Strange Tales from the Northern Qi Dynasty

Chapter 463: Can, heal people to death

Zhou, Yangchuan County.

The emperor's carriage traveled westward from Nanxiang at an extremely slow speed. After such a long journey, it finally reached the territory of Yangchuan County.

The scouts are still traveling frequently.

Yuwen Xiaobo had long been inundated with letters from scouts. The news coming from outside was more explosive than the last, some true and some false. Ever since Liu Taozi sent out his troops, the situation in the entire world had become extremely chaotic, and it seemed to be continuing with no sign of easing.

But no matter how chaotic the situation outside was, whether it was Liu Taozi's march into Guanzhong or the Chen general's defection, Yuwen Xiaobo didn't care.

The only thing he cared about at the moment was the situation of Emperor Yuwen Yong.

After the old physician escaped, Yuwen Xiaobo sent people to summon several famous doctors from nearby. Yuwen Xiaobo could see the resistance in their hearts, but they dared not disobey.

Yuwen Xiaobo was riding a horse with his head hung, and he could hardly open his eyes.

He was really too tired.

My eyelids were so heavy and my head was buzzing.

The emperor's illness became more frequent and he often woke up at night, and Yuwen Xiaobo had to stay by his side.

Coupled with the hassle of traveling and receiving intelligence from various places, Yuwen Xiaobo was almost unable to bear it.

Just when Yuwen Xiaobo was falling into a daze, he heard the waiter's scream again.

"The Duke!! The Duke!!"

Yuwen Xiaobo woke up in shock, "What, what?"

He jumped off the horse again, asked Yang Su to guard him on both sides, and rushed into the carriage.

There is no need to say much about the emperor's weakness. Yuwen Xiaobo and Yuwen Yong have been good friends for many years, and he has never seen the emperor so weak.

Yuwen Yong was so thin that he no longer looked like a human. He looked like a layer of skin wrapped around his bones without a single piece of flesh on his body. Many horrible wounds appeared on his body for no reason, and his beard and hair had fallen off. The doctors were helpless!

They had never seen such a disease, and could not understand what caused it. Yuwen Yong's condition at the time did not match the records in any medical book. There was no precedent, and no one could tell what disease he had. The doctors were already in despair, and those who were sensible were ready to leave a letter home and go to their deaths calmly.

Yuwen Yong opened his eyes with difficulty. He pointed at Yuwen Xiaobo, as if he wanted to say something.

Yuwen Xiaobo hurriedly pushed away the doctor in front of him and knelt beside him.

"His Majesty."

As Yuwen Xiaobo spoke, tears rolled down his cheeks again.

Yuwen Yong was so weak that he couldn't even speak or express his thoughts.

Just at this moment, Zhang Bin rushed into the house.

He looked at the weak emperor without much worry in his eyes. He walked forward and pretended to check on the emperor's condition.

"Well, the impurities in the body have been expelled. Next, as long as you take the elixir and nourish yourself with a vegetarian diet, your majesty will be cured!"

The doctors in the distance looked at each other.

They were not old doctors and had no right to refute Zhang Bin, but every doctor here knew that the emperor was dying.

Zhang Bin took out his elixir again.

Zhang Bin also has his own troubles.

The elixir is almost finished.

The refining process of this elixir is very complicated. Zhang Bin and his fellow disciples spent a long time refining it to get so many. There were casualties as well. In the past, the emperor used to take the elixir on a monthly basis, but recently the emperor has been taking the elixir more and more frequently, almost reaching the point of one pill a day. Suddenly, the reserves of the elixir were not enough.

Zhang Bin was also puzzled and asked the other Taoists. They guessed that the emperor was about to complete his transformation and become a celestial being. Zhang Bin thought it made sense, so he fed him generously.

It seems that I have to find a way to get some more elixirs.

Zhang Bin thought silently in his heart, but began to feed the emperor the elixir.

Yuwen Xiaobo stood aside with a solemn expression.

"Mr. Zhang, don't rush to feed him."

