Tome of Troubled Times

Chapter 426: Recovering

“What are you thinking about?” Tang Wanzhuang’s gentle voice pulled Zhao Changhe from his thoughts.

Zhao Changhe smiled. “Nothing, just got a bit lost in thought.”

“Did something Ying Five said get you pondering?” Tang Wanzhuang asked as she continued to feed him medicine. “I also feel like your luck is abnormal, as if it’s guiding you straight toward something ancient.”

Zhao Changhe grimaced as he took another spoonful of the bitter medicine. “You say it like you’ve felt that way for a while. Is it just that you don’t see it as something significant?”

Tang Wanzhuang replied, “I’ve never encountered something like this, so it’s hard to judge what it truly is. Besides, you’ve been keeping secrets. Clearly, you’re not trusting me fully...”

Zhao Changhe’s face twisted with discomfort.

She sounds just like Lin Daiyu from Dream of the Red Chamber right now.[1]

Despite her words, Tang Wanzhuang did not seem genuinely upset. Her hand remained gentle as she continued feeding him medicine. She added, “There’s no point dwelling on it. Are you willing to give up the pursuit of ancient mysteries? Or even abandon your own path of cultivation?”

Zhao Changhe shook his head. “Nope.”

“Then what’s the point of worrying? It will only make you hesitant and fearful. It’s enough to have a sense of it. When the time comes and you face something related to it, you’ll already be prepared and won’t be caught off guard. No matter what, the only way to have control over your choices is to continue advancing in your cultivation. Like the emperor—whether his situation now is good or bad, it’s still his choice.”

Zhao Changhe nodded. “That’s true.”

“In any case, with the emperor’s precedent, it’s better than blindly fumbling around,” Tang Wanzhuang said with a hint of teasing. She understood her role, whether as a minister or otherwise. Zhao Changhe had his secrets and decisions, and her role was to support him.

A little teasing here and there was fine, but she was not going to seriously pry into his secrets.

In fact, there was an irreverent thought that she had not voiced: Xia Longyuan almost seemed like Zhao Changhe’s trailblazer.

“Feeling better now? If so, drink your medicine,” Tang Wanzhuang scolded him playfully. “You had access to the Buddha’s holy medicine to heal, but you gave it up just to sneak in a few touches. Now, you’ll be bedridden for another month. Happy?”

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Zhao Changhe stared at her, watching as she gently fed him the medicine. He drank it in small sips. Even though it was bitter, in his mind, it was full of sweetness.

“If it means I get to touch you a little more, it’s worth being stuck in bed even for another year...”

Tang Wanzhuang pretended to cover his face with the bowl, but Zhao Changhe quickly raised his hands to protect himself.

The medicine was already finished, so Tang Wanzhuang placed the bowl aside, then angrily pulled his hands away and wiped his mouth with a silk handkerchief. “Now you’re acting like a child who can’t do anything on his own, huh? Can’t even drink medicine properly, and now you can’t wipe your own mouth?”

Zhao Changhe responded confidently, “I’m a spoiled child with a doting aunt. Why would I need to do anything myself?”

“Who’s your aunt?”

“Go ask around. Everyone knows that Tang Buqi is my brother.”

“Tang Buqi’s never had this kind of treatment in his life. Do you want me to treat you the same way I do him? Fine, I’ll go get a broom...”

“What for?”

“Tang Buqi grew up getting beaten with a broom!”

“I’m not a blood relative, so I should get better treatment.”

Tang Wanzhuang fiercely wiped his mouth with the silk handkerchief, twisting and turning it until Zhao Changhe, unable to speak, could only make muffled sounds of protest. Only then, satisfied, did she put the handkerchief away and start to get up to tidy things.

As soon as she stood, Zhao Changhe grabbed her wrist.

She turned to see Zhao Changhe’s eyes gleaming, looking like he could not bear to let her go.

Tang Wanzhuang’s heart softened, and in a gentle voice, she said, “Alright, alright, you’re just like a child. I’m only going to clean up for a moment...”

Before she could finish her sentence, a strong pull came from her wrist.

She did not resist and “naturally” fell into his arms.

But Zhao Changhe let out a muffled groan—the impact had clearly hurt his chest. Tang Wanzhuang glared up at him, annoyed. “Still want to play?”

“Yes,” Zhao Changhe said as he held her close, flipping over easily and pinning her beneath him before kissing her passionately.

Tang Wanzhuang closed her eyes, reciprocating the kiss. By now, it had become familiar to her.

Sometimes, she wondered if he was a master of the long game, setting her up for the big catch.

Just yesterday, she had been conflicted about dual cultivation, unsure if she wanted it or not. If he had forced it on her, she might have resisted in the end, and he likely would not have succeeded. Worse, his standing in her heart would have plummeted.

But when he sealed her acupoints, it had been to stop her from giving him the medicine. He had only done what he had to force her to take it all for herself. He did not take even the slightest bit of the medicinal power. He had only been concerned about the recovery of her meridians.

