Tome of Troubled Times-Chapter 765 (2): Divine Punishment

From the moment his spirit had returned to when his physical body had teleported over, only three seconds had passed.

Xia Chichi had no time to notice anything. Feeling his arm encircle her waist once more, she stirred slightly from her daze, turning her head in confusion to look at him. “Am I hallucinating? I felt like you disappeared for a moment and then reappeared...”

Zhao Changhe grinned. “Just a little magic trick.”

Xia Chichi’s hazy mind gradually sharpened, and a flicker of clarity returned to her gaze. “Wait... earlier, you were just a spiritual projection. It felt solid, but the sensation was still different from your real body, and you had no scent. But now... your touch is real, and your familiar scent is back...”

She hesitated, her fingers tracing the torn fabric of Zhao Changhe’s clothes, then her eyes widened. “This damage... What happened? Did you really just teleport here?”

Zhao Changhe did not bother explaining. Instead, he leaned in and kissed her cheek. “Don’t be so smart. That dazed, silly look just now was much cuter.”

Xia Chichi shot him a glare, but her fingers lingered on his torn robes. Her voice dropped to a whisper, “That was too dangerous...”

Zhao Changhe replied matter-of-factly, “I couldn’t just let you wake up to an empty room.”

A deep warmth bloomed in Xia Chichi’s chest. She bit her lower lip, her eyes misty and sultry. “I still feel empty...”

“You little witch.” Zhao Changhe chuckled, lifting her up in one motion and pressing her hands against the imperial study’s desk, parting the folds of her robes.

Spiritual communion was intoxicating, but after savoring it, there was still something missing—a certain realness that nothing could replace.

Before long, the once “empty” empress let out a satisfied sigh. “That was too dangerous... don’t do it again.”

“That’s not happening,” Zhao Changhe muttered. “If anything, I’ll be studying it more in the future.”

“I bet you just want an excuse to steal jade and—ah! Lighter, you damn pig-headed brute... mmph...”

“The mighty empress shouldn’t be locking eyes with others so much, you know?”

“You—You’re actually bring this up now?! Wait, hey, why’d you stop?”

“...”

“Ugh, fine, I won’t argue with Yue Hongling anymore, happy? You’re bullying me... If you’ve got the guts, go make her behave too!”

“I wasn’t just talking about Hongling. There are others.”

“Then go do this to them too! Who just stops halfway like this, ughhh...”

In truth, Yue Hongling had no real interest in bickering. Even with Xia Chichi, she only found her annoying for a brief moment. After sharing a meal together, following the unspoken rules of the jianghu, grievances should be settled over wine. Who had the time or energy to keep holding grudges?

At this very moment, all of Yue Hongling’s focus was immersed in the vast celestial dome, her spirit soaring across the boundless sky, drifting within the endless void.

The cosmos stretched infinitely before her, and it seemed as though it could be wielded as a sword.

She did not know how long she had been lost in this state, but suddenly, a dragon’s roar echoed in her soul, and her long sword left the scabbard.

A streak of sword light tore through the vast expanse, traversing thousands of rivers and mountains, eventually landing in Jiangnan.

At that very moment, a local tyrant was viciously beating an elderly man, attempting to snatch a young girl from his grasp. The girl’s desperate cries pierced the heavens.

The Marquis of Wu, Tang Buqi, was quietly making his way to a brothel when he happened to pass by the scene. Just as he was about to intervene, a crimson radiance flared across the sky. A sword light descended from the heavens, and in an instant, a thin line of blood appeared across the tyrant’s throat. The man toppled backward, dead before he even hit the ground.

Tang Buqi stood frozen in shock, staring at the distant horizon. The setting sun cast a lingering glow, dyeing the sky red.

“Their strength has become this absurd? Then... What about my aunt?”

* * *

“Your Majesty,” a palace maid’s voice came from outside. “First Seat Tang has arrived.”

Ordinarily, Tang Wanzhuang would not require an announcement when visiting Xia Chichi. But today was different as the palace maids could hear strange noises coming from inside... Yet, they had not seen anyone enter. Could it be that the empress is...?

Inside the study, there was no immediate response.

Tang Wanzhuang exchanged a puzzled glance with the maids before pushing the door open and stepping in.

At first glance, she saw Zhao Changhe and Xia Chichi sitting properly at the table, discussing the upcoming imperial examinations with utmost seriousness. Zhao Changhe even seemed to have some genuine insights, and Xia Chichi was nodding along thoughtfully.

Upon seeing Tang Wanzhuang, Xia Chichi greeted her with a cheerful, almost exaggeratedly honest smile. “Minister Tang, it’s good to see you! Come, join us in discussing the spring exams.”

Tang Wanzhuang’s eyes narrowed slightly as she scrutinized them. Something was off. Her gaze darted between them, her suspicion deepening. She inhaled lightly and noticed a faint, lingering scent in the air.

Her lips twitched into an incredulous smile. Shutting the door behind her, she crossed her arms. “The sun is still up, and you two already had a round, didn’t you? Spring exams? More like spring chambers.”

Xia Chichi dropped the act entirely. “At least it wasn’t as shameless as someone’s sword art.”

Tang Wanzhuang: “?”

To the outside world, these two are the very image of a wise and harmonious ruler-and-minister duo. But behind closed doors, this is their dynamic?