Zhang Bin was stunned and looked at Yuwen Xiaobo, "Duke, what do you want me to do?"

"Since the imperial physician left, Your Majesty has not regained consciousness. He cannot speak or move. His condition is getting worse and worse. What is the reason?"

Zhang Bin hurriedly explained, "This shows that your majesty is not far from recovery. Your majesty's previous illness was caused by the bad air and dirty air blocking the chest and unable to be released. Now that the filth has been released, you can cultivate a celestial body."

These people were not good at anything else, but they were all good at speaking. After his explanation, Yuwen Xiaobo didn't know what to do.

It is true that the emperor's condition continued to deteriorate, but the emperor himself would take the elixir if he wanted to.

He didn't know what to choose for a moment.

After hesitating for a long time, Yuwen Xiaobo had no choice but to obey Zhang Bin.

Things have come to this point, and the doctors are helpless. They were trembling when they reported the situation to me. Maybe Zhang Bin can really save the emperor?
Zhang Bin is exceptionally confident.

He looked at the dying emperor and said, "I have personally witnessed the effectiveness of this elixir. You don't have to worry at all."

As the golden pill was swallowed into his stomach, Yuwen Yong finally opened his eyes. Unfortunately, he couldn't swallow it, so Zhang Bin had to help him swallow it.

After a lot of effort, the emperor finally swallowed it.

Yuwen Yong's eyes widened, his eyes were bloodshot, and his face became ferocious and terrifying.

He wanted to say something, but blood began to flow from the corners of his mouth.

His whole body was shaking violently.

Yuwen Xiaobo pushed Zhang Bin away again and just as he grabbed Yuwen Yong's hand, Yuwen Yong finally let out a wail.

Then, his whole body relaxed, and he fell weakly on the bed, without any movement.

Yuwen Xiaobo's hand trembled as he slowly took the emperor's pulse.

At this time, Zhang Bin was thrown to the ground by Yuwen Xiaobo. He looked at the emperor in astonishment and at the box of elixir in his hand in disbelief.

"Why."

Yuwen Xiaobo fumbled for a moment, his face gradually turned gray, he gritted his teeth, and the look in his eyes became more complicated, from sadness to despair, and then to anger.

He slowly looked at Zhang Bin standing beside him.

Zhang Bin saw something in his eyes, and his voice was shaking: "Impossible! Absolutely impossible. I have seen Master and his friends use this elixir, and it has helped dying people to be alive and kicking."

"Someone is coming."

"Catch this thief!!!"

Yuwen Xiaobo spat out these words through gritted teeth, and the soldiers quickly entered and captured Zhang Bin. Zhang Bin was still trying to defend himself, but the soldiers didn't care.

"Your Majesty is seriously ill, and this thief cannot be cured!"

"Stop their mouths, drag them out and put them under custody! Also capture the Taoist priests who accompanied them and lock them up! No one is allowed to have contact with them without my order!"

Just as Zhang Bin was about to wail, his mouth was blocked and he was dragged out by the soldiers.

The doctors in the distance were really at a loss at this moment.

Only then did Yuwen Xiaobo look at them, his expression also somewhat hesitant.

The emperor died.

But now, this matter cannot be spread. The situation in the world is already very chaotic. If the news of the emperor's death spreads at this time, it will be completely over.

The emperor died of illness. Logically, all those who treated the emperor were responsible. Moreover, to keep this secret, it would be best if these doctors disappeared.
Yuwen Xiaobo hesitated for a long time, then loosened his fist.

"I don't want to punish you for your majesty's affairs, but the country is in chaos right now, so this matter must be kept secret and not spread lightly. I will keep you for a while until the matter is settled, and then let you go. You all have families, so don't be punished for your words."

The doctors didn't understand what Yuwen Xiaobo meant, and they all knelt on the ground, "Thank you, Duke!"

After everyone had left, Yuwen Xiaobo called Yang Su in.

At this time, Yang Su outside had already discovered something wrong.

After entering, he was shocked to see the emperor, motionless and with blood on his face, and almost fell to the ground.

