Tome of Troubled Times
Chapter 789 (1): Letting the Warhorses Drink at Hanhai

Chapter 789 (1): Letting the Warhorses Drink at Hanhai

“Oh? Holding a meeting?” Zhao Changhe grinned as he sidled up beside Huangfu Qing to look at the map. “So, have you found Vulture Beak’s main force and are now discussing how to crush them?”

The generals in the tent all subtly averted their gazes. Meanwhile, the shamans from the temple, who had been sitting stiffly, immediately prostrated themselves on the ground, bowing their heads in reverence.

That silhouette walking toward the altar with their god’s severed head in hand had left far too deep a psychological scar on them.

Watching their reaction, Huangfu Qing gritted her teeth even harder, her voice practically squeezing through the gaps between them, “King Zhao, the weather is freezing. You’re injured and newly wedded, so why aren’t you staying buried under the blankets for another three days?”

It wasn’t that cold, really. Though the season carried the lingering chill of late spring, as long as it was not raining, those who cultivated barely felt the cold. And Huangfu Qing, a Profound Control Realm cultivator who specialized in the fire element, certainly was not struggling with the temperature.

But with the way she phrased it, the sourness in the air was acid enough to dissolve the entire command tent.

The generals tilted their heads even further to the side. Huangfu Shaozong, for one, was fighting hard to stifle his laughter.

Never in his life had he imagined his fierce and unstoppable big sister having such a moment. Just for this alone, he suddenly felt the urge to meet the Marquis of Wu, Tang Buqi, the man he had long admired from afar. He felt that the two of them should sit down for a heart-to-heart conversation, exchange childhood trauma stories of being beaten by their older sisters, and reminisce over their shared suffering.

Meanwhile, Zhao Changhe, utterly shameless, declared, “This old husband just carried out some divination and found that battle was imminent, so I came to assist our Supreme Commander...”

“Old husband? What kind of old husband?” Huangfu Qing’s tone was icy cold. “Do you mean the kind that comes with an old wife? You married so late in life that you might as well be losing your teeth. I’ve never seen such shamelessness...”

“Hey, we’re getting married too,” Zhao Changhe countered with just five words, and Huangfu Qing sank on the spot.

“...Shameless, but at least self-aware.” Her eyes darted around aimlessly, searching for anywhere to look except at him. Her gaze landed on her snickering younger brother, and she instantly erupted. “You useless lot! I summoned you here for strategy, but all you do is sip tea and crack open melon seeds like those old men from the capital! Get out! I need to discuss military matters with King Zhao in private!”

Her face as the Supreme Commander was thoroughly lost. She had to chase them out.

The generals scattered like a flock of startled birds.

He might as well be losing his teeth? Aren’t you even older than him? That oh-so-fiery armor of yours cracked the moment you heard the word “marriage.”

In the blink of an eye, the command tent was empty, leaving only a floor littered with melon seed shells.

Huangfu Qing’s neck stiffened, and her gaze locked rigidly on the swaying entrance flap of the tent. “...When?”

Zhao Changhe replied, “Whenever you want. Since the old general is still alive, we should have him preside over it.”

That makes sense... Huangfu Qing’s flushed face grew even redder, but she still refused to look directly at him. “But what about... my status as the empress dowager?”

“You’ll use your identity as Vermillion Bird. You’ll be veiled anyway. Just cover yourself up, and no one will question it. I’ll personally beat anyone who dares spread rumors that the Vermillion Bird is actually the Empress Dowager to a pulp.”

“...What if people write it down in unofficial history books?”

“Who cares? Don’t you know how many Secret Histories of Someone are floating around in every dynasty? Let them write whatever they want. Nobody takes those seriously anyway.”

At this point, if someone were to search the capital, there was probably already a Secret History of King Zhao circulating, which likely contained rumors of palace scandals, outrageous tales of the empress dowager and the empress herself “sharing a husband,” and all sorts of absurd fabrications.

Regardless, this just went to show that there were so many wild secret histories in every dynasty that even the real stories eventually stopped being taken seriously. Right now, the world might still entertain the idea because they knew the truth. But as time went on, the more it was recorded in gossip-ridden tales, the less people would actually believe it.

Huangfu Qing’s face was so flushed it looked like she could squeeze water from it. “I want mine to be before Tang Wanzhuang’s.”

Zhao Changhe fell silent.

Huangfu Qing did not press him for an answer. Her status made it inappropriate to marry openly in the capital, but if they did it here, in the military camp, it would at least be something. That meant right after the war was over.

As for Tang Wanzhuang wanting to be first? Hmph. Good luck. And that insufferable disciple can also wait her turn. I’m the one who helped her become the ruler of these mountains and rivers. She owes me one.

