Chapter 634: Let Her Treat You, as I Treat You

Chapter 634: Let Her Treat You as I Do

Hearing the resentment in Huangfu Qing's voice outside the door, Xia Chichi stuck out her tongue—she had gotten a bit carried away, and that wasn't good...

In truth, the sky was only just beginning to lighten, and the morning court session wasn't that urgent. Xia Chichi could clearly taste the sourness dripping from this "Mother Empress's" words; the excuse of court was obviously just a pretext... The real problem was that Xia Chichi was now trying her best to step into the role of an emperor, knowing full well that this night should have rightfully belonged to Tang Wanzhuang.

If Tang Wanzhuang woke up to discover that on her first night, her man had slipped out the window for a secret tryst, her mood would surely be terrible. If it were just her own maid coming for a refill, that might be tolerable, but a struggle between an emperor and a minister over a husband would be too ugly. In that sense, was she now stealing Baoqin's role?

No wonder Mother Empress couldn't stand it—if the Venerable found out, who knew what a storm would follow...

The main thing was the current situation and her mood, which made her cling all the more to this man who had always given her a sense of safety and attachment. Just having him around brought peace. Looking back now at their first meeting, she realized there had been a similar psychology: alone in a foreign land, in a den of tigers, the only one she could warm herself with was him. Now, with their identities turned upside down, the emotional value he provided remained unchanged.

Xia Chichi sighed, got up, picked up the inner garments scattered in disarray, dressed herself, and went to open the door: "By protocol, shouldn't I, your son, go to pay respects to Mother Empress at this hour?"

Huangfu Qing's face was ashen: "No need. With such a fine son, my heart can't take it."

Xia Chichi grinned and leaned in to whisper: "Mother Empress's darling is still in bed, full of life and vigor... Does Mother Empress want to use him?"

Huangfu Qing: "..."

She stole a glance at Zhao Changhe, who was leisurely putting on his clothes, his eyes also looking at her through Xia Chichi. There was a strange flavor in his gaze that made Huangfu Qing's heart skip for no reason.

She quickly averted her eyes and said sternly to Xia Chichi: "The palace has just been settled, and there is a great deal to do. Whether from the perspective of the Holy Sect or as the Empress Dowager, I advise you not to indulge in these matters in the short term, and certainly not to contend with Tang Wanzhuang."

With that, she stormed off: "I have plenty of my own affairs; I have no time to play with you children!"

Watching her huffy retreat, Xia Chichi let out a sigh of relief. Indeed, Uncle Xuanwu was reliable—seeing the Empress Dowager's attitude, she definitely wouldn't tattle. So it was fine.

Hmm... Uncle Xuanwu also said that after she helped me deal with the Venerable, I would have to agree to one of her conditions. I wonder what embarrassing thing it might be...

She turned to Zhao Changhe and clenched her fist: "Soon I'll solve the Venerable problem, and we'll be together openly! Go keep Tang Wanzhuang company; I'm off to work."

Watching the spirited little demon emperor, Zhao Changhe felt a softness in his heart. Chichi's emotions were very restrained; deep down, she always hid many things... like her thoughts on the throne this time, and... her persistence for love, her resistance to the Venerable—that flavor of enduring humiliation and bending without breaking...

Now she was about to turn the tables... only to find that the boss didn't actually exist?

Zhao Changhe really didn't know what to say. He felt he had to find a way to teach "Zhuque" a lesson.

He had originally planned to ask Sanniang to confirm, but now he felt there was no need. This time they met—if it were the old Huangfu Qing, she would have seized every opportunity to get close and affectionate. The Empress Dowager had indeed been busy these past two days, but could she really be too busy to exchange a few words to soothe their longing? Only someone who was both Zhuque and the Empress Dowager, overwhelmed by palace and sect affairs on both sides, and still having to play two roles before her disciple and her man, would truly have no time or energy, and could only storm off in a huff...

He hadn't seen it before because his mind hadn't turned that way. Who would casually suspect that the girl who gazed at him with such loving, piggy-eyed affection was the fierce Venerable of the demon sect? She had even been willing to use her mouth—how many would do that? Who would connect her with that proud Zhuque?

But once doubts began, many clues flashed through his mind. The most typical: Zhuque and Huangfu Qing had never appeared together.

Zhuque had fought with Tang Wanzhuang for years, and Huangfu Qing had also fought with Tang Wanzhuang for years. The former was normal enough, but how could the latter be explained? A person who had been a long-time rival of Tang Wanzhuang, still at the ninth level of the Mystic Gate? How could you contend with Wanzhuang? Speaking of which, Wanzhuang had always suspected Huangfu Qing was Zhuque, but she had no evidence, and Old Xia was slack, so as a minister she couldn't keep harping on the matter of the imperial consort and had to let it go.

