Seeing Him Off

Xu Qi'an paused for a moment, then his eyes sharpened as he stared at the middle-aged official and said in a deep voice, "This joke is not funny."

To him, those words sounded as if they were saying: Your father is dead.

If Xu Qi'an didn't know the Prime Minister's personality, he might have thought the Prime Minister was deliberately provoking him. But it was precisely because he knew the Prime Minister wouldn't do that that he became even angrier, more confused, and more depressed.

The middle-aged official lowered his head slightly, his voice low and wooden as he said:

"Duke Wei died in battle at Jingshan City, the headquarters of the Witch God Sect. Of his 100,000 troops, only 16,000 were able to retreat. This message arrived tonight via express courier."

After speaking, he received no response for a long time. The middle-aged official looked up and saw a deathly pale face.

"His Majesty and the officials will surely discuss this matter during their court assembly today, and subsequent reports will arrive in the capital one after another. The message has been delivered; I shall take my leave now."

After bowing, he turned and left.

"Squeak"

Hearing the door open, Zhong Li groggily peeked out and saw that it was Xu Qi'an who had returned, so she went back to sleep without worry.

Senior Sister Zhong pays great attention to her sleep. This has nothing to do with women aging due to lack of sleep. The main issue is that insufficient sleep may lead to some sudden illnesses, such as myocardial infarction or sudden death.

In that case, life and death would be decided in an instant, and even the most miraculous medicines from the Bureau of Astronomy might not be available in time.

Of course, such situations are rare, but Senior Sister Zhong is experienced and knows how to protect herself, so she wouldn't put herself in such a dangerous situation.

Daylight broke quickly, and Zhong Li, who had taken a short nap, woke up at the appointed time. She sat up somewhat lazily, stretching out her curvaceous and mature body, when she suddenly froze.

A figure sat at the desk, as still as a sculpture that had existed since time immemorial.

He's been sitting there ever since he went back to his room! Zhong Li suddenly realized. She observed him carefully; his expression was so lonely, so quiet.

Like a traveler adrift in a foreign land.

At this moment, in the imperial court, in the Golden Palace.

In a somber atmosphere, civil and military officials passed through the Meridian Gate, crossed the Golden Water Bridge, and stopped in turn at positions corresponding to their official ranks.

The officials walked along the steps and entered the magnificent and splendid Golden Palace.

Today's court assembly is a bit late because of an emergency. It was almost dawn when the palace notified the officials in the capital to attend court one by one. No one was allowed to ask for leave under any pretext, including illness. As long as they were not dead, they had to be carried into the palace.

Something serious must have happened!

The officials in Beijing were all seasoned veterans, and they immediately realized the urgency of the situation.

The officials entered the Golden Palace in an orderly fashion, standing in neat rows, completely silent. At this moment, the Chief Minister Wang slowly turned his head and glanced to his left. There was no one there; there should have been a man in a blue robe standing there.

This was the first time he had made such a move since Wei Yuan had set out on his campaign.

Some astute officials seemed to be deep in thought.

A quarter of an hour later, Emperor Yuanjing entered from the back of the hall. He was no longer wearing a Daoist robe, but a bright yellow dragon robe.

The moment they saw Emperor Yuanjing, everyone was stunned. This old emperor, whose black hair had grown back and whose complexion was rosy, and who had achieved success in cultivating Daoism, looked like an old man who had just suffered a major blow in his life.

His eyes were dim and lifeless, filled with grief; his skin was dry and dull; and he looked extremely haggard.

The officials' pupils contracted.

The old eunuch stepped forward at the opportune moment and announced loudly, "Please speak if you have something to report."

As soon as he finished speaking, Chief Minister Wang stepped forward and said in a deep voice:

"Your Majesty, an urgent report has arrived from the northeast: Wei Yuan led his army deep into enemy territory, captured the headquarters of the Witch God Cult, and sacrificed himself for the country. Of the 100,000 troops, only 16,000 were able to retreat."

Inside the hall, faces were blank and stiff. A few seconds later, the Golden Palace erupted in uproar, a clamor instantly spreading.

"Quiet!"

The old eunuch swung his whip, striking the smooth ground with a loud cracking sound.

But no matter what they did, they couldn't suppress the clamor from the officials.

Just as the Prime Minister Wang lost his composure upon hearing the devastating news, so too did the other officials. Some things cannot be calmed down simply by having a calm mind.

The near-total loss of 100,000 troops was undoubtedly a devastating blow, even shaking the very foundations of the Great Feng Kingdom.

What truly shook the hearts of the officials and caused them to lose their composure was the sacrifice of that Great Feng god, dressed in blue.

