Datang: Just been appointed as the crown prince, the counterattack system is here

Chapter 385 Since we're already here, let's die together! [Seeking monthly votes]

"That's great! I'm alright! I had smallpox! But the physicians brought back by His Highness the Prince of Shu have cured me!"

"A divine healer! His Highness the King of Shu is benevolent!"

"Your Highness, the King of Shu! Please save my son! He has also contracted smallpox!"

In Chang'an, countless people surrounded the consultation table set up by Li Ke, crying and shouting excitedly, praising Li Ke and asking him to treat themselves and their relatives.

Li Ke greeted the crowd with a warm smile: "Fellow citizens, on behalf of the Tang Dynasty, I thank you for your understanding and support. However, the physician I brought back is still effective!"

"Therefore, illnesses must be examined one by one, and people must be treated one by one!"

"Don't worry, I will do everything in my power to control the smallpox epidemic and do everything I can to save you!"

"Long live the King of Shu!"

Someone, incredibly audacious, shouted that out.

Immediately afterwards, countless people joined in the shouting.

"Long live His Highness the King of Shu!"

In just a few days, Li Ke won over a large number of people.

But this is not over yet.

Just as the crowd was shouting in unison that Li Ke had crossed the line, a discordant voice suddenly rang out from the crowd.

"His Highness the Prince of Shu just said that he didn't bring back many doctors! But! The doctors he brought back can cure smallpox! They are our hope!"

"But in some places, there are clearly a large number of doctors, yet they ignore us completely. Doesn't that mean they have no medical ethics? Do you think such places should exist?"

Upon hearing this, everyone exchanged bewildered glances.

However, someone quickly realized where this person was referring to.

For example, medical schools.

Before Li Ke returned, the medical school had been cooperating with the imperial court in fighting the epidemic.

As a result, a while ago, a large number of medical personnel were suddenly and inexplicably withdrawn, and even the number of medical staff decreased significantly.

This left the people of Chang'an feeling helpless and desperate.

So, after being reminded by the "well-meaning person," someone immediately realized what was happening and said indignantly, "That's right! They have absolutely no medical ethics! They just want to watch us die!"

"Damn it! How could they do this! Didn't they say they had a way to deal with smallpox? It's been so many days, where's the solution?"

"I think they're a bunch of liars! If they really had a solution, they would have revealed it already!"

Gradually, the topic began to change.

"They even said that vaccination with bovine spongiformis could prevent smallpox. I've studied medicine for several years, but I've never heard of such a prevention method!"

"Yes! We can't let them occupy the position without doing anything. We need to make them vacate the space so that the King of Shu's physicians can enter the medical school!"

“That’s right! Even if they don’t have a cure for smallpox, His Highness the Prince of Shu does! Just have them assist His Highness the Prince of Shu’s medical team!”

"It's fine, but I'm afraid they won't agree, after all, they are His Highness the Crown Prince's people!"

The topic has changed again.

"What about His Highness the Crown Prince's people? Can His Highness just sit idly by and watch us common people die? Is he going to watch us die?"

These words instantly ignited the entire audience.

Some hot-tempered individuals immediately shouted, "Let's go! We'll go to the Academy of Sciences to demand an explanation!"

"Alright! Let's all go together! Let's make them vacate the medical school to assist His Highness the Prince of Shu in treating smallpox!"

For a time, almost all the people of Chang'an were verbally attacking Li Chengqian and the Academy of Sciences.

And this is exactly what Li Ke and his group wanted.

After watching the people leave, Li Ke's originally warm smile gradually disappeared, and he murmured coldly, "Li Chengqian, don't blame me. The struggle for the crown prince has always been like this!"

After saying this, he gave Li Zong and the others a look.

They were known as the "Five Tigers and One Tai Sui," and they immediately and quietly headed towards the medical school.

When only he and the plague doctor remained at the consultation table, he respectfully bowed to the plague doctor and said, "General, thank you for your help. At present, the people inside and outside Chang'an completely trust me. As long as we remove the medical school as an obstacle, the smallpox plague in Chang'an will be entirely under our control."

