Chapter 613: Since Treated as a Scholar of State, Repay with Death

Chapter 613: Since You Treat Me as a National Scholar, I Shall Repay with Death

Midnight.

Tang Wanzhuang, wrapped in the thick sable cloak she wore when first met, was processing documents under the lamp.

Her cough had ceased; Zhao Changhe’s final treatment before leaving would at least hold for a year.

But with too much toil, her body still showed no sign of being a martial artist—frail and averse to cold, a sight that made Baoqin shake her head.

And she was a Triple Hidden Treasure, yet not as vigorous as Baoqin, who was at Triple Mystic Pass.

Ah, Baoqin was no longer young this year; she had turned eighteen, a tall and graceful young woman, her cultivation at Seventh Mystic Pass, a maid who could put on a cold face and act tough when sent out to handle martial world affairs. Back when Zhao Changhe first met her, he couldn’t even beat Baoqin, who was then at Fifth Mystic Pass while Zhao was just at Fourth—though he might have been outclassed, a historical mystery. To this day, Zhao Changhe still treated Baoqin as a little maid who knew no martial arts; heaven knows what he was thinking.

Zhao Changhe’s misunderstandings about the mistress and maid didn’t stop there; he also had a few small misconceptions about Tang Wanzhuang.

For instance, he thought the quarrel between Tang Wanzhuang and Tang Buqi was only natural… Zhao Changhe was relatively better off, at least knowing that if Tang Buqi only wanted self-preservation, Wanzhuang wouldn’t argue with him; Tang Buqi truly didn’t understand his aunt.

In fact, even if Tang Buqi wanted to carve out his own territory, Tang Wanzhuang wouldn’t have quarreled.

Even Wu Weiyang’s loyal subordinates had developed other intentions; she didn’t want to hinder everyone’s prospects and pursuits.

No one’s ideals were more precious than another’s; she had no right to drag others’ futures along to share her sacrifices. Let each go their own way.

The real reason Tang Wanzhuang forbade Tang Buqi from declaring independence was that recent events gave her an instinctive sense of strangeness; she didn’t want him to be thrust into the storm and used as a pawn.

Unfortunately, the local Demon Suppression Bureaus had decayed greatly and many had been turned; she no longer had the comprehensive and timely intelligence she once did, only able to guess and deduce from a few clues.

First, the Li family in Longxi was definitely in trouble—easy to judge, because the Guanzhong tax collection had stopped, citing excessive bandits and mountain thieves… a classic sign of secession; who would be fooled by such an excuse?

Such things were expected anyway; once Xia Longyuan was confirmed wounded and returning, it was almost an open secret.

What struck Tang Wanzhuang as odd was that Li Shengtong of Bashu, who had been mobilizing troops to strike north, had recently halted.

Li Shengtong was nothing like Tang Buqi, who only wanted to carve out a small corner in Jiangnan. Whether his uprising began for the people of Bashu or other reasons, once started, a hero like him would never be content to hold a small patch of land. His aggression and initiative were top-notch; he would inevitably push into Hanzhong and Guanzhong. Would he change his strategy just because the banner in Guanzhong bore the surname Xia or Li? Impossible.

What made him stop?

Then the Yang family’s attitude grew ambiguous. The ceding of Xuzhou was very strange; on the surface, it was said to be a clever move by the court, deliberately letting the Wang family border Wan Tianxiong to stir conflict between them, and some in the court praised Grand Commandant Yang’s brilliant scheme… But Tang Wanzhuang knew full well that no such court discussion had taken place; she didn’t even know about it before it happened.

This was the Yang family’s own decision, seemingly aimed at fueling Wan Tianxiong’s ambition. Tang Wanzhuang could imagine the subtle shift in mindset—the Canal Guild, originally a water-based gang in Jianghuai, now settling in Xuzhou, a northern Qing-Xu region, overlooking the Central Plains—a feeling hard to explain to outsiders.

