Tome of Troubled Times
Chapter 790 (2): New Ranking

Chapter 790 (2): New Ranking

It was a warning to all who remained. If they wanted a better future, there was only one option: absolute submission. The Grasslands, as they once were, could no longer support the rise of a powerful, unified force capable of threatening the Han. Even Batu’s Warring Lion Tribe, which had once been a force to be reckoned with, was now scattered and reduced to little more than a band of wandering refugees. It would take at least two generations of rebuilding before they could recover, and that was if they recovered.

Of course, if Batu was determined, the Warring Lion Tribe still had a chance, but looking at Batu right now...

“Godfather! Godfather! You’ve finally returned!”

Batu ran out from the foot of the mountain, bowing so deeply that his head nearly touched the ground. “Your son has come to lead your horse!”

Zhao Changhe nearly tumbled off his saddle. “When the hell did I acknowledge a son?”

“Godmother did.” Batu grinned and immediately prostrated himself at the horse’s side, offering his back as a stepping stone. “Please, godfather, dismount.”

“Spare me.” Zhao Changhe knew that this kind of ritualized submission was normal in the Grasslands, but he simply was not used to it. He shot Huangfu Qing a look, signaling her to break up the situation.

Huangfu Qing’s voice was as frigid as winter frost, “Which godmother are you referring to? Where the hell did this godmother come from? Did I approve of this?!”

Batu broke out in a cold sweat.

The biggest problem with his godfather was that he did not have an official main wife. He had no clue which woman to ingratiate himself with, and trying to win favor with one would inevitably offend many others. And the worst of it all was that none of them were easy to deal with. If this frosty-tempered one got angry, that lazy godmother probably would not step in to save him.

Seizing the opportunity, Zhao Changhe dismounted from the other side of his horse, grabbed Batu by the arm, and dragged him up the mountain.

“Enough with this nonsense. No matter how much you bow and scrape, I will never believe you have no ambitions. So this kind of performance is meaningless.”

Batu cried out in exaggerated grievance. “You have to believe me! To tell you the truth, many of the tribes fear you too much to resent you, but they still dare to hate me. If I lose the Han’s support, they’ll tear me to pieces until not even my bones remain.”

“And what happens once you stabilize your rule? Once you consolidate your power?”

Batu sighed, then suddenly dropped the pretense, “Alright, Old Zhao, let’s not pretend here. You’re strong enough to slay gods. There is no one in the Grasslands who can compare to you; not now, and not for the foreseeable future. Even if another figure like you somehow emerged, it would take an unbelievable stroke of luck. If I ever had treacherous thoughts, you could take my head at any moment. Only an idiot would even entertain such ideas. Why should I struggle to defy the inevitable? Doesn’t being the khagan under the Great Han Empire’s protection sound like a much better path?”

“You’re calling me Old Zhao now?”

“Hehe...”

“Honestly, I can believe that you won’t betray me, but what about your descendants?” Zhao Changhe asked. “Can you guarantee they won’t?”

Batu was silent for a moment before replying with blunt honesty, “With your cultivation, even if you’re not truly immortal, you’re not far from it. As long as you don’t seek death yourself, you’ll reign for a thousand generations. Even if you do end up fighting some demon god and get killed, the one to plunge the world into chaos won’t be me. And even if we stretch this to the extreme, long after we’re both dead... Well, there’s no point in doing that. Why the hell would I care what happens then? At most, I’ll ensure my descendants are rich and powerful. Why would I waste time worrying about things that won’t happen for generations? I’m not sick in the head.”

The implication was: Are you? Just have some progeny and you’ll easily be able to rule for several thousand years.

“Honestly, if a hundred years from now my descendants cause trouble, it just means your successors were incompetent. No matter how much you plan ahead, future generations will always have their own messes.” Batu glanced at Zhao Changhe and sighed. “Old Zhao, if you’re really that worried, then just draw the lines now. Whatever you decide, I’ll go along with it. It’s not like you’d stoop so low as to take my head. And even if you did, it wouldn’t solve anything.”

“I wouldn’t do anything that drastic. There should be lands in Monan that are suitable for farming. You should start organizing land cultivation efforts.”

“You’re saying....”

“You’ll be slowly changing to a semi-nomadic, semi-agricultural lifestyle, and you’ll slowly adopt Han traditions and assimilate into the culture. It’ll take time, but it’s for the best, and you know that.”

Batu’s expression was complicated. “So you mean... building cities?”

“At least in Monan, yes. And build roads. Take Huangsha Market, for example; it’s got a freshwater lake. That’s a perfect place for us to station a governor, establish proper administration, and introduce Han customs and education. As for Mobei, we’ll start with military garrisons and indirect rule.”

“Alright, alright, do as you please.” Batu exhaled slowly. “No matter what you plan, as long as I still hold the title of khagan, it’s fine by me.”

“Of course.”

“Then that’s enough. Old Zhao, contentment is a blessing, and that applies to both of us. Don’t try to do everything yourself. It’s impossible.”

“...Do you think I don’t want to be content?” Zhao Changhe murmured, almost to himself. “Some things just have to be done.”

“If I were you, I’d be living in blissful indulgence on the Sacred Mountain for at least a month, drinking myself senseless, while all the tribes send their finest beauties as tribute.”

A sharp slap came from behind.

PA!

