Chapter 391

Bao Yue's almond eyes fixed straight on Xiao Luan, fire burning in their depths:

"He saved my life!"

Xiao Luan lifted his eyelids slightly:

"Oh? How?"

Bao Yue recounted, with selective detail and deliberate omission, the story of how the two of them had been captured by the Yi tribes in Yidu and risen to become divine envoys.

The details included Wang Yang's wit and bravery in navigating the savage chieftains; the omissions were many—such as the two of them, a lone man and woman, sharing a single chamber at night; the gambling match she lost until she cried, then had to massage his legs while sitting on them; and the terrifying fervor and absolute obedience the Yidu tribes showed toward Wang Yang.

None of this appeared in Wang Yang's secret memorial. He merely stated he had been dispatched by Wang Yi into the barbarian lands, captured by accident, and then cunningly claimed to be a divine envoy to sway the tribes, cultivate relationships with their leaders, and ultimately secure the Yidu tribe's surrender.

The embellishments centered on Wang Yang's loyalty to the court—how, even in peril, he risked everything to bring the barbarians under imperial rule. The omissions included several points: Bao Yue's new title, "Lord Moon Slave," became simply "Lord Moon" in her telling; and figures like Chen Chen Chen Qingshan, deemed "irrelevant minor characters," were naturally excised...

Night pressed down on the mountains; bonfires ignited one by one across the camp.

In the flickering firelight, the barbarians knelt in waves, chanting the name of Pan Wang three times, then raised their arms in thunderous cries:

"The Divine Envoy is immortal! The Holy General lives ten thousand years!"

"The Divine Envoy is immortal!! The Holy General lives ten thousand years!!"

"The Divine Envoy is immortal!!! The Holy General lives ten thousand years!!!"

Chen Chen Chen Qingshan's dark brows furrowed slightly.

After the evening ritual concluded (Chapter 355: "Wang Yang formalized the pre-sermon rites, adding a new morning veneration and evening blessing: morning veneration for Pan Wang and the Divine Envoy, evening blessing for Pan Wang and the Divine Envoy"), during the tent council, Chen Chen Chen Qingshan, face cold and expressionless, asked:

"Who added 'The Holy General lives ten thousand years'?"

Tian Tian Dadao immediately bowed, face beaming with eagerness:

"Your Holy General, it was this humble Tian who suggested it! I thought, the blessing chant already includes 'Holy Guards live forever'—and since Your Holy General is the foremost of the Holy Guards, and has taken over command of the tribes on behalf of the Divine Envoy, holding exalted status and meritorious service, if the Holy Guards have a chant, then so should the Holy General. I shared this idea with the Right Grand Shaman (formerly the small shaman of Tian Village) and several clan heads, and lo and behold, they all agreed! Every one nodded in approval, feeling such a phrase must be added to express reverence and devotion to both the Divine Envoy and the Holy General!"

Tian Tian Dadao stole a glance at Chen Chen Chen Qingshan's expression, then hurried on:

"Moreover, the soldiers under Your Holy General's command, trained by your orders given by the Divine Envoy, are utterly loyal to both the Divine Envoy and the Holy General! And Your Holy General's martial prowess is unmatched, your discipline ironclad—who in the army dares not submit? If we add a chant for the Holy General, every soldier will rejoice! Morale will surge! Training will grow fiercer! Battle will feel surer!"

In truth, per Wang Yang's prior orders, Tian Tian Dadao still governed the three tribes—but the order included this phrase: "The Holy General acts on behalf of the Divine Envoy, overseeing the chieftains and training the soldiers."

"Acts on behalf of the Divine Envoy" was nearly equivalent to holding the Imperial Sword of Authority. With power over the chieftains and command of the army, if he chose to act, who in the entire Yidu tribe could resist?

Though Chen Chen Chen Qingshan usually focused solely on training and rarely interfered in tribal affairs, Tian Tian Dadao always adopted the lowest posture, bowing in full subordinate's salute, never once acting as if he were the tribe's leader.

Chen Chen Chen Qingshan remained coldly silent. The others, unsure of her intent, assumed she waited for others to speak first—so they all chimed in agreement.

But that wasn't her meaning at all.

She simply hadn't decided yet.

Wang Yang had taught her: if you haven't decided, say nothing. Others will speak for you, and then you can observe the situation, think carefully.

At that moment, the clan heads of Cheng and Xiang, along with other leaders, all spoke in favor of blessing "The Holy General lives ten thousand years." Only the Right Grand Shaman, while agreeing, added: since the chant now honored the Holy General, shouldn't "Lord Moon Slave" be added too?

The tent fell instantly silent.

He had raised this yesterday—but Tian Tian Dadao and the others had ignored it, brushing it off with "First, settle the Holy General's chant." Who could have expected him to be so stubborn, to bring it up again right before Chen Chen Chen Qingshan?

Everyone feared offending someone and dared not speak. Only Tian Tian Dadao declared clearly:

"Lord Moon Slave is, of course, to be respected. But the Divine Envoy has never granted Lord Moon Slave a sacred title. Only the Holy General received a sacred title directly from the Divine Envoy! The Holy General acts on the Divine Envoy's behalf—that is the Divine Envoy's own words! With a sacred title and representing the Divine Envoy, he alone qualifies for the chant. No one else does!"

Tian Tian Dadao always believed true success didn't require brilliance, but decisiveness. Once you see your chance, bet everything—fully, utterly. Even if you lose and are shattered to dust, it's better than standing between both sides, trying to please everyone.

