Chapter 704 - 12: Zhao Kuangyin Falls Ill, King Jin May Rebel

No matter how you look at it, the Great Song has no room to retreat.

Both sides are mobilizing their troops.

The deadly atmosphere within the entire Northern Han territory is becoming more intense.

Everyone in the world can vaguely feel that an unprecedented war is about to arrive any day now.

Time passes by swiftly.

War within the whole Northern Han territory is becoming increasingly frequent.

In such circumstances, Gu Jin is also becoming increasingly busy.

As the Patriarch of the Gu Clan and also the Grand Tutor of the current dynasty.

His role under the current situation is self-evident.

Whether it is gathering intelligence.

Or inspiring the soldiers, all these require Gu Jin to personally manage.

Meanwhile, Zhao Kuangyin is naturally gathering provisions within the country.

These two have no great fear for the upcoming battle.

To the two of them.

As men of the world, since they have already made their decision, there is actually nothing much to fear.

They just need to forge ahead with determination.

But..... no one expected——

In the fourth month of the sixth year of Kai Bao, a sudden illness completely shattered this tranquility.

——Zhao Kuangyin is ill!

....

Song Army camp.

"Cough... cough... cough..."

From within the main tent comes a series of rapid coughs, making everyone’s heart tighten.

Outside the tent, Gu Jin in full armor is leading a group of generals stationed outside, each with a very serious expression.

Listening to those painful coughs.

Gu Jin’s expression becomes increasingly grim, even showing a rare trace of panic.

His gaze swept over everyone present and finally landed on Yang Ye, who had recently achieved many great feats, and shouted sharply: "Under no circumstances is today’s matter in the tent to be leaked."

"Those who violate this order shall be executed without mercy!"

"Yang Ye!" his voice stern, "I order you to immediately patrol each camp, tightly guard against any unrest, allowing no errors!"

Upon hearing this, none of the generals dared to neglect their duty, they unanimously saluted and accepted the order.

Gu Jin’s prestige in the army is extremely high now.

Not only are his military achievements remarkable, but his handling of unruly soldiers and fierce generals is also extraordinary, leaving the entire army utterly convinced of him.

"You may all withdraw."

Gu Jin’s expression did not change, but he waved a hand.

He stood alone in front of the main tent, until all the generals left, the weight on his brow grew deeper, he even found it hard to remain standing, unable to help pacing back and forth in front of the main tent, his steps full of unease.

Time quietly slips away.

It wasn’t until dusk that the heart-wrenching coughs inside the tent gradually subsided.

Several military doctors trudged out of the tent, exhausted.

"How is His Majesty?" Gu Jin immediately stepped forward, asking anxiously.

"Grand Tutor..." The leading military doctor sighed deeply, "His Majesty has many old wounds from over the years, and now with advancing age and prolonged time spent in the military camp, overworked, resulting in these hidden injuries flaring up simultaneously."

"For now, the only option is... to let His Majesty rest and recover."

"If not...."

He did not continue but the meaning in his words was already very clear.

Upon hearing this, Gu Jin’s hand involuntarily clenched into a fist at that moment, a strong sense of unwillingness flickering quietly in his eyes.

"You may withdraw, do not disclose this matter to anyone!"

He couldn’t help but reiterate the command.

At this moment, Zhao Kuangyin’s hoarse voice finally came out from within the main tent: "Huaiyu!!"

Gu Jin took a deep breath, composed his expression, and then strode in.

The strong scent of medicine instantly filled the air.

Zhao Kuangyin’s face was deathly pale as he lay on the couch, next to him was a wooden tub containing fresh blood.

Seeing Gu Jin walk in.

Before he could speak, Zhao Kuangyin hurriedly asked: "Huaiyu, is there any unrest in the army?"

He was genuinely worried.

He had already fallen asleep just now, but was startled awake by this matter.

"Your Majesty, rest assured, I have arranged everything properly." Gu Jin did not say much, only silently sat beside Zhao Kuangyin’s couch.

After a moment of silence, he spoke in a low voice: "Please, Your Majesty, return to Kaifeng."

"The matters of this war, leave them to me."

His tone was calm, without a hint of superfluous words, each word was clear, directly pointing to the key issue.

