Chapter 54 The Ten Directions' Ultimate Song: Ashes of Calamity Rekindled 2 The following day. New Year's Eve. ...
The next day. New Year's Eve.
The people were overjoyed by the arrival of Ming Qi and his entourage. But this New Year's Eve was destined to be a time of family reunion.
In order to find a cure for the Blood Spider Plague and the Mad Tree Plague as soon as possible, Mingqi and Yunxiang decided to split up. Mingqi and Yaoqi went into the city, while Yunxiang and her mother stayed outside. The people felt much more at ease because of their arrival.
In Yunhuai, there's a New Year's custom of making "Seven Treasures Blessing Dumplings," also called "Rending Steamed Cakes." As the name suggests, these are steamed cakes made with seven ingredients. Yunhuai has a long tradition of offering steamed cakes to the gods for prayers. Legend has it that a clever woman once steamed cakes with seven leftover ingredients from her home to satisfy hunger, unexpectedly saving starving people. Just then, on New Year's Eve, the snowstorm suddenly stopped. People were grateful for her act and named the cakes "Rending Steamed Cakes," meaning "when people's hearts are at peace, they can overcome the will of heaven." Later, it became an essential New Year's food custom, with each family using the seven treasures they have on hand as fillings, regardless of the price of the ingredients, only seeking to help each other.
This year's Qibao filling was prepared by Yu Zhiyi early in the morning and is the most traditional: red bean paste symbolizes "sincere loyalty", snow fungus flakes symbolize "abundant wealth", osmanthus and chestnut symbolize "a perfect match", five-colored seeds symbolize "five blessings", amber dates symbolize "early spring good news", mountain and sea mushrooms symbolize "precious delicacies", and longevity fruit symbolizes "longevity as long as heaven"; the outer skin is rouge rice flour skin, symbolizing "good fortune".
Yu Zhi knelt on the straw mat and hastily tied a knot in her faded brocade skirt. Various rough pottery bowls were piled on the wooden table. Yun Xiang was using the tip of a silver hairpin to pry open the beeswax in the can of candied dates. Mu Yi was holding half a bag of glutinous rice flour, her cuffs stained with vermilion from grinding red yeast rice.
Mother Yi pressed down on Yu Zhi's hand, which was soaking in rice paste, and frowned, saying, "Your hands are all cracked and bleeding. Let me knead the dough."
Yu Zhi withdrew his hand and said, "With the epidemic raging, if I dare not even touch the blood of my ten fingers, how can I be worthy of the seal of the two characters 'Ren Ding'? We still need to rely on you to treat the people. Although I do not have your abilities, my broken body can still lead the charge and die for the people."
Yun Xiang said, "Pah, pah, pah! It's the New Year, don't talk about death! But you need to be more careful with your current condition. Don't worry! I will not only cure these people, but also take good care of you and the baby in your belly."
Yunxiang broke open a chestnut, and osmanthus honey dripped onto the table, coating the broken kernels. She said, "The red bean paste is ready. Red beans ward off evil spirits, so add an extra spoonful to help cleanse the people of evil influences."
As soon as she finished speaking, a children's rhyme suddenly drifted from outside the village: "Man will conquer nature, the song has not yet ended, the Milky Way rolls back into cooking smoke..." It was a song Yu Zhi had taught the children to sing. But the song startled Yu Zhi, and she almost crooked the pagoda-shaped steamed bun. She had been on tenterhooks these past few days, fearing that someone's condition had worsened.
As white steam rose from the steamer, Mother Yi brought out three jars of peach blossom wine. The instant the wine splashed onto the bamboo steamer, Yu Zhi seemed to see the hands of starving people sharing the Seven Treasures Blessing Dumplings emerging from the steam. That year, during the snow disaster in the north, the steamed cakes bestowed by the late emperor contained Guanyin clay, but the people laughed and said that swallowing the clay meant sharing the fate of the mountains and rivers.
