Chapter 447: Testing the Officials with This Again

Chapter 447: Using This to Test a Cadre Again

The situation was beginning to clear now.

Sisi’s side was the faction that held the view of “opposing rebellion,” or rather, they were unwilling to fulfill anyone else’s ambition to unify Miaojiang. Their assassination of the Pacification Commissioner was not an act of rebellion; on the contrary, it was an attempt to snuff out the excuse for rebellion.

Since the Xia man who had been exploiting us was already killed, it would be difficult for you to use that as a reason to rebel.

Moreover, the killer was Yue Hongling, also a Xia. A Xia killing a Xia—what does that have to do with us? Even if the imperial court comes to investigate, we can stay out of it.

Under normal circumstances, Sisi’s thinking might still be somewhat naive. If the court really came to hold someone accountable, wouldn’t the local area still be ravaged? But the situation now was a bit different...

The Great Xia at this moment was truly powerless to pursue the matter. At most, they could only issue a warrant for Yue Hongling and call it done, having little to do with the local tribes. As for the warrant, a little whisper in Wanzhuang’s ear would likely make it disappear...

The Chief of the Demon-Suppression Bureau’s paramour was right here, hands on hips! Er, no... the Jade Token Secret Agent of the Demon-Suppression Bureau was here!

The assassinated Pacification Commissioner was, after all, an official who truly preyed on the people, nearly inciting a popular uprising. The assassination had instead averted disaster. How to view this—Wanzhuang had her own scales of judgment...

Thinking this far, Zhao Changhe looked at Sisi with some surprise: “Hey, why didn’t you ever consider unifying Miaojiang yourselves, instead of just sabotaging?”

“Yeah...” Sisi propped her chin on her hand again: “The Xia man was so mean to me—hugging, kissing, pressing, touching, shoving something disgusting in my face. Then he pulled away coldly, turned his back on me. Should I put up a sign saying, ‘All Xia are worthy of death’?”

Zhao Changhe coughed dryly: “Strictly speaking, I’m not a Xia.”

“Oh, so someone knows that bad guy is him? At least you have some self-awareness.”

“...”

Sisi leaned back leisurely in her lounge chair, sipping wine, her gaze sweeping up and down over him for a long while before she suddenly chuckled lightly: “Chief Tang has been good to me. I don’t want to see her coughing herself half to death when she hears I’ve rebelled. It’s not because of you, so don’t get smug.”

“When was I ever smug?”

“Besides, the one who would really be hurt by this is her, not you. I can tell you don’t care much about rebellion itself—you only care about the purpose behind it: whether it’s truly resisting tyranny or serving some uglier ambition. After all, you’re a bandit chief yourself.”

Zhao Changhe was stunned for a moment, then fell silent.

Sisi laughed: “Hey, do you think I understand you well? Don’t get cocky—that was Sister Yue’s analysis, nothing to do with me.”

Zhao Changhe simply shut his mouth and drank.

This girl was full of barbs now, two out of every three sentences aimed at starting a fight... He might as well let her vent until she felt better and be done with it...

But Sisi returned to the main topic: “I come from an ancient tribal lineage. Though we lack some things in martial arts and want to learn more from the Central Plains, in the arts of witchcraft and gu, we are the ancestors of everyone here. Once we truly leave the secret realm in force and take root in this world, we would indeed have the reason and strength to declare ourselves kings.”

Zhao Changhe said, “Yes, that’s why I asked why you don’t want to.”

“Because only a very few of us have come out, with me as the leader.” Sisi said with a smile, “I told you before, coming to the Central Plains to seek martial arts was a bet within my clan. If my idea proves beneficial, the clan will naturally consider formally establishing a foothold in this world, trying to interact more broadly. That’s what we’re doing now. Hey, in this matter, the sword techniques you gave were useful. Want me to reward you?”

Zhao Changhe’s face was expressionless: “That was your due. Exploring the Sword Emperor’s tomb, your experience and insight played a huge role. Without you, we wouldn’t have obtained those legacies. You had a share in them.”

“You...” Sisi was quite surprised: “Why are you so boring now? Is it because you’ve hooked up with Sister Yue and settled down?”

Zhao Changhe said solemnly: “Exactly. A man who has started a family and a career naturally needs to be more steady...”

