Chapter 795: Emperor Baoqin

Chapter 795: The Emperor of the Lute

The imperial court, which had been brimming with joy for days, underwent a collective pale of expression at a mere two sentences from the arriving Cui Wenjing.

It was not only because Cui Wenjing himself possessed immense influence within the court and held exceptionally vital merits in the establishment of the New Han and the implementation of its new policies—such that his attitude had to be mollified, lest the hearts of the world be chilled—but even more so because... the missing Cui Yuanyang was the wife of the Prince of Zhao.

Their mutual understanding had begun in obscurity from the moment Zhao Changhe emerged from Beimang, traveling thousands of miles to escort her back to her ancestral home, a tale that had once spread far and wide as a beautiful romance of the mortal realm. Although Zhao Changhe's military life was ceaselessly hurried and Cui Yuanyang had been of a tender age, causing their time spent together to always remain brief, hers was truly a heart that had cleaved to him without looking back since her days as an underage girl; it was unimaginable how Zhao Changhe would break apart upon hearing the news of Cui Yuanyang's disappearance.

Xia Chichi, moreover, was bound to show the utmost gravity, lest she be viewed by others as disregarding Cui Yuanyang's life or death out of jealousy, which would simply look far too unsightly.

She immediately dismissed the court, convening a private, secret consultation with Cui Wenjing and Tang Wanzhuang.

"Previously, Changhe mentioned that the Four Swords of Mountains and Rivers, including Qinghe and Langya, were created by the ancient Fiendgod, Piaomiao. She is the manifestation of the spiritual veins of the mountains and rivers, and can broadly be regarded as the spirit of this human realm. The aura of the mountains and rivers is ethereal and misty, hence named Piaomiao." Xia Chichi's expression was solemn as she said in a low voice, "Yangyang inherited the Qinghe Sword; if one were to say she has been encroached upon by the sword spirit, that would still be comprehensible, but Piaomiao..."

Cui Wenjing said, "I am considering this matter myself as well. It is possible that it is merely Yangyang's cultivation that is insufficient, causing her divine soul and the sword spirit to become tangled and indistinct. After all, both Piaomiao and Yangyang's names appear simultaneously upon the Chronicle of the Chaotic World. In all reason, they should belong to two separate individuals, and if Piaomiao had possessed Yangyang's body, then Yangyang would already be dead and should have fallen off the ranking."

Tang Wanzhuang said, "The Chronicle of the Chaotic World is the manifestation of the Heavenly Dao. Since Yangyang's name remains upon the ranking, at least the worst-case scenario has not yet come to pass. May the Marquis of Ji be at ease for the moment; we will certainly treat this matter as our foremost priority. Just now, I have already instructed people to fly toward Mobei at the fastest speed to deliver the letter and inform Changhe."

The three discussed for a while, but with a clear lack of information, none could grasp the essence of the matter. On her part, Xia Chichi had flipped through the ancient texts of the Sixiang Sect without finding much mention of Piaomiao, while Tang Wanzhuang could practically recite all the imperial collection of classics from memory, yet her findings were not much greater than Xia Chichi's; in the end, none could make a rash judgment, and it could only devolve into mutual consolation.

Xia Chichi said, "As for those two supposedly similar Fiendgods, I do have some clues here... one is highly likely to be Jiuyou."

Cui Wenjing frowned deeply, "The second Fiendgod... Ye Jiuyou?"

"Mhm. It is recorded in my Sixiang classics, and it aligns with Huangyang. Fiendgods such as Huangyang, Anmie, and Yinqui should all be direct subordinates of Jiuyou, or the sort that were subdued by Jiuyou during the end times; their attributes match perfectly. As for the other, I cannot be certain at present, but my personal estimation is that it might be the Night Emperor..."

Cui Wenjing's mouth twitched slightly, gaining a bit of understanding toward his son's urge to burst into profanity.

Motherfucker, it was troublesome enough for it to be an ancient Fiendgod, let alone the second Fiendgod, and with the addition of the Night Emperor, there was a high probability it was that "unknown existence," the first Fiendgod.

Which meant the strongest entities between heaven and earth—the first and the second, two of them.

How the fuck was one supposed to fight?

Was there any great difference between this and making an enemy of the Heavenly Dao?

I only wanted to dote on a daughter, even if doting on her made her a bit of a leaky windbreaker, did you all really have to bring down this kind of punishment!

