Unparalleled Evildoer

Chapter 3: The treacherous and corrupt officials are in power and I feel disheartened

Seeing Li Zhan bleeding from his mouth and unconscious, Na Lanxue cried out, "Zhan'er!"

Seeing this, Li Mu rushed forward and shouted, "Go find a doctor!" But fearing that he would be too late, he picked up Li Zhan and rushed out of the door. He jumped on his horse and the servant opened the door. Li Mu rode quickly to the residence of the famous doctor Xia Wuqi outside Handan City and called Xia Wuqi overnight to treat him. At this time, Na Lanxue also arrived. Xia Wuqi sealed Li Zhan's acupuncture points and poured him medicine. After working all night, Li Zhan's breathing finally stabilized. He prescribed a few doses of medicine and Xia Wuqi said, "Taking these doses of medicine can temporarily save your life. As for how long your son can last, I can't judge!" Li Mu thanked him and left.

The rising sun casts golden light, the spring grass is as green as oil, the mist is refreshing, kingfishers are chirping, Li Zhan is sleeping quietly in his mother's soft arms, Na Lan Xue narrows her eyes slightly and nestles on Li Mu's broad chest, the clatter of horse hooves goes on the country road, the corners of her clothes flutter gently, leaving a picture of happiness.

Li Mu whispered, "I gave my heart to the State of Zhao, but you suffered. Zhan'er is like this because I, as a father, have not fulfilled my responsibilities. I am very distressed to see him fall ill. Zhan'er must be my son. Although he does not have my strong body and sincere heart, he has my backbone. I was wrong."

Na Lanxue opened her beautiful eyes, looked up at Li Mu's face behind her, and smiled, "Will my great general also bow his head and not chase us away?"

Li Mu hugged Lan Xue tightly and said, "I will never say such angry words again, never!"

Na Lanxue said softly: "Do you know what I like about you?" "I like your sincerity and courage. I haven't heard it for a long time."

"Don't you hate me?"

"You knew that my father was killed by your soldiers, but you still married me and were not afraid of my revenge. This is courage. This courage shows that you like me very much. I have long been impressed by your courage." After saying this, she shyly snuggled up to Li Mu's arms.

Li Mu looked at his son and said, "Won't he hate me?"

Lan Xueqing sighed, "I don't know about that. I don't know what our Zhan'er is thinking. He always surprises me. I feel sorry for him. He is suffering from illness and cannot be like other children. What else can he do except daydreaming and forgetting the pain?"

Li Mu said: "I was too cold to him!"

……

The three men returned to the mansion, and before they could dismount their horses, a servant came forward and said, "Reporting to Lord Wu'an, General Pang Nuan and General Sima Shang have been waiting in the living room for a long time!" Upon hearing this, Li Mu immediately dismounted and went to the living room to meet the two generals.

Li Mu bowed and saluted, smiling, "I wonder what important matter has brought the two generals to the Han Mansion?"

The two generals returned the greeting and sat down. Sima Shang said bluntly, "If it weren't for Wu Anjun's obstruction, I would have killed that bastard Guo Kai last night!"

Li Mu said: "Guo Kai is a veteran of two dynasties and is deeply trusted by our king. If we kill him, our king will be furious. Cutting off our heads is a small matter, but it will ruin the anti-Qin plan. Although we defeated the Qin army this time, I guess they will come back soon. Who will resist us then?"

Pang Nuan said: "That being said, my King Zhao is immersed in the harem and ignores state affairs. Everything is communicated by Guo Kai. If this continues, the country will no longer be a country. Therefore, we must first get rid of Guo Kai, force King Zhao to abdicate, and establish Chunping Jun as King Zhao."

After hearing this, Li Mu said angrily: "How could you think of such a treasonous act? We are all paid by the State of Zhao, how could we have such evil intentions? General Pang, just pretend I didn't hear this and don't mention it again!"

