When Shi Yang of the Shi State heard about this, he was secretly overjoyed.
No matter how powerful the Xie family's army is in the Southern Region, there are times when they cannot withstand natural disasters and man-made calamities. Now, even if there is a good opportunity, the Shi Kingdom does not dare to take advantage of the chaos to invade the Southern Region, because they are still a vassal state.
Xie Lanzhi is still alive.
The Grand Elder of the Southern Region intervened to suppress the rebellion and strengthened oversight of the new decree's distribution within the clan, which barely managed to mediate between the two sides.
On the day the head matriarch sent a letter to the new Tianjing, the memorial tablets in the Xie family ancestral hall were swaying, and Xie Zhengrong's tablet had even fallen to the ground. When the Xie family members discovered this, their faces turned very pale, and they told the head matriarch about it.
The matriarch immediately invited a shaman to perform a ritual to invoke the spirit. Unexpectedly, the shaman fell and broke his head on the way, insisting that Xie Shi was currently experiencing bad luck and that his own spiritual power was insufficient to suppress it.
The matriarch offered a high price to hire two highly accomplished monks and a famous Taoist priest. Upon hearing about the matriarch's nightmares and Xie Shiyi's nightmares, the monks began to chant the Great Compassion Mantra and the Rebirth Mantra for the ancestors of the Xie Clan Ancestral Hall.
The Taoist priest dared not recite the scriptures, but instead told the matriarch directly: the problem stemmed from the head of the Xie family; she was no longer tolerated by Heaven and would perish young. The Xie family prospered because of her, and would only decline because of her.
Its rise and fall depend entirely on one person; it is destined to decline within half a year.
Upon hearing this, the Xie family of the Southern Region immediately expelled the Taoist priest from the region and threatened to demolish his temple. The matriarch intervened, casting a pleading look at the two high monks.
The two eminent monks chanted scriptures for three days and three nights with great devotion. On the fourth day, the main beam of the ancestral hall suddenly broke, nearly killing the two monks.
Xie Zhengrong's memorial tablet was even broken in two by the falling main beam.
At this point, the two eminent monks finally couldn't contain their fear and told the head nun, "We monks are unable to communicate with the underworld. The ancestors of the Xie family are blocking the way to the Yellow Springs, all clamoring to take Master Xie's life."
The matriarch was immediately struck dumb and fainted.
The ancestral hall collapsed, and the warnings of the eminent monks and Taoist priests reached the new Tianjing. The Xie clan had no choice but to believe in superstitions. No one expected that in just ten days, the Xie lord would be about to fight General Wang at Nilubei, the Xie general would be diagnosed with a terminal illness, thousands of Xie clan members would drown in a flood, Xie clan merchant ships would capsize, and the entire Xie clan, from top to bottom, would suffer misfortune.
Xie confirmed the rumors, believing it to be retribution for the Grand Marshal's killing of his father and relatives.
As the head of the wives in the inner palace, Lady Wang made large donations in Tianjing, opening granaries and distributing cattle and sheep to the poor, hoping to gain Heaven's forgiveness in this way.
Her actions affected everyone in the Xie family, and the people of the new Tianjing had no choice but to believe that the Xie family's misfortune was because their leader had been cursed by their ancestors.
And who would be cursed by their ancestors? Only unfilial descendants! That's why their ancestors would haunt them and seek revenge.
In no time, the story of Xie Lanzhi killing her father and relatives began to circulate in the streets and alleys. Students' attitudes toward Xie Lanzhi also became wavering. On the one hand, they wanted to praise her for bringing peace to the new Tianjing and even the entire south. On the other hand, they were eager to use filial piety to intimidate people and expand their influence.
Until Si Xitong issued a decree to stop the flow of people in the new Tianjing, ordering the government to arrest those who spread rumors and caused trouble, and those who threatened the rear. Once caught, they could be executed.
Si Xitong executed a group of storytellers and students who wrote articles to admonish them, which once terrified the literati of Jiu Jin and Xin Tianjing, who thought that Prince Feng Ning was going to carry out a literary inquisition.
Everyone lived in constant fear, and the streets were filled with soldiers and officers arresting people; even newly recruited soldiers joined the arrests.
Zhang Changle, along with the men of the Western Guard, captured many spies hidden in the new Tianjing.
The Xie family was terrified, and internal strife ensued. Fortunately, Xie Guang, despite his illness, came out to take charge of the situation. Wu Qiu also held several positions, coordinating the affairs of Tianjing while helping to handle the Xie family's affairs.
When Xie Xia learned that his second brother was ill, he took leave from Weiduna to come back and visit him.
After General Zuo returned, things calmed down a bit. However, every night, the baby in the Xie family cried, the dogs barked, and the roosters crowed. These strange phenomena caused many superstitious people to move out of the house.
People started moving into nearby Taoist temples and Buddhist monasteries, which quickly became overcrowded.
