Ming Dynasty: I am truly not the Emperor of Longevity

"I'm afraid there's nothing I can do."

Zhao Xixian waved his hand.

All the "miracle drugs" are on Blackwood Cliff, and I did not take them with me when I left.

Unless one can break through the Ming army's encirclement and reach Blackwood Cliff, no one in the world will be able to obtain this "miracle drug."

"Blackwood Cliff is already surrounded by tens of thousands of Ming troops; who has the ability to get up there?"

Xiong Linchuan's face turned deathly pale.

Ji Nang is extremely dependent on "Dragon and Tiger Golden Pills" and takes one pill every day.

He will be furious if his subordinates are unable to continue providing the supplies.

He is Jinong, a 30,000-household chieftain of the Right Wing of the Mongols. Anda is his brother and also his vassal. If Jinang were to retaliate against our religion, I fear even Anda himself could not protect us.”

"How is Ginny's health?"

After a moment of contemplation, Zhao Xixian asked.

"Even before his subordinates went to Ordos, Jinang had been indulging in wine and women for many years."

Xiong Linchuan thought for a moment,

After taking the "Dragon and Tiger Golden Elixir" presented by his subordinates, Ji Nang became very energetic and often summoned multiple women in one night.

Every time I see him, he seems to be in good spirits, but I can tell that his physical condition is weaker than before.

The ability to maintain such high energy levels is likely entirely due to the medicinal power of the "Dragon-Tiger Golden Elixir."

"Very good, it seems this Jinong is about to meet his eternal heaven!"

Zhao Xixian sneered.

"Master Xiong, don't go back to Ordos yet. Stay in Fengzhoutan for now and lay low for a while before we talk about it."

We can no longer provide Ji Nang with "Dragon Tiger Golden Elixir". Going back would be suicide.

Good news will come from Ordos soon.

. . .

At the same time, not far away, next to the construction site.

"Tell me, when did Protector Zhao arrive at Fengzhou Beach?"

Inside the tent, Li Dali was questioning a minor leader of the Maitreya sect.

"Who else came with him?"

"Return to the Left Protector."

The junior leader answered with trepidation.

"Protector Zhao has been in Fengzhou Beach for more than a month. He came alone and did not bring any attendants."

At that time, news of Fan Jizu's assassination and the leader's uprising in Taiyuan had not yet arrived.

"You arrived alone more than a month ago?"

Wu Nian frowned.

"Elder Bai said that when Protector Zhao went down the mountain to Taiyuan, he sent Gao Jian and Feng Jing to protect him."

How could he be all alone?

Furthermore, why did he not go to Taiyuan but instead come to Fengzhoutan?

"Judging from the timeline, after Zhao Xixian left Black Cliff, he probably didn't head towards Taiyuan at all, but went directly north."

Li Dali sneered.

"At that time, Taiyuan City had not yet fallen. If he had gone to Taiyuan, he could have taken action before Liu Nie and captured Taiyuan City."

If that were the case, the situation wouldn't be what it is today.

It seems that Zhao Xixian realized that our sect had already lost the initiative, with the three guards of Jingxing Pass besieging Heimu Cliff, and my father being summoned to Shuozhou by Fan Jizu, so the outcome was likely grim.

This person has only been a member of our sect for a few years and has absolutely no intention of sharing its fate.

After weighing the pros and cons, he probably decided to abandon Taiyuan and the main altar at Black Cliff and head north alone to take over the 30,000 followers of Fengzhou Beach as the Right Protector.

This is an attempt to seize our sect's foundation in the borderlands!

"Even if Protector Zhao truly had this intention, with Gao Jian and Feng Jing accompanying him, he still couldn't do it, could he?"

Wu Nian could hardly believe it.

"They are Elder Bai's men, and they were ordered to escort Protector Zhao to Taiyuan."

If Protector Zhao suddenly changes his mind and doesn't go to Taiyuan, they won't obediently follow orders.

Gao Jian and Feng Jing had both mastered internal energy cultivation to a minor level, while Protector Zhao's martial arts were weak, making him no match for them at all.

"Therefore, Zhao Xixian came to Fengzhou Beach alone; Gao Jian and Feng Jing did not come with him."

A hint of anger appeared on Li Dali's face.

"In terms of martial arts, Zhao Xixian was certainly no match for Gao Jian and Feng Jing."

But when it comes to strategy, even if Gao Jian and Feng Jing were combined, they would still be far inferior to him.

Openly sending Gao Jian and Feng Jing north with him is obviously not an option.

However, Zhao Xixian is the Right Protector whom I taught. As long as it's not an obvious disorderly order and doesn't affect their mission to Taiyuan, Gao Jian and Feng Jing will obey his orders.

In that case, Zhao Xixian must have a way to get rid of the two of them.

For example, if they encountered Ming troops on the road, they would order them to provide cover while they went ahead, agreeing to meet at a certain place.

When the time comes, Gao Jian and Feng Jing will be unable to find anyone at the meeting point and will be helpless.

As for why the two of them didn't go to Taiyuan or return to Black Cliff, there are two possibilities.

He may have died at the hands of the Ming army, or he may have lost the Right Protector he was supposed to escort and, fearing punishment, simply fled as well.

"If that's the case, then Protector Zhao probably already has ulterior motives."

Wu Nian asked,

"Left Protector, what should we do?"

"Going to see him rashly might be inappropriate."

Li Dali pondered for a moment.

"Zhao Xixian's martial arts skills were weak, and among the 30,000 followers who came to Fengzhou Beach, there were no masters of internal strength."

It would be a piece of cake for the two of us to take him down.

However, taking direct action is not a good idea.

After all, he is the Right Protector of my sect. Below the sect leader and me, only a few elders can rival him in terms of status.

Zhao Xixian arrived more than a month earlier than you and me, and has already established his authority here.

These 30,000 followers all believed that he, the Right Protector, represented the leader of the sect and came to the border region to lead the followers.

If we apprehend him in front of the followers and expose his crime of deserting in the face of battle and attempting to usurp our sect's territory beyond the Great Wall, what will the followers think?

They couldn't discern the truth; what they saw was infighting among three of my senior colleagues.

Once people's hearts are scattered, it's not so easy to bring them back together.

Zhao Xixian must be captured, but it's best to do so quietly, without alerting the local followers.

"Left Protector, why don't I ask Protector Zhao to go to a secluded place?"

The junior leader standing to the side spoke up.

"For more than a month, Protector Zhao has repeatedly ordered his followers to search for various mineral veins in the Daqingshan Mountains to the north. The lesser followers can lie and say that they have found a gold mine in a remote mountain valley and ask him to go and check it out."

Protector Zhao was unpretentious and usually traveled with only a few attendants.

At that time, no matter how the Left Protector and Elder Wu decide to deal with it, it won't alert anyone else.

"This plan is brilliant."

Li Dali nodded.

"You can choose this place."

I'm quite curious to see what expression Zhao Xixian will have on his face when he sees Elder Wu and me!

. . .

West Garden, Renshou Palace, rear hall side room.

Looking at the silver book and gold hairpin in front of her, Chen Furong finally felt relieved after all these days.

As expected, using the pretext of bringing good fortune to the emperor, Empress Fang wanted to appoint herself as a concubine on his behalf, and no one in the court raised any objections.

Even the emperor's own brother, the Prince of Ying who now acts as emperor, issued an edict ordering that the investiture ceremony be made more grand.

From this day forward, I am no longer a head palace maid, but the newly appointed Consort Jing.

No one can punish me with just a few words anymore!