Chapter 4 — The Prophet Awakens: Shedding the Worthless Shell

Thanh Lang Bộ is located deep in the mountains northwest of Bắcương, where vast pine forests hug a narrow valley, where people live by hunting and raising mountain sheep. This is one of the most loyal tribes to the Xa family for many generations, and the current clan leader, Lăng Chiêu Dương, is a rare close friend that Tuyết Doanh has kept since childhood.

"Tuyết Doanh, it's been a long time since I've seen you come here in person." Chiêu Dương welcomed her at the farm gate. He was tall and had a weathered face, but his smile was still as warm as the days when they were children hunting rabbits on the hills. "I heard that Bắcương has not been peaceful lately."

"Did you hear this far?" Tuyết Doanh got off her horse and looked around the peaceful valley, a peace that she found more precious than ever amid the storms rolling in the capital.

"Rumors fly very quickly. People even talk about..." Chiêu Dương hesitated, "about your husband."

Tuyết Doanh smirked, not hiding her tiredness. "I know. The whole Bắcương is now discussing whether my marriage is a bad omen or not."

"I don't believe that nonsense." Chiêu Dương led her into the camp, where hot tea and grilled meat were prepared. "You are the queen your father chose, the most trusted person among the Northern leaders I have ever met. Your marriage is a private matter, no one has the right to judge."

"Thank you for still trusting me." Tuyết Doanh took a sip of tea, her eyes became serious. "But I came here today not just to visit. I'm afraid these troubles have not stopped at rumors. Nam Xuyên is making suspicious moves, and I need to know, if one day Bắcương is really in danger, will Thanh Lang Bộ still be on my side or not."

Chiêu Dương put down the tea cup, his eyes equally serious. "Tuyết Doanh, Thanh Lang Bộ's ancestors swore loyalty to the Xa family five generations ago, when your ancestors saved our entire tribe from famine. I have never forgotten that oath, and will never forget it. If Bắcương needs it, Thanh Lang Bộ warriors will be present, no need to ask why."

"I need to hear better than that." Tuyết Doanh looked straight into her friend's eyes. "Not an empty promise in a time of peace, but a real preparation. If the day comes when I need to call, how many warriors can you mobilize, and for how long?"

Chiêu Dương pondered for a moment, then replied firmly. "Five hundred of the best warriors, ready to depart within one day and one night of receiving your signal. I will prepare a mobile army, always on standby, until the threat from Nam Xuyên is resolved."

"Thank you." Tuyết Doanh squeezed her friend's hand, her heart filled with rare warmth amid days full of calculation and suspicion. "I will not forget this favor."

"Don't talk about gratitude to me. We've been friends since childhood, moreover..." Chiêu Dương smiled, his eyes mischievous. "You still owe me a horse race from when you were fifteen, remember?"

Tuyết Doanh laughed out loud, a rare laugh that she rarely had recently. "Okay, once this is over, I'll race you again, and this time I'll win."

***

On the way back to Nguyệt Trạch, Tuyết Doanh's group also stopped by a trading station on the west coast, where the representative of Tây Hải Bộ - a young messenger named Kha Vấn Thu - was waiting according to previous appointment.

"Queen." Vấn Thu bowed, his demeanor elegant but his eyes as sharp as a true warrior. "Our patriarch sends our regards, and wants to know if Bắcương needs any support from the Tây Hải Department in the current situation."

"News travels really fast." Tuyết Doanh frowned slightly.

"Our merchant ships frequently travel back and forth to Nam Xuyên, so we inevitably hear a few things." Vấn Thu lowered his voice. "We heard that Count Ước Liêm Phong has been collecting white silver in unusual quantities recently, and even sent people to contact a few small clan chiefs in Bắcương. My clan leader is worried that this is not a simple business matter."

"You guessed right." Tuyết Doanh nodded, appreciating the other person's acumen. "Nam Xuyên is plotting against Bắcương. I want to ask directly, is Tây Hải Bộ willing to deal with Bắcương if the situation worsens?"

