HLnovel Chapter 1036 Stranded in Xuzhou
Chapter 1036 Stranded in Xuzhou
In fact, the old man's original intention was to hope that Zhou Pu could understand his actions over the past few years, correct them in time, turn back from the wrong path, and become a righteous monarch. However, Zhou Pu could not understand the meaning behind this. When he returned, what he wanted to do most was to immediately eliminate the person he feared.
If the dream interpreter won't do the reading for him, someone else will.
Upon hearing the Imperial Observatory say that one of the people who broke off his dragon horns was in the capital and the other was in the southeast, Zhou Pu instantly thought of many suspicious candidates.
There were quite a few people, so it was difficult to draw a conclusion easily.
After pondering for a moment, Zhou Pu pressed on again: "Supervisor, is it possible to calculate the birth dates and times of those two people?"
"Your Majesty, Xunzi once said that a gentleman respects what is within himself and does not covet what is in the heavens. For us mortals to be able to glimpse even a trace of the secrets of heaven is already an extraordinary thing. How can we frequently resort to divination in an attempt to see the whole picture? I fear that by following the signs, we might end up fulfilling his words. I'm sure Your Majesty already has the answer in your heart!"
Seeing the unmoved expression on the man's face below, Zhou Pu recalled his encounter in the library earlier, and a flash of anger crossed his face. He slammed his hand heavily on the armrest of the dragon throne and rebuked him:
"I am the Son of Heaven, the Purple Star in the heavens, how could I not see the way of Heaven? What nonsense about following the signs and fulfilling the promises? You are the Director of the Imperial Observatory of the Great Zhou Dynasty! You eat the emperor's food and are loyal to the emperor. If you can't even calculate this, what use are you to me?"
"Your Majesty, please calm down," the Imperial Astronomical Bureau official bowed slightly and gave a light cupped-hand salute. His calm demeanor only made Zhou Pu, who was currently furious, seem like a madman.
After letting out a barely perceptible sigh, he reached out and calculated in mid-air again, finally saying, "These two people, one is a woman and the other is a man. The woman is far away yet right before my eyes, while the man is about six hundred miles away from the capital. His fate is associated with fire. I am truly powerless to calculate any more details."
"Far away, yet right before our eyes?" Zhou Pu repeated, a sudden glint of light flashing in his eyes, his killing intent rising: "Doesn't that mean the person is in the harem?"
As for the man, Zhou Pu already had a guess in his mind. He wouldn't have such a dream for no reason. Dreams are all omens. Thinking about it, he realized that his decision to send the man to Huainan when he hesitated was wrong. He shouldn't have let the man go.
Thinking of this, Zhou Pu waved his hand, dismissing the Imperial Observatory, and then ordered someone to summon Cui Ling.
When the Imperial Astronomical Bureau followed the palace servants out of the palace, it was still dark, and it was not yet time for court. The area near the palace gate was very quiet.
They happened to run into Cui Ling getting off the carriage at the palace gate. Their eyes met briefly, then they quickly looked away.
Watching Cui Ling walk in with his head held high and chest puffed out, the Imperial Observatory secretly clenched his fist, hoping that his words this time could nip a mistake in the bud!
They then boarded the carriage and left.
When Cui Ling received Zhou Pu's order, he was somewhat stunned, but seeing the unusually terrifying aura emanating from Zhou Pu, he wisely refrained from asking any further questions this time.
He cupped his hands in greeting, ready to accept the order and leave.
"Wait a minute," Zhou Pu called out to the man, and calmly instructed, "Make sure it's done cleanly, don't leave any evidence."
Cui Ling cautiously confirmed, "Your Majesty means..."
"Cut the weeds and eliminate the roots!"
Upon hearing this, Cui Ling's eyes widened in surprise, and then she replied, "Yes!"
He turned and left.
"Grandpa Fu," Zhou Pu called out calmly, turning his head slightly.
"The slave is here!"
"Immediately register the birth dates and times of all the concubines and palace maids in the harem. Calculate whose birth chart clashes with mine and who is attempting to overthrow the court. Once found, arrest whoever it is and report to me immediately!"
"Yes!" Eunuch Fu sensed the impending storm in the decree and dared not presume to guess the emperor's intentions. He accepted the decree, bowed, and withdrew.
Since the destination of this operation was not the capital, Cui Ling had no worries. He selected thirty men, had them all change into fast horses, and galloped out of the capital towards Huainan.
Just outside the capital, they encountered a torrential downpour. Traveling in the rain was difficult, and even the fastest horse couldn't go very far. Cui Ling couldn't help but curse inwardly, "What the hell is going on?!"
If Zhang Ping'an were to travel by water, it would be more convenient. But by land, judging from the current situation, even if they traveled at top speed, it would take them at least four or five days to catch up.
This is even without the other party speeding up their journey.
Fortunately, the weather didn't last long. By the third day, the sun had come out, and Cui Ling and the others were in high spirits. After washing up and eating at an inn, they fed their horses plenty of fodder and traveled more than 300 li in one go. By cockcrow on the fourth day, they had reached the vicinity of Xuzhou.
The subordinate reported: "Sir, according to intelligence, Lord Zhang and his family are at an inn about a hundred miles ahead of us. I heard that their child is sick and they haven't been traveling much these past few days. Should we press on and continue, or should we rest here for a while?"
Cui Ling thought for a moment, then dismounted. "Let's rest here for a bit. Everyone must be exhausted from traveling for a day and a night. Let's get some rest before we set off again!"
"Alright, all done!" The subordinate smiled and breathed a sigh of relief; he too was getting tired of the intense travel over the past few days.
Meanwhile, the intelligence was correct; at the post station, little Zhang Zhuo was indeed sick, vomiting everything he ate, and completely listless. He had lost a lot of weight in just a few days, which greatly worried Madam Li. "What should we do?" she cried.
The group had been stuck in the same place for four or five days. If they didn't move forward soon, they might miss the handover time.
"Besides the doctor who came with us, we've seen five or six local doctors in Xuzhou, but the child hasn't gotten any better. What can we do? Stop crying!" Xiaoyuer said, sounding a little frustrated.
Why did I have to get sick at this time of year?
Zhang Ping'an wasn't a big believer in fate, but at this moment, he wondered if it was related to the dream he had. The child's illness was just too unfortunate. "Well, let's wait and see. The child is innocent, and it's not like he wanted to get sick. Let's wait three more days. After three days, we have to leave no matter what. We'll have to temporarily place the child in the care of a wealthy family in the area, and send someone to pick him up after we settle down in Huainan."
Little Fish sighed, supporting his knees, "That's all we can do."
After hearing this, Madam Li wiped away her tears, rallied herself, and said, "The Li family of Xuzhou, a prominent family, has some connection with our Li family in the capital. Although we separated a long time ago, we still visit each other occasionally during holidays. If all else fails, we can leave the child with the Li family. For your sake, Father and Husband, they wouldn't dare to treat the child badly."
Zhang Lao Er and Xu Shi could only worry helplessly, and the whole family was filled with gloom and despair.
It's not good to ask for help when things come to a head. Although he didn't know if his grandson would recover in three days, Zhang Ping'an still sent an invitation to the Li family in advance to explain his intentions.
Upon receiving the invitation, the Li family quickly sent someone to the post station to pay their respects.