Don't be fooled by Wei Yuan's political enemies, who constantly shout, "Your Majesty, please behead this wicked dog!"

But whether they liked it or not, in the hearts of the officials, including political enemies like the Wang faction, they all acknowledged that Wei Yuan was actually the pillar of the Great Feng Dynasty.

Although the Prince of Huai was only a third-rank military officer, he was capable of guarding a region, but he was still lacking in the ability to support the Great Feng Dynasty.

Only Wei Yuan, the military genius of the Great Feng who won the Battle of Shanhai Pass, was a figure that truly made the major powers of the Nine Provinces wary, because they had been terrified of him twenty years ago.

That hurt.

The Prince of Zhenbei? At that time, he was merely a supporting character to Wei Yuan, barely making an impression.

Now, that true pillar that guards the nation has fallen.

The officials instinctively refused to believe this fact, but the military reports delivered by express courier over 800 li had never been wrong in the 600-year history of the Great Feng Dynasty. After all, this was a capital offense, and there was no room for error.

Emperor Yuanjing watched this scene silently, without joy or sorrow.

After waiting for a very long time, until the commotion in the hall subsided, he said with a somber expression, "My lords, what should we do about this?"

It was still Chief Minister Wang who responded, his tone firm and resounding:

"I believe that we should mobilize troops from all the states, using the full strength of the nation, and march into the Northeast to unite with the barbarians and wipe out the Witch God Cult in one fell swoop."

Emperor Yuanjing sighed, "The Great Feng has already lost nearly 100,000 men. Those were all my people, my children. Minister Wang, how can I bear to start another war?"

"His Majesty!"

The Grand Secretary raised his voice and said emotionally:

According to the report, Wei Yuan has captured Jingshan City. The Witch God Sect has suffered heavy losses, with nearly 70% of its top experts lost. The Yan Kingdom has been breached by the army and is now at the gates of the city. The toughest cities have already been captured by Wei Yuan.

"Jingguo has suffered heavy losses in its months-long campaign in the north, and is also hampered by the northern barbarians. Currently, only Kangguo has a relatively intact military force. If we fight another battle now, within a hundred years, the descendants of Great Feng will no longer be troubled by the Witch God Cult."

His suggestion won the approval of some nobles and military generals.

Wei Yuan exhausted the national strength of the Witch God Sect, captured its main altar, and the perilous pass that had hindered the Great Feng army no longer existed. This was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

"Wang Aiqing"

Emperor Yuanjing waved his hand and said earnestly, "We've been exhausting ourselves with war."

The chief minister looked at the emperor sitting high on the dragon throne, opened his mouth, and then retreated dejectedly.

His retreat turned the wheels of history in another direction. When later generations reviewed this period of history, they analyzed the national strength of the Great Feng and the Witch God Sect, compared the losses of both sides, and unanimously agreed that if the Great Feng had been able to steel itself and risk the national strength of the next ten years or so to launch a campaign against the Witch God Sect.

Then the cult of witchcraft, which has dominated the 60,000-mile stretch of Northeast China for thousands of years, will collapse and never regain its power.

Countless people in later generations lamented this.

As for the blue-clad military hero who sacrificed his life in Jingshan City, the historical record says: He gave the Central Plains a new lease on life.

Emperor Yuanjing turned his gaze away from the retreating Grand Secretary Wang and surveyed the assembled officials, asking, "Gentlemen, what are your thoughts on how to handle this matter?"

The Minister of War stepped forward, bowed, and said:

"I believe that 20,000 troops should be drawn from the states bordering Xiang, Jing and Yu, and stationed on the border. The remaining troops that are withdrawn should also remain on the border of the three states to prevent a counterattack from the Witch God Sect."

"Furthermore, since Duke Wei has already sacrificed his life, Your Majesty must send another commander to lead the army there."

Emperor Yuanjing glanced at him, and seeing that he did not continue speaking, nodded and said, "Minister Chen's words are quite correct."

At this moment, Qin Yuandao, the Vice Minister of War, stepped forward and said, "If Your Majesty advocates peace, then you should discuss the relevant matters as soon as possible and confirm the peace envoy to be sent to the Northeast."

Qin Yuandao, the Vice Minister of War, was a staunch supporter of the emperor and was in cahoots with Yuan Xiong, who was demoted to Right Vice Censor-in-Chief of the Censorate. The two were the core figures of the emperor's faction.

As the Minister of War of the Wei faction, he glared fiercely at Qin Yuandao.

He deliberately avoided mentioning peace talks because deep down he still harbored the desire to fight the Witch God Sect and avenge Wei Yuan.

