Tome of Troubled Times
Chapter 796 (2): Effect Shall Inevitably Follow

Chapter 796 (2): Effect Shall Inevitably Follow

At that moment, Li Boping was already drowning in trouble.

As Tang Wanzhuang had predicted, both the Buddhist and Daoist sects had abandoned him. His northern barbarian allies had also vanished. To make matters worse, the western part of the Silk Road had been cut off by mounted brigands, halting trade for quite some time. In the south, the Divine Brilliance Sect had advanced into Hanzhong. Although they had been repelled, their stance suggested they were merely waiting for another opportunity to strike. After all, the Divine Brilliance Sect’s elite forces were actually operating in the frontier. This was merely a distraction to keep his forces tied up and unable to concentrate on defending Hangu Pass.

Meanwhile, the Great Han Empire had emerged victorious, suffering relatively minimal casualties, only depleting their treasury and supplies. But having broken through to the Grasslands’ royal court, the spoils of war were immeasurable. Whether in terms of manpower, gold, silver, or livestock, once they recovered and absorbed the benefits of this northern campaign, they would inevitably march westward again.

And when that time came, how would he even resist?

Trapped between Batu in the north, the Divine Brilliance Sect in the south, and Ying Five in the west, he was like a beast in a cage. The way things were going, he would not even need the Great Han to finish him off. His own downfall was inevitable.

Li Boping was ambitious, but he was not a fool. He was already considering surrender. At least if he surrendered, he could perhaps preserve his status as nobility. The various factions in Guanlong were not fools either; who knew how many of them were secretly negotiating with the Great Han at this very moment? If he delayed any longer, he might wake up tomorrow to find his severed head presented on Xia Chichi’s desk.

However, the old ancestor above him held him firmly in check. If she did not permit surrender, how could he possibly dare to do so? She had elevated him to the third layer of the Profound Mysteries and granted him a glimpse into the Profound Control Realm. Did she do that just so he would turn around and submit?

Of course, deep down, he harbored a sliver of hope. Perhaps the ancestor would take decisive action, eliminate Zhao Changhe and his group, and allow him to continue his ambitions.

After all, according to the Rankings of Troubled Times, the old ancestor ranked as the second-strongest demon god. Could Zhao Changhe and his allies, even combined, truly stand against her?

And then there was her surname “Ye,” which meant night. The rankings had essentially spelled it out that she was not actually his ancestor, but that hardly mattered. If she said she was, then she was.

His thoughts swayed back and forth, unable to settle on a course of action, when Wei Changming privately requested an audience.

“What brings you here, Changming?” Li Boping gestured for Wei Changming to drink some tea, though he remained wary.

Wei Changming was no simpleton. Outwardly, he appeared aligned with Li Boping, but in secret, he had long since established ties with Luoxia Mountain Village, essentially investing in Yue Hongling. After Li Boping uncovered this, Wei Changming had gone out of his way to prove his loyalty by arranging a marriage alliance between the young master of Luoxia Mountain Village and the Li Clan. It was only then that Li Boping’s suspicions had eased.

But with the situation shifting so drastically, what schemes might Wei Changming be hatching now?

Wei Changming leaned in slightly and spoke in a low voice, “King of Qin, do you realize that, after this campaign, many families are becoming restless?”

Aren’t you one of them? Li Boping scoffed internally but merely replied, “I’m well aware.”

“The factions are tangled and complex. A single misstep can be disastrous. Do you have any strategy to break this deadlock?”

Li Boping decided to probe him. “Some have even urged me to surrender. What’s your opinion on this, Changming?”

Wei Changming immediately responded, “Everyone else can surrender, but the King of Qin cannot. Have you not seen Cui Wenjing? He not only surrendered but even offered his daughter in marriage, yet all he received was an empty marquis title. The entire Cui Clan now has only Cui Yuanyong serving in the military, and he had to start as a mid-ranking officer. The former glory of the Cui Clan of Qinghe is gone forever. Yang Jingxiu surrendered, and where is he now? Living out his days in quiet retirement, with no one from the Yang Clan even holding office. They’ve completely withdrawn from politics. And keep in mind, Yang Jingxiu had prior ties with Zhao Changhe, yet even he ended up like this. Do you think your fate would be any better? You don’t have a daughter to marry off to Zhao Changhe. He is not one to kill people on a whim, but if he wants to kill you, he can find any number of excuses. Where would you go to cry injustice?”

Li Boping cast a sidelong glance at Wei Changming and smirked. “You certainly sound like a loyal minister.”

Wei Changming sighed in frustration. “Don’t bring that up. You know that I once sought to befriend Luoxia Mountain Village’s Yue Fenghua, intending to connect with Yue Hongling. Who could have foreseen that Yue Fenghua would fall to corruption faster than anyone else? In the end, master and disciple turned against each other, and Yue Hongling holds me partially accountable for his corruption. Now she despises me.”

Li Boping chuckled. That much was true... Wei Changming’s attempt at currying favor had completely backfired. Instead of gaining Yue Hongling’s trust, he had ended up on her bad side. Now, he truly had no choice but to stand with Li Boping. They were like grasshoppers tied to the same string, unable to escape their shared fate.

Wei Changming saw Li Boping’s amused expression and chuckled inwardly.

If you surrender on your own, what merit do I gain? All my past dealings with Yue Hongling would have been for nothing. No, what I need is for you to resist until the bitter end, so I can coordinate with Yue Hongling and claim a grand achievement of my own. That’s the real play for me here, isn’t it?

Li Boping sighed, lowering his voice, “Zhao Changhe has secured the northern frontier, and Guanlong is in turmoil. What counsel do you have for me, Changming?”