The plague doctor smiled noncommittally, then said calmly, "I'm helping you because I'm following orders. However, I still have to remind you that the smallpox vaccination method proposed by that Academy of Sciences is theoretically feasible."

"Because cattle have a greater resistance to diseases than humans. Therefore, if the cowpox vaccine is effective against smallpox, its effectiveness in humans will be limited!"

"Ah? This..."

Upon hearing this, Li Ke's face was filled with worry.

But then the plague doctor changed his tone again: "But you don't need to worry. Extracting cowpox vaccine is not an easy task. With these people causing trouble, it will be difficult for them to succeed!"

"In your opinion, General, what should I do next?"

"Heh heh...didn't Wu Bing tell you?"

"Well, Lord Wu Bing did give me some help, but what I'm most worried about right now is Li Chengqian!"

"Why are you worried about him?" the Plague Doctor said with amusement. "You're not worried that we can't handle him, are you?"

"General, you've misunderstood. I didn't mean that!" Li Ke quickly explained.

But the Plague Doctor said dismissively, "Whether you mean it or not, I'll still tell you, although Ghost Dove and Iron Mountain have fallen into his hands, Buddha, Snake Shadow and the other two are not going to be defeated so easily!"

After saying that, he seemed to remember something and said, "Oh right, you also need to hurry up! Do you want me to help you get some other plagues so that we can kill Empress Zhangsun and your younger brothers and sisters as soon as possible?"

"No need, not for now!"

Li Ke quickly refused, but then realized what he was saying: "Isn't Li Chengqian unable to return to Chang'an now? Why should I rush back?"

"Are you stupid?! Li Chengqian still has people in Chang'an. Do you think they'll just stand by and watch you take control of Chang'an?" The Plague Doctor said speechlessly. "Besides, don't blame me for not reminding you. According to our intelligence, your father's war in Liaodong is basically over. He reached Anshi City, and that's where it ended!"

"Huh? Does that mean my father is coming back soon?"

"So, you understand why I told you to hurry up, right?"

Li Ke hesitated for a moment, then nodded emphatically: "I understand, I know what to do."

"In that case, I'll go rest for a while. Let the other healers handle things for now. They don't need to cure everyone, just one or two occasionally. When they see someone around them being cured while they themselves are beyond help, all their rationality will be at your disposal!"

Upon hearing this, Li Ke was deeply moved and immediately bowed to the plague doctor again.

The Plague Doctor waved his hand dismissively, then, with a slightly pale face, went to the rest room.

After watching the plague doctor leave, he turned to Li Yin, who was not far away, and whispered, "Brother Yin, I need you to do something for me!"

Li Yin was taken aback for a moment, and couldn't help but ask, "What is it?"

"Create a major uprising for me! Then, help me gain military power in Chang'an!" Li Ke said, squinting.

Upon hearing this, Li Yin looked utterly astonished: "Brother, what's going on...?"

"Brother Yin, there are some things I can't say right now, but please believe me, if we succeed this time, we brothers will reach the highest positions! Our mother will never have to bow her head to anyone again!"

"But... the military power in Chang'an is in the hands of Li Jing and Fang Xuanling, I'm afraid..."

Li Ke sneered, then said in a deep voice, "I have a plan that will guarantee they will obediently hand over their military power!"

After saying this, he told Li Yin his plan in detail, which made Li Yin very excited and almost clapped his hands in approval.

"Big brother! You're really something!"

"Heh, hurry back, your big brother is waiting for you!"

"Okay, okay, I'll go right away!"

Soon, Li Yin left with an excited expression.

.........

the other side.

A low-lying, sheltered area about 100 miles from Chang'an.

Because of the snowstorm and what happened at the post station that night, Li Chengqian and his party did not look for other post stations to rest, but instead set up tents directly in the wild.

"His Royal Highness!"

Pei Xingjian glanced around and, after confirming that there was nothing unusual, walked straight toward Li Chengqian.

At this moment, Li Chengqian stood with his hands behind his back, looking at the wind and snow outside with an air of maturity. Without turning his head, he asked, "Is everything arranged?"

"It's all arranged. This place is open and spacious, so even if an assassin comes, we can detect them immediately."

