Chapter 81: Half a Month of Turbulence

A minor issue, however, was the lack of mounts. Wherever the valiant spirits passed, mutated creatures kept a wide berth. The Blackwater City army could no longer fish for sand monsters to use as mounts, as they had in the past, and could only proceed diligently, step by step.

They traveled for over ten days like this, until their water and food supplies were almost depleted. The group finally reached the end of Red Cliff Road.

Upon reaching that point, the Great Wind Army ceased their escort. They simply turned and left, showing no regard for their two weeks of shared journey.

Throughout the journey, they had been silent companions. From the commanders to the lowest soldiers, He Lingchuan hadn't heard them utter a single word.

After bathing, He Lingchuan changed into fresh clothes and hurried to the dining hall.

The family of three was already seated. He Chunhua was recounting his journey through the Panlong Desert to his second son, while Madam Ying smiled, listening and eating with a hearty appetite.

He Lingchuan sat down and immediately grabbed a large white steamed bun. "Dad," he asked, "did you mention that I saved everyone?"

Madam Ying couldn't help but laugh. "What cheek!"

With her family safely returned, she was in an excellent mood. She personally selected a large piece of braised pork belly, so tender it practically melted, for He Lingchuan to put inside his bun, along with two perfectly pickled radish slices.

He Lingchuan ate, his mouth glistening with grease, and mumbled, "In the desert, this is all I dreamed of, day and night!"

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

He Lingchuan casually drew the blade and laid it across the table. "Be careful not to cut yourself," he warned.

He Yue carefully stroked the blade. It felt icy cold to the touch and then stung. He couldn't help but cry out, then popped his finger into his mouth, sucking on it twice.

He Lingchuan glared. "Clumsy!"

He Yue said 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 sharp clang. His finger remained unharmed. "You're more delicate than a woman," he scoffed.

Over the years, He Yue had become immune to his sarcasm. He proactively changed the topic. "Brother, Panlong City is so vast, how did you figure out that this blade was the Black Dragon's lifeline?"

He Lingchuan was energized. As he dramatically boasted about his photographic memory and meticulous attention to detail, he swung the blade, filling the hall with flashing cold light.

Suddenly, a ceramic jar four feet away shattered, spilling water across the floor.

He Lingchuan hadn't used a shred of his true power.

Madam Ying's face paled. "Stop! This is a dining area; you shouldn't be playing with weapons here!"

This blade was simply too dangerous!

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

"Precisely," He Yue confirmed. He had already reported to their father and didn't mind repeating it for his elder brother. "Actually, Nian Songyu and Sun Fuping were talking complete nonsense. Before they even arrived at Blackwater City, the bandits at Woling Pass had already been crushed by Generals Wu Di and Ke Jihai. It would have been impossible for them to cut timber, build boats, and advance eastward downriver!"

He Lingchuan froze. "So, 'Iron Barrel General' Zhao Ronglüe...?"

It was precisely because Sun Fuping had falsely reported military intelligence that He Chunhua decided to follow them to Panlong City, seeking the legendary Great Square Flask, believed to guarantee victory against enemies, thereby aiding the imperial army in suppressing the bandits and defending the capital.

So He Yue was now telling him that the rebels hadn't even managed to leave Woling Pass?

Then why were the Xuzhou Governor and Sun Fuping conspiring to obtain the Great Square Flask?

"'Iron Barrel General' had indeed died in battle. When Generals Wu and Ke arrived with 100,000 elite troops, the bandits happened to be fighting among themselves, which reduced their strength. Even so, there were several fierce battles, with heavy casualties on both sides; we barely scraped by with a victory." He Yue smiled bitterly. "Sun Fuping only told a fraction of the truth. Truth mixed with falsehood is hard to distinguish, and even Father fell for it."

"No wonder!" He Lingchuan hissed softly. "No wonder Sun Fuping and Nian Songyu urged us to leave as soon as they arrived at Blackwater City. They must have been worried that the eastern route would suddenly clear and the real news would arrive."

"The situation was very unfavorable for the Grand Marshal, so they had to create a time gap to exploit us. Otherwise, once news from the capital arrived, they would go from honored guests to wanted criminals."

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

"Elite troops and skilled generals had all been sent south, leaving the capital vulnerable. Grand Marshal Dong Haoming thought he saw an opportunity, so he sent assassins into the palace, intending to rebel!" He Yue continued. "He had probably planned this for a long time, hiding 1,600 elite soldiers in several villas outside the city; some weren't even under Donglai Prefecture's name and thus didn't attract attention. Early that morning, the Southern City Guard directly opened the gates, letting the Donglai Prefecture army into the city. The Imperial Guards also had inside accomplices, who directly led two of the Grand Marshal's killer generals into the palace to assassinate the King!"

To act so brazenly? The Grand Marshal was indeed a ruthless man. He Lingchuan almost gave a thumbs-up, but the gesture was inappropriate.

He Chunhua nodded. "The Grand Marshal held a high and powerful position, and the King was often ill. If he succeeded in assassinating the King, he could claim the King died of illness, have a few imperial historians forge a will, and have the Grand Marshal appointed to assist the new ruler and command all officials. Then he could use the new ruler to command the regional lords, making the coup a fait accompli, and even the military generals might not dare to make a move."

When ambitious heroes contend, it's all about luck and momentum. Once the momentum is lost, nothing can be achieved.

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

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

"The King is his son-in-law; won't the kingdom eventually belong to his grandson anyway? Why is the Grand Marshal so impatient, needing to usurp power himself?"

He Chunhua remained silent for a moment before speaking. "I heard the relationship between the father-in-law and son-in-law wasn't good, and the reasons are likely very complex. It seems there have been recent conflicts: The northern demon nation has repeatedly invaded our borders, and the King demanded resolute retaliation. But the Grand Marshal believed the nation was weak and beset by conflicts everywhere, making extensive military action unwise, and preferred peace negotiations and appeasement. According to the information I've received, the King and the Grand Marshal openly debated this in the royal court at least four times. Afterward, the King was so angry he refused to eat, then summoned the Eastern Queen and harshly reprimanded her, punishing her by making her kneel in the imperial garden for half the night."

He Lingchuan scratched his head. "If he couldn't win an argument with his father-in-law, he'd scold his wife – our King truly takes his frustrations out on his family. That's not such a big deal that it warrants the Grand Marshal rebelling."

He Yue shook his head. "The Grand Marshal was dissatisfied with the nation's current state, believing the King's governance was inept and led to countless problems, so he wanted to replace him."

"Understood, he just didn't want to wait." He Lingchuan sighed deeply. "If you want to rebel, what reason wouldn't do? By the way, did he succeed?"

"No. The King happened to be out that day, spending the night at Duke Puwen's home, with the location kept secret. The Grand Marshal's inside accomplices in the palace didn't know and proceeded with the assassination as planned, but found no one. 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 him."

"The Grand Marshal's rebellion was thus exposed. Governor Wei Ao of Xuanzhou was the quickest to return with reinforcements, repelling the Grand Marshal's attacks twice at Lesser West Mountain, holding out until Ke Jihai's army arrived. Seeing that success was hopeless, the Grand Marshal led his army westward, retreating to Wuzhou."