He was about to shout, but quickly came to his senses, lowered his head, and began to cry silently.

Yuwen Xiaobo wiped his tears and looked at Yang Su, "Mr. Yang, when His Majesty was here, he often praised your talents to me and said that you have extraordinary abilities. Now I am confused and I really don't know what to do. Please tell me."

The sadness on Yang Su's face came and disappeared quickly.

He quickly stood up and began to give advice to Yuwen Xiaobo.

"Duke, before His Majesty became seriously ill, he entrusted the affairs of state to the King of Qi. However, all of His Majesty's sons and daughters have been captured by the bandits. We should send a fast rider to inform the King of Qi of the situation and have him come quickly to lead His Majesty to Hanzhong, and then inform him of this matter."

Yang Su didn't say anything, but his meaning was very clear.

Join the King of Qi as soon as possible and let the King of Qi inherit the throne.

Yuwen Xiaobo glanced at Yang Su, but Yang Su said seriously: "Duke, the bandits are now attacking Guanzhong fiercely. Wei Xiaokuan led the troops to persuade them, and the prefectures and counties in Guanzhong have been falling and surrendering. At their speed, I am afraid that within three months, all of Guanzhong will belong to Liu Taozi."

"The King of Qi is currently fighting against the enemy's army, delaying their progress."

"At this time, we can't think about too many other things. The country is about to perish. Who else can save the world except the King of Qi?!"

Yuwen Xiaobo nodded and said, "You go and take care of this matter."

"only!!"

Yang Su left quickly.

Yuwen Xiaobo sat beside Yuwen Yong in a daze. This emperor, who was talented and ambitious, collapsed before he could complete his many ideas.

Yuwen Xiaobo and Yuwen Yong were born on the same day. Yuwen Tai raised him in the palace and let him grow up with Yuwen Yong. The two were like twin brothers, inseparable. They played together since childhood, and when they grew up a little, they started to study and learn together.

Yuwen Yong was passionate in character, while Yuwen Xiaobo was calm in personality, which complemented each other perfectly.

When Yuwen Hu was in power, Yuwen Xiaobo also met with Yuwen Yong in secret under the pretext of studying classics together, and then discussed the important matter of eliminating traitors to the country.

Yuwen Yong was able to get in touch with the ministers outside the palace while in the palace and agree to eliminate the bandits together. Yuwen Xiaobo played a huge role in this.

Yuwen Yong was unwilling to let him go to a place too far away to serve as an official. He always let him stay by his side and always compared their relationship with that of Liu Bang and Lu Wan.

Compared with his younger brothers such as Yuwen Zhi and Yuwen Xian, Yuwen Xiaobo may be more like Yuwen Yong's biological brother.

Yuwen Xiaobo wiped the blood off Yuwen Yong's face, tears glistening in his eyes.

Recalling the passionate, courageous hero who once told me of his extraordinary ambition to unify the country and bring peace to the world, I could never connect him with his current skinny appearance.

He helped the emperor close his eyes.

He sighed heavily.

"Ugh"

Changan.

Chang'an has not been able to get out of the shadow of that time, and it is still in ruins.

Soldiers were frequently transferred, and only troops could be seen on the official road outside the city, but no normal pedestrians.

Yuwen Xian was in his own office, surrounded by many young talents, and they discussed countermeasures together.

Gao Jiong stood beside him and gave him advice.

"Your Majesty, Qishan and Longdong have also been taken by Wei Xiaokuan. There are not many cities left in the west that we can rely on. However, in the east, Yichuan, Hebei, Yiyang and other cities are still in our hands. We have also made contact with them. We swear not to be in cahoots with the thieves!"

"But this is disadvantageous to us. If Chang'an cannot be defended, the cities in the east will be cut off from retreat and will be conquered sooner or later. This is why Wei Xiaokuan left the east alone and attacked many prefectures in the west fiercely."

"We can't stay in Chang'an anymore. We should move westward. Among all the cities, I think Tianshui is the one we can temporarily station in."

