Zhutian: Starting from the Space-Time Merchant

Chapter 412 Expressing gratitude to the Immortal Master for his assistance~
How is His Majesty?

Has it gotten any better?

"Empress Zhou, say something!"

"How did you suddenly get sick? I was so worried!"

"Make way! I've found a renowned doctor!"

The camp in the forest was in complete chaos, with shouts of men and neighing of horses.

All the generals looked anxious.

"Since His Majesty returned from the Binglongtai, he has been bedridden and has sought out many famous doctors, but none of them have made any progress."

"I don't think it's a matter of illness. His Majesty is the Son of Heaven, yet he's gone to the Sick Dragon Terrace. Isn't that...?"

"Ah~"

The generals were genuinely concerned about Lin Dao's health.

Most of them started from humble beginnings and only rose to their current high positions thanks to Lin Dao's promotion.

In other words, they were not successors of the various regional military governors since the late Tang Dynasty.

The existence of the forest road protected their interests.

But if something were to happen to him, the new leader would inevitably promote his own confidants.

The flatbread is only so big, so if a new batch of people wants to eat it, they will inevitably have to snatch it from the hands of the old folks.

According to the rules of this era, what they might lose then is not just their interests, but even their lives!

Before they gained power, it was one thing; in chaotic times, a worthless life was just a matter of dying.

But now, they are all generals, and Lin Dao has bestowed many rewards upon them.

He only needs to continue to make military achievements, and a noble title will naturally follow.

But at this time, His Majesty fell ill~~~
Over the past two days, the generals outside the camp have been cursing and swearing countless times!
Some, even those with impatient tempers, have already gone to demolish the sick dragon platform.

After a commotion, the renowned physician who had been summoned was driven out of the back tent.

"Ah~"

The renowned doctor from Hebei shook his head and said, "If His Majesty refuses to treat the patient, even the best of my skills are useless."

Having received the travel expenses, the renowned doctor made his departure without incident.

Later, you can boast in your clinic that you once treated a real dragon, and so on.
Before long, Zhou Ehuang came out and said, "His Majesty has ordered the Duke of Wei to come to see me."

Shi Shouxin immediately stepped forward and followed Zhou Ehuang into the inner tent.

Upon seeing Lin Dao, whose face was pale and who was lying on the bed coughing, he hurriedly stepped forward to inquire, "Is Your Majesty alright?"

"It's just a minor cold~"

Lin Dao smiled slightly, "It will be fine in a few days."

"Yes, yes." Shi Shouxin nodded repeatedly. "His Majesty will surely recover soon."

"I summoned you here to instruct you to keep a close watch on all the units in the army and prevent any trouble from arising."

"Once I recover, I will lead you to destroy the Liao Kingdom!"

"Yes, yes." Shi Shouxin nodded again. "Your Majesty is vigorous and strong, you will surely be safe and sound."

After flattering him, he cautiously spoke, "However, for the sake of His Majesty's health, perhaps we should withdraw our troops now and come again next year?"

The Northern Expedition was indeed very important.

But compared to the sources of interest for these generals, it's not that important.

"No."

Lin Dao shook his head decisively, "Our army's morale is high now, and the Liao army is trembling with fear."

"The people of Yan are eagerly awaiting the royal army's rescue, and it can be said that the time, place, and people are all in their favor."

"How can we retreat under these circumstances!"

From an external perspective, this is indeed a golden opportunity to reclaim Yanyun and defeat the Liao Kingdom.

Since Lin Dao set out on his campaigns, he has been invincible, conquering every country he has ever fought!

Therefore, the morale of his troops was high, and they were willing to fight desperately for military merit.

Previously, they had defeated the elite Southern Army of the Liao army and even killed the Liao army's Nanjing garrison commander, which greatly boosted the morale of the Liao army.

The Qin army won one victory after another. It had not been long since the Yan region was captured by the Liao state, and the local people still had their hearts set on the Central Plains.

With so many favorable circumstances, we certainly cannot retreat!
Shi Shouxin was somewhat embarrassed and quietly observed Lin Dao's complexion.

It was indeed the patient's complexion; it didn't seem like he was faking it, and there was no need for him to pretend to be sick.

It doesn't seem that serious?
To say that he had no intention of replacing him would be utter nonsense.

The problem is that they have the desire, but not the ability.

Lin Dao concentrated his elite troops at the Palace Guard and the Imperial Guard, entrusting them to various generals to command in battle.

Shi Shouxin is indeed highly experienced, but his actual strength is only a fraction of what he possesses. Why should others respect him?
Such thoughts were absolutely unthinkable for Lin Dao until he breathed his last.

Lin Dao waved his hand, and Shi Shouxin bowed and withdrew, relaying the message to the generals. This was Lin Dao's main purpose in summoning him.

"You go and keep watch outside, I'm going into seclusion." He looked at Zhou Ehuang, whose face was full of sorrow. "I'm not dead yet, don't look so worried."

After Zhou Ehuang left, Lin Dao's figure suddenly disappeared.

Back in his modern house, Lin Dao closed his eyes and rested for a while.

When he opened his eyes again, he was full of energy, completely free of his previous sickly state.

"It's still the same."

"Your health will improve quickly once you return to the modern world."

"My physical condition has been improving, and I haven't been sick for a long time."

"This illness is really too strange."

Lin Dao also went to the hospital for a check-up.

I refused the doctor's suggestion to have blood drawn, or even genetic testing and sensitivity testing, and only saw an internal medicine doctor.

The examination revealed that his health was exceptionally good.

His indicators were astonishing; the doctors looked at him as if he were a superhero.

