Tome of Troubled Times

Chapter 406: To Jiangnan Once More

The kidneys were just what Zhao Changhe needed.

Zhao Changhe, still holding on to a bit of dignity, did not openly attend the grand farewell breakfast with Huangfu Qing. Instead, he stayed in his courtyard, eating breakfast in private, enjoying the hot kidneys he was served.

Huangfu Qing, on the other hand, could not care any less. She attended the breakfast banquet in full regalia, behaving as if nothing had happened. She laughed and talked as usual, seemingly unaware of the gossip brewing around her.

Yang Jingxiu also acted as if he knew nothing, delivering a speech full of flowery platitudes, thanking the imperial noble consort for gracing his birthday banquet with her presence, expressing how much it honored the Yang Clan, and showering her with compliments that were all but meaningless. He also extended his best wishes to the emperor, wishing him longevity as enduring as the southern mountains and prosperity as vibrant as spring.

Tang Wanzhuang, citing her condition, did not attend the banquet either. Only Cui Yuanyang was present, furiously stabbing at a peach-shaped bun made to resemble a rabbit, nearly tearing it apart.

She felt utterly annoyed seeing Huangfu Qing sitting there, glowing with satisfaction and radiance.

I was supposed to be the one to enjoy it! What are you so smug about? It’s only because you’re older and worried that you don’t have much time left that I let you have him!

Huangfu Qing glanced at her, giving her a benevolent smile befitting a victor. “Would the young lady of the Cui Clan like to travel with me today?”

Cui Yuanyang continued to stab her bun. “Who wants to go with you...”

Huangfu Qing leaned in and whispered, “You can catch a whiff on the way and get a sense of what it’s like, you know?”

Cui Yuanyang: (╯‵□′)╯︵┻━┻

Huangfu Qing, having won a great victory, led her entourage back to the capital.

The only regret she had was that the woman surnamed Tang had not dared to show her face, denying her the chance to throw her a few taunts. She had to settle for dishing out some ridicule on the sharp-tongued little brat from the Cui Clan.

Although she enjoyed the forbidden fruit and was reluctant to leave so soon, she was still Vermillion Bird after all. She could not lose herself in the company of a lover. She had her own matters to attend to. She did not even want to say goodbye, seeing all that clingy stuff to be pointless.

Yes, as long as I treat him as just a lover, it makes everything easier to accept.

She was not sure if Wang Daozhong had been rescued or not, but judging by the fact that the Tome of Troubled Times had not flashed, it seemed at least that there had not been any drastic events like Xia Longyuan killing Wang Daoning or Wang Daoning killing Qin Dingjiang. On the surface, everything appeared calm.

Huangfu Qing was quite intrigued by these developments... What once seemed like an almighty Wang Clan now appeared riddled with weaknesses, failing to compare to even the ailing imperial court. Their rebel alliance had initially been led by the Wang Clan, but not it was uncertain as to who among them truly held greater power.

In fact, that little lover of hers, the little piggy, had just asked her to relay a request to Vermillion Bird to participate in the battle against Maitreya. After considering it, Huangfu Qing had only said that she would report to the venerable for a decision, but internally, she was hesitant.

Although the Four Idols Cult and the Maitreya Cult were at odds due to their different beliefs, with Chichi even killing the other party’s Saibei Buddha, if they took action in the upcoming event, the implications would be different.

Ultimately, both cults were rebel forces, and setting aside the fact that attacking Maitreya would essentially make them the Tang Clan’s enforcers, just saying that Maitreya was easy to wipe out did not align with the interests of the rebels.

However, there was one aspect of this situation that did catch her attention, and it was the very point Zhao Changhe used to persuade her to relay the message to the venerable: the shadow of the gods and Buddhas behind Maitreya.

There was nobody who was not interested in chasing the remnants of ancient times, and the higher one was on the Ranking of Heaven, the more intrigued they became by such things. Previously, they had only encountered relics and artifacts, but this time, it was the first time they held a real possibility of encountering one of these legendary entities in person. How could Vermillion Bird not be a little curious?

