Tome of Troubled Times

Chapter 388: The First Seat and the Venerable

Early the next morning, Tang Wanzhuang received the newly appointed prefectural governor sent by the imperial court. She did not even bother to entertain him with a lunch banquet and promptly left the city with Baoqin and Zhao Changhe, heading north toward Hongnong.

“Aren’t you being a bit harsh by not giving the new governor any face?” Zhao Changhe could not help but ask while they were on the road.

Tang Wanzhuang remained expressionless and did not respond.

She was all sweet and compliant last night, and now she’s acting tough again.

Zhao Changhe found it rather amusing.

Fine, if she wants to act tough, I’ll just let her. It’s kind of cute...

Baoqin, walking nearby, whispered to him, “Idiot. The young miss has always been aloof. She never attends any social events. Everyone is used to it. Do you think she acts the same way in front of others as she does in front of you?”

Zhao Changhe: “...”

Tang Wanzhuang ground her teeth. “Baoqin.”

“Yes, young miss?”

“Ride ahead and scout out for any inns or lodgings we can stay at.”

“...” Baoqin knew full well there was no need to scout out for any lodgings in broad daylight, especially since they were on such a familiar route. However, she did not dare to expose the truth. She sniffled and rode forward swiftly.

I just hope that this gloomy phase ends soon. If only the young miss could drop her facade that’s tougher than a duck cured by Da Zhou, everyone would feel much more comfortable...

Zhao Changhe could more or less understand Tang Wanzhuang’s feelings... Before his forceful kiss, the two of them merely had a mutual appreciation, far from the stage of talking about love. Initially content to see the prince she supported ascend the throne, she felt she could die with a smile. Before then, she had never even entertained any thoughts about romance.

But when he confessed, openly declaring he did everything for her, saying that he would stop if she died, it was a mystery as to what thoughts filled her mind then.

No matter what it was, it must have been too complex to express in mere words.

Using the excuse of treatment to steal a kiss, she did not react at that moment but was ashamed and angry afterward. She fell into indecision on whether to kill him or not.

In the end, she could only resort to some light domestic violence...

Now, it seemed like she had gotten used to it, but in reality, Tang Wanzhuang still did not understand or know whether she was really in love, so she acted tough. Her outward denial was not just stubbornness but genuine confusion.

This was why she insisted on being a master, trying to push the relationship toward formality.

Zhao Changhe felt that he was now almost touching the Ranking of Heaven in this aspect... Just look at what he had done these past days: accompanying her, playing the guqin, reading books, strolling through the garden. He had done everything a couple in love did, allowing her to experience what it was like to be in love over ten or so days.

Her company obviously was not required on this trip to Hongnong. She would have actually been better off resting in Xiangyang. So why had he still invited her along? Well, there was clearly no other reason besides wanting to spend more time with her. Besides staying at home, traveling together and doing something meaningful together was also a great shared experience.

This level, if it was not at the Ranking of Heaven, it should at least be considered to have reached the Ranking of Earth, right?

He sighed.

A man truly progresses fast in matters of the heart.

Come to think of it, he had never seen Tang Wanzhuang ride a horse before. She always used her movement art, gracefully moving like a fairy with her fluttering clothes. This time, riding a horse alongside Baoqin, she suddenly looked quite spirited and youthful, bringing out another kind of beauty.

“What are you looking at? How can you stare at someone even while riding? Keep your eyes on the road!”

“My eyes can see in all directions, and my ears hear all; I don’t need to keep my eyes on the road.”

“Shut up and look at the path ahead!”

“You are my path!”

“Ugh...”

If a lady held no affection for you, hearing such cheesy lines would only make her feel disgusted. But if she liked you, even the cheesiest lines would make her happy inside. No matter how much she acted like she wanted to vomit, her flustered, embarrassed look gave everything away.

Of course, this still meant that he had to endure Baoqin’s disgusted looks. She was the one who truly felt like puking.

Luckily, Baoqin was sent ahead to scout... Wait, why hasn’t she come back yet?

Smoke and dust suddenly rose ahead, and Tang Wanzhuang’s face changed slightly as she pulled the reins on her horse.

Zhao Changhe followed suit, pulling his horse to a stop, and he felt a jolt of alarm in his heart.

Amidst the smoke and dust, someone dressed in fiery red, with a vermillion bird mask on her face, approached swiftly. Baoqin was held in her hand like a dried fish swaying in the wind.

Venerable Vermillion Bird.

Tang Wanzhuang took a deep breath and said calmly, “Vermillion Bird, since when did you lower yourself to pick on a maid?”

Vermillion Bird looked her up and down, her eyes full of emotions that were hard to describe.

Why is it strange for me to pick on this girl? I’ve wanted to slap this sharp-tongued maid since the very first time we encountered each other. What’s surprising about this?

Unfortunately, both Zhao Changhe and Tang Wanzhuang were more concerned about Baoqin than analyzing Vermillion Bird’s expression. Zhao Changhe cupped his hand and said, “Venerable, I’m not sure how this maid offended you, but please don’t be angry at her.”

Angry at her? I’m angry at YOU!

