Return of the Ancient Gods

Linjiang Prefecture, in front of the residence of Pingyang Marquis Chen He,

Chu Nan arrived safely and knelt in front of the door for three whole days, but the other party remained indoors and did not come out, nor did he send any reply.

Finally, the old man's only son, Chen Pingan, pushed the door open and walked out:

"Xiao Nan, we know why you are here. I am asking you a question on behalf of my father. Have you really thought it through?

Do you know how big an impact your actions will have? If you are not careful, the country will be overthrown and the country will be in danger?

You came here with murderous intent, so father is naturally unhappy..."

When Chu Nan was a child, he was well taken care of by Chen Pingan, who treated him like a brother and a father:

It was elder brother Chen Ping'an who taught Chu Nan to read and write, review his lessons, and practice cultivation. The two of them, together with Crown Prince Zheng, often played and had fun together, stealing wine, digging spiritual herbs, riding horses, and secretly fighting against King Xiaokang and his gang who were at odds with them. They had a lot of fun.

With his company, even though the eldest princess was busy with military affairs and could not stay in Beijing, Chu Nan still had a happy and beautiful childhood.

Whenever Chu Nan and his friends made mistakes and were discovered and faced punishment, it was always the honest elder brother Chen Ping'an who took the initiative to step forward and take responsibility for everything. For this, he had no idea how many times he had been beaten by the old man.

Later, the old man retired and lived in his hometown, and Brother Chen Pingan also left Beijing, but the friendship between the two did not change.

Looking up at the elegant young man in front of him, Chu Nan kowtowed heavily and shouted:

"Yes! This time, I asked you to come out of retirement, just to ensure that the country of Great Chu will last forever, and the people will live and work in peace and contentment. I hope you can do it!"

Chen Hezhi was a veteran of three dynasties with a very high reputation, unparalleled wisdom and divine military strategy. Although he had no training and could not even mount a horse or draw a bow, he created a brilliant record of defeating 7 enemy troops with 30 men. He joined the army at the age of 41 and was granted a title of nobility and appointed as prime minister at the age of 56.

With their help, great things can be accomplished.

Chen Pingan looked at Chu Nan expressionlessly, nodded, turned around and went back home to pass on the message.

There was no response, and Chu Nan continued to kneel outside for four days.

Finally, the door of the mansion opened, and a white-haired old man walked out slowly accompanied by Chen Pingan. He looked at him with loving eyes and said:

"Xiao Nan, I can promise to come out and help you, but there is a condition."

Chu Nan wanted to agree without thinking, but was interrupted by the other party, who asked him to enjoy the beautiful scenery of Linjiang Prefecture in the morning and do a morning jog.

"I haven't been out for a few days. Xiaonan, you may not have been here for many years, so please accompany me for a walk."

Chu Nan wanted to take over the responsibility of supporting the old man from Chen Pingan, but was stubbornly refused:

"I am still in good health, old man. I am not old enough to need your support."

The air in Linjiang Prefecture in the morning was exceptionally fresh, making people feel relaxed. As they strolled, they started chatting:

"More than a hundred years ago, Southern Chu declined and was bullied and occupied by Northern Yan for a hundred years.

38 years ago, nine heroes joined forces to fight the enemy, and finally won a tie with Northern Yan and established a new dynasty; later, heroes like your father emerged, and Southern Chu gradually recovered. "

Although the past is hard to recall, it gave birth to a group of heroes who, like bright stars, illuminated that dark period. The old man continued to talk:

"After a century of national hatred and your father's defeat of Northern Yan, the voices of war in the country grew stronger day by day, and many people requested to send troops to destroy Northern Yan, but your parents chose peace.

No one dares to have any opinions about the Demon Suppressing King, so they shift their attention to other things, so you have been an unpopular existence since you were born.

They are afraid that your existence will erode their faith in revenge, and eventually lead to laziness and decadence..."

"Well, the power of the Chu State was weakened at that time. Even if we won the war, it would cause endless disasters. We could only endure it!" Chu Nan nodded and replied. He had heard a lot from his mother and also experienced the sufferings of the people.

Because he is well aware of the reasons, Chu Nan does not feel too much resentment about this.

"Your father's decision was correct. Southern Chu has been oppressed and exploited by Northern Yan for a hundred years. Although a hero like your father has miraculously appeared, the foundation is empty and there is no possibility of continuing to fight." Chen Hezhi commented objectively, his eyes were deep and wise.

"In fact, if we were to ask who wants to fight to the death with Beiyan the most, it would definitely be your father. Recovering his homeland is his lifelong wish..."

All the way to Linjiang Prefecture, although not as prosperous as the capital, it is peaceful and harmonious, a scene of prosperity.

The effect of recuperation is remarkable.

"Your father is really amazing, with a far-sighted vision and profound plans. I have never been convinced by anyone in my life, but your father is one of them. He is also the only person I admire the most." Chen Hezhi smiled and habitually stroked his goatee with his hand.

"Is this considered mutual flattery? I often hear my father comment on you like this, uncle." Chu Nan teased, and the atmosphere eased a lot.

"Father was a soldier under your command back then. Thanks to your guidance and promotion, he later became the Demon Suppressing King."

"Oh, what does your father think of me? Tell me quickly." Chen Hezhi asked repeatedly with great interest.

"Uncle, aren't you indifferent to fame and fortune and don't care about these empty things? Why are you so enthusiastic?"

"Of course I don't care about other people's opinions, but I must listen to the Demon Suppression King's evaluation. I have to listen to it!" Chen Hezhi was very stubborn, just like a naughty boy crying and making a fuss to buy candy.