"Our patriarchs are still grateful to Bắcương for opening a trade route for the West Sea to reach the mainland ten years ago, when other areas were closed for fear of pirates." Vấn Thu bowed his head. "Even though we don't have many warriors on land, we have a fleet of battle-hardened warships that can approach any coastal area of Nam Xuyên within three days if needed. Please send a signal, princess, and we will respond."

"That's good." Tuyết Doanh gave Vấn Thu a small jade pendant engraved with the image of a snow eagle - the symbol of the Xa family. "This is a token. When you see my messenger carrying one exactly like this, that's when Bắcương really needs to come to Tây Hải Bộ."

Vấn Thu received the token and carefully put it in his chest. "We will always be ready."

***

During the trip, Vọng Thần quietly followed the group as an ordinary porter, no one noticed his presence. He observed all of Tuyết Doanh's conversations from afar, secretly admiring the thoughtfulness and foresight of his wife, whom the whole of Bắcương still considered cold and cruel.

"She is secretly preparing for a war that she is not yet sure will happen." He thought to himself, his eyes following the straight back of Tuyết Doanh riding a horse in front. "Not out of panic, but out of caution. That is the true quality of a true leader."

On the way back, when the group stopped to rest by a small stream, Tuyết Doanh happened to encounter Vọng Thần sitting alone on the bank of the stream, gently stirring the water, his eyes looking far away towards the rolling mountains to the south - towards Nam Xuyên.

"What are you looking at?" She approached and asked casually.

Vọng Thần was startled and immediately returned to his naive look. "Ah, I... I was looking to see if there was any fish, ma'am. I'm hungry."

"You always think about eating." She shook her head, but the corners of her lips curled up slightly, an almost gentle expression that she herself did not recognize.

She sat down next to him, said nothing more, just quietly looked at the flowing stream. This was one of the rare moments when she allowed herself to relax, not to think about politics, not to be wary of anyone. Even though the person sitting next to her was a "useless beggar" according to everyone's rumors, in this moment, she felt a strange peace of mind that she couldn't explain.

Vọng Thần glanced at his wife's rarely relaxed face, a complex emotion arose in his heart. He wanted to tell her everything — about Thien Co Pavilion, about the Nine Heavens Prophecy, about the real reason why he had to hide himself for more than twenty years. But the old fear is still there, deep and persistent like a scar that has never healed. If he revealed his identity, would disaster strike again, taking with him the woman sitting next to him and the little girl sleeping in Nguyệt Trạch?

"It's not the right time." He thought to himself, moved his eyes away from Tuyết Doanh's face, and turned back to look at the stream. "It's not the right time."

But deep down, he knew better than anyone else — that moment was approaching, faster than he could prepare for it.

***

The group continued on their way when it was late afternoon, stopping at a small translation station to rest before crossing the pass back to Nguyệt Trạch. Here, Tuyết Doanh accidentally met another small clan leader, the head of a cloth-weaving tribe named Lư Thị Bộ, who was on her way to purchase raw materials.

"Queen." The patriarch bowed, his expression a bit hesitant. "I heard that Bắcương has encountered many troubles recently. I wonder if the princess has a way to deal with it?"

"I'm handling it," Tuyết Doanh replied briefly, but still carefully observed this person's attitude. She knew that, in the midst of turmoil, maintaining the trust of each small clan leader was as important as strengthening alliances with large tribes such as Thanh Lang Bộ or Tây Hải Bộ.

"If the Princess needs any help from Lư Thị Bộ, please speak up. Our ancestors were protected by the Xa family when they encountered a flood thirty years ago. We have never forgotten that grace." The patriarch said, his voice sincere.

"Thank you for your kindness." Tuyết Doanh nodded, feeling a rare warmth in her heart amid days full of suspicion. Not all tribes were easily bribed by Nam Xuyên's sweet words — there were still loyal people who remembered old favors.