Chapter 632: Abundant Spring Water in Cao Tang, the Sun Lingers Outside the Window

Chapter 632: Spring Waters in the Grassland, Sunlight Lingers Outside the Window

As Zhao Changhe carried Tang Wanzhuang into the hot spring bath, Xia Chichi and Huangfu Qing were staring at each other with wide eyes.

Huangfu Qing felt as if green flames were spouting from her head.

Today’s mood had been exceptionally good! After all, as the leader of a rebel faction, she had planned for years and finally achieved victory, and among the allied forces, her side had plucked the greatest fruit of triumph—a feeling that could make anyone float with joy.

Moreover, her old rival Tang Wanzhuang had knelt before her own disciple and declared allegiance… Well, though it was clear she was bowing to Zhao Changhe, that didn’t matter—he was that Chamber Fire Pig, her man, so kneeling to him was the same as kneeling to her, right? In any case, now she was the Empress Dowager and Tang was a minister, so she had won, hadn’t she?

Her good mood had been slightly spoiled in court when that flirt openly begged for a man, but at least she hadn’t succeeded, and the little vixen had been sensible enough not to publicly appoint a royal consort—perfect. Huangfu Qing’s spirits remained high. Thinking that the identity of Vermilion Bird was ill-suited for squabbling, she took the initiative to slip away and switch to her alternate persona.

Switching personas wasn’t without its duties; she couldn’t rush back just to quarrel. Making dragon robes and such was trivial—orders given, someone would handle it. The key was that as the new Empress Dowager, she had to oversee and manage many affairs of the inner palace, including purging the staff and replacing them with her own people, controlling the treasury’s finances, and handling other functions.

As a former imperial consort, she had cultivated many loyalists and placed genuine Four Symbols Sect members in key palace positions, even among the guards. But eunuchs were a different matter—the sect had none, relying on bribery and co-opting a few, but most were untrustworthy. Having lived long in the capital, Huangfu Qing knew how many eunuchs were entangled with outside officials, some even secretly eating from the Huangfu family’s table. If the Huangfu family had such ties, how many did the Wangs and Cuis have?

Controlling the inner palace was no less important than stabilizing the court.

Busy with these matters, she couldn’t leave for a while. When she finally looked up after making some arrangements, lo and behold, the dragon robe was ready.

Full of enthusiasm, Huangfu Qing picked up the dragon robe, intending to have her sensible disciple-emperor try it on. But when she arrived, she found her man bathing with Tang Wanzhuang like a pair of mandarin ducks, and all her good mood evaporated.

What infuriated her more was that, no matter how she considered it, she couldn’t interfere. The Tang woman was too important now—the stability of this new court hinged almost entirely on her stance. Whether she refused to acknowledge it or wholeheartedly supported it would make a world of difference, as even a dog could see.

So she had to sacrifice the Chamber Fire Pig’s masculine charms to bind her to the chariot…

Watching her disciple squatting on the dragon throne with her knees hugged, looking utterly dejected, Huangfu Qing had a bellyful of complaints she couldn’t voice. If she were still Vermilion Bird, she could scold her disciple and tell her to straighten up, but having switched personas, how could she? All that effort for nothing.

“You…” Huangfu Qing took a moment to compose herself, forcing herself into the role of Huangfu Qing, and said slowly, “Your Majesty, what’s with this pitiful look? You should know that now the First Seat of the Demon Suppression Division has submitted to us, toyed with and humiliated by the Four Symbols Sect.”

Xia Chichi twitched the corner of her mouth. Winning so hard? Should she open a jar of wine and toast to it?

Huangfu Qing continued, “Tang Wanzhuang is a very useful minister, crucial for the current situation. It’s a pity she was gravely ill and near death before… Even just to win her over—well, yes, like Dong Zhuo should have given Diaochan to Lü Bu. How could one cherish a woman and ruin the empire? Right? It’s the same now. Your Majesty, with your ambition for the world, how can you be trapped by a man and lose the loyalty of a key minister? You should give Zhao Changhe to… uh… pfft…”

She was speaking with utter seriousness, and her reasoning was even sound, but why did it become so hilarious when the genders were swapped? Even she couldn’t help but burst out laughing at the end.

