Chapter 363

False Song, Huangcheng of Bian Liang, Zifu Hall.

The strong medicinal smell almost dispelled the original dragon's saliva incense in the hall, making the air so stagnant one could barely breathe.

Zhao Kuangyin leaned sideways on the dragon bed, covered with a bright yellow brocade quilt; his complexion was a sickly waxy yellow, his eye sockets sunken, his lips chapped.

His formerly tall, mighty, and self-assured bearing now remained only as weakness and exhaustion eroded by illness and defeat.

The mouthful of blood he vomited beneath Xiongzhou's walls seemed to have taken not only more than half of his vigor but also spat out the ambition and pride he had accumulated over the years.

Beside the imperial couch, several elderly white-haired physicians carefully took his pulse and exchanged glances, their brows heavy with solemnity and anxiety.

The chief eunuch of the Palace Service stood in the corner, holding his breath and keeping his breathing extremely light.

In the hall, even a dropped pin could be heard.

Zhao Kuangyin's eyes stared vacantly at the elaborate caisson ceiling above, his gaze unfocused.

Before his eyes repeatedly flashed the nightmare scene beneath Xiongzhou's walls—

the arrow rain that fell like a cloud of death;

the masses of the 'Divine Martial Army' and ordinary soldiers collapsing in rows;

and… and the faintly visible figure in black armor on the city wall.

Chen Wen!

That name was like the most vicious curse, gnawing at his heart.

Each time he recalled it, his chest tightened with a suffocating feeling and a sweetish taste rose in his throat.

He clenched his fists tightly, joints emitting faint cracks, nails digging deep into his palms, a slight sting that barely suppressed the surging qi and blood.

Utter disgrace!

With the nation's finest troops aided by the Iron Crows, they ended up suffering such a crushing defeat!

He himself was so enraged that he vomited blood and fainted, losing face before tens of thousands of soldiers!

How could he swallow this breath?

'Cough… cough… cough…'

A violent bout of coughing interrupted his thoughts; he sharply turned his head, covering his mouth with a silk handkerchief, his body shaking violently from the coughing.

The attending eunuch rushed forward and gently patted his back.

After a long while, the coughing gradually subsided.

Zhao Kuangyin unfolded the handkerchief; a corner was starkly stained with several bright red spots.

His eyes darkened; he silently clenched the handkerchief and slipped it back into his sleeve.

'Your Majesty, it's time to take the medicine.'

The eunuch presented a bowl of thick black decoction, holding it carefully.

Zhao Kuangyin glanced at the bowl emitting a bitter aroma, frowned slightly, then took it and drank it all in one gulp.

The scalding bitter liquid slid down his throat into his abdomen, bringing a faint warmth, yet it could not dispel the bone‑deep chill and weakness.

He knew his physical condition was extremely poor.

Fury and anger attacked his heart, stagnation gathered in his chest, and together with the hidden wounds accumulated over years of campaigning, they erupted all at once, already injuring his very foundation.

Without a prolonged period of rest, recovery would be difficult.

But… time?

Will Chen Wen grant him this time?

Will Great Chen grant him this time?

Thinking of the astonishing arrow rain on Xiongzhou's city wall, his heart sank.

That kind of power already surpassed his understanding of ordinary troops.

That was certainly beyond human capability.

It must be Chen Wen employing that strange ability.

This scoundrel… could he actually wield such power in large‑scale warfare?

If he carries the prestige of a great victory and marches south, how could the newly defeated, morale‑low, and emperor‑ill False Song possibly resist?

An unprecedented sense of crisis, like an icy venomous snake, coiled around his throat, making him breathless.

'Are the Prince of Jin and Chancellor Zhao outside the hall?'

Zhao Kuangyin's voice was hoarse and dry, breaking the hall's silence.

'Your Majesty, the Prince of Jin and Chancellor Zhao have been waiting outside for an edict for some time.' The eunuch hurriedly replied.

'Summon.'

'Summon the Prince of Jin and Chancellor Zhao for an audience—'

A moment later, footsteps sounded.

The Prince of Jin Zhao Guangyi and the Vice Premier Zhao Zhao, one after the other, hurried into the hall.

Zhao Guangyi wore the regular robes of a prince; his face resembled Zhao Kuangyin's somewhat, but appeared more somber.

He stepped forward quickly, his face showing just the right amount of worry and concern, and bowed:

'Subject, your younger brother pays respects to Your Majesty; may I ask how is Your Majesty's dragon body?'

Zhao Zhao, dressed in a purple official robe, had a composed demeanor, though a hint of worry could be seen deep in his eyes, and he performed the salute:

'Subject Zhao Zhao, kowtows to Your Majesty.'

'Rise.'

Zhao Kuangyin waved his hand, signaling them to come forward.

His gaze lingered on Zhao Guangyi's face for a moment, then shifted to Zhao Zhao.

'The defeat at Xiongzhou is my fault.'

Zhao Kuangyin opened the door to see the mountains, his voice low and heavy, filled with deep self-reproach and fatigue.

"The loss has burdened the three armies with casualties and further damaged our Great Song's prestige; I… feel ashamed before our ancestors and ashamed before the soldiers."

"Your Majesty!" Zhao Pu hastily bowed, "Victory and defeat are common in warfare; Your Majesty, do not overly blame yourself, preserving your dragon body is paramount!"

