Tome of Troubled Times-Chapter 749 (2): I Heard Your Young Lady Is Quite Beautiful

“Besides, there’s another possibility.”

“What is it?”

“She may have learned from the failures of the ancient wars. Without a foundation in human will, everything remains an illusion, empty and fleeting. Her actions upon revival strongly hint at this realization.” The blind woman paused, then let out a mocking laugh. “She may also be trying to touch upon the path of the Night Emperor to see if there’s anything she can glean from it. But the two of them are fundamentally opposed. If she could unify their philosophies, she would cease to be Jiuyou.”

“Then what would she become?”

“The Heavenly Dao itself.”

Zhao Changhe: “...”

The blind woman’s tone suddenly grew amused. “Ironically, her current role as the Li Clan’s young lady is a trap of her own making. And now, someone has come forward with a marriage proposal. I would love to see her reaction. You two had better put some real effort into this. Don’t just say you’re doing it. Go all in. If she flies into a rage, I’ll back you up.”

This was the first time the blind woman had explicitly stated that she would back them up—a public declaration that she was willing to actually intervene in this matter.

Zhao Changhe’s expression turned oddly complicated. Isn’t your reasoning for stepping in a bit... ridiculous? All that talk about rules, and now you’re throwing them out the window just to watch some juicy drama?

Well, whatever. At least the conversation has wandered far enough into serious matters that the incident from the illusion had been effectively brushed aside. If she isn’t dwelling on it anymore, that’s already a small victory.

A voice interrupted his thoughts.

“Venerable, please enter the hall.”

Both Zhao Changhe and the blind woman snapped back to reality, only now realizing they had already arrived at the grand hall. Li Boping was already seated.

Standing beside him, Jiuyou gazed at Zhao Changhe with those perpetually placid, unfathomable eyes. But this time, there was a flicker of... confusion.

The blind woman stiffened in alarm. She had been so caught up in her conversation with Zhao Changhe that she had completely neglected to monitor her surroundings—let alone the rest of the world.

She had almost let Jiuyou sense her presence.

She had never hesitated to intrude on Zhao Changhe’s dreams even when he was in the middle of being intimate with Yue Hongling, because she had no fear of Yue Hongling discovering her.

But Jiuyou?

Even with an entire dimension between them, the blind woman did not dare let her guard down—not even for a moment. If she lost focus, Jiuyou could detect her at any time.

At this moment, Jiuyou’s actual power was likely only at the early second layer of the Profound Control Realm. But her comprehension of the principles of the Heavenly Dao was undoubtedly at the third layer. And that... was something the blind woman could not afford to underestimate.

Vermillion Bird had already taken her seat within the hall. Zhao Changhe and Yue Hongling stood silently behind her, one to the left and one to the right. Their gazes remained locked on Jiuyou, who stood beside Li Boping, every fiber of their being tense and alert.

Li Boping spoke first, his tone calm, “Our two factions stand opposed. But since the venerable has come as an envoy, and we are a nation of civility, naturally, we will not make things difficult for you. Whatever matters the venerable wishes to discuss, feel free to speak openly.”

Vermillion Bird smiled faintly and said, “King of Qin, you just mentioned that Bo’e was hiding here in secret. You claim you were unaware?”

Li Boping, without missing a beat, lied through his teeth, “Indeed, I was unaware.”

“Then what about when Yeletu led his cavalry from Guanzhong, bypassed the Three Jins, and launched a surprise attack on the capital? That wasn’t connected to you either?”

“Of course not. It is well known that the barbarians have, in the past, circumvented the Yumen Pass to plunder Guanlong. Even Chang’an itself was once breached, though we quickly expelled them,” Li Boping continued his blatant fabrications. “To this day, there are still small bands of barbarians raiding the countryside of Guanlong. We have attempted to suppress them but with little success. As for Yeletu’s forces, they must have bypassed Chang’an altogether and headed straight for the Taihang Mountains. We were powerless to intervene.”

In reality, Li Boping knew full well that the Li Clan’s own troops had been among those ambushed by Huangfu Shaozong. But he simply pretended that part had never happened. If Vermillion Bird pressed further, he could just claim it was an internal war between his own faction and another, unrelated to the northern barbarians. And what about the fact that the barbarians had cleared the way for them? Oh, our scouts must have missed that. We had no idea.