After that, Lin Dao traveled to various other time periods without incident.

Only when they return to the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period will their bodies gradually weaken and they become ill.

"The Sick Dragon Terrace?" "How could it be so strange?"

Lin Dao understood that his illness was not a real disease, and therefore he did not need the treatment of famous doctors.

But this can't go on forever.

We've tried everything we could, like bringing modern medicines here and taking them here.

The results were all the same: invalid.

Under these circumstances, after much thought and consulting with Wang Meng, Lin Dao finally came up with a solution.

go to bed.

That's right, the solution he came up with was to sleep.

Of course, sleeping is just a process, not the goal.

Lin Dao's goal was to use sleep to seek help from the white-bearded old Taoist priest who had sent him the message.
Faced with a problem that technology could not solve, he could only resort to praying to gods and Buddhas.

However, Lin Daomeng rarely had the opportunity to listen to the teachings at the temple; it only happened a few times a month.

Moreover, he couldn't speak, couldn't control his body, and even what he heard was hazy.

Now all he can do is pray to the old Taoist priest with the white beard, who can understand his predicament with just a glance.

Perhaps due to illness, Lin Dao's luck gradually turned bad.

I slept for several days in a row, but I never dreamed of going to the temple to listen to lectures.

In the past few days, morale in various units of the army has been low, and many people have even petitioned for Lin Dao to withdraw his troops as soon as possible, as it is more important for him to go back and recuperate.

Meanwhile, the main force of the Liao army, which had gathered in Yanjing, also learned of Lin Dao's illness through various channels.

They have already begun a large-scale southward march, attempting to take advantage of any bargains.

Even the vanguard scouts were already engaged in fierce battles with the cavalry outside the various military camps.

Seeing that the internal and external environment was becoming increasingly harsh, Lin Dao preferred to stay in bed and get sick rather than retreat.

Zhou Ehuang took care of Lin Dao with her younger sister every day, but she was also very worried and even felt somewhat guilty.

She suspected that she had caught a cold in the forest trail because she had taken too much during the rain, and she felt really guilty about it.

He served Lin Dao tirelessly, helping him with bathing and even attending to his every need, from eating and drinking to using the toilet.
It's not an adjective, it's a verb.

Days passed in this way, and finally, on the night the news of the main force of the Liao army arriving at Gaoliang River came, Lin Dao finally dreamed of the Taoist temple.

As before, he went to a prayer mat in the temple, sat down cross-legged, and watched the white-bearded old Taoist priest preach.

I can hear sounds, but I can't understand them.

But he clearly saw the white-bearded old Taoist priest glance at him.

With just one glance, Lin Dao instantly fell into a deep sleep.

When he opened his eyes, he felt that the ailment that had been plaguing him for so long had been completely gone.

I have recovered to my previous energetic and superhuman physical condition.

"Thank you for your help, Immortal Master!"

Lin Dao was certain that it must have been that white-bearded old Taoist priest who had come to his aid.

Such a kind person and such a virtuous master deserve our sincere gratitude.

Who knows, maybe one day they'll be in a good mood and teach you a technique for cultivating immortality~
The generals gathered outside the camp had been harboring resentment and burning with rage for some time.

Many people even resorted to fists at each other over the slightest disagreement.

If nothing unexpected happens, in a few more days, when the Liao army really gets close, it seems that someone will have to draw their sword.

There's nothing they can do; their commander-in-chief, their emperor, is bedridden.
Moreover, the head coach is the invincible King Ma!

His presence provides a huge boost to morale.

Their absence has an equally significant impact.

"What's the noise about?"

Just as Yang Ye and Pan Mei were glaring at each other and about to start fighting, Lin Dao lifted the curtain and came out.

All the noisy generals looked over, and were all astonished!
After a brief silence, everyone's faces lit up with elation, and they all rushed over.

"Your Majesty~"

"Good health and recovery~"

"Congratulations!"

"Great! We finally have someone to rely on."

"Your Majesty, waaaaah~"

Some people may feel secretly disappointed, but the vast majority are genuinely happy.

With their invincible commander back, they naturally felt relieved.

After everyone finished flattering him, Lin Dao, who looked rosy-cheeked and stood with his hands behind his back, asked again, "What's all the noise about?"

The crowd quieted down and all looked at Yang Ye and Pan Mei.

Yang Ye was somewhat lacking in social skills, and simply assumed that he had disturbed Lin Dao, so he immediately apologized.

The clever Pan Mei, however, realized that His Majesty was using the two of them as a pawn in his attempt to regain control of the army.
After all, being bedridden for many days inevitably diminished his prestige and control over the army.

At this point, it was necessary to demonstrate some skill so that everyone in the army would understand that the emperor had truly returned.

Pan Mei smiled bitterly to himself. There were many generals causing trouble these days, not just the two of them.

But unfortunately, he ran into His Majesty right after he recovered from his illness.

Without a word, he immediately apologized.

After all, it was just a raft; it couldn't possibly kill them.

That would not establish authority, but rather destroy the morale of the troops.

"Each of them shall be given twenty strokes of the cane."

Lin Dao calmly instructed, "Considering the imminent great battle, make a note of it for now and deal with it after the battle."

Punishing someone with a cane in the yamen was a skill that required considerable expertise.

Once enough money was spent, the constables started fighting, which looked like a huge, earth-shaking brawl, but it was all just a show.

But it's different in the military; those are real punishments that would make even the fiercest generals scratch their heads!
After establishing his authority, Lin Dao glanced at everyone and calmly gave them his instructions.

"All troops, follow me to the Gaoliang River!"

(End of this chapter)