Pei Xingjian cupped his hands and said, "In addition, since we entered the pass, we have been avoiding the official roads. Even if someone is following us, they will be able to find us quickly. And in the last two days, there have been no suspicious people."

"Well, anyway, it's best to be careful."

Li Chengqian nodded slightly, agreeing with Pei Xingjian's statement.

Because he has a system with early warning rewards, his right eyelid would have twitched long ago if there were any real danger.

Since no one has jumped yet, it means there is no danger.

"Oh, right."

As soon as he finished speaking, Li Chengqian seemed to remember something and said, "Even if we know that the smallpox epidemic is related to Li Ke and the garrison commander, we cannot kill him without solid evidence, do you understand?"

Pei Xingjian paused for a moment, then nodded and said, "I understand! However, there is still one thing I don't understand: why doesn't His Highness the Crown Prince bring Princess Guanghua back to Chang'an?"

"Didn't she personally admit that Li Ke colluded with the guards to murder the Empress?"

“I know what you mean, but have you considered that Princess Guanghua is also a criminal suspect? What would it prove if we took Princess Guanghua back? Can people believe a criminal suspect as a witness?”

Pei Xingjian hesitated for a moment, then couldn't help but ask, "But that cup was indeed a gift from Li Ke and his mother, Consort Yang, wasn't it?"

"That's right, the cup was indeed a gift from them, but they could also say they knew nothing about it! Can you find out their motive? Consort Yang and Li Ke have always presented themselves as kind and unassuming people in the palace, or with my father!"

Li Chengqian calmly analyzed, "They would rather believe that this is Princess Guanghua's conspiracy than suspect that Li Ke and his mother have any problems."

"At most, they feel that Li Ke and his mother were used, and that they trusted their past blood ties too much."

"What does His Highness mean?"

Li Chengqian thought for a moment, then said thoughtfully, "Before Li Ke fully reveals his true nature, I think it's best not to expose this matter. The most urgent task is to capture the guards, especially the guard commander."

"Only by addressing the root cause of the problem can the truth about Li Ke's case be revealed."

"However, the guards have always been mysterious and have colluded with court officials, so it will not be easy for us to thoroughly investigate them. Not to mention the guard who has never shown his face."

"Is there really no way to deal with Yang Nannan?" Li Chengqian asked, frowning.

But Pei Xingjian pondered and said, "It's not that there's no way, but we don't have any clue how to deal with the higher-ups of the Shouzhulang, such as that Langjiang."

“I remember that night, that guy called Guijiu said he wanted to invite me over. In other words, their target is now openly me. Why do you think that is?” Li Chengqian asked thoughtfully.

Pei Xingjian pondered for a moment and said, "If they came specifically for His Highness the Crown Prince, I really don't know what they want! After all, given His Highness the Crown Prince's previous situation, they have many ways to 'invite' you!"

"So, you figured it out too?"

"Yes, Your Highness, I think they are buying time for the Prince of Shu! Because you and the Prince of Shu were summoned back to Chang'an at the same time, and the Prince of Shu had previously gone to his fiefdom to avoid your pursuit!"

Pei Xingjian narrowed his eyes and said, "This series of events can only mean one thing: the King of Shu has big plans for returning to Chang'an, and the Shouzhuo Lang, as his collaborator, is now doing everything he can to help him. This means that your return to Chang'an will definitely stop the King of Shu's big plans and may even pose a huge threat to him!"

"It seems you share the same thoughts as me. If I'm not mistaken, Li Ke intends to use this plague to clear away all obstacles on his path to seizing the throne!" Li Chengqian sneered.

"But Your Highness, isn't his biggest obstacle, uh, to put it disrespectfully, you?"

Pei Xingjian spoke cautiously.

Li Chengqian glanced at him, then said with amusement, "So, didn't he send the garrison commander to get rid of me?"

"No, even without you, there's still the King of Wei, isn't there? It shouldn't be his turn!"

"If he can get rid of me, why can't he get rid of a mere King of Wei?"

"This"

Pei Xingjian was speechless. Thinking about it, it made sense. Even a powerful crown prince like Li Chengqian had been eliminated, so the little fat boy really had nothing to do with it.

