Snow Blankets the Mountains, Sixty Years of Great Yuan

Chu Tianshu had a good night's sleep, and at dawn, he led Han Shantong northward.

The two walked gracefully, crossing rivers and cliffs as if on flat ground, regarding natural barriers as easy roads.

Because they were moving fast enough, they quickly noticed the difference in geography and climate.

The further north you go, the colder it gets.

After crossing the Yangtze River, you can see that many places are already covered in frost in this early morning.

The vegetable garden was covered in a blanket of white frost, tinged with a bluish hue, while the black tiles were covered with white frosting particles.

After crossing the Yellow River, snow scenes became even more frequent.

As the sun began to rise, they traversed the snow-covered forests and reached the summit of a high mountain, where they gazed down at the human settlements below.

There, two magnificent cities came into view.

Yes, there are two cities, not just one.

The older city was divided into more than sixty wards, while the more majestic and orderly city had more than seventy wards.

Countless wisps of smoke are rising from the two great cities.

Human activity appeared on the streets, large and small, appearing like ants from above, gradually covering the snow-covered streets as they moved about.

Even with the city covered in snow, it couldn't suppress the growing activity in those two large cities.

The Dadu of the Yuan Dynasty was located northeast of the old capital of the Jin Dynasty.

This former capital of the Jin Dynasty was highly valued after being occupied, and it was a prosperous city with many civil and military officials.

Kublai Khan ordered the construction of Dadu), which took more than 20 years to complete. He then ordered the relocation of the population from the old city, prioritizing the wealthy and those holding official positions.

In this way, the new city became prosperous, but the old city was not abandoned.

The two cities, one in the north and one in the south, are closely adjacent to each other.

Locals naturally perceive them as very different, but outsiders often view them as a single entity.

In this way, the combined number of markets and the population of the two cities can be said to be unparalleled in the world.

Southern regions like Suzhou and Hangzhou and Hangzhou, though once renowned for their wealth, are now far inferior to this place.

"Since the late Tang Dynasty, they have always prioritized conquering the north to exert their power throughout the land."

As Han Shantong spoke, white breath escaped from his mouth, but he seemed quite interested. He picked a handful of pine needles from a nearby pine branch and held them in his palm.

The ice and snow on the pine needles melted under the warmth of his palm, revealing their lush green color, still appearing vibrant despite the severe cold.

"The North is cold, but it is fertile ground for nurturing warriors. Therefore, I have always believed that if one is to rebel, one must start from the North. Although the risks are greater, the spirit is also stronger. Only those who can endure the hardships can have the bearing of a true king."

"But now that I think about it, although throughout history heroes have mostly been created by favorable timing and circumstances, there have also been instances where countless heroes created their own eras. My previous thinking was too conservative."

"The South is great too."

Han Shantong had many feelings to share.

Chu Tianshu could only respond with a smile, "A combined approach, addressing both the north and south, is the correct solution."

In the history of my hometown, at the end of the Yuan Dynasty, if it weren't for Liu Futong's troops harassing the north and withstanding a lot of pressure in the early stages, the situation of the southern rebels would probably have been much more severe.

It was precisely because Liu Futong's troops were able to hold the banner in the north that he had such a great reputation.

Wherever he went, the poor and common people welcomed him wholeheartedly and eagerly joined the army, making the troops stronger and stronger with each battle.

But blindly persisting in a dead-end battle is clearly not a good idea either.

When Liu Futong's army reached its peak, he failed to reorganize his forces and properly train them.

Instead, they hastily launched an attack, became overconfident, and divided their forces in various places, resulting in a protracted and stagnant war. In the end, they were trapped in an isolated city, causing the deaths of countless soldiers.

Those people were just ordinary citizens.

The Great Yuan Dynasty's reign of over ninety years was still too long.

Chu Tianshu suddenly asked, "Is this year the sixtieth anniversary of the founding of the Great Yuan Dynasty?"

Han Shantong nodded.

Sixty is good, sixty is a milestone.

Chu Tianshu patted Han Shantong on the shoulder and said, "After a cycle of sixty years, everything should be renewed. Let's work hard and try to make sure that the Great Yuan can't get through this hurdle."

Han Shantong laughed and said, "Although I have some spies in Dadu and know the general location of each prefecture, I have never been here in person. I might as well take advantage of this early morning to familiarize myself with the place."

Both of them were able to see the capital city because of their exceptional eyesight.

In fact, this mountain forest is still dozens of miles away from Dadu).

Han Shantong didn't look for another place. As soon as he finished speaking, he walked to the pine tree and sat down cross-legged.

With each breath, he exhaled, but no more white vapor came out of his mouth, and his body temperature seemed to drop rapidly.

A cold wind suddenly swept through the area.

Call!!

Han Shantong's semi-transparent soul detached from his body, bowed to Chu Tianshu, and then disappeared underground.

Chu Tianshu leaned against the pine tree, with someone protecting him. Since he had some free time, he took out the manual of the Heavenly Silkworm Divine Art and unfolded it to take a look.

Han Shantong's soul sank to the foot of the mountain and continued to linger until it reached a depth of several hundred feet, where it finally sat cross-legged.