Xie Xia originally wanted to report the frequent capsizing of boats in Weidu, but now he sees chaos everywhere in his own clan, with people in a state of panic, and some even saying that the old marshal has turned into a vengeful ghost to seek revenge.
Xie Xia didn't believe in superstitions at all, thinking it was just bad luck. But when he passed by a restaurant and a flowerpot fell from the sky and hit him on the head, blooming into flowers, he started to believe in superstitions.
Xie Guang forced himself to suppress the rumors and gossip, and finally managed to keep the lower-level Xie family in check.
The news of Xie Xia's head being blown open reached the clan again, truly a double whammy; almost all the upper echelons of the Xie clan suffered some kind of misfortune.
The timid believe that ghosts are following them and plotting to harm them, while the bold patrol every night with a talisman, fearing that they will be next.
Now, more and more members of the Xie family are practicing vegetarianism and chanting Buddhist scriptures. As a result, no one is available to maintain order at the vacant positions. Xie Guang arrested a few people and punished them in the street. Afterwards, he released them, and they went back to practicing vegetarianism and chanting Buddhist scriptures, saying it was to avoid disaster.
Finally, Xie Guang could no longer tolerate it, and he privately dismissed six central guards, seven commanders of a thousand men, and more than thirty commanders of a hundred men.
Then they replaced him with people from the lower ranks of the Xie family, but the lower ranks were a mixed bag, and they caused a lot of trouble as soon as they took office.
Xie Guang had to clean up their messes, which only caused more trouble. He had no choice but to dismiss these people from their posts and promote them upwards, from centurions to chiliarchs, and from chiliarchs to central guards, and so on, in order to barely maintain order within the Xie clan.
One night, Xie Guang finally couldn't hold back and told his brother Xie Xia the truth: "The Marshal's time is probably up!"
Xie Xia said in a panic, "Second Brother, please don't talk nonsense."
“I don’t want to make things up, but since I got sick, I’ve had trouble sleeping day and night. When I finally manage to get some sleep, I dream about my old man.” Xie Guang said with a heavy expression, “It’s been ten years since my old man passed away, and I’ve never dreamed about him. But just when the Xie family was going through a rough patch, he stood by my bedside and kept sighing.”
"Then the marshal pushed open the door and came into my room. She just stared at me intently, and no matter what I asked, she wouldn't answer."
"After that, the old man started cursing at me, but I don't remember what he said. The old man only left after the marshal left my room."
Xie Xia felt a chill run down his spine. Why hadn't he dreamt of it? And after his head was smashed, the Western Guard sent people to investigate and said it was intentional. They even arrested the culprit. But he still found it unbelievable.
“Brother, besides you, I’ve heard that many people in the clan dream about their great-uncle and maternal grandfather.” Xie Xia touched his bandaged head. “The matriarch also wrote to say that she always dreams of the marshal standing by her bedside, covered in blood, saying nothing, just bleeding. It breaks her heart.”
After all, he was a child she watched grow up.
Xie Guang's expression grew increasingly grave: "And your sister-in-law, last night she dreamt that Gou Ying fell into the water and drowned, and today she's insisting that I call her back to Tianjing."
"At this critical juncture, how can I not call for Gou Ying to lead men to guard the rear for the Marshal? Otherwise, if the Huns violate the treaty and attack Jinghua Prefecture, wouldn't the Marshal be attacked from both sides?"
"Eleven elders even dreamed that the marshal was crushed to death by rocks at Nilupo."
"Sixth Brother, now I have no choice but to believe it."
Xie Xia felt a chill run down his spine. He said, "But I haven't dreamed about it."
Xie Guang told him not to overthink it; at this point, the only way to stabilize morale was to wait for the marshal to return from Nilupo.
The Xie family is just experiencing a temporary stroke of bad luck.
As another coal mine was discovered on a hilltop in Jiujin, Li Ling immediately ordered people to keep a close watch on it and to further restrict the spread of smoke and fire in the vicinity.
The more good news came from Jiujin, the more people on the Xie family would suffer misfortune.
Some were corrupt officials caught by Haiyun and went straight to jail. Xie was also unlucky; he scared himself to death that night.
This was the first time someone in the Xie clan had died of fright. When the Xie clan members collected the body, they would skillfully chant "Amitabha."
The Xie family's side is in an uproar.
At this moment, the sky above Niliubei was cloudless, without a single cloud in sight, and without a trace of impurity.
After Xie Lanzhi entered the hunting grounds, Artu also came alone.
The hunting grounds were vast, at least a kilometer long. Small animals occasionally darted through the woods, birds chirped, and people rode their horses to meet. Everything seemed so natural, like friends meeting, without a trace of tension.
Artur watched as Xie Lanzhi stood with her back to the sunlight, the shadows falling over her head, making her forehead appear to be covered with a dark aura.
He greeted him first: "Marshal, you don't look well. Could it be that your injuries haven't healed yet?"
"General, I thought your injuries hadn't healed when I saw you coming in so slowly," Xie Lanzhi replied.