"So, what does His Highness the Crown Prince mean?"

"Actually, I don't think these are problems. The real issue is my father!"

Li Chengqian shook his head and said, "My father is not a fool. So many of his children have run into trouble, and only these brothers are left. Doesn't he have any doubts at all?"

"Yes! I also think His Majesty wouldn't be so confused. Even if His Majesty were confused, his ministers wouldn't be confused either, especially the Duke of Zhao, who is very shrewd!"

Pei Xingjian nodded in agreement.

Li Chengqian smiled, then glanced at the snowstorm in the sky and said, "Since they've already taken action, let the blizzard rage even more fiercely! We'll take care of it all at once!"

night.

It gradually grew dark.

The campfire crackled and popped.

The orange flames dispelled the chill of the wind and snow.

The Imperial Guards took turns on guard duty, leaning wearily against their saddles to rest as much as possible.

Pei Xingjian and Lai Fu also stayed by Li Chengqian's side closely.

All was silent except for the mournful sound of wind and snow.

Just before dawn, in the darkest hour, Li Chengqian suddenly opened his eyes, which had been closed.

Without any hesitation, he immediately said to Pei Xingjian, "There is an enemy attack!"

Upon hearing this, Pei Xingjian, though surprised, immediately called out to his subordinates, "Get on guard!"

Soon, the Jinyiwei guards, who were initially somewhat tired, perked up, drew their swords, and began to patrol their surroundings.

However, unlike at the post station, the enemy did not rush out of the darkness. Instead, the warning was met with dozens of piercing shrieks coming from all directions!

“Swoosh—swoosh—swoosh—!”

Dozens of arrows, burning fiercely, hurtled towards us like a meteor shower, trailing long flames.

The target was not the crowd, but the campfire in the camp where everyone was resting, and the horses tied up around the perimeter of the camp.

"Put out the fire! Protect the horses!"

Pei Xingjian shouted loudly, leaped up, brandished his embroidered spring knife, and tried to cut down the rocket.

However, the rockets were too close together and too far apart.

Several rockets were accurately fired into the campfire. With a loud bang, the already burning flames exploded as if oil had been poured on them, sending sparks flying everywhere.

More rockets hit dry haystacks on the outskirts of the camp and several makeshift tents.

boom! boom! boom!
Flames erupted instantly.

The dry, wild grass ignited instantly, and flames spread rapidly, quickly forming a wall of fire around the camp. Thick smoke billowed from it.

Worse still, several rockets hit haystacks and a few warhorses near the hitching posts.

"Hercules—!"

The warhorse was startled and let out a shrill neigh, trying to break free of its reins.

The scene suddenly became chaotic.

Flames, thick smoke, startled horses, burning tents... the entire camp was engulfed in a chaotic inferno.

"Hold on! Cut the reins! Extinguish the fire! Don't let the fire encircle us!" Pei Xingjian shouted orders hoarsely as he desperately chopped down the incoming rockets.

The Imperial Guards fought desperately to extinguish the flames and tried to cut the reins of the frightened horse. The thick smoke choked them, making it impossible for them to open their eyes and causing them to cough incessantly.

Chaos, utter chaos, so chaotic that the situation is almost out of control.

In this chaotic moment, with flames soaring into the sky, thick smoke billowing, and people shouting and horses neighing.

Two dark figures suddenly darted out from the edge of the leeward depression where Li Chengqian was standing, moving at an extremely fast speed.

"Your Highness, watch your step! There's a snake!"

Lai Fu's shrill voice was filled with unprecedented shock and anger.

He was a little far from Li Chengqian, and his vision was blocked by a sudden cloud of thick smoke, so it was too late to rescue him.

Pei Xingjian was entangled by several fearless assassins who broke through the firewall, leaving him unable to spare any attention.

In contrast, Li Chengqian seemed completely unaffected, standing motionless with a disdainful smirk on his lips: "I'm immune to all poisons, why would I be afraid of snakes? Idiot!"

As soon as he finished speaking, he ignored the venomous tongues at his feet, turned to look at the shadow fifty meters away, and said mockingly, "Since you're all here, come at me all at once, let me have a good slaughter!"

(End of this chapter)