vstars Chapter 338 (73 words added)
Chapter 338 (73 words added)
Finally, on that harrowing battlefield, accompanied by a piercing scream, the last remaining survivor fell beneath the razor-sharp sword of a valiant soldier. In an instant, the entire battlefield fell into a deathly silence. The smoke slowly dissipated, sunlight bathed the ravaged land, and the stench of blood filled the air. The general, mounted on his tall horse, surveyed the battlefield, his gaze resolute and cold.
"Count the casualties and clean up the battlefield!" At the general's command, the soldiers sprang into action. Just then, a soldier rushed over, kneeling on one knee: "General, we've found the enemy commander's body, and a secret letter." The general dismounted, took the letter, and read it with a furrowed brow. The letter's contents caused his expression to change drastically. It turned out that the enemy was backed by a force within the imperial palace, plotting a rebellion. Knowing the gravity of the matter, the general immediately dispatched a trusted confidant to ride back to the palace at top speed to report to the emperor. After dealing with the battlefield situation, the general led his army back to the capital. Along the way, the soldiers were in high spirits, anticipating returning home to reunite with their families. However, the general was filled with anxiety. He didn't know what methods the force within the palace would use, nor how the emperor would handle the situation. When the army arrived in the capital, the city walls were lined with people, cheering and welcoming the victorious army. The general rode his horse, surrounded by the crowd, slowly entering the city. A court intrigue seemed to be quietly unfolding. "At the general's command, the soldiers immediately sprang into action. Just then, a soldier rushed over, kneeling on one knee: 'General, we've found the body of the enemy commander, and...' the soldier hesitated, '...and a woman, who appears to be an important female relative of the enemy, is huddled in a corner, trembling.'"
The general frowned slightly and rode up to the woman. The woman was pretty, but her face was filled with terror. A thought struck the general; perhaps this woman still had some use to him.
"Take her back," the general ordered. The woman, brought back to the general's residence, remained trembling with fear. The general didn't interrogate her immediately, but instead ordered lodgings arranged for her, along with some clothing and food. That night, the general came to the woman's room, and she immediately knelt down in terror. "Don't be afraid. As long as you tell me what you know truthfully, I won't make things difficult for you," the general said in a low voice. The woman hesitated for a moment before slowly speaking. It turned out she was the sister of the enemy commander and knew details of the collusion between the palace forces and them. She tearfully explained that she had been dragged into it and didn't want to participate in the rebellion. The general was somewhat moved by her pitiful appearance. However, this matter was of great importance, and he couldn't rely solely on the woman's account. The general decided to keep the woman in the residence for now and observe her secretly. Meanwhile, the forces in the palace, having learned of the general's triumphant return with important clues, began plotting their response. A fierce palace intrigue revolving around truth and power was about to unfold between the general's residence and the imperial palace. The woman, held captive by soldiers, dared not resist. Though outwardly compliant, a barely perceptible ruthlessness flashed in her eyes. That night, taking advantage of a moment of laxity, she stealthily slipped into the general's study, attempting to destroy the secret letter. Just as she obtained it, the general suddenly appeared, coldly saying, "As expected, it's not that simple." The woman was startled, but quickly regained her composure, drawing a dagger from her sleeve and lunging at the general. The general reacted swiftly, easily subduing her. It turned out the general had been prepared, secretly observing her every move.
Meanwhile, the faction within the palace was also busy. They bribed a servant in the general's residence to poison the general's food. The servant sneaked into the kitchen, ready to make his move, but was discovered by the general's confidants and captured on the spot.
Knowing time was of the essence, the general intensified his interrogation of the woman while simultaneously instructing his trusted confidants to inform the Emperor. Meanwhile, the palace faction, seeing their plans repeatedly fail, grew increasingly desperate, preparing to falsely accuse the general of treason before the Emperor. A far more intense palace intrigue was about to erupt. The general could only weep silently. Unbeknownst to him, this woman harbored a deeper scheme. She was, in fact, a spy planted by the palace faction within the enemy camp, her aim being to disrupt the general's investigation at a crucial moment. When her assassination attempt failed, she feigned pitifulness, crying that she had been coerced into doing so. The general, though suspicious, was unable to make a decision.
Meanwhile, the captured servants, under severe torture, confessed to being the mastermind behind the plot. The general immediately took the evidence to the palace to meet the emperor. However, the faction within the palace had already embellished the story before the emperor, falsely accusing the general of fabricating a rebellion to gain favor. The emperor was undecided and decided to have both sides confront each other.
The atmosphere in the imperial court was tense. The general presented evidence, including secret letters and servant testimonies, detailing his arguments. The opposing faction, however, vehemently denied everything and even accused the general. Just as the two sides reached a stalemate, the woman suddenly stepped forward and revealed the entire conspiracy of the forces behind the rebellion. It turned out that, seeing the tide had turned against them, she had decided to switch sides to protect herself. Ultimately, the truth came to light, and the emperor wiped out the opposing faction. The general was rewarded for his meritorious service in suppressing the rebellion and exposing the conspiracy. However, this seemingly settled palace intrigue harbored lingering repercussions. Soon after the reward, rumors began to circulate in the court, claiming that the general's power had grown too great and that his suppression of the rebellion and exposure of the conspiracy were a ploy to seize absolute power. The emperor himself began to have doubts, and his attitude towards the general gradually became more nuanced.
The general noticed the emperor's change in attitude and was deeply troubled. At this moment, the woman who had defected reappeared, claiming she was willing to offer advice to the general to resolve the crisis. Although the general still had doubts about her, he had no better option at the moment and could only listen to her suggestion for the time being.
