Guo Shao and others returned to the military camp and happened to pass the medicine shop where Doctor Lu was sitting in Qian Street. The injured general Deng Fei was on the way, so they took the lead to find acquaintance Doctor Lu.

Unexpectedly, just at the door, I heard a woman calling for help. Everyone in the lobby also heard it, and an old man hurriedly walked in; Guo Shao felt that it seemed to be the voice of the Lu family's wife, so he hurriedly followed through the back door.

The old man stood under the eaves and shouted: "Dalang?"

Guo Shao heard something moving in a room not far away, so he walked over quickly. But when he saw the door was closed, he stretched out his left hand and gently opened the wooden door. Sure enough, he saw a pair of men and women inside, who was not the lady of the Lu family?

The old man in the pharmacy came forward and cursed. He saw that the Zhou army general Guo Shao looked cold and said hurriedly: "God up, General, the dog son and the Lu family girl are already engaged."

When Guo Shao heard this, he felt unhappy, but he couldn't say anything else. Since the young man was touching his fiancée and at home, it was hard to break even if he was a clean official.

The lady of the Lu family broke free and ran out from inside, grabbed the collar with her hand, and looked at Guo Shao with tears in her eyes. Then she lowered her head and walked out. The old man shouted to the young man in the room, "Get out quickly!"

The young man was extremely embarrassed and did not talk back, and hurriedly slipped out of the wing room. He walked out of the back door and saw Lu Lan stuffing things into the basket. He suddenly said annoyedly: "I heard that there is a general living in your house? Humph, I understand!" Lu Lan choked and said, "What does it have to do with me? My father brought it back. He is much more gentleman than you."

Guo Shao came out and stopped caring about what happened just now. He found out that Doctor Lu was healing the wounded soldiers in the army. He immediately took Deng Fei away from the medicine shop and sent his personal soldiers to call Doctor Lu.

He also instructed Li Chuyun to send more scouts out and stare at the movements of Xiao Siwen's men.

Li Chuyun said: "The northern cavalry is more difficult than the southern countries to deal with. Even if we can win, it is not easy to make a comeback. The captain cavalry can't win, and they can't catch up. The Hujie Army's two thousand cavalry chased out and was going to be counterattacked, so they dare not chase it out... It would be great if Xiao Siwen could be lured into the city."

After hearing this, Guo Shao remembered the idea that Li Chuyun had come up with, and pretended to surrender and lure the enemy. He couldn't help but ponder: "Brother Li's strategy is good, but the path is not satisfactory. Maybe Xiao Siwen won't be fooled."

...

In the Zhou army camp on the south bank of the Juma River, the scouts also inquired about the news that the Liao army in Gu'an County was dispatched to forbid Zhuozhou. At that time, Chai Rong's palace was located in Xiongzhou (Waqiao Pass), and the generals gathered in the lobby and discussed it.

But the emperor did not come to see him, and there were only a few eunuchs on both sides of the lobby seat.

Someone discussed: "The Great Zhou army can cross the Juma River again, reinforce Zhuozhou, and intimidate the troops of Xiao Siwen, the king of the Southern Court, and then force the Khitan master to go south to fight. If the battlefield can be planned to be under the city of Zhuozhou, internal and external attacks may be able to fight!"

Shi Shouxin, the general of the Iron Cavalry Army, said: "Now that he is in a hurry to send troops, Xiao Siwen may retreat. Unless the Khitan leader leads the Liao army to Zhuozhou, we will make another move to reinforce Zhuozhou and can fight decisively under the city."

Zhang Yongde and Zhao Kuangyin, who were standing in front, did not say a word.

Because the emperor didn't come, nothing he said now was useless.

Emperor Chai Rong was in the inner hall, his forehead was covered with fine sweat beads, and the eunuch Wang Zhong was dipping his face carefully with a hot towel, and his movements were very careful. Wang Zhong said: "Officials, why don't the imperial doctor come in and take a look?"

Chai Rong shook his head thoughtfully and said, "You go outside and listen, what are the civil and military people saying."

"Here." Wang Zhong quickly put down his towel, walked to the door, and asked another eunuch to come in and serve.

Chai Rong took out a handkerchief from his sleeve when Wang Zhong left, and the handkerchief was pinched into a ball of blood. He threw the handkerchief into the fire of the mud stove next to him.

A few days ago, he failed in the southern part of Youzhou. He was very disappointed and angry. He rode a horse for dozens of miles while retreating, and his body couldn't bear it. Today, he was so humble that he didn't recover and even vomited a mouthful of blood. But Chai Rong didn't want anyone to know... Once the people around him leaked the news that he was in good health, it would definitely affect the morale of the army and he had to retreat.

Chai Rong was unwilling to give up the Northern Expedition like this. Although the first decisive battle was not smooth, it was not as light as the acquisition of the three passes and five prefectures (including Yi and Zhuo), the main force was not damaged. He wanted to take another opportunity to fight again after rest. What he needed now was to boost morale and get more support from generals.

But he found that his body could not stand it anymore.

So Chai Rong was very hesitant at the moment. On the one hand, he felt that he needed to recuperate and had reached the point where he could not show off. On the other hand, since the Battle of Gaoping, the emperor's biggest wish for several years was to achieve the goal of regaining the Sixteen Prefectures of Youyun. He had been eager for a few years, thought about countless days and nights, and prepared so much for it. Now, if he had setbacks, he would give up easily?

The Zhou army's strength was slightly inferior to that of the tough battle, mainly because there were few elite cavalrymen, but Chai Rong believed that there was no hope at all and that the gap could be made up with other efforts.