Just as the last steamed bun came out of the steamer, the acrid smell of burning herbs wafted from outside the city—the people were spontaneously warding off the plague. Yu Zhi distributed the steamed buns to the people, his hands trembling as he received the buns through the burlap sack, overlapping with the hands of others clutching steamed buns mixed with soil in the firelight.
This year's Lunar New Year's Eve was unusually quiet, with no firecrackers or fireworks, and no laughter; yet this year's Lunar New Year's Eve was also unusually lively, with six people each guarding their own area of the people, and a single candlelight becoming the light of thousands of homes.
After staying up all night to welcome the New Year, dawn is approaching.
Yunxiang had been pondering the two illnesses all night, so she didn't bother to rest. After a quick breakfast, she immediately threw herself into her research. Yu Zhi, on the other hand, had been exhausted these past few days, and her pregnancy was still unstable. When she got up, her vision went black, but luckily her mother was quick and caught her steadily.
Yun Xiang checked her pulse and said, "You must rest in bed now. We'll take care of things outside."
Yu Zhi said, "You will be giving birth soon, and I am already deeply grateful that you have taken such a great risk to help. I am Queen Yunhuai, and how can I rest here in peace when the people are suffering?" She gently stroked her lower abdomen, her eyes firm, "This child is Yunhuai's child, and I believe she will be very strong, and she must be strong!"
Yunxiang placed the sachet she always carried on her body and said, "I can't argue with you, but you have to lie down and rest today. Keep this sachet with you; it'll be good for both of you."
After saying this, Yu Zhi finally felt at ease and went to bed to rest.
As soon as Yunxiang and Muyi stepped out of the house, they received news that Mingqi and Yaoqi had been summoned back to Tianjia Mountain.
Tianjia Mountain. Guangyi Hall.
When the two arrived, Yan Xiao sat at the head of the table, and all the officials looked at them with varying expressions, as if they had been waiting for them. This time, someone had reported them to Yan Xiao for overstepping their authority and neglecting their duties. They hadn't been able to find fault before, but now they had taken advantage of the situation. But what did it matter? The two didn't want to waste any more words and said directly, "Your Majesty, we are going to rescue the people of Yunhuai."
The officials were all startled, and then one of them shouted, "So you admit it. But if you're saving a friend, just say you're saving a friend. Why bring up the common people?"
Ming Qi said, "What a joke! Since when is saving people a crime?"
Yan Xiao pondered for a moment, then said gently, “Han Yue, Spring God, I know what happened and I understand your eagerness to save your friend, but you should understand that gods cannot arbitrarily interfere in human affairs. It’s not too late for you to turn back now.”
Upon hearing this, the officials looked displeased. For deities to interfere in human affairs without permission was already a grave taboo, and Yan Xiao's favoritism towards these officials who formed cliques was excessive.
Ming Qi said, "Your Majesty, now that you know what has happened, you should know that the plague is no small matter. We are not here just to save our friends, but also for the millions of people. If the plague spreads, chaos will surely ensue!"
Yan Xiao said, "Everything has its own destiny. If you insist on doing this, it will be too late to turn back."
Yaoqi bowed deeply and said, "Gods protect all living beings and receive offerings from the mortal world. If they see the people weeping blood and do not save them, how can they be called gods?"
A mocking laugh came from among the priests, who said, "What a compassionate and merciful person! If every world requires the intervention of gods, why bother splitting the chaos in the first place? Why not just put all things in this world back into the pocket of the Heavenly Dao!"
Another priest scoffed, "That's right! It's just a plague; a few deaths are perfectly normal. To say it's an overreaction is an exaggeration..."
Yaoqi sneered and said, "After years of hardship, you've mastered extraordinary magic, yet you've developed a heart of stone?"
Ming Qi said, “Your Majesty, since we have already broken the taboo, there is no turning back. For both public and private reasons, we cannot sit idly by. We will do our best to heal the people and minimize the impact. Once this matter has been settled, I will request to be stripped of my divine position and leave it to you to decide. Whether it is suppression or exile, even if I am struck by heavenly lightning and reduced to ashes, I will have no regrets.”
