Chapter 636: The Empress's Western Expedition
Chapter 636: The Empress's Western Expedition
"You have a solution, right?"
In the courtyard deep in the Tianshi Mansion, the old Tianshi said this with certainty, waiting for Zhao Duan's reaction.
The king and his minister were both shocked, looked at each other, and realized something.
"Master, you are joking. I remember you said that no one in the world can enter the Mubei Forest. How can I have the ability to do so?" Zhao Duan said in astonishment.
Zhang Yanyi looked at the empress and said slowly:
"Before the Heavenly Masters of our Heavenly Master House passed away, there was a tradition. Your Majesty must have heard of it.
Trying to deduce the secrets of heaven can easily lead to backlash from heaven.
Therefore, before realizing that their time was up, the Heavenly Masters of all generations would risk their last days to find out some things for the sake of the inheritance of the Heavenly Master's Mansion and for the sake of future generations of disciples.
All of these are recorded in the Heavenly Book and are the unrevealed secrets of our Heavenly Master’s Mansion. Before the previous Heavenly Master died, he left a few words in the Heavenly Book.
There is a sentence in it, which roughly means that when the Emperor Taizu of Yu returns to the world, the 'Son of Heaven and Earth' of the time will open the golden gate leading to the extreme north. "
Son of Heaven and Earth... The last time Zhao Duan heard this term was when the Jade Sleeve Priest first found him.
It refers to the trendsetters of the times who are born every few hundred years.
Zhang Yanyi sighed:
"When I took over the Heavenly Book, I knew about this prophecy, but I didn't know what it was referring to at the time. I also didn't know how the long-dead Emperor Taizu could come to the world again."
Zhao Duan was filled with joy and said:
"So, you have been consciously getting in touch with some rising talents in the capital, such as Song Zhi in the past, and me..."
At this moment, he finally understood why Lao Zhang had always treated him differently and what he was planning against him.
Zhang Yanyi did not deny it and nodded:
“Indeed, the previous Heavenly Master’s prophecy was too vague. I don’t even know if it will come true in my lifetime.
It was not until I saw the dragon soul in your body that I had some guesses. When you transformed into the Yu Kingdom's Taizu with the dragon soul on Binhai Road the day before yesterday, I knew that the prophecy had come true at this time. "
No wonder... No wonder you, Old Deng, hinted to me about the use of Dragon Soul in Zhengyang Mountain... Zhao Duan suddenly realized.
Xu Zhenguan was alert and blocked Zhao Duan behind him, his expression became a little colder:
"The Heavenly Master wants to enter the Mubei Forest?"
Zhang Yanyi happily faced the empress's scrutiny and said calmly:
“I have been in heaven for many years, but I still cannot find the chance to become an immortal.
Although I am not sure if Mubei is effective, I have thought about it and if I want to go further on the road, I can only imitate the great men of the past, such as Maya Xingzhe, the first generation of Tianshi, Ksitigarbha Dharma King, and Taizu of Yu State, and try to enter Mubei to look for opportunities. "
His eyes were gentle and calm:
“I know that Your Majesty is on guard, and I do have my own selfish motives, but what I just said is true and not a threat. If Your Majesty does not believe me, the Heavenly Book is here, and you can read it.
However, Your Majesty has just entered the celestial realm, your foundation is unstable, and you are also injured. You shoulder the responsibility of the world, and now you are unable to pursue the traces of human immortals.
Therefore, if Your Majesty and Mr. Zhao are willing to cooperate with me, and each gets what they need, then everyone will be happy. "
As he said this, the old Taoist priest actually threw the Heavenly Book to the Empress.
Xu Zhenguan was stunned for a moment, but he didn't hesitate and started reading it carefully.
Zhao Duan glanced at it curiously, and then tears flowed from his eyes. He could only see the twisted lines on the jade slip appearing and disappearing from time to time, and he could not make out the contents at all.
Damn... there is also an anti-peeping function... Oh, the more likely possibility is that I am too weak... Zhao Duan wiped his tears.