Upon hearing this, Zhao Kuangyin merely gave a faint smile, looking straight at Gu Jin, and calmly asked, "Huaiyu, do you think I’m afraid of death?"

He knew his own body very well.

Yet Zhao Kuangyin had never feared death from the beginning.

"Your Majesty is certainly not afraid," Gu Jin immediately responded, "but the current situation is dire, in case Your Majesty really has any mishaps..."

"Precisely because of this, I cannot leave!"

Before Gu Jin could finish speaking, Zhao Kuangyin interrupted directly.

Not knowing where he found the strength, he actually sat up straight, taking a deep breath, his face suddenly solemn: "If I leave at this moment, what will the soldiers and officers think?"

"Huaiyu thinks...will those people let such an opportunity slip by?"

Seeing Gu Jin’s expression slightly change, he paused his tone for a moment, then let out a cold snort: "Huaiyu, there’s no need to persuade further."

"Life and death may be destined, but they can also be determined by human effort."

"No matter what—"

"I will surely endure!"

"Even if I cannot conquer the world, for the very least, I must seize this land of Northern Han for our Great Song!"

His voice was solemn and every word resounded powerfully.

Hearing this, Gu Jin’s eyes shook again, but ultimately he did not persuade further.

Perhaps it was because he was still young, though deeply understanding the importance of the overall situation, he equally understood—this unique stubbornness and disposition of a hero within Zhao Kuangyin.

"Reflecting on the past...I often heard those emperors lament the fleetingness of time."

Just as Gu Jin remained silent, Zhao Kuangyin spoke again, with a faint smile on his face, though much more bitter than before: "At that time I paid it no mind."

"Always felt that a true man in this world should complete everything he intends to do in his lifetime."

"But today, I truly understand it."

"The affairs of this world...turns out they cannot all be completed."

He paused slightly, expressing something akin to a sigh: "Life is really short."

Gu Jin quietly watched this scene, his eyes involuntarily reddened, yet he still said nothing.

The entire tent fell into a quiet silence.

Gu Yi also silently observed everything, equally surprised by Zhao Kuangyin’s condition.

He didn’t know if this was a correction brought about by increasingly extensive historical alterations.

This was destined to be unfathomable.

Although in the original history, Zhao Kuangyin was indeed supposed to live a few more years.

But now the world was already far more chaotic than the original history.

Zhao Kuangyin went through more battles, so this change in life span seems reasonable enough.

Gu Yi couldn’t be bothered to calculate much more about this.

This illness of Zhao Kuangyin has once again made him experience an intense sense of crisis.

For some reason.....

He suddenly had a feeling that the path the Gu Clan was about to tread, the hardships of which might far exceed the past.

.....

Time passed by quickly.

Even though Gu Jin had suppressed all the information at the first moment, as Zhao Kuangyin had not appeared in several days, rumors gradually spread among the military ranks.

This was, of course, the handiwork of Wang Yingchen.

Though he had no substantial information, such matters only required a bit of rumor to be effective.

But ultimately he underestimated Zhao Kuangyin.

Despite the continual health issues, Zhao Kuangyin, bolstering his strength, reviewed the troops together with Gu Jin, immediately quashing all rumors.

The situation seemed to return to the starting point.

Both sides, through continuous skirmishes and confrontations, probed each other, seeking a breakthrough.

Gathering supplies...preparing troops.

Gu Jin seemed somewhat worried about Zhao Kuangyin’s health, continually seeking opportunities since that day, as if wanting to conclude everything in a short time.

But the Liao Army was the complete opposite.

From the beginning to the end, Yelv Xian and Wang Yingchen seemed intent only on stalling the Song Army, never allowing them any opportunity.

And as time continued to flow, Zhao Kuangyin’s condition continued to worsen.

Even though Gu Jin had taken over all the heavy burdens for him.

The hidden wounds on his body still grew increasingly severe.

Then, more than a month later, with an Imperial Censor suddenly arriving at the camp, the already tense atmosphere tightened further—

That night, the starry river sparkled brilliantly.

Gu Jin rushed into the main tent, not even having time for formalities before directly looking at Zhao Kuangyin, blurting out:

"Your Majesty, I fear King Jin harbors rebellious intentions!"

...

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