No matter how flimsy the lie, so long as they still intended to rule the divine land in the future, the Li Clan had to cover up the fact that they had once colluded with the northern barbarians. If they succeeded in unifying the realm, they would inevitably have to launch a northern campaign—because whoever ruled the Central Plains would stand as the enemy of the northern barbarians.

Vermillion Bird could not be bothered to expose him. She simply drawled lazily, “Spring begins tomorrow... Historically, the northern barbarians prefer to march south in autumn, when the grass is high and the horses are fat. That was the case last year, for instance. But we both know that this year is different. The Great Han has just emerged from turmoil. As you mentioned, Guanlong itself has suffered from barbarian raids before. While Chang’an remains prosperous, the surrounding regions are undoubtedly in a state of decline, still recovering from devastation. Meanwhile, Timur has just defeated Batu and reclaimed control over Monan. He will not give us time to breathe. As soon as the snow melts, he will march south.”

Li Boping sneered inwardly. That’s exactly what I want. Why are you trying to convince me of something I’ve already planned for?

But outwardly, he could only nod. “Indeed. Is this the reason for your diplomatic mission, Venerable?”

“Of course. If the Great Han and the King of Qin set aside their conflicts for now and join forces to repel the invaders from the north, there is a real chance of victory. Timur is not as strong as people imagine. He suffered a major defeat last year. Our only real problem has been our internal divisions, wasting our strength against each other,” Vermillion Bird’s voice rang with conviction. “If we can cooperate, why stop at mere defense? If we unite, we could march beyond the northern borders, strike deep into enemy territory, and uproot them entirely!”

Li Boping let out a polite smile. “Guanlong is too weary to carry out a northern campaign. It can barely protect itself. If you wish to lead a northern campaign, I greatly admire the ambition and preemptively offer my wishes for your swift victory.”

Vermillion Bird smirked. “Are you saying you’re too weak to even participate?”

Li Boping maintained his measured tone. “Naturally, we cannot compare to the Great Han’s vast and fertile lands or its formidable armies.”

“In that case, if you can at least remain within your borders and refrain from causing trouble for us, we might be able to tolerate that,” Vermillion Bird mused lazily. “But such an alliance is fragile without something to bind us together. We don’t trust words alone. So... should we discuss a marriage alliance?”

Finally, we’ve arrived at this part. Li Boping subtly glanced at Jiuyou. But Jiuyou remained fixated on Zhao Changhe, her expression as blank and unchanging as a porcelain doll’s.

Li Boping’s thoughts froze for a moment. Wait... is she seriously interested in him?

Without any directive from his ancestor, Li Boping had no choice but to wing it. “A marriage alliance is not impossible, of course. But why should it not be my son who is wed to a princess of the Great Han?”

Vermillion Bird chuckled. “We don’t have princesses.”

Li Boping blinked a few times, completely stuck. He hadn’t considered that before opening his mouth.

“Besides, you’re not worthy. Even our housemaids wouldn’t lower themselves to marry into your family.” Vermillion Bird leaned back leisurely. “Alright, let’s not waste time with idle chatter. I’ve heard your family’s young lady is quite beautiful. If you’re willing to send her to serve our King Zhao as a concubine, then we can consider setting aside our hostilities for now. But if you refuse... well, Bo’e appeared in Chang’an today, and Papiyas emerged from among the Buddhists here. If the Li Clan rejects this alliance, what exactly is their reason? The people of this land will reach their own conclusions. By tomorrow, the army of the Great Han will march from Hangu Pass. When our forces descend, all who stand against us will be reduced to dust. Consider this your final warning.”

What kind of marriage proposal is this? This is just blatant provocation!

Vermillion Bird had never seriously intended to arrange a marriage for Zhao Changhe.

Even if Li Boping actually had a daughter of appropriate age, there was no way he would tolerate such talk. He was just about to explode in fury when Jiuyou suddenly spoke in her soft, haunting voice, “If a marriage alliance is truly on the table, then we can discuss the finer details. If our conditions are met... it may not be entirely out of the question.”

...What?

Li Boping’s jaw nearly hit the floor.

Vermillion Bird’s eyes went wide. What the fuck, you little wench? What are you playing at?!

Even Yue Hongling, who had been keeping silent and playing the part of an impassive bodyguard, instinctively gripped her sword hilt.

Zhao Changhe’s mouth fell open. He wanted to reach into the void and drag the blind woman out. “Blindie, what the hell is happening? Say something!”

Unfortunately, even the blind woman was completely stunned at this moment.