Chapter 429 Xijin's Beast Taming: Unheard of
A clean room, about ten feet square.
The wooden barrel, with its dark brown veins and simple cloud and thunder patterns carved on the rim, was now steaming with wisps of white mist.
Compared to the bathing pool in Zhaoyang Palace, this clean room was cramped and the bathing utensils were too simple.
A copper ladle leans against the bucket, its handle wrapped in non-slip suede. A long towel hangs on a three-legged stand beside it, the corners of which are embroidered with dark dragon patterns. It is clear at a glance that this was used by the emperor.
Ji Qingwu was placed steadily on the stool next to the bathtub.
Just as Zhao Mingyan was about to reach out and loosen her belt, Ji Qingwu clutched her collar and shrank back, saying, "I can do it myself, Your Majesty, please leave."
Ji Qingwu had just been putting on a show for Eunuch Li, it was just a joke, but now, in the clean room of the military tent, there were only the two of them.
She had no intention of having him bathe her.
Through the mist, Zhao Mingyan's eyes grew even more profound.
“You can’t even walk, how can you take a bath by yourself? I’ll do it for you.”
Ji Qingwu felt inexplicably nervous and grabbed a jade bone comb from the side of her hand.
"No need for Your Majesty to trouble yourself, I can handle this myself."
Zhao Mingyan feigned surprise and asked, "Why don't you need me to come?"
Whether she did it intentionally to impress Li Yuzong or for some other reason, since she had ordered him around, he was bound to collect some interest.
The art of undressing is something you get used to after a few tries.
Ji Qingwu's thin arms and legs were no match for his efforts; his belt and outer garment were easily removed.
At that moment, a cacophony of voices could be heard outside the door.
Li Yuzong glanced at the water clock by the tent flap, and was overjoyed. He ran outside to take a look, and then happily ran back.
He called out loudly, "Your Majesty, the generals are already outside! They're waiting for you to come and discuss matters!"
Inside the clean room, Zhao Mingyan looked at her skin, which shimmered with a pearly luster in the mist, and gave a regretful twitch at the corner of his mouth.
He lifted her chin and said, "Remember what you said?"
Ji Qingwu nodded vigorously: "I will wait for His Majesty to return."
This matter concerns military affairs and cannot be delayed. With his men in his tent, Emperor Wusu stepped out of his private quarters.
Li Yuzong secretly observed his emperor's clothes, seeing that everything seemed normal.
He was secretly pleased: Luckily, the new vixen didn't succeed in her scheme; thankfully, he was clever and quick-witted.
When Zhao Mingyan noticed Li Yuzong's scrutinizing gaze, he slightly raised his chin, and Li Yuzong immediately understood and went inside to fetch a clean outer robe for him to change into.
"Announce it," Zhao Mingyan said coldly.
The military officers disarmed themselves and filed in, taking their seats at the long table where the meeting was to be held.
Wei Ting also arrived, sitting on the west side at the lower end, but his face was pale and his back was stiff as he walked, clearly indicating that he was injured.
Zhao Mingyan sat in the commander-in-chief's seat in the north, his eyes piercing, and asked, "Will Xijin attack again? What are your thoughts?"
The General of Chariots and Cavalry said, "Xi Jin took advantage of the General of the North's absence from the camp to launch a surprise attack on our army, and even used falcons to drop fire seeds. It's truly despicable!"
Wei Ting said, "This insidious trick is typical of Xi Jin's methods."
Deputy General Feng Xiang frowned and said, "But something even stranger happened on the battlefield this time. Suddenly, a hundred wolves and tigers appeared and fiercely tore at our soldiers."
In this battle, they were instinctively going to fight against Xijin, but an unexpected event occurred: many wild beasts appeared.
Deputy General Feng Xiang continued, "Even the Emperor was scratched by a wolf that suddenly attacked."
That's how Emperor Wusu got the scar behind his ear. Even he suffered a minor injury, not to mention the other soldiers, who suffered heavy casualties.
Humans are inherently less agile than animals, and the fact that these wild beasts are controlled has unleashed their primal instincts, causing them to pounce on people and bite them relentlessly, even when surrounded.
Upon hearing this, Wei Ting's eyes also showed surprise. He said, "Training eagles is understandable, but who can control all kinds of beasts? It's unheard of."
The General of Chariots and Cavalry was a straightforward man. He said, "We might have a chance of winning against humans, but how can we fight against these man-eating beasts?"
Zhao Mingyan said calmly, "These wild beasts wouldn't attack our soldiers without reason; someone is manipulating them from behind."
Wei Ting frowned: "When did Xi Jin invite such a capable person?" If such a powerful person had come out of seclusion, he would have received no news at all.
Zhao Mingyan said with a deep gaze, "They weren't invited; Xijin already had such people."
Wei Ting continued, "Xi Jin keeps such people around because they intend to wait for the right opportunity to gradually devour the Bei Li army."
After saying that, he frowned; this wasn't right.
Even the most powerful wild beasts are only a hundred or so; how could they possibly wipe out an army of hundreds of thousands?
Wei Ting suddenly realized something and asked, "Are all these wolves and tigers attacking the commander-in-chief?"
After a moment's thought, Deputy General Feng Xiang nodded and said, "What General Zhenbei said is true. These wild beasts went straight for the Emperor, and the soldiers couldn't stop them."
Wei Ting also felt a sense of lingering fear.
Surrounded by a hundred wild beasts, Emperor Wusu's ability to escape such a perilous situation must have exceeded Xi Jin's expectations.
But because of this, the emperor could no longer take risks.
Wei Ting clasped his hands and said, "If the Western Jin invades again, this humble general requests to go into battle."
The General of Chariots and Cavalry said, "General of the North, don't push yourself. You're sickly and your back is so stiff. Rest for a few days, and I'll go!"
Zhao Mingyan said calmly, "There aren't many generals in the army to begin with. Yuchi and Ling Yue have been sent to the southern Chu border for defense. They won't be replaced unless absolutely necessary."
He summoned them for a meeting, but the focus was on something else entirely.
Zhao Mingyan's gaze swept over the crowd: "There are many strange things about this."
Wei Ting asked, "What's strange?"
Zhao Mingyan said, "That wolf was the alpha beast. After it pounced on me, it suddenly tucked its tail between its legs and started circling around."
Deputy General Feng Xiang said, "They must have been intimidated by the Emperor's divine might."
Zhao Mingyan glanced at him sideways: "If there really is such a thing as divine might, I wouldn't be here."
Wei Ting fell into deep thought; this was indeed illogical. In that sense, he had also discovered a coincidence.
"Your Majesty, I have also discovered something strange in the camp."
Zhao Mingyan's eyes flickered slightly, and he asked, "Was it that rain?"
Wei Ting nodded and said, "That's right. The rain came just in time and quickly extinguished the fire in the granary. Moreover, according to my observation, the rain only fell over the military camp."
Deputy General Feng Xiang said, "Yes, the area three miles away is dry, and the battlefield is completely dry. We just came back and found it strange to see puddles all over the ground."
Zhao Mingyan asked, "What do you all think of this unusual omen from heaven?"
Wei Ting said, "If there is a Heavenly Way, it will surely be on the side of our Northern Li."
Everyone nodded in agreement; this was the only idea they could come up with.
*
In a clean room.
Ji Qingwu was immersed in the bathtub, surrounded by steam.
She heard the sounds of a discussion outside, not very clear, but she could make out the gist of it.
When she heard "attacked by wild beasts," her fingertips unconsciously traced the surface of the water, creating a ripple.
Xi Jin, the Beast Tamer...
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