touchnovel Chapter 59: The Emperor's Death
Chapter 59: The Emperor's Death
Wu He remained calm and said, "I am Wu He, the commander of the Tiger Swift Army."
"It's you."
A woman was slightly surprised when she saw who it was, and then gestured to her fellow disciples to put down their whisks.
"Master Zhang."
Wu He recognized her; she was Zhang Huaiyu, a disciple of the Celestial Master's Mansion whom Zhao Guangyi had brought earlier.
What brings you here?
"Practice your skills."
Wu He said casually, "I had nothing to do at night, so I practiced my lightness skill and ended up here without realizing it."
"oh oh."
Zhang Huaiyu nodded in relief, then smiled and said, "I heard that you won first place in the Imperial Guard selection. Congratulations."
"Master Zhang, you're too kind. If there's nothing else, I'll take my leave."
"Take care, Lord Wu."
As Wu He's figure disappeared into the mountains, Zhang Huaiyu gazed at him for a long time until a moment later, a voice called out beside him.
"Junior sister, what are you looking at?"
Looking back, it was Zhang Lin.
She pursed her lips and said slowly, "Wu He came just now and said he was practicing his martial arts."
"Practice your skills."
Zhang Lin smiled enigmatically, put his hands behind his back, and said, "Let them practice; it's none of our business."
"By the way, junior sister, is there any progress on the evil potions concocted by those barbarian shamans?"
After the battle at Sizhang Village, he returned to Longhu Mountain to report his mission, leaving Zhang Huaiyu and others to stay here, repair the damaged ley lines, and search for the lost shamanic elixir.
After all, it is an evil medicine that can taint the dragon vein; if it cannot be found for a day, there is a potential danger.
Zhang Huaiyu shook his head and sighed, "We've searched many strongholds of the barbarian shamans, but there's been no sign of them. Senior brother, do you think they might have been taken by someone else?"
"Who are you talking about? Zhao Guangyi?"
"Yes, Wen Xin died at his hands, so he's the prime suspect."
Zhang Lin's face was slightly gloomy as he said, "He said before that Wen Xin switched the evil medicine, and that what he got was fake, and that he even turned the lives of many people upside down."
"Couldn't it just be something done for us to see?"
Zhang Huaiyu countered, a hint of suspicion still lingering on his refined face: "He's very calculating; it's hard to say he's not just crying wolf."
Seeing this, Zhang Lin patted her head and said, "Alright, stop guessing so much."
"If we can't find it, we can't find it. The shamans on the barbarian side are already searching for celestial secrets and asking about good and bad omens. This has always been a sign that they are about to launch an attack. My master said that there will be a great battle here soon."
"We need to repair the ley lines as soon as possible."
……
At dawn, in a tent somewhere in Waqiao Camp.
Wen Qiaoniang held the black jade gourd and examined it for a long time before saying with a solemn expression, "The Hundred Industries Extreme Evil Ointment is an extremely ominous item."
"The Liao Dynasty shamans called this a sacred medicine," Wu He added.
"It's just a different name."
She lowered her voice and slowly explained, "Medical books say that the essence of all trades can unlock the secrets of heaven."
"The so-called 'hundred trades' refer to the various professions and trades in the secular world, each with its own key essence, such as the voice of an actor, the eyes of an official, and the bloodthirsty aura of a soldier."
"Then, using the essence of martial arts as a foundation, it is fused and refined into the Hundred Industries Extreme Evil Ointment, which gathers the mortal energy of the world and can break any feng shui or geomancy."
"This evil art originated in the Western Regions, but because it is against human nature, it has not appeared in the Central Plains for a long time."
After listening to the explanation, Wu He suddenly understood, and then asked, "The Liao Dynasty shamans called this a sacred medicine, why?"
Wen Qiaoniang smiled slightly and said, "Medicine and poison are inseparable. They have a way to turn this poison into a spiritual medicine that is beneficial to cultivation."
"Back when I was in Zhuozhou, my father and I were captured by them and forced to work as laborers collecting herbs. I must say they were truly exceptional in their ability to select people."
Wu He seemed completely clueless, and asked again, "Do you know how to transform?"
