Tome of Troubled Times

Chapter 525: The Tears of the People May Overturn a Boat

The Imperial Ancestral Temple of the Great Xia Palace was a rather unique place.

Xia Longyuan rose from the common folk, very much like Zhao Changhe, almost as if he had suddenly appeared out of nowhere.

At least Zhao Changhe had a somewhat “verifiable” background. He was said to be from Zhao Family Village. Back then, the villagers were slaughtered, and his parents and relatives were likely all killed in that incident. This was not just verified by the renowned hero Yue Hongling, but also heard firsthand by First Seat Tang when Zhao Changhe angrily mentioned it to Luo Zhenwu, making it reliable evidence.

But with Xia Longyuan, no one knew where he came from or who his parents were. After unifying the realm, he did not follow tradition to honor his parents, nor did he establish an ancestral shrine. The Imperial Ancestral Temple did not even have a memorial tablet.

He did not perform ancestral rites, and every time the Ministry of Rites spoke of ancestors, the conversation would end right then and there.

Only Zhao Changhe knew the truth. Xia Longyuan’s parents were more than likely still alive and well in the modern world, and had not passed away, so why would he set up a memorial tablet, essentially cursing his parents to die?

Xia Longyuan probably came from the same era as him, just that he was placed in this world by the blind woman some thirty years earlier. With Xia Longyuan’s understanding of time, he should know there was still a chance to return to his original time, with his parents still alive—only now, he was older than them. Whether he still wanted to go back was unclear... Considering how much he seemed to be enjoying himself now, probably not...

Given this situation, it would have been better not to establish an ancestral temple at all. Setting up an empty one just invited criticism. Still, Xia Longyuan did create one, implying that one day he too would die, and the temple would be needed eventually.

And so, what should have been a solemn ancestral temple, as it was in every dynasty, was instead kept clean by a few palace attendants, cold and desolate in the Great Xia Dynasty.

Huangfu Qing also initially suspected the ancestral temple when she entered the palace. But upon her secret investigation, she found nothing.

Now, she understood. It was not that there was nothing there. It was simply that back then, her cultivation was not strong enough to detect any anomaly. Now that she had broken through to the third layer of the Profound Mysteries, she could finally sense it and could “guess” where the real Xia Longyuan was.

The reason Xia Longyuan built the ancestral temple in this location was clearly the existence of an isolated secret realm here, and the architecture of the temple formed an extremely special array, combining concealment with a purpose that was yet unclear.

It was highly likely that the choice to establish the capital here and the construction of the palace were all connected to this.

Huangfu Qing led the couple to the ancestral temple, where a teleportation array suddenly appeared in the center of the temple. Huangfu Qing stared at it for a long time before saying softly, “It’s best not to enter. Let him come out and talk.”

Zhao Changhe shook his head. “That’s pointless.”

Huangfu Qing glared at him.

Zhao Changhe smiled, “If you’re worried, you can stay outside and provide support.”

Huangfu Qing thought for a moment and then nodded slightly. Suddenly, she disappeared. “If you two don’t come out within an incense stick’s time, the capital will be razed to the ground.”[1]

This was both a warning and a threat directed at Xia Longyuan... Yet Xia Longyuan gave no response.

Xia Longyuan was not entirely without concerns. Huangfu Qing, after observing for so long, was at least able to confirm one thing: he still needed the Great Xia Empire to exist, even if it was teetering on the edge. As long as it existed, it was enough.

This was likely tied to some kind of method related to the fate of the mortal realm, which Huangfu Qing could not fully understand yet, but she knew that it definitely existed. Without it, many of Xia Longyuan’s actions would be inexplicable.

Zhao Changhe might have somewhat blindly overestimated Xia Longyuan’s power, but in the minds of the elite of this world, as long as someone had something they desired, they were not invincible, regardless of what that desire may be.

And so, almost everyone was keeping their eyes on Xia Longyuan, waiting for him to show a sign of weakness.

He was indeed not invincible.

Zhao Changhe held Xia Chichi’s hand, and they slowly stepped onto the teleportation array. Soft white light flashed, and the two of them instantly disappeared from where they stood. The light on the teleportation array also faded as if it had never existed. n/ô/vel/b//jn dot c//om

When the white light faded, they were met with a peculiar scene.

Xia Longyuan was sitting cross-legged on a tall stone platform. The platform was square and had nine levels, each level smaller than the one below it. Despite such a design, even at the ninth level, it was still dozens of meters wide, making the tall nine-layered stone platform seem relatively low and broad.

Surrounding them was a dome of darkness, like a rounded cover enclosing all sides. On the dome above, constellations flickered, tracing the shapes of celestial bodies across the sky.

Zhao Changhe’s first thought was the Night Emperor, but he quickly realized that was not the case.

This was actually a form of cultivation based on the “round heaven, square earth” worldview[2]. It was seen as a necessary step on the path to “overlooking the world” and “controlling the universe.”

The Night Emperor was just someone who had gone the furthest down this path, hence his title. But it was not unique to him. Xia Longyuan was clearly on the same path, incorporating who knew how much of the former White Tiger Saintess’s and Azure Dragon’s insights from back then.

Xia Chichi looked at the dome, her anger growing. “You discarded my mother like a worn shoe, but now you use her cultivation insights. World’s number one? Hmph.”

Xia Longyuan was not angered by her words. Even when Xia Chichi said that he was not worthy earlier, he did not get angry. Instead, he smiled slightly, and there was even a hint of kindness in his eyes as he looked at Xia Chichi. “Your knowledge is shallow, and your opportunities have been few. Zhao Changhe would never say something like that... Come up and talk.”

