My vicious dog, my horse, I can do whatever I want with it

Autumn passes and winter comes.

Before Zong Yanli had the chance to enjoy the leisure time brought by the end of war, a letter from home suddenly arrived in Changfeng County.

My second uncle slipped and fell off his horse, injuring his waist and abdomen. He died due to the pain and cold.

When this sad news reached his family, Zong Yanli had just returned home from the military camp. He saw his mother's face was dejected and his fourth uncle was crying with his hands covering his face. Now, of the four brothers of the Zong Yan family, only Zong Yan Feiyi was left.

"Go call Guang He." Zong Yanli clenched his fists, took a deep breath, turned to Gao Feilin and ordered: "Prepare to set off immediately to Changfeng County."

Zong Yanfeiyi and Zong Yanli went to Changfeng County together, with the original intention of collecting Zong Yanhongtu's body and escorting him back home.

But when they arrived in Changfeng County, they found that the ancestral hall had already been built and people came to pay their respects in an endless stream. There were dozens of young and strong men guarding the coffin in front of the hall. The incense was burning brightly and white banners were fluttering. There were women, both old and young, kneeling over the table and crying.

Zong Yanli was stunned for a moment when he stood in front of the hall. She seemed like a visitor, not a close relative...

All those people wearing sackcloth and mourning scarves were from Changfeng County. They had been deeply indebted to Zong Yanhongtu for many years. Some had received his help, and some had received his money...

"When the bandits entered the village, it was Master Zong Yan who brought his men to save all of us..."

"My child got lost. We reported to the police for several days but could not find him. It was the adults who went into the mountains with their friends in the middle of the night to look for him and finally found him..."

"My mother is seriously ill. Master Zong Yan gave me money and found a job for me..."

"..."

For all those countless incidents over the past decade or so, the people inside and outside Changfeng County all respected and admired this general who protected the peace of the area. It was because of Zong Yanhongtu's existence that Changfeng County could be so prosperous and peaceful.

Now that the old general has passed away, white banners are hung along the ten-mile-long street. Lighting incense, mourning, and wearing mourning clothes are the only things they can do.

Zong Yanli took over his second uncle's belongings from them and read his suicide note. It turned out that Zong Yanhongtu had written a suicide note more than ten years ago, stating that he wanted to be buried in the martyrs' cemetery after his death and be together with his brothers who died in battle in and outside Changfeng County.

I can’t protect Changfeng for a hundred years while I am alive, but I wish to protect Changfeng for tens of thousands of years after I die.

He will be a general in this life and his heart is in this.

He also said that he knew he had made a wrong step and that even death would never forgive him. He had no face to face the ancestors of the Zongyan family, let alone his elder brother and sister-in-law. From now on, he would not enter the ancestral temple or the ancestral tomb, in order to ask for the approval of his relatives.

Zong Yanli felt that the relic in his hand was as heavy as a thousand pounds. The relic was divided into several parts, each part was left to Zong Yanli, Zong Yan Guanghe, Zong Yan Feiyi, Zong Yanyin and others, as well as several grandchildren.

Apart from these, Zong Yanhongtu invested his life savings in the people's interests and used them for charity, and never returned home until his death.

After Zong Yanli personally carried the coffin to bury his second uncle in Changfeng County, he looked back and saw the many people of Changfeng County kneeling in front of the tombstone. He also saw the white lanterns hung in every household and suddenly felt a little choked up.

In a trance, she seemed to have returned to the battle against the Qing Kingdom, and remembered the Kongming lanterns that thousands of people in Changfeng County raised without hesitation.

The sky lanterns are always lit, and the heart will never be extinguished.

Zong Yanli sighed deeply, closed his eyes, turned around and left Changfeng County with his second uncle's belongings.

After returning to Beijing from Changfeng County, it was almost the New Year. When Han learned that Zong Yanhongtu was unwilling to return to the ancestral temple, she just sighed. In Han's eyes, both her aunt Zhou and her second uncle seemed to be competing with her.