Now that she had gotten that off her chest, her mood improved dramatically. Her face returned to being expressionless, and she said steadily, “Alright, back to business. Why did you suddenly appear here? I can tell your injuries haven’t fully healed. I was being sarcastic earlier, but seriously, shouldn’t you still be resting?”

Zhao Changhe watched her standing beside the command table, draped in a battle-worn cape and soft armor, looking so damned impressive that his heart itched at the sight.

With no one else around, he stepped forward and wrapped his arms around her waist from behind, resting his chin on her shoulder as he studied the map alongside her. “I conducted a divination and found that you were in a bit of trouble, so of course, I had to come help.”

“There’s no trouble. We’ve already won the hardest battle. This is just a cleanup operation. What, do you think I can’t fight a war without you?”

She squirmed a little, her neck stiff as she muttered, “Get off. We’re in a military tent. We should be setting a good example.”

But her struggle was weak at best. In truth, she loved being held like this as they analyzed maps together. It was intimate and warm; it was something she had never imagined for herself. And having him appear just when she needed him most made her so happy she could barely contain it.

Saving face was one reason she had chased the generals out, but the reason was that... she just wanted to be alone with him.

Why keep those useless fools around anyway? None of them could provide an actual strategy.

Zhao Changhe could feel her little display of tsundere pride and smirked. “Fine, I’ll get off.”

“You dare? You had no problem hugging Yue Hongling in front of a crowd. What’s wrong with hugging me?”

Zhao Changhe almost burst out laughing. “Alright, what’s the situation?”

Huangfu Qing pouted slightly but turned her gaze back to the map. “We can’t find Vulture Beak. My divine sense covers a large area, so if I haven’t sensed him, that means he’s just not in that area. But Mobei is massive, so even if I expand my senses, I still have to choose a direction to focus on. That’s what this meeting was supposed to be about, analyzing which direction he’s most likely in. But those fools had nothing to contribute. I get the feeling that all of them just want to head back to the Sacred Mountain and start drinking at the victory feast.”

Zhao Changhe chuckled. “That’s understandable. They all probably thought that everything would be over after conquering Langjuxu, and they didn’t expect that there would still be so much left to do. I don’t think any of them even had a proper rest. Our best bet is to end this quickly. The longer we drag it out, the less anyone will want to fight.”

Huangfu Qing huffed. “That’s exactly why I’m anxious! To be honest, I’m starting to think your presence here doesn’t make much of a difference. When it comes to sensing things with divine sense, you’re not even as good as I am.”

Zhao Changhe shrugged and said, “Indeed, it seems that I’m not really needed here at all. When it comes to military strategy, I’m definitely not as good as the Supreme Commander.”

Huangfu Qing snorted and said, “Well, at least with you here, I get some emotional support... Hey, hey! Hands off!”

No matter how soft her armor was, it was still armor, so it was hard and unyielding to the touch. Zhao Changhe had been idly tracing circles on her stomach, but as his hand wandered downward to her thigh, she shot him an irritated glare.

“I’m letting you stay here to act as emotional support, not to mess with me !” she snapped. “I’m trying to focus on military affairs, so don’t be a distraction.”

Zhao Changhe smirked. “But what if I can provide military intelligence? What kind of reward would the Supreme Commander offer?”

Huangfu Qing’s eyes flickered with intrigue. She bit her lip. “If you really know something, I don’t care how outrageous your demands are. Haven’t I indulged in plenty of your absurdities before? If you can—hey, what are you...”

Zhao Changhe had silently unfastened the lower half of her battle armor, lifting her cloak as he pulled her slender waist toward him. Instinctively, she braced herself against the table, then turned her head with a glare. “You haven’t even told me yet—”

“But Supreme Commander, you look far too enticing like this...” He sighed dramatically. “You have no idea how many times I’ve been gulping dry just watching you march these past few days.”

Huangfu Qing let out a half-laugh, half-scoff. “And yet you managed to keep it together before.”

“Because back then, the military situation was tense. How could I have dared to act recklessly?”

“And now? Are you saying there’s no pressing military concerns?”

“Oh, there are. Our enemies are five to six hundred li away. Thanks to our seven-day ultimatum, they are currently on high alert. We can afford to take our time. On the seventh day, they will assume we are still occupied at the peak of the Sacred Mountain, and their vigilance will be at its lowest. That will be the perfect moment for a sudden assault, ensuring swift victory.”

Huangfu Qing froze for a moment, considering his words. “That does make sense... But how are you so certain about their movements?”

“I’m your husband, aren’t I?”

“You! Ugh... Damn it, this is the central command tent, and you’re actually—Ah!” She gasped as he pulled her closer.

The Supreme Commander remained bent over the command table, one delicate fist clenched, her armor still intact, her crimson cloak cascading like flames. Yet below, her lower garments had been stealthily pushed down to the crook of her knees.

