Chapter 758: Second Brothers Rule (Part I) (1/2)
A blockage had appeared in a dark line of the G.o.d-stunning Array; as a result, the exit of the line should be completely blocked. According to the cycle of life and death of the tactical array, the flow of Qi of Heaven and Earth from north to south was forced to stop completely. Therefore, the stagnation in the city became more and more serious until it flowed backwards and used the heaven and earth itself to clear away the blockages.
The prescription given by Mo Shanshan to treat Chang'an was very simple and extremely rough. It was really hard to imagine it coming from such a beautiful and gentle girl. If she were treating a real person, that person would definitely bleed to death from all his orifices after taking this medicine. However, if it were Chang'an itself taking the prescription, would it work?
Ning Que was silent for a long while before asking, ”Where's has it been blocked? And how?”
”The exit of this line is the south gate, which is also just the entrance to the G.o.d-stunning Array. It faces the Vermilion Bird Avenue. If it were to be blocked, we would have to seal this gate. As for how we are going to do it...”
Mo Shanshan said, ”I want to use rocks to seal this gate.”
There did not seem to be a problem with blocking the gates with rocks. However, Ning Que knew that physically blocking the gate would not make any difference to the aura of heaven and earth. He immediately understood what she meant and thought of the rocks in the bottom of the Daming Lake at the Front Gate of the Devil's Doctrine. He thought of the Stone Array Tactics.
”Are you sure it'll work?” He asked.
Mo Shanshan shook her head and said, ”I'm not, but I cannot think of any other methods. You told me that the last method is the best, that is why I wish to try.”
This was indeed something that Ning Que said often.
After a moment of contemplation, he said, ”Even though it is a little risky, it seems interesting.”
They were pressed for time, so they had to start the blocking of the Vermilion South Gates immediately. Ning Que asked the Blue Dragon sect at the city gates to inform the Spring Breeze Pavilion and the palace of this arrangement.
The administrative abilities of the Tang Imperial Court were demonstrated perfectly in the next few hours. It did not take long for the Ministry of Workers of the Imperial Center Administration to send several Array Tactical Masters and more than 3,000 civilian workers who were temporarily recruited to the South Gate. They were then put under the command of Mo Shanshan.
Mo Shanshan asked, ”We need at least 30,000 rocks. Where can we find that many?”
Ning Que looked at the houses in the city and said, ”If we can't find any, we'll demolish the houses.”
The a.s.sistant minister from the Ministry of Revenue fell silent when he heard that. Then, he said softly, ”There is a lake 1,500 meters south of the city where there are many rocks. When we were building the mansions of the lords...”
Ning Que continued without waiting for him to complete his statement. He said, ”The lake with rocks is the best choice. Your Excellency, tell Ms. Mo if you have any ideas. We are in a rush for time, so there's no time for pleasantries.”
The a.s.sistant minister agreed.
Mo Shanshan asked, ”I need heavy rocks that are more than a hundred pounds. Can we move them?”
The a.s.sistant minister answered, ”The machinery in the Ministry of Workers warehouse is being brought here. We can move even rocks tens and thousands of pounds from the lake to the Southern Gate.”
The imperial court decreed that the south gate of Chang'an City would be closed. The grain team and the public would all enter and exit through the other gates, and thousands of volunteers and technical officials of the Ministry of Revenue and Array Tactical Masters would move the ma.s.sive rocks and start constructing the array under Mo Shanshan's command. The South Gate immediately turned into a large and lively construction site.
Confirming that there was no other problem, Ning Que bid Mo Shanshan farewell.
Mo Shanshan asked curiously, ”What are you going to do?”
Ning Que answered, ”The last method is the best, but it is not yet the last moment. I want to see if I can find another method.”
Mo Shanshan said calmly, ”Good luck.”
Ning Que bowed at her with his hands folded in front, then he turned and left.
Vermilion Bird Avenue was the only way connecting the Southern Gate and the city center of Chang'an.
The sky in late autumn was sometimes clear and sometimes dark, depending on the clouds in the sky.
When Ning Que walked north along the Vermilion Bird Avenue, clouds drifted from outside the city, dimming the sunlight in the sky and casting a large shadow over it, lowering the temperature in the city.
The stone carvings on the Vermilion Bird Avenue were darkened because of the changing light.
Then, there was a gust of autumn wind and rain started to fall, driving the pedestrians on the street to the sides.
Ning Que did not move but stood on the spot instead.
He reached behind his back for the Big Black Umbrella, only to feel the hilt of his blade. Then he remembered that the Big Black Umbrella was no longer with him and neither was the Big Black Horse and the carriage.
Sangsang was not with him anymore, either.
Ning Que thought of how he and Sangsang had felt when they first saw the carvings. He recalled how he had fallen in front of it, covered in blood. He kept silent, and he felt a myriad of emotions stirring within him.
When the Headmaster took him and Sangsang in one of his travels, they had returned to Chang'an once. Then, the Vermilion Bird appeared in the black horse carriage.
The Vermilion Bird was a Divine Talisman in the G.o.d-stunning Array, and Ning Que was the master of the array. Because of his relations.h.i.+p with his teacher, the two did not have to speak to communicate with each other.
There were no words, only emotions and thoughts echoed between him and the Vermilion Bird.
”You're only at the peak of the Knowing Destiny State.”
Ning Que looked at the Vermilion Bird carving that seemed to come alive after being drenched in the rain. He thought to himself, ”What use is it against a powerhouse like the Abbey Dean?”
Yang Erxi panted as he held back his pitch-fork. He leaned against it and stood in the wild plains, taking a rest.
There was a grave in front of him covered in fresh mud. It had just been freshly piled up.
The pork trotters on the pitch-fork had already been given to the refugees. These days, he started to fight with gra.s.sland barbarians holding cutla.s.ses. The pitch-fork in his hand grew sharper and sharper because it was frequently used.
It was used to pick up mud and dig graves, and was much easier to use than blades.
He had dug many graves in the past few days and buried many of his compatriots.
After a short rest, Yang Erxi spat and yelled at his companions in the distance. He picked up his pitch-fork over his shoulders and wearily headed towards the forest in the west.
There were more than 2,000 new graves in these wild plains. They were all small and ugly.
The Tang Army would never abandon any of its compatriots, no matter whether dead or alive.
Even if it couldn't be done during the war, they would try their best to find the bodies of their compatriots after the war.
However, this was part of the Tang Empire. Burying the soldiers here would mean that they were buried in their homeland.
They heard that the last Emperor was brought back to Chang'an as ashes in a box.
These deceased soldiers had nothing to be displeased about.
Shortly after the start of the war, Chao Xiaoshu brought the Valiant Cavalry Battalion out of Chang'an to fight against the gra.s.sland cavalry at the Eastern Border. In the following days, several veterans came to join their ranks voluntarily. At the same time, their were joined by what was left of the Northeast Border Military that withdrew from the Yan territory, and their numbers increased.
At present, the number of this army had exceeded 30,000, and it had been officially named the Volunteer Army by the imperial court. However, due to the lack of equipment, especially war horses, they were still weaker when compared to the gra.s.sland cavalry.
Just yesterday, the Eastern Border Volunteer Army and the gra.s.sland cavalry fought their first real war. The Volunteer Army, which was weaker, gained the final victory with unbelievable courage.
The victory had cost the lives of thousands of volunteer troops at the Eastern Border.