Chapter 119: Sudden Death (Part 2)

Medicine cannot cure an incurable disease.

No matter how correct the rescue was, it could not save the life of a dead person.

After tossing for a long time, in the end, Li Yunbo's body still turned cold and stiff bit by bit.

The doctor who arrived at the scene saw that the ginseng soup could no longer be poured into his stomach, and shook his head at Zhang Gui with a grave expression,

"General, please forgive me, the Zaicheng Li has probably already ridden a crane to the west and gone to the ultimate bliss."

Although Zhang Gui was churning like a suppressed volcano inside, he did not lose his reason.

In order to verify his conjecture, he asked with a gloomy face,

"Then may I ask, sir, what is the cause of death of Zaicheng Li?"

"I have shallow learning, and when I arrived, Zaicheng Li had already lost his pulse, so the cause of death is difficult to determine."

The doctor answered with difficulty.

Zhang Gui didn't say any more, waved his hand to summon a few personal guards on duty, and carried Li Yunbo to the nearest military camp.

He ordered people to send a letter to the Muxiangchuan Li family at a fast pace.

And that night, he quietly teleported the rented alchemical ship back to the dock of Civilization Pioneer City.

Two days passed in a blink of an eye.

A team of soldiers who went to send the letter returned to Zhihai Town.

They said that after the bad news reached the main residence of the Muxiangchuan Li family, they were treated to a meal of good food and drink.

And they were given a full one hundred taels of funeral money, but not a single person in charge could be seen.

When asked, it was just three words, "Understood".

Finally, the soldiers who sent the letter felt that in the scorching weather of July, even if the dead were kept cool with nitrate ice, they would smell and rot in two or three days.

Afraid of taking the blame, they could only return to Zhihai Town alone.

In the mourning hall serving as the military camp.

Li Yunbo was wearing a Fifth Rank official robe, lying in a high-quality cypress wood coffin.

Outside the coffin were thick piles of ice.

Inside the head of the coffin was a one-zhang-long offering table, and on the three-foot memorial tablet in the middle was written:

'Divine Tablet of Li Yunbo, Fifth Rank Zaicheng under the Dragon Tiger General's Mansion of the Ming Song Dynasty'.

On the left and right of the tablet stood giant white candles that could burn for several days, flashing with bean-sized firelight.

On the hemp mat on one side of the offering table, Zhang Gui sat cross-legged.

Beside his hand was a copper basin with a diameter of five feet.

Paper ash flew around in the basin.

Seeing the team leader who sent the letter return with a gray face, without the Li family members wearing white mourning clothes behind him, he already knew in his heart.

Without waiting for the report, he said in a slightly hoarse voice,

"That's enough, you have worked hard, go down and rest."

The team leader was slightly stunned, knowing that the General had seen through the thinness and indifference of the Li Zaicheng clan members, and felt even more indignant in his heart.

He took out the hard-earned money given by the Li family from his bosom,

"General, this is the hard-earned money given to us by the Muxiangchuan Li family, we don't want any of it.

Before you came to our Zhihai, the eating, drinking, and living of the whole camp depended on Lord Li.

I don't know how much grace we owe him.

Just take me for example, when my mother died years ago, it was all thanks to the old gentleman that she was sent off decently.

And my son was bitten by a poisonous snake at the foot of the mountain years ago.

It was also thanks to the elixir given by the old gentleman that he survived.

So I am willing to wear hemp and mourning for Zaicheng Li.

Many old people in our town are also willing.

Please grant the General's permission."

Zhang Gui pinched half a knife of paper money, ignited it with the remaining fire in the copper basin, and said gloomily:

"A person who accumulates goodness must have surplus blessings.

Old Li is the kindest elder I have ever met, and it is only right and proper to have such blessings.

Just don't force it.

What does the gentleman think?"

The words fell, and a young man wearing a dark plain robe walked into the mourning hall.

"Dragon Tiger truly has great ability.

I thought my method of shifting form and changing position had reached the realm of mystery, but I still didn't escape your ears and eyes."