Emperor Yuanjing nodded slowly. "Good."

After Qin Yuandao returned to his post, the Minister of Ministry of Revenue stepped forward and asked, "How should the pensions and benefits for the soldiers be determined?"

Upon hearing this, the hall fell into a deathly silence.

No one spoke for a long time.

Emperor Yuanjing slowly asked, "What are your thoughts, my ministers?"

I asked three times, but no one answered.

Emperor Yuanjing then turned his gaze to Yuan Xiong, the emperor's loyal "attendant," whose eyes darted away and who remained silent.

The issue of death benefits involves a very large number of matters.

According to the laws of the Great Feng, if an infantryman died in battle, his family would receive three years' worth of full military pay in rice (36 shi), which would be equivalent to 18 taels of silver. After that, he would receive 3-6 dou of rice per month for the rest of his life.

If a cavalryman is killed in action, he will be given 72 shi of rice, which is equivalent to 36 taels of silver. After that, he will receive 6-10 dou of rice per month for the rest of his life.

The pensions given to soldiers of different branches and ranks varied according to different rules and regulations.

In addition, there was another rule that caused the court officials to fall into a deathly silence:

Defeat in battle, compensation halved!

The Ministry of Revenue raised the issue of pensions, but pensions were only the surface issue. What truly made everyone hesitant to act was the characterization of this battle.

Will this battle be a victory or a defeat?

In the silence, Chief Minister Wang stepped forward and said with deep sorrow, "Wei Yuan's capture of the Witch God Sect's headquarters has set a precedent in the history of Great Feng. This battle is a great victory for our Great Feng."

Some responded, some pondered, and some grieved.

Emperor Yuanjing nodded slowly, but did not respond to Chief Minister Wang. Instead, he said:

"I am feeling somewhat tired. This matter is of great importance; we will discuss it again tomorrow."

The old eunuch announced loudly, "Court is adjourned!"

"Bang bang."

The door to the room was knocked weakly twice, making the person knocking seem lifeless.

Second Uncle Xu, who was off work today, woke up, looked at his wife sleeping sweetly beside him, and knocked on the door without making a sound, so he didn't wake her.

Second Uncle Xu's cultivation level meant that he would wake up immediately at the slightest disturbance outside.

He left his warm bed, put on a coat, went to the outer room, and opened the door.

"Ningyan?"

My nephew stood at the door, his face expressionless, a gloomy look between his brows.

Second Uncle Xu's heart sank suddenly. He knew his nephew too well. Second Uncle Xu could understand his nephew's thoughts from just a glance or a tone of voice.

No one knows a son better than his father, who has raised him with great hardship and toil; how is he any different from his son?

"Second Uncle, pack your things immediately and head to the Cloud Deer Academy. Go there first, to avoid the area for a while," Xu Qi'an said softly.

Second Uncle Xu looked at him intently, "Good!"

Xu Qi'an nodded, then turned and knocked on the door of Li Miaozhen's room.

Dressed in a snow-white gown, with eyes as black as lacquer and lips as red as crimson, Su Su, exuding a charming and alluring aura, opened the door and asked sweetly, "What is it?"

Wearing a flowing Daoist robe and with her black hair tied up, Li Miaozhen sat at the table, drinking tea and nibbling on pastries.

Xu Qi'an ignored her, his gaze sweeping past the beauty before turning to Li Miaozhen, and slowly said, "I want to go to the northeastern border."

Li Miaozhen was taken aback and asked in confusion, "Are you going to fight in the war too?"

Xu Qi'an shook his head slightly and said, "Duke Wei died on the battlefield."

Li Miaozhen's face suddenly froze, and the pastries in her hand fell to the ground.

She quickly came to her senses and looked at Xu Qi'an with some nervousness, because she knew how much trust and respect this man had for Wei Yuan.

He also knew that Wei Yuan had shown him immense kindness.

For a moment, she didn't know how to offer comfort. Any words of comfort at this time would seem like insincere, detached compassion.

Xu Qi'an said softly:

"I don't believe it. I don't believe he died in battle. So please take me to the border. If... he really is dead."

He paused for a moment, his eyes seeming to blur for a second. "He had no children, no one to see him off in his final days. I must go, I have to go."

Li Miao's heart was breaking. "Okay."

P. S.: There's one last layer to Joan of Arc's case, which I'll reveal at the end of the book. Some people have said Joan of Arc's behavior was illogical, but that's because the case hasn't been fully unfolded yet; you don't know her purpose, so you can't understand her actions.

We'll find out at the end of the article, so please be patient.