Chapter 78: Half a Month of Turmoil

Of course, there was still a small problem: no mounts. Wherever the heroic spirits passed, the mutated creatures retreated, so the Blackwater City Army could no longer fish for sand monsters to use as mounts as they had before. They had to proceed slowly, one step at a time. This journey lasted over ten days, until their water and food supplies were almost depleted, and the contingent finally reached the end of Red Cliff Road.

Upon arriving, the Great Wind Army ceased their escort. They turned and left decisively, showing no regard for their two weeks of companionship. Throughout the journey, they had been silent companions. From their commander to the lowest soldier, He Lingchuan hadn't heard them utter a single word.

After showering, He Lingchuan changed his clothes and hurried to the dining hall. The family of three was already seated. He Chunhua was recounting his journey through the Coiling Dragon Desert to his second son, while Lady Ying listened with a smile, eating heartily. He Lingchuan sat down and immediately grabbed a large white steamed bun. "Dad," he asked, "did you mention that I saved everyone?"

Lady Ying couldn't help but laugh. "What nerve!" With her family's safe return, she was in excellent spirits. She personally gave He Lingchuan a large piece of braised pork belly, cooked until tender, for him to put into his bun, along with two perfectly pickled radishes.

He Lingchuan ate, his mouth greasy with oil, muttering indistinctly, "This is what I dreamt of day and night while in the desert!"

The He family was accustomed to his ravenous eating. He Yue said, "Where's that broken blade? Let me see it."

He Lingchuan casually drew the blade and laid it across the table. "Careful, it cuts," he warned.

He Yue cautiously brushed his hand over the blade. It felt icy cold to the touch, then he felt a sharp prick. He winced, putting his finger in his mouth and sucking on it twice.

He Lingchuan glared. "Clumsy!"

He Yue protested innocently, "I didn't even touch the sharp edge, and I still got cut."

He Lingchuan ran his finger back and forth along the blade, even flicking the edge, which produced a metallic ring, yet his finger remained unharmed. "You're more delicate than a woman," he scoffed.

After all these years, He Yue was immune to his brother's sarcasm. He changed the subject. "Brother, Coiling Dragon City is so vast, how did you figure out that this blade was the Black Dragon's life essence?"

He Lingchuan became animated, boasting about his photographic memory and meticulousness, while brandishing the blade, sending flashes of cold light across the hall. *Smash!* A ceramic pot four feet away shattered, spilling water all over the floor. He Lingchuan hadn't used any real force.

Lady Ying's face paled. "Stop it! This is a dining room, not a place for you to play with weapons!" This blade was too dangerous!

He Lingchuan sheepishly put away the blade and quickly asked his second brother, "By the way, did you say the rebels at Woling Pass have been suppressed?"

"That's right," He Yue confirmed. He had already reported to their father and didn't mind repeating it to his brother. "Actually, Nian Songyu and Sun Fuping were talking nonsense. Before they even reached Blackwater City, the bandits at Woling Pass had already been crushed by Generals Wu Di and Ke Jihai leading their troops. There was no way they could have cut timber to build boats and advance eastward by water!"

He Lingchuan was stunned. "Then 'Iron Barrel General' Zhao Ronglüe...?" It was precisely because Sun Fuping falsified military intelligence that He Chunhua decided to accompany them to Coiling Dragon City, seeking the legendary Great Square Flask, believed to guarantee victory against enemies, to help the imperial army suppress the bandits and defend the capital. So He Yue was telling him that the rebels hadn't even managed to get out of Woling Pass? Then why were the Xunzhou Governor and Sun Fuping trying to acquire the Great Square Flask?

"The Iron Barrel General did indeed die in battle. When Generals Wu and Ke arrived with their one hundred thousand elite troops, the bandits happened to be embroiled in an internal conflict, weakening themselves. Even so, there were several fierce battles, with heavy casualties on both sides; we only barely achieved victory," He Yue said with a wry smile. "Sun Fuping only told a fraction of the truth. When truth and falsehood are mixed, it becomes hard to distinguish, and even Father was fooled."

