Tome of Troubled Times

Chapter 238: Huangfu

Zhao Changhe looked at Young Master Dai thoughtfully for some time, not knowing whether the latter had called him out like this because he was out of his mind or if he had other intentions. He originally had not thought much about where to stay in the capital. After all, he could just stay at an inn. Others did not know that he had come to the capital, so what difference did it make where he stayed?

However, with Young Master Dai alerting everyone of his arrival... It now seemed like staying at an inn, where he would be out in plain sight, was no longer appropriate.

But could he really just stay at their place? Wouldn’t that mean everything he did would be under the watch of the Dai Clan?

He could not just go and live in Tang Wanzhuang’s house either. That would cause immense waves, and Tang Wanzhuang would probably not agree with that. There was even a fairly high chance that he would be kicked out.

Zhao Changhe pondered for a moment, then smiled faintly and said, “Brother Dai, you’re quite polite, but I’ve got a place to stay.”

Young Master Dai asked curiously, “Does brother Zhao have other friends in the capital? Hm, could it be the Cui Clan? I feel that it would not be appropriate for you to live there. You might even end up being driven away.”

Whether it was the Tang Clan or the Cui Clan, he was likely to be drive away by them. Zhao Changhe realized that he turned out to be so unpopular.

But he really still had a place to go. “Brother Dai, since you’re so familiar with the capital, do you know which way the Marquis of Jingyuan’s mansion is?”

Young Master Dai was stunned. “You’re friends with the Marquis of Jingyuan?”

“No, but I have military intelligence to report.” Zhao Changhe then simply asked a city gate guard directly, “I have military intelligence, can I have someone bring me to the marquis’ residence?”

At this time, nothing was as important as military intelligence and, sure enough, the guards at the city gate immediately arranged for someone to bring Zhao Changhe straight to the mansion of the Marquis of Jingyuan.

Young Master Dai froze in place, and after a long while, he said to his attendant, “What’s wrong with this Zhao Changhe? I have good intentions, so why is he avoiding me so intently? Originally, I was even planning on bringing him to the Blissful Red Tower tonight...”

The attendant sighed but did not say anything.

Do you think that everyone is just like you rich young masters, only interested in having fun? With the way you publicly called Zhao Changhe out, it would already be good if he does not suspect you of having ulterior motives.

As troubled times befell the world, it was a wonder if these young masters would really be able to adapt. They are said to be hidden dragons, but how many of them can truly rise from the abyss?

Meanwhile, Zhao Changhe arrived at the mansion of the Marquis of Jingyuan and boldly shouted, “I, Zhao Changhe, have important news related to the barbarians to report. Who is in charge of the Marquis of Jingyuan’s mansion?”

Creak~

The doors opened wide, and a curly bearded man hurriedly came out, saying, “I am Huangfu Shaozong. Military intelligence related to the barbarians is more important than anything else. Brother Zhao, please come in.”

Zhao Changhe said curiously, “Aren’t you afraid that I might be here to harm you? Why are you so welcoming?”

Huangfu Shaozong laughed loudly and said, “Heh, brother Zhao, even if you wanted to harm me, you might not necessarily succeed.”

Huangfu Shaozong, the eleventh hidden dragon. Despite his rugged appearance and his curly beard, he was actually roughly the same age as Zhao Changhe, only twenty years old.

Although the Langya Sword Conference claimed to have invited all hidden dragons, it was far from the truth. Many had “matters” to attend to and did not show up, and Huangfu Shaozong was precisely one of them.

There was a magical quality to being on the Ranking of Hidden Dragons. Just being on the ranking seemed to create a natural bond, and even though this was their first time meeting, they addressed each other as brothers. Or perhaps due to both being on the rankings, they naturally looked up to one another.

As Zhao Changhe followed Huangfu Shaozong inside, he casually asked with a smile, “Brother Huangfu, why didn’t you accompany your father in the war? Isn’t that an excellent form of training?”

“Because I am the only seedling left in the Huangfu Clan. When the conscription order came, they only recruited my father and not me...”

“Hm...” Zhao Changhe thought to himself that all the major clans he had come across had extensive branches, and this was the first time he was coming across one that only had a single-line heritage.

But then Huangfu Shaozong continued, “Originally, I had three brothers... But all of them died on the battlefield, leaving only me and my older sister.”

Zhao Changhe was startled, then respectfully bowed and said, “It seems that I was presumptuous.”

“Not at all,” Huangfu Shaozong replied casually. As they arrived in the living room, he gestured for tea to be served and asked directly, “What news have you brought?”

“He Lei is the leader of a tribe in the Grasslands, right?”

“Yes, the Warring Lion Tribe. At this time, they are a part of the war at Yanmen Pass. He Lei’s disciple, Batu, is even leading ten thousand men under the Great Khan’s command.”

“He Lei is seriously injured... If we manage to kill him, will his tribe be thrown into chaos? Or would the Great Khan just absorb them?”

“There would definitely be chaos... Furthermore, if we can kill him, regardless of whether things become chaotic or not, it would eliminate a major threat.”

“Hmm...”

Huangfu Shaozong said, “There was a message from the Demon Suppression Bureau about twenty days ago saying that He Lei was pierced in the shoulder by Han Wubing in Sword Lake City. In addition to the injuries he sustained from Daoist Priest Gui Chen, he is currently at his weakest. We have sent people to search for him, but there has been no news so far. Do you have any leads?”

Zhao Changhe stroked his chin and said to himself, “It seems that Wei Zicai did not dare to hide too much... Could this even be considered his merit?”

Huangfu Shaozong tilted his head in confusion.