"That Chen Wen relies on sorcery, which is not a crime of war! The soldiers all know the reason; they will certainly not resent Your Majesty!"

Zhao Guangyi also said:

"Elder brother, you must not think this way! Although this battle did not achieve total victory, it also revealed the Chen traitor's strengths and weaknesses and dampened his spirit. Our Great Song's foundation remains; given time, we will surely avenge this humiliation!"

Zhao Kuangyin slightly shook his head, not saying more on this topic.

He knew these were merely words of comfort.

"A crushing defeat is a crushing defeat; no excuse can change the fact that countless soldiers lie buried in Heroic Prefecture, nor can it alter the perilous situation now faced by the False Song."

"Now the situation, what do you two esteemed officials think should be done?"

He directly threw out the most core problem.

Zhao Pu and Zhao Guangyi exchanged a glance.

Zhao Pu took a deep breath, stepped forward, and spoke in a low voice:

"Your Majesty, the urgent priorities are three."

"First, stabilize the court and populace, soothe military and civilian morale. The defeat at Heroic Prefecture may already have spread; we must guard against troublemakers seizing the opportunity to stir unrest and shake the foundations of the state. We should issue an edict frankly admitting the difficulty of the war, praising the soldiers' loyalty and courage, attributing the loss to the Chen traitor's sorcery, uniting hearts to endure these hard times."

"Second, let the people rest and accumulate national strength. This campaign has exhausted greatly, the treasury is empty, the people's strength is worn. We should halt large-scale campaigns, reduce taxes and corvée, encourage agriculture and sericulture, restore livelihoods. Only with strong national strength can we have the resources for another war."

"Third, hold the borders and guard against the Chen traitor's counterattack. After the fresh defeat at Heroic Prefecture, our troops' morale is shaken; we need time to regroup. At all border passes, especially those adjoining the Chen Dynasty, we should deploy elite troops, dig deep moats and build high walls, maintain strict vigilance. At the same time, we can send envoys to… to the mirror-image Khitan, engaging in empty diplomacy to stabilize the northern front and avoid a two-front war."

Zhao Kuangyin listened silently, his sallow face showing no expression.

Only after Zhao Pu finished speaking did he slowly open his mouth:

"What Chancellor Zhao says is wise counsel for governing the state."

"However, the Chen traitor is powerful, moreover aided by sorcery; if he disregards casualties and launches a full-scale southern invasion, what are we to do?"

Zhao Pu pondered for a moment, then said:

"Your Majesty, although Chen Wen won, in the battle at Heroic Prefecture his defending forces also suffered heavy casualties, and his national strength must have been greatly depleted."

"Moreover, employing such heaven-defying sorcery, how could it come without cost?"

"I have heard that within the Chen Dynasty's realm, ominous portents have recently been occurring frequently…"

"Given this mutual waxing and waning, in the short term he may lack the ability to organize a large-scale southern invasion."

"This is precisely our opportunity to catch our breath."

Zhao Guangyi also spoke at this time:

"Elder brother, Chancellor Zhao's words are quite correct."

"Moreover, although the Iron Crow Army suffered setbacks at Heroic Prefecture, its foundation remains intact and it still has strength."

"We should rely more closely on the Iron Crow's strength, especially in armaments and training, perhaps we can find a way to counter the Chen traitor's sorcery."

Upon mentioning the Iron Crow Army, Zhao Kuangyin's eyes flickered slightly.

That is his sole hope for revenge, and also the existence he most dreads deep within his heart.

He nodded, indicating his acceptance of their analysis.

"If so, then let us follow Chancellor Zhao's plan."

"Pacifying the military and civilians, letting the people rest, and consolidating border defenses shall be overseen by Chancellor Zhao."

"Liaising with the Iron Crow Army, as well as improving armaments and organizing new troops…"

He paused, his gaze turning to Zhao Guangyi.

"Then the Prince of Jin shall take charge."

Zhao Guangyi's eyes flashed with a barely perceptible joy, and he hastily bowed:

"Your humble servant receives the decree; I will surely not disappoint Your Elder Brother's great trust!"

Zhao Kuangyin wearily closed his eyes and waved his hand.

"I am weary; you… may withdraw."

"Remember, today's shame must be kept in mind by all of our Great Song."

"Sleep on firewood and taste gall, sharpen weapons and feed horses, awaiting the opportune moment!"

"Your servants take their leave!"

Zhao Pu and Zhao Guangyi bowed and withdrew slowly from the Hall of Nurturing Blessing.

The hall doors gently closed, once again separating inside from outside.

Zhao Kuangyin lay alone upon the dragon couch; inside the hall only his heavy, stifled breathing remained, along with the pervasive bitter medicinal scent.

He slowly opened his eyes, gazing upon the empty great hall, his gaze gradually turning deep and cold.

Defeated, one must accept it.

In pain, one must endure.

Chen Wen…

In his heart he silently chanted that name, pressing all his hatred and unwillingness deep down to the bottom of his heart.

Like a wounded tiger retreating to its den, licking its wounds and storing up strength for the next strike.

This humiliation, he has recorded.

This blood debt, if one day comes, must be repaid a hundredfold by that usurping traitor!