Cold Light Lasts Forever

Zhuge Liang died in the autumn of Wuzhangyuan. He was lying on the couch. The oil in the lamp burned out and the lamp went out. Jiang Wei knelt in front of the couch and caught the bamboo slip that had slipped from the edge of the couch - it was engraved with "attacking the heart is the top priority, and attacking the city is the bottom priority". That was the last volume of The Art of War left to him by Zhuge Liang, and it was the only thing that he did not put down in the next thirty years. From Wuzhangyuan to Jiange, Jiang Wei always carried the bamboo slips with him. He followed Jiang Wan and Fei Yi. Every time he went out to Qishan, every time he sent a memorial requesting the Northern Expedition, the bamboo slips were in his arms. It was there when Taoxi was victorious, and it was there when Duangu was defeated. When he was farming in Tazhong, he stood on the ridge of the field and looked at the mountains in Longyou, with the scroll of bamboo slips still close to his chest. Then Liu Chan's edict came to Jiange. Jiang Wei knelt at the top of the city to receive the imperial edict. When he knelt down, he made a knee mark. He cried, and the cry spread out in the wind and snow, and the entire Jiange heard it. But in addition to the imperial edict, there was also a secret message written to Liu Chan in his arms - "May your Majesty endure the humiliation for a few days. I hope that the country will be restored to safety after danger, and the sun and moon will be restored to brightness." Zhong Hui asked him if he could do it, and he said "yes". Then the rebels rushed in, slit his abdomen with a knife, and someone rummaged through his chest - as bold as a fight. His guts were taken out and held up in the air, but he no longer opened his eyes. At the last lamp, Zhuge Liang sat by the lamp and waited for him. There is no wind, and the lamp flame no longer shakes. Two people, one light, no need to talk, the light is always on.