"Officials in many regions are evacuating now. You can send a strong general to Chang'an, and Your Majesty will go to Tianshui in person to curb the enemy's advance westwards and ensure that the prefectures and counties east and south of Chang'an can complete their evacuation."

Some people agreed with Gao Jiong's speech, while others opposed it.

Yuwen Xian sat on the upper seat. In just a short period of time, he seemed to have grown a lot. The beard on his face grew a lot, making him look more majestic than before.

Just when everyone was arguing and starting to get angry, Yuwen Xian spoke up and stopped them.

"Don't argue. Just talk. Why insult each other?"

Only then did everyone dare not continue arguing.

Faced with everyone's suggestions, Yuwen Xian was a little hesitant for a moment, because he himself had different ideas, but what these people under his command said seemed to make some sense.

Just as he was about to announce his final judgment, the warrior walked in and whispered something in Yuwen Xian's ear.

Yuwen Xian stood up instantly and looked at everyone, "You guys stay here for now."

Yuwen Xian left the place at a very fast pace. The room suddenly became silent. Everyone looked at each other but did not dare to ask any questions.

Only Gao Ying seemed particularly worried at this moment.

Yuwen Xian walked out of the lobby and came to the side room. An exhausted knight saw him, forced himself to stand up, and delivered the secret letter.

The other soldiers helped the knight to leave. Yuwen Xian opened the document in a hurry, but after just a few glances, his face changed drastically and he was stunned.

The atmosphere in the lobby next door was still exceptionally quiet.

No one spoke. At this moment, a warrior came in and called Gao Jiong away, asking the others to continue waiting.

As a result, everyone couldn't help themselves and started talking.

When Gao Jiong walked into the room at the side, he saw Yuwen Xian kneeling in the upper seat. He had never seen Yuwen Xian so flustered and distracted.

Yuwen Xian looked dazed at the moment, and didn't react even when Gao Jiong walked in.

Gao Ying thought to himself that this was not good.

"Your Majesty!!"

Gao Jiong's words woke Yuwen Xian up. Yuwen Xian looked at Gao Jiong, but before he could say anything, tears started falling.

"Mr. Gao."

"My brother has passed away."

Gao Jiong suddenly turned his head and looked behind him, then quickly walked to Yuwen Xian's side, "Your Majesty, this matter cannot be leaked out!"

"You can't let anyone see any clues!"

"Liu's offensive is extremely fierce. The generals are in panic and the soldiers are demoralized. If they learn that Your Majesty has passed away, Guanzhong will immediately fall into chaos. I am afraid that even those officials in the east who have just vowed to resist Wei Xiaokuan will quickly surrender to Liu!"

Yuwen Xian nodded.

"Yang Su also said so. This is the document written by Yang Su. He hopes that I will return quickly and reunite with my brother."

"It should be so, it should be so!"

Yuwen Xian asked again: "But if I leave, won't I hand over Guanzhong to Liu Taozi? Who will continue to resist?"

"How can your Majesty say such a thing! Which is more important, the whole world or Guanzhong? How can you abandon the whole world for Guanzhong?!"

Yuwen Xian struggled to calm himself down. It cannot be said that Yuwen Xian and Yuwen Yong had a very close relationship, but Yuwen Yong had been quite good to him in recent days. He gave him great power and sent the most powerful generals and advisers to his side. Now that he heard of his brother's death, Yuwen Xian was very sad.

But after the sadness comes a wave of fear.

Yuwen Xian had never been so afraid before, even when Chang'an fell, he was not afraid.

"Okay, let's retreat. Gao Jun, you stay behind."

"No, I will go back with the king, and I can let He Ruobi go to Tianshui to stop Wei Xiaokuan and delay the enemy."

Gao Jiong's attitude was very firm, almost rude.

However, he also had his own considerations. The king was wise and very experienced in some matters, but not so good at others.

To put it simply, he had the same problem as Gao Yan of Qi State. He was too kind-hearted and could not be a powerful official, nor could he handle political struggles. At a time like this, Gao Yan felt that he should stay with the king and help him get through this time.

(End of this chapter)