strictlysupreme Chapter 44: Offending
Chapter 44: Offending
kill.
Wu He fell silent upon hearing this, glancing at Wen Qiaoniang, who was sitting in the distance, knees drawn up and looking dejected.
……
Waqiao Camp, under the command of the main general.
All the high-ranking officers of Xiongzhou Town and its garrison, including the commander-in-chief, gathered together.
"Cough cough..."
Guo Guiyuan sat upright, his bronze and resolute face showing a good expression, but he kept coughing, clearly using his profound cultivation to forcibly suppress his injuries.
"General Guo, this is not your fault. Do not let your anger worsen your internal injuries."
"I think it would be best for you to return to Kaifeng for recuperation as soon as possible, so that you can make further contributions during the Northern Expedition."
"I will take care of the many matters concerning the garrison commander for you in advance."
Zhao Guangyi walked up to him and said respectfully.
As soon as he started speaking, the people around him also began to offer their advice.
"Yes, General Guo, your health is the foundation of our Xiongzhou Zhenguan Army. We must not let a small matter cause us to lose a greater one."
"You can rest assured with us here!"
"As for that traitor Wen Xin, we will definitely capture him!"
……
Guo Guiyuan waved his hand gently, about to say something.
"General Guo!"
At this moment, Wang Chen, who had been personally promoted by Zhao Guangyi to deputy commander, shouted out loudly.
"We are petitioning; you must prioritize your own well-being!"
Looking at the many soldiers in front of him who were urging him to return to Kaifeng to recuperate, Zhao Guangyi stood with his hands behind his back, the candlelight flickering on his face, making him appear hazy and indistinct.
Guo Guiyuan hesitated for a moment, but ultimately said nothing.
"General Guo, Wu He, a captain under Commander Liu, requests an audience!"
At this moment, a guard came in from outside the tent and clasped his hands in greeting.
All eyes turned to him, and Liu Baoze's expression changed, his eyes filled with suspicion and confusion.
Guo Guiyuan nodded almost imperceptibly: "Let him in."
"yes!"
A moment later, Wu He stepped into the main tent. The red carpet beneath his feet felt soft, and the dozens of scrutinizing gazes on either side were all cold and sharp.
He held his breath and stepped forward to bow: "General Guo, your humble servant Wu He has a favor to ask."
"speak."
"Please be magnanimous and forgive Wen Qiaoniang of Xichun Hall."
As soon as he finished speaking, the lights in the dozens of candlesticks in the tent began to flicker, and the atmosphere suddenly plummeted to freezing point, chilling the air so intense that Wu He couldn't help but clench his fists.
The officers didn't say anything, but the ferocity in their eyes was undisguised as they stared intently at Wu He.
He had no doubt that if he couldn't give a coherent explanation, he wouldn't be able to leave standing up today.
Zhao Guangyi gently stroked his wide sleeves, picked up his teacup and sipped it: "Wen Qiaoniang is the niece of a traitor, she is truly unforgivable."
As soon as he spoke, more than half of the soldiers in the tent stirred. Wang Chen stood up indifferently, but before he could speak, Guo Guiyuan asked in a deep voice, "Why should we forgive him?"
Wang Chen sat down dejectedly again.
Wu He said with a strong voice, "The case of the traitor Wen Xin has nothing to do with her. Although it is true that if one person makes a mistake, the whole family will be implicated, for Wen Qiaoniang, her life is more valuable than her death."
Guo Guiyuan raised his face and asked with interest, "Tell me about it."
"It's very simple. Wen Qiaoniang is a highly skilled doctor; she can cure your illness."
"A little girl who's not even twenty years old?" Zhao Guangyi asked casually, his eyelids drooping.
Wu He explained, "Although she is young, she has excellent medical skills and knows a unique resurrection acupuncture technique."
"Rejuvenating acupuncture technique? Never heard of it."
"Lord Zhao."
Seeing that Zhao Guangyi kept interrupting, Guo Guiyuan finally spoke up: "Let him finish speaking, shall we?"
"General Guo, please calm down. I did not overstep my bounds." He put down his teacup before finally falling silent.
Wu He continued, "The traitor Wen Xin and Wen Qiaoniang are of the same lineage. Since Wen Xin has planted the seed of illness here with you, she should have a way to save her."
"Wouldn't it be perfect if you could recover from your injuries while in the army, so that you could balance your military duties with your personal matters?"
Upon hearing this, Guo Guiyuan's deep eyes showed a hint of interest. He then looked around and grinned, "What do you all think?"
