Yang Yue's reputation also reached its zenith at that time, and he fulfilled his ambition of building merit and forging a career.
At fifty-seven, he was appointed Grand General, receiving boundless honors.
At sixty, he raised troops and resigned from office, receiving countless rewards.
Such a life trajectory could be called a steady ascent all the way through, without any great rises or falls. In fact, during his era, many believed it to be the year of Great Cang's restoration.
Yet in the blink of an eye, fifty years had passed, and the realm's winds and clouds had abruptly changed. Once Yang Yue left, the army quickly rotted away again. More importantly, the succession of imperial power ran into setbacks, followed by years of great disaster. In but an instant, it seemed as though a towering edifice was about to collapse.
Not only that, among the common folk and even within the court itself, Yang Yue had long since been forgotten.
Romance is ever washed away by wind and rain.
To say nothing else, before today, not a single one of Liu Guangzheng's guards had known Yang Yue's name.
Even Liu Guangzheng himself would not have known of this man if not for that incident in his previous life, which had left too deep an impression on him.
That was the power of time.
Of course, from Liu Guangzheng's perspective as emperor, there were also profound political reasons behind Yang Yue being forgotten. A man like this had wielded too much influence; that was bad for everyone. Dimming his presence was the best approach.
Though the other man now appeared utterly loyal, and had even died for the nation outright in his previous life, the human heart was impossible to predict. Power and fame often fed the swelling of ambition.