"No wonder!" He Lingchuan hissed softly. "No wonder Sun Fuping and Nian Songyu urged us to depart immediately upon arriving in Blackwater City. They were worried that the eastern route would suddenly become clear and the real news would arrive."

"The situation was very unfavorable for the Grand Marshal. They needed to exploit a time lag to use us. Otherwise, once news from the capital reached here, they would go from honored guests to wanted criminals."

"So what about the Grand Marshal?" He Lingchuan's intuition told him this was the main event.

"All elite troops and skilled generals had been dispatched south, leaving the capital vulnerable. The Grand Marshal, Dong Haoming, saw an opportunity and sent assassins into the palace, intending to rebel!" He Yue continued. "He had likely been planning this for a long time, hiding 1,600 elite soldiers in several estates outside the city, some of which weren't even under the Donglai Prefecture's name, so they didn't attract attention. On the morning of the incident, the Southern City Guard directly opened the gates to let the Donglai Prefecture army into the city. The Imperial Guard also had internal informants who led two of the Grand Marshal's most lethal generals directly into the palace to assassinate the King!"

Just a direct assault like that? The Grand Marshal was certainly a ruthless individual. He Lingchuan almost gave a thumbs-up, but the gesture felt inappropriate.

He Chunhua nodded. "The Grand Marshal holds a high position and significant power, and the King is often ill. If he succeeded in assassinating the King, he could claim the King died of illness, have several court officials forge a will, and appoint himself to assist the new ruler and lead all officials. At that point, by controlling the new ruler, he would command the regional lords, and the situation would be irreversible, making it unlikely for military commanders to dare to act." The struggle between ambitious figures often boils down to luck and momentum. Once the momentum is lost, nothing can be achieved.

He Lingchuan, always quick to ask, inquired, "Why didn't he just poison him? A white blade going in and a red one coming out doesn't look like death by illness."

"The King has a highly skilled physician by his side; poisoning isn't feasible."

"The King is his son-in-law, and wouldn't the throne eventually go to his grandson anyway? Why was the Grand Marshal so impatient, needing to usurp power himself?"

He Chunhua was silent for a moment before replying, "I heard the relationship between the father-in-law and son-in-law was strained, and the reasons are likely complex. It seems there have been recent conflicts: the northern demon kingdom repeatedly invaded our borders, and the King demanded strong retaliation, but the Grand Marshal argued that the country's strength was weak and conflicts were flaring everywhere, making it unsuitable to engage in more warfare; he suggested peace talks and appeasement. According to the information I received, the King and the Grand Marshal publicly debated this issue in court at least four times. Afterward, the King was so enraged he refused to eat, then summoned Queen Dong and berated her severely, making her kneel in the imperial garden for half the night."

"If he can't win an argument with his father-in-law, he yells at his wife. Our King truly is a 'man of the household'," He Lingchuan mused, scratching his head. "That doesn't seem like such a big deal, worth the Grand Marshal staging a rebellion."

He Yue shook his head. "The Grand Marshal was dissatisfied with the country's current state, believing the King's misgovernance led to numerous problems, so he wanted to replace him."

"Understood. He just didn't want to wait anymore." He Lingchuan sighed deeply. "What reason *isn't* good enough for a rebellion? By the way, did he succeed?"

"No, he didn't. The King happened to be out that day, secretly spending the night at Duke Puwen's residence. The Grand Marshal's insiders in the palace were unaware and proceeded with the assassination as planned, only to find an empty palace. Upon receiving the news, the King fled... *cough*, withdrew from the capital overnight, retreated to Lesser West Mountain, and ordered all armies to return to the capital to defend the King."

"The Grand Marshal's rebellion was thus exposed. Wei Ao, the Governor of Xuanzhou, arrived fastest with reinforcements, repelling the Grand Marshal's attacks twice at Lesser West Mountain and holding out until General Ke Jihai's army arrived. Seeing no hope of success, the Grand Marshal led his forces west, retreating to Wuzhou."