Yaoqi said, "I feel the same way."
After speaking, the two of them, still bowing their heads, retreated out of the hall.
Yan Xiao turned his back and sighed, "Go to the border if you must. But remember this—once you take the first step out of here, you will become a part of this calamity for all living beings."
This departure from Tianjia Mountain was unlike any other. Both of them felt a great sense of relief. Without lingering, they eagerly rushed back to Yunhuai.
Yunxiang and Muyi were examining the patient at the manor, their expressions grave. They stood outside the door, hesitant to go in. They didn't regret their passionate words on the mountain, but now they didn't know how to explain it to their wives. Yunxiang was the first to look up and see them, waving and saying, "You're back! Come in quickly!"
The two approached slowly, stared at each other for a long time, their mouths opening and closing, but they couldn't utter a single word.
Mu Yi glanced at Yao Qi, then lowered her head to work. After a while, she put down her pen and said, "Does this mean we won't have to be immortals anymore?"
The two men were taken aback, their faces darkening. Seeing this, Yun Xiang chuckled indifferently and said, "Judging from your expressions, you've probably risked your lives." Seeing their silence, Yun Xiang's smile deepened. "Well done! Since the outcome is already decided, we can focus on saving people without any worries."
"I disagree!"
Hearing their conversation, Yu Zhi rushed out of the house and said in a deep voice, "Go back! We don't need you here!"
Ming Qi said, "We can't go back now, so we have no choice but to stay."
Yun Xiang laughed and said, "You said before that if we were unhappy being gods, we could just go home, and you and Mi Zhen would protect us. Could it be that you were lying to us?"
Yu Zhi's eyes instantly reddened, and she said, "But that shouldn't be based on sacrificing your lives!!!"
Yaoqi said, "The outcome is still unknown until the very last moment."
Mu Yi stepped forward and put her arm around her, saying, "You two can't get rid of us."
After that day, the group each took on their respective duties, focusing on researching the disease and treating the people.
Through her research, Yunxiang discovered that the key to treating both blood spider plague and mad tree plague lies in the need for a contrasting approach of heat and cold. Blood spider plague is averse to heat, while mad tree plague is averse to cold. Treatment must meet two conditions: first, it must be completed before the Qingming Festival; second, the medication must be administered daily at 3:45 AM (3:45 AM).
The two epidemics are intertwined and have a certain incubation period, which has also caused some troubles: fresh silkworm pupae are needed to cure the blood spider epidemic, but the charcoal fire used to keep the silkworm room warm may cause the mad tree epidemic; large amounts of snow are needed to suppress the mad tree epidemic, but the snow mats used by the snow transport team have been contaminated with the eggs of the cycad.
Fortunately, the problem was found in time, so the situation wasn't too bad.
That day, Mi Zhen received an urgent report from the border: in the neighboring country of Baiyuan, civilians and soldiers were infected with the Blood Spider Plague and the Mad Tree Plague. Since the Sophora flavescens, from which the Blood Spider Plague originated, came from the Cloud Sophora, Baiyuan launched a campaign against the Cloud Sophora under the pretext of intentional poisoning, and has now assembled a large army to march towards the border.
Mi Zhen had long suspected that the sudden outbreak was man-made, but concerned for the people, he temporarily set aside his doubts. The culprit Bai Yuan's actions were already suspicious. With the epidemic's trajectory still unclear, this battle could only be fought with advance, not retreat, and only victory, not defeat; otherwise, neighboring countries might take advantage of the situation. Once war broke out, public resentment would boil over, and if the epidemic spread further, his personal reputation would be less important than the safety of the people.
Mi Zhen decided to personally lead the army into battle, and the entire nation responded enthusiastically. Garrisons from all sides marched towards the border, and countless young men across the country eagerly joined the army; within ten days, the number of soldiers had multiplied. The Yunhuai people were skilled in crafting weapons, though they rarely used them, but the Yunhuai army was among the strongest in these nations. Despite the scale of this commotion, Baiyuan seemed unconcerned upon receiving the news.