A man who has been scheming all his life, spends the rest of his life with a green lamp and ancient Buddha.

A man who felt guilty all his life and spent half his life alone at the border.

But Han would never comment on anything. People fight for a breath of air, Buddhas fight for a stick of incense. Whether it is Zhou or the second uncle, perhaps they will eventually take this path.

Han looked at the empty tablet in the ancestral hall and sighed, then lit three incense sticks. After this, there would be no more Zong Yanhongtu in the Zong Yan family. The prosperity of the family would have nothing to do with him. The children of the family would not worship him or burn incense. From now on, there would be no more Zong Yanhongtu in the Zong Yan family.

At the end of the year, Zong Yanli often went in and out of the palace. At the entrance of the hall, she was wearing military armor and had a little sweat on her forehead. It was obvious that she had just rushed to the palace from the military camp.

Zong Yanli stopped in front of the hall, took off the long sword from his waist and placed it on the weapon rack.

The palace maid who saw this scene wanted to say something but stopped herself. The emperor had already issued an order that the Prince of Zhenbei could carry a sword or a saber when he went to the palace, but Zong Yanli never wore a saber when he went to the palace, just like today. His attitude was humble and correct, and he never took risks without publicity.

Although the emperor was so respectful, he never showed any sign of arrogance, and he was always treated with the same courtesy as a subject.

Today, the Emperor was dizzy from the quarrel with his ministers over state affairs and ordered not to see anyone. However, Zong Yanli actually waited outside the palace for a full hour, and only entered the palace to meet the Emperor after the Emperor woke up from a nap.

"Since the teacher is here, why didn't you come in earlier?" He Honglang was very dissatisfied when he heard this. He was about to scold the palace servants when he heard Zong Yanli say, "The emperor is worried about state affairs everywhere, and he should have rested well. If I came here rashly and disturbed the emperor, and the emperor couldn't rest well, it would be my fault."

"Teacher, you really are..." He Honglang felt helpless after hearing these words. Under such circumstances, if he held the palace servants accountable again, it would seem that he, as the emperor, was too harsh.

Zong Yanli looked at He Honglang with gentle eyes and asked, "Is the emperor sleeping well?"

The tone and attitude were full of care, as if he was asking a question to a younger generation in the family.

He Honglang pursed his lips, smiled and nodded: "It's quite comfortable."

"Then it was worth waiting." Zong Yanli also smiled.

"I can't sleep so peacefully on ordinary days. I guess it's because my teacher is protecting me outside the palace that I can sleep so peacefully today." He Honglang laughed, pulled Zong Yanli to sit aside and said, "Uncle Ping returned today and brought back a lot of troubles..."

Now that the war has subsided, the burden of transporting salt and ironware has become heavier.

At the same time, Prince Wen He Jiarong returned to Beijing to pay tribute after the New Year. Prince Wen's visits to Beijing became more frequent, and He Honglang obviously complained about this.

However, there is no handle on He Jiarong. But this year is different. This year Zong Yanli is in the palace, which may be an opportunity. He Honglang mentioned that Zong Yanli was fighting with the Northern Kingdom, Wuhuan turned against him, and Quan Liangpeng suddenly appeared in Daqian.

The team transporting the chariots was ambushed, and even Uncle Ping was attacked and injured. The matter has not been investigated to any conclusion until now. On the surface, He Honglang seems to have given up the investigation, but he has been investigating secretly.

All signs point to Prince Wen He Jiarong, who suddenly returned to Beijing that year.

"I'm going to set up a trap." He Honglang finally showed the fangs of an emperor and eradicated all seemingly dangerous existences.

"Yes." Zong Yanli lowered his head and had no objection.

She did not think that He Honglang's action was cruel. It was the nature of an emperor to eliminate dissidents.

The fact that He Jiarong was targeted by the emperor can only be attributed to his stupidity. He made unfavorable moves and thus attracted the emperor's calculations.