Wei Changming stroked his beard. “Previously, when Vermillion Bird arrived as an envoy, they casually used the excuse of seeking a marriage alliance with your esteemed daughter. Why not build upon that proposal...?”

Li Boping was taken aback. “Didn’t you just say Cui Wenjing marrying off his daughter did him no good?”

“Well, I wouldn’t say absolutely no good. Cui Wenjing’s situation is still better than Yang Jingxiu’s. At the very least, he hasn’t been executed, and he still has some status. That alone makes his plan a viable contingency. Second, it serves as a delaying tactic, signaling submission and weakness. The Great Han has only recently stabilized the northern frontier; the people long for peace and detest conflict. If the King of Qin happens to make a show of yielding and seeking reconciliation, then should Zhao Changhe press forward with aggression, he risks losing the moral high ground and alienating public sentiment. In fact, you could use this opportunity to make a grand offensive into the Western Regions, eradicate Ying Five, and reopen the Silk Road for trade. With the western tribal forces absorbed under your command, wouldn’t that be a magnificent strategy?”

Li Boping’s mind stirred. That does make sense.

“Furthermore, Li Shentong is severely wounded, and Situ Xiao is still too inexperienced. Bashu is weak and vulnerable. If we lull Zhao Changhe into complacency and then swiftly amass forces for a southern campaign, we could take Bashu by surprise. At that point, the Qin-Han power struggle will truly be set in motion!”

Li Boping gave a slight nod. “Go ahead with your arrangements. I will take some time to deliberate.”

Wei Changming added with a smirk, “Besides, the young lady’s attitude at the time... It genuinely seemed like she had feelings for Zhao Changhe. Perhaps she herself wouldn’t be opposed to the idea.”

Li Boping’s expression turned thoughtful.

That actually makes sense. If the ancestor truly likes Zhao Changhe, then surrendering would be the natural course of action. I can simply follow her lead, just as Cui Wenjing did. That way, I won’t lose everything.

Wei Changming took his leave, still smirking to himself.

Her name was never a secret. She openly calls herself Jiuyou. Based on the Rankings of Troubled Times, that means she is the second-ranked demon god, Ye Jiuyou. If the second demon god herself chooses to marry Zhao Changhe, then fine. But who are you to suggest it? What status do you hold?

A mere outsider like me can suggest it under the guise of advising for your benefit—that’s fine, since the decision isn’t mine to make. But if you personally bring it up to Jiuyou, you will undoubtedly offend her. She will see it as you overstepping your bounds, trying to dictate the terms, as if you were the one in control. If that displeases her, she may withdraw her support. And if she doesn’t back you anymore, what do you have left? She is a demon god, not your actual ancestor. Why should she support you specifically? Couldn’t she just as easily turn her favor toward me?

Even if Jiuyou is genuinely into Zhao Changhe and goes along with it... when the inevitable war between the Great Han and Guanlong erupts, will she side with you or her own husband? You hold no ties to her. What’s to stop her from handing your head to Zhao Changhe as a wedding gift? And when that time comes, Zhao Changhe will still thank me.

And even if you don’t personally bring it up, you’d still come to trust me more, thinking of me as a loyal and strategic advisor. And whatever happens in the future—well, that’s for the future.

No matter how things unfold, it’s a win-win for me. At worst, Zhao Changhe’s harem might grumble about me meddling, but so what?

Meanwhile, Li Boping was genuinely mulling over the idea. After all, Vermillion Bird had formally proposed it before, making it a logical response. Of course, he was not foolish enough to actually offer up his ancestor for marriage. Instead, he was considering recognizing a “daughter” under his name, choosing the most beautiful woman in Guanlong. Zhao Changhe was known for his fondness for women, so he believed that there was no way he would not fall for this stalling tactic.

Just as he was contemplating this plan, a drop of blood suddenly materialized in midair before him. In an instant, it expanded and took the form of Zhao Changhe.

Li Boping’s heart nearly leaped out of his chest. Before he could even call for help, a blindingly sharp hand chop slashed toward his throat, carrying the deadly intent of an execution.

Zhao Changhe, of course, was only making a show of force. He wanted Jiuyou to intervene so that they could finally meet and talk.

What he had not expected was that Jiuyou was currently occupied elsewhere and had not been monitoring this place at all. She had absolutely no idea what was happening.

The hand chop descended, and no one came to Li Boping’s aid. His cultivation was leagues below Zhao Changhe’s now, so there was no way he could withstand even a single move.

Panic-stricken, he rolled out of the way and blurted out, “I’ll give you my daughter in marriage!”

The edge of Zhao Changhe’s hand halted just above Li Boping’s head. His expression twitched. “You... what? You’ll give me Jiuyou?”

“Jiuyou! Yes, Jiuyou!” Li Boping shouted in desperation. “Last time, Venerable Vermillion Bird proposed marriage, and my Li Clan has agreed!”

His voice rang loud, echoing beyond the hall. Every guard, attendant, and courtier outside had heard the proclamation.

Zhao Changhe stood frozen in place, utterly dumbfounded as he watched a thread of karma twist in real time. Just like that, a thread of karmic connection that should have long faded suddenly reasserted itself. The once-dying path of a proposed marriage between him and Jiuyou was now forcibly revived. Except this time, the entire world bore witness.

From the public’s perspective, Venerable Vermillion Bird had initiated the proposal, and now the Li Clan had officially accepted that proposal. The traditional flow of arranged marriages, which was parental approval or a matchmaker’s arrangement, was now in place. In the eyes of the world, it was now assumed that Jiuyou of the Li Clan was Zhao Changhe’s wife.

The karmic thread thickened, branching into multiple possibilities. The cause had been sown, and the effect would inevitably follow.

At that precise moment, a shadow flickered, and Jiuyou appeared in a storm of fury. “Who is tampering with my karma?!”

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