After Mi Zhen finished handling all the affairs in the palace, he ordered the Grand Preceptor to act as regent, while Ming Qi and others continued to stay in the capital to treat the people.
Mi Zhen didn't want Yu Zhi to feel the pain of separation, so he could only sneak a peek at her while she was fast asleep at night. He glanced through the window, but dared not linger, and hurriedly led his troops out to war under the cover of night.
When Mi Zhen arrived at the border, Bai Yuan launched two attacks, and the battle ended in less than half an hour. Both attacks resulted in casualties, and Yun Huai won both.
Heavy snow fell from the sky, covering the overwhelming stench of blood. Despite having won two battles, the Yunhuai soldiers remained on high alert. The cold wind froze their cheeks until they were stiff and red, but they didn't even blink.
The crisis is not over yet.
As expected, Baiyuan launched a third attack soon after. But this time, the enemy was not human, but thousands of mechanical robots, each capable of taking on a hundred men. These mechanical robots were exactly the same as those researched by Mizhen, but now they had become killing machines.
Mi Zhen finally understood that Bai Yuan's arrogance stemmed from a traitor within their own ranks.
Uncle Ming.
The name kept replaying in his mind. Such a secret, besides him, only Gongshu Ming possessed it. But Mi Zhen still couldn't believe that Gongshu Ming would betray him; given his personality, some thief must have taken advantage of the situation. Thinking this, his headache flared up again. Since the start of the pandemic, he had suffered from headaches almost every day, and Ming Qi hadn't noticed anything amiss, so he just assumed he was being too tense.
Mi Zhen gripped his spear tightly, took a few deep breaths, shook his head, and cleared his mind. He rallied his spirits and went out of the city to fight. Those mechanical puppets were impervious to swords and spears, killing with every move; for a living person to fight them was undoubtedly like throwing an egg against a rock. Yun Huai suffered heavy casualties.
Mi Zhen's armor was covered in knife marks, and blood seeped from the gaps in his iron bracers. The broken arrow shaft in his left arm scraped against his flesh with every movement, and his breath reeked of rust.
The sound of shattering pottery jars echoed from within the city walls. The people threw kerosene down from the walls, a medical apprentice used strips of cloth to tighten his bleeding arm and lifted stones, and a lame old woman dismantled a door panel to make shields for the soldiers. Three days ago, they were burning incense in celebration, saying that His Majesty Mi Zhen was protected by the gods; now, they could only stuff rotten herbs into the festering wounds of the wounded.
Yunhuai was losing ground, and soldiers fell one after another before Mi Zhen. At this moment, a general raised a bamboo tube from his waist and shouted, "Brothers, protect His Majesty! We will never let the Baiyuan traitors set foot on Yunhuai soil!!!"
The bamboo tube contained gunpowder condensed to the size of pills, ten times more powerful than ordinary gunpowder. Due to its immense destructive power, it was never used unless absolutely necessary. The soldiers considered detonating themselves to take Baiyuan down with them.
Mi Zhen absolutely forbids it.
"No! Stop right now!!!"
The soldiers, summoned by the call, held off the enemy with their lives, their bodies covered in blood. Three of them worked together to push Mi Zhen back into the city. The soldiers turned back to bid Mi Zhen a final farewell: "Your Majesty, take care!"
The next instant, they swallowed gunpowder and charged at the automatons and the soldiers behind them. In the deafening roar of the explosion, their final shouts were swallowed by the flames—
"The Cloud-Like Tree Will Never Die!"
Yunhuai Sheng.
Some civilians, as if venting their anger, dissected the enemy general's corpse—the festering sores in his abdomen proved Yun Huai's innocence. But when Mi Zhen saw the shape of the abscess, his blood-stained hands began to tremble: this person was not only infected with both the Blood Spider Plague and the Mad Wood Plague, but these were clearly among the earliest lesions to appear in Yun Huai's territory before they sealed off the imperial city.
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Author's Note: Only one chapter remains in Volume Two!
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