Cui Wenjing had run rampant across the world for so many years; even back when he had been plotted against and severely wounded, he had never felt such a sense of powerlessness as he did at this moment. The adversary was simply a bit too absurd—who in this world could resolve this?

He was powerless, and Xia Chichi was equally worried; if it truly were the Night Emperor, then their Sixiang Sect would probably be in for massive trouble as well, as it was already no longer merely a matter concerning Yangyang.

Tang Wanzhuang asked from the side, "Does the Marquis of Ji know where Yangyang went?"

"The direction is west. I could not hear their conversation, so I cannot ascertain exactly where."

Xia Chichi said resolutely, "The Venerable One is already marching the army back on the road. Once the grand army returns, we shall raise elite troops once more and strike straight at Guanlong."

This meant simply treating "heading west" as having gone to Chang'an; regardless of whether it was true or not, directly wiping out Guanlong was bound to be correct anyway.

Tang Wanzhuang hesitated to speak, but it was Cui Wenjing who snapped out of it instead, shaking his head with a bitter smile, "The army has only just returned from an expedition; in terms of both reason and emotion, we must let the soldiers and civilians rest. Previously, provisions were also scraped together from all under heaven, and cannot be mobilized again. Being so militaristic is detrimental to the state; this Cui does not wish for Yangyang to be reviled by the people of the world."

Tang Wanzhuang also said, "This matter of the Fiendgods is not a matter of the world; even if we shatter Chang'an, it will be of no avail to the situation. Especially Jiuyou or... the Night Emperor; they are not like Changsheng Tian, who requires spiritual veins and faith. Striking at Chang'an holds no influence over them."

Xia Chichi pursed her lips and grumbled, "Must we then just wait for Changhe to return... I'm afraid he will scold me. He is risking his life in the vast desert, yet a mishap occurs in our rear, and we don't even have a single remedial measure, having to just wait dryly for his return..."

"It is not necessarily Your Majesty's mishap," Cui Wenjing spoke quite calmly. "This Cui did not come here to force Your Majesty to achieve anything in particular, but merely to inform Your Majesty of the situation, so that we may make what preparations we can and deploy more hands to investigate for news; that is all. The matter of Fiendgods is ultimately somewhat beyond our power. This old man is pointing toward finding his son-in-law to cry for help, what of it? It's his own wife, is he going to care or not?"

Spoken right in front of the faces of the son-in-law's other two wives, these words caused both women's faces to flush slightly with shame. The three looked at each other for a spell, as if only just realizing their mutual relationships. Cui Wenjing gave a dry cough and straightened his tall frame up, "This old man will reside in the capital these days and won't leave, waiting for his return before discussing further."

Having finished, he took his leave and departed.

Xia Chichi and Tang Wanzhuang stared at each other for a long while, both able to see the trace of irritation in the other's eyes. Cui Wenjing's final words were clearly cut in half and left unsaid; matching it with that sort of look used to size up vixen spirits on behalf of his daughter, one could deduce that his squatting in the capital waiting for Zhao Changhe's return was precisely to remind him that his father-in-law was right here—don't linger on with your Emperor and Prime Minister and forget about my daughter.

Xia Chichi grumbled, "I thought I could settle down with him for two years... we could even have had a Crown Prince... who would have expected..."

"Cui Wenjing has grown old; especially after being severely wounded last time, his spirit is indeed inferior to those years," Tang Wanzhuang evaluated with an irrelevant remark, not following Xia Chichi's topic, though in truth her heart was also sighing.

Changhe these past few years... everyone said his cultivation was swift, but it had always been like this, without a moment's pause; all times of enjoyment and rest were such a luxury. Recalling now, the times he could rest were almost always spent nursing injuries.

She forgot, however, that she was much the same; putting the past aside, her injuries from the Battle of Yanmen had not healed to this day.

After discussing a couple more points regarding internal administration with Xia Chichi, Tang Wanzhuang dragged her weary steps back to the Prime Minister's manor with a mind full of worries. Baoqin had already brewed hot tea and was waiting for her return; seeing this, she hurriedly came forward to welcome her, helping to unfasten her cloak, "How is it that you were still smiling and quite happy a couple of days ago, but today your brow is furrowed with worry again?"

Tang Wanzhuang pinched her cheek, "It's nothing."