After a moment, Xu Zhenguan put down the heavenly book and frowned.
In fact, she did not doubt Zhang Yanyi's statement, because whether it was the appearance of the disaster star or the step-by-step "arrangement" of the ancestors.
Including the appearance of the golden gate after the dragon soul appeared in the world...these are not something Zhang Yanyi can control.
She was very sure that it was impossible for Zhang Yanyi to spy on the process of the emperor and his ministers exploring the Taimiao.
“As the Heavenly Master said, if the Heavenly Master can really be promoted to a human immortal, the balance between heaven and man will probably be broken.” The empress suddenly said.
Implication:
If Zhang Yanyi is too powerful, he will override the imperial court.
To this question, the old Taoist priest decisively answered: "What I cultivate is the Way of Heaven."
This sentence seems to be irrelevant to the question, but it is actually very accurate.
Majoring in the Way of Heaven means that the higher one's cultivation, the more one must act in accordance with the "Tao". It also means that one's actions will be constrained by the heavens, the earth and all the people, and one cannot act recklessly. Once one's actions violate the Way of Heaven, one will suffer backlash.
To explain it more abstractly, the god "Heavenly Way" originally represents order.
Rather than chaos.
This is also the core reason why emperors of all dynasties maintained good relations with the Tianshi Mansion - there was no conflict between them.
It is also a tradition that Taoist sorcerers always maintain a very small number and rarely interfere in the mortal world.
Think for a long time.
The Empress said: "I trust the Tianshi Mansion. As for the way to Mubei, it does exist. However, some conditions need to be met."
Zhang Yan's eyes lit up, and he was somewhat moved: "What conditions?"
Xu Zhenguan pointed at Zhao Duan:
"I need Master Zhang to help Zhao Qing do something to protect his safety."
Zhao Duan was startled for a moment, then looked at the empress. When their eyes met, he immediately understood what the empress meant:
Regardless of whether Zhang Yanyi's words were true or not, the "task" left by Emperor Taizu had to be completed.
I had originally wanted to delay exploring the secret, but if Xuan Yin really wanted to cause trouble, I couldn't delay any longer.
In order to open the golden gate, one must first find the key. This task can only be entrusted to Zhao Duan, but it is difficult for him to accomplish it alone. If Zhang Yanyi escorts him, the success rate will greatly increase.
Coincidentally, the condition for opening the remaining two doors is the "realm of heaven and man".
Everything seems destined.
"Could it be that even Zhang Yanyi's move was part of Old Xu's plan?"
At this moment, Zhao Duan was in a trance, and felt a strong sense of fate coming over him.
"can."
Zhang Yanyi nodded happily.
Among the great celestial beings in the world today, except for the newly promoted Empress, the other three are all seeking the hope of becoming human immortals.
Wu Xiankui places his hope on exploring the "heritage of the God of War".
I don’t know what trick Xuan Yin is up to.
Zhang Yan placed his hopes on the "prophecy" left by the previous generation of Heavenly Master.
"Your Majesty, then you..." Zhao Duan opened his mouth.
Xu Zhenguan suddenly smiled and said:
"As for me, I will recover from my injuries for a few more days, and then I will personally lead the army to Xiping Road."
She said seriously:
"As long as they don't leave the territory of Yu, I am not afraid of the mysterious seal even if I am injured. The Western Region Dharma King dare not leave the Western Region. I will not take action in Xiping Road, but just stay here to boost morale and eliminate the enemy soldiers."
After a pause, she looked at Zhao Duan, her eyes heavy:
"If the calamity brought about by the calamity star is unavoidable, and things really come to a point where a human immortal must be born to turn the tide, then I will also be at the front line to delay this time as much as possible to buy you some time."
Zhao Duan was moved!
The empress smiled and said:
"Okay, we're not in such a hurry to leave. We need to rest for a few days and make some preparations."
Zhang Yanyi bowed and said, "I will just wait patiently."
Russian qing.
