The Ming Dynasty began from Sarhu

Chapter 125 Blood Curse

The central military tent at Guangji Gate in Shenyang.

"General Liu, you have avenged the Song family's blood feud. Even if I die, I will never be able to repay you. Unfortunately, my medical skills are limited and I am powerless to save her. I only wish to die. Miss Jin..."

Old Song was about to kneel down, but Liu Zhaosun picked him up and pointed at Jin Yuji, saying:

"I don't want you to die, I want you to save her!"

"I've tried everything. He's lost too much blood. I can only keep him alive with medicine. If he delays for a few more days, then..."

Liu Zhaosun was furious: "You claim every day to be a miracle doctor, claiming you can cure any disease and save anyone. Is there no other way?"

Old Song was silent for a long time, then said anxiously, "Miss Jin has been in a coma for seven days. Ordinary medicine will not be able to revive her. Even if there is a glimmer of hope, I'm afraid I won't be able to find the medicine."

Liu Zhaosun said anxiously:

"I've also found you the three-legged golden toad, the Taishang Laojun's elixir, and the Queen Mother's peaches! Tell me! What medicine is it?"

"Thousand-year-old Korean ginseng, Changbai Mountain angelica and cordyceps. The Qianjin Fang records that during the Zhenguan period of the Tang Dynasty, a doctor used this recipe to save a life. I wonder if it works."

"Two days, I'll get it all for you within two days!"

"General Liu, are you joking? Miss Jin has only been here for the past two days..."

"I'll go find it right now!"

On that day, Liu Zhaosun led people into the city to buy Korean ginseng and angelica.

Of course he couldn't buy any. After the Yehe massacre, all the city's herbal medicine shops were looted and burned. Not only was there no thousand-year-old Korean ginseng, but even ten-year-old Liaodong ginseng was gone. Undeterred, he went into the city himself to search, but in the end, he only found some ginseng residue.

~~~~
Kang Yingqian finally ended his "comfort" to the wives and concubines of the Liaozhen generals.

He returned to Guangjimen Wengcheng with a sore body. He heard that General Liu was not there. He asked carefully and found out that he had gone to look for medicine. He cursed:

"If you indulge in women and ignore military and national affairs, you will never achieve great things!"

After saying that, he sat at the door of the central army tent and took a pill of Vajra Powder to make up for the losses after the fierce fighting in the past two days.

"Gathering troops, settling prisoners, reporting achievements to the court, impeaching Zu Dashou, guarding against Korea... so many things to do. This is not the time for romance, as lust is a sword hanging over one's head. As a general, one should abstain from lust, let alone for a dead person! These days, I have been busy comforting the families of surrendered generals. When I haven't seen you for a while, General Liu is like this. Alas, Kaiyuan can't do without me!"

As he spoke, he began to curse Jin Yu Ji as a disaster.

Pei Dahu couldn't stand it any longer and said with an unhappy look:

"General Kang! General Liu has been so busy these past few days caring for the wounded and settling the refugees that he's barely had time to eat. Today, he's out looking for medicine... If it weren't for Miss Jin's life-threatening drumming, which enabled the army to defeat the Jiannu in one swift blow, how could you and I be standing here talking? General Liu says Miss Jin is the bravest of the three armies, the soul of the Han people. He wants to commend her and have the court appoint her a general."

"What? And you want to make her a general?"

Kang Yingqian didn't know about this yet. The memorial requesting credit for the Kaiyuan soldiers was written by Qiao Yiqi.

He was already angry, and Pei Dahu's words only added fuel to the fire.

"Nonsense! How can a woman be a general? And a foreigner! Really..."

Guard Zhang Chao came in to report that someone wanted to see General Liu.

"If you don't see me, just say that General Liu is busy with military affairs and has no time!"

After the bloody battle of Hunhe River, the wealthy and powerful families around Shenyang began to take the initiative to establish relations with the commander of Kaiyuan.

Those who gave gifts gave gifts, those who married off daughters gave off daughters. They gave silver and pearls, and for women, they gave one maid for every one they married.

Everyone was genuinely eager to befriend General Liu. Even a fool could see that after this battle, Liu Zhaosun would become incredibly powerful. In Liaodong, he would be at least as powerful as Li Chengliang. Even worse, he was only twenty years old.

The Battle of Shenyang has just ended, so it is not too late to make friends now. Once General Xuanwu leads his troops back to Kaiyuan, if you want to give him money or women as a gift, I guess there will be no way to do it.

Kang Yingqian waved his hands as if to shoo away a fly:
"Get them out! Before I came to Shenyang, these local tyrants didn't even give us a grain of food. Now General Liu has no shortage of money or women—one woman alone has already made him lose his mind—and they still want to give him more! What on earth are these people up to?! I, I hate these opportunistic villains who curry favor with the powerful the most in my life..."

"Mr. Wu from Hexi Fort asked his family to bring a girl to him, saying she would be a maid for General Liu..."

Kang Yingqian called Zhang Chao.

"Wait! Don't send her away yet. I'm going to take a look and keep a close eye on her for General Liu. I'm going to see what kind of person this woman is! General Liu is young and cannot be seduced by such a seductive person!"

Zhang Chao stared blankly at Kang Yinggan, deeply impressed by the military inspector's integrity.

Seeing his expression, Kang Yingqian angrily asked, "Why aren't you leaving yet?"

"General Kang, there's also a Korean who claims to be a Korean angel returning from the capital to Seoul. He brought gifts and wants to pay a visit to General Liu on the way."

"Toward an angel?"

Kang Yingqian rolled his eyes and stroked his beard.

"General Liu and these foreigners have nothing to do with each other."

General Kang thought for a long time and concluded that this person was most likely a liar.

During these days, many Liao people came to claim to be relatives, and Kang Yinggan never got tired of them.

There was even a young man who claimed to be General Liu's illegitimate son left behind in the interior - the young man probably thought that General Liu was a veteran in his forties or fifties.

Kang Yingqian was furious and said to Zhang Chao:

"Let him wait."

After saying that, he glanced at Jin Yuji who was still unconscious, picked up a book on the desk and flipped through a few pages.

"The green snake is as beautiful as a fairy, and the white snake married a human? What kind of wild legend is this! Nonsense! No wonder General Liu was bewitched."

Turning over the cover, it read: "White Snake Imprisoned in Leifeng Pagoda Forever" - Feng Menglong (Zi Youlong)

Kang Yingqian and Feng Menglong were from the same hometown. They both took the provincial examination together in their early years and passed it. Unfortunately, Feng Menglong's career was difficult, and he failed to even become a county magistrate. He was poor and destitute, and now he is still writing novels in Jiangnan.

Kang Yingqian laughed and said, "I haven't seen you for a few years. Feng Youlong has become so poor that he makes a living by writing obscene stories about the wilderness. He used to be just like me, determined to serve the people! How pathetic! When I return to Nanzhili, I will definitely reward him with some silver."

