Chapter 239: Imperial Concubine

Chapter 239: The Imperial Consort

Zhao Changhe usually prided himself on being quite clever, even capable of pretending to have four eyebrows when solving cases, but at this moment his mind truly felt like it had short-circuited.

How could Tang Wanzhuang and the Imperial Consort be tearing into each other in public, while others looked on as if it were nothing unusual? The Huangfu family, after all, was a house of loyal martyrs—shouldn't they share the same stance? What was this quarrel about...

Right, the Huangfu family was full of loyal martyrs, so how could their legitimate daughter be the rebel Yi Huo She?

And then, how could you, an Imperial Consort, leave the palace for so long? Were the palace officials all blind? Wasn't the Emperor looking for you?

No, if you were the Imperial Consort, then my previous flirtations with you—wasn't I flirting with my stepmother? Ah, no, that would be Chichi's stepmother... You bumped into me with your belly, wrapped your arms around my waist, nearly a piggy-to-piggy collision.

What the hell was I doing?

Uh, no, why are you still a virgin?

And then, since your own family had an Imperial Consort, why would the Four Symbols Sect still ally with the Queen's Wang family? Wasn't that a conflict? It felt like the Queen's biological son, the Crown Prince, was taken out by you, right? So was this alliance just a deliberate attempt to deflect suspicion of killing the Crown Prince?

And then again... I had secretly glimpsed Yi Huo She's face, but she didn't know that. Now she was putting on airs as the Imperial Consort. What attitude should I take toward her to be reasonable?

His CPU couldn't handle sorting out so many threads in an instant. As Zhao Changhe briefly froze, Tang Wanzhuang's expression turned sour: "You're really going to sit there and not move, are you?"

The Imperial Consort smiled sweetly: "Oh... Chief Tang, if I remember correctly, this gentleman told you to wash up and wait for him. What, Chief, have you washed up?"

Tang Wanzhuang's face was expressionless: "Didn't you claim not to know who he was? Now you suddenly know?"

"I didn't realize it at first, but after another look at his broadsword and the scar on his face, it came back to me. Such features aren't common," the Imperial Consort said curiously. "Chief Tang personally issued the wanted order for him back then. Could it be that you're now going to personally arrest him?"

Tang Wanzhuang gritted her teeth inwardly. On this matter, she really couldn't argue. The crude joke was something Zhao Changhe had made known to the world, and now others were using it against her. In theory, she should be the one beating Zhao Changhe. If she didn't beat him, did that mean she agreed?

She shot a vicious glare at Zhao Changhe. You were the one who made that crude joke, and now you're pretending to distance yourself, telling me to come see you in person. Now I'm being humiliated by others, and you just sit there silent!

Zhao Changhe shuddered under her glare, finally scrambled to his feet, and said solemnly to the Imperial Consort: "This... Your Highness, I came to discuss military matters. That is, I don't understand military affairs, so it's better to talk with the Demon Suppression Division about what I can personally contribute. I'll take my leave now."

Tang Wanzhuang's expression calmed down. Vermilion Bird's brows shot up.

I was the one who found He Lei's whereabouts!

You used that to curry favor with Tang Wanzhuang, and now you're using it as a bargaining chip to reject me?

Zhao Changhe saw the look in her eyes and felt his scalp tingle. He knew he was in trouble.

How had things come to this...

But no matter how displeased Vermilion Bird was, she couldn't openly drag Zhao Changhe to stay overnight—what would that look like? She could only clench her delicate hands and watch helplessly as Zhao Changhe followed Tang Wanzhuang away, her lungs about to burst with rage.

By the time Zhao Changhe left, Huangfu Shaozong still had no idea what had happened. He smiled and said to his sister, "Sister, how have you been lately?"

Vermilion Bird had specifically left the palace to wander around, especially to see her brother, so her family wouldn't worry or question her. She hadn't known Zhao Changhe was at her home; meeting him by chance had been a delightful surprise. But then Tang Wanzhuang had shown up, and out of habit, she'd started bickering with that little vixen. Even she thought it was foolish in hindsight.

When her brother asked, she quickly composed herself and said calmly, "I spend most of my time in seclusion. Don't come poking around to see me all the time. Though His Majesty doesn't mind much, there's no rule allowing external officials to run in and out of the palace."

Huangfu Shaozong waved the servants away and lowered his voice: "We both know what kind of Imperial Consort this is. You volunteered to be this hostage—how could we not worry? Our family is full of loyal martyrs, and he..."

"Watch your tongue!" Vermilion Bird said lazily. "You'd better erase that notion from your mind completely, or you'll slip up again later."

Huangfu Shaozong sighed and said no more.

Vermilion Bird said, "The palace has plenty of resources, which also makes my cultivation convenient. It's not without benefits. This is just a nominal transaction; I have no real relationship with him. We each get what we need—what's wrong with that? Don't always think I'm at a disadvantage."

