Tang Dynasty Puppet Doctor

Chapter 158 The Soul of the Empress, the Blood of the Undead Army General
When Lai Junchen's body was sent to Luoyang, it immediately attracted a large crowd of people who cheered, cursed, and even cut off pieces of flesh to eat. In less than half an hour, the body was cut to pieces, leaving only a skeleton.

At the same time, the Censorate also submitted memorials one after another, exposing dozens of crimes committed by Lai Junchen. One of them directly accused Lai Junchen of framing loyal officials and even preparing memorials and secret letters to falsely accuse Crown Prince Li Xian, Prince Xiang Li Dan, and Princess Taiping of conspiring with the Northern and Southern Imperial Guards to rebel.

The news caused great anxiety among Crown Prince Li Xian and others, but they were also secretly relieved that Lai Junchen had already been beheaded before the incident occurred.

The empress remained silent for a long time due to the public's outrage. She never imagined that a simple, easy-to-use knife could ignite such long-suppressed resentment and discontent among the people.

Zhang Yuanyi, the palace attendant, humorously reported some good news to the Empress: "There are three great joys in Luoyang City right now. First, the destroyed Luoyang Bridge has been repaired and reopened. Second, the long-drought-stricken capital has finally received timely rain. And third, the death of Lai Junchen!"

It was at this very moment that the Empress realized just how much the officials and the people of Luoyang hated Lai Junchen!
This hatred has reached the point where even eating its flesh, drinking its blood, and pulling out its tendons would not be enough to vent my anger.

Meanwhile, the people's support and cheers for Xiao Muchen and his wife, who killed Lai Junchen, were even greater than before, and their reputation once again resounded throughout the capital and spread throughout the world.

When the news arrived, the Empress was playing chess with Di Renjie in the Imperial Garden, with the two Zhang brothers serving behind her in displeasure.

"Your Majesty, the Silla envoy was attacked at Longmen Post Station. This is no ordinary matter. Zicheng has already investigated and found that General Wang's death was the work of Su Honghui and Lai Junchen. I'm afraid that Khitan Sun Wanrong has long been colluding with the Tubo, intending to attack our Great Zhou. Now we should be prepared, and we must not lose Silla as an ally."

"I know. Prime Minister Di, please send some ginseng, lingfa and other medicinal herbs to Princess Hye-seon, the envoy of Silla, as a token of my condolences. At the same time, send a Thousand Bull Guard to escort them back to their country safely after they have recovered from their injuries."

"Here!"

……

Inside the Xiao residence, the Queen of Silla was still fast asleep on her bed. Incense was burning in the room to rouse her soul, and the wisps of white smoke filled the air, but it could not awaken the queen from her nightmare.

Murong Huan played a flute tune in the room, while outside the door, Xiao Muchen was anxious and overwhelmed with mixed feelings.

"When did my mother get this disease?" he asked in a low voice. "How long has it been?"

Princess Huishan replied, "The battle wounds on my body were inflicted fifteen years ago, but the heart ailment was inflicted a year ago. The doctor said that she was overworked with state affairs and worried too much, which caused this heart ailment. But I know that what she fears and worries about most is still that she can't let go of you."

“Many times, I was awakened by her calling your name. She could hardly fall asleep unless she was holding your portrait.”

As Hui Shan spoke, unaware of the guilt and sorrow in Xiao Muchen's expression, she continued, "My aunt said she has been having a nightmare for a long time, and it is this nightmare that has haunted her for so long that she couldn't rest easy and wanted to come to Da Zhou. But when I asked her, she wouldn't say anything. But I know that this dream must be related to you."

At this point, Huishan suddenly asked again, "Have you seen that painting?"

Xiao Muchen then took out the blank scroll: "I've seen it. I was just about to ask, what is the meaning of this blank scroll?"

"blank?"

Hui Shan seemed very surprised and took the scroll back to look at it. But when she saw that there was indeed no word on the scroll, she shook her head and said, "That's impossible. I clearly gave you a scroll with words on it. There were some strange pictures on it, and a poem was written on it."

"What poem?"

"The flames of war ignited the heavens and darkened the imperial capital; the imperial princess donned armor and departed from the palace walls."

The golden crown shines in the sun, yet frost remains cold; the phoenix robe flutters in the wind, reflecting the light of blood.

The general, sword in hand, gallops across the icy sea, together defending the borders against the powerful barbarians.

Arrows rained down like locusts, assaulting the enemy's tents; swords flashed like lightning, slaying the raging frenzy.

Though our land is shattered, our spirit remains unbroken; though we fight and bleed, our will endures.

He ultimately drove out the bandits, bringing peace and prosperity to the country; though his achievements were complete and he perished, his name will be remembered forever.

……

As Hui Shan was reciting the poem, Murong Huan gradually entered the dream of the Silla Queen. In the dream, there was a vast expanse of snow and ice, and the Silla Queen, dressed in white, was frantically searching on the frozen ground while calling out, "Ah Chen—".