Zhao Changhe squeezed Xia Chichi’s hand, signaling for her to calm down. Then he took her hand and leaped upward, landing on the high platform.

Xia Longyuan’s eyes showed a hint of surprise as he carefully examined Zhao Changhe. “Your cultivation has advanced faster than mine did back then, much faster.”

Zhao Changhe responded flatly, “I’m honored.”

Xia Longyuan smiled. “I told you before, if you don’t like me and you want to kill me, then come and do it yourself... You’ve advanced quickly, but you still have a long way to go.”

Xia Chichi gave Zhao Changhe a surprised glance. Back in Kunlun, Zhao Changhe had told her about his meeting with Xia Longyuan, including everything related to her mother, but he had not mentioned this part.

Did Zhao Changhe express dissatisfaction with Xia Longyuan at that time? And Xia Longyuan didn’t get angry? There seems to be something special about the relationship between them... Whenever he talks with Zhao Changhe, he uses “I” every time, not the imperial “we.”

Zhao Changhe then spoke, “Although I disagreed with you back then, I would never have shouted for a fight. You were kind to me, especially when you mentioned how being a father-in-law is a father too. That made me see you quite favorably. It made me feel that you had a human side, that you weren’t as indifferent to Chichi as I initially thought. Later, when people said you might be my father, I didn’t deny it as much as before. Indeed, a father-in-law is also a father.”

Xia Chichi’s conflicting emotions about what she should say were completely dispelled by the conversation between the two. She even became quite interested, found a raised stone on the ground, sat down on it, and watched them silently.

Xia Longyuan chuckled. “Weren’t you doing that because you wanted to take advantage of the title of crown prince? Like using Dragon Bird to woo Tang Wanzhuang?”

Zhao Changhe said, “That’s part of it, I admit.”

Xia Longyuan nodded, then suddenly laughed. “Fair enough. I hate hypocrites who pretend to be saints. At least you’re honest about your selfish motives. Have a seat. Why are you standing there, trying to appear taller than me?”

Zhao Changhe did not sit. He stood straight and said, “There’s no way the Sea Tribe only has one deity. You acted recklessly, not caring about Cui Wenjing’s or my life, just to crush an ordinary god or demon. I want to know why.”

“Why do you need to know?”

“You handle your gods and demons; I take care of the people. I already said this before—if you won’t take care of things, then I will.”

“If I become part of what ruins your world, will you then curse me to my face?”

“Yes,” Zhao Changhe said bluntly. “Cui Wenjing protects your empire, while Zhai Muzhi poisons the southwest. You disregard Cui Wenjing but protect Di Muzhi, behaving no better than the worst of tyrants. If you’re not interested in doing your job, can’t you at least let someone who wants to do it take over? Whether it’s Chichi or someone else, even if you hand it over to Tang Buqi, I think they’d do a better job than you.”

Xia Longyuan’s eyes carried a hint of amusement. “Do you realize that with what you just said and your attitude in cursing me, I could kill you a thousand times over? Is this how recklessly you wander through the jianghu?”

Zhao Changhe raised his neck defiantly. “Throughout history, there have been countless loyal ministers who were killed for criticizing a tyrant. If fear of death stopped people from speaking out, then humanity might as well be destroyed.”

Xia Longyuan burst into laughter. “You actually see yourself as a loyal minister?”

Zhao Changhe replied, “I can’t beat you, so for now, I can only be a loyal minister.”

The unspoken implication was that if he could defeat the emperor, he would have already done so.

Xia Longyuan still was not angry and only shook his head with a smile.

Zhao Changhe continued, “Anyway, Old Xia... I didn’t know what I wanted to say to you when I came to the capital, but after this conversation, I’ve finally figured it out.”

Xia Longyuan nodded. “Go on.”

“If I say, ’the tears of the people will eventually overturn the boat; you won’t know until the tide rises,’ would you find it childish, cringeworthy, and dismiss it with a sneer?”

Xia Longyuan still smiled. “I like childish words. The problem with what’s cringeworthy is that it’s just what people with cold hearts think. I’m not one of them.”

Zhao Changhe was momentarily stunned, feeling both exasperated and amused. True, the most “childish” person in this world might very well be Xia Longyuan himself.

Xia Longyuan said, “You may seem to be scolding me, but in truth, you’re really advising me to take care of things... You truly are trying to be a loyal minister. It’s very strange.”

“What’s so strange about it? Why else would I come to the capital? You’re still my father-in-law, after all... Even if it’s useless, I still have to say what needs to be said. Whether you listen or not is your decision.”

The phrase “you’re still my father-in-law” caused Xia Longyuan’s expression to change slightly. He looked at Xia Chichi again, but she was not looking at him—her eyes were focused intently on Zhao Changhe.

Xia Longyuan sighed and said slowly, “Alright, go on. I’m listening.”

Zhao Changhe had countless words, but they were stuck in his throat. He was unsure of how to express them.

After a long time of contemplation, he realized that saying anything more was pointless. In the end, it all boiled down to one thing. “Don’t be too confident. Don’t think you’re invincible, that everything is just a farce that you can erase whenever you decide to intervene. Let me make it clear—if you are ever killed, it may not be by gods or demons; it could very well be by the heroes of this world rising together.”

1. The original here says “within a breath’s time” but that’s logically too short. ☜

2. The raw text for this is 天圆地方的世界观. It’s a worldview similar to the firmament in biblical cosmology. ☜