Tome of Troubled Times

Chapter 429: Endless Learning

Although they had not fully engaged in dual cultivation, the practice of transferring energy through the mouth during a typical “treatment” session had become second nature for both of them.

Unfortunately, this did not do much for Zhao Changhe’s injury. His chest had been slashed rather horribly by a blade, and his ribs had nearly been severed. It was wishful thinking to believe that a few kisses could heal such a wound. Furthermore, dual cultivation was primarily useful for internal injuries; for external wounds, it was far less effective than the Rejuvenation Art and even less so with this simplified version of treatment.

But for Tang Wanzhuang, the technique still had some effect, as her condition was, after all, an internal injury.

Zhao Changhe had initially intended to continue treating her this way, but as he examined her lung meridian, he felt a bit conflicted. Tang Wanzhuang’s once-tattered lung meridian had visibly healed a great deal. Though it had not yet fully recovered and she might still cough occasionally, she definitely would not be coughing up blood like before.

It suddenly occurred to him that he had not heard her cough at all over the past couple of days.

Thanks to the second page of the Heavenly Tome and the Atlas of Mountains and Rivers, he had been able to find extremely effective measures for treating her meridians, namely the Transformative Lotus and the Bodhi Fruit. This reassured him that using Spirit-Weaving Grass and Solaris Nimbus Leaves to treat her soul would also be effective.

A lazy sense of satisfaction washed over him, as if he were slowly perfecting a masterpiece with his own hands.

Of course, complete recovery was not possible just yet. The root of her illness remained unresolved, and her meridians were still vulnerable. Even if they were healed now, they would eventually deteriorate again over time. But this treatment had likely extended her life by several years—three to five years, at least.

With a buffer of three to five years, that ever-present fear of her sudden death had significantly diminished.

With them having already obtained Spirit-Weaving Grass, Solaris Nimbus Leaves were all that remained. Zhao Changhe was confident he could secure them within those three to five years.

It seemed that the frail beauty, whose illness had once tugged at his heartstrings, might soon be a thing of the past. He wondered what the lively, fully recovered Tang Wanzhuang would be like? Would she be tossing people into ponds for fun?

For now, though, with the root cause of her illness still untreated and her meridians not fully healed, the version of her was still out of reach.

Her face was still pale with sickness, though tinged with a blush brought on by emotion, making her look fragile and unwell. Her breaths came softly as she gently pushed his hand away, murmuring, “Enough already... Lately, all you ever do is kiss and touch. Is there nothing else you can think of?”

Her words were spoken as casually as asking, “Have you eaten?” Zhao Changhe really wanted to tell her that he could, in fact, do other things.

Unfortunately, he truly could not do much else at the moment as his chest really did hurt.

Helplessly, Zhao Changhe had no choice but to say something righteous: “Who says I can’t do anything else? I just laid a line for the imperial court inside the Wang Clan territory.”

Tang Wanzhuang was momentarily stunned, then pleasantly surprised, “I intended to bring it up with Daoist Gui Chen, but our connection wasn’t strong enough for me to just go and talk to him. Are you and Daoist Gui Chen really that close? Ah, that’s right, you helped him fend off He Lei back then, didn’t you?”

Zhao Changhe scratched his head. He had completely forgotten that he had done Gui Chen a favor. When he mentioned his plan to Gui Chen earlier, he had not even thought about their past, just that Gui Chen and Xuan Chong had left a good impression and did not seem opportunistic. So, he had spoken frankly.

Now that Tang Wanzhuang reminded him, he felt he should have thought it through a bit more. “Do you trust Gui Chen? Do you think he might end up betraying us?”

“Based on the intelligence gathered over the years by the Demon Suppression Bureau, Gui Chen has a good character and is a true Daoist. He is indeed a cultivator with integrity. However, he harbors no particular affection for the court, and it’s hard to say how he might lean in the future. Whether or not we can trust him will require deeper interactions. But laying this line down now will definitely have value.”

As Tang Wanzhuang spoke, her face lit up with joy. Truthfully, whether this would amount to anything or not did not matter to her. The fact that Zhao Changhe had done something “for the imperial court” was enough to make her happy.

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She suddenly forgot her previous thoughts about him wandering the world being a better option.

What does that silly girl, Baoqin, know anyway? Why would I want him to wander the world aimlessly? I want him to be emperor!

Tang Wanzhuang, brimming with delight, pulled Zhao Changhe by the hand and sat with him in the stone pavilion by the courtyard. With a contented smile, she said, “You’ve always had more of a jianghu mindset, judging people based on relationships or gut instinct. In matters like this, you should start reviewing intelligence reports more often, build a broader understanding of people...”

Zhao Changhe gave her a strange look, staring at her intently.

Tang Wanzhuang felt awkward under his gaze. “Why are you looking at me like that?”

From somewhere in the house, Baoqin’s voice called out, “He’s cursing you in his mind, calling you a bossy old spinster who never stops lecturing others.”

Tang Wanzhuang’s teeth ground audibly.

Zhao Changhe’s face was full of tears. Baoqin, my dear mouthpiece!

It seemed that someone’s bottom would pay the price tonight for the head being so cheeky.

Such bravery...

But in all seriousness, aside from both being martial artists, Tang Wanzhuang and Zhao Changhe lived in entirely different worlds. From her perspective, raising him as a future emperor meant there was an endless list of things to teach him. If things continued like this, their romance would constantly turn into a lecture, and who could stand that?

