Chapter Nine
The Star Bureau was established during the reign of Emperor Lizhao.
Since General Long's death in battle, the late emperor had not sent troops to attack the northern Xiongnu, but instead ordered the border soldiers to strengthen their defenses and prevent the Xiongnu from having any opportunity to attack. After that great battle, the late emperor established a secret organization—the Star Bureau.
The Starry Sky Division, which obeys only the Emperor, is dedicated to secretly investigating the Stone Spirit Kingdom.
During the reign of Emperor Lizhao, the late Emperor's eldest princess, Mo Yinghuo, had mentioned this matter. It was only after the second prince ascended the throne that Emperor Zhaoming learned of the existence of the Starry Sky Bureau, a secret royal organization, and also became aware of the terrifying evil of the Stone Spirit Kingdom. Therefore, the eldest princess's understanding of the Stone Spirit Kingdom was no less than that of the current emperor. When Emperor Zhaoming learned of the Starry Sky Bureau, and that the late emperor had only informed the eldest princess of such a crucial and secret organization, he surprisingly said little. Instead, he issued a secret edict to the Starry Sky Bureau.
The Starry Sky Division obeys only the Emperor and is also at the behest of the Eldest Princess.
Therefore, after the emperor's death, the second prince ascended the throne. During the Zhaoming era, the Star Bureau of the entire Yunxiu Kingdom only obeyed two people: the emperor and the eldest princess.
To this day, even the Marquis of Beiding, who guards the northern border, only knows of the Kingdom of Shiling from the battle in which General Long died. The Marquis of Beiding has always been puzzled as to why General Long's elite cavalry, against a small kingdom within the Xiongnu, would suffer such a defeat. However, the Xiongnu were mostly nomadic peoples, and the Kingdom of Shiling was no exception.
The northern barbarian kingdoms such as Guifang, Hunyi, Xunyu, Yuezhi, Loulan, and Hujie frequently harassed the border regions and the people living nearby. The border inhabitants, unarmed and living in desolate lands, were often poorly clothed and starving. Even if this were all that remained, the people were unwilling to leave the places where they had grown up. Moreover, the question of whether they could survive in a new place was also a concern for the border inhabitants.
However, the various tribes of Northern Mang still frequently harassed the people, and although the soldiers of Yunxiu Kingdom repeatedly drove them out of the pass, not only were their grain and money plundered, but men, children, and the elderly often died tragically under the sword, while young women were dragged onto horses and died far from home or lived a life of darkness and despair thereafter.
Strangely, the Stone Spirit Kingdom had never participated in such raids, and had been nomadic in the depths of the north for many years.
It's like a dragon whose tail is seen but whose head is never seen.
Seeing the people on the border suffering unbearably, Marquis Beiding repeatedly requested permission to launch a northern expedition. He also wanted to confront the Kingdom of Shiling. However, after General Long's defeat, the late emperor and the current emperor, Zhaoming, decreed that the border troops must remain steadfast and not launch a northern campaign.
Marquis Beiding repeatedly requested permission, but to no avail.
Therefore, the soldiers on the northern border could only watch helplessly as the Yunzhao army swept through Fengge, Nanjin, Xijin, and Huguo with great speed, and they all harbored resentment.
The emperor's command was not to be disobeyed, and the soldiers had no choice but to remain on duty. This duty lasted for about twenty years, with new recruits replacing veterans.
The two spies beside the princess were from the Starry Sky Bureau. After noticing the unusual situation in Dongliang Kingdom and receiving various reports from spies infiltrating Shiling Kingdom, the princess secretly sent these two men out to investigate whether Dongliang Kingdom was colluding with Shiling Kingdom.
The two deputy generals, Gongliang Zhong and Shu Rong, naturally didn't know that these two spies were from the Starry Sky Division. Although they had seen them a few times in the military camp, they only knew that the Eldest Princess had sent them out to secretly gather intelligence on the enemy. This was also why Mo Yinghuo had Shu Rong stay outside to keep watch. Now that they had seen it, regardless of whether there was collusion, it was certain that the Eastern Liang Kingdom and the Stone Spirit Kingdom had some kind of connection.
