The main camp of the rebel army, the central command tent.
"Gently, gently! Ouch..." Wei Shao pushed away the doctor who was applying medicine to his shoulder. "Can't you be a little gentler? Can't you see how big the cut is!"
The doctor stepped back and bowed, saying, "Prince Shao, your arrow wound in the shoulder is indeed quite serious. It will be painful when the medicine is applied, so please bear with it for a moment."
The strategist, unable to bear it any longer, stepped forward and said, "Your Highness, you are the commander-in-chief of the army..."
"I know, I know," Wei Shao interrupted the strategist impatiently. "Even if it hurts, I have to endure it, otherwise it will be bad for morale. Morale, morale, it's always on my lips..."
The strategist gave a wry smile and retreated to the lower seat.
The master had grown up in the capital. This was the first time he had been injured, so it was normal for him to feel excruciating pain. However, the arrow had only grazed his shoulder, leaving a small cut, not a serious injury.
“Come on,” Wei Shao closed his eyes and gritted his teeth, “Since I am the commander, no matter how much it hurts, I will not utter a sound.”
The doctor quickly stepped forward with the ointment, picked it up with a stick, and continued to apply it to the wound.
"Whoa!" Wei Shao shouted, jumping up and yelling at the doctor, "Are you trying to kill me? The skewer is already stuck in my flesh!"
The strategist quickly waved to the doctor, signaling him to step back.
Seeing the doctor had fled, Wei Shao, with nowhere to vent his anger, sat there with one shoulder bare, pointing at the strategist and saying, "Don't think you're out of the woods. I'm asking you, why didn't you anticipate last night's raid? What were you even good for?!"
The strategist said with a bitter face, "It was indeed my oversight. I thought that the Xiping Pass was full of wounded soldiers and would have no chance of raiding the camp."
"You underestimate Wei Jingzhuo, while I overestimate you."
Wei Shao picked up the teacup beside him, gulped it down in one go, slammed the cup on the table, and continued to grumble indignation.
The strategist said, "Your Highness, the army doctors are clumsy, but your wound cannot be left untreated. Why don't I go and invite the goddess to treat you?"
Wei Shao said, "Don't look for her, don't look for her. It will make it seem like I'm begging her."
"Then give the order. You issue a military command, and I will go and summon the goddess."
"Isn't that the same thing? Or is it I who am begging her?"
"Should we try another doctor?"
As the two were arguing, a lieutenant entered the tent to report: "Your Highness, Military Advisor, thirty cannons have been deployed at Xiping Pass."
Wei Shao was overjoyed and stood up, saying, "Then what are we waiting for? Fire the cannons and attack the city! Didn't I already give the order?"
The deputy general hesitated for a moment, then said helplessly, "The artillery battalion commander won't listen."
"What?! They dare to disobey orders!" Wei Shao was so angry he almost jumped up. "I am the commander-in-chief of the army, and they dare to disobey my military orders. They are incredibly audacious and don't want to live anymore."
The lieutenant said, "Your Highness, the artillery battalion commander said they only obey His Majesty's decrees. Now that His Majesty has passed away, they only obey the Goddess. Unless the Goddess orders the cannons to fire, they cannot obey."
Wei Shao was furious: "This is outrageous! I am a prince and the commander of the anti-rebel army. Instead of listening to me, you listen to a servant of my mother? Go tell them that if they don't fire the cannons, they will be beheaded."
The deputy general was unsure whether he should leave and looked to the strategist for help.
The strategist quickly advised, "Your Highness, please be careful with your words. No one in our army understands the Divine Machine Cannon; only they can operate it. How can you kill all the generals? The cannon might turn around and bombard us instead!"
“That makes sense,” Wei Shao also realized, “So what should we do?”
The strategist said, "The Goddess possesses His Majesty's sword of authority; her words are imperial edicts. It is indeed in accordance with the rules for the Divine Machine Artillery Battalion to obey the Goddess."
"To hell with the Chengjun Sword! Father is gone!"
The strategist almost wanted to cover Wei Shao's mouth, but he held back and earnestly advised, "Your Highness, didn't the goddess say that she's here to help you attack Xiping Pass? She's the one who brought in the divine cannons. Please condescend to ask her for an order..."
"Impossible! I will absolutely not go!" Wei Shao slammed his hand on the table. "I treated her poorly when she came. If I go to beg her now, who knows how she will humiliate me."
"Well then," the strategist came up with another idea in a moment of inspiration, "send a general to invite her, that should be fine. The goddess is, after all, Princess Jinning, bestowed by His Majesty, not some commoner without a title. If Your Highness really doesn't want to go, then let a general go and invite her."
"Then who should go?" Wei Shao asked. "When she arrived, none of the generals knelt before her. She must be holding a grudge."
The strategist said, "Let General Xie go."
"Which General Xie?"
"Xie Maoliang, the one who always escorted the army's provisions," the strategist said. "He wasn't in the camp at the time, and he was sent by His Majesty. The Goddess certainly wouldn't have any objections to him."
Wei Shao smiled and patted the strategist on the shoulder: "That's a good idea. What about Xie Maoliang?"
"Your Highness has forgotten, didn't he just return this morning after escorting military rations and handing over the orders?"
"Oh dear, it's all because of last night's commotion, plus the pain from my wound, I forgot all about it. Quickly call him here."
Xie Maoliang was resting in his tent when he heard Wei Shao's urgent summons. Not knowing what had happened, he hurried to the central command tent, entered, and bowed to Wei Shao: "Your Majesty, the military rations have been delivered on time. May I ask why you have summoned this humble general?"
Wei Shao said, "The Divine Cannons are already arrayed at the pass, and they only obey the Goddess's orders. As you can see, I am in pain from my wounds and cannot go in person. Go and ask the Goddess to order the cannons to fire."
Xie Maoliang breathed a sigh of relief. He thought it was something serious, but it turned out to be just asking the goddess for an order; it was too simple.
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