Man Tang Huacai

Chapter 576 Red Pill
The candlelight flickered, illuminating the chaotic maps and documents on the table. The marks and documents on them looked like a tangled mess.

Xue Bai sat there thinking for a long time, then summoned all the prime ministers and announced his decision.

"I plan to personally lead the battle against Dazalugong."

"Your Highness!"

Du Youlin interrupted Xue Bai without waiting for him to finish, not even caring about the presence of Wei Jiansu, Li Xian, Li Mi and others, and immediately advised: "Under the current situation, Your Highness must not leave Chang'an."

"I have made up my mind, no need to say more."

Xue Bai ignored Du Youlin's advice and ordered Tian Shengong's troops to stand by and support Qinlong with him within five days.

No one else said anything because they couldn't guess what he was thinking.

Even Du Youlin knew that the current situation was special. Li Cong's death was imminent and undercurrents were surging in Chang'an. Xue Bai could not have been unaware of this. But he chose to announce his departure from the capital at this very moment. There were many possibilities.

Maybe it was because the court officials were impeaching Tian Shengong, and Xue Bai could silence the gossips by letting Tian Shengong follow him to fight against foreign enemies;
Or maybe he truly believed that resisting Tubo was the most important thing, and the struggle for power was not important for the time being;

Or maybe they sensed the danger and decided to take shelter temporarily, joining forces with Wang Nandi and other tribes;
Either they deliberately exposed loopholes and set traps; or they bluffed and delayed time, making those who were ready to act wait for another five days...

The prime ministers were confused and caught off guard and did not object.

Xue Bai added: "Then the affairs of state are entrusted to you gentlemen. If there are any undecided matters, please consult the Saint and the Supreme Emperor."

Yan Zhenqing was a pragmatic person. He felt that since Xue Bai was busy with the power struggle, he should handle the miscellaneous affairs as much as possible. Therefore, he did not express his opinion and agreed silently.

Du Youlin was about to persuade Yan Zhenqing again, but seeing Yan Zhenqing like this, he sighed helplessly.

Wei Jiansu felt deeply uneasy and pursed his lips, wanting to resign. But when he thought about the difficult times the country was in, he knew he couldn't escape from the battlefield, and his old face became more resolute.

No one knew what Li Xian was thinking and he remained silent.

Only Li Mi politely said, "I am willing to accompany Your Highness to the battle, even if it means just taking care of military supplies and doing my best to serve you."

Speaking of those who are secretly opposing Xue Bai, Li Mi is a very suspicious one. Since he was captured, he has never expressed his loyalty to Xue Bai, and has always seemed reluctant to cooperate, but now he suddenly becomes diligent.

But after a little thought, Xue Bai agreed to Li Mi's request.

~~
Soon, the imperial edict was delivered to Bashang.

Tian Shengong was very confused when he received the imperial edict. He asked the messenger, "Why did Your Highness leave the capital at this time?"

"I have made it very clear. Because the front line is in danger, Your Highness is worried about the foreign invaders harming the people of Guanzhong, so he personally led the army to meet the enemy. What does General Tian mean by this? Are you afraid of fighting?"

"That is not my intention." Tian Shengong said, "I just don't understand why Your Highness left the capital at this time."

"Why can't we leave Beijing now?"

Tian Shengong was speechless and could only say: "I will definitely organize the troops and fight bravely against the enemy."

"Okay, the general is an old subordinate of your highness. Originally, many court officials were criticizing the general. Now that your highness has come out to lead the army in person, who dares to say anything else? This is a sign of trust. Once you have made great achievements in pacifying the enemy, the general's future will be limitless."

After Tian Shengong sent the messenger away, he felt a little confused when he thought of the last words of comfort.

"Brother." Tian Shenyu said, "Are you relieved now? His Highness is not going to replace us, but to use us. Now we just need to help His Highness drive back the Tibetan soldiers and wait until he ascends the throne. Then we will be invaluable."

"Ah."

Tian Shengong was inexplicably disappointed and turned away.

He always had a bad premonition in his heart that Xue Bai would definitely not tolerate his acts of robbing the people in Sichuan and would definitely take action against him.

This is the reason why he made his choice. With a reason, he can do things steadily.

As a result, Xue Bai did not punish him, but wanted to take him to the war, and also used this to stop the court officials from impeaching him. Such a favor made him feel burdened.

Thinking of this, he walked all the way to a large tent, and saw several maids busy boiling water and washing clothes, and they were very busy.