"My father often told me that Uncle He Zhi, you have supernatural powers and can pacify the world, but you are a little weird. You are obviously more suitable to be a civil official, but in the end you became a military general." Chu Nan said jokingly.

"Haha, that's true. I don't like scheming and plotting, I prefer to fight on the battlefield. A good man should hold a gun and ride a horse, rein in his horse and be crowned a noble, and express his lofty ambitions!

To be honest, I really envy your father. " Chen Hezhi smiled, glanced at Chu Nan who had a complicated expression, and comforted him:

"You have a gentle temperament and have never been exposed to the situations your father has been in, so you don't understand some of his actions. Once you have more experience, you will understand."

Chu Nan said nothing.

"The founding emperor of the Great Chu, Chai Yi, died young. Before his death, he abdicated the throne to your grandfather, Chu Xiong, instead of his brother, the old King Kang. Therefore, the lineage of King Kang is hostile to you. Chu Xiong died even younger. He died of illness after ten months in office..." Chen Hezhi continued to narrate history, which was tangled and helpless.

"Now that the King of Chu has taken the throne, the King of Han and others are dissatisfied, resulting in the current complex forces and infighting."

"Oh!" Chu Nan felt a headache just by listening to it and sighed helplessly.

"Frequent changes of the throne are a taboo. God has no mercy on me. The current Emperor Chu is not the wise ruler I hoped for, but compared to others, he has two irreplaceable advantages." Chen Hezhi explained, his eyes became sharp.

"Compared to the fierce and brutal lineage of King Kang and the warlike and unwise King Han, the weak and gentle King Chu is better for the current Southern Chu. This is the first reason; the second is Prince Zheng of Liyang!"

Hearing this, Chu Nan boldly asked:

"Then Uncle He Zhi, what do you think of Emperor Chu?"

"He was not a wise ruler, but he was certainly not a foolish one either. His achievements included reforming the civil service, removing redundant officials, reducing taxes, and developing production.

But the recent reforms to weaken local power, coupled with his suspicious personality, are also a lesson for us..."

Chu Nan had no way to refute it. The old man had indeed hit the point:

The root cause of the civil unrest in Da Chu now is the powerful local forces that fail to carry out the king's orders. The Lei family of Luoxia Mountain is the best example.

The King of Chu was very suspicious, which was even more of a headache. The figure of a person unconsciously emerged in Chu Nan's mind.

"And this is the key point I want to make. No massacre, this is my only condition." Chen Hezhi looked at Chu Nan very seriously and said:

"We are of the same origin, why are we so eager to fight each other? I don't want the country to continue to waste its energy and become poor and weak. I don't want to see the tragedy happen again. Can you do it?"

After thinking for a long time, Chu Nan promised seriously:

"Yes, I am willing to promise you, Uncle He Zhi."

Seeing the sincerity in Chu Nan's eyes, Chen Hezhi smiled with satisfaction and then said:

"In fact, what you are trying to do is just to treat the symptoms but not the root cause. If we want the real peace and stability in South Chu, the key still lies in the Liyang Crown Prince's political power..."

"Well, I understand the logic, but we really can't find the whereabouts of Prince Zheng. We only know that he is still alive, and we know nothing else, otherwise we wouldn't be so passive." Understanding what the old man meant, Chu Nan smiled bitterly and felt quite a headache.

"Prince Liyang is good in everything, but he was too impulsive back then. This ordeal is a blessing for both him and Nan Chu." Thinking back to Prince Liyang's political career, the old man smiled with satisfaction, then looked at Chu Nan with interest and suggested:

"Why don't you take over? You may be a little less magnanimous, but it won't be a problem to slowly reform yourself."

"Uncle He Zhi, please stop making fun of me. I know I'm not cut out for it. Besides, the romantic prince has been very good in the past three years. Wouldn't it be better to be a romantic prince than an emperor in the future?"

Regarding Chu Nan's "lofty ambitions", Chen Hezhi smiled without saying anything, and then said:

"In fact, from the moment you make the sacrifice, victory will belong to you."

"You know?" Chu Nan was terrified. He had kept silent about the truth of the attack and cripple, even to his parents. He didn't expect that the wise general far away would be the first to see through it.

"It's just speculation. Four years ago, something went wrong in the training of the Demon King. The conflict between King Kang and the King of Chu intensified. Add to that the incident with Crown Prince Li Yang, and a war could have broken out at any time. But something happened to you, which provided the King of Chu with an excellent excuse to divide and disintegrate the forces of all parties. The most important thing is to buy some breathing time." Chen Hezhi analyzed it in detail. Every time he thought of King Kang's smug face, he couldn't help shaking his head.

"You can imagine the complex emotions King Kang felt at the time, including secret delight, confusion, and regret. Little did he know that all his chances of success had been ruined by you."

The two chatted for a long time along the way. When they talked about one person, their faces became serious:

Chu Xiu, a favorite of the Emperor of Chu, has been highly regarded as Chu Nan's replacement in the past three years and has risen rapidly.

"I wonder what you think, Uncle He Zhi?" Chu Nan asked curiously. Although he had never had a head-on confrontation with Chu Xiu, he also felt that he was a difficult person.

"I have only met him a few times, and that was before you got into trouble. I know very little about him, so it's hard to say. In my opinion, he looks kind but has a cruel heart. He is definitely not a good person." Chen Hezhi shook his head helplessly, and then changed the subject.

"I can plan other things for you, but you still need to bear some burdens yourself."

"Nephew understands!" Chu Nan nodded heavily.

……