Zhao Changhe said, “I do have a lead. At this moment, He Lei is about to arrive at Beimang, where I used to stay. It will be difficult to find him once he moves further north into the mountains.”

Huangfu Shaozong was surprised. “Is that information accurate?”

“I can’t say I’m a hundred percent certain, but I’m still fairly sure.”

Zhao Changhe did have a good idea of He Lei’s whereabouts.

This was because along the way, he and the Fire Serpent of Yi passed by many branches of the Four Idols Cult, and he personally witnessed the Fire Serpent of Yi giving orders to the followers of the cult to extensively search for He Lei’s whereabouts.

He Lei had attempted to kill the Fire Serpent of Yi, and although she did not show it on her face, it was clear that she held a grudge against him.

The Four Idols Cult had a massive underground influence in the north. When orders were issued by the Twenty-Eight Mansions, their vast underground network operated at full capacity. With the distinct characteristics of a wounded barbarian, it was not too difficult to find him. His whereabouts had been relayed to the Fire Serpent of Yi the evening of the previous day.

When Zhao Changhe said that he was fairly sure, he was actually just being cautious. In reality, he was just about certain that He Lei was in Beimang. He had an inexplicable trust in the Four Idols Cult...well, maybe it was explicable considering that they were pretty much Chichi’s family.

It felt like the Fire Serpent of Yi hesitated for a while between chasing He Lei and returning to the capital, but she ultimately chose to return to the capital first. After all, she could deal with some matters in the capital in a day or two before pursuing him. On the other hand, if she went after him first, it would take too long to return to the capital.

It seems that the Fire Serpent of Yi was really in a hurry to return to the capital, so much so that she even neglected the leads on her enemies... I really don’t know what her true identity is.

Seeing Zhao Changhe’s confidence, Huangfu Shaozong did not waste any time and immediately instructed those around him, “Quickly inform First Seat Tang and have the Demon Suppression Bureau cooperate with our people to search the vicinity of Beimang. We must not allow He Lei to return to the Grasslands alive!”

Before he finished speaking, a guard hurriedly came to report from outside, “Yang Yaowu from the Demon Suppression Bureau has come, saying that First Seat Tang requests to speak with Zhao Changhe.”

Zhao Changhe took a sip of tea and said leisurely, “Am I supposed to go to her just because she asks me to? If she has something to say, then she can come to me herself.”

Huangfu Shaozong’s lips twitched.

But Zhao Changhe then looked at him expectantly. “Brother Huangfu...”

“Hm?”

“In consideration of the military intelligence I provided, how about letting me stay here during my short visit to the capital this time?”

Huangfu Shaozong was not really keen on hosting Zhao Changhe here.

While others might not recognize the saber on Zhao Changhe’s back, the Huangfu Clan was more than familiar with it. As a typical military family, they did not want to get involved in such matters. This was especially the case for him, who was the last in the line of succession...

However, with Zhao Changhe having openly brought it up, it would not look good to refuse him outright. Huangfu Shaozong’s mind raced, trying to find a reason to refuse him, when another hurried announcement came from outside, “The Imperial Noble Consort has arrived!”

Zhao Changhe was taken aback.

Huangfu Shaozong’s face lit up with joy as he went out to greet her, “Sister, it’s been so long since I’ve last heard from you. I was worried that something might have happened to you. But here you are, truly blood is thicker than water.”

Zhao Changhe facepalmed.

So much for political stances. It seems like the Huangfu Clan is also connected to the imperial family. The matter of the prince’s death... is becoming more intriguing.

Outside, the continuous sound of salutes could be heard, “Greetings to the Imperial Noble Consort.”[1]

“Long live the Imperial Noble Consort.”

“Sister, how come you have the time to leave the palace today?”

“What does it matter when I leave the palace? Look at that ridiculous beard you’ve grown. Shave it off. It’s so hideous.”

Zhao Changhe was suddenly struck by a thought. Why does this voice sound so familiar?

Huangfu Shaozong refuted her, “This beard shows masculinity.”

“You seriously think that it shows masculinity? Why don’t you just carve a scar on your face?”

“What a coincidence, there’s a scar-faced man with a beard visiting our home.”

“Oh?” The woman’s voice sounded amused. “Show me, you always seem to be making friends with all sorts of riffraff.”

“Hey, that really isn’t the case this time!”

As his voice trailed off, a beauty in palace attire leisurely walked into the hall.

Zhao Changhe’s mouth hung open. Damn...

Miss Fire Serpent of Yi, no wonder you were in such a hurry to return to the capital. If you stayed gone for a little longer, there might have been an uproar in the capital, right? No wonder you only dared to call General Huangfu the Marquis of Jingyuan, he’s your goddamn father!

Wait, why are you the imperial noble consort? According to the skill of observing women from the Pure Bliss Art that I got from the Maitreya Cult, you’re clearly still a virgin.

The imperial noble consort looked at Zhao Changhe with a smirk, then spoke after a moment, “Who is this? Sitting so arrogantly in a chair, how improper! And you claim that he isn’t some kind of riffraff? Guards, throw him out!”

Before Zhao Changhe could even think of how he should respond, another female voice came from outside the door, “Since the Imperial Noble Consort does not welcome you, why don’t you come with me to the Demon Suppression Bureau? What are you doing lingering here?”

Following those words, Tang Wanzhuang floated into the room.

The imperial noble consort yawned lazily and said, “Who said I don’t welcome him? Preposterous. Shaozong, entertain this young hero properly. We don’t want people saying that our Huangfu Clan lacks manners.”

Zhao Changhe’s jaw gradually dropped.

1. This is the title of the second-ranked in the imperial harem, right below the empress. ☜