Call of the Heroes of Chaos in Another World

Chapter 2599 Pingzhang Receives Important Responsibility on His Deathbed, Xuanyang Returns to Xuandu

Chapter 2599 Pingzhang Receives Important Responsibility on His Deathbed, Xuanyang Returns to Xuandu Overnight

After Jiang Ziya left and all the civil and military officials returned to their tents, the atmosphere inside became extremely heavy.

The surviving civil and military officials all wore sorrowful expressions. Xiao Pingzhang's brows were deeply furrowed, while Mu Xuanyang, this young and fierce general, still had blood seeping from the bandaged wounds on his body, but his eyes burned with an indomitable flame.

Such a long period of high-intensity combat, with no effective rest for a long time, coupled with the fact that the enemy also had many strong generals.

Even with Mu Xuanyang's bravery, he was wounded repeatedly in this battle.

Looking at the state of the officials and soldiers in the tent, Xiao Ping'an couldn't help but sigh helplessly and said, "The court is tyrannical, the oppressive government is like a tiger, and the people are suffering."

"Back then, I was full of passion and wanted to use my sword to fight for the survival of the people. That's why I raised the banner of rebellion and founded the Great Xuan... But now it seems that I was wrong and that I was incompetent."

"Since the founding of the nation, when has the flames of war ever truly ceased? When have the people ever known peace? On the contrary, these years of war have left bones exposed in the wilderness, and for miles around, not a single rooster crows."

"In just three months this year, how many lives have been lost? Soldiers, civilians... hundreds of thousands of lives have been lost."

At this point, Xiao Ping'an turned around, his gaze fixed outside the tent, as if he could see the layers upon layers of corpses and seas of blood.

"This is all my fault. I was powerless to save the people from suffering, and instead I have caused this great calamity to befall them... I should atone with my death."

"Father!"

"Your Majesty!" A mournful cry erupted from inside the tent.

Mu Xuanyang suddenly stepped forward, his tiger-like eyes filled with tears, and said, "Victory and defeat are common occurrences in war. How can we speak lightly of life and death because of temporary difficulties? Your son is willing to lead the warriors to fight our way out for Father Emperor!"

The other adopted son, Xiao Pingzhang, remained silent, but his clenched fists also silently expressed his disapproval.

Xiao Ping'an raised his hand to stop the crowd's excitement. He stepped past Mu Xuanyang, who was closest to him, and instead looked at Xiao Pingzhang, who was a step further away, his eyes filled with complex guilt.

“Pingzhang, my son… I am sorry for what I did to you.”

Xiao Ping'an said slowly, "In the years since I adopted you as my son, have I ever given you a single day of peace and honor as a prince? Since you joined the army, it has been a time of swords and bloodshed."

"You're only twenty-three this year, but look at yourself..."

Xiao Ping'an's gaze fell on Xiao Pingzhang's blood-soaked bandages. "...How many patches of skin and flesh are still intact? Now, not only can I not give you the empire, but I will also place this heaviest burden on your shoulders, making you take over the position of Duke of Xuan of the Great Qian Dynasty in my place."

"From now on, you will live under someone else's roof, enduring humiliation and hardship... I, your father, am useless and heartless, and I have ultimately failed you too much."

Xiao Ping'an had adopted four sons in total, but of these, only Mu Xuanyang was someone he had raised from childhood.

The remaining three were all adopted after that incident.

After that incident, Xiao Ping'an did consider making Mu Xuanyang the successor of Da Xuan, but after a short while, he gave up on the idea.

While Mu Xuanyang is suitable for leading troops into battle, he is extremely unsuitable for governing a country.

He hadn't neglected to cultivate Mu Xuanyang's talents in other areas, but it could only be said that aside from martial arts, Mu Xuanyang was indeed at the very least gifted in other fields. As the ruler of Da Xuan, Xiao Ping'an believed he had a responsibility to the millions of people of Da Xuan and to hand over the kingdom to a suitable successor.

It was under these circumstances that, after Mu Xuanyang, Xiao Ping'an took in three more adopted sons.

Xiao Pingzhang was the one Xiao Pingan was most satisfied with among these adopted sons.

His original name was Xiao Pingzhang. He changed his surname to Xiao after Xiao Ping'an adopted him as his godson.

Only by changing his surname to Xiao could he be considered to have entered Xiao Ping'an's ancestral temple and legally have the right to inherit the Great Xuan.

Both are adopted sons and foster sons, but someone like Mu Xuanyang inherits the bloodline of the Mu family, while someone like Xiao Pingzhang, who changed his surname to Xiao and entered Xiao Ping'an's ancestral temple, inherits the bloodline of the Xiao family.

It is precisely because of this that, although both are his adopted sons, there are some things that only Xiao Pingzhang is qualified to do, while Mu Xuanyang does not have the title or qualification to do them.

Xiao Pingzhang knelt down with a thud, his voice choked with emotion but resolute, "Father, why do you say such things? My life was given to me by you, and my glory was earned alongside you!"

"Your subject does not wish to be a duke; I only ask to live and die with Father Emperor. At worst, I will die. How can I live a life of dishonor and kneel before the enemy!"

Xiao Ping'an looked at them, and a hint of tears finally welled up in his eyes, but they were quickly suppressed by a deeper resolve.

He stepped down from his command post, personally helped the two men up, and patted them firmly on the shoulders.

"Live and die together? That's easy for you to say." Xiao Ping'an's tone held a hint of sternness.

“If you all die with me, it will be a quick and clean end, but what about the brothers who are still alive on Wild Wolf Ridge? What about the people in the Great Xuan territory who live in constant fear? What about the subjects who are still struggling to hold on in the capital?”

Xiao Ping'an's gaze was like lightning as he stared at the two of them: "In this battle, enough people have died! In the past ten years or so, even more have died! Do we really want the remaining people to all be buried with us, to be sacrificed for our so-called integrity?"

"Death is the easiest thing in the world. You close your eyes and everything is over. But to live, to keep living, to carry everything on your shoulders, and to find a way to survive for the living, that is difficult!"

No one present was in more pain than Xiao Ping'an at this moment.

All his relatives died at the hands of the Daqian royal family, and no one wanted to fight Daqian to the death more than him.

However, among those present, he was the only one who did not have that qualification.

As a ruler and father, one should always place the well-being of the people above one's own personal feelings and grievances.

"I am old and weary. Let me, as your father, do this easy thing."

“You are still young. Xuan Yang has the courage of ten thousand men, and Ping Zhang has the heart of a child and the spirit of courage and determination… This difficult task, this burden of surviving and doing our best to let more people live, must be shouldered by you.” As he said this, Xiao Ping’an’s back seemed to hunch a little.

Xiao Pingan then turned to Mu Xuanyang, took out a handwritten letter that had been sealed with wax from his pocket, and solemnly handed it to him.

"Xuanyang, return to the capital immediately and personally deliver this letter to Prime Minister Xiao. Once he reads it, he will understand my intentions. After that, everything will be arranged by the Prime Minister."

"You shall depart today, traveling light and with minimal entourage. Rest assured, the troops of the Great Qian Dynasty... will not stop you."