Zhang Gui smiled faintly, thinking in his heart:

"As long as you are not inorganic matter other than gold and silver, invading my 'national territory' is like a flea on a bald head, clear at a glance."

But he didn't make a sound, waiting for the young man to take the initiative to explain his origin.

Sure enough, after kowtowing to Li Yunbo's memorial tablet three times with a grave expression, the young man stood up and bowed to Zhang Gui,

"Uncle Zaicheng is my grandfather's clan brother of the same branch, although he is out of the five degrees of mourning.

So I came to send him off after learning the bad news."

The grandfather and grandson were separated by two generations, and the ancestor was separated by nine generations, so they had to go further up to find a blood relationship.

This relative was so far away that there was no edge.

Zhang Gui couldn't help but laugh dumbly,

"At this moment, there is a big figure lurking in Zhihai Town, so I understand that your Muxiangchuan Li family is unwilling to come and get involved.

But if you weren't going to come, why... ah, could it be that you are the leader of the younger generation in the clan?"

"I can't be called a leader." The young man said politely.

"With such a tone, that's it." Zhang Gui stood up and returned the salute, "What is the young master's name?"

"I am just a clan grandson of Uncle Zaicheng."

The young man didn't report his name, took out a full set of mourning clothes from his sleeve, and put them on calmly, "Coming here is just to send off an ancestor."

"A mustard seed hidden in Mount Sumeru.

I have lived so long, from a kid selling shrimp sauce to a Fourth Rank Opening Curtain Dragon Tiger General.

Today is the first time I have seen a 'storage bag'.

No wonder the Muxiangchuan Li family has always been able to suppress the Pingyang Zhang family; the foundation is very awesome."

The young man was stunned, gathered his sleeves, and corrected softly:

"This is a 'Ten-Na Sleeve'."

At the same time, in the Zhihai Town Yamen, which was the 'Imperial Envoy Eastern Yue Sea Inspection Residence' backyard.

Prince Zhen sat in the pavilion Zhang Gui loved most.

Looking at the picture composed of black and white yin wind in front of him, his brows frowned slightly.

Waiting for the black and white wind screen to turn into the scene of the funeral, he broke the magic spell at will.

He said irritably:

"I originally thought about killing one old chicken to scare two monkeys, and also being able to vacate the position of the Zaicheng of the Zhihai Mansion, which can be described as killing three birds with one stone.

Now it seems that the two monkeys are scared, but the hatred is greater than the fear; it would have been better for you to take action, sigh, don't get angry, Uncle.

I just said it like that; under heaven, where is there a prince who ascended the throne by truly killing his own ministers?

Don't worry, as long as that Dragon Tiger General and the Muxiangchuan Li family don't rely on other brothers.

I won't move them."

The thin middle-aged man sitting opposite Prince Zhen heard this and then calmed his anger, stood up and wanted to leave. He hurriedly asked:

"Uncle, don't be mysterious in front of me.

Can't you just say what to do next?"

The middle-aged man raised two fingers, and then bent one first,

"One, from the moment you left the capital, I am not your uncle, but the 'residence' strategist, Mr. Yin.

Two, if the road to 'seizing the throne' needs to be walked for thousands of miles to be completed.

Then now is just the beginning.

Relying on my own strength, how many nails can I hit if I am made of iron?

You must learn the way of employing people and gather the strength of the masses to succeed.

Otherwise, even if I send you to that seat, it will harm you.

What's more, the kid who pointed out Zhihai Town with me is not a vulgar product despite his young age.

It is a pity that he cannot be used as a national scholar."

After speaking, the middle-aged man bent his second finger, turned around, and walked away.

Prince Zhen looked at his uncle's distant back, scratched his hair, and shouted loudly:

"Xiaoyanzi, Xiaoyanzi, did you hear the guidance of my uncle, Mr. Yin?

Go call all the teachers from the Imperial Academy, discuss what to do tomorrow, and then sleep."

"Yes."

A young eunuch with a beautiful face like a beauty floated out from nowhere.

He answered the order behind Prince Zhen and floated off to nowhere again.

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 120 =====