She cast a nervous glance toward the tent’s entrance, feeling as though this scoundrel had been planning for things to develop to this from the very beginning. The thought was unbearably shameful. Yet, deep down, a wicked thrill coursed through her veins because, in truth, rule-abiding men had never really been to her taste.

“Are you really not afraid that... that someone might barge in and see us...” Huangfu Qing spoke between ragged breaths, her enchanting eyes misty with pleasure. She bit down on her own finger, her voice tinged with both complaint and indulgence.

“Don’t worry. I made sure to set up a barrier, so no one can come near the tent... and also, our voices won’t carry outside.”

Soon, muffled moans of suppressed pleasure echoed within the command tent. Yet, just as he had promised, not a single sound reached beyond its walls.

Outside, Huangfu Shaozong and the other officers were gathered around the central campfire, quietly discussing the difficulties of locating the Vulture Tribe. Every now and then, they cast a glance toward the Supreme Commander’s tent, puzzled. This was taking quite some time. They had not even come out for a meal...

No one even dared to consider the possibility that the ever-dignified and fearsome Venerable Vermillion Bird was actually engaging in indecent deeds inside the command tent.

Half an hour later, the tent’s flap lifted, and the Supreme Commander strode out in full battle armor, her posture regal, her expression as sharp as a drawn blade. “Have you all finished eating? Prepare for deployment.”

Huangfu Shaozong blinked in confusion. “Supreme Commander, have you eaten?”

“King Zhao brought rations. I’ve had enough.” Huangfu Qing answered with complete composure. “Through extensive deductions and analysis, King Zhao and I have confirmed the location of the Vulture Tribe. We move immediately.”

“Where are they?”

“The north, Hanhai.”

* * *

Hanhai, much like Erhai in Miaojiang, was called a sea, yet in truth, it was an enormous inland lake[1]. In ancient times, it was known as Beihai, but in the modern era, it was called Lake Baikal—a vast freshwater lake capable of sustaining entire tribes.

However, the region was brutally cold. Few tribes could endure permanent settlement there, and the surrounding land was vast and sparsely populated, nearly devoid of human presence.

At this very moment, on the southern shores of Hanhai, the Vulture Tribe had set up camp within a lakeside bay. The bitter wind howled across the waters, forcing many of their elderly, women, and children to huddle together inside drafty tents, shivering around weakly burning fires.

Even the strongest warriors were struggling against the cold.

Unlike the well-supplied Han army, the Vulture Tribe had been forced to abandon their previous post on short notice. Fleeing from the battlefield and hastily retreating to their homeland, they had little time to carry supplies. It was much like what had happened to Batu, who, after being driven out by Timur, had nearly perished in the desert. He probably would have died had it not been for Lady Three managing to contact Ying Five for aid.

In comparison, the Vulture Tribe was in a slightly better position. They had chosen to withdraw on their own terms, though not by much. There had not been enough time to bring livestock, and resources were critically scarce.

Even so, they all knew one thing for certain: the Han army would not stay here forever. Sooner or later, they would withdraw to return home. By then, the other tribes, having suffered heavy casualties in this war, would be too weak to resist.

When that time came, the Vulture Tribe, having long prepared for this moment, would rise unchallenged over the vast Grasslands. They would march southward, sweeping over the shattered remnants of the war, forging a new Vulture Royal Court upon the corpses of the fallen.

Such was the nature of vultures, rising from the carcass of the Golden Horde, feasting upon its remains.

The Vulture Tribe had multiple possible hiding spots, but they had chosen Hanhai for one key reason—Vulture Beak was certain that Timur would also be hiding there. Somewhere beneath the lake lay a secret realm, the very place where Timur had first risen to power in his early years. Vulture Beak knew that if he did not locate and eliminate Timur before the man recovered, he would be the first to suffer once Timur returned to full strength.

The problem was that Hanhai was vast, an endless expanse of water. Finding a secret realm beneath it was no easy task. Meanwhile, the Vulture Tribe had to split their attention. They had to keep watch for the Han army while scouring the lake for Timur’s refuge. Thus, until now, they had not made any progress.

Vulture Beak was not in any rush. Wounds at this level took a long time to heal. Everyone knew that. Tngri had suffered grievous injuries overseas and still hadn’t fully recovered after months. Bo’e, wounded from the battle at the Imperial Ancestral Temple, had since faded into obscurity, reduced to a mere shadow of his former self. In fact, the Great Han Empire’s decision to launch this northern campaign was based largely on this principle, striking while the enemy’s strongest warriors were still weakened. As for Timur, his injuries this time were undoubtedly severe, no less crippling than those of the others. He would not be back on his feet for months.

So, Vulture Beak could afford to take his time. Once the Han army withdrew, he would be free to act.

1. As explained in an earlier note, the “hai” part means “sea.” ☜

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