Strangely, why would the Northern Barbarian Stone Spirit Kingdom be associated with the Eastern Liang Kingdom?
The reason Mo Yinghuo was certain that the Eastern Liang Kingdom had people from the Stone Spirit Kingdom as soon as he saw the Xuan Stone Array was because the Star Division had been secretly investigating the Stone Spirit Kingdom since the late emperor's founding, without interruption. However, despite spending a great deal of time and energy, the Star Division had obtained very little information.
However, two years ago, several Star Bureau spies who infiltrated the Stone Spirit Kingdom overheard that the reason the Stone Spirit Kingdom was able to defeat General Long's tens of thousands of elite troops was because they controlled a Mystic Stone Array. Based on the conversations of the Stone Spirit Kingdom people that they overheard, the spies roughly sketched out the appearance of the Mystic Stone Array on paper.
At this moment, the Xuan Stone Array in front of Mo Yinghuo is roughly similar to the one depicted in the drawings sent by the Star Division.
The two spies opened their eyes slightly, their faces filled with barely suppressed excitement.
Zhao Shu's expression remained calm, showing neither surprise nor awe at the mysterious stone array before him. He seemed to regard it merely as a pile of ordinary stones, and walked straight towards the array. Aside from their first meeting when Mo Yinghuo accidentally punched him in the chest, revealing a slight fluctuation of emotion, this man was always so composed and elegant that it gave one the illusion that he might have come from the capital incognito.
Two scouts followed Mo Yinghuo and went over as well.
After circling the stone formation once, the four people could roughly see its structure.
The main body of the Mystic Stone Array consists of dozens of massive mystic stone pillars, arranged in three concentric circles, standing silently in this open space, appearing eerie and mysterious under the moonlight. It seems like an ancient artifact, but upon closer inspection, it appears to have been built only in the last few years.
The outer perimeter of the Mystic Stone Array was covered with pebbles, all arranged in circles on the ground, each circle the same size. At the very center of the array stood a meticulously crafted, solemn, and dignified yet strangely eerie black jade urn containing the ashes of an emperor.
Whether the black jade urn contains ashes or something else, it's impossible to tell.
"Don't step on the pebbles on the ground," Zhao Shu said, frowning as he carefully looked at the black jade urn placed in the center of the stone array.
Mo Yinghuo walked to his side and stopped at a certain distance, not too close and not too far, and asked, "Can I go in?"
This stone array wouldn't appear here for no reason, and no one would be so bored as to set up a stone array here, along with an expensive urn. Mo Yinghuo knew that everything related to the Stone Spirit Kingdom had to be labeled as evil, otherwise, it would be impossible to guard against.
"Not for now." Zhao Shu's gaze remained fixed on the black jade urn.
"What do you two think?" Mo Yinghuo asked as the two spies approached after making another round of inspections.
The two shook their heads, and one of them cupped his hands and said, "Your Highness, we suspect that the urn in the middle is the key."
Mo Yinghuo glanced at Zhao Shu and nodded in acquiescence.
Zhao Shu rested his chin on one hand, lowered his eyes, pondered for a moment, and then walked over to Mo Yinghuo and the other two, saying, "Destroy the boxes inside, and this stone formation will be useless. General, then we can attack the city."
"Didn't Young Master Zhao just say that we can't go in for the time being?" Mo Ying asked, puzzled.
Zhao Shu suddenly froze, and after a moment, he spoke, “This stone formation can cause hallucinations. The four of us will split up and enter from the four directions: east, west, south, and north. Although the stone formation can be confusing, it has a flaw. If all four of us enter, its power will be evenly distributed among us, greatly reducing its effectiveness. Whoever enters the center of the stone formation first should immediately take out the urn. Remember, you must not open the urn.”
Mo Yinghuo nodded in acquiescence.
"Just remember that everything you see and hear is an illusion, and keep moving forward," Zhao Shu instructed.
The four of them then stood in the directions of east, west, south, and north.
Zhao Shu said in a heavy voice, "Go in."
The four of them simultaneously stepped into the Mystic Stone Formation.
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