After hearing this, the two looked at each other. They knew what Li Mu meant, but Pang Nuan was unwilling to give in and continued, "The general is fighting outside and doesn't know anything. Guo Kai is practicing witchcraft and the king is obsessed with it, even more than King Zhou of Shang. This is a witch in power and the king is licentious. If we don't act quickly, Zhao will be in danger before the Qin army destroys the country. The general has a large army and is deeply loved by the people. He can command a hundred people to respond to his call. As long as he leads the troops to surround the palace without losing a single soldier, we ministers can persuade the king to give up the throne and kill Guo Kai. By then, the general will assist in establishing a new king, and his contribution will be indispensable. In an instant, the declining situation of Zhao can be reversed. The general should think twice!"

Li Mu knew all these interests, but he was loyal to the end. How could he force his master to change his position? He pondered for a long time, stood up, stood with his hands behind his back, and said solemnly: "If I were asked to die on the battlefield, I would never hesitate, but if I were asked to lead troops to rebel, it would be difficult for me, Li Mu, to do it. Please go back, generals. If you start a rebellion, I will not interfere."

The two came this time with the intention of testing Li Mu's attitude. Li Mu was the key to this coup and would decide its success or failure. Seeing Li Mu's refusal, how could the coup go on? Sima Shang wanted to persuade him again, but Pang Nuan winked and said, "Since the general has no intention for the time being, we can only wait for the opportunity to act. When the general has figured it out, as long as he raises his arm and calls for action, we will follow his lead!"

After saying this, the two of them took their leave. Just as they were about to leave, they saw a retainer come in and say, "The Prime Minister sent four carriages over, saying they were presented to Lord Wu'an. The carriages are now parked in the courtyard, waiting for Lord Wu'an to inspect them!"

After hearing this, Li Mu frowned, wondering what kind of medicine Guo Kai was selling. He walked to the courtyard and saw four carriages parked side by side in the yard. Li Mu stepped forward and lifted the curtains to see two beautiful Hu women with blond hair and blue eyes sitting inside. He asked in confusion, "What does the Prime Minister mean?"

The attendant in the Prime Minister's Mansion stepped forward, bowed and said, "The Prime Minister heard that Wu'an Jun likes Hu women, so he carefully selected eight Hu women from the Western Regions and ordered me to present them to Wu'an Jun and keep them as his servants. Please accept them!"

When Li Mu heard this, he was furious. He thought, "Guo Kai is indeed a traitor and a demon. He actually used such a despicable method to please me. Who do you think I am?" He said coldly, "Who do you think I am? Don't bother with me. I, Li Mu, cannot accept such a great gift. Take it back quickly!"

The guest in brocade clothes said, "The prime minister ordered me that if Wu'an Jun doesn't like them, I should kill them on the spot to avoid insulting Wu'an Jun's statement. I can go back and report!" Then he ordered his servants to pull out the eight Hu women and prepare to stab them to death.

Li Mu thought, "I wanted to come to apologize, ease the relationship within the court, and jointly resist Qin. I didn't expect that before I came, he took the initiative to show goodwill in this way, openly letting others know that he wanted to win me over. Whether to keep these people or not, he has already handed them over to me. He used the method of killing these Hu women to show his determination. What he did was really ruthless."

Pang Nuan and Sima Shang thought to themselves, "Guo Kai is such a demon with a very sharp sense of smell. He sensed it immediately when we came to test him." They stood aside and watched how Li Mu would respond.

Seeing that he was about to stab the terrified Hu women to death, Li Mu shouted, "Wait a minute, take these Hu women back, I'm going to see the Prime Minister!"

After hearing this, the servant laughed and said, "Then please ask Wu Anjun to follow me back to report!"

After the two generals sighed and left, Li Mu rushed to the Prime Minister's Mansion with four carriages. Although the Prime Minister's mansion was large, it was very simple. If you just looked at the mansion, it would be hard to associate it with a treacherous minister. However, there were many guests in the mansion, all of whom were covetous and had strong martial arts skills.

After reporting, Guo Kai, dressed in official uniform, walked quickly out of the door, bowed and said, "If Wu'an Jun doesn't like my gift, just kill him. Why bother to come here? Come in!" As he said that, without waiting for Li Mu to return the greeting, he pulled Li Mu inside.

