Return to the capital

Li Miaozhen knew that her third senior brother was obsessed with imitating Xu Qi'an. According to him, Xu Qi'an was the master of showing off his abilities in front of others, and he always beat her to it and stole her fortuitous opportunity.

It wasn't that Yang Qianhuan was wronging people; he had evidence. For example, during the Buddhist School magic duel, the Director of the Imperial Observatory deliberately locked him at the Star-Gazing Tower and then pushed Xu Qi'an out to represent the Bureau of Astronomy in the battle.

For example, during the conflict Celestial Person Li Miaozhen and Chu Yuanzhen, Yang Qianhuan "happened" to be locked up at the bottom of the building.

If he knew what Xu Ningyan had done, he would be filled with envy and regret. Li Miaozhen didn't plan to tell him now; she would wait until Xu Qi'an's injuries were stabilized.

So she stopped smiling, clasped her hands in a fist and said sincerely, "I'll have to trouble Senior Brother Yang with Xu Qi'an."

Yang Qianhuan nodded, quite pleased with the pleading attitude of the Heavenly Sect's Holy Maiden.

Yang Qianhuan immediately took out bottles, jars, needles, and thread from her Storage Bag. She then pried open Xu Qi'an's mouth, popped the cork off a porcelain bottle with a "pop," and stuffed four or five porcelain bottle openings into Xu Qi'an's mouth.

The method of administering the medicine was quite brutal. In just a few moments, Xu Qi'an, who was still unconscious, turned purplish-red, looking as if he was about to suffocate.

"What are you doing?" Li Miaozhen's eyebrows shot up.

"He was seriously injured, and they're using strong medicine to treat his chronic illness!"

Yang Qianhuan gave a righteous and stern explanation, then patted Xu Qi'an's chin, urging him to swallow the medicine.

Is this what you mean by "treating a serious illness with drastic measures"? Are you sure you're not just getting revenge? Flying Swallow Heroine glanced at him sideways.

After administering the medicine, Yang Qianhuan stitched up his wound again, barely stopping the bleeding, and then said:

"I can only stabilize his injuries; to save him, the teacher needs to intervene personally."

"Even you can't do it?" Li Miaozhen was taken aback.

In her opinion, Yang Qianhuan was the top dog in the Bureau of Astronomy. Apart from the Director, Li Miaozhen had never seen Warlock of higher rank in the Bureau of Astronomy than Yang Qianhuan.

Yang Qianhuan remained silent for a long time before slowly saying, "This kid courted death; it has nothing to do with my abilities."

Li Miaozhen's words were seen as a blatant provocation by Senior Brother Yang, who believed that "if Heaven had not given birth to Yang Qianhuan, the Great Feng Dynasty would have remained in perpetual darkness."

He paused, then continued:

"He must have used the Confucian School Law Follows Speech,' ha! Without the protection of Vast Righteous Qi, he dared to use Confucian School Law Technique. Look at his terrible injuries; what did he gain by exchanging Confucian School Law Technique for?"

After pondering for a long time, Li Miaozhen said, "Perhaps it's related to combat strength and condition."

"Forcibly boosting combat power? They're really fearless." Yang Qianhuan clicked her tongue.

Even the fourth-rank Confucian School wouldn't dare to act like this.

"Really?" Li Miaozhen asked.

"Certainly!"

Yang Qianhuan pouted:

"Those fourth-rank students from the Cloud Deer Academy usually only dare to say a few phrases like 'Pants fell down' or 'Retreat a hundred miles' when they fight. These are effective but not very lethal methods."

"This is because the backlash that Vast Righteous Qi can counteract is limited; otherwise, wouldn't Confucian School be invincible?"

Li Miaozhen said, "Wasn't the Confucian School invincible during its golden age?"

Yang Qianhuan didn't want to talk to this woman anymore. He coughed and said, "Once he's absorbed the initial effects of the medicine and the pain is relieved, we'll take him back. Heh, don't underestimate the pain; it might just kill him."

He strode out. "I'm going out for a walk."

Master Yang Qianhuan from the Bureau of Astronomy has arrived. How could he possibly keep his achievements hidden? He must go out and show off his divine abilities in front of everyone.

"Squeak"

He opened the gates of the barbican and appeared before the guards outside.

The guards were somewhat bewildered when they suddenly saw a person in white appear.

Yang Qianhuan's gaze, hidden beneath his veil, slowly swept over the bewildered faces. His tone was calm and composed, revealing the serenity of a reclusive master, as he announced:

"I am Yang Qianhuan, the third disciple of the Bureau of Astronomy of the Imperial Observatory."