In her heart, she thought to herself that this time, your anticipation of missing your man would probably also fall through... fortunately, he kissed your lips last time, letting your heart have a baseline and making you much more at ease, otherwise by now, who knows how disappointed you would be.

Baoqin handed over a pill, "Today's portion of the pill... how is it that this slight injury of yours is healing so slowly?"

Tang Wanzhuang smiled gently, "How long has it been? Past injuries wouldn't heal for several years. This time it's already much better; Her Majesty's Azure Dragon technique also possesses the Rejuvenation Formula. With Her Majesty's assistance, now only some remnants are left unhealed entirely, which would have been unimaginable in the past..."

"Both have the Rejuvenation Formula, how is it that his use of it was so effective? His cultivation back then wasn't higher than Her Majesty's is now, and his comprehension of the Rejuvenation Formula might not even match Her Majesty's current level."

Tang Wanzhuang sipped her tea, her eyes drifting toward the top of the wall, "He knows dual cultivation; how can Her Majesty and I cultivate that way?"

"Yo~ and here I thought the Prime Minister, an old minister of two dynasties, must surely practice self-cultivation at home..." A voice extremely familiar to both mistress and servant came from the top of the wall, filled to the brim with banter. "It turns out the pure and jade-like Chief Tang talks about this sort of topic with her maid at home..."

Tang Wanzhuang felt no alarm but instead joy, "You're back? So fast! Then he, he..."

"He didn't come back, he's nursing~ his~ injuries~" Huangfu Qing dragged out the words 'nursing his injuries' very long, matching the topic mistress and servant had just discussed; it was glaringly obvious how those injuries were being nursed.

Tang Wanzhuang's expression visibly carried a bit of minor disappointment; the pleasant surprise of thinking their pillar of support had returned turned into nothing but a hideous, foolish bird.

Their frequencies were not aligned; Huangfu Qing actually thought she was truly missing her man, and seeing her like that made her heart even more delighted, "Is it itching a bit, wanting a man to heal your injuries so much..."

Tang Wanzhuang rolled her eyes, continuing to drink her tea and bothering no longer to pay her heed; this sort of minor matter could be left to Baoqin.

Baoqin connected seamlessly, "Then why did the Empress Dowager come back? Did others look down on you nursing injuries together?"

"You..." Huangfu Qing, who clearly held a handful of advantage, was nearly choked to the point of exploding her fur by these words.

Only after stroking her breath for a long while did she compose a smiling face, leaping down from the wall and laughing, "This Empress and he have shared trials and tribulations, journeying and lodging together since entering the frontier, embracing for warmth within the military tent, and lingering in deep tenderness within the divine temple; what need is there to contest these two or three days with others?"

Baoqin felt incredibly sour in her heart upon hearing this, yet on her face, she could only put on the appearance of offering tea to a guest, presenting the tea as she stepped up, "It is our misunderstanding of the military discipline under the Venerable One's command; turns out it's just as chaotic as the imperial harem..."

"..." Huangfu Qing pretended not to hear, sitting on the chair opposite Tang Wanzhuang. She leisurely reached out to take the tea, elegantly using the cup lid to brush away the tea foam, "Speaking of which, this slip of a girl is someone he will definitely take into his quarters, so this Empress accepts this tea with a completely peaceful heart."

Baoqin blanked out for a moment, failing to follow up, only to hear Huangfu Qing take a comfortable sip of tea and say leisurely, "After all, he and I have already, atop the summit of Mount Langguxu, under the witness of ten thousand people and with elders present in the hall, bowed to heaven and earth. Your young mistress will have to honestly call me elder sister in the future, let alone a mere maid."

From the corner of her eye, it was clearly visible that Tang Wanzhuang's action of drinking tea paused for a moment, as if tea water was choked in her throat, holding it down deathly and refusing to cough it out; that pretty face choked completely red looked exceedingly cute.

Huangfu Qing's heart was filled with immense joy, feeling that any exhilaration from conquering Mount Langguxu could not compare to this single moment.

Having fought for sixteen years, do you know how we spent these sixteen years!

An unharmonious voice drifted to her ears, "Turns out it's just this, and here we thought it was some big deal... actually, if the Empress Dowager usually just bends her waist with him anywhere in this outfit, the effect is just the same... could it be that on Mount Langguxu, you actually dared to publicly say it was a wedding? Wasn't it just to make yourself feel a bit better..."

