Chapter 219 — The Strike of the Heavenly Anomaly
The Herdsman of the Wasteland · Page 3 of 5
The assembled civil and military ministers looked toward the voice, and Emperor Yanfeng's gaze followed. "So it is the Cavalier Attendant. If the Cavalier Attendant has some insight, speak it freely."
Shen Mu said, "This minister once saw in the army treasures of the sort called fire gourds. The soldiers store their true fire in a fire gourd day by day, and when the great battle comes they release the fire from the gourd. When the Imperial Hospital failed in refining medicine and drugged the whole of the Imperial Academy into a stupor, it was the former Grand Libationer who took the drug away with a gourd and so rescued the Academy. This minister wonders — might this dark cloud also be gathered into a gourd or some such numinous treasure?"
Emperor Yanfeng looked to the Generalissimo of Heavenly Strategy. "What does General Shen think? Is it feasible?"
The Generalissimo of Heavenly Strategy was surnamed Shen, given name Jian; he was chief of the military officers and head of the Shen clan, a great clan of the capital. He stepped out and said, "Your Majesty, what the Cavalier Attendant says is feasible. But the army does not have fire gourds in such numbers. The army's fire gourds are made of wisteria gourds, issued to the Vermilion Bird Army in every region. Throughout the kingdom there are one million fire gourds in all. One million fire gourds could gather the dark clouds of a single province, but the kingdom has so many provinces — the army's fire gourds alone cannot do it."
Shen Mu said, "The army's gourds are few, but every region has officials and great clans who cultivate arts, and among the court officials strong men stand thick as a forest. Let Your Majesty issue a decree commanding the divine-power wielders of every region to make treasures and gather up the dark clouds overhead. With so many divine-power wielders in the kingdom, where the county magistrates, the assistant prefects, the prefects are all men of power, each answering for his own jurisdiction, and with the army's strong men going to every region to make good what is lacking, I think the dark clouds can be cleared away, seven or eight parts in ten."
Emperor Yanfeng mused. "To muster the divine-power wielders of the whole kingdom to clear the clouds — that has its difficulties. Some wandering divine-power wielders of the jianghu will not obey the court's word..."
"Therefore Your Majesty must act in person, and be an example to the realm."
Shen Mu said, "If Your Majesty leaves the capital and goes in person to each province to gather up the dark clouds, the people will follow like shadows."
The assembled civil and military ministers looked at one another. The Emperor leaving the capital, going in person from place to place to gather up the dark clouds? The great disorder had only just been put down; the remnants of those sects and schools would surely seize the chance to assassinate him.
The Imperial Preceptor of Jingping had gone out to the Waste and returned with his feathers clipped; on the road he had been ambushed. An emperor leaving the capital would invite assassins of every kind, and more besides!
As the others were about to speak, Emperor Yanfeng's eyes lit up and he smiled. "Agreed. Beloved Minister Shen, have you yet other means against this snow disaster?"
"The snow disaster has already come; this minister can do nothing about it."