It was incredibly rare to come by an opportunity to communicate face to face with such gods or Buddhas, to experience their power firsthand, or maybe... even capture and interrogate them. This time might be the best opportunity to do so. Could the Four Idols Cult afford to fall behind? Was she to let Tang Wanzhuang scoop up all the benefits while they gain nothing?

From this perspective, not only should I go, but I should also call in that damn tortoise to join as well. I can’t let her say that I’m letting my good sister miss out on the good stuff.

What a mess.

Well... Whether I go or not, I should have that damn tortoise come to the capital for a chat. There’s nothing wrong with giving her a good beating first!

* * *

“So, now that you’re on good terms with her, can you influence Vermillion Bird’s decisions?” Tang Wanzhuang sat calmly in the courtyard, knowingly asking the question.

The supposed “if you truly defy morality like this, I will be extremely disappointed” truly held no ground; her words had been nothing but a farce.

Zhao Changhe, sitting in front of her like a primary school student, had been sneaking glances at her for a while, trying to gauge her mood but finding nothing. He then answered honestly, “Whether she can influence Vermillion Bird’s decisions isn’t important. I don’t want to use feelings for that. Uh... Anyway, the key point is that Vermillion Bird should be interested in the gods and Buddhas behind Maitreya. There’s a good chance she’ll get involved, and I suspect that even Black Tortoise might join in. Their cult takes this more seriously than the aristocratic families and ordinary forces.”

Tang Wanzhuang, as if ignoring his hesitation, calmly said, “Indeed, she can influence Vermillion Bird’s decision.”

Zhao Changhe: “?”

Tang Wanzhuang shifted the topic. “Based on the one who repelled me earlier, their strength was not so overwhelming that you need to be so cautious and rally so many forces. At least, they seem to be under significant restrictions. Do you know something else?”

“When they descended to this world, their power was likely restricted, which is why they needed to rely on proxies for so many things. But if we aim to completely eradicate them by invading their secret realm, their true power will undoubtedly be far greater than what we saw that day. It’s not just about being cautious—I’d even prefer to throw every bit of available strength into this. Right now, I’m even considering inviting the Divine Brilliance Sect.”

“There’s no need for that,” said Tang Wanzhuang. “It’s not always better to have more people. If an alliance becomes too big, things can get really messy. A major operation will likely lead to disputes over the spoils, thereby leading to internal strife.

“At the moment, Ying Five seeks the secret realm itself, the Yang Clan owes you a favor and requires your services, the Cui Clan is supporting their son-in-law, and the Four Idols Cult seeks the secrets of divinity. These interests don’t really conflict, so if managed well, everyone can be satisfied. But if you involve someone like Li Shentong, you don’t know what he might want, and that could be problematic. In future dealings with various forces, you must keep this in mind.”

Zhao Changhe was stunned for a moment, and then he nodded and said, “Thank you for the lesson.”

“I am your master, after all.” Tang Wanzhuang elegantly sipped her tea.

Zhao Changhe looked at her again, wanting to say something but hesitating.

Tang Wanzhuang put down her teacup and sighed. “It’s a shame that a certain disciple’s wife has no manners and left without even coming to offer tea to her husband’s master.”

Baoqin also seemed like she wanted to say something but held back.

Better not, young miss. If you really meet her, who knows how angry you’ll get. It’s better for you to not see her off.

Tang Wanzhuang glanced to her left, then to her right. The expressions on both of their faces made her even more irritated, and she put down her teacup with a bit more force than usual, producing a loud clack.

Zhao Changhe sat upright, immediately putting on a serious posture.

Tang Wanzhuang, with a stern face, said, “What I said last night, if you’re not stupid, then you’d know that it was for the sake of deliberately provoking her to help you succeed. It’s laughable that someone thought they got such a big advantage... Why is it that both of you think I’m unhappy? Do I need to beat you up before you’re satisfied?”

Zhao Changhe smiled apologetically and said, “No, no...”

Tang Wanzhuang acted as if she had not heard him and nodded to herself. “Since you’ve asked for it, I suppose I can reluctantly oblige.”

Zhao Changhe: “?”