Sisi’s expression was like she’d eaten something foul. She looked him over with disgust, yawned listlessly, and said: “Anyway, for now, our main focus is still within our own secret realm. We have very few people outside, so it’s not suitable to join the scramble for power. Maintaining the status quo of tribal autonomy is beneficial to us. As for whether, after we’ve taken deeper root, we might develop rebellious intentions—I don’t know. Do you want to eliminate this future threat in advance?”

In fact, if this was the case, the Guling tribe still had a lot of internal issues. There was also talk of “visitors from the forbidden land”—a whole mess of debts. For them to grow to a scale that could threaten the Great Xia was a distant, unknown future. Why worry about such a distant threat now, when their help could be used without hesitation?

Besides, Zhao Changhe’s real purpose in coming here was to enter their Guling tribe, seeking many things within, not to get tangled in mundane affairs. In truth, as long as he knew Yue Hongling was safe, there wasn’t much in the southwest that required his attention...

Zhao Changhe said seriously: “I even supported Batu, so why not you? I only care about what benefits the current situation. What happens later has nothing to do with me. I’m no loyal minister of the Great Xia, racking my brains over long-term strategies for the court.”

“Oh, ‘support’—that tone...” Sisi smiled coquettishly and sidled closer, her voice once again turning seductive: “This little girl needs a big shot from the Central Plains to support her. How would you be willing to look after me, Lord Zhao?”

“If you can speak properly, I’ll look after you.”

“Is that so...” Sisi didn’t commit, leaning back again and saying lazily: “Alright, I think you’ve learned enough of what you wanted to know. My interest in you has been worn away by your prim and proper attitude. Go back to your guest tent and rest. We’ll talk about anything else tomorrow.”

It was indeed late. Zhao Changhe, still feeling tired from the curse and poison earlier, had a general grasp of the situation and didn’t insist. He stood up to leave: “Rest well, Saintess. We’ll discuss things tomorrow.”

Sisi waved her hand, indicating with some boredom that he should get lost.

Zhao Changhe didn’t mind. He turned and left the large tent. Outside, a few young maidservants were waiting. Seeing that he actually left without incident, they looked quite surprised and covered their mouths with a giggle: “Guest, follow us.”

Though she said they had few people, the mountain stronghold was actually quite large. The guest tent was in a remote corner. Inside, there was a large bathtub, steaming with hot water, petals of unknown flowers floating in it, giving off a pleasant fragrance.

The maidservants asked with a grin: “Guest... would you like us to attend your bath?”

“Why do you sound just like your Saintess?”

“Heh... Did the Saintess actually say something like that to you?”

“No, just the tone, you know, the tone?”

“The tone... hehe.” The young maidservants said nothing more, laughing as they withdrew.

They naturally had no idea about Sisi’s bitter past of pretending to be a maidservant and being teased. If the Saintess, in her dignity, spoke to someone in a seductive tone, it was either a sign she intended to kill or that she had some goodwill and was testing the person’s character.

But this didn’t look like she intended to kill... How could the Saintess take a liking to a Xia man she’d just met? That couldn’t be right...

The maidservants could never imagine the complicated relationship and mindset between these two. In truth, neither knew what attitude to take with the other. Even now, their minds were a mess of confusion, and everything they did was instinct.

Zhao Changhe was tired and didn’t want to think too much. Finally, he could take a proper hot bath—he was almost in tears.

He settled comfortably into the tub, closed his eyes to rest, but before even half a cup of tea had passed, he suddenly opened his eyes, a sense of dread rising in his heart.

A wave of heat surged from his lower abdomen. The Dragon Sparrow instantly reared up, roaring to life. Lust stirred uncontrollably in his heart. The faces of Sisi and the lively maidservants just now flashed through his mind, then turned to their exposed waists, their crystal-clear little feet, images flickering through his thoughts one by one.

He had been drugged with an aphrodisiac.

Zhao Changhe looked inward, but just like before when he checked for the weakening curse, he found nothing. He’d probably have to use the Qinghe Mirror to see. But here and now, pulling out a mirror would be far too conspicuous...

He abandoned the idea of taking out the mirror and forcibly suppressed the urge using Tang Wanzhuang’s Moon-Reflecting Water Heart Method, sighing: “Can’t you people just let me take a bath in peace?”

A fragrant breeze swept by. Sisi, with her slender waist exposed and jade-like bare feet, quietly appeared beside him, her voice dripping with seduction: “Master, would you like your slave girl to attend to you?”