Tome of Troubled Times

From the courtyard, they could see through the window into the study where Zhao Changhe was seated, writing intently. Beside him, Baoqin stood gracefully, grinding ink and pouring tea, her gentle gaze occasionally drifting to his profile, filled with warmth and tenderness.

Tang Wanzhuang clicked her tongue. The little bitch is done for. She’s happier serving my husband than serving me. Look at her, look at that softness in her eyes. It’s like looking into a mirror. Well, at least he’s just writing and not doing something more... provocative.

Vermillion Bird momentarily forgot about arguing and stepped into the study, hands behind her back, craning her neck to peek at his desk. “What are you working on?”

Zhao Changhe continued writing without stopping, answering casually, “Using the secret realm’s sky to perform divine descent has a glaring flaw. I can neither see nor enter secret realms. I originally wanted to discuss something with Sisi, but she’s been inside the Spirit Tribe’s secret realm these past days, not in Dali. I tried finding her a few times but I couldn’t, so I ended up speaking with some Spirit Tribe members in Dali instead. Still, I wasn’t entirely reassured, so I figured I’d send a letter.”

“What’s so urgent?”

“Judging by Li Shentong’s movements, our original plan to pressure Bashu with the Miaojiang forces is no longer necessary. Keeping some defense there is enough, but the rest of our elite forces should move east toward Xiangxi. That was where Underworld Guide first rose to power. I’m not sure if he left anything behind.”

“You’re worried about... Jiuyou?”

“Mm-hm. The biggest difference between conventional warfare and dealing with Jiuyou is that the gods and demons under her command aren’t fighting for dominance. They exist simply to spread death and chaos. They will slaughter indiscriminately, without any concern for strategy or power struggles. You can’t apply conventional military logic to them. Meanwhile, Sisi and her tribe’s beastmasters are able to do things far beyond normal human capabilities thanks to the beasts they control. For example, they can use goshawks to observe the battlefield from above. I’m asking her to send a few reliable beastmasters our way. It will compensate for some of our weaknesses. Hm, there might be additional benefits as well...”

“What benefits?”

“The northern barbarians also use eagles and hawks to monitor enemy movements, right? But their control is nowhere near the level of the Spirit Clan’s Beast-Controlling Technique. If our beastmasters take control of the skies, they could wipe out the northern barbarians’ scouting birds entirely. Our soul perception[1] will likely clash with Timur’s at some point, and the interference will cause both him and us to lose the ability to observe things. If that happens, we’ll be forced to rely on conventional means. If we can dominate the skies, the advantage shifts to us.”

Both women stared at him in stunned silence.

In truth, both of them had considered these strategic issues before. It was something that had to be considered. However, neither had thought to involve Sisi and the beastmasters of her tribe. They had always focused on battlefield maneuvers and direct confrontation. Meanwhile, Zhao Changhe reached out across thousands of li to ask for reinforcements, solving the problem with effortless ease. With that, yet another portion of the war strategies they had studied since childhood could be tossed into the fire.

Just as Vermillion Bird had said in the past—while everyone else focused on controlling and mastering this or that, a true master only needed to take control of those who controlled everything else.

The war had not even begun, yet the true battle had already unfolded beyond the battlefield.

Zhao Changhe finished writing the letter, folded it neatly, and handed it to Baoqin. “Have the Demon Suppression Bureau deliver this to the King of Dali with the highest urgency.”

Baoqin accepted the letter but hesitated for a moment, sneaking a glance at Vermillion Bird.

Vermillion Bird made a gesture as if she was about to strike an acupoint to shut Baoqin’s mouth; Baoqin immediately bolted, calling out over her shoulder as she ran, “With all your talk, I can’t even be bothered to argue with you. You old women are in a league of your—aaaahhh!”

Before she could finish, Tang Wanzhuang had already grabbed her by the collar and hurled her straight over the courtyard wall.

Poor Baoqin, so accustomed to being bullied by her young miss, had not even realized how high her status had risen. As the only visibly untouched woman in Zhao Changhe’s entourage, she was practically sacred. Someone was clearly savoring the meal slowly.

Zhao Changhe could not help but laugh. “Why is everyone picking on Baoqin today? Anyway, what brings the two of you here together? Did the sun rise from the west?”

Neither woman was about to admit they had come here just to find a private place to argue or fight.

Tang Wanzhuang coughed lightly. “Nothing much. The supreme commander was about to impeach me for delaying military supplies, so as a proper host, I naturally invited her for a drink to discuss the matter.”

Vermillion Bird’s eyes widened. “When did I ever try to impeach you? I even gave you face in court!”

“Alright, alright,” Zhao Changhe cut in, reaching out and pulling Tang Wanzhuang into his embrace before she could fire back. “Since there’s drinking involved, can I join?”

Tang Wanzhuang was caught off guard, flustered that he was holding her like this in front of Vermillion Bird. She struggled against him, her voice sharp with embarrassment. “Let go! What do you think you’re doing? Baoqin! Baoqin, bring the wine...”

She trailed off, only then remembering that she had thrown Baoqin out with her own hand. The realization caught in her throat, leaving her utterly mortified.