~~~~~
Liu Zhaosun clasped his hands together and knelt in front of the statue of Zhenwu Emperor with a pious expression.

Taoist Zhang from Taiqing Palace finally returned from his travels.

At this moment, the old Taoist priest was sitting next to General Liu, with white hair and a youthful face, and kind eyes.

"Donor, I heard that you defeated the Jiannu and pacified Liaodong."

Liu Zhaosun did not blink and continued to pray devoutly.

Taoist Zhang continued without stopping.

"I heard that the donor came to this temple half a year ago and made a promise to the True Martial God."

Liu Zhaosun's expression remained unchanged. "I heard that the donor once promised that if you could help me drive out the Tartars and save the people of the world, he would rebuild the golden body of the Zhenwu God in Taiqing Palace. Now that the Tartars have retreated, I wonder if the golden body..."

Liu Zhaosun suddenly opened his eyes and looked towards the hall.

The Great Emperor Zhenwu sits barefoot and with his hair loose in the hall, his hands slightly extended forward, with the two generals, the turtle and the snake, standing beside him.

Even the pure and innocent golden boy and jade girl are no longer as pure as they were six months ago.

I haven't seen these gods for more than half a year. I didn't expect that these statues have the same character as Taoist Zhang, and have turned into debt collectors.

Liu Zhaosun quickly explained, "I have already said that I returned to Taiqing Palace this time to seek medicine. Taoist priest, I cannot stand by and watch someone die. If you save this person, I will rebuild your golden body one day!"

He was incoherent.

Tomorrow is Jin Yuji's death, but none of the three medicinal ingredients prescribed by Old Song have been found yet.

He went to the doctor in a hurry.

In desperation, Liu Zhaosun had no choice but to pray to the gods and Buddhas, or to be more precise, to pray to the Taoist priests.

Taoist Master Zhang, with his white hair and youthful face, closed his eyes and remained silent. After a long time, he slightly extended his palm forward.

Liu Zhaosun stuffed thirty taels of silver into his pocket.

Taoist Zhang extended his other hand.

General Liu gritted his teeth and handed over another thirty taels.

Taoist Zhang weighed the silver, a teachable smile appeared on his lips, and his eyes were still closed.

Liu Zhaosun was furious. He thought Zhang Yixing was a man of virtue, but he didn't expect him to be so greedy for money.

I was so disheartened that I decided not to pay any more attention to this Taoist priest. I just faced the True Martial God and prayed in my heart:
"Mysterious Heavenly God, True Lord Yousheng, Three Pure Ones, all the High True Ones of the Heavens, all the great gods! May you have mercy on us, accept our prayers, and grant us blessings and protect all people! May you bestow your grace upon us, saving us from danger and suffering. During the crisis in Liaodong, I led the soldiers of Kaiyuan to aid Hunhe in a fierce battle against the Jiannu. Fortunately, the Korean Kim family risked their lives to save the people of the world, beating drums at Hunhe to boost their morale. Now she is on the verge of death, and could die at any moment. I beg you, True Lord, to save this woman! This is a token of my loyalty! It is the embodiment of the loyalty of my soldiers. If Jin Yuji survives, I will sacrifice fifty years of my life to serve you as a True Lord!"