Huangfu Shaozong muttered, "Actually... if it were real, it wouldn't be so bad... If you could bear a child or two..."

Vermilion Bird glanced sideways at him: "What, now you think your sister can be a good tool?"

"No, no, just a thought. Sister still has to marry someone someday. This whole affair has robbed you of a normal woman's family life. I feel wronged for you." Huangfu Shaozong's voice dropped so low it was almost inaudible: "Is he still in long-term seclusion? At a time like this, how can he stay shut in? Is he trying to die or what..."

"Shut up." Vermilion Bird said irritably, "First, ask your blindly loyal father!"

Huangfu Shaozong pressed his lips together and said after a long while, "His blind loyalty is only to the people."

Vermilion Bird fell silent. After a long pause, she sighed and said, "You can get in touch with Zhao Changhe more. It's not suitable for him to stay at the Tang residence. You can invite him to stay here."

"His identity..."

"Which bastard told me earlier that the sword was only vaguely similar?" Vermilion Bird suddenly flew into a rage, grabbing her brother by the collar. "You and your blind loyalty—you deliberately misled me, didn't you, to stop me from killing his last surviving seed?"

Huangfu Shaozong turned his head away awkwardly: "Really, don't kill him..."

"I won't kill him!" Vermilion Bird said coldly. "I've changed my mind. Now I want to use him! Are you happy?"

Huangfu Shaozong twitched his mouth. Whether she wanted to kill or use him, he didn't want to get involved.

But since Zhao Changhe himself had said he wanted to stay here, and his sister had said so too, Huangfu Shaozong thought for a moment and finally sighed, "Fine, I'll befriend him. Tonight I'll invite him to Yihong..."

Before he could finish, his sister inexplicably kicked him. Caught off guard, Huangfu Shaozong landed on his backside, utterly bewildered.

"You're a grown man—learn some good habits! Don't just think about the Yihong Pavilion every day!"

"I-I don't go there often! You never said anything when I went before..."

Vermilion Bird ground her teeth, knowing she couldn't act too strangely. She snorted coldly, turned, and left: "I'm going back to the palace now. The autumn weather is fine these days; I'll often come out to wander. We'll talk then."

Huangfu Shaozong saw his sister out. As he passed the courtyard, he looked up at the sky, which was covered in thick, dark clouds.

...

The Demon Suppression Division.

Zhao Changhe sat with his hands tucked in the chief's room. Tang Wanzhuang sat across from him, her delicate hands brewing tea.

The fragrance of tea curled up, the beauty was like water, and the earlier chaos quickly vanished, as if they had entered another world.

Every time he was with Tang Wanzhuang, he felt his entire soul grow quiet, no matter where he was, as if drifting in a boat on a watery village.

Especially after just leaving the fiery Yi Huo She, the contrast was particularly strong.

How could Yi Huo She be the Imperial Consort? From any angle, it shouldn't be.

Zhao Changhe was still in a daze.

"I received your letter. Wei Zicai has also submitted a confession and resignation. I didn't punish him; I just transferred him elsewhere and didn't let him continue hanging around with Sha Qi," Tang Wanzhuang said slowly. "As for He Lei, I've already organized elite troops to head to Beimang. If necessary, I'll go myself."

Zhao Changhe had said he was coming to the capital in person to discuss matters with Tang Wanzhuang, but he had still sent the letter via the Demon Suppression Division of Jianhu City, fearing the long journey would delay important business. He had worried it might not be delivered, but it seemed the Demon Suppression Division hadn't completely deteriorated—it had arrived.

"As for the rumors you mentioned in your letter, the Demon Suppression Division is now investigating them as a top priority. They're baseless and easy to resolve. No need to worry too much. At most, the Maitreya Sect might spread them widely, but that's no big deal. Once Jiangnan is pacified, such things will naturally be resolved."

Zhao Changhe finally let out an "mm." He had thought the rumors were serious, but as long as the court wanted to handle them, it wasn't a big deal. And Tang Wanzhuang would take this matter even more seriously than he would.

The Wang family hadn't had time to fabricate more plausible rumors; what they'd hastily concocted was too absurd and relatively easy to deal with. Who would use a broadsword as evidence? Anyone old enough would know that the Emperor himself had used such a sword back in the day.

So... the letter had been delivered, and the matters he wanted to discuss with Tang Wanzhuang had already been completed. Then why had he come to the capital?

Just then, Tang Wanzhuang took a very ladylike sip of tea, but the words that came out of her mouth were anything but ladylike: "No matter how beautiful Huangfu Qing is, she is still the Imperial Consort. Don't let your eyes keep wandering all over her face! What kind of behavior is that!"

"Pfft..." Zhao Changhe sprayed out his tea.

Huangfu Qing... that name wasn't bad.

But it seemed Tang Wanzhuang had a deep, old grudge against her. Could it be that his purpose in coming to the capital was to dig up gossip?