Shi Le read the empty military report and his expression became confused.
"Are we being tricked?"
The noble concubine Li Yan asked: "What's wrong, Your Majesty?"
Shi Le reported the military report to Lu Qichang and said: "There is no movement at Jade Buddha Pass. Long Chengen has been practicing in seclusion at his home in the capital."
Lu Qichang also felt puzzled after reading the military report.
"Wei Chen always thought that Long Chengen would launch an attack in the autumn, but after waiting for so long, winter is almost over, and there is no movement from Long Chengen."
When Long Chen attacks Xixia, he will definitely unite with the grassland barbarians and attack simultaneously from Zhenguo Temple and Yuncheng.
In autumn, the prairie barbarians' war horses were fat and they took the opportunity to attack southward.
So Lu Qichang thought that Long Chen would choose to attack in autumn.
But after waiting for so long, there was no movement from Long Chen, and there was no movement from Tuzhi either.
Shi Le looked at the vast white Panhe River and said: "This guy probably has no intention of entering the palace at all. He just wanted to let us know that he would work hard and consume our national power."
Long Chen destroyed Xixia in one sentence, and Shi Le mobilized all the people in the country to prepare for war.
The cavalry has been increased by 50,000, the infantry has been increased by 100,000, and all kinds of ordnance are also being prepared.
Especially for Zhenguo Temple, Shi Le spent a lot of money to strengthen its defenses to prevent sneak attacks by the Long family army.
In one winter, Shi Le spent a lot of money.
"Then let's..."
As a privy envoy, Lu Qichang knew how much food had been spent during this period, so he wanted to take a break.
Shi Le thought for a moment and said, "I will go to Zhenguo Temple."
Lu Qichang said: "Zhenguo Temple is close to Jade Buddha Pass. Is it too risky for the king to go there in person?"
Shi Le chuckled and said: "The Privy Council is overly worried. Long Chengen is not at Jade Buddha Pass. How dare Wu Jian go to fight?"
"If Wu Jian dares to come out, I will lead the troops to break through the Jade Buddha Pass."
Shi Le is not afraid of Long Chen's absence.
Lu Qichang said: "Wei Chen and the king will go together."
Shi Le nodded slightly.
The noble concubine Li Yan also said: "I also want to go with the king."
Shi Le hugged Li Yan and said dotingly: "You wait in the palace. I will go back quickly. When I come back, I will take you to hunt deer."
Li Yan was a little disappointed, but the road from Panhe to Zhenguo Temple was blocked by heavy snow. Riding a horse was not comfortable at all, and she didn't really want to go.
"I am waiting for the king to come back."
Li Yanjiao said quietly.
Shi Le took Li Yan's hand and returned to the palace. Lu Qichang had already prepared the war horse.
After entering the palace, Shi Le went back to his room to change clothes, and happened to see Ma Fang scolding two eunuchs not far away.
Ma Fang looked very stern, and the two eunuchs knelt on the ground and kept kowtowing.
"Why is Eunuch Ma so angry?"
Li Yan felt a little surprised. Ma Fang had a good personality and almost never got angry.
Shi Le also felt strange. Ma Fang had been following him for decades and had never seen him get angry.
Ma Fang noticed Shi Le's return and hurriedly asked the eunuch to step back and trotted over.
"Your Majesty, Your Majesty."
Ma Fang bowed and saluted.
Shi Le asked: "What's going on?"
Ma Fang bowed and said, "The two young eunuchs were talking nonsense, and I cursed a few times."
Li Yan asked: "What made my father-in-law so angry?"
Ma Fang smiled apologetically and replied: "There are some trivial things, I'm afraid it will stain my empress's ears if I tell them."
Li Yan smiled and said, "Let's talk and see what happened."
She wanted to know what could make Ma Fang so angry.
Shi Le also asked: "Tell me about it."
Ma Fang had no choice but to say: "The two little bastards talked about Long Chengen turning back into a man, and they also want to turn back into a man."
Li Yan sneered and said, "They want it too. Let them go to the Eastern Zhou Dynasty and ask for the elixir from the princess."
"Does father-in-law also want to become a man again?"
Ma Fang said with an embarrassed expression: "The empress was joking. I think this matter is pure nonsense. For thousands of years, I have never heard that eunuchs can cure it."
Shi Le stared at Ma Fang for a while and never spoke.
Seeing that Shi Le was silent, Ma Fang was so frightened that she hurriedly knelt down and kowtowed in apology: "This slave deserves to die!"
Shi Le said coldly: "I am going to Zhenguo Temple. Please change your clothes."
Ma Fang immediately helped Shi Le change into clothes for the trip.
After changing his clothes and taking 500 personal guards with him, Shi Le immediately rode his horse and rushed to Zhenguo Temple.
The snow in Xixia is very thick in winter, and the war horses gallop in the snow and ice all day before arriving at Zhenguo Temple in the evening.