"Tian Shengong wants to see the madam."

The curtain was opened, and Zhang Ting was sitting on a stool, choosing jewelry in front of a bronze mirror.

She had changed into a silk dress, which was soft and bright in color, and made her face like a lotus and her figure even more graceful.

Seeing Tian Shengong enter from the mirror, Zhang Ting said, "I didn't expect that your camp has so many items. It's richer than Prince Zhong's Mansion... No, it's richer than the current Shaoyang Courtyard."

This sentence not only praised Tian Shengong, but also reminded him that Xue Bai advocated simplicity and would probably not allow him to burn, kill, rob and loot.

Li Qi, who was standing by, was very polite and called him "Zhongfu" as soon as they met.

Tian Shengong had originally begun to waver, considering whether to hand over Zhang Ting and her son. But when he saw the beautiful and noble woman and the well-behaved and obedient child, he began to give up his dream of wealth and glory.

"The emperor has issued an order, ordering me to prepare to follow him to fight against Tubo within five days."

Zhang Ting was stunned and paused in putting the gold hairpin on her head.

She turned around and said, "You don't think he's going to let you go, do you?"

Tian Shengong said: "I have followed Your Highness since I was a humble man, and we have lived and died together."

"If you believe in friendship, you will die earlier than anyone else." Zhang Ting said, "Let me tell you, he only appreciates those so-called 'selfless' people who are as obedient as cattle and horses. He can share hardships with people like him, but not wealth."

"No matter what, Your Highness gave me a chance." Tian Shengong said.

Zhang Ting sneered, she understood what he meant, they had agreed that he would help her achieve great things. Now he was regretting it, it was nothing more than thinking that he had one more choice and wanted to get more benefits from her.

Judging from the look in his eyes, he was probably still harboring the fantasy of letting her seduce him.

Although she was taking advantage of him, Zhang Ting did not really take a lowly person like Tian Shengong seriously, and would not fall into his trap easily.

"You thought he was giving you a chance, but you didn't know he was trying to kill you. Have you heard of the 'fake Yunmeng tour' plan?"

Tian Shengong was dedicated to making progress and had read a lot of books and newspapers in recent years. When he heard the term "pseudo-tour to Yunmeng", the first things that came to his mind were scenes like "affair", "playful outing", "clouds and rain", and "beautiful dreams". His gaze towards Zhang Ting became even more fiery.

He had wanted to have an affair with her more than once, and then support Li Qi to become the Cao Cao of the Tang Dynasty.

Unfortunately, his heart was with Cao's camp, but Zhang Ting was talking about Han.

"After Emperor Gaozu of Han founded the country, he appointed Han Xin as the King of Chu. Later, Han Xin harbored Zhongli Mei, a general of Xiang Yu, and had the intention of rebellion. What did Liu Bang do? He did not punish Han Xin, but pretended to visit Yunmeng Lake and met with the princes in Chen County. Han Xin received the imperial edict, so he killed Zhongli Mei and rushed to Chen County to meet Liu Bang with his head. What happened? He was arrested on the spot."

After hearing this, Tian Shengong remained silent.

Zhang Ting asked again: "General, do you know what Han Xin's last words were?"

Tian Shengong certainly didn't know. He realized that it was useless to just read some essays and newspapers on a daily basis. He had to read more history books in the future and learn from history so that he could absorb the lessons of the ancients when making key decisions.

"Han Xin said, 'I regret not using Kuai Tong's advice. I was deceived by a woman. Isn't it heaven's will?' Kuai Tong advised him to gather troops to protect himself during the Chu-Han War, so as to achieve great success."

These words persuaded Tian Shengong again.

He was extremely power-hungry, but he did not dare to offend Zhang Ting. After saying goodbye and leaving, he went to a heavily guarded camp.

When he entered, he found the young woman he had looted from the border hidden inside.

He strode in, pulled someone over, ripped her dress and started stabbing her, but his eyes did not show much emotion, instead he seemed a little bored.

This kind of looting could no longer bring him any pleasure. Before his eyes was the prosperous city of Chang'an. He had witnessed the decadence and decadence there.

"Kill them all."

When Tian Shengong walked out of the tent, he gave these instructions.

Half a day later, Tian Shenyu hurried over and said, "Brother, what do you mean?!"

"What do you mean? It was you who said, 'Others can do it, so why can't we do it?' Now I am the one who is cleaning up the mess for you."

