Chapter 40: Imprisoned in his later years, the final poem!

Yuan Dynasty.

Kublai Khan frowned when he saw this poem.

"If this person could be used by me..." he whispered.

Bayan beside him said cautiously:

"Your Majesty, this person refuses to surrender even to death. I saw him back then, he is indeed a hard bone."

Kublai Khan was silent for a moment and said slowly:

"I know. I personally tried to persuade him to surrender, but he refused. When I killed him, I felt sorry for a long time."

He looked at the poem on the Sky Screen, a complex emotion flashing in his eyes.

"Who has ever escaped death since ancient times, keep a loyal heart to shine in the history books... Good poem, good poem."

Song Dynasty.

Su Shi was watching the Sky Screen.

Seeing this poem, he praised it.

"This poem should be passed down through the ages with the 'Song of Righteousness'!"

A friend beside him smiled,

"Mr. Dongpo, have you met a soulmate?"

Su Shi said seriously: "I dare not say soulmate, but this poem is written very well. Especially the last two lines, a masterpiece through the ages."

Qing Dynasty plane.

The Qianlong Emperor was also watching the Sky Screen.

Seeing this poem, he turned to Ji Yun and said:

"Pass the decree, carve this poem on a stone tablet and set it up in front of the Southern Study."

Ji Yun quickly said: "Yes."

Qianlong looked at Wen Tianxiang on the Sky Screen, was silent for a moment, and said slowly:

"Although this person is a subject of the Great Song, my Great Qing should also respect him. Loyal and righteous people do not distinguish between dynasties."

【Fifth Act, imprisoned in later years: Three years of purgatory, a "Righteousness" poem】

【Sky Screen image shows:

In the tenth month of the sixteenth year of Zhiyuan, Wen Tianxiang was escorted to Dadu of the Yuan Dynasty and imprisoned in the Bingma Division earth prison. This prison:】

【Low, narrow, no sunlight all day, water accumulated in summer and autumn, beds and tables floated, old rotten rice, rats and ants rampant, every heavy rain, sewage backflow.】

【Yuan Dynasty Prime Minister Ahema, Song surrendered official Liu Mengyan, and the fallen emperor Zhao Xian took turns persuading him to surrender. Wen Tianxiang bowed to Zhao Xian: "Please return, Your Majesty." He scolded Liu Mengyan: "You are a top scholar and prime minister, what face do you have to see the elders of Jiangdong today?"】

【Wen Tianxiang's highlight moment in his life:

In the summer of the eighteenth year of Zhiyuan, he wrote the "Song of Righteousness" in prison:】

【"Heaven and earth have righteousness, mixed and endowed with forms. Below it becomes rivers and mountains, above it becomes the sun and stars..."】

【A six-hundred-word long poem, listing twelve sages. Finally wrote: "Reading books under the windy eaves, the ancient path shines with color."】

On the Sky Screen, the image was dark and damp.

That earth prison, even a dog wouldn't want to stay in.

But Wen Tianxiang stayed in it for three years.

In those three years, he didn't see the sun and suffered all kinds of torture.

But he wrote a poem in prison, six hundred words, full of righteousness.

The Yuan Prime Minister came, he didn't surrender.

The Song surrendered official came, he scolded.

The fallen emperor came, he bowed and sent him away.

He wrote poetry in prison, wrote the stories of those sages, wrote the righteousness between heaven and earth.

Han Dynasty plane.

Sima Qian was watching the Sky Screen in the silkworm room.

Seeing the scene of Wen Tianxiang writing the "Song of Righteousness" in prison, he looked up, his eyes full of tears.

"This person's integrity can be compared to Bo Yi and Shu Qi!" he said excitedly.

He himself had also suffered castration and had been in prison.

He knew that kind of despair, knew that kind of pain.

But Wen Tianxiang was more miserable than him, Wen Tianxiang stayed in the earth prison for three years, suffered all kinds of torture, but wrote the six-hundred-word Song of Righteousness.

"I wrote the 'Records of the Grand Historian' so that later generations would know history. He wrote the 'Song of Righteousness' so that later generations would know what righteousness is. What we did is the same." He muttered.

Han Dynasty plane.