The woman suggested that the general voluntarily relinquish some of his military power as a sign of loyalty. After careful consideration, the general decided to comply. However, the rumors surrounding the relinquishment did not subside; instead, they intensified. Some ministers impeached the general in court, accusing him of attempting to cover up his crimes. The emperor, hearing these accusations repeatedly, grew increasingly suspicious of the general and even reduced the general's monthly allowance.
The woman then offered another suggestion: that the general host a family banquet, inviting court officials to demonstrate that he had no ambitions. The general had no choice but to comply. At the banquet, the officials appeared amicable on the surface, but secretly they were all observing the general's every move.
However, just as the family banquet was halfway through, a guard suddenly reported that the general's armory had inexplicably caught fire. The general was startled, and before he could react, a minister impeached him for possessing weapons and plotting a rebellion. The emperor was furious and ordered the general to be imprisoned.
It turned out that all of this was orchestrated by the woman in collusion with the remaining forces in the court. Unwilling to accept defeat, they wanted to completely overthrow the general. The general, filled with remorse in prison, never imagined he had fallen into the enemy's trap step by step. And the smoke of this palace intrigue seemed far from over… He discovered that the rumors not only hadn't subsided, but were intensifying, as if an even more mysterious force was driving everything. A new storm of palace intrigue was brewing. The general's confidants were frantic, running around searching for a way to rescue him. One strategist thought that perhaps they could start by tracing the source of that mysterious force. Their secret investigation revealed that the clues pointed to the residence of an old minister who seemed to be indifferent to worldly affairs. Meanwhile, the general, in prison, did not sit idly by. Using his wisdom, he persuaded a jailer to pass on a message for him. He instructed his confidants to collect evidence of his achievements in suppressing the rebellion, preparing to present it to the emperor at the appropriate time. Seeing that the general was still resisting, the mysterious force bribed the imperial physician to poison the medicine sent to the general. Fortunately, the general was prepared and noticed something amiss after only a small sip. Just as the situation became increasingly critical, an old friend of the general returned from the border, bringing with him the praise of the border people for the general. Upon hearing this, the emperor's resolve wavered. At this time, his confidants also presented the evidence they had collected. The emperor began to re-examine the entire incident, and the mysterious force accelerated the implementation of the conspiracy. A life-or-death duel was about to erupt in this turbulent court. It seemed that another storm was about to break out in this seemingly peaceful court. This seemingly weak woman actually possessed a hidden identity and cunning; a new wave of turmoil was about to be unleashed after this seemingly peaceful victory. A deathly silence fell, with only the lingering smoke and the bloodstains bearing witness to the fierce and tragic nature of this battle. The soldier who successfully killed the last remaining enemy stood like a war god, his resolute face etched with exhaustion, but even more so with the joy and pride of victory. The entire battlefield fell into a deathly silence. Suddenly, cheers of victory erupted, echoing across the blood-stained land. The General's Mansion had successfully completed its mission, completely eradicating all remaining remnants and bringing peace and tranquility to the nation and its people. Xue Ruanruan, having successfully stopped the spread of the plague, became a revered physician in the capital, and the General's Mansion's fame spread even further. Xue Ruanruan stepped forward and calmly revealed the truth about the tampering of the dishes and the strategist's conspiracy. Upon hearing this, the guests accused the Regent of being treacherous and cunning. Seeing the situation turning against him, the Regent hastily left with his men. The General's Mansion had once again escaped danger, and Xue Ruanruan, with her superb medical skills, became the guardian star of the mansion. He intently stared at the pile of colorful, oddly shaped herbs and medicine bottles before him, his hands skillfully and precisely manipulating them. Drawing upon his profound medical knowledge accumulated over many years, he quickly selected the necessary herbs from the many and mixed them together in a specific ratio. As he stirred and mixed, a faint medicinal fragrance gradually filled the air. Soon, an antidote was successfully prepared. He then carefully picked up the container of the antidote, quickly walked to a well-ventilated area in the room, and gently sprinkled the antidote evenly there. He then quietly told his father and brothers the truth. When the Regent, believing his conspiracy had succeeded, made unreasonable demands, everyone in the General's Mansion showed no sign of anything amiss. The Regent was suspicious but could only give up. After traveling and lecturing for a long time, Xue Ruanruan's homesickness grew stronger. She bid farewell to her students and embarked on her journey home. Upon returning to the Zhenguo General's Mansion, the entire household was filled with joy. Her father wept tears of joy, tightly embracing his beloved daughter. Her brothers were also overjoyed and busied themselves ordering the kitchen to prepare a sumptuous meal. However, the peaceful days did not last long. One night, Xue Ruanruan was studying an old medical book in her room when she suddenly heard a commotion outside. It turned out that a group of assassins had infiltrated the mansion. Xue Ruanruan remained calm and quickly retrieved her self-developed powerful anesthetic powder. Using the familiar terrain, she stealthily approached the assassins. While they were distracted searching for valuables, she decisively threw out the powder. Instantly, the assassins collapsed, struck down by the powder. Guards from the General's Mansion arrived and captured the assassins. Under interrogation, they learned that a neighboring country, jealous of Xue Ruanruan's renowned medical skills, wanted to abduct her for their own use, intending to destroy her if that failed.
Golden needle therapy, an ancient medical technique, was meant to be a miraculous method for healing and saving lives within the deep palace, but instead became a weapon in the power struggles of the harem. Recently, Consort Li fell ill, and the imperial physicians were all at a loss. Upon hearing this, the Empress secretly arranged for a female physician skilled in golden needle therapy to quietly enter the palace.