He had previously learned about the transformation formula from the shaman, but he was unsure if it would work for the medicine in the black jade gourd. After all, the two were different, and he dared not use it without permission.
Wen Qiaoniang pondered for a moment, then nodded: "I remember some."
After saying that, she took a piece of paper, wrote down the prescription, checked it and handed it to Wu He.
"Go to any shop and get the medicine according to this prescription. I'll brew it for you. I worked for a shaman in Zhuozhou for two years, and I've already memorized the process."
He took it and looked at it, and immediately felt relieved. It was indeed very different from what he knew.
Fortunately, I came to verify it.
With the prescription in hand, Wu He rushed to the pharmacy to get the medicine and asked Wen Qiaoniang to help him brew it. It took more than two hours of work to turn the ointment into a dark brown liquid.
"Drink it after it cools down; it will greatly increase your innate Qi."
She wiped the sweat from her forehead and let out a soft breath.
"Hard."
"It's alright, I'm glad I could help you."
Wu He carefully scooped up the medicinal liquid, chatted for a few words, and left. Liu Baoze then hurriedly came looking for him.
"Brother Wu!"
"Brother Liu, what's the rush?"
"General Guo has summoned the commanders of the garrison troops and the Imperial Guards. Follow me quickly!"
……
Several days later, Wu He met Guo Guiyuan again.
Thanks to Wen Qiaoniang's meticulous treatment these past few days, his complexion has improved significantly. He sits alone on his tiger-skin saddle, exuding an aura of profound mystery.
With just one glance, Wu He felt his breathing become somewhat blocked, experiencing a suffocating sensation like an ant facing a towering mountain.
Besides him, there were dozens of battalion commanders from various garrison troops below the hall, as well as Wu He and Shi Baoji, the commanders of the unfinished Imperial Guard stronghold.
And, the old eunuch Meng Changfu, who had previously served as the chief inspector.
The atmosphere was somewhat solemn. After everyone had gathered, Guo Guiyuan spoke: "His Majesty has passed away."
Upon hearing this bombshell, Wu He was immediately stunned.
His death?!
Not only him, but everyone around him also had a drastic change in expression.
They had all heard that the emperor was seriously ill and had been absent from court for half a year. There were rumors that his condition had improved, but his sudden death was truly unexpected.
A faint sobbing sound carried on the air. Wu He looked in the direction of the sound and saw Meng Changfu secretly wiping away tears.
"Eunuch Meng, please accept my condolences."
Guo Guiyuan spoke expressionlessly, then continued, "His Majesty has passed away, and the young master is still young. The Liao Kingdom will surely take this opportunity to invade our Central Plains."
"The reason I have summoned you all here today is to discuss in detail the matter of military preparations and war."
The transition between old and new emperors is always a time of chaos, especially since the new emperor is only seven or eight years old. The court is bound to be in turmoil, which is also the best time for the Liao Kingdom to invade the south.
Coincidentally, the imperial court had been planning a northern expedition ahead of schedule since the beginning of the year, and the late emperor had also instructed that the northern expedition should not be stopped after the state funeral.
Xiongzhou now had a heavy task. Located at the heart of the northern border, it had to hold off the Liao cavalry, arrange a state funeral for the court in the rear, stabilize the court, and then buy time for the army to launch a northern expedition.
This was destined to be a tough battle. Guo Guiyuan, with his experience as a veteran, clearly explained all the matters related to the army's preparation for war.
The meeting, which covered topics such as city defense, relocation of residents, grain storage, and weapon manufacturing, lasted for nearly an hour before it concluded.
Finally, his deep, resonant voice rang out, his eyes gleaming: "The recapture of the Sixteen Prefectures of Youyun in the North is in sight; the expulsion of the Tartars and the glorious achievement of our Chinese nation for millennia to come are imminent. Gentlemen, we must devote ourselves wholeheartedly to this cause!"
The generals rose, and many exclaimed, "We are willing to die!"
……
The meeting ended and the proceedings adjourned.
"Commander Wu, please stay a moment."
As Wu He stood up, Guo Guiyuan's voice drifted from the commander's seat.