Chapter 800: Yes, Your Majesty
Watching the horned beast slowly making its way into the depths of the grasslands, followed by the Upside-Down Tusker, An Hua and that adjutant general were speechless for a long time.
Ever since arriving in this world, every scene they had witnessed was utterly astonishing.
The adjutant general recalled that someone had once said the Demon Commander liked to sit within the coiled horns of an Upside-Down Tusker.
Yet in the Holiness’s world, even a crippled ground squirrel could occupy the same position.
“General, may I know your name?”
A voice broke through his stunned reverie.
He turned around and saw Chen Changsheng looking at him. He quickly replied, “This subordinate is Chen Chou.”
Chen Changsheng asked, “General Chen, I’ve always been curious about one thing. When you decided to go to Gaoyang Town back then, weren’t you worried that your superiors would accuse you of deserting your post?”
Chen Chou smiled bitterly. “I was a disgraced general demoted from Qilixi to the Songshan Military Prefecture. I had nothing to do anyway. At the time, I thought saving someone would be worthwhile. Who would have imagined running into so many things?”
Chen Changsheng found the name Qilixi familiar but didn’t dwell on it.
He admired this general named Chen Chou—whether for risking himself to escort a formation master to Gaoyang Town for medical treatment, or for the courage and resolve he showed when facing those powerful figures later on. He asked, “And now? Do you still want to return to the Songshan Military Prefecture to serve?”
Chen Chou was puzzled. “What do you mean, sir?”
Chen Changsheng said, “If you go to the Songshan Military Prefecture as a Divine General, I imagine no one will be able to leave you with nothing to do.”
Chen Chou was stunned. Only after An Hua quietly reminded him did he snap out of it. With a face full of bewilderment, he pointed at himself and asked, “Me? Return to the Songshan Military Prefecture as a Divine General?”
Chen Changsheng said, “That’s right.”
Chen Chou found this utterly absurd and couldn’t help but shake his head with a wry smile. “If it were before my demotion, I was already a Cavalry Commander. If I had worked hard on the front lines for another decade, accumulated military merits, and improved my strength, I might have had a chance to contend for a position in the Songshan Military Prefecture. But now…”
Now he was just an adjutant general, the lowest-ranking officer, a full six ranks below the position of Divine General. What more was there to say?
In the end, it was just a sigh.
He had always felt that his father had given him a bad name.
Chen Chou, Chen Chou—merits hard to requite, left to grow stale in the archives.
Otherwise, why would that fellow have been demoted to Banya, and why would he himself have ended up in such a state?
Chen Changsheng suddenly realized he didn’t know how to continue.
If his friend were here now instead of in Wenshui City, everything might have been much simpler.
That friend would surely have clapped Chen Chou on the shoulder and declared with bold arrogance, “Who is Chen Changsheng? If he says you’re capable, then even if you’re not, you will be.”
That was the logic, but Chen Changsheng himself couldn’t say such words.
Fortunately, there was someone else nearby.
An Hua walked up to Chen Chou and quietly said a few words.
Only then did Chen Chou realize that the one asking him to become a Divine General wasn’t some swindling priest from a small temple hall, nor some greedy clerk from the Ministry of War, but the Holiness himself!
His eyes brightened, then quickly grew dazed, his emotions a tangled mess.
An Hua knew this was a reaction to a massive psychological shock. She smiled and shook her head, ignoring him, and walked back to Chen Changsheng.
The Li Palace had never interfered in state affairs, especially in recent years, when it had been extremely low-key.
Logically speaking, even if Chen Changsheng was the Holiness, he couldn’t just arbitrarily appoint someone as a Divine General of the Songshan Military Prefecture.
And as Chen Chou himself had said, whether in terms of seniority or background, he was clearly not a suitable candidate.
But to An Hua, this wasn’t a problem worth considering.
From the Snow Ridge to this place, from learning the origin of the Cinnabar Pill to waving her sleeve to repel the beast tide, Chen Changsheng’s image in her heart had become utterly sacred and towering.
She was now his most loyal believer and follower.
In other words, if Chen Changsheng told her right now that the sun would rise from the west tomorrow morning, she would wait all night just to glance at the horizon. If she found the sun still rising from the east, she would consider whether she had misheard or gotten her directions wrong.
“You and Chen Chou will go together to the Songshan Military Prefecture.”
Chen Changsheng said to her, “I’ll write a letter for you to carry. There are also some other matters I need you to handle.”
Being assigned a task by the Holiness made An Hua feel both flattered and under immense pressure, as if standing on the edge of an abyss. Her voice trembled slightly as she replied, “Yes, Your Majesty.”
Chen Changsheng looked at her features, finding them familiar. His heart stirred, and he asked, “Archbishop Anlin is your relative?”
An Hua’s demeanor grew even more humble. She replied softly, “Archbishop Anlin is my aunt.”
Chen Changsheng didn’t press further. Whether it was the state religion or the imperial court, in the end, it was all a web of human connections. There was no need to say more.
His gaze followed the white grass path ahead, but he still didn’t see that temple. He wondered if it had been destroyed by falling sky fragments that year. He should find time to investigate. Then, confirming that the things he had left here were still intact, he didn’t linger any longer and left with An Hua and Chen Chou.
The night wind among the mountains was colder. The stars in the night sky silently watched the three by the stream.
An Hua and Chen Chou had no experience with spatial transitions, and for a moment, they felt dazed and disoriented. It took them some time to calm down.
“Your Majesty, where are we?” An Hua asked.
Chen Changsheng said, “Banya Horse Ranch. That road leads to the Songshan Military Prefecture. The nearest horse station is twenty-four li away. You’ll have to endure some hardship.”
Hearing the words “Banya Horse Ranch,” Chen Chou’s expression shifted slightly. He looked back at the barracks where occasional lights flickered, wondering if that fellow was here.
At this point, An Hua finally couldn’t hold back and asked, “Your Majesty, that world you rescued us into… where was it?”
Chen Chou also couldn’t help but look at him, eager to know the answer, yet somewhat nervous.
Chen Changsheng thought for a moment and said, “You guessed correctly. That place was the Zhou Garden, and that tomb was the Zhou Mausoleum.”
Having received the answer they most wanted, confirming that they had stayed in that legendary place for these days, An Hua and Chen Chou felt their hearts ripple with satisfaction.
With no reason to stay any longer, it was time to part.
“Your Majesty, please take care of yourself for the sake of all believers under heaven.”
Watching the two figures disappear into the night, Chen Changsheng remained silent for a long time.
In the years since leaving the capital, he had done many things. But only tonight, when he asked An Hua and Chen Chou to carry out those two tasks, did things truly begin.
During these years, following the arrangements of his uncle, the Teacher of the State Religion, and the agreement made that snowy night in the National Academy, he had been traveling the world in hiding, quietly improving himself. But it seemed that his master and many others did not believe in his silence.
Silence, silence. No matter how silent he was, he was still the Holiness.
He already possessed the unconditional trust and loyalty of countless believers in the world, just like An Hua.
And so, he should unconditionally bear the responsibilities he was meant to bear.
In the name of His Holiness.