If it weren't for the bad time that his body was really collapsed, Chai Rong's willpower wouldn't have been as he was now.

Soon, Wang Zhong came back and came forward to report the situation and discussions in the lobby. After hearing this, Chai Rong said after a while: "Let everyone else go down." His voice was very low and a little powerless.

The fat eunuch held his back as he said. At this time, Chai Rong called him to come over and said in a deep voice: "Go and call Doctor Sun in for me to see, and tell him that my condition will not be revealed for the time being."

Wang Zhong received the order and hurried out to find the imperial doctor. Then he quietly brought an old man carrying the medicine box to the palace from the small door. The palace was the requisitioned Xiongzhou government. Things were done silently, but it was difficult to keep them completely confidential. There were always a few people who would notice it when they came and went.

Doctor Sun bowed into the room, took the pulse first, and then apologized for the crime to observe Chai Rong's face and facial features, and asked questions. Chai Rong said truthfully that he was so angry that he vomited a mouthful of blood, and described some other symptoms.

The imperial doctor knelt down and asked, "Your Majesty should put the dragon body first, and go back to the court first, so as to maintain a good body."

Chai Rong frowned and said, "What disease did I have?"

"This..." said the imperial doctor, "I dare not make arbitrary decisions, so it is more appropriate to go back to the court to ask the imperial doctors for consultation. But in my opinion, Your Majesty's noble body... cough cough, you can no longer work hard outside and delay."

Chai Rong was immediately angry when he heard the imperial doctor's speech vaguely. In fact, he knew what his health was, but he was a little unwilling to do so. Seeing that the imperial doctor looked like he wanted to speak but stopped, Chai Rong woke up and realized the seriousness of the matter.

Suddenly Chai Rong thought of death!

If they die, how will future generations judge themselves? Where can they go if they have the foundation they have left behind?

In an instant, some consciousness suddenly felt panic when he suddenly realized it was poured into Chai Rong's heart.

Chai Rong thought about it and said sternly: "You must not reveal my physical condition, otherwise you will definitely forgive me!"

The imperial physician and the eunuch Wang Zhong hurriedly knelt on the ground and kowtowed to agree.

...Wang Zhong suddenly thought of the oldest prince Chai Zongxun, who was only over four years old! Then it was Chai Zongxun's "mother queen" Fu. He felt a chill on his back for a moment. Why can't the government say that it doesn't work?

Wang Zhong thought about it and felt that the future was hard to say, but the queen was not a good-for-nothing lamp, at least she could not offend her too much. He quietly wrote a secret letter, wanting to send it to Tokyo to take the opportunity to make contributions in front of the queen. However, the letter must be delivered by the closest person, so he found his godson, eunuch Wang Jien, and instructed Wang Jien to secretly return to Beijing to hand over the secret letter to the queen.

Wang Jien was a young eunuch in his twenties. He had a big pie face. The flesh on his face was very loose and swollen. His face was very wide, but his facial features were squeezed together. He was usually loyal, but now he got the secret letter and did not return to Beijing immediately, but went to Zhao Kuangyin to meet Zhao Pu in private!

Zhao Kuangyin quickly returned to his residence, and the three of them looked at the secret letter placed on the table.

I saw the credit was covered with lacquer, which was very stable, and it would definitely leave traces when it moved. Wang Jien was helpless and said, "The old man Wang Zhong asked the Zajia to go back to Tokyo to deliver a letter to the queen... The Zajia saw Doctor Sun conducting a palace before, did this letter mean that the official family was in trouble?"

Unexpectedly, at this moment, Zhao Pu suddenly picked up the secret letter and tore it apart rudely. Wang Ji'en was anxious, widened his eyes and stretched out his hand to grab it, it was too late.

Zhao Kuangyin looked at Wang Jien calmly and said, "Do you really want to repay the matter back to the palace?"

After hearing this, Wang Ji'en was speechless.

Zhao Pu read the secret letter, then handed it to Zhao Kuangyin and said, "Wang Zhong, the eunuch, really has to take two boats, and now he has to consider himself." After that, he glanced at Wang Ji'en.

Wang Jien said: "There is no other intention for the family, I am afraid that Wang Zhong will find that the family has not delivered the letter, and the family is in danger."

But now that things have come to this point, the letter has been torn like that and I really can't send it again.

...

However, Fu also soon heard the news. She did not get the most accurate news from Wang Zhong, but the minister Wang Pu still asked his servants to return to Beijing to reveal some things. There were two main things: Guo Shao was transferred to Zhuozhou to guard the city. The emperor did not see anyone for several days and might be in a state of health.

Fu was very uneasy after learning the news.

It was raining heavily in Tokyo this time, and it was wind and heavy rain. In the storm, she felt as if the tall and majestic palaces were about to be overturned, and the lightning and thunder were terrifying.

The emperor is in good health? Then he should be withdrawing the army soon. This news may not have spread yet, and even the people of Prime Minister Wang Pu are vague. I wonder if Wang Pu will disclose it to Guo Shao.

But Guo Shao now doesn’t care about the emperor’s behavior, he has to find a way to return to Tokyo!

Fu also worried about one thing: how bad is the emperor's health? I hope the emperor can hold on, at least return to the capital first! Otherwise, the army of more than 100,000 and the most elite troops of the Zhou Dynasty were outside. When the emperor passed away, who should those troops listen to?

If it reaches that point, would Zhao Kuangyin have made a forgery of the imperial edict to summon Guo Shao to the central army without Guo Shao's knowledge... Even if it is not ambushes, the left wing of the Hujie Army in Zhuozhou is not the main opponent of the Zhou army.
Chapter completed!