Xia Chichi couldn’t hold it in either, laughing so hard she doubled over: “Mother Empress, I never knew you could be so amusing…”

Huangfu Qing was momentarily stunned before realizing that “Mother Empress” indeed referred to her. She cleared her throat: “What, not going to lord your Saintess status over me anymore?”

Xia Chichi jumped down from the chair with a thud, grinning as she wrapped her arms around Huangfu Qing’s waist: “Seeing you so earnestly advising me on how to be a good emperor is adorable, even though you’re clearly sour inside… Mother Empress, no one else knows about your relationship with Changhe, but I do. Wasn’t it snatched right in front of me back then? I tricked you into bathing with him and sharing a bed—I was even the matchmaker for you two…”

Huangfu Qing: “Uh…”

You sure are generous…

Then Xia Chichi whispered in her ear: “In this identity, you definitely can’t marry, and you’ve sacrificed a lot for the Holy Sect’s cause—I feel for you. But marrying or not doesn’t seem to make a difference, as long as we’re all the same… I’m not in a position to publicly announce I want to marry him right now, and Tang Wanzhuang is also blocked from saying anything—it’s a draw. As long as I don’t obstruct, the Empress Dowager can take whatever lovers she pleases, right?”

Huangfu Qing glanced at her sidelong: “So?”

“How about we cooperate? Times have changed; now we’re the Emperor and Empress Dowager. The Venerable One can hardly control us like before… When the Empress Dowager and the Emperor join forces for the same goal, the Venerable One can’t stop it… I won’t hinder you from finding men, and you don’t tattle on me to the Venerable One. We each mind our own business, okay?”

This girl is trying to ally with me to cut off the Venerable One’s eyes and ears…

Huangfu Qing nearly burst out laughing at this judgment but kept a straight face: “Your Majesty speaks sense. But the Venerable One’s informants aren’t limited to me…”

“She mainly relies on you to oversee matters here. As long as you’re willing to hide it, the Venerable One won’t see…” Xia Chichi’s voice turned seductive: “In exchange, I’ll give Changhe a nominal post as Inner Guard Commander. Then even if court officials see him coming and going around your bedchamber, it’ll look perfectly normal. What do you think, Mother Empress?”

Huangfu Qing stared at her for a long moment, then suddenly asked: “Have you already done it with him?”

Xia Chichi dared not reveal such secrets to just anyone, so she only shook her head: “Of course, I’m just planning. As long as you help…”

Huangfu Qing was both exasperated and amused. Collaborating with me against myself—have you thought about how you’ll die later, you little brat?

In truth, Huangfu Qing wasn’t as determined to stop her as before. Now that Xia Chichi was truly the Emperor, no sect could let the emperor remain single—that would be ridiculous.

With this identity and her demonstrated mastery of multiple systems, she could easily become the sect leader herself. Once she was the leader, she’d have the ultimate say in interpreting doctrine. Her performance in court today showed she was no simpleton—except for still not recognizing her, her methods could twist doctrine into all sorts of shapes.

The only problem was how this would end for her… Once this girl became the sect leader and she had to obey her, the thought sent chills down her spine.

Just as she hesitated, a lazy voice transmission from San Niang reached her ears: “I’m here. Talking in front of Chichi makes it too easy to expose you. Come out, let’s have a private word.”

Huangfu Qing nodded. The Four Symbols Sect needed internal consensus first, to reform its doctrines to fit its new status as the state religion and the union of sect leader and emperor. She and San Niang, as the two Venerable Ones, should agree first. As for Chichi… well, Zhao Changhe was with Tang Wanzhuang now; Chichi wouldn’t rush to join them, would she? You’re the emperor, not a maid.

With that thought, Huangfu Qing patted Xia Chichi’s shoulder: “Let’s discuss these matters later. First, try on the dragon robe and see if it looks good. I still have many things to handle.”

With that, she slipped away.

Xia Chichi also heard San Niang’s voice transmission: “How could she openly tell you how to defy the Venerable One? With me here, she’ll tacitly allow it. Just do as you please.”

Xia Chichi clenched her fist. Having Uncle-Master Xuanwu’s help really made things easier. As long as the Empress Dowager didn’t obstruct, the palace would be a little paradise for her and Zhao Changhe to love each other. Tang Wanzhuang? How often could she enter the palace? Just an outsider—utterly vulnerable!