In the darkness, his soul formed a hand seal with both hands, which unfolded like lotus flowers and soared like flames before coming together in front of his chest.

The power within the physical body is drawn into the soul, transformed, and becomes a special kind of Qi of Transformation, which is then projected outwards using the earth's magnetic field.

Han Shantong's soul remained still, but his vision was focused on the Qi of Transformation, and he sped away underground.

When you feel the bustling sounds of people on the ground.

The Qi of Transformation rose and approached the surface, allowing for a clearer exploration. Sensing that this was the street of an old city, it continued its stealthy northward journey.

Before long, he noticed a large group of people stomping their feet above him.

This place is located in the narrow area between the north and south cities, which is also where Poor Men's Market is situated.

Leaning against the city wall, some bamboo, wood and thatched huts were built, weighed down by the snow. From old men in their forties and fifties to children as young as ten, they paced back and forth here, moving their hands and feet to try to keep warm.

The so-called "Poor Men's Market" is not a place where beggars live; since they are beggars, of course they have nowhere to live.

The poor at least have their own homes, but they often don't know where their next meal will come from, and they have no skills, or rather, no place for them to use their skills.

They can only gather in such a place early every morning.

Those families with spare money, if they are too busy to work, will come here and pick a few poor men to do odd jobs for them.

The Qi of Transformation originally did not intend to linger, but it overheard someone mention the words "Grand Tutor" and immediately paid attention, listening for a few more sentences.

When wealthy families come to pick up idle men, some are stingy and only willing to provide two meals of porridge, refusing to pay them at all.

Those true royalty and nobles, even those related by blood, are much more generous when it comes to choosing people.

It wasn't the master or steward of the mansion, or those "big shots," who personally instructed them to select people.

Instead, those born into wealthy families and hereditary servants were unwilling to do rough and clumsy work, so they took it upon themselves to select helpers.

Even these wealthy servants, besides being generous with their wages, also had a habit of giving tips.

Therefore, what the people of the Poor Men's Market most hope for is someone like this to come and help them.

In the past, the people who showed up most often among these kinds of customers were from the Grand Tutor's mansion.

The Grand Tutor of the current dynasty, Yan Temür, wore a long list of official titles, totaling nearly a hundred characters. He had more than forty wives and concubines of royal lineage, each surrounded by a large number of servants.

Today one person hosts a banquet, tomorrow another will host one.

Every day, you can always find two or three places in the various gardens and courtyards of the Grand Tutor's Mansion where banquets are held.

The person hosting the banquet was naturally unwilling to borrow servants from other sisters, and also cherished the servants they were used to employing. So they turned a blind eye to these servants going out to find helpers.

Therefore, people from the Grand Tutor's Mansion would visit the Poor Men's Market almost every day.

However, for several days now, the Grand Tutor's Mansion has not sent anyone to Poor Men's Market.

Some of the bolder ones spoke of news from their relatives in the city, saying that although the Grand Tutor's mansion was still brightly lit every night until daytime, it was far less magnificent and radiant than before.

Presumably, there are far fewer lamps lit in the vast Grand Tutor's mansion than before.

"Oh no! Could it be that even the Grand Tutor has... you know... done it!"

Someone in the corner lowered their voice to the minimum, clearly terrified, yet still couldn't stop talking; the more afraid they were, the more they wanted to speak.

"I've heard that the patriarchs of the Great Yuan all suffer from strange illnesses born with them. Although they possess extraordinary abilities that surpass heaven and earth and are invincible against ten thousand men, they still don't live as long as those great figures in the martial arts world."

Han Shantong skipped a beat.

Yes!

During the Mongol Yuan dynasty, the Mongol emperors plundered the Marrow Jade of hundreds of countries. Almost every meritorious official and nobleman possessed the bloodline of ancient mythical beasts, resulting in a difficulty in having offspring. Even if they did have children, their lifespans were often far shorter than those of martial artists of the same level.

Moreover, the prevailing trend at the time was a fanatical pursuit of power and a competitive spirit among themselves. All their efforts to improve their physical abilities were directed towards this path, which became deeply ingrained and difficult to reverse, making it even harder to maintain health.

Like Kublai Khan, who lived to be over two hundred years old, which should have been no problem, but he died suddenly before reaching Baisui.

Given Yan Tiemu'er's age, even if he didn't die suddenly, it was quite possible that he would develop several acute illnesses.

With this thought in mind, Han Shantong wanted to go to the Grand Tutor's mansion immediately.

Fortunately, he remembered his crushing defeat in front of Chu Tianshu, and he was somewhat uncertain about Yan Tiemu'er. So he had his soul transmit a message to Chu Tianshu first.

"Sudden death?!"

Chu Tianshu quickly said, "I don't think I mentioned this to you before, but this Grand Tutor has the extraordinary ability to prolong life."

"The Meteor Gods and Devils and Demon were nearing the end of their lives when he used his methods to extend their lifespan and recruit them."

Han Shantong exclaimed in surprise, "How could he possess such skills?"

"Never mind how he got pregnant, the important thing is that he's unlikely to die suddenly."