She ran aimlessly for an unknown amount of time until she finally arrived at a frozen lake. There she saw ice pillars as high as mountains, but through these ice pillars, she saw an even more horrifying scene—tens of thousands of soldiers had been frozen into ice sculptures, some still in the posture of galloping on horseback, holding long spears, but frozen in time by the cold into a still image forever.

In this tragic yet tranquil scene, a person suddenly walked out from the frozen river. The person got closer and closer until he stood in front of the Queen of Silla, at which point Murong Huan could see his face clearly.

"Mother—" the man called out, and half of his white jade mask fell off, revealing Xiao Muchen's face.

Murong Huan dropped the bamboo flute from his hand, and the Queen of Silla suddenly cried out, "Ah Chen!" waking from her dream and sitting up.

Xiao Muchen and Huishan rushed into the room upon hearing the noise, only to find Murong Huan's face pale and the Queen of Silla still in shock. When she looked up at Xiao Muchen, tears suddenly welled up in her eyes.

"Mother, what's wrong?"

Xiao Muchen came to her bedside, sat down and asked.

The Queen of Silla placed her hand on his cheek, pausing for a long time as if to confirm his presence, before smiling and saying, "It's nothing, just some dreams lately. Your presence puts my mind at ease."

"Huishan!" she called out.

Princess Huishan also came to the bedside: "Aunt, I'm here."

Queen Silla handed a tiger tally and another scroll to Hye-seon: "I may not last much longer. The future of Silla will be in your hands and Ja-qiu's. Ja-qiu is now acting as regent for me and handling state affairs. Although Dam-shin is dead, there may still be remnants of Mi-hee's faction who once supported him. I am entrusting Silla's national defense army to you, along with this secret decree..."

Hui Shan's eyes welled up with tears.

“Aunt, please don’t say that!” she said. “I know that you never actually sent anyone to assassinate Tanxin. He was deceived by Meixi’s remnants of the rebel party and vented his hatred on you, Aunt.”

"It doesn't matter anymore. The person is dead. There's no need to find right or wrong in the past."

“Yes, Huishan understands, but Aunt, you…” She held the tiger tally and a secret decree, and said, “Have you finally figured out that you want to live the rest of your life for yourself, to stay in the Great Zhou, and to stay by your son’s side?”

Xiao Muchen couldn't help but look at the Queen of Silla. Because of his mother's special status, he never dared to ask for anything.

At that moment, his eyes were filled with hope and pleading.

After a long pause, the Queen of Silla finally said, "Yes, I want to understand some things. Hye-sun, take this secret decree and return to Silla first!"

Hui Shan nodded, seemingly reluctant to part, yet also overjoyed to the point of tears.

After making this decision, Hui Shan set off the next day, quietly leaving the Great Zhou under the escort of a group of guards sent by Xiao Muchen.

However, on the twentieth day after Princess Hye-sun left with the Silla delegation, an urgent report from the four border towns of Anxi was swiftly delivered to the Ziwei Palace in Luoyang by a Ferghana horse.

With gongs blaring and a clearing procession, the garrison commander, clutching a blood-stained military intelligence report, raced through the Heavenly Street until he reached the gates of the Wanxiang Divine Palace. His voice trembled as he reported, "Your Majesty, Su Honghui has surrendered to the Khitan. The Khitan leader, Sun Wanrong, has joined forces with the Tubo to breach the capital of our Great Zhou Anxi Governor's Office, Kucha. Their army is approaching Shule. I request the court to send troops to support us!"

The news spread like wildfire, like a drop of water falling into a pan of oil, filling the entire court with a cacophony of noise and unease. Unexpectedly, the moment the envoys from Tibet and Khitan returned, the two countries had already formed an alliance to jointly invade the Great Zhou.

Not long after Wang Xiaojie died in battle at Dongxia Valley, did they think our Great Zhou had no one to rely on?

Upon receiving the military intelligence report, the Empress was furious and asked, "Who dares to confront the renowned Tibetan generals, Lun Qinling and Zan Ruoxi?"

Lun Qinling was known as an invincible general in Tibet. In the past, the Tang Dynasty sent Xue Rengui to fight against him, and 100,000 Tang soldiers were defeated by him. From then on, he was a powerful figure in the Tang Dynasty for 30 years.

Zanruoxi was not only Lunqinling's elder brother, but also the prime minister of Tibet. The two brothers held immense power in Tibet.

It seems that in this peace talks, the Khan of Tibet, Zanpu, has finally compromised with Lunqinling!
Upon hearing that they were to face a renowned general from Tibet who was like a god of war, the entire Great Zhou court fell into complete silence; you could hear a pin drop.

In this profound silence, a very pleasant and gentle voice rang out:

"Your subject is willing to go and fight against the Tubo, and to recover the Four Garrisons of Anxi for my Great Zhou!"

As soon as the voice fell, all eyes turned to Xiao Muchen, who had stepped forward and was standing in the main hall.

"Zicheng, you'd better think this through. Your opponent is Lun Qinling!"

