Autumn passed and winter came.
In the sixth year of the reign of Ping’an, during the twelfth lunar month, light snowflakes drifted.
“I never thought Dingzhou City could actually hold out this long…” Chen Shuncheng exhaled a puff of white air, gazing at the still majestic but now scarred and battered city walls, and sighed.
It had been several months since the siege began. The governor Xu Chun was indeed tenacious, and with Zhang Wenzhen, no mere mediocrity, and backed by imperial authority, they had managed to endure until now.
The cold was bitter, and even if unwilling, the intensity of the assault had to be reduced.
“But this is nothing more than a dying struggle…” Chen Jingzong, dressed in full military regalia, showed no signs of emotion. “Although the imperial court has issued an edict, look around at the neighboring prefectures—has any dared to attack us?”
“Besides, the seven commanderies of Dingzhou are already under our control. After the autumn harvest, the taxes from the commanderies of Rinan, Zhuwu, and Jiude have all flowed into our Jiedushi headquarters. Do you think there is even a grain of rice left within the city walls? Feeding the soldiers and horses, especially the defending troops, requires at least a jin of rice per person daily, not to mention wine, meat, medicines, and fire oil… By now, the city must be in dire straits…”
“That is true indeed…”
Chen Shuncheng always held his uncle’s strategies in high regard.
As they conversed, the two rode their tall steeds to the entrance of the Xie family’s ancestral residence.
“General Chen!”
Immediately, a personal guard stepped forward to take the reins. “Are you here to see the Jiedushi? Yesterday’s plum blossom banquet left the Jiedushi exhausted, and he is still washing up. You may have to wait a moment…”
“Of course, we should wait…”
Chen Jingzong was in a good mood and accompanied Chen Shuncheng to a side hall.
“Uncle!”
Chen Shuncheng leaned in slightly and lowered his voice. “The Jiedushi is visibly pregnant. It is estimated that he will give birth next spring. I have been thinking—should we capture the city before that? It would be a good omen.”
“Judging from my estimation, the city should fall around next spring. If the Jiedushi is blessed with a son at that time, it would truly be the will of Heaven…”
Chen Jingzong glanced around, first waving his hand and then sweeping his sleeve to set up a protective barrier before speaking. His eyes gleamed with anticipation.
Once the city falls and Dingzhou is unified, if the child is also a son, it would almost be Heaven’s will!
The two, confident in their high cultivation, spoke freely about their secrets, unaware that everything had already been overheard by Wu Ming.
Inside the inner quarters, the main bedroom.
A water mirror floated before Wu Ming, replaying every word spoken by Chen Jingzong and Chen Shuncheng. Even the subtlest expressions were clearly visible, as if one were there in person.
Although Chen Jingzong was a martial cultivator and had treasures for protection, before a Celestial Immortal, such skills were naturally insufficient.
Looking at the lazy, pregnant Wu Zhi before him, Wu Ming teased with a smile: “It seems your subordinates have high hopes for your belly!”
“Tsk!”
Even Wu Zhi, no ordinary woman, blushed at his words. “How can you talk to me like this?”
She looked at her swollen belly, her face showing both maternal tenderness and some concern, then said, “I truly hope to give birth to a son for my husband. If he were born now, he would be worth fifty thousand troops!”
Seeing Wu Zhi, who had practically evolved into a political being, even calculating her own child’s value, Wu Ming was at a loss for words.
“But rest assured, this child will be born safely, and moreover, will possess extraordinary qualities!”
Wu Ming’s eyes slightly narrowed, and immediately, wisps of fortune gathered around Wu Zhi’s belly, faintly tinged with purple—an extraordinary sign.
Originally, Wu Zhi’s status could only afford her a greenish-blue or purplish aura; a golden-green for the child would already be excellent.
But with Wu Ming, a Celestial Immortal, as the father, blessed by divine heritage, a touch of purple was assured.
“Fortune is not gained out of nowhere… The child gains status from its mother. Without Wu Zhi, even if the child had the potential of a dragon, a mere red aura would be the best. But because Wu Zhi is practically the ruler of a province, establishing a kingdom, even before birth, golden-green fortune gathers around it. Similarly, with my support behind her, backed by a cave heaven, even if future battles go poorly, there will still be a place to survive, hence the touch of purple…”
Wu Ming mused silently, his eyes darkening slightly. “According to this world’s traditions, there might even be some ancient deities or powerful beings wanting a share…”
Thinking of the “omens” surrounding the birth of Emperor Ji Yi of the Zhou dynasty, a mocking smile appeared on his lips.
“Just… Husband!”
Wu Zhi touched her belly again, somewhat concerned. “You previously said the city must be taken early, but now it will take nearly a year. Could this cause a shift in fortune?”
“A year to take the city is absolutely not long—it’s already extremely fast…”
In ancient times, sieges could last for ten or even twenty years; this time was nothing at all.
“Besides… circumstances have changed. Rest assured!”
Wu Ming waved his hand.
Previously, Wu Zhi was coveted because, as a woman, she was inherently at a disadvantage, unable to fully suppress her rivals. Wu Ming’s status as an Earth Immortal was also insufficient.
