"Serves him right. As a prince, he still colluded with the enemy and betrayed the country. Your Majesty's actions are wise."
"That's right, putting righteousness above family ties! A prince who breaks the law should be punished the same as a commoner."
Xu Nian's voice wasn't loud, but it was just enough for all the generals in the tent to hear her. Upon hearing this, they all looked at her with an expression that she deserved it.
Since discussing tactics wouldn't yield any results, the successor simply began listing Jiang Yuanche's crimes.
They condemned him as a sinner for all time, and no one noticed Liu Jun's flickering pupils and extremely gloomy expression hidden in the darkness.
His gloomy gaze swept over the generals who were cursing the most, and everyone felt a chill run down their necks, causing them to unconsciously shrink back.
"He is, after all, a prince of the Xuan Dynasty. No matter what, it's not our place to comment." Liu Jun fiddled with the sand table. "Let's all take a look at what our next move should be."
Everything was observed by Xu Nian and General You.
She pretended not to see the malice in Liu Jun's eyes when he glanced over, and left the tent silently without saying a word.
This morning she gave Gu Zhan's ring to Jiang Yuanqing and arranged to check on the emperor's condition at noon. Now it's almost time.
"How did it get like this?"
Jiang Mingyun lay on the bed, his cheeks sunken. Xu Nian remembered that when she set off, this emperor had a full head of black hair, but now it had all turned white, making him look more than ten years older.
His condition looked very bad; even though the imperial physicians were using all sorts of precious medicines to nourish him, he was no better off than those who were on their deathbeds.
Jiang Yuanqing showed no sadness on his face, nor any anger at Xu Nian's disrespectful words. "Except for the first day when Father Emperor was still conscious, his condition has deteriorated day by day since then. Now he can't even hear you speak."
The ring was brought even closer, allowing Xu Nian to see Jiang Mingyun's condition more clearly.
His skin was withered, and even lying down, his bright yellow undergarment looked somewhat empty. The once vigorous emperor now had sunken eye sockets.
Below his tightly closed eyes were patches of dark circles, and upon closer inspection, one could see dark brown age spots on his neck.
Xu Nian's eyes flickered, and in front of Jiang Yuanqing, she did some calculations with her fingers, "His Majesty's current condition is probably not enough to make it back before I return. You... should prepare for the worst."
She didn't say what came next, but she figured Jiang Yuanqing would understand.
He remained indifferent throughout, his expression showing no sadness but only a sense of responsibility. Hearing Xu Nian's words, his expression didn't change much.
He readily accepted the verdict, but Jiang Yuanmo, who had remained silent until now, was somewhat unable to accept it. "Is there really no other way? Is this... is this all we can do but wait to die?"
"If you look closely, you will notice a small, barely noticeable bulge on His Majesty's chest. That is not a bone, but a Gu worm that has already sucked enough of His Majesty's blood. It has already formed a cocoon, and the moment it breaks out of the cocoon, His Majesty's life will come to an end."
She paused for a moment, then continued, "There are only a few days left, no more than three days. I will give you a talisman, which you must place on His Majesty's chest first thing in the morning after tomorrow. It can prevent the Gu worm from breaking through His Majesty's skin and harming people indiscriminately. It has already lost control, so it is best to eliminate it as soon as possible."
"Why can't we take advantage of its current cocooning state and destroy it immediately?"
Xu Nian shook her head. The life of the cocooned Gu worm was now completely linked to the emperor.
It was this worm that was keeping the emperor alive; once it was dug out, Jiang Mingyun wouldn't survive even a moment longer. His soul would be taken away by the King of Hell.
If the Gu worms are not removed, he can live for another two or three days on his last breath, but not more.
After explaining everything to the two of them, she hung up the communication. Shortly after, the ring was sent to her by Jiang Yuanqing. She then transmitted the talisman she had drawn.
I stood up and looked towards the distant horizon, at the clear blue sky of the border region. I wondered how much longer I could look at it.
"How is it?" Gu Zhan returned from outside after finishing his business. He lifted the curtain and saw Xu Nian's compassionate, almost divine expression. "Has something happened to His Majesty?"
He paused, hesitated for a moment, and then suddenly remembered what she had to do today.
The next moment, Xu Nian nodded, confirming his guess, "He won't live more than three days. Jiang Yuanqing told us not to worry about anything. Just win this battle, and he'll take care of the rest."
Gu Zhan's expression was blank; he didn't know how he felt.
To be fair, Jiang Mingyun had actually treated him quite well. His parents had died early, and as a young child, he couldn't possibly bear such a grand title; it was Jiang Mingyun who specially sent someone to help him.
Although the heart of an emperor is always filled with countless suspicions and doubts, it is undeniable that he is actually grateful to him in his heart.
Now, upon learning of his death, I am at a loss for what to feel.
Xu Nian didn't speak or comfort him. She simply stepped forward, hugged him, and gently patted his back. After a while, Marshal Gu let out a long sigh.
His voice was hoarse, "I understand. We'll definitely get there before the new emperor ascends the throne."
No, perhaps I won't be able to get back in time.
The words she silently recited in her heart were ultimately not spoken to Gu Zhan.
They have more important things to do now, and they can't let this shake the men's already exhausted hearts.
"I've already spread the word about Jiang Yuanche. If things go quickly, he should make his move tonight."
To distract herself, she recounted everything that had happened in the tent that day to Gu Zhan. The tent swayed gently in the wind, and Xu Nian glanced at it, pausing in her speech.
Suddenly, the conversation shifted, "Speaking of which, today is the seventh day after Jiang Yuanche's death. I wonder if he would be furious if he knew that Jiang Yuanqing was going to become emperor."
“He’s dead, he won’t be angry anymore,” Gu Zhan said helplessly. “Even if he were to be angry, probably no one would be able to see it.”
The two talked a lot, never mentioning Jiang Yuanche, yet every sentence confirmed that Jiang Yuanche was dead.
Liu Jun, standing outside the tent, clenched his fists so tightly his nails dug into his flesh. He gritted his teeth to keep from making a sound, glanced deeply at the two figures reflected in the tent, and then turned and left.
Fifty li west of Fengmen Pass lies the territory of Japanese pirates.
Unless absolutely necessary, even a marshal wouldn't leave the pass. Normally, simply driving the enemy outside Fengmen Pass would suffice.
However, given the menacing presence of these enemy forces, even after reaching the border, they set up camp and showed no intention of returning home.
Gu Zhan and his group could only wait quietly, hoping to catch them off guard when the time was right!
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