In fact, Wan Dongliu was too embarrassed to tell Zhao Changhe that Wan Tianxiong even had thoughts of proclaiming himself king. Of course, above them was the Four Symbols Sect, and most of their members were sect followers; without Zhuque’s nod, Wan Tianxiong only dared to think about it.

For the Four Symbols Sect, it didn’t matter who claimed kingship. If Wan Tianxiong formally petitioned Zhuque, she would likely agree; if she opposed, it wouldn’t be out of refusal but a belief in storing grain and delaying the title—a different matter.

In this atmosphere of bizarre attitudes from all sides, why should Buqi meddle? What infuriated her more was that if he were a player in this game, knowing the inside story, it would be fine. But after several rounds of letters, Tang Wanzhuang realized Tang Buqi had no idea about others’ situations. She was so angry she wanted to rush to Jiangnan, flip her nephew over, and give him a good beating with a broom.

A little fool kept in the dark and used as a pawn, and he still wanted to be the King of Wu! The rumors of his claim to kingship had already reached the capital—how could she not quarrel!

Tang Wanzhuang rubbed her temples; overthinking was bad for her illness, and she felt a slight dizziness.

Just then, a fragrant breeze swept by, and a figure appeared before her.

No mask, dressed in palace robes—Huangfu Qing.

Baoqin, attending nearby, didn’t even react before her acupoint was sealed, frozen in place: “Little girl, sharp-tongued, stay aside for now.”

Baoqin: “?”

How have I offended you?

Tang Wanzhuang put down her brush and said calmly, “The Honored Consort visits in the dead of night and first takes out her temper on a little maid—truly unexpected.”

Huangfu Qing glanced up and down at Baoqin’s figure, barely suppressing a pout. That finger strike just now had felt some flesh—ripe. This little maid was actually a bit better built than that book-copying one; truly hopeless.

Imagining certain future scenes, it was already merciful that I didn’t kill you both; why ask about my temper?

But she wouldn’t say that aloud. Huangfu Qing said coldly, “I came to give you a word of advice.”

Tang Wanzhuang was silent for a moment, then said softly, “Thank you.”

Huangfu Qing was taken aback, then heard Tang Wanzhuang continue, “You’re about to close the net. Originally, I should have been a must-kill target? You’re worried that Changhe will resent you in the future, so you came to warn me to withdraw…”

This woman was truly clever, but her persistence was meaningless. Huangfu Qing sighed inwardly and said stiffly, “Don’t flatter yourself. What makes you a must-kill target? If you get in the way, you’ll be like a mantis trying to stop a chariot—rushing to your death. I’ve been at odds with you for years, and some feelings have grown; a word of advice is all I owe to old ties. Anyway, I’ve been ordered by the Venerable to withdraw; whether you withdraw or not is up to you.”

Baoqin wasn’t silenced on her speech acupoint, or she’d have said: Stop being stubborn. What feelings could you two have? Clearly, you’re afraid of being scolded by a man.

The Honored Consort, so deeply entangled… truly strange.

“You’ve been ordered by the Venerable to withdraw…” Tang Wanzhuang repeated, her expression somewhat odd, then shook her head: “Thank you… But doing this might expose your plans; the risk is no small matter.”

Huangfu Qing smiled: “Even if you know, you can’t change anything anymore.”

“That may not be true.” Tang Wanzhuang said slowly, “From all the signs, I can roughly guess some things…”

Huangfu Qing was genuinely surprised this time: “Go on, what do you know?”

“His Majesty isn’t really greedy for power; he has almost no desire for worldly authority. A man like him should have been enjoying the breeze and moon, more interesting than sitting in the palace. The reason he clings to the throne, I suspect, is twofold: one, for convenience when he needs power; the other…” Tang Wanzhuang said slowly, “I suspect his cultivation is tied to it, requiring the throne’s support.”

Huangfu Qing’s expression shifted.