This issue needed resolving...

As Zhao Changhe’s mind raced, he smiled warmly and said, “Why bother with Baoqin? I don’t think of you like that.”

Tang Wanzhuang sternly replied, “Then are you going to listen to my lessons or not?”

Zhao Changhe grinned. “Well, you see, Old Xia once told me...”

Tang Wanzhuang perked up her ears.

“He said that he originally intended to teach me a few things, but he realized that my path might not align with his. If I tried to learn his martial arts, it might backfire. Only the Six Harmonies Art was versatile enough that I could still use it. However, because of the issues with my meridians, I haven’t been able to fully utilize it and have mostly used it as support.”

Tang Wanzhuang’s eyes sparkled. “He wanted to teach you...”

Zhao Changhe: “...”

Seeing his constipated expression, Tang Wanzhuang burst into laughter. “Alright, alright, I understand what you’re trying to say.”

Each person has their unique qualities. There was no need to turn into someone else. If Zhao Changhe adopted everything from Xia Longyuan, would he still be like the Zhao Changhe of today?

If even the world’s best martial arts were not to be copied like that, then what about everything else?

Zhao Changhe had originally wanted to use Vermillion Bird as an example. Just a few days ago, Vermillion Bird advised him that it was better for him to find his own path in mastering the power of the stars and not let the Four Idols Cult’s cultivation techniques dictate his thinking. In that regard, Vermillion Bird’s broader perspective was commendable. But he decided to switch his example to Xia Longyuan, knowing that bringing Vermillion Bird up would likely backfire and maybe even earn him a smack.

However, he also understood why Tang Wanzhuang was so eager to teach him. Governing an empire was not something that could be done haphazardly. When it came to Xia Longyuan’s current behavior, many aristocratic families had come to see it as a result of his grassroots origin, a thought that likely had considerable traction.

Tang Wanzhuang thought for a moment, then tapped the table playfully and said, “Alright, I won’t go on about other things anymore, lest you secretly curse me as an endless nagging spinster.”

“I would never think that!” Zhao Changhe immediately distanced himself from his mouthpiece, Baoqin.

Tang Wanzhuang did not take his words seriously and continued casually, “But you should at least continue what you’re already learning, right? By that, I mean medicine and cultural studies.”

Zhao Changhe said, “Medicine is useful, but as for cultural studies... Well, I feel like I’m already very cultured.”

“Being able to pluck a few random strings on a qin doesn’t make you cultured,” Tang Wanzhuang replied. “You say you can recite poetry... How about I test you?”

Zhao Changhe thought to himself. Finally, a chance to impress her with some poems! He straightened up and said, “Go ahead.”

Tang Wanzhuang recited, “The gentleman says: Learning must never stop.[1]”

Zhao Changhe was dumbfounded.

Wait a minute, this isn’t the script I signed up for! It’s from Xunzi’s Exhortation to Learning, right? I know the text, but no one told me I had to memorize it... What’s the next line again?

Oh, right, right. The next part is quite famous. He recalled, “Blue dye derives from the indigo plant, and yet it is bluer than the plant. Ice comes from water, and yet it is colder than water.”

Tang Wanzhuang pressed, “And what comes after that?”

Zhao Changhe’s face was blank.

Tang Wanzhuang crossed her arms.

Silence loomed for a few seconds before Zhao Changhe finally surrendered. “I forgot the rest.”

“I knew it. You only remember some famous lines; your knowledge runs shallow.” Tang Wanzhuang lightly tapped the table. “Go inside.”

“What for?”

“You’ll copy it ten times, together with Baoqin. She’s already doing it.”

Zhao Changhe bolted.

Tang Wanzhuang lifted her skirt and gave chase. “Stop, you rebellious disciple!”

The two ran, one chasing the other, all the way out of the courtyard.

Baoqin cautiously emerged from the room, holding paper and a brush, though she hadn’t written a single word. The sounds of scolding could still be heard faintly from outside. “Stop... You rebellious disciple...!”

Baoqin hugged her knees, sitting in the pavilion, thinking to herself, Why hasn’t spring ended yet...

With the way those two were going, it did not seem like Zhao Changhe would learn much, even if he genuinely wanted to.

Suddenly, a tortoise mask peeked over the wall.

Baoqin blinked. “Are you looking for someone?”

Lady Three: “?”

Why are you talking to me like that? Isn’t my mask intimidating?

Wait, aren’t you the personal maid of the Demon Suppression Bureau Chief? How can you not recognize Black Tortoise?

Never mind, it’s not worth arguing with a little girl.

In a cold tone, she asked, “Is Zhao Changhe here? Where is he?”

Baoqin cautiously asked, “What do you need him for?”

“I came to teach him something.”

Baoqin was silent for a moment, then pointed outside the courtyard. “Teaching, you say? It seems like they’re doing that already.”

Lady Three did not even need to look. Her eyes had not seen Zhao Changhe, but as soon as she asked the question, she was already listening intently in all directions.

Baoqin had not even finished speaking when Lady Three’s ears were already filled with faint, rapid breathing.

Baoqin had the rare pleasure of witnessing a tortoise dart away at lightning speed, far faster than a rabbit.

1. This is from Exhortation to Learning (劝学) by Chinese philosopher Xunzi (荀子), also known as Xun Kuang (荀況). ☜