Li Mu came here to send the Hu girl back and express his gratitude, and to apologize to Guo Kai for what happened last night to ease the relationship. Unexpectedly, he was warmly received by Guo Kai. He smiled and said, "I am very sorry for the gift from the Prime Minister. I hope you can take back your order!"

Guo Kai laughed and said, "Mr. Wu'an cares too much about the lives of those slaves. It is their honor to die in your house!" As he spoke, he had already entered the hall.

Li Mu said, "Your Majesty, you have praised me too much. I came here to apologize to you for not taking good care of me last night. I hope you don't mind!" Guo Kai said, "No, no! If it weren't for Wu'an Jun's rescue, I would have died at the hands of an evil man. I am grateful to you in time!" After he sat down, two handsome men with white faces came in and offered tea.

Li Mu said: "How can I let the Prime Minister have something happen in my house? How can I fail to take good care of him? How can I express my gratitude!"

Guo Kai took a sip of tea and sighed, "People say that I, Guo Kai, am a demon in power, deceiving the subordinates and deceiving the superiors. The elders want to get rid of me as soon as possible, but they have no choice. My king is addicted to wine and women and ignores state affairs. I have repeatedly advised him to put national affairs first, but my king not only did not accept my advice, but also put all the important matters on me. My king did not listen to me. Several important matters were discussed with my king, affecting his enjoyment. If it were not for the fact that I made aphrodisiac for the king, I would have almost died in the harem!"

Li Mu was shocked when he heard this, thinking: "As expected, Guo Kai really made the medicine for the king, and the king was deeply involved!" Li Mu said: "If that's the case, why doesn't the prime minister stop making medicine for the king?"

Guo Kai smiled bitterly and shook his head, "I also want to. If it can be stopped, my death will not matter. But even if I die, my king will continue. I don't know who will control the state affairs. Those elders have been planning to rebel for a long time. If they use this to threaten me, my king will abdicate immediately. I am a senior minister entrusted with the care of the orphan. How can I tolerate them doing such a treasonous thing? I endure humiliation and bear heavy burdens to support this country. If Wu'an Jun doesn't believe it, you can take a look at my mansion and the general's. The minister of my Zhao State is no more luxurious than you and me. Wu'an Jun's salary is used in the country's army, and my salary is used to maintain the relationship between the monarch and his ministers. If I were greedy for power, why would I do this? I'm waiting for them to kill me at any time, just like the general. With just one order, the dynasty can be changed. Wu'an Jun doesn't understand me, and no one in the world will know." After he finished speaking, he burst into tears.

Li Mu was a man of generous character. How could he recognize Guo Kai's sweet words? He believed what seemed to be from the bottom of his heart and said in a deep voice: "The Prime Minister has devoted himself to the country and the people. I admire you!"

Guo Kai's eyes flashed with pride, and he said softly: "The general was transferred back from guarding Yanmen Pass to fight against the Qin army. It was also because of this Prime Minister's recommendation against all objections. If it weren't for this, it must be that Pang Nuan."

Li Mu stood up, saluted and said: "Li Mu is able to realize his life's ambition, all thanks to the Prime Minister!"

Guo Kai returned the greeting and said, "I don't deserve it. Wu'an Jun is brave and good at fighting. He is loyal and courageous. I know this well. How can people like Pang Nuan and Sima Shang compare to him? These two are ambitious and intend to seize power and usurp the throne and make Chunping Jun the king. I have long been aware of this."

Li Mu thought: "He actually knew such a hidden and dangerous secret!"

Guo Kai continued, "I think Wu'an Jun already knows about these traitors. Today I will take you to see the new king they support. Please change your clothes and follow me!"

Li Mu didn't know what was going on, so he asked, "Where are you taking me, Prime Minister?"

Guo Kai said with a smile: "Don't worry, Wu'an Jun. I won't frame him. I want to take Wu'an Jun to the palace to see someone. In order to facilitate entry, I'm sorry to trouble you, General!"

Li Mu changed his clothes and followed Guo Kai into the carriage to the palace. He got off the carriage in front of the main gate of the palace. The guards did not dare to question him. Guo Kai took Li Mu directly to the Queen Mother's bedroom. There was no one guarding the bedroom. Before they reached the palace, Li Mu said, "This is my Queen's palace. Anyone who enters without an imperial decree will be killed. What are you doing, Prime Minister?"