Batu stumbled forward, nearly falling. Furious, he spun around. “The fu—oh... Godmother, you’re here?”

Lady Three stood there, hands on her hips, fuming. “Which side are you even on?! Sending women? Why don’t you cut off your own damn head and offer it instead?! Now get lost!”

Batu covered his head and scurried away.

He had not run more than a few steps when Huangfu Qing’s spear tip surreptitiously slipped in-between his ankles. Batu tripped over it and tumbled over, rolling all the way down the mountain.

Lady Three’s arrival meant Huangfu Yongxian’s arrival.

It was not that Huangfu Qing did not want to beat Batu into the ground, but she simply could not bring herself to do it with her father standing right there.

This was the first time Zhao Changhe had ever seen the entire Huangfu family together. Before today, despite knowing the truth, it had always been difficult to mentally associate the old general, who had spent his life defending the border, with the infamous Vermillion Bird. But now, seeing father and children standing side by side, and seeing Huangfu Qing meekly lowering her gaze for once, the sense of familial bond was undeniable.

For the first time, Zhao Changhe felt a bit awkward. He had no idea how to properly greet Huangfu Yongxian.

After all, back in the day, he had secretly implied that the Northern Border Army should pledge loyalty to him as the “false crown prince,” suggesting they should serve under his banner.

Now, if the old man found out that Zhao Changhe had pushed his daughter down, and not just in the usual sense, but in the most taboo ways possible, even knowing that she was the empress dowager and all, and not just once but even in the middle of a military campaign... he would probably look at Zhao Changhe and say, “I must have been blind as shit back then to believe in you, you fucking degenerate.”

White hair fluttering in the wind, Huangfu Yongxian gazed at Zhao Changhe for a long moment. Then, unexpectedly, he broke into a smile and knelt on one knee. His voice was strong and unwavering as he said, “Greetings, King Zhao.”

Zhao Changhe, caught off guard, instinctively knelt in return and said, “Greetings, father-in-law.”

“Pfft!” Huangfu Shaozong immediately turned away, biting his lip to suppress his laughter. The surrounding generals all struggled to keep straight faces.

Huangfu Qing’s cheeks flushed pink as she shot a sharp glare at her brother, but the latter could not care less.

Even Huangfu Yongxian himself laughed, then he pulled Zhao Changhe up and said, “I am truly grateful to you, King Zhao.”

Zhao Changhe quickly responded, “You’re being too polite. The northern campaign was something that had to be done.”

“Ah, no, who cares about that? I was talking about you finally taking away the reckless, troublemaking menace I’ve been dealing with for thirty years. It’s been one of my biggest worries.”

Zhao Changhe: “...”

Huangfu Qing’s eyebrows snapped into a sharp arch.

“In the jianghu, she struts around as the esteemed Venerable Vermillion Bird, basking in her prestige. But the moment I asked her about when she was getting married, she bolted like a startled rabbit! And in the end, what did she do? She didn’t just lose face. She ran straight into the imperial palace to become the imperial noble consort! Were you trying to infuriate your father to death?!”

Huangfu Qing’s expression froze in silent frustration, while Zhao Changhe turned his head to the side.

Are you celebrating a belated New Year’s family gathering? I guess you did miss it back then, so there isn’t anything wrong with making up for it now. Are you going to sit down and wrap dumplings next?

No wonder so many stories in the jianghu depict great villains as orphans. Otherwise, the moment they stepped foot at home, all their imposing dignity would go out the window.

Of course, there were still some true villains, ones who would not care about their parents even if they had them. But it was clear that Vermillion Bird was not such a character. There was no telling how much of her decision to join the Four Idols Cult had been driven by a sense of justice for her family’s grievances.

But now that all debts were settled and all karma was repaid in full, it was time to let go.

The old general turned his gaze toward the clouds beyond the mountain. The fierce winds whipped at his white hair, making it dance and partially obscure his eyes. “My entire life has been spent warring against the Hu. I cannot count how many comrades have died on the battlefield. Qing’er’s three elder brothers, naturally Shaozong’s brothers as well, all of them perished in war... I once thought the best end for me would be to stand my ground in a last-ditch defense and perish with my city rather than live to see the land behind me in ruins.”

He paused, then broke into a radiant smile. “I truly never expected a day like this to come, a day when I would lead our forces beyond the border, shatter the enemy’s royal court, and turn these endless Grasslands into our pastures. Here on Langjuxu, I can finally bring a worthy offering to the spirits of my fallen comrades. And from now on, I can retire in peace and tend to the wounds I’ve gathered throughout these years. It would be even better if you two would hurry up and give me a grandson to hold. Then, I would have no regrets in this life.”

Huangfu Qing stomped her foot. “Father!”

Huangfu Yongxian added, “With that troublesome identity of yours, you can’t even properly get married. But luckily, we’re in the military now. We’re pretty far from the capital. Out here, in the wilderness, everything can be settled in the military’s way. If you two don’t go through a proper wedding ceremony before me, don’t blame me if I don’t give face to the great Venerable Vermillion Bird and King Zhao!”

Zhao Changhe quickly pulled at Huangfu Qing, who was on the verge of losing her composure, and responded solemnly, “I was actually going to ask you to preside over the grand peace ceremony for all the tribes, to reward the three armies, and, at the same time, to officiate our wedding. She... deserves a wedding where tens of thousands will bear witness.”