She could even ally with the Empress Dowager…

The little demoness emperor blushed, put on the dragon robe, and looked at herself in the bronze mirror. She was quite startled.

It was so different from the sword-wielding demoness of the martial world. The dignified aura made her hardly recognize herself. Clothes truly make the man, as the saying goes.

Xia Chichi sighed, looked at the darkening sky, and felt quite tired from the day’s events. She decided to leave the council hall and return to her inner palace to rest.

She didn’t even know where her chambers were. A group of Four Symbols Sect palace attendants hurriedly led the way: “Holy… uh, Your Majesty, this way…”

It was a winter night, with no snow that day. Xia Chichi followed the attendants, strolling through the palace under the night sky. At first, it seemed beautiful, but as she walked, a sense of loneliness began to creep in.

Quite boring, the atmosphere of the palace.

Even though these were all her own Four Symbols Sect followers, including trusted subordinates from her Azure Dragon and White Tiger halls, in this place, with this new identity, they all became as silent as cicadas in winter, hardly daring to breathe. Not a word was spoken along the way, and when she asked questions, they answered with fawning smiles.

The power of imperial rule in this land far surpassed that of any sect… Even in the hearts of the most devout believers, the emperor’s significance still far outweighed that of a saintess or even the sect leader.

In truth, she hadn’t prepared herself to become an emperor, neither mentally nor otherwise.

She suddenly stopped.

The nearby attendants were terrified: “Your Majesty…”

Xia Chichi asked: “Where is the bathhouse where the Prince of Zhao is?”

“Uh, it’s not far from Your Majesty’s bedchamber. Does Your Majesty wish to go?”

“What, can’t I go wash first?”

“Of course, Your Majesty. There are many pools, not just one… This way, Your Majesty…”

I want that one pool, so what? Xia Chichi pouted but didn’t argue, following the attendants to the bathhouse.

The largest and finest pool was now being used by Zhao Changhe and Tang Wanzhuang, so the emperor had to settle for a smaller one. The attendants carefully watched Her Majesty’s expression, which indeed wasn’t too pleasant.

“Leave me. You may withdraw.”

“Your servant will assist Your Majesty in changing…”

“Go away. When I was a saintess, none of you rushed to help me change. What’s so special about being an emperor?”

Attendants: “…”

“Enough, withdraw. I’ll rest on my own.”

“Yes.”

As the attendants withdrew, the hall grew quiet.

Flickering candlelight, blurred by the bath’s mist, made the space seem even more vast and prison-like.

Xia Chichi paced around the pool a few times, then suddenly leaped out the window into the courtyard.

Moonlight spilled over the courtyard, making it serene and lovely, the air fresher.

Xia Chichi nodded in satisfaction, then crept over to peek into the opposite bathhouse. If the attendants saw this little demoness sneaking a peek like a common thief, who knew what they’d say… But Xia Chichi felt this was great fun. It wouldn’t give her styes!

Look at Tang Wanzhuang, so delicate and timid—has she been knocked unconscious?

She peered through the window paper, and in that single glance met Zhao Changhe's wary eyes.

Zhao Changhe woke with a start in the dead of night, and within moments sensed someone spying on him!

He turned his head alertly, and saw the big eyes outside the window paper blinking rapidly, retreating in fright like a startled deer.

How could Zhao Changhe let them escape? He burst through the window in a flash: "Who goes... uh..."

Xia Chichi stood in the courtyard in a dragon robe, hands clasped behind her back, and said with irritation: "Is the Prince Zhao well?"

Zhao Changhe stared at her with a strange expression—this Chichi in a dragon robe... how wondrous...

Seeing the admiring look in his eyes, Xia Chichi felt a touch of pride and lifted her chin slightly: "Is it beautiful?"

"Beautiful."

"Better than your sect leader?"

"Uh..."

"Where is she? Knocked out? Did the spring waters of the Tang family flood the whole pond?"

"..."

A more eerie light flickered in Xia Chichi's eyes. She slowly stepped closer, took his hand, and placed it on her chest: "Since nothing's amiss... my loyal minister... shouldn't you attend to the Emperor's bath and change of clothes?"