The third disciple of Warlock Director of the Bureau of Astronomy

After a brief silence, the garrison outside the barbican suddenly erupted in loud cheers.

Huh, such a welcome? This... this doesn't make sense. No, it makes perfect sense! Yang Qianhuan straightened her back, then turned around, stubbornly presenting the back of her head to the crowd.

Although the back of his head was hidden under the veil.

Just then, amidst the clamor of cheers, he heard soldiers in the distance asking, "What's going on? What's happening to everyone?"

A soldier replied, "That man is Warlock from the Bureau of Astronomy, the third disciple of the Director."

"What? That's wonderful, that's fantastic!"

"Yes, yes, Xu Yinluo is saved! Xu Yinluo is finally saved!"

Some people wept with joy.

As citizens of the Great Feng Dynasty, who doesn't know that the Warlock of the Bureau of Astronomy can bring the dead back to life and heal the wounded?

The reason they cheered was because Xu Qi'an was saved, not because of me!

Yang Qianhuan's heart sank. Still with his back to everyone, he raised his hand and pressed it down.

Upon seeing his gesture, the soldiers gradually quieted down.

Yang Qianhuan said in a deep voice, "Xu Qi'an, what has he done now?"

He knew that Xu Qi'an had a high reputation in Great Feng (because he had stolen Yang Qianhuan's fortuitous opportunity), but even if these soldiers who only recognized military merit admired Xu Yinluo, the scene before them was still too exaggerated.

He had a bad feeling.

"Xu Yinluo is a man of great righteousness. To alleviate our pressure, he went down into the enemy lines alone to dig a hole," a soldier said.

"Ha, just like when he executed the Duke at Caishikou, he still knows how to win people's hearts!" Yang Qianhuan commented, not envious at all, with an air of having seen through Xu Qi'an long ago.

"Xu Yinluo single-handedly routed the enemy twice, killing nearly 10,000 men."

He killed ten thousand enemies and twice routed their army. Yang Qianhuan gradually became stunned, his gaze slowly losing focus.

"Xu Yinluo, single-handedly, killed Yan Jun Nurhega amidst a vast army."

"Xu Yinluo is invincible."

"I only wish to follow Xu Yinluo in this lifetime."

As they spoke, the soldiers shouted, their eyes turning red.

Yang Qianhuan silently closed the gate of the barbican.

Hearing the door close, Li Miaozhen came out and saw Yang Qianhuan leaning against the door, slowly sliding to the ground, his hat askew.

Are you alright?

Li Miaozhen had an expression that said, "I'm a professionally trained saintess; I won't laugh no matter how funny it is."

"I was wrong. I underestimated Xu Qi'an. I thought that beheading the Duke at Caishikou was the pinnacle of his life, but I didn't expect him to do something even more extreme this time."

I was so sad I couldn't speak.

"He's clearly afraid I'll steal his thunder, so he deliberately came to the border to avoid me. What a despicable and shameless person! He's twice defeated the enemy army, killed nearly ten thousand, and even took the enemy general's head from the midst of a massive army. Why doesn't Xu Qi'an ride the wave of success and soar to great heights?"

Her voice trembled with envy.

Li Miaozhen nearly covered her face and let out a pig-like squeal.

After cursing for a while, Yang Qianhuan's eyes blazed with fighting spirit. "Please tell me, where is the capital of Yan Kingdom?"

Li Miaozhen pursed her lips, suppressing a smile, "You're going to Yan Kingdom? But Xu Qi'an repelled an enemy in front of more than ten thousand defenders. What use is it for you to go to Yan Kingdom alone?"

Where is the headquarters of the Witch God Cult?

"That place has already been captured by Wei Yuan."

Do I still have a chance?

"That's all."

Li Miaozhen dismissed his idea without hesitation, and then said, "Xu Qi'an seems to be in much better condition. Let's go back to the capital and find the Superintendent to save him."

From within the veil came Yang Qianhuan's weary, resigned reply:

"There's no hope, just wait to die!"

Zhang Kaitai, who was in the military camp, was awakened by the cheers. He leaped onto the city wall and learned of Yang Qianhuan's arrival. Overjoyed, he entered the barbican.

Where is Yang Qianhuan?

He looked around but didn't see anyone.

Li Miaozhen pointed to the corner, and Zhang Kaitai looked over. Yang Qianhuan was squatting in the corner, her back to them, quiet like a decoration.

"What's wrong with him?" Zhang Kaitai asked telepathically.

"He just learned about Xu Qi'an's matter," True Disciple replied telepathically.

When Zhang Kaitai looked at Yang Qianhuan's back again, he was filled with pity.