“Your recent actions, no matter how I analyze them, lead to one conclusion: you are creating a concept across the entire divine land that there is no ruler under heaven. Every person has their own king in their own territory; his throne is no longer recognized. This might not have had an obvious effect before, but now that His Majesty has returned wounded, it could actually take effect.” Tang Wanzhuang smiled. “Now that the net is closing, there must be a trigger. I can even guess what it is… If I go to stop it now, I might actually succeed, but with you standing here, I doubt I can leave.”

“If you leave, you’ll die.” Huangfu Qing sighed. “I find it hard to understand… With so little information, you’ve reached a completely correct judgment from such scant clues. Such wisdom is truly stunning. How can someone like you be so foolishly loyal?”

Tang Wanzhuang stared absently at the dying lamp, its flame like a bean, and said softly, “Perhaps it’s very foolish. But Huangfu, if everyone weighs pros and cons and makes the theoretically most correct choice, then why, throughout two eras of history, have so many people shed blood and sacrificed their lives, only to protect those behind them? Were they all fools?”

Huangfu Qing was silent.

“You might say, who is worth protecting, who is not… For instance, Xia Longyuan…” Tang Wanzhuang paused, as if unaccustomed to calling Xia Longyuan by his full name, then continued, “It can be said that the chaos in the realm was caused by Xia Longyuan himself; he ruined the land. Overthrowing him is for the sake of Great Xia. ‘I have only heard of executing a tyrant Zhou, not of regicide’… I know Changhe thinks so. Before, I exhausted myself for the people’s peace, but now I stand on the opposite side of the people. That’s why he always wanted me to retire.”

Huangfu Qing asked in surprise, “Since you know that, and from your tone you think Changhe is right, then what are you doing?”

Tang Wanzhuang said, “First, only His Majesty can suppress the Northern Hu. Look at any faction today, including your Four Symbols Sect—none have that strength. This is very important, very, very important. Aqing, your father shares my view on this; he holds heavy troops but never agreed to your rebellion, precisely for this reason.”

Huangfu Qing: “…Don’t call me Aqing.”

“That’s for the public good; there’s also the private.” Tang Wanzhuang ignored her objection to the address and continued, “Back then, His Majesty overruled all objections to promote me, an insignificant young woman, to head the Demon Suppression Bureau. The court was full of criticism, but His Majesty didn’t mind. I served as his minister for over a decade, and he trusted me for over a decade. Though he sometimes didn’t take my advice, he gave me whatever I asked for, let me wield any authority freely, never doubted or hindered me, never even raised his voice in reprimand… Throughout history, there has been none like him.”

Huangfu Qing thought for a moment and had to agree.

Xia Longyuan indeed trusted Tang Wanzhuang; he hadn’t even deliberately hidden from her the existence of a body double or the killing of the crown prince. That was the utmost trust. Not taking advice on some matters was normal—no ruler listens to everything.

Tang Wanzhuang said, “When my parents wanted me to marry the crown prince, I only told His Majesty I didn’t want to. He laughed heartily and said, ‘Wanzhuang is a national scholar; she should not be confined by the palace.’ And that was that.”

Some had once speculated whether Xia Longyuan coveted Tang Wanzhuang’s beauty, but it proved utterly baseless. He truly treated her as a national scholar. In the years he secluded himself from affairs, he practically entrusted the entire realm to her.

Such a bond between ruler and minister was indeed rare in history.

Tang Wanzhuang said softly, “As ruler and minister, we’ve come to this point. He has failed the realm, but he has never failed me, Tang Wanzhuang. Since you treat me as a national scholar, I shall repay with death—that is all. When you see Changhe in the future, tell him I’m sorry. If there is a next life, I will serve at your side again.”

“Chief!” A knock came from the door, a guard’s voice: “Marquis Wuping seeks an audience, bearing His Majesty’s decree.”

Tang Wanzhuang smiled faintly: “I understand.”

She slowly stood up and said softly, “Go on… Whatever you do, I won’t blame you.”