The two parties who had reached an alliance separated, and the empress took Zhao Duan away from the Tianshi Mansion.
In mid-air, Zhao Duan once again stood behind the empress, rubbing her belly to stimulate the dragon soul in her belly and help her heal:
"Your Majesty, you can take this dragon soul with you. It may be a guarantee at a critical moment."
Even though she had touched him many times, Xu Zhenguan was still not used to this shameful posture. Her cheeks were slightly red.
"No need. I have also practiced your "Dragon Controlling Technique", but this ugly thing is not obedient at all. It is as good as dead in my stomach. You should take it with you. Zhang Yanyi may not be completely reliable.
What's more...if you want to find the key, you may also need the guidance of the dragon soul.
Don't worry, if Xuan Yin really has a big plan, he will definitely not easily come down to fight with me. I'm afraid he will hide in the Western Regions and refuse to come out."
Zhao Duan thought about it, and had to pull the dragon soul out of the empress's body... "Po~"
……
Having just put down the Rebellion of the Eight Kings, Xu Zhenguan was about to lead the army in person. He immediately summoned his ministers and prepared a series of arrangements.
Zhao Duan suddenly had nothing to do. He walked around the palace and suddenly noticed that a familiar figure was missing. He grabbed a female official and asked:
"Why don't you see Sun Zhangyin?"
He was referring to the eunuch in charge of the imperial seal, Sun Lianying.
The female official hurriedly said, "Master Sun was hit by a late spring cold and caught a cold. He has been recuperating for a while."
Zhao Duan was stunned for a moment, and vaguely remembered that Sun Lianying had indeed been ill for a long time.
Immediately, he left the palace and rode his horse to the Baima Prison.
……
Sun Lianying had a house granted by the emperor in Beijing, but because he was alone, he never lived there and only regarded the back hall of the White Horse Prison as his home.
After a long time, Zhao Duan once again led his horse to the outside of Baima Prison. Looking at the familiar yet unfamiliar door lintel in the spring light, he couldn't help but sigh.
Two years ago, he was still a small messenger here.
"Zhao Shaobao!"
An envoy happened to come out of the government office. He was surprised to see him, and hurriedly bent his waist and ran over to lead his horse:
"Why are you here, sir?"
Zhao Duan took a look at the man and thought he looked familiar. He was a former colleague. He smiled and said:
"I hold an official position in the White Horse Prison, so why can't I come?"
"That's not what I meant..." The messenger stammered, terrified.
Zhao Duan laughed and said kindly:
"I heard that the Chief Supervisor was ill, so I came to visit him. Is Chief Supervisor Sun still recovering from the cold?"
Hearing this, the envoy's expression changed and he whispered:
"This...you can go and see it yourself, sir."
When Zhao Duan walked into the back hall, he smelled a strong aroma of Chinese medicine from afar. In the kitchen next door, a servant had just cooked a soup and was bringing it out.
"Master Zhao..."
"Shh, let me do it." Zhao Duan made a gesture to keep quiet, carried the tray himself, and pushed the door into the bedroom.
The door creaked open.
Inside the bedroom, there was a strange smell in the air, the doors and windows were closed, the room was extremely quiet, and an old man was lying on the bed with his eyes closed.
Sun Lianying opened her eyes and was slightly surprised to see that it was him. She forced a weak smile:
"What wind... ahem, it brought you, a busy man, here."
Zhao Duan was startled, put down the medicine, and walked to the bed: "Master Sijian..."
After not seeing her for a few months, Sun Lianying seemed to have aged ten years!
His temples, which originally had only slightly gray hair, have now turned completely white, and his once strong body has suddenly become much thinner!
The flesh on his cheeks had shriveled up a lot, and his complexion was no longer rosy, only showing a look of terminal decline and decay!
"Why is he so ill? Didn't you say it was just a cold?"
Zhao Duan grasped the old eunuch's hand and used his spiritual sense to sense that the old man's energy and blood were declining and his body was extremely weak. Unfortunately, he was not a medical officer and could not understand much.