But now, the situation was different!
With a Celestial Immortal backing her, even without anything else, Wu Zhi’s chances of seizing the throne increased by two or three tenths.
Calamity and fortune depend on the person bearing them.
For example, the same calamity would destroy an ordinary family if it struck a commoner, but to Wu Ming, it would be no more significant than a spider’s web.
…
As Wu Zhi felt slightly reassured, on the city walls of Dingzhou, several people gazed silently at the enemy’s fortune from the south.
These people varied in appearance. One wore wide sashes and a tall hat, his face ancient and scholarly, resembling a venerable Confucian scholar.
Another was dressed as a Taoist priest, his face sallow, with three long strands of beard flowing down, exuding an aura of immortality.
The last was a soldier, clad in armor, a long sword at his waist, his face chiseled like stone, his eyes sharp and fierce, exuding a killing aura so strong that one could almost smell the blood and corpses.
“Ah?!”
At this moment, the Taoist, who had been staring for a while, suddenly exclaimed in surprise.
“Master Dao, skilled in observing fortune, do you have any findings?”
These people were all envoys who had broken through the siege to reach the city, each with deep and complex connections—none were simple men.
The scholar smiled slightly before asking.
“Strange! Strange!”
The Taoist priest formed a hand seal, calculated for a moment, and then declared, “We came bearing the imperial decree, with righteousness on our side. The power of such righteousness is truly formidable—it almost instantly diminished the enemy’s military fortune by several degrees. A few days ago, when I observed Wu Zhi’s fortune, I saw that although the military aura resembled a black tiger, it was already loose and scattered. This was due to the prolonged winter siege, which made the soldiers homesick… Though a few generals’ stars barely held it together, there was still a chance to break through. But now, it’s completely different!”
“How so?”
The soldier-like figure asked.
Although most military men did not believe in fortune or fate, he deeply respected the old Taoist’s skill in observing fortune. Even across the land, the Taoist’s ability to read faces and bones was unmatched.
“A red aura has emerged from the center, tinged with gold—this is an extremely auspicious sign!”
If the enemy has good fortune, then naturally the opposite side will suffer misfortune.
“Why is that?”
Even the old Confucian scholar frowned. “Why would their fortune suddenly flourish without reason?”
“This… Perhaps it’s because Wu Zhi is about to give birth, causing some special change?”
The Taoist guessed, and with this one sentence, the scholar and the soldier’s faces paled slightly, their bodies swaying.
In this world, filled with gods and spirits, every founding emperor’s birth was accompanied by omens!
If Wu Zhi is experiencing this, could it mean she also has Heaven’s Mandate? Perhaps it is destined for her son.
“Of course… Heaven’s secrets are hidden. Unless by some coincidence, how could I see the true dragon’s fortune? Therefore, the actual situation on the other side remains uncertain. However…”
The old Taoist shook his head. “But such a strong fortune must also be reflected in our army. Exactly how it manifests, we will know by observing Governor Xu Chun…”
Governor Xu Chun was a loyal servant of the imperial court. Since Wu Zhi’s siege began, he had been ill but continued to handle official matters. Only during the envoys’ recent visit had he shown slight improvement.
“If Wu Zhi’s fortune is insufficient, his illness can still be maintained, prolonging his life. But if his condition worsens, that would mean…”
The old Taoist’s eyes flickered with thoughts.
“Report!”
At this moment, a servant rushed up from below the city wall and whispered something into the soldier’s ear.
“What?!”
The soldier exclaimed in shock, and in an instant, it felt as if winter had arrived.
“What happened?”
The Taoist and the scholar exchanged glances, a subtle premonition immediately arising in their minds.
“Just received news… Governor Xu Chun suddenly vomited blood and likely won’t survive the night…”
The soldier spoke slowly, each word seeming to carry a chill.
“So severe!”
Even the old Taoist was startled. “The entire city’s officials and soldiers rely on Governor Xu to hold things together. If anything happens to him, Zhang Wenzhen and the others won’t be able to maintain order… With a great enemy at the gate, the fall of the city is imminent…”
Compared to the shock on his face, his inner astonishment was even greater. He looked again toward the enemy camp.
Above Wu Zhi’s camp, a black-red aura soared into the sky, taking the form of a tiger. Faintly, he seemed to see a hint of purple guarding it.
But this fortune was extremely faint. When he rubbed his eyes and looked again, it had vanished.
“Purple! That is truly terrifying. A personal purple might belong to a king or emperor, but for a faction to possess such fortune—what kind of resources would that require? If Wu Zhi has this, it means… there is a great power protecting her?”
The old Taoist was no ordinary man.
He had dared to get involved in this chaos for two reasons: first, his sect’s orders, and second, because he saw Wu Zhi’s rise without significant backing, so he felt confident.
But now, seeing this sign, the situation was very different.
“Purple… Even within my sect, only the Celestial Immortal Patriarch possesses such power and abilities. Our current level of support against a Celestial Immortal is like throwing eggs against stones…”
The old Taoist was a clever man and immediately considered retreating. “Although it’s not certain yet, my life is important. Dingzhou City is beyond salvation—better to leave quickly…”
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