After entering Zhenguo Temple, Shi Le went to the Refuge Hall.
A tall refuge Buddha stands on the north side, with two eyes looking down at the people below fiercely.
Shi Le took Lu Qichang and bowed respectfully to the refuge Buddha.
Kongji and Deshan brought the senior officials of the temple, monks, soldiers and officers to pay their respects.
"The poor monk pays homage to the king."
Shi Le nodded slightly and said, "Let's talk in the monk's room."
The main hall is too cold and I can't bear to stand for a long time.
"Your Majesty, please."
Monk Deshan leads the way.
Zhenguo Temple is a monastery for virtue and kindness, and he is familiar with it.
Everyone entered the monk's room, Shi Le sat at the head, Kong Ji and Deshan sat on the left, and Lu Qichang sat on the right.
"Why did the king come in the snow?"
Kong Ji thought there was something wrong with Panhe.
Shi Le said: "Winter is almost over, but Long Chengen shows no sign of sending troops. I and the Privy Council feel that we may have fallen into a trap."
After Shi Le finished speaking, Deshan looked at Kongji with a solemn expression.
Monk Kongji gathered up his red cassock, exhaled slightly, and said: "The poor monk and Junior Brother Deshan are also talking about this matter, but the poor monk feels that Long Chengen is not deceiving, but is preparing something."
"Long Cheng'en made a promise to the empress, clamoring to use Xixia as a gift. If he doesn't go to war, the princess will not be able to marry."
"So, the poor monk thinks that Long Chengen will definitely attack, and we must be prepared."
In Kong Ji's opinion, Long Chen would definitely fight this battle.
Because Long Chen had to use Xixia as a betrothal gift to marry Di Luoxi.
The Empress and Long Chen both said in public that whatever they say and the water they throw out must be fulfilled.
Shi Le looked at Kong Ji, the beard at the corner of his mouth moved, and said: "I am thinking about a question. Does the Imperial Master know of any medicine that can turn eunuchs back into men?"
Monk Kongji was stunned for a moment and did not immediately answer Shi Le's question.
Monk Deshan snatched the words and said: "Your Majesty, the Dead Wood Pill refined by Emperor Luo Xi, the princess of the Eastern Zhou Dynasty, is fine."
Di Luoxi refined the Deadwood Pill for Long Chen. After Long Chen took it, he regained his male body. This was known to the whole world.
Lu Qichang felt very confused. Shi Le knew this, so why did he ask this question?
Shi Le shook his head and said, "What if the elixir is useless at all?"
hiss...
As soon as Shi Le said this, the three people in the room were shocked.
Monk Kongji suddenly realized it. He stretched out his left hand from his cassock, put it in the air, and said, "Yes, I have never doubted it, but the biggest problem in this matter is this."
"Eunuchs have been around for thousands of years. I have never heard of any medicine that can make eunuchs reborn. No one knows whether this dead wood pill has any effect."
"If the Dead Wood Pill is fake and Long Chengen is still a eunuch, then there is no such thing as a gifted marriage."
"The empress and Long Cheng'en jointly performed a play for the world to see, which made me, Daxia and Nanliang, all soldiers and exhausted soldiers."
Monk Deshan and Lu Qichang also suddenly realized it and echoed: "Yes, we have never thought about this problem. Your Majesty is indeed wise."
Shi Le nodded and said: "I have been thinking about this. If there was a medicine that could restore the male body, wouldn't all the eunuchs in the world go crazy!"
"I conclude that there is no medicine that can turn Long Chengen back into a man. He is still a eunuch."
"Since he is a eunuch, there is no marriage gift. I thought it was a scam."
Monk Deshan nodded slightly and said: "The poor monk has been here for almost half a year, and there is no movement at the Jade Buddha Pass. Long Chengen has been in retreat in the capital."
"If he is preparing secretly, no matter what, there should be some signs."
"But now it seems that there are no signs at all, so the king is right, he must have made a trick."
Shi Le looked at Lu Qichang and asked, "What does the Privy Council think?"
Lu Qichang nodded in agreement: "Wei Chen also agrees with the king. Maybe Long Chengen is still a eunuch."
"Since Long Chengen is still a eunuch, it doesn't matter whether Di Luoxi gets married or not."
Shi Le said: "Yes, the empress has no intention of marrying off her daughter at all. She just wants us to work hard and waste national power."
"What I want is for the Zhenguo Temple to continue to guard and guard against the Jade Buddha Pass."
"Long Chengen is just bluffing. The Imperial Master should go back to Zhaoti Temple. I will stay in the palace for a while and then go back."
Monk Kongji agreed with Shi Le and said, "Okay, there are many things going on at Zhaoti Temple, and the poor monk will return tomorrow."
Shi Le said: "I will visit the soldiers at Zhenguo Temple and then return to the palace."