Sun Lianying smiled and tried to sit up little by little. Zhao Duan hurriedly supported him and put a pillow behind him.
"You're old now. Haven't you heard that an army comes like a mountain falling and an illness goes away like a thread being pulled out?" The old supervisor said with a gentle look in his eyes.
Zhao Duan frowned and asked, "What did the imperial physician say? Does Your Majesty know?"
Sun Lianying smiled and said:
"The imperial physician has been watching over him the whole time. He has used all kinds of precious medicinal herbs in the palace. He has even invited the priests from the Tianshi Mansion. They are all very dedicated. He just needs to rest.
As for Your Majesty, I have been suppressing my subordinates and not letting them speak out. You should also not tell Your Majesty. State affairs are busy now, so don’t let Your Majesty be distracted by this minor illness of ours…”
Zhao Duan was silent.
Yes, during this period of time, the empress has been with him in Binhai, and only occasionally appeared in the form of a puppet.
There were too many trivial matters, and everyone was so busy that they almost forgot about the old eunuch who was recuperating from illness.
Only then did he remember that the old official's health had already shown signs of illness. After the Fengshan ceremony at Luoshan, Sun Lianying had fallen ill after escaping back to the capital from the south with untold hardships.
At such an age, running thousands of miles, working day and night, the fact that he is not exhausted already shows that he has a solid foundation.
But mortals are not as good as cultivators after all. When they get older, they are too weak to be replenished. No matter whether it is precious medicinal herbs or healing techniques, it will only overdraw their already weak bodies.
"I heard that you and His Majesty beheaded Prince Jing?" Sun Lianying asked when she saw that he was distracted.
Zhao Duan was surprised: "You know everything?"
"Haha," Sun Lianying laughed weakly:
"This is the White Horse Prison. Even though I am bedridden, if there is any disturbance in the capital, ahem... the people below will report it in time."
After a pause, he smiled and said:
"Well done, very well done. I originally thought that the military order you issued was too difficult... I didn't expect that I underestimated you... Prince Jing is dead, and the Rebellion of the Eight Princes will soon be over... Your Majesty can breathe a sigh of relief... The world will be at peace..."
The old official praised and chattered.
Zhao Duan listened quietly and did not tell him about the possibility that the Liao people might send troops, nor about Xuan Yin's conspiracy.
Seeing that he talked too much and started coughing again, Zhao Duan hurriedly stopped him, picked up the medicine, and personally fed it to the old official.
After finishing the bowl of medicine, Sun Lianying waved her hands and said with a smile:
"Go and do your work. You must be busy. Don't make noise around me, a useless person, and disturb my sleep."
Zhao Duan stood up and said seriously:
"I will be in Beijing for the time being and will come to see you from time to time."
Sun Lianying waved her hand and said:
"Go and get busy. Don't keep coming to me and waste this beautiful spring time."
Zhao Duan forced a smile and said, "When you get better, we'll drink and eat meat."
Sun Lianying smacked her lips and said with some longing:
"I've been drinking medicine for a few months, and I'm craving for wine. Next time, bring a jar of osmanthus wine. I want it to be from the palace, not from a wine shop outside."
"Okay." Zhao Duan agreed and left.
When I walked out of the room, I turned my head and looked back at the new green buds sprouting from the tree in the back yamen, and my heart felt heavy.
……
The empress is going to lead the army in person!
Just a few days after the news of Prince Jing's killing spread, new news spread like wildfire.
In this regard, both court officials and the public had a positive view.
They all believed that it would be a great boon to the army's morale for the empress to lead the army in person, using her power in suppressing the Rebellion of the Eight Princes.
Therefore, this matter was quickly implemented.
In a blink of an eye, it was the day for the emperor to lead the army in person.
early morning.
West gate.
Countless officials and common people lined up to see her off respectfully. On the city wall, Zhao Du'an personally beat the drum to bid farewell to the female emperor who was leading a team of palace troops on the westward expedition.
(End of this chapter)