Chu Tianshu pondered, "But since there's something unusual about his residence, you might as well go and take a look. Be careful, use the techniques I taught you, and don't underestimate it in the slightest."

Han Shantong calmed himself down and, after a long while, completely dispelled his anxiety.

This is what drives the Qi of Transformation to gradually approach the Grand Tutor's Mansion.

Although the Grand Tutor's mansion was vast, Han Shantong's sensory range was also considerable, and he quickly discovered that the atmosphere within the mansion was indeed very strange.

Several beautifully dressed concubines were chatting idly in the room, looking as if they hadn't slept all night.

"The Grand Tutor has been in the palace for so many days and still hasn't returned. We are, after all, of royal lineage, and we've used so many connections, yet we can't find out anything about what's happening in the palace."

A concubine, adjusting the lamp wick with a gold hairpin, said with a cold, sharp gaze, "Even if he's taken a fancy to some other woman, he couldn't possibly keep her here for so many days without any confirmation."

"We can't wait any longer. Let's discuss it tonight, join forces to enter the palace, and find out the truth."

Beside him stood a young concubine, her face showing hesitation.

"If the Grand Tutor has already met with misfortune, we will have lost our support. If we are also guilty of storming the palace, wouldn't we be doomed?"

The older one sneered, "If that deadbeat really had some trouble, his family should have sent us a message as soon as possible."

"What's so special about women in our Great Yuan remarrying? Who hasn't married a few princes and generals? Even if they've married more than one emperor, it's nothing unusual. These men just enjoy themselves more!"

"But keeping this from us like this means either the dead guy isn't dead yet, or he's not planning to give us a way out."

The first person to speak nodded and said, "That's right. The Grand Tutor is very amorous, but he has taught us martial arts over the years without holding back. I'm afraid that in other people's eyes, we are no longer his concubines, but his disciples."

"If we want a way to survive, we have to fight!"

Royal Palace?

After lingering in the Grand Tutor's mansion for a moment, the Qi of Transformation quietly drifted towards the imperial palace.

The atmosphere in the palace was also quite extraordinary.

The situation appeared relaxed on the outside but was actually tense on the inside. The guards on the outside seemed to be in good order, and the eunuchs and palace maids were all doing their own thing.

But the further in you go, the stranger the proportions become.

The young eunuchs and palace maids had almost all disappeared, leaving only some old eunuchs and old women, all with faces like orange peels, but with shrewd, restrained eyes.

There were also a large number of burly warriors with fine braids and wearing leather armor, whose eyes would occasionally drift toward the Jade Pool Hall shrouded in mist.

The Jade Pool Hall was where the Great Yuan emperors bathed, but it was a unique place because no concubines bathed there together.

Only the most favored ministers or relatives of the emperor were ever invited here to drink, bathe, and discuss state affairs.

The humidity there was extremely high, making it easier for the Qi of Transformation to hide, so they moved even closer.

As he approached, Han Shantong sensed the scene inside the main hall.

In the large, square bath, not a trace of flower petals or fragrant dew could be seen; only waist-deep blood remained.

With his disheveled hair, cold eyes, and short beard, Yan Tiemu'er stood amidst the blood-soaked water, his imposing upper body bearing numerous old scars exposed to the air.

Thirteen blood-jade short hooks were attached to his joints and bones, connected to long chains.

Thirteen figures stood by the bath, their chains taut to the limit, clearly engaged in a contest of internal energy.

If Yan Temür's skill had been even slightly inferior, he would probably have been torn to pieces immediately.

But even with all thirteen people combined, they could only hold their own, and all of them had their eyes wide open, probably having not slept for many days and nights.

Another night has passed.

One of the thirteen spoke up, "When you slaughtered Shangdu the princes of Shangdu, did you ever imagine that this day would come?"

Yan Tiemu'er, who had been silent like an ancient statue, suddenly moved his eyes upon hearing this.

"Yes, another night has passed."

He laughed and said, "Guess how much poison is still in my body?"

One of the thirteen women angrily said, "Don't bluff. For so many days, everyone has been working tirelessly to wear each other down, but we have been given medicine from the national treasury for every meal. You have to rely on yourself to tough it out."

"Your injuries will only worsen; there's no way you can neutralize the poison."

Yan Tiemu'er didn't even bother to laugh anymore.

"You can't talk about ice with a summer insect."

"Where are the Emperor and Bayan? Why haven't they come to spy on us? Could something serious have happened?"

Yan Tiemu'er looked thoughtful.

"After I sent Gusi and Meteor away, you attacked me. You probably thought that as long as I died, even if Meteor returned, it wouldn't be a big deal."

"But I'm not dead. If Meteor returns—no, Bayan can easily fool Brother Meteor; it must be some other bad news that will keep him and the Emperor from spying on the situation here."

Yan Temür let out a long sigh.

"Although I killed hundreds of members of the royal family, poisoned a former emperor, and abducted several empresses and concubines, Heaven knows that I am still a loyal man of the Great Yuan."

"But now, I'm afraid the Great Yuan is going to make a huge mistake in your hands."