Chapter 1, In the Well, Military Treatise
The residence he currently occupies is located beside the Weiyang Palace in Chang'an, and it is his family's estate
Huo Qubing gazed at the ancient well before him
At that moment, a figure suddenly jumped down from the beam in the room, landing on a nearby table, and it was a rather large 'cat'.
The hair is entangled, seemingly forming characters; on the chest, it resembles "Han's demise," while on the back, it reads "The emperor's fall"
The Son of Heaven, Liu Che, has a group of secret guards, serving as the eyes and ears of the emperor, comprising many extraordinary individuals. This woman is one of the leaders of the secret guards. The other elder is Qu Jun, a capable official under the command of the Minister of Justice, who oversees the laws among the nine ministers.
Just as the thought of being born into a dream emerged, an inexplicable force struck, pulling him out of the dream and back into reality
As the two individuals wore troubled expressions, footsteps were heard from outside, and two figures entered one after the other.
Upon seeing him enter, everyone instinctively clasped their hands together, bent forward at the waist, and respectfully greeted, "I have met with Sir Huo, the Attendant Minister"
This month, there have already been four mysterious deaths of court officials
This cat has a brownish-yellow coat, a stocky body, and a short tail
The young general named Yao Zhao turned around and led the way ahead
The dead open their eyes
The clothing on the corpse had been removed not long ago, and indeed, changes appeared on the chest and back.
The big cat rolled its eyes, looking quite gloomy as it retracted its claws. With a leap akin to lightness, it sprang onto the beam, curling its tail and transforming itself into a furball, then opened its mouth to yawn.
The term "shizhong" specifically refers to the close ministers of the emperor, particularly during the reign of Emperor Liu Che of the Han Dynasty, when their status was exceedingly high
Beside the bed, there is a wooden long table, on which rests an oval-shaped bronze lamp. Below, the lamp's oil reservoir is about the size of a fist, and it can be used to store lamp oil. By extracting the lamp oil, one can ignite it on the decorated lampstand.
The body was discovered by the maid only at the hour of the rat. When we arrived to investigate, we initially determined that death had occurred more than two hours prior, and there were no injuries on the body
However, at this moment, the room was not lit; only the moonlight, like water, streamed in through the wooden rectangular window frame.
The room has an area of approximately three zhang in both length and width, serving as a place for handling official business and reading books. It features a flat stone floor, with a door opening to the south, and windows on both the east and west sides. A long sword is hung on the wall to the north.
The cat also wanted to go out for a stroll, but just as its front paw stepped outside, it heard Huo Qubing say: "You stay at home."
Huo Qubing quickly dressed appropriately and walked towards the door
This is a rather exquisite stone well, with a square wellhead and a round opening, the internal depth remains unknown, and the side length is approximately 10 feet.
The cold moon is like frost, dawn is approaching
At the moment of exiting the dream, he still felt a vital energy surging from his spiritual platform, flowing throughout his body. Ultimately, it converged again deep within his consciousness, transforming into strands of light that, after merging, formed an ancient-style manuscript:
The wellhead is made of blue stone, exuding a sense of ancient simplicity.
Huo Qubing suspected that this well was his own cheat, but he had no evidence
Only
The matter assigned by Your Majesty has made some progress
During the procedure, there are numerous factors; the balance of yin and yang must be harmonized, and the mechanism lies within. The mechanism cannot be predetermined; if it is predetermined, it will not achieve the desired outcome
The bizarre death of an official at this level will undoubtedly have far-reaching consequences
The other four auras, however, are exceptionally vague, making it impossible to discern their specific forms
It was indeed Huo Qubing who had arrived. After entering, he glanced at the corpse and, maintaining a composed demeanor, sniffed the air in the room
Huo Qubing was assessing the layout of the room
Another person wore a hood, completely covering their face, resembling a veil, making it impossible to see their features
He wanted to get close to the edge of the well to see what was inside, but he was always unable to succeed
The person outside the door is a young general in armor, bowing and waiting.
This military genius, rare throughout history, has a spirited expression and sharp eyes. At the age of seventeen, his physique is not yet robust, but he stands tall with a straight back, giving off an impression of brilliance and sharpness.
Here it comes again, this well appears in my dreams once a day, and it has been continuous for half a month...
Hanfu is primarily composed of the shenyi, which requires the wearer to first don an inner garment, followed by an outer shirt that is connected at the top and bottom, secured with a cord. Its distinctive feature is that it conceals the body while maintaining an elegant and dignified appearance
Within one breath, there seems to be a pattern of a winged flying serpent
The form of the written work is clear; as long as one calms their mind and focuses their awareness, it can be visualized.