Tang Wanzhuang knew that at that moment, her heart had been thoroughly moved—like spring wind over a calm lake, stirring ripples on the surface. Even when Vermillion Bird had shown up, she couldn’t resist kissing him in front of her.

Her meridians had stabilized, but her heart had been stirred. Even now, the feelings had not subsided.

It was just like the soft, bouncy flesh on her chest that was now in his hands, as he bent down to taste it, calling it sweet.

Even if he was playing the long game, it was too late for her to realize it.

All the talk about not becoming the princess consort or being firm about remaining his master—at this point, she no longer even wanted to hear about it.

What kind of master would let her disciple pin her down and kiss her like this? Worse, she was completely willing.

“Enough...” Tang Wanzhuang suddenly pressed his head against her chest, stopping his movements. “You’re still injured. I can feel that you’re holding back pain when you do this. What kind of person are you?”

Zhao Changhe flopped on top of her, playing dead.

Inside, he was nearly in tears. It really did hurt. He could not enjoy himself, let alone take it further. Even though she seemed willing now, he simply was not able.

Who could understand his agony?

“Serves you right for trying to play the hero, giving me all the medicine,” Tang Wanzhuang teased him, flipping over while Zhao Changhe lay like a dead dog beside her.

Propping her head up with one hand, she looked at him sideways. “You used up all of the Four Idols Cult’s medicine?”

“No, but it doesn’t heal that fast,” Zhao Changhe said weakly. “It will probably take about a week for me to recover.”

“A week?”

“Yes, seven days.” Zhao Changhe was filled with frustration. The mood was perfect right now, Tang Wanzhuang was completely willing, but now he had to wait for seven days. And who knew if, after that time, the moment would still be there? That would be a real tragedy.

Tang Wanzhuang commented, “Those two women really are ruthless. They actually performed a soul search, and now that remnant soul is in a stupor. Who knows how long it will take it to recover? We wanted to ask it some more questions, but now we can’t.”

“Will it become an idiot?”

“No, its level is higher than ours. It’s just temporarily disoriented from the shock. It should recover soon enough. With some treatment, it could recover even faster.” Tang Wanzhuang stood up, tidying her disheveled hair and clothes. “I still need to handle this matter. If you head to the Ancient Spirit Tribe and it hasn’t recovered by then, it’ll be problematic. Those two women really don’t know their limits...”

Zhao Changhe paused. “What does this soul have to do with me going to the Ancient Spirit Tribe?”

“I think bringing it along might benefit you. It knows witchcraft, which is surely related to the Ancient Spirit Tribe. Whether it’s their enemy or one of their ancestors, you can make use of it depending on the situation.” Seeing that he was not paying much attention to her advice, Tang Wanzhuang scowled. “You rest here. I’ll go handle it. I’ll check on you later.”

Tang Wanzhuang was also worried that if they continued, Zhao Changhe might push himself too far while still injured. Before he could respond, she quickly left.

Not far from the door, she saw Cui Wenjing standing outside, seemingly admiring the scenery.

Baoqin, who had just arrived at dawn, was standing nervously by the entrance, her cheeks flushed, too scared to let Cui Wenjing in.

Tang Wanzhuang blushed deeply, the redness spreading to her ears, but she kept her composure and approached with a polite greeting. “Greetings, Marquis of Ji, how are you?”[2]

Cui Wenjing stared at her blankly for a moment before finally speaking up. “I’m fine. I’m worried some people might not be. Perhaps a little restraint is in order... He’s still recovering. Does he think he’s made of iron?”

Tang Wanzhuang’s face burned with embarrassment. She had no idea how to deal with the father of her “love rival.” She thus grabbed Baoqin’s hand and fled in a flash.

The irony was that this “love rival” was someone she herself had pushed for, someone she had tacitly accepted as the official wife. Now, she wished she could go back to a year and a half ago, when she had been so smug at the Demon Suppression Bureau, thinking she had calculated everything perfectly by sending Cui Yuanyang to Beimang. She would slap herself in the face. That’s what you get for scheming!

Cui Wenjing watched the two of them rush off with a stern expression, shook his head, and slowly strolled inside.

Zhao Changhe, seeing him enter, joked, “I knew you couldn’t stay away... Uh, uh...”

Cui Wenjing casually picked up the door bolt and walked over. “Right, I really can’t stay away from you. It seems you haven’t recovered enough. Why not rest for a few more days?”

“Hey, hey, Old Cui, wait... Ah, help!”

“If you don’t want a beating, it’s simple. Let’s sit down and discuss a wedding date, shall we?”

1. According to Wikipedia, “Lin Daiyu is one of the principal characters of Cao Xueqin’s classic 18th-century Chinese novel Dream of the Red Chamber. She is portrayed as a well-educated, intelligent, witty and beautiful young woman of physical frailness who is somewhat prone to occasional melancholy.” ☜

2. Ji (冀) is another name for Hebei Province, and it was a state during the Zhou Dynasty. ☜