Standing between both sides seems safe, and ordinary people choose it most easily—but it's the most pitiful path. When the wind blows, you dare not charge forward; when the rain falls, you dare not step inside. Opportunities pass you by; rewards never reach you. Neither side trusts you, so you remain forever stuck, never rising.

Like me—I chose Wang Yang and stuck to him, unwavering! What did I care for clan head or not? I was just Little Tian! Now look: I rule all three tribes, head of the three clan leaders! When the Divine Envoy and his woman are here, I'm Little Tian. When they're gone, what do you call me?

Before, I bet on the Divine Envoy. Now, the moment has come to bet on the Divine Envoy's woman.

Tian Tian Dadao decided to bet directly on Chen Chen Chen Qingshan.

First, from his observations, Wang Yang trusted Chen Chen Chen Qingshan more than Bao Yue—otherwise, why would he grant her the title Holy General? That was effectively handing the highest authority of the Yidu tribe to her. Only absolute trust would justify such a move.

Second, Wenyang's young lord, Le Le Le Luo Luo, treated Chen Chen Chen Qingshan with deep respect; all communications between the two tribes went first to her. He reasonably suspected Wang Yang had given Wenyang specific instructions before leaving—and Chen Chen Chen Qingshan played a crucial role.

The tribe clutched in Chen Chen Chen Qingshan's hand was not one barbarian tribe, but two—two major barbarian tribes! When Yue Nu would return, or even if she would return at all, remained unknown. But Chen Chen Chen Qingshan's power in the barbarian lands was real and undeniable! And siding with Chen Chen Chen Qingshan meant standing with Leruoluo. Leruoluo was no fool; if he had chosen Chen Chen Chen Qingshan, there must have been his reasons.

Finally, though Yue Nu was submissive before Wang Yang, she looked down on them all. Though she concealed this arrogance well, he sensed her innate pride and superiority—a condescending attitude toward them, just like the Han aristocrats of old. But Wang Yang never gave off such a feeling! Chen Chen Chen Qingshan didn't either.

He had heard Yue Nu was of high status in Han lands; such a noble person, even if he sided with her, might still go unnoticed. But siding with Chen Chen Chen Qingshan might make him a core force.

Then there was the Yongning tribe. Their chieftain, Ang Ta, held deep resentment toward Yue Nu. Wang Yang currently had no heir, so it mattered little now—but the future would be different. If some conflict arose someday, winning Ang Ta's support for Chen Chen Chen Qingshan would be far easier than winning it for Yue Nu.

Tian Tian Dadao had made his decision and continued:

"If today we arbitrarily add Yue Nu my lord to the prayer, tomorrow will we also add the clan chief? The shaman? The headmen? I recognize only the Divine Envoy and the Sacred Generals he has bestowed sacred titles upon! Beyond them, I recognize no one!"

He feared Chen Chen Chen Qingshan might suspect him of overstepping by altering the prayer, so he preemptively clarified his intent—clearing himself of suspicion while showing loyalty, forcing others to declare their stance.

When words had reached this point, refusing to speak out would imply ulterior motives. Even the Right Grand Shaman abandoned the proposal to add blessings for Bao Yue; all voiced in unison, "May the Sacred General live ten thousand years!"

Chen Chen Chen Qingshan heard "May the Sacred General live ten thousand years" and felt deeply ashamed! More importantly, she remembered Wang Yang's instructions—other matters could be negotiated, but military authority and ritual must never be touched. So Chen Chen Chen Qingshan rejected the consensus and demanded strict adherence to the Divine Envoy's prescribed ritual, no additions or omissions allowed.

The proposal was dropped.

But somehow, the discussion in the tent had quietly spread—and grew wider and wider!

The tribespeople greatly admired Chen Chen Chen Qingshan's unwavering loyalty to the Divine Envoy, her pure faith, and her lack of self-interest. They said she was not greedy for empty glory, truly qualified to act on the Divine Envoy's behalf. An idiom even emerged: "The Divine Envoy establishes the law; the Sacred General upholds it"—describing one who dares not alter or add to the rules, who strictly follows protocol. Chen Chen Chen Qingshan's prestige soared; from then on, the Yidu tribe recognized only the Sacred General, not Yue Nu.

Wang Yang never imagined that taking Chen Chen Chen Qingshan to the barbarian tribes would unintentionally give rise to a powerful new faction—the "Chen Chen Qingshan Party." Of course, that was a story for later.

At this moment, Bao Yue had no idea the Chen Chen Qingshan Party was quietly taking root; she had already erased Chen Chen Chen Qingshan as a minor figure. Had it not been for Xiao Luan, she might have rewritten the historical records entirely, replacing Chen Chen Chen Qingshan as the female lead in the scene where Wang Yang rode his horse, carried the Divine Envoy's orders, and commanded the army to fall silent.

Blood stained Bao Yue's loosened hair, their meeting felt as fleeting as a startled swan!

Wang Yang, on horseback, eyes brimming with tears, gazed at himself with deep tenderness and softly called:

"Yue'er! Yue'er..."

"Ahem."

Xiao Luan cleared his throat, pulling Bao Yue from her fantasy:

"Finished?"

Bao Yue blushed, forcing a calm expression:

"Finished."

Xiao Luan spoke slowly:

"There's one point I didn't understand. The Prince of Badong consorted with the Yongning tribe, so your search for evidence should have taken you to Yongning. But Wang Yang's letter says his barbarian journey began at Wenyang tribe. You were in Yongning; he was in Wenyang—how did you both end up captured by the Yidu tribe together?"

His gaze settled on his daughter's face, clearly curious.