Guo Kai said: "My king is out for fun today, and this person must be here. If my king is to punish me, it will be all my fault!"

Li Mu was still hesitating, Guo Kai said: "Let Wu Anjun come here to see the 'new king'!"

After hearing this, Li Mu thought to himself, "Why is Chunping Jun here? Is he having an affair with the Queen Mother?" Guo Kai pulled him into the palace. As soon as he entered, he heard the sound of a woman's thirst coming from inside the palace:
"Chunping Jun, hurry up, stop the siege. Xianyang is flooded and the city gates are wide open. Quickly lead your cavalry and march straight in to fight the Qin army."

A man laughed and said, "Although the city is flooded, we still have food and grass. It is too early to fight. When the Qin army is starving and cold, I will launch a large-scale attack."

"The city has been out of food for more than a year, and the Wei River has burst its banks. The people in the city are suffering terribly. Quickly lead the armies of the six nations and annihilate them in one fell swoop."

"My central army has penetrated deep into the hinterland, and the Qin army is surrounding us from all sides, leaving us in a dilemma. What should I do?"

"Quickly order the army on the left to occupy the high ground, beat the drums to boost morale, and contain the enemy's detour. The army on the right will encircle the enemy from the rear to relieve the difficulty in the middle!"

"This plan really worked. The Qin army is now being attacked from both sides."

"Lord Chunping, quickly launch a fierce attack. When two brave men meet on a narrow road, the bravest will win. It's time for you to unify the world and conquer the Central Plains. Ah, the Qin army is about to surrender!"

"No, I will kill everyone in Xianyang City and cut Ying Zheng into pieces!"

"Ah, the general is mighty, invincible, unstoppable, yes, the general is mighty, invincible, yes, the general is mighty, sweeping through thousands of troops and unifying the world, ah..."

In broad daylight, such obscene noises were heard from the harem. Li Mu thought, "No wonder there is no one in the Queen Mother's bedroom. It turns out they have all been sent away by the Queen Mother to do shameful things. Judging from the noise, this man is undoubtedly Lord Pingyuan. The elders in the court are really blind to make him the king!" He clenched his fists, fury rising.

Guo Kai hurriedly grabbed Li Mu's hand and whispered, "Follow me!"

The Queen Mother cried "Ah!" again. Guo Kai pulled Li Mu to hide behind the stone screen. They could still hear the voices from inside the palace. Guo Kai whispered, "General, calm down. If we rush in now and kill Lord Pingyuan, we will humiliate the Queen Mother's reputation and be disrespectful to our king. Besides, we can't explain the purpose of entering the harem privately. We should be patient for now and find a chance later. I brought the general here to confirm that what I said is true. He will come out soon. Lord Wu'an can confirm whether this person is Lord Chunping."

Li Mu suppressed his anger and waited for Chunping Jun to come out. At this time, the man's voice came out again, saying, "The whole world is in the hands of the Queen Mother. What else do I want? But in order to get the world, I can only let your son give up the throne."

The Queen Mother said in a tender voice, "How could he feel wronged? As long as it does not hinder his pleasure, he does not care about Zhao State or the alliance against Qin. He must be enjoying himself in the palace outside the city right now, and he has no idea that his mother is sitting here alone."

"Don't worry, my dearest 'world'. Pang Nuan and Sima Shang have already gone to persuade Li Mu. As long as Li Mu agrees, it's time for us to govern 'the world' together!"

"Why don't you go and ask quickly? Don't let the battlefield be deserted for too long!"

When Li Mu heard this, he was extremely disgusted with Chunping Jun. He did not expect that Chunping Jun would seek power and usurp the throne for this purpose. It was really absurd. If such a 'new master' was made king, how could the country not be defeated? He suddenly remembered his son Li Zhan's words "The Six Kingdoms have no wise leader", and sneered in his heart, "I only know how to march and fight, and my understanding of royal power is not as good as my youngest son." He felt desolate in his heart, and even became disheartened with the government of Zhao.

(End of this chapter)