"Yes, Your Majesty, I understand perfectly, but I am still willing to go, to serve my Great Zhou with my life, even unto death!" Xiao Muchen said, then raised his head and said, "In addition, I would like to recommend someone to Your Majesty!"

"Who?"

"That's my wife Murong Huan!"

Upon hearing the name Murong Huan, the court erupted in uproar once again.

"Xiao Muchen, have you gone mad? A woman, your wife, and you actually recommend her to go to the battlefield?"

"In the Four Garrisons of Anxi, there are not only enemy forces from the Tubo and Khitan, but also an assassin organization. In recent years, this assassin organization has caused a lot of trouble in Luoyang. Helan Minzhi was once a member of this assassin organization. My wife and I not only want the Great Zhou to recover its lost territories, but also to eradicate this assassin organization and rid the people of this scourge!"

"Murong Huan?"

When she read the name, the Empress's lips curled slightly. Thinking of the rumors that this woman was the reincarnation of a general and had once killed Li Jinzhong, she couldn't help but smile.

"Very well! I grant your permission!" the Empress said. "Not only do I grant your permission, but I will also bestow upon her the title of Princess Jiahe of my Great Zhou and appoint her as the military governor of Anxi. After the oath-taking ceremony, she will immediately set out to conquer Anxi."

"Here!"

After the Empress issued this imperial edict, not only the court, but the entire city of Luoyang was in an uproar.

"Mother, have you heard? That Lady Xiao actually wants to lead the army to fight against the Tibetan war god. A woman trying to be a hero? Isn't that just making people laugh their heads off?"

Li Guo'er shook the round fan in her hand, then suddenly slammed it onto the table.
"It's one thing for her to go to the battlefield to die, but why did she have to be superior to me before she died and be made a princess? She's just a country girl, and she has no connection with either the Li family or the Wu family. Why should she be made a princess?"

Has the Empress Dowager gone mad?

After a moment of contemplation, Lady Wei said, "I'm afraid her identity is already extraordinary, otherwise the Emperor wouldn't have thought of bestowing upon her the title of princess."

"What's so special about her? Isn't she just a wild girl from the Su family who's been abandoned on the estate for over ten years?"

"But her background once made the King of Wei and the current King of Liang very wary."

"What are you afraid of her for?"

"She is very likely your uncle's only daughter."

"Oh? I heard that my uncle was born weak and sickly, and died before he was twenty-five. He also had a daughter?"

Madam Wei immediately covered Li Guo'er's mouth: "Guo'er, don't say it! And don't tell anyone else about this!"

……

At this moment, in the Xuanzheng Hall, the Empress looked at the woman who was already wearing a silver armor and walking towards her. Her expression was slightly dazed, as if the daughter in her dream overlapped with the woman in front of her.

"Your humble servant greets Your Majesty!"

The Empress looked at her for a long time and said, "Get up. In fact, I already know about your background. When I first summoned you to see me, I was already convinced that you were Hong'er's daughter. I also know that you must have a plum blossom seal on you that is said to be able to affect the fate of my Great Zhou!"

"But do you know why I didn't kill you?"

Li Linghuan pondered for a moment, then replied, "This humble woman does not know!"

"Because I want to know if you have the ability to defend the territory of my Great Zhou, whether you can truly drive the barbarians such as the Tubo and Khitan out of the borders of my Great Zhou, and whether you can pass on the empire built by the Li family?"

The Empress emphasized each sentence, and when she finished speaking, Li Linghuan suddenly looked up, slightly surprised, at this "mother" who she remembered as cold and arrogant.

"This is why I will not kill you. Whether it is a prophecy or a rumor, I do not believe in such things. What I want to see is your true strength!"

Li Linghuan paused for a moment, then finally said, "Yes!"

"Go down! Together with Zicheng, we will surely return in triumph!"

"Here!"

Li Linghuan cupped her hands in response, then suddenly turned around and strode out of the hall. At that moment, she did not see that behind her, the Empress suddenly reached out her hand, as if to stop her from saying something, but in the end she closed her mouth and fell silent.

……

Upon returning to the Xiao residence, Li Linghuan withdrew his consciousness and instructed Murong Huan and Xiao Muchen to visit the Silla Queen, who was still lying on the couch, and to bid farewell to their mother.

Under Aunt Ning's care, the Queen of Silla's complexion improved slightly, but when she heard them say that they were going to Anxi to fight against the famous Tibetan general Lun Qinling, a rare look of panic appeared in the Queen's eyes.

"This battle is unavoidable, isn't it?" she asked.

Xiao Muchen nodded: "Yes, we have to go. There's something that Ah Huan and I have never understood, so we want to go there to find an answer."

Have you seen that list of names?

Speaking of the scrolls, Murong Huan and Xiao Muchen suddenly remembered that Hongxian had once said that if they collected all the scrolls and pieced them together, they might be able to obtain a secret about a legend.

So the two of them found all the famous scrolls they had collected, cut out the illustrations in the lower right corner, pieced them together, and then looked at them in the sunlight. To their astonishment, they discovered nine characters written on them:
The Empress's Soul, the Undead Army, and the General's Blood.