Su Wu was herding sheep in the North Sea.

Seeing Wen Tianxiang on the Sky Screen, he bowed from afar holding his staff.

"Nineteen years of herding sheep in the North Sea is not as good as this person's three years in the earth prison." He whispered.

He himself had suffered a lot herding sheep in the North Sea for nineteen years.

But Wen Tianxiang stayed in the earth prison for three years, which was harder than him.

Because he still had hope and could go back.

And Wen Tianxiang had no hope.

Ming Dynasty.

Yang Lian was in the imperial prison.

Seeing the scene of Wen Tianxiang writing the "Song of Righteousness" in prison, he wrote four words in blood: "My path is not lonely."

He himself was also in the imperial prison, suffering all kinds of torture.

But he knew he was not the first, nor would he be the last.

Wen Tianxiang was in front, and he was behind.

Their path was the same.

【Sixth Act, dying for justice: Wind and snow in Chai Market, righteousness lasts forever】

【On the ninth day of the twelfth month of the nineteenth year of Zhiyuan, Dadu Chai Market.

In the morning, the streets were empty, the people burned incense and cried, Wen Tianxiang asked:】

【"Where is the south?"】

【Someone pointed, he bowed three times to the south】

【The executioner asked: "Does the Prime Minister have any last words? Report to the Emperor, and you can still be spared from death."】

【Wen Tianxiang replied: "Tianxiang is the top scholar and prime minister of the Song, the Song has fallen, I can only die, not live."】

【Threw the pen and went to execution, at the age of forty-seven】

【The Sky Screen began to show a close-up of this part:

At the moment the executioner's blade fell, the final poem fell from Wen Tianxiang's arms:】

【"Confucius said to achieve benevolence, Mencius said to take righteousness.

Only when righteousness is exhausted, benevolence is reached.

Reading the books of sages, what is the purpose of learning?

From now on, I hope to have no regrets."】

【A violent wind rose at the execution ground, rolling up the sky full of snow. The people said, the snow is white, the sky is gray, only Prime Minister Wen's blood — is golden.】

On the Sky Screen, the image was shocking.

Chai Market execution ground, the streets were empty, the people burned incense and cried, the crying shook the sky.

Wen Tianxiang asked: "Where is the south?"

Someone pointed to the south.

He bowed three times to the south, bidding farewell to his homeland.

The executioner said, surrender now, and you can still be spared from death.

He said, the Song has fallen, I can only die, not live.

Then, he threw the pen and went to execution.

At the moment the blade fell, a poem fell from his arms.

That was his final poem.

A violent wind rose at the execution ground, rolling up the sky full of snow.

The people said, the snow is white, the sky is gray, but Prime Minister Wen's blood is golden.

Late Ming Dynasty.

The Chongzhen Emperor was at Meishan.

Seeing the scene of Wen Tianxiang dying for justice, he was in tears.

"Prime Minister Wen... I... I have failed my ancestors!"

He knelt on the ground, crying bitterly.

He knew that the fate of the Great Ming was the same as the Great Song.

He also knew that he might not have the backbone of Wen Tianxiang.

But he still hoped that when that day came, he could be like Wen Tianxiang, with no regrets.

Late Song Dynasty.

Lu Xiufu was on the Yamen warship.

Seeing the scene of Wen Tianxiang dying for justice, he knelt on the ground.

"Prime Minister goes first, Xiufu will follow." He whispered.

Ten days later, the Battle of Yamen failed, and he carried the young emperor and jumped into the sea to die for the country.

He fulfilled his promise.

Yuan Dynasty plane.

Kublai Khan was in the Dadu Imperial Palace.

Seeing the scene of Wen Tianxiang dying for justice, he sighed.

"Good man, not used by me, it is a pity to kill him." He whispered.

Bayan beside him said cautiously: "Your Majesty, do you regret killing him?"

Kublai Khan was silent for a moment and said slowly:

"I don't regret it. He refused to surrender, I had to kill him. But I regret, it's a pity that such a good man could not be used by me."

He looked at the Sky Screen, a complex emotion flashing in his eyes.

Kublai Khan ordered: "Pass the decree, bury Wen Tianxiang with honors." ===== CHAPTER 41 =====