These words were profound and resonant, like the clanging of a golden bell falling to the ground, weighing heavily on everyone.
The flickering candlelight in the tent immediately became still and dared not cause any trouble.
The whole audience was silent.
"Bring Wen Qiaoniang along."
……
Wu He made the right bet.
Wen Qiaoniang was brought into the tent, and in front of everyone, she saw the root cause of Guo Guiyuan's hidden illness in less than a quarter of an hour.
It turned out that when he was seriously injured and on the verge of death due to damage to his heart meridian, Wen Xin helped him recover with the Wen family's miraculous medicine.
However, the dosage of one ingredient in that miraculous medicine, called Bone Infant Grass, was exceeded.
This is a unique medicinal herb that grows in the mountain valley where the Wen family lives, and few people know about it.
Its effect is to dissolve blood clots. Although it cured Guo Guiyuan's internal injuries, it also left behind hidden ailments due to excessive dosage, which will gradually erode his internal organs.
Afterwards, Guo Guiyuan often felt weak, and Wen Xin helped him take care of himself. Each time, Wen Xin would secretly increase the dosage. He had no symptoms for several months, but after a while, the symptoms became apparent.
Now, the toxins from the Bone Infant Grass have invaded his limbs and bones, reaching deep into his blood and marrow, making it difficult to cure.
Only by first stopping the damage with the Rejuvenating Acupuncture Technique and then carefully preparing medicine for conditioning can there be hope for a complete cure.
Fortunately, Wen Qiaoniang had thoroughly mastered the family's medical skills, and in order to preserve the family's medical books during their escape from famine, she had buried them in the wasteland outside the city beforehand. With the books available for treatment, there was hope for a complete cure.
Guo Guiyuan sent his trusted confidant Liu Qing to dig, and sure enough, dozens of medical books were unearthed, which completely confirmed Wen Qiaoniang's identity as the inheritor of medical skills.
Therefore, she survived and was not beheaded in the street like the apprentices and other young doctors at Xichuntang.
He survived, but only on the condition that he atone for his crimes by staying by Guo Guiyuan's side for treatment. He could only regain his freedom once he was fully recovered.
As night deepened, the crowd dispersed.
Liu Baoze found Wu He, patted him on the shoulder, and said earnestly, "Xiao Wu, why did you get involved in this?"
"For the sake of the border."
Wu He really didn't want to see Wen Qiaoniang get implicated and die.
The seasoned veteran Liu Baoze saw through it all, so he didn't ask any more questions, only saying, "Xiao Wu, you've offended someone this time."
"Prefect Zhao?"
"Um."
Liu Baoze slowly said, "Besides protecting the dragon vein, Governor Zhao's purpose in coming here is probably to bring the Zhenguan Army under his command and seize sole control of the military and political power of Xiongzhou."
"If General Guo doesn't return to Kaifeng, his plan won't work."
Wu He nodded slightly.
Although Zhao Guangyi was the governor and the top official of Xiong Prefecture, Guo Guiyuan had extremely high prestige among the surrounding prefectures, towns, passes, and armies, and many generals and commanders were his protégés.
Zhao Guangyi was still young and lacked prestige, making him incomparable to Zhao Guangyi in the military camp.
However, by introducing Wen Qiaoniang to Zhao Guangyi, he prevented her from returning to Kaifeng, thus ruining Zhao Guangyi's plans.
"I'll give you a way out."
Liu Baoze said, "You must participate in the Imperial Guard selection soon. Once you are selected, your master Li Bo will take you to see General Zhang Yongde."
"General Zhang and the Zhao Guangyi brothers have always been at odds, and he is also a comrade-in-arms of your master. Joining his ranks will ensure your safety."
"Okay." Wu He remembered it.
The saying "It's good to have a big tree to lean on" holds true for all time.
Although he had learned about the establishment of the Song Dynasty in his previous life, Zhao Guangyi would still don the yellow robe.
But that was in a previous life.
What will become of me in this life is still unknown.
If he can be emperor, why can't I?
Liu Baoze smiled faintly: "However, the selection of the Imperial Guards is extremely fierce, especially the selection of officers. I have heard that many military commanders are putting in their best efforts. You should be mentally prepared."
"Those people are all like wolves and tigers."
……
The heavy sense of urgency left Wu He feeling exhausted when he returned to Yuxian Tower.
However, as soon as they arrived at the courtyard gate, they saw a group of imperial guards inside, while laughter could be heard coming from Li Bo's room.
Zhao Guangyi.
Wu He's heart sank.