Tang Dynasty Puppet Doctor

Chapter 159 Name Scroll Appears
When these nine characters came into view, Li Linghuan's soul was greatly shaken. He seemed to see countless soldiers being buried or even frozen by a sudden snowstorm as they returned in triumph.

The Pamir winds, like sharp ice blades, pierced their last remaining hope of returning to the Tang Dynasty.

The Tang army's banners fluttered in the gale, but the red tassels on the flagpoles froze into sharp spikes, which, along with the soldiers, solidified into ice sculptures on the snow-capped glaciers.

As if sensing her emotional excitement, the blank scroll seemed to come alive and slowly became hot. So, Li Linghuan opened the scroll and saw that the originally blank scroll was indeed filled with poems.

The content of the poem was consistent with what Hui Shan had said, but what surprised Xiao Muchen was that the poem seemed to be written in blood, extremely thrilling and tragic. More importantly, the handwriting was extremely similar to his own, even identical.

It was as if he had written the poem himself.

"How could this be? Zicheng, isn't this your handwriting?" Murong Huan couldn't help but blurt out, then turned to ask the Queen of Silla, "Mother, where did this scroll come from?"

A hint of worry and fear flickered in the eyes of the Queen of Silla. After a long pause, she replied, "If I said it was given to me by Ah Chen in my dream, would you believe me?"

Murong Huan was speechless for a moment, but Xiao Muchen seemed to have thought of something, and his face showed surprise.

“For a while, I often dreamed of A-Chen. I dreamed that he was in an extremely cold glacial land, surrounded by soldiers who had frozen to death. He seemed to have a lot to say to me, but I could not get close to him or hear what he was saying.”

"One day, when I woke up from my dream, this scroll was on my desk."

“Because this matter was too strange to tell, I told Huishan that the scroll came along with the letter sent by Tanxin.”

After she finished speaking, Xiao Muchen fell completely silent.

"So, Ah Chen, if you really want to go to the Four Towns of Anxi, your mother will go with you!"

……

The next day, the Empress ordered the Ministry of War to issue conscription orders to the various military prefectures. Based on the principle of "those with equal wealth should be the strongest, those with equal strength should be the richest, and those with equal wealth and strength should be the ones with the most able-bodied men first", nearly 70,000 soldiers were conscripted. In addition, the guards who were extremely skilled in riding and archery joined in, and the border troops defending the borders were also included, bringing the total number of soldiers to more than 100,000.

On the day the army set off, the entire city of Luoyang saw them off. But to Murong Huan's surprise, after the army left Luoyang, Xie Zi'e, Lu Shiyilang, Li Yi, Liu Sheng, and even Huo Xiaolian all came with a group of people to join the army.

Murong Huan originally wanted Murong Xian'er and A'Shu to stay in Luoyang, but A'Shu resolutely refused. She said that the army needed military doctors and cooks. Even if she couldn't go to the front lines to fight the enemy, she could cook for the soldiers and make them some good food, which would be her contribution.

Murong Huan had nothing to say, so he had no choice but to agree.

"Then why did you join?" she turned to ask Xie Zie, Li Yi, and even Huo Xiaolian.

Li Yi was the master's disciple, while Xie Zi'e and Huo Xiaolian were stories from famous scrolls that the master had told her.

"Junior Sister, do you remember what I once said? I promised Master something, and now it's time to fulfill that promise."

After saying something mysterious, Li Yi spurred his horse and galloped forward at full speed.

Xie Zi'e replied with a hint of longing, "My reasons are somewhat similar to Li Yi's. Someone once told me, 'Generals die in a hundred battles, and brave warriors return after ten years... Sacrificing oneself for the country in times of crisis, regarding death as returning home.' I, Xie Zi'e, have always believed in justice. I have wandered the martial world for many years and have witnessed the darkness in the deepest part of people's hearts, and the fragility of ordinary people like ants under the power. But if I have the opportunity to go to the battlefield to protect my home and country, and to contribute my meager strength to the peace of all generations, I, Xie Zi'e, would be willing to die for it."