Huangfu Qing’s anger surged just at the sound of Zhao Changhe’s voice.

What do you think I came here for? I knew you were coming to Hongnong for Yang Jingxiu’s birthday banquet and I waited here to join you on the way! And you brought Tang Wanzhuang along?!

Seeing the two of them riding side by side, the affection between them almost spilling out of their eyes, she felt exasperated.

I could have used my identity as Huangfu Qing to appear before you, but now I can’t do that. While Zhao Changhe might not be that perceptive, Tang Wanzhuang definitely knows that Huangfu Qing would not personally attend Yang Jingxiu’s birthday banquet. With that being the case, I have no other choice but to appear as Vermillion Bird.

But appearing as Vermillion Bird means that I can only watch him and Tang Wanzhuang “stand together against an enemy,” with me being that enemy.

With one hand, she leisurely held Baoqin up, and with the other, she pinched and poked her here and there before giving her a smack on the butt. “Tsk, tsk, this maid is quite young, but she’s rather well-developed.”

Tang Wanzhuang: “?”

Zhao Changhe: “...”

Vermillion Bird then stared into Tang Wanzhuang’s eyes, her gaze turning sharp. “First Seat Tang, I wonder if you guessed that Yang Jingxiu marched into Xiangyang at my request.”

Tang Wanzhuang replied, “Indeed, Xiangyang could not withstand Maitreya, and the Wang Clan’s reach was too far. So, the Yang Clan was the only one you could reach out to to move south and assist in the defense... using the favor owed from capturing Yang Qianyuan. Your action to help resist Maitreya was truly righteous.”

Vermillion Bird was infuriated. Righteous my foot!

If there was any righteousness, then it was by means of assisting the Wang Clan. It had been an effort to fix the alliance between the cult and the Wang Clan strained by Zhao Changhe’s actions against Wang Daozhong. Moreover, the subsequent plan was to launch multi-pronged attacks to take over control of the area, with Xiangyang being a crucial point. They could not allow Xiangyang to fall to Maitreya’s hands.

Originally, Vermillion Bird herself wanted to go south and deal with Maitreya, but then she learned that the Wang Clan planned to use Maitreya to kill Tang Wanzhuang first.

She was completely fine with killing Tang Wanzhuang, but there was an exception. She did not want to gang up on Tang Wanzhuang with others, as then even if she killed her, it would seem as though she was weaker than her.

Hence, she declared a stance of “I shall not stoop to ambushing Tang Wanzhuang together with others,” and she did not participate in the campaign on Xiangyang at all.

Then she heard that Zhao Changhe had entered Xiangyang alone, saved the secret agents, met up with Tang Wanzhuang, later killed Yu Cixiu, and executed Lu Shiheng in front of Wang Daozhong, thereby effectively taking over Xiangyang.

Upon hearing this news, Vermillion Bird was both pleased and troubled. She was pleased because her judgment was indeed correct, but troubled because his actions seemed to be leaning toward supporting the emperor, which conflicted with her stance. It thus became a question as to what would happen in the future.

Well, he’s a prince, after all.

And the Blood God Cult listens to him—but why? Of course, this does not prove that the Blood God Cult has betrayed us, since I have never given them any instructions on the matter. Regardless, their allegiance is evident.

I helped you, and now you’re stealing my people?

It must all be because of Tang Wanzhuang’s seduction!

“I have no righteousness, and if I did, it wouldn’t be for you, First Seat Tang... Do you not know that I desire Xiangyang?” Vermillion Bird’s voice was practically squeezed out from between her teeth. “They attempted to ambush you, and I didn’t participate because I didn’t want to lower myself. Do you really think that just because you’re coming out of Xiangyang alone means that I wouldn’t dare to kill you?”

Zhao Changhe raised his hand.

Vermillion Bird gave him a sidelong glance, “Are you trying to say that your being here means that she isn’t alone? I will deal with you later. You can choose between being skinned or having your tendons pulled out.”

She had reached the third layer of the Profound Mysteries. Zhao Changhe really could not intervene in her battles.

Tang Wanzhuang’s expression grew serious. She thought to herself that Vermillion Bird coming to kill her was quite normal.

Luckily, I came out with Zhao Changhe. If he were intercepted by Vermillion Bird alone, that would have been disastrous.

She took a deep breath and said slowly, “Since you are still concerned about your dignity, then let the maid go first. If you wish to give me some pointers afterward... I’m happy to oblige!”

Vermillion Bird tossed Baoqin toward Tang Wanzhuang.

Tang Wanzhuang reached out and caught her. In the next moment, Vermillion Bird soared like a phoenix, and then she dove down with raging flames.

As the battle was about to commence, Zhao Changhe’s voice suddenly came from the side, “Venerable Vermillion Bird, let me show you something.”

Vermillion Bird glanced over.

A black token was in his hand, appearing rather unremarkable.

However, Vermillion Bird urgently withdrew her energy. Before fully clashing with Tang Wanzhuang, she veered to the side, causing the roadside trees to shatter and dust to fill the air.

She stood there in shock, staring incredulously at the token in his hand, “Where did you get the Night Emperor’s token?”