How significant was the infiltration of the palace? It meant facing the most dangerous number one under heaven and carrying out extremely important organizational and infiltration work. Who could do that except Zhuque herself? Even if she delegated to capable subordinates, where would Zhuque hide herself? For such an important matter, she would have to be in the capital frequently to oversee it, wouldn't she?

The most decisive judgment was: if Huangfu Qing were not Zhuque, she should not have existed at their first meeting in Taiyi Sect. Huangfu Qing was not a subordinate attending the Venerable; she was an imperial consort with the heavy responsibility of lurking in the palace. How could she have inexplicably appeared at Taiyi Sect at that time? Only if Zhuque herself had changed her mask and identity to fish for information would it make sense... But at the time, he hadn't thought of that; instead, he assumed Zhuque had sent a subordinate to seduce him, which became the spark of their affair.

It was basically certain now... but how to handle this matter?

He had actually slept with the Venerable Zhuque, and she had even used her mouth on him...

If he exposed it directly, how could Zhuque save face?

That was why, in these last two or three meetings, Zhao Changhe hadn't said much to Huangfu Qing—he hadn't figured out how to broach the subject. Fortunately, Huangfu Qing was so full of her own worries and busy as hell that she didn't notice anything odd in her young man's attitude.

Zhao Changhe returned to the pool nearby, his mind full of thoughts. Earlier, when he had woken from his dream, he had already carried Tang Wanzhuang to the dragon bed nearby, dried her body with his inner energy, and covered her with a thin quilt.

When he came back, Tang Wanzhuang was still asleep. Her usually furrowed brow was now relaxed as never before, and even in her dreams, she wore a gentle smile. Her once pale face, kept rosy by the warm pool environment, was visibly recovering her health, both in body and mind.

Zhao Changhe sat beside her, quietly gazing at her face, a sense of guilt rising in his heart. This was Wanzhuang's first night; he really shouldn't have run off for a secret tryst, and yet...

He sat silently by her side, watching her for nearly half an hour without moving.

From afar came the crow of a rooster. Tang Wanzhuang suddenly opened her eyes as if wound up, sitting up with a "snap."

It startled Zhao Changhe: "Your waking posture has a bit of a combat feel..."

"Ah?" Tang Wanzhuang let out a light sigh and wiped the non-existent cold sweat from her forehead: "I've never slept so deeply. When I woke, I suddenly felt like I might have missed something important, so... On second thought, Baoqin hasn't come to call me, so I shouldn't have missed anything..."

Zhao Changhe pursed his lips and gently stroked her face with a sigh: "It's all right... Even before, I told you, you should let go a little..."

"Because of you?"

"Yes, because of me."

Tang Wanzhuang's beautiful eyes fixed on his face for a moment, then she noticed that he was already dressed, and she fell into thought.

Zhao Changhe whispered an apology: "Sorry, just now..."

"Shh..." Tang Wanzhuang raised a finger to his lips: "You didn't lie down again to deceive me, and that's already very good..."

"Hey, are you self-PUA-ing?"

"What is PUA?" Tang Wanzhuang asked back, but didn't dwell on it. She just smiled: "The only ones who could seduce you here are His Majesty or the Empress Dowager. You couldn't very well turn them away at the door..."

She didn't blame him at all; instead, she leaned back into Zhao Changhe's arms: "Changhe..."

"Hmm?"

"Calling her 'His Majesty' is just for outward appearances. The emperor in my heart is you." Tang Wanzhuang said softly: "Regarding the Four Symbols Sect, His Majesty should indeed use affection to win them over now—not just Chichi, but also the Empress Dowager..."

Zhao Changhe laughed bitterly: "You, the Venerable of the Four Symbols Sect and the Chief of the Demon Suppression Bureau, why do you both sound like you're pushing the same line of seduction?"

Tang Wanzhuang smiled too: "Because it's the most intuitive, effective, and lowest-cost method at the moment... Of course, in your own eyes, you might not want to see it so pragmatically, but that doesn't stop us from viewing each other that way..."

She paused, then suddenly said: "I once advised the late emperor that Huangfu Qing must be Zhuque, but he ignored it. Now, do you believe me?"

"Yes."

Tang Wanzhuang let out a breath and laughed: "I was worried about how to find evidence. Since you believe me, that makes it easy... Even if Zhuque has long been involved with you, her heart still prioritizes the Holy Sect's affairs, and she only agrees to be with you as Huangfu. What you need to do now is make her prioritize you... just as, in my heart, the Great Xia and you once did."