With her belligerent mood completely dispelled by the ridiculous scene, Vermillion Bird burst into laughter and said, “Go on, keep calling for your little maid. I’ll wait for her.”

Tang Wanzhuang clamped her mouth shut, glaring at Vermillion Bird with seething rage.

Vermillion Bird’s eyes curved in amusement. “Why are you just holding her? Touch her. I love watching.”

There was no way Zhao Changhe would dare to tease Tang Wanzhuang in front of Vermillion Bird—that was, unless he wanted to end up sleeping on the floor for the foreseeable future. Instead, without hesitation, he extended his other arm and pulled Vermillion Bird into his embrace as well.

“...?” Vermillion Bird tensed in shock, then immediately started struggling. “Let go! What do you think you’re doing?!”

Tang Wanzhuang had been utterly mortified moments ago, but now, hearing Vermillion Bird repeat her own outburst word for word, she suddenly found it amusing. “Go on, keep shouting. I love watching.”

Vermillion Bird: “...”

For a moment, the atmosphere quieted. Neither woman struggled anymore. Instead, they locked eyes like two stubborn roosters, neither willing to back down.

Zhao Changhe had only meant to break up their squabble, nothing more. Seeing them calm down, he chuckled, “Alright, shall we eat? One of you is the prime minister, while the other is the supreme commander, yet you’re bickering like little girls... You two, honestly...”

Tang Wanzhuang bit her lip, and suddenly, a long-buried promise resurfaced in her mind.

Back then, he had ridden alone into the fray, venturing into a battlefield where gods and demons watched from above. She had been utterly terrified for him, and the only way she could encourage him was to recklessly promise that as long as he returned safe and sound, she would battle Vermillion Bird for him in bed.

It had been nothing more than an attempt to tether him to this world, to remind him that he had something to come back to, something worth living for.

Time had passed. That impulsive promise had been conveniently shelved, too embarrassing to fulfill. But now, he was about to set off on another campaign.

The northern campaign had no fixed departure date to avoid spies. But now, everything was in place. They could set out at any moment. Based on today’s discussion, they might even leave tomorrow.

This was no ordinary war. It involved not just the northern barbarians, but also Guanlong, Kunlun, and above all, Jiuyou, the most powerful of all demon gods, lurking in the shadows.

No matter how much preparation Zhao Changhe had made, whether it was securing Miaojiang, stabilizing Bashu, throwing Guanzhong into chaos, revolutionizing military logistics, or even deploying never-before-seen cannons, no one could guarantee victory in this war. They could only say they had done their best.

So why not fulfill his long-held wish before he left? He had undoubtedly thought about it for a long time. And it would also spare her from becoming someone who went back on her word.

Tang Wanzhuang heard her own voice, as if in a dream, saying, “Forget dinner. Eat her. I’ll help you.”

“Eh?” Zhao Changhe’s eyes widened.

Vermillion Bird nearly jumped out of her skin. “You witch of the Tang family, you...!”

“You don’t want to? Then just sit back and watch.” Tang Wanzhuang smiled slightly. She rose to her toes and pressed her lips to Zhao Changhe’s. “Kiss me.”

Zhao Changhe was no saint. He might not have planned for this, but unless he had lost all reason, there was no way he would refuse. Without hesitation, he deepened the kiss.

Vermillion Bird stared in sheer disbelief, her eyes practically popping out of her head. As she watched her mortal enemy passionately kissing her man in front of her, her hair actually appeared to be blazing. “You two!”

Yet, despite her outburst, the one who was feeling the deepest humiliation was not her, but Tang Wanzhuang. They had different mindsets, after all. Vermillion Bird was a demonic cult witch through and through, and she had once let go of her inhibitions, allowing her to embrace Lady Three and Xia Chichi without hesitation. But when it came to Tang Wanzhuang, ever since she committed herself to Zhao Changhe, she had never accepted anyone else in her presence, not even Baoqin.

And now, for the first time, she was sharing. And with Huangfu Qing, of all people! Though she had instigated this herself, her body was tense and her eyes squeezed shut; clearly, she was afraid to face a reality of her own doing.

Vermillion Bird, though still seething, found herself suddenly amused.

“This is how you want to do things, huh? Alright, alright. This is fun to watch... but wouldn’t it look even better if I helped you out a little?”

With that, she reached out and lightly tugged at Tang Wanzhuang’s sash.

The soft fabric that carried the subtle fragrance of orchids slipped free, revealing flawless, jade-like skin beneath the dim candlelight.

Vermillion Bird giggled mischievously and turned to flee. “You two continue! I’ll be watching from...”

Before she could finish, Tang Wanzhuang, who had seemed so rigid moments ago, suddenly moved. With the pinnacle mastery of her Azure Waves Clear Ripples, she brushed her fingers across Vermillion Bird’s waist, striking an acupoint with expert precision. Vermillion Bird momentarily stiffened, and in that instant, Zhao Changhe caught her and pulled her behind the veil of the bed canopy.

The silk curtains swayed, then fell still. The last thing visible was Tang Wanzhuang’s hand, firmly pressing down on Vermillion Bird’s.

“I’ve already said in the past. Our rivalry... will span our entire lifetime.”

1. This is likely just the same as spiritual sense or divine sense. ☜