Because he is currently in a 'dream', his thoughts are not entirely under control, and it seems that there is a force in the well preventing him from getting closer
Suddenly, the corpse unexpectedly opened its eyes, revealing decayed pupils that stared intently at him
Behind the wall is a low seat, where Lieutenant Liu Huai of the Northern Army sits behind the low seat, having died inexplicably, his face bearing the unique rigidity and pallor of a corpse
Behind a low table in front, there sat a middle-aged man with his eyes closed, showing no signs of breath; he was surprisingly already dead
In a room in the backyard, on a lotus-shaped bronze lampstand, the flames blazed brightly, illuminating the space as if it were daytime
This is the fourth incident this month, and the symptoms of the deceased are all the same, with no injuries or ailments
The atmosphere is surprisingly quiet
They are all skilled in investigation and case-solving, yet despite employing various means, they have made no valuable discoveries
Not long after he woke up, before he had the chance to carefully observe the changes in his consciousness, a knocking sound of "knock knock" came from outside the door
Immediately, someone stepped forward and unfastened the garments from the chest and back of the corpse
The recent death of Liu Guanzhang not only involves His Majesty's relatives but also a lieutenant in the Northern Army. If we are unable to uncover the cause, the repercussions will undoubtedly be significant
The individuals in the room conducted a thorough examination of the corpse and concluded that the cause of death was ... . ... death by sleep, with no other abnormalities detected
As the Jian Shu unfolds slightly, characters resembling seal script and the ancient texts of the Six States during the Spring and Autumn period appear, flickering with a faint light
The strands that form the handwriting writhe like snakes and insects, evoking a chilling sense of dread
However, her figure is graceful, suggesting that she is a woman who has fully matured
Its ear tips and the sides of its cheeks are adorned with erect clusters of black fur, its body is a light brown and tawny color, the underside is pale white, and the tail is marked with black spots, complemented by gem-like eyes, making it quite beautiful
There are seven or eight people in the room, and the atmosphere is oppressive
Accompanying the emperor daily, they are trusted and valuable confidants. They can provide their opinions on various matters in the court and are responsible for managing the emperor's carriage, sedan chair, clothing, and other items.
We are currently conducting an investigation. The information we have at present is that Officer Liu returned to his residence last night at 7 PM, and subsequently entered his study, having specifically instructed others not to disturb him
In the next moment, Huo Qubing opened his eyes, ending his slumber, and the ancient well from the meaning and illustrations in the book also vanished.
The ancient well has been manifesting continuously, each time with a surge of energy that disperses into the body, enhancing his strength increasingly. However, it is the first time that ancient scrolls have materialized in his consciousness.
In the night, a brightly lit mansion is surrounded by over one hundred men in black, creating a tense and oppressive atmosphere
In the next moment, the pages of the book closed, obscuring the contents within, vanishing from the sea of consciousness.
He is indeed the renowned champion of the Han Dynasty, whose fame has transcended the ages and astonished the world
What discoveries have been made
Huo Qubing squatted beside the corpse
The woman at the forefront, wearing a headscarf, took the initiative to remove it after Huo Qubing entered, revealing a face with a slightly pointed chin and fair, charming skin
There are two individuals at the forefront of the room, one dressed in black, around fifty years old, with a broad mid-nose that imparts a sculptural sense of coldness, making him appear quite unapproachable based on his features
Huo Qubing shifted his gaze back to the corpse: "There will be changes after two hours of death? That means the time is almost up, uncover his clothing."
In the southern part of Chang'an City, there is a long street lined with towering buildings, predominantly inhabited by the noble and influential officials of the court, featuring grand mansions and courtyards, exuding a remarkable atmosphere
The person was clad in a long cloak, wearing a dark robe underneath, and their youthful face exuded a striking aura of heroism
First, there was a faint black mist, followed by something resembling hair, which rapidly grew from the chest to the back. Within a few breaths, it became exceptionally dense
Huo Qubing contemplated: Within the art, there are numbers, the interplay of yin and yang...! ... It appears to resemble the content of a military treatise!
Huo Qubing reached out to take the clothes from the wooden rack beside the couch
The ancient well in the dream possesses the power to continuously emit; could its true purpose be to create this brief book for www.hetushucomcom?
New hair has grown on a corpse
On the other side of the bed, there is a wooden frame in a grid shape hanging with clothes
This is the spirit beast raised by Huo Qubing, bestowed by the current emperor. It appears to be a cat, but in fact, it is a lynx, extremely fierce
When he attempted to visualize the lower part of the Book of Consciousness, he was astonished to find that the ancient well had undergone a transformation, as five strands of aura gradually rose and were successively infused into the book. Each strand of aura occupied a single tablet, imprinting five distinct patterns.
The manner of this person's death is peculiar; they remain seated, with a tranquil expression, as if they were dozing off before death. There are no signs of injury or struggle on their body.
Huo Qubing was in a chamber, having just awakened from his bed
Huo Qubing sat up from the couch, his expression contemplative
A faint, cool halo emanates from within the well, exuding an air of mystery
Let's go and take a look said Huo Qubing as he opened the door
Lieutenant Liu Huai of the Northern Army has died, and the two were ordered to rush over immediately.
Huo Qubing is seventeen this year, and has yet to make a name for himself in the world
Since Aunt Wei Zifu entered the palace, the great ruler known to later generations as Emperor Wu of Han, Liu Che, became her uncle by marriage, leading to the rise of the Wei family and a transformation in the fate of all involved. Her uncle, Wei Qing, achieved consecutive victories over the Xiongnu, gradually becoming a pillar of the court.
The two leaders in the room both hold high positions and are acquainted with the person who has just entered.
"Huo Shizhong." A voice emerged, deliberately lowering its tone, somewhat somber.
Lieutenant of the Northern Army, responsible for public security inspections, concurrently holding some defense duties, part of the Imperial Guard system, ranked among the Nine Ministers
Based on the experiences from the previous three instances, it is possible that abnormalities may appear in the chest, abdomen, or back of the deceased approximately two hours after death