"Because of my bloody body, I offer it as a sacrifice, offering blood as a sacrifice, without complaint or regret. If you disobey this promise, you will be shattered to pieces!"

After Liu Zhaosun said this, he chanted a soul-summoning spell, pulled out a dagger, and stabbed his own arm.

Blood dripped onto the broken shield.

Liu Zhaosun reluctantly placed the blood shield on the incense table, knelt down and kowtowed three times, then turned and walked out of the mountain gate.

The guards brought their horses over, and the three of them rode off. After running a few steps, they heard Taoist Zhang say leisurely:

"Donor, please stay."

Liu Zhaosun pulled the reins and looked back. The Taoist priest was standing at the gate of Daqing Palace, holding a wooden box in his hands.

Yu Ji, you are saved.

"In the Battle of Hunhe, the general sustained over ten wounds, saving millions of Liao people and reversing three hundred years of destiny. This feat cannot be replaced by a few golden statues. Last year, I was traveling and didn't get to meet the general, which was truly a pity. Now that I see you today, you are truly a man of unparalleled grace and bearing! The greatest heroes serve their country and their people. The general is deeply compassionate, chivalrous and tender, with a heart for the people and a return to nature. Good! Good! Good! I see you have truly attained enlightenment!"

Liu Zhaosun's sadness turned into joy. He was about to thank him when he heard the Taoist priest continue:
"This wooden box contains the medicinal ingredients you are looking for, but three are not enough. You need one more."

The ecstasy that had just arisen suddenly disappeared, as if someone had poured a basin of cold water on my head, as if I had fallen into an icy cave.

"There's another medicine?"

Zhang Yixing said kindly, "Yes, the fourth medicine. You just gathered it. This girl can be saved."

"That's good..."

When Liu Zhaosun heard that Yu Ji was able to survive, he felt relieved. He murmured to himself, suddenly frowned, and then he was calm again.

"A general who follows the great principles and works for the benefit of the people will surely be successful in everything he does."

Taoist Zhang looked haggard, and suddenly said loudly:
"However, if you go against the will of heaven and change your fate, you will definitely suffer backlash! Meeting you today is also fate. I will give you a verse, remember it very well."

Liu Zhaosun listened attentively.

"Taoist Master, please speak."

"The dormant dragon has emerged, its horns and horns forming, clouds rising and rain falling, bringing relief to all living things."

After Taoist Master Zhang finished his four maxims, he reached out and touched Liu Zhaosun's forehead, then continued:
"When it meets the river, it rises; when it meets the plain, it becomes noble; when it meets the rat, it changes; when it meets the factory, it rises."

After Master Zhang finished speaking, he waved his whisk and pointed towards the sky. At that place, the wind and clouds changed, and thunder and lightning flashed.

Liu Zhaosun seemed to have gained supernatural powers and looked dazed.

"What is love in this world? It makes people pledge their lives to each other! General Liu, do you really wish this?"

Liu Zhaosun looked back at the statue of Zhenwu and said loudly:
"If I don't go to hell, who will?"

~~~~~
After thanking the Taoist priest, he left the temple and rode away on horseback surrounded by guards.

After Liu Zhaosun walked away, the little Taoist boy with bright eyes and white teeth asked curiously:
"Master, how long can he live? That woman is still missing a thousand-year-old Korean ginseng. How can we find it?"

Taoist Zhang was lost in thought for a long time, then he sighed and said, "Wulian Tianzun, it's wonderful beyond words! There are three thousand ways of Taoism, but they only save those who are in love. It depends on his fate."

After Zhang Yixing finished speaking, he looked up to the west. In the sky, a meteor was slowly passing over the Hunhe River.

~~~~~
Liu Zhaosun returned to the Wengcheng military camp, found Old Song, and handed him the wooden box. Old Song was amazed when he saw Angelica.

All that’s missing is Korean ginseng.

Kang Yingqian walked in and saw Liu Zhaosun was in a hurry. He immediately became angry and said to the people following him:
"This is General Liu. Please tell me what you want. He's been busy with military duties and just returned from comforting the people."

A handsome Korean with extraordinary temperament, wearing the crown and clothes of the Ming Dynasty, walked into the big tent under the introduction of Kang Yingqian.

He was about to ask where General Liu was when he suddenly looked at a woman lying on the couch. His expression changed drastically and he murmured:

"Why is this happening?!"

Old Song curled his lips and waved his hand to get the man out of the way.

The Korean took a few steps back, looked up at everyone, looked around, and his eyes finally fell on General Liu.

Suddenly, a hook punch hit Liu Zhaosun in the face.

Everyone was shocked.

Zhang Dong and Pei Dahu quickly subdued the man and swung their heavy swords to chop him down.

Kang Yingqian was shocked and asked, "Who are you? How dare you hit General Liu?"

P.S. Who dared to attack Liu Zhaosun? Can Jin Yuji be saved? Let’s wait for the next chapter to find out!
(End of this chapter)