"Then you don't have to kill them all and sell them as prisoners..."

"How much do you want to sell it for?" Tian Shengong suddenly grabbed his brother's collar and said, "Wake up, are you still short of money? We will go to war with His Highness in a few days. If His Highness finds out, do you know the consequences?"

Tian Shenyu said: "I understand. Don't let this little thing affect our efforts to kill the enemy and gain merit."

He laughed heartily and said, "With His Highness backing us up, who dares to impeach us again?"

"I have something to tell you."

Tian Shengong took Tian Shenyu for a few steps and whispered, "In four days, His Highness will swear an oath at the Bian Bridge and lead the army westward. He will be able to meet Wang Nandai within ten days."

"I know that it is rare to have such a famous general as Wang. We will definitely be able to achieve great success in this battle."

Tian Shengong said: "I'm afraid that once we meet, you and I will both lose our heads."

"Brother, what are you talking about?" Tian Shenyu said, "We are your highness's confidants!"

"That's enough. People change, and friendships change even more. He was able to transform from a government slave into a prince. How could he have done that without being ruthless? Now that your deeds have been exposed, he is temporarily appeasing us because he is afraid that we will rebel against him."

"Isn't this a statement of betrayal to His Highness?"

"Listen to me, don't be fooled. The Saint is about to die, and His Highness shouldn't leave Chang'an at this time. Why is he doing this? There is only one reason, and that is that he is suspicious of us. If we don't take the initiative, we will be the ones to die."

"Brother, have you gone crazy from studying?!"

Tian Shenyu exclaimed, and said in an annoyed tone: "I should have stopped you from reading so many books and newspapers, they are all perverse. We have followed His Highness from the beginning, and now His Highness is about to become the emperor. How can we change sides at this time? How stupid."

"You are the fool. When you were eight years old, you said you wanted to marry Cui Wa from the village. You didn't even have a pair of pants at that time. Do you understand? Not everyone who first met you in obscurity can be with you forever. If you have different paths, you can't make plans together. Nobles are just ladders. You can't climb to the top with only one ladder."

"Brother, you've confused me."

"I won't harm you. You'll be right to listen to me. Otherwise, His Highness will definitely kill you." Tian Shengong said, "I've already made a plan. The Saint will soon pass away. Then we will get rid of His Highness and support Prince Zhong as the emperor and Zhang as the queen. Prince Zhong is not in good health, and the military power is in our hands. With Zhang's alliance with us, our power will be stable. When we have a solid foundation in the future, we will support Li Qi."

~~
Daming Palace, Hanliang Hall.

The hall was filled with the smell of medicine.

Li Cong lay on the couch and pushed away the bitter medicine soup brought by Li Qu.

"I don't want this." He murmured, his eyes filled with endless attachment to life, and murmured: "I want the elixir."

"Father, this is the best medicine to cure your illness."

"It can't cure me."

Although Li Cong looked haggard and lifeless, he knew very well that these medicines could only delay his death slightly, and only elixirs could possibly bring him back to life.

His children thought he was confused, but he was the only one who understood what he should do to truly save himself.

"I want the elixir!"

Li Qu had no choice but to turn around and look at the eunuchs behind him, saying, "How about letting Father meet the Immortal Master?"

The immortal masters mentioned here are the two Taoists who were formerly supported by Prince Qing’s Palace.

However, the eunuch standing outside the palace shook his head and said, "Your Highness has ordered that those medicines will only harm the Saint. Please use the prescriptions prescribed by the imperial physician on time." Li Yiniang also stepped forward to comfort Li Cong and said, "Yes, Saint, you can drink some more."

Tears slowly flowed from Li Cong's old eyes, and he still murmured unwillingly: "I want the elixir..."

At this moment, someone outside the door said, "Your Highness wants to see you."

The eunuchs all showed their delight and said with a smile: "Your Majesty, your Highness has come down to pay his respects to you."

It seemed as if Xue Bai's visit to Li Cong and the reunion of uncle and nephew was a touching and happy event.

But except for Li Yiniang, everyone in the hall was afraid of Xue Bai. They all lowered their heads and remained silent.

Xue Bai seemed to be unable to feel this atmosphere. He walked in calmly with several important ministers and imperial doctors. He first greeted Li Cong, then took the medicine bowl from Li Qu and fed Li Cong himself.