"I'm perfectly fine, but the Marshal is in deep trouble." Artur felt she was about to die at his hands, so he was fearless and dared to say anything: "Do you know what this place is called?"
Xie Lanzhi said, "The Nilupo of Lu State."
"Yes, this is the very place where you, Marshal, will meet your end!" Artur flicked his weapon, his expression revealing undisguised smugness and even the air of a victor.
Xie Lanzhi simply smiled faintly and replied, "How do you know?"
“Now that things have come to this, I’m not afraid of you running away.” Artur said, “Marshal Xie, have you ever heard of calamity falling from the sky, a sign of divine retribution?”
"This is the punishment for those who are disloyal and unfilial."
Xie Lanzhi found it amusing and retorted, "If I pacify Tianjing and eradicate the deaths and calamities caused by the various Jin states as the root of my misfortune, I am willing to accept such divine punishment."
"But there are perpetrators in this world who are more brutal than me, who bring calamity to an entire generation."
"If I am punished by the heavens, then it will not be long before Aqina is also condemned to annihilation."
Artur sneered: "Thank you, Marshal. The king is a monarch whose crimes are committed in this era but whose merits and demerits will last for a thousand years."
"Everything the king did was for the common prosperity of the Central Plains. People today may complain about him, but future generations will surely respect him as an emperor for all ages."
“The king is a man ordained by Heaven, unlike you. He was born of Heaven and came into being in accordance with destiny. How can you compare to him?”
Xie Lanzhi didn't want to waste any more words with him. After she revealed her long halberd from behind her waist, Artu also shut his mouth.
Suddenly, the once clear blue sky was overcast with dark clouds, gathering like a raging torrent above Nilupo. The gray expanse created an oppressive atmosphere, the air grew increasingly humid, and birds scattered. The people and soldiers of Lu stared in astonishment at the sky, wondering why it had started raining so suddenly. And it looked like a downpour.
The people evacuated and returned to the capital.
The armies began to pitch tents together, and the envoy from Lu began to worry that his own people would not be able to stop the army brought by the Xie clan and the Hu Xiongnu.
Xie Lanzhi looked up at the sky. The light was blocked by dark clouds, which made her black-armored claws appear as dark and fierce as if they were piercing the shadows of the night. Her forehead was covered with dark lines that looked like death.
Looking at Artur, the sky above was covered with dark clouds, with only a sliver of light peeking through the overlapping clouds, illuminating his silver armor and making him appear like a celestial warrior descending from heaven. In contrast, Xie Lanzhi was like a demon crawling out of an abyss; she was unforgiving and trapped in an unpredictable predicament, seemingly at the mercy of Artur, who appeared to be a celestial warrior opposite her.
Xie Lanzhi looked at Tianming, who seemed to be on his side, and could even see Artu's expression of "it was all destined." He treated her as if she were his savior.
"Look at the sky!" Artur raised his index finger upwards, his air of unbridled pride exuding confidence. "Everyone is on the King's side. The King is surely the chosen one!"
"This general will take the place of the king to punish the variables that should be eliminated!"
Xie Lanzhi remained expressionless as she watched Artu display his righteous indignation and adoration for Aqina, much like Xie's admiration for her.
The difference is that she never deceived the Xie family. She laid out all her thoughts and attitudes. Those who accepted her would obey her, while those who opposed her would be eliminated by her.
On the contrary, Achina's claim to be the chosen one was merely a deception.
Artur kept his promise to declare the regime of the Four Seas Capital, which shows that he was a man of strong character.
Today's blind worship of Achina has made him a pathetic figure.
Xie Lanzhi looked at him with a hint of regret and said, "Artu, I've just realized you're a naive person."
“I don’t dislike you.” She paused, a sinister glint in her eyes, “but I’m growing to loathe Aqina more and more!”
Chapter 139 A fatal disaster
The Xie family has suffered a major setback, and everyone is looking for ways to remedy the situation.
The Grand Master of the Southern Region directly summoned a Taoist priest from the deep mountains, hoping to defy fate and change his destiny. The Taoist priest had been saved by the Grand Master when he was young, and thus owed her a debt of gratitude.
Now that their benefactor has requested it, the Taoist priest in the deep mountains plans to set up an array as a sacrifice to help the Xie family defy fate. Even if it doesn't work, as long as the birth dates and times of people born on the same day, month, and year can be used to resist the calamity that befalls the Xie family, even if it cannot fundamentally change their destiny, it can at least delay the day the calamity arrives.
The Taoist priest first divined that the Xie family was destined to decline within five years, which caused him great regret. Then he divined that the Xie family's main palace was close to the Ziwei star, which is the emperor's destiny palace. The Taoist priest then discovered that the emperor's destiny palace was becoming increasingly bright, indicating that the Jin dynasty might be restored.
He concluded that Xie Zhu would die at the hands of the Jin dynasty in the future.
The most powerful member of the Jin dynasty now is no longer Si Lei of Weidu, but Princess Si Xitong of Fengning.