Murong Huan nodded, then turned his gaze to Huo Xiaolian. Huo Xiaolian smiled and said, "I've wasted half my life in the brothel, and I want to live a real life, not as a singer, but as a warrior."

Murong Huan had promised to redeem Huo Xiaolian and let her live the life she wanted. Now that the time had come to fulfill his promise, he never expected that her request would be to take her to the battlefield.

Thinking that Huo Xiaolian had also met with his master, Murong Huan seemed to be deep in thought.

Was it their master who conveyed the order that they should all go with her to the four towns of Anxi?

At the same time, a colorful fire phoenix flew thousands of miles and finally arrived at Kunlun Mountain. The man in black robes who was strolling on the snow mountain reached out and opened the paper that the fire phoenix spat out. On it were written a few words: Master, the matter has been accomplished. Seventy thousand troops are about to arrive at the four towns of Anxi. They also know about Kunlun Mountain. There are also deployments and preparations in Luoyang.

After reading the letter, a hint of relief and anticipation gradually appeared in the eyes of the man in black, hidden beneath his veil.

……

After the 70,000 troops left Luoyang, the various factions that had been secretly plotting gradually brought their weapons into the open.

"I never expected that Xiao Muchen would choose to go to the Four Garrisons of Anxi, such an extremely cold place, to quell the rebellion at this time. It is already late autumn, and when the war actually begins, it will be the dead of winter. Such a place is very disadvantageous to us, the people of Great Zhou!"

“Prince Liang, wouldn’t it be more beneficial for your plans if Xiao Muchen left Luoyang?” a retainer whispered.

“Not bad, it’s worth it to exchange the four garrisons of Anxi for the death of Xiao Muchen!” After saying that, a smile appeared on his lips again. “Once Di Renjie is dead, Xiao Muchen is not in Luoyang, and many troops have been transferred to the frontier, those who support Crown Prince Li Xian should take action, right?”

What is Crown Princess Wei's decision now?

Speaking of which, it was Shangguan Wan'er who introduced the Crown Princess Wei. In order for her husband to become emperor, Wei was extremely flattering and attentive to him, to the point of offering herself to him.

“King Liang, Lady Wei has been secretly visiting various prime ministers and trying her best to win over the new elites in the court. Her daughter, Princess Anle, also seems to have close ties with Cui Shi, a secretary in the Imperial Secretariat. It seems she wants to bring the Cui family of Boling under her control. Even Cui Xuanwei, the head of the eldest branch of the Cui family, has secretly met with Crown Prince Li Xian.”

Wu Sansi nodded: "They are a mother and daughter with cunning minds. My son Wu Yanxiu is still in Turkic territory, detained by Khan Mochuo. Only Chongxun can marry Princess Anle, but I'm afraid Chongxun's temperament will not be able to control this arrogant princess."

Wu Yanxiu was ordered by the emperor last year to go to the Turkic Khaganate to marry the daughter of Mochuo Khan. This was also a marriage alliance between the Great Zhou and the Turkic Khaganate. However, Mochuo Khan of the Turkic Khaganate was arrogant and looked down on his son, saying that his son was not of the legitimate bloodline of the Tang Dynasty princes!
Even the foreign tribes mocked the Wu clan for not being the legitimate royal family, even though it was now the reign of the Wu Zhou dynasty...

Thinking of this, Wu Sansi gritted his teeth and secretly vowed: One day, I will make the whole world acknowledge the existence of my Wu clan and make the Wu Zhou dynasty last forever.

……

After a three-month trek, the army was finally about to reach Yumen Pass as winter approached.

Yumen Pass is the gateway and starting point of the Hexi Corridor.

After passing through Yumen Pass, travel west along the northern foothills of the Kunlun Mountains, passing through important towns such as Yizhou and Xizhou, and you will reach the Four Towns of Anxi.

This is the route planned by Xiao Muchen and Murong Huan.

Unexpectedly, upon arriving at Yumen Pass, Xiao Muchen received a message from Huohuang:
"Prime Minister Di has fallen!"