Faced with the spoon handed to him by Xue Bai, Li Cong didn't dare to lose his temper anymore and just opened his mouth and put it in his mouth obediently.

This harmonious scene made the important officials in the hall stroke their beards and look pleased.

"Your Highness is extremely filial."

"With such filial piety, the saint will surely get better soon."

After feeding the medicine, Xue Bai asked them to come forward and feel Li Cong's pulse. After feeling his pulse, the imperial doctors' opinions were all similar.

"Don't worry, Your Highness. The Saint's condition has shown signs of improvement. He will surely recover slowly as long as he is carefully treated."

Li Yiniang looked at Li Cong's dying appearance and was somewhat surprised that the imperial physician had made such a diagnosis, but she did not know medical skills and could not raise any doubts. Li Qu and others did not dare to raise their heads after hearing this.

In fact, no matter whether one understands medicine or not, no one would question such a thing.

"That's good."

Xue Bai seemed to be really relieved and said, "Saint, the Tubo are invading our borders now and are coming with great force. I would like to lead the army to protect Guanzhong. I hope Saint will approve it."

After hearing this, Li Cong was stunned for a moment. He did not seem very happy, but rather a little worried.

He held Xue Bai with his withered hands and muttered something incomprehensible.

Xue Bai said to himself: "Don't worry, Saint. In two months at the shortest and half a year at the longest, I will defeat the enemy and return to the court. I only hope that Saint will take good care of himself and enjoy peace and prosperity for the country and the people."

Having said that, Li Cong could only mutter, "Okay, okay."

After chatting for a few more words, Xue Bai stood up and said goodbye.

Others didn't dare to see her off, but Li Yiniang always liked to take the opportunity to chat with Xue Bai.

"Be careful when you go out on the expedition. I will pray for you."

"Okay, I'll leave the Saint in your care. Make sure he takes his medicine on time. The golden stone pills are harmful, so don't let the Saint take them."

"Don't worry." Li Yiniang said, "I know."

She sighed, thinking that Emperor Taizong knew that elixirs were harmful when he was young, but in his later years he still believed in immortality.

Two days later, Xue Bai selected 400 elite soldiers from the imperial army as guards, summoned Tian Shengong's army to Bianqiao to swear an oath, and followed him to the Qinlong battlefield.

Tian Shengong brought three thousand elite soldiers from Jiannan, and recently recruited more than three thousand soldiers. Together with the civilian laborers who transported food and fodder, the troops went westward in an endless stream.

~~
On the first day that Xue Bai left Chang'an, the city was exceptionally peaceful.

Even some forces that opposed Xue Bai did not dare to act rashly because they did not know what Xue Bai was up to. Instead, they were more cautious than usual.

Just in the evening, a group of sturdy men escorted a carriage into Chang'an City.

Zhang Ting looked out through the gap in the car curtain, her expression looking very solemn.

She no longer had the pride she had in the past. This time, she fought for power with Xue Bai with fear and the determination to die if she failed. She really had no confidence that she could defeat Xue Bai, but she had no way out. Once Li Cong died and Xue Bai succeeded to the throne, what awaited her would only be a life of endless darkness.

Fortunately, this fear has united the people who were originally fighting each other, so maybe they can win this time?

Zhang Ting's carriage entered a house in Anxingfang, and a middle-aged man in mourning came to greet them.

This man's name is Wu Xi, he is the brother of Wu Cou who died not long ago, and also the uncle of Li Chu. With such an identity, he was originally incompatible with Zhang Ting, but now they seem to trust each other very much.

"how?"

"The bad news is that Li Chenghong has been exposed and Li Qiwu has also escaped. The good news is that more and more people are willing to help us. Here is the list."

"Who is guarding the palace now?" Zhang Ting asked.

"Prison."

"I'm afraid this person doesn't even know how many gates the Daming Palace has?" Zhang Ting let out a sigh of relief and said, "I also have good news to tell you. Tian Shengong has left a group of people for me."

Wu Xi immediately realized that Tian Shengong had replaced some of his trusted troops with the newly recruited men and left them in Chang'an.

He couldn't help but be overjoyed and said, "If this is the case, why should we worry about not accomplishing great things?"

Zhang Ting asked, "Can you send someone into the palace?"

"can."

Wu Xu immediately took out a token from his bosom and said, "We have convinced Li Yan and also obtained the support of Empress Dou."

"Don't worry, wait another two days." Zhang Ting murmured, "Wait for news from the west first... It would be best if he is dead."

