Chapter 320

So Shan Qiutang hurried along, traveling day and night, and finally arrived at the Privy Council in the capital after three days and three nights.

Because his lungs could not withstand the bumpy ride, as soon as he dismounted, he could no longer suppress the metallic taste rising in his throat and suddenly spat out a mouthful of blood, staining the white snow on the ground red.

It looked extremely shocking.

He staggered and fell to the ground, his face turning cyanotic, which was quite frightening, and he almost lost consciousness.

Suppressing his willpower, he crawled desperately to the door to knock. The servant who had just opened the door was startled and fell to the ground with a thud.

Thinking it was a beggar who had died at the door, he hurriedly tried to call the housekeeper, only to bump into Tao Tao who was about to leave.

Upon seeing this, Rong'er immediately rebuked, "Are you blind?! How dare you offend the Princess?!"

The servant, his face contorted with grief, pointed tremblingly at the door and cried, "A...a dead person! There's a dead person at the door, Your Highness!"

Upon hearing this, Tao Tao frowned, took a step towards the door, but was stopped by Leng Qiao.

Leng Qiao frowned and said in a low voice, "I'll go take a look."

Tao Tao glanced at her and nodded, "Okay."

When Leng Qiao arrived at the door, she saw that the person lying on the ground was dressed in the clothes of a soldier of the Celestial Empire. She was shocked when she thought of her master Duan Gan who had gone to Yuquan Pass. She quickly squatted down and stretched out two fingers to check his breath.

Startled to realize the person was still alive, she turned and exclaimed, "Miss! He's one of Fourth Master's men!"

Upon hearing this, Tao Tao's heart skipped a beat, and she quickly ran over.

Seeing his deathly pale face and the bloodstains on the ground, I was immediately startled and quickly performed CPR on him.

While pressing on his chest, he shouted, "Call a doctor! Right now!"

Rong'er turned around and immediately went to call the family physician.

Tao Tao stopped when the person coughed, and Leng Qiao carried the person on her back to the courtyard.

Soon after, the imperial physician arrived in a hurry.

Tao Tao touched his cold, stiff hand and had several more charcoal braziers placed in the room. Soon the room became a warm stove, and after only a short while, he was covered in sweat.

Soon, Shan Qiutang's breathing calmed down, and his complexion gradually returned to normal.

The royal physician removed the silver needles from the patient's head and chest, let out a long sigh of relief, wiped the sweat from his forehead, and said, "Your Highness, this person has recovered now."

"Just wait for me to prescribe the medicine, take it with every meal, and rest well. In time, you will recover."

She nodded and smiled. "Thank you for your help, doctor. How long will it take for him to wake up?"

As soon as the words were spoken, a murmur came from the person on the bed.

Tao Tao quickly stepped forward, sat down on the edge of the bed, and leaned over to listen. "What did you say?"

Whether it was her imagination or not, she vaguely heard someone calling her.

It's not her name, it's the title "Princess".

She was worried that something serious had happened to Duan Gan, and anxiety welled up in her heart. Her brows furrowed tightly. "Has something happened at the border?"

"Are you here to see me? I am Murong Tao."

Shan Qiutang's eyebrows remained raised, his chapped lips opened and closed, and his eyelids trembled as he tried desperately to wake up.

Tao Tao said urgently, "Bring me warm water!"

Upon seeing this, Rong'er reacted quickly and immediately brought warm water. Granny Wu stepped forward, lifted the patient's head, and the two of them worked together to feed him some water.

Dan Qiutang's reaction was even stronger after drinking water, and he slowly opened his eyes after a short while.

Seeing Tao Tao gripping her arm tightly, her voice rough and hoarse like a whetstone, she cried out, "I...I want to see the Regent's Consort!"

Sure enough, it was someone looking for her.

Tao Tao's eyes brightened slightly. "That's me. Did Duan Gan send you back?"

"What exactly happened at the border? Why are you the only one who came back?"

Upon hearing her question, Shan Qiutang's face showed a sorrowful expression, his eyes reddened, and he moved his lips, but his throat seemed blocked, and he could not say anything.

Tao Tao suddenly smiled, but it was a forced smile. She pursed her lips and asked softly, "What do you mean?"

After saying that, her face suddenly darkened, and she gritted her teeth, "I'm asking you a question! Are you mute?!"

No one spoke. They were shocked by her dramatic change in emotions, and they couldn't help but wonder if he was the only one who had escaped after the defeat at the border.

If even Duan Gan is defeated, is there any hope left for that dynasty?

This question arose in the minds of everyone present.

The Celestial Empire, this lucrative prize, has always been coveted by various countries, especially the Liao Dynasty and the Turks, who were barbaric people who ate raw meat and drank blood.

We are not of the same race, have the same beliefs, or the same culture.

Everyone knows the saying that those who are not of our kind will surely have different hearts. When they storm into the territory of the Celestial Empire and break into the capital, will the people of the Celestial Empire be left alive?

It's obvious that this is impossible.

With trembling hands, Shan Qiutang struggled to pull out the envelope he had been tightly protecting to his chest. When he took it out, it was still warm.

"Your Highness... a letter... a letter from General Wu Lei to you."

Tao Tao initially thought it was a letter from Duan Gan, and after a slight disappointment, she quickly took it and opened it.

Dan Qiutang swallowed hard, his throat dry, and continued, "Yuquan Pass has fallen and been occupied by the enemy. The troops inside the pass have suffered heavy losses, and the fate of the Commander-in-Chief is unknown. I implore the Princess to request imperial decree to send troops to support and rescue the Commander-in-Chief!"

Tao Tao listened to his words, quickly skimming the contents of the envelope, which were almost identical to what he had said.

Just then, Sun Zaichuan, the director of the North Campus, rushed over.

His face was grave, as if something terrible had happened. Upon seeing Tao Tao, he clasped his hands in a fist and said, "Your Highness, something has happened."

Her heart tightened. "What's wrong?"

"The King of Jingzhou has rebelled and has now occupied Jingzhou and the surrounding cities. Under the pretext of purging the court of corrupt officials, he has launched an uprising and is calling on many disloyal princes and nobles to come to the capital."

Suddenly, someone else rushed over anxiously.

"Your Highness, I have received news that the neighboring small countries such as Wu, Dali, and Western Xia are launching attacks on our city territories. Local officials were caught off guard and have already lost three cities!"

No sooner had she finished speaking than Liang Zhao, the deputy commander of the Privy Council's guards, rushed towards her with a heavy and grim expression.

"Your Highness, rumors are circulating that the Fourth Prince has perished at Yuquan Pass. The Liao Kingdom and the Turks have joined forces and captured the vital border pass. The fate of the Celestial Empire is sealed, and the entire nation is gripped by fear."

"Your Highness, has something really happened to the Fourth Prince? What should we do now?"

One thorny problem after another came crashing down on Tao Tao.

She lowered her eyes, clenched her fists, and her expressionless face revealed no emotion.

Only she knew that her heart was in turmoil, pounding wildly like a tangled rope.

"Don't rush, don't panic, panicking won't help," Tao Tao said calmly.

They were trying to calm them down in this way.

Panic is useless; it will only make the enemy laugh at them. Everyone is happy to see them lose their composure and make a fool of themselves.

"Let me think of a solution."

After he finished speaking, the people present calmed down considerably.

If a leader cannot even calm himself down, his subordinates will only become more and more chaotic, and in the end, he will not need any enemies; he will soon bring about his own destruction.

What Tao Tao needs to do now is to become a source of reassurance for everyone.