Wham!

The next moment, he was brutally flipped over, and Tang Wanzhuang gave him a harsh beating before storming off, saying, “Let’s go to Jiangnan!”

* * *

When they headed north to Hongnong, the campaign against the Maitreya Cult in Jiangnan was in full swing.

The rise and fall of the Maitreya Cult closely resembled the Yellow Turban Rebellion at the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty. At the beginning, it had garnered massive momentum and seemed unstoppable, but after being strategically targeted a few times, its strength immediately waned.

At first, their alliance with foreign tribes yielded some results, as it tied up the imperial court’s military forces and finances, resulting in difficulty in organizing a large-scale southward force.

However, the resistance from the aristocratic families of Jiangnan alone was enough to mire the Maitreya Cult, severely slowing their advance.

Their alliance with the Wang Clan was disrupted by Zhao Changhe, which was a minor issue in itself. The real turning point was not the slaying of the envoy at the gate of the Wang Clan; rather, it was Wang Daoning’s disdain for the Maitreya Cult. The aristocratic families’ contempt for such grassroots cults ran deep, and this disdain was also the reason for the resistance from other aristocratic families in various parts of the south.

Because of this, when the Maitreya Cult was initially on the rise, they resorted to massacring entire towns and clans. It was a desperate measure because if the local aristocrats did not cooperate, leaving them alive would only cause trouble for the cult’s rear lines with the constant risk of betrayal.

But the more this happened, the more they fell into a vicious cycle, leading to an increasingly narrow path.

Once the northern barbarians were repelled and the imperial court was able to spare some resources to support the south, it became increasingly difficult for the Maitreya Cult. When Tang Buqi decisively defeated Maitreya’s main forces on the eastern front at Taihu Lake, it practically signaled the countdown to Maitreya’s defeat.

Their final hopes rested on the Xiangyang front, where they even had a chance to kill Tang Wanzhuang. But then Zhao Changhe inexplicably appeared with the Blood God Cult, turning the entire situation upside down, and even Maitreya himself ended up seriously injured.

From then on, Tang Buqi rallied the southern forces and launched a major counterattack against Maitreya. Within a mere few weeks, all lost territory was recovered, and the troops had already reached the Maitreya Cult’s headquarters in Kuaiji.

According to many historical analyses, this situation was known as “paving the way for a new ruler.” The various forces that had grown stronger during the fight against Maitreya could now enter a new round of competition. For example, Lu Shiheng was one such figure. And the general or commander who had led the allied forces to crush Maitreya could become the next hegemon.

The good fortune of the Great Xia lay in the fact that this commander hailed from the Tang Clan, and they were even more fortunate that his authority was not final as he still had his aunt above him.

As Zhao Changhe made his way south, he could not help but feel strange about the situation. He never imagined that even Tang Buqi would nearly have a chance to contend for the world.

Is there something wrong with this world?

If Tang Wanzhuang was not there to suppress him, it seemed like Tang Buqi could really step up. But then again, without Tang Wanzhuang’s prestige and her dispatch of capable agents from the Demon Suppression Bureau, no one would have really paid any attention to Tang Buqi in the early stages, and he would not have had the opportunity to grow.

What puzzled Zhao Changhe the most was that, though people had predicted that troubled times were coming, it was clear that every faction was still biding their time, waiting for the right moment. So, where exactly did Maitreya find the confidence to be the first to raise the banner, a year before the time was ripe?

Is it due to a lack of education and historical awareness, leading him to fail to recognize the situation?

Or is it because he was forced to act early after the disruptions in Yangzhou and Gusu?

Or is it overconfidence in his alliance with foreign tribes and races and a severe underestimation of the power of the southern gentry?

Or perhaps it’s because they were being urged by the ancient beings behind them, leaving them with no choice but to move? Just what were they thinking?

Zhao Changhe was very interested. Never mind Vermillion Bird and Black Tortoise being intrigued by gods and demons, the person who was truly the most interested in the ancient beings was Zhao Changhe himself. This was also, apart from his encounters with the blind woman, the first time he would truly confront gods and demons face-to-face.