "Mr. Song is still young, and I still hope to see what Mr. Song said in his lifetime."

After saying that, Ding Xiang stood up and bowed to the end: "The future of China, please."

Song Beiyun gritted his teeth and said, "I really have to leave?"

"I have to leave. I am stupid in my thinking. Political affairs can no longer keep up with the times." Ding Xiang said firmly: "The rest is to see Song Xiang and Yan Xiang, and I hope Song Xiang will agree."

Song Beiyun clenched his fists and was about to say something, but then there was nothing to say. He just bowed his hands and fists: "Ding Xiang pays attention to his body."

Ding Xiang chuckled gently and replied with a gift, then turned around and left casually.

Outside, it was already full of colorful clouds, and Song Beiyun sat alone in the yard with the cold wind, feeling lost.

Another old man who witnessed the times left. Song Beiyun didn't know if he could see him again this farewell, and he didn't even know how to speak up and try to keep him.

"So you're here."

I don’t know when Yan Shu walked in. His face was a little anxious. After seeing Song Beiyun, he breathed a sigh of relief: “The news came from Chang’an that Duke Ding Guo was seriously ill, and it should be that his old injury relapsed… This time…”

When Song Beiyun heard the news, he suddenly sat next to him dejectedly, and he couldn't recover for a long time.

"How do you say, do you want to go back and have a look?"

"Hmm? What did you say?"

"I said, do you want to go back and have a look?"

Song Beiyun did not affirm or deny it. He could no longer make a decision easily. Now the entire court was originally relying on the three prime ministers to maintain operation. Now that Ding Xiang has retired, the three giants are suddenly incomplete. If Song Beiyun leaves again, the court may be in chaos.

"I know what you mean, and I know what Ding Xiang left, but his work has been arranged, and newcomers will be promoted soon. I... can probably still withstand it. I think you should go back and take a look."

Song Beiyun sighed, but still didn't speak for a while. He just looked up at Yan Shu and said, "Can you really stand it?"

"The only thing in the world is life and death is a major event. Could it be that I can't let you go back and see the last time Duke Ding? You go."

Song Beiyun sighed: "In the end, he was not free."

"Life is hard to find freedom in life. Life is like you, Song Beiyun, and it is even more delusional."

The next morning, Song Beiyun made some luggage and headed towards Chang'an. He really felt that he had grown a lot this year. Although there was good news, it was more painful after all.

On the way back to Chang'an, he saw that the railway was under construction. The railway built by Song and Liao countries with all their efforts has now been completed by one-third, and the rest is only left to time.

Of course, this is good news. Another good news is that the first trial-run fully steam-powered inland river transport ship was put into trials in Lianyungang. However, the development of electricity has encountered obstacles and there is no way to conduct long-distance transmission, but the breakthrough may have been in the past two years, because after the first fleet returned, a trade network has been formed with the other side, and the natives on the New World also began to cut rubber on a large scale after receiving the signal to exchange for industrial products.

The speed of progress brought by rubber exceeded Song Beiyun's imagination, but now he really has no time to take care of these things. He even kept thinking about the arsenal and took care of them flawlessly.

Now he is often on the road of running back and forth. Now he thinks that he may have come back in this life to pay off Zhao Xing's life. He finally knows why Zhuge Liang died of illness and Wuzhangyuan. He is so filthy and tired.

Now the journey is much faster because of a good road, but it still took seven or eight days to arrive in Chang'an.

He rushed to Duke Ding's residence before he even had time to rest. He was lying on the bed at this moment, looking very bad.

When he saw him, Song Beiyun knew that his life was not much. He told Zuo Rou that Duke Ding's body was getting worse day by day due to the trauma on the battlefield. Now it is finally time for the oil to run out.

"How about it?"

Princess Fu asked Song Beiyun anxiously who walked out of the house, but Song Beiyun could only shake her head gently and said, "Duke Zuo's body... the injuries he suffered in his early years have not been cured. It usually looks normal, but once the problem is apart, the body suddenly collapses."