"I will arrange for my deputy to accompany you back to the capital and report what has happened here to the court. Even with the fastest courier service, it will take several days to reach the capital."

"Although the allied forces of Yan and Kang have retreated, suffering heavy losses, we cannot let our guard down. They may return at any time. We hope the court will make preparations as soon as possible."

Zhang Kaitai said.

Moreover, the deaths of soldiers must be reported to the court, and Xu Qi'an's merit of single-handedly holding off 80,000 enemy troops must also be reported to the court.

Li Miaozhen nodded. "Okay."

At the beginning of the Si hour (9-11 AM), the cabinet...

In the council hall, Grand Secretary Wang Zhenwen held a steaming cup of health-preserving tea, listening to the heated discussions among the Grand Secretaries of the various halls.

"What does Your Majesty mean by this? Why hasn't he expressed his opinion after two days of discussion?" Grand Secretary Zhao Tingfang of the Eastern Pavilion asked, frowning.

For two consecutive days, the court meetings were held to discuss the aftermath, but Emperor Yuanjing showed an extremely negative attitude towards the nature of the battle and the potential retaliation from the Witch God Cult.

He talked at length about trivial matters, but never mentioned anything important. No matter how the officials tried to persuade him, he ignored them. The censor had been running around like a madman these past two days, writing a memorial yesterday and directly rebuking Emperor Yuanjing in the palace today.

Then they were all dragged out and flogged.

"His Majesty seems unwilling to grant Duke Wei a posthumous reputation. As for the troop mobilization in the three northeastern border prefectures..."

At this point, Qian Qingshu, the Grand Secretary of the Wuying Hall, paused and did not continue.

Anyone who did this would be branded as a traitor.

But His Majesty is the ruler of a country, so it's impossible; it can only be said that he has become muddleheaded recently.

Knock knock!

Grand Secretary Wang tapped the table, and when the Grand Secretaries looked over, he exhaled, his voice low and gentle:

"After lunch, I will go to the Star-Gazing Tower to see the Supervisor."

His intuition was sharper than others'. After Wei Yuan's death, Wang Zhenwen reviewed the incident based on the intelligence that had been sent back.

He realized that this matter involved not only the two countries, but also the secrets of the highest ranks, which was a field that they, as civil officials, could not access.

But the supervisor definitely knew.

The Grand Secretaries nodded slowly. Chen Qi, a Grand Secretary of the Hall of Supreme Harmony, said in a low voice, "Perhaps we should ask the Director of the Imperial Censorate to put some pressure on His Majesty."

If these words were to get out, they would become grounds for attacks from his political enemies, and he might not even be able to keep his position as Grand Secretary. But he said it anyway, hoping that Emperor Yuanjing would make a decision quickly.

This shows how tense the situation is right now.

At this moment, a cabinet official arrived at the entrance of the council chamber and reported, "Your Excellencies, a man claiming to be Deputy General Zhang Kaitai requests an audience. He wishes to see the Grand Secretary."

"Zhang Kaitai's deputy general, why is he in the cabinet instead of the Ministry of War?" Qian Qingshu frowned.

Grand Secretary Zhao Tingfang of the Eastern Pavilion said, "Perhaps he has already been to the Ministry of War, and has other important matters to discuss with the Grand Secretary?"

Wang Zhenwen hesitated for a moment, then said, "Let him in."

The cabinet officials withdrew, and a moment later, they led in a middle-aged general who looked travel-worn, whose armor was covered in knife marks and bloodstains.

How did they get into the imperial city dressed like that?

The Grand Secretaries were taken aback.

"This humble general, Li Yi, is the deputy commander of Commander Zhang. I greet you all, sirs." Li Yi clasped his hands in greeting.

Chief Minister Wang nodded and asked, "Why did you come back instead of staying with the border troops? When did you return?"

Li Yi replied, "This humble general was still at Yuyang Pass in Xiangzhou yesterday, and just returned to the capital this morning. Yang Qianhuan from the Bureau of Astronomy brought me back."

The Grand Secretaries exchanged bewildered glances, their faces full of doubt. Chief Minister Wang then asked, "Is the urgent intelligence report delivered by express courier accurate?"

Li Yi nodded with a stern face.

In an instant, the last glimmer of hope in the eyes of the Grand Secretary Wang vanished. He remained silent for a long time before finally asking, "What brings you to see me?"

Li Yidao said, "The day before yesterday, an allied force of 80,000 men from Yan and Kang attacked Yuyang Pass."

"What?!"

The scholars were startled.

The Prime Minister's hand holding the teacup trembled suddenly, spilling scalding tea onto the back of his hand, but he was completely unaware.

PS: I'll continue writing the next chapter, update it first, then correct any typos.