Huangfu Qing, past the limit of her endurance, sealed Baoqin's mute acupoint.

Baoqin made a couple of 'aba aba' noises, her desire remaining unexhausted, humming as she drank her tea.

"Ahem, ahem." Tang Wanzhuang finally let out a cough, speaking with a serious expression, "Baoqin, the Venerable One fought for the state and established great merit; she is to be respected."

Baoqin gulped down her tea.

Huangfu Qing sized up Tang Wanzhuang and asked, "How did you get injured just by fighting a Feng Yin, and it's lasted until now? Are you capable or not right now?"

Tang Wanzhuang smiled, "It's fine... did he say when he would return?"

"Not too clear, that dead turtle is weirdly enchanting right now, I'm even afraid of him being drained dry." Huangfu Qing hummed twice, "Seeing you like this, you must have words to discuss with him again... who cares about him, everything is settled now, could a mere Guanlong still require bothering him? If he wants to rest, let him rest, don't always press everything onto his shoulders, alright. Take this injury of yours, for instance..."

She sized up Tang Wanzhuang up and down once more, suddenly giving an enchanting smile, stepping forward to press a kiss upon Tang Wanzhuang's lips.

How could Tang Wanzhuang expect this fellow to be so enchanting now; she bounced backward as if receiving an electric shock, "You..."

"Oh my, it's just to give you a bit of a sense of participation." Huangfu Qing licked her lips, "How about it, is there any of his residue?"

Tang Wanzhuang could not decide whether to laugh or cry, yet she had to admit it really seemed to have a bit of effect—not his residue, of course, but a sort of boundlessly flourishing vitality within Huangfu Qing's body, which happened to complement the part Xia Chichi's Azure Dragon power had failed to cover. Along with the contact just now, it seeped into her body, nourishing her internal hidden wounds in coordination with the pill she had just swallowed; in a mere instant, her injuries took another significant turn for the better.

This is Zhuque's current power of life and death... so vast that even death could be reborn from it like a phoenix.

Who knows if Huangfu Qing was intentionally showing off her newfound strength, or if after years of feuding with Tang Wanzhuang, she couldn't bear to see her injured—the first thing she did after barely exchanging a few words was to heal Tang Wanzhuang's wounds, though the method was somewhat... well, it left Baoqin staring wide-eyed, at a loss.

"How about it, little beauty?" Huangfu Qing reached out to lift Tang Wanzhuang's chin. "Just call me 'sister,' and I'll heal your wounds right away, so you won't have to look so sickly in front of others all the time. Once or twice is fine, but if it keeps up, men will get tired of it."

Tang Wanzhuang leaped back: "No way."

"Hey? No good deed goes unpunished!" Huangfu Qing left her seat and chased after her. "You'll take it whether you want to or not."

Baoqin understood—it wasn't that she couldn't bear to see her mistress injured; rather, she didn't want her mistress to have an excuse to monopolize the man while recovering, so she was healing her ahead of time...

Baoqin found it both laughable and exasperating—if every household's back courtyard were filled with such rivalry, the men of the world would be laughing their heads off.

The young master was truly fortunate, and yes, there was also such a devoted Baoqin thinking of him.

The two older women were frolicking like young girls; the former mistress was no match for the awe-inspiring Marshal Huangfu, and in no time she was pinned against a pillar, struggling left and right. Baoqin bravely tried to rescue her mistress, but suddenly her waist tightened, and she found herself in a man's arms.

A familiar breath whispered softly in her ear: "Don't disturb them. How beautiful..."

Baoqin instinctively struggled at first, but upon sensing the familiar scent and voice, she instantly went limp, her heart pounding with shy joy.

Then the man's hand gently brushed over her acupoint, instantly unsealing her mute point, sending a tingling sensation through her. She leaned softly into his arms and murmured, "Young master... when did you return..."

"Just at the moment when Qing'er suddenly leaned in to kiss her," Zhao Changhe said cheerfully, holding Baoqin as they hid behind a corner pillar. "I was afraid Qing'er would embarrass Wanzhuang when she came back, that Wanzhuang would be humiliated... but it turns out this kind of humiliation is fine—it can happen more often..."

Baoqin stood on tiptoe, quietly leaning close to his ear, a fragrant breeze brushing past: "Then, young master, would you like to... while the mistress is busy, steal her maid?"