For them, as long as Xue Bai died at the hands of the Tibetans or Tian Shengong, everything in Chang'an would be simple.
~~
In Hanliang Palace, Li Cong opened his eyes again and said, "I want the elixir."

Li Qu, who was serving beside him, said, "Father, His Highness said..."

Although Li Cong looked weak, there was sudden anger in his eyes.

He was really angry, but thinking that Xue Bai was no longer in Chang'an, he finally dared to say some things to Li Qu.

"Let those servants withdraw."

Li Qu glanced at the palace servants in the hall and ordered, "Retreat."

The palace servants did not retreat until Li Cong said, "I told you to retreat. How dare you disobey the emperor's orders?"

Now that the Crown Prince Regent was away and he said that the emperor would be in charge of the government, Li Cong's words were still useful, and soon, only the two of them, father and son, were left in the palace.

"I will not get better if I use this medicine." Li Cong whispered, "He must have poisoned it."

"Father is talking about Sanlang, but..."

"I was fine before, but I've been getting worse in recent years. I know I don't have much time left." Li Cong was filled with sorrow and added, "Don't listen to the nonsense of those quack doctors. They tricked you into letting me drink the medicine they prescribed in order to harm me."

Li Qu was shocked.

Li Cong said: "Only the elixir can save me. Let Master Xu Qing make the elixir for me... Just think of it as me begging you. I have eaten the elixir before and know it is useful..."

Li Qu would never dare to agree to this.

But now that Xue Bai had left Chang'an, Li Cong refused to drink the medicine.

Li Qu then followed his instructions every time and secretly poured out the medicine, hoping that Li Cong's health would improve after he stopped taking poison.

However, there was no improvement. Li Cong's health was rapidly deteriorating at a speed visible to the naked eye. Anyone with a discerning eye could see that Li Cong would die in the next few days and there was no cure.

On the fourth day after Xue Bai left Beijing, Li Cong suddenly fainted.

A palace servant quickly reported the matter to Fan Lao, so Fan Lao sent out a fast horse to deliver the letter to Xue Bai by express that day.

The horses galloped out of Chang'an. Someone on the city wall saw this scene and quickly delivered the news to Anxingfang.

"The Saint is about to pass away. I'm afraid His Highness will rush back."

"what should we do?"

"Do you want to do it?"

"..."

After preparing for so long, the critical moment has finally arrived, but Zhang Ting hesitated.

She was just a woman, not the real mastermind, nor qualified to be in charge. She was good at clinging to men like a vine. It was because her man was imprisoned that she could only plan to escape and contact others outside.

Now it is her turn to make a decision, but she has not received any news from Tian Shengong.

Zhang Ting bit her fingers, thinking that whether Xue Bai was dead or not, the situation would be very different.

If Xue Bai was already dead, then they only needed to continue contacting court officials step by step, and when Li Cong passed away and the news of Xue Bai's death came, they could naturally support Li Heng.

But if Xue Bai is not dead yet, then we have to take another risk.

"Damn it, that villager didn't even send a message. It turns out nothing can be accomplished."

Zhang Ting thought about it and decided that he couldn't just rely on Tian Shengong, so he said, "Let's do it."

"it is good!"

"Take your people to Taiji Palace and ask the emperor to come forward to govern the country; take your people to the residence of the Tenth Prince and ask Prince Zhong to take the throne; go find Prince Yu and ask him to go to the Imperial Guards as soon as possible..."

Following Zhang Ting's instructions, figures came out of this mysterious mansion one after another and headed towards the residences of various princes, nobles, and powerful officials.

She had to act before others could react, and there was actually a key point.

Therefore, after everyone else had left, she gave one more instruction.

"Let Li Qu fulfill his filial duty and tell him that perhaps the saint can hold on for a while longer after taking the elixir."

~~
The box was opened, revealing a red pill with a rich, bright color.

"Don't worry, the guards didn't search us." Li Yan whispered, "No one knows that we brought the elixir to our father."

Li Qu finally breathed a sigh of relief.

He didn't dare to go against Xue Bai's wishes, nor did he dare to go against Li Cong's wishes. Faced with this dilemma, he finally took the box without anyone noticing.

"Give it to me."

Li Cong's gray eyes finally showed some light, and he stared at the red pill with anticipation.

He seemed to be able to experience the feeling of fullness of energy and blood every time he swallowed the medicine.

"Hurry...give it to me..."

(End of this chapter)