Prince Fu next to him had a gloomy face. He sat there sighed for a while and looked up at Song Beiyun: "Why are you so haggard?"

Song Beiyun laughed silently. He couldn't say that Prince Fu would ask his nephew to question him, right?

While talking, Zuo Rou was walking in with her daughter and Zuo Fang. After they saw Song Beiyun, Zuo Rou stepped forward and asked, "How is my father's health?"

Song Beiyun did not answer her, but just picked up her daughter: "I'll try my best."

Zuo Rou asked around without hesitation, but Zuo Fang heard the implicit sound in her words. She just sighed, but her eyes turned red. She looked up and said to Prince Fu: "I didn't expect it to be so suddenly..."

What can King Fu say? Duke Ding was a partner who fought with him on the battlefield since he was a teenager. He was a superior and subordinate, a comrade and a brother. The two of them faced life and death countless times and could hand over their backs to each other's brothers, but now...

The one who truly cuts his heart is Prince Fu.

Song Beiyun's efforts ultimately failed to allow a miracle to happen. Duke Ding left the world the day before the New Year.

The funeral was very glorious, and there were endless people coming to pay their respects. But these people were just for Song Beiyun's face. Human joys and sorrows were not connected. Only the ones who were truly suffering were the closest relatives.

Zuo Rou seemed to have grown up suddenly on this day. She turned out to be unreasonable and quieted down overnight. She knelt next to the coffin. Although she had no tears, she could see her sadness and haggardness at just one glance.

That night, when Song Beiyun was leaning in there in a daze, Zuo Rou suddenly walked in, hugged him and started crying loudly, and said in a sad tone that had not appeared in nearly twenty years since he met him, "From now on, I will have no father or mother."

It makes people feel heartbroken.

Because Duke Ding was a top noble, Song Beiyun informed the Ministry of Rites and asked them to bury Duke Ding according to the rituals of the prince and posthumously named King Ding'an.

In response to his request before his death, the tomb was placed on the Guokui Mountain of Zuo Rou Blue Army. On the day of his burial, the three armies sent him here with the highest etiquette. Twenty-one salutes and eighty-one robberies were set up.

After completing the funeral of the Duke of Ding, it was the end of the New Year. The Chinese New Year was early this year, so he was not in a hurry to rush back to Jinling. After all, it was rare to be able to celebrate the New Year with his family.

In his spare time, he would always tell Jin Ling'er about his intention to stop doing it, but Jin Ling'er's words were exactly the same as Buddha Baonu's words. Over time, Song Beiyun never said anything again.

If this year is different from previous years, it may be that the atmosphere this year is a bit depressing, because the biggest pistachio in the family can no longer be happy, which made Song Beiyun feel very distressed.

But no matter how sad you feel, people always have to grow up. Life is nothing more than doing a subtraction and finally leaving naked. This kind of thing is insignificant for outsiders.

"Drinking alone?"

On New Year's Eve, when the whole family sat around the house to watch the New Year, Song Beiyun came to the yard alone, holding the wine pot and watching the stars in the sky, half asleep and half awake.

Hearing someone talking, he opened his eyes slightly and saw that it was Zuo Rou who had lost a lot of weight.

"Um."

"I'll drink with you." Zuo Rou grabbed the wine pot and raised her head to drink almost half of the remaining ones, then sat down and held Song Beiyun's knees: "I regret it so much..."

"What do you regret?"

"Repent... I shouldn't have had a fuss with my father when he was alive. On the day he left, I suddenly found that my sky was about to collapse. If someone bullies me in the future, I will never have a father to complain." Zuo Rou said and cried, looking sad: "I regret it very much..."

Song Beiyun patted his back, but said nothing, just let Zuo Rou cry for the second time.

From that day on, Zuo Rou had somehow restrained herself, no longer making nonsense, and began to look like a good wife and mother. Although she was still brave in the battle formation, she was still the one Zuo Rou who could make the North Navy tremble when she mentioned her name, but she changed in the end.

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Chapter completed!