Zhao Changhe, caught between amusement and exasperation, subtly reached beneath the table and smacked Xia Chichi’s rear. “Didn’t we agree? No more bickering with others.”

Xia Chichi cast him an aggrieved glance but fell silent.

Tang Wanzhuang’s brows lifted slightly in surprise. Since when has this little witch actually listened to someone? Did she just get satisfied a little too thoroughly?

Wait...

Tang Wanzhuang’s gaze sharpened as she took a closer look at Xia Chichi. A moment later, realization struck.

She’s broken through? This fast?!

The third layer of the Profound Mysteries was once an unreachable peak, as well as the former standard for the Ranking of Heaven. And yet, in the midst of some scandalous tryst, she’s simply... gone far beyond just entering it.

Tang Wanzhuang could not help but feel a hint of frustration.

I’m stuck at the peak with no sign of breaking through. If I could step down and travel the world for opportunities, maybe I’d have a chance. But that’s simply impossible. And it’s not like dual cultivation can help me break through—at most, it’s just a supplement. This little empress just happened to be at the right moment... but what about me? Am I doomed to be suppressed by Vermillion Bird forever?

Suppressing her irritation, she sighed inwardly. There was no point in burdening Zhao Changhe with her own problems.

Instead, she changed the subject, “I actually came to report that the Ministry of Works’ secret project on improving artillery has made significant progress. Would you like to take a look?”

Zhao Changhe blinked. Then, realization dawned, and he shot to his feet. “Wait, you guys have been working on that?”

Tang Wanzhuang rolled her eyes. “Wasn’t it you who suggested this to Tang En while you were overseas? You said there’d be surprises if we improved these, so Tang En brought back several cannons for us to study. Previously, the range was poor, reloading was cumbersome, the barrels were prone to damage, and misfires often injured our own troops. It was more trouble than it was worth compared to simple ballistae. But after months of work, several ingenious craftsmen have proposed some promising improvements. They claim the new prototype surpasses ballistae... I haven’t seen it in action yet, so I don’t know how much of it is just talk. Want to take a look?”

Zhao Changhe was ecstatic. “Absolutely!”

Xia Chichi, having firsthand experience overseas, was also intrigued. And so, the ruler and her ministers set off toward the outskirts of the capital under the glow of the setting sun. The test site was heavily guarded, with security so tight that even a fly would struggle to get through.

Tang Wanzhuang explained, “Since this is a previously neglected weapon, secrecy is paramount. Regardless of its effectiveness, we cannot allow the northern barbarians to learn of it.”

Zhao Changhe was genuinely thrilled. Wanzhuang is truly reliable when it comes to work.

The three hurried inside, stepping into a vast field where three cannons were arranged. Several officials in formal robes were overseeing the weapons, and upon seeing the Empress and King Zhao arrive together, they were visibly taken aback before quickly bowing in greeting.

“We greet Your Majesty and Your Highness.”

Zhao Changhe waved them off. “No need for formalities. The fact that you’ve been working on this even during the New Year is commendable. Regardless of the final results, your efforts are worthy of recognition.”

Surprisingly, he spoke before the empress herself, while Xia Chichi simply smiled without comment. The officials exchanged subtle glances but remained composed.

The lead official stepped forward. “The results have been quite promising. Please, Your Majesty, see for yourself.”

With a simple gesture, several workers carried over cannonballs and loaded them into the barrels while others adjusted the positioning. One of them then lit the fuse.

BOOM!

With a thunderous boom, all three cannons fired simultaneously.

Smoke billowed in the distance. Of the three mounds of earth and stone, two were completely obliterated, while the third cannonball was slightly off-target but still struck near enough that the shockwave sent debris flying. Even from afar, Tang Wanzhuang and Xia Chichi could clearly see the scattering of shrapnel covering areas with radii of several zhang.

Even Zhao Changhe was taken aback by how effective it was. He had not expected much when he casually suggested improving primitive cannons, and yet, within a short span of time, they had achieved this level of advancement. Though still rudimentary and reliant on fuses, the power, range, and accuracy had all improved significantly. It was a casual remark that had now borne tangible results just in time for the impending war.

If he was impressed, Tang Wanzhuang and Xia Chichi were outright ecstatic. Their expectations had been far surpassed.

Tang Wanzhuang pressed further. “What’s the reloading time?”

“Reloading is straightforward, though the barrel needs brief cooling periods. Overall, it’s much more efficient than before. That said, accuracy and operation require training. We’ve suffered a fair number of injuries during tests. Oh, and transportation remains an issue. Even with added wheels, they’re still cumbersome to move... As of now, they’re best suited for defending cities.”

“That’s more than enough...” Tang Wanzhuang and Xia Chichi exchanged a glance, both thinking of the same thing: the new storage boxes. Perhaps these would not just be for defending cities...

If a single storage box could carry one cannon along with its ammunition and tools, then what if they had a hundred of such boxes and they suddenly deployed them in open battle?

Would the barbarian invaders think that the heavens themselves had descended to punish them?

Seeing the delight on their faces, the officials felt reassured. Smiling, one of them asked, “Your Majesty, would you grant it a name?”

Xia Chichi turned to Zhao Changhe. He, however, was still gazing at the distant smoke, lost in thought. Then, with a faint smile, he spoke, “Let’s call it... Divine Punishment.”