Chapter 690: Who Serves Whom

Chapter 690: Who Serves Whom

Even the palace maids felt the emperor was inviting the gentleman to untie his battle robe, but Zhao Changhe himself did not realize it.

Because this was Xia Chichi’s imperial study, and the rustic Zhao Changhe instinctively thought it was a place for discussion, never considering what else could be done there. So he naturally followed Xia Chichi into the room, closed the door under the maids’ strange expressions, and the attendants all slipped away with great self-awareness.

Only after the door was shut did Zhao Changhe react: “Hey, you’re alone in the imperial study, not even someone to grind ink or trim the lamp? Being an emperor so frugally?”

Xia Chichi turned her head to look at her lover’s rare moment of foolishness, a hint of amusement in her eyes. She leisurely sat back in her chair and asked lazily, “Why rush back from Langya in the middle of the night like this? Shouldn’t you be in Langya at this hour, celebrating with your Cui Yuanyang in your arms? Or perhaps picking a few pretty ones from the Wang family’s inner quarters to toy with—they wouldn’t dare resist.”

Zhao Changhe said helplessly, “Little enchantress.”

“How am I an enchantress? Conquering cities and destroying nations—isn’t that common?”

“The Cui and Wang families have intermarried for generations. The so-called inner quarters of the Wang family might well include older Cui women who married into it. Wang Zhaoling didn’t even need to mention this to Cui Yuanyong before his death. Besides, we are a righteous army—how could we do such things and leave ourselves open to criticism?”

“So you really have thought about it?”

Zhao Changhe was both amused and exasperated: “You’re fishing.”

Xia Chichi stared at him for a long moment, then suddenly laughed: “I’m asking you seriously. Shouldn’t you be sleeping with Cui Yuanyang at this hour? Why come back now? Could it be you missed me?”

Zhao Changhe sighed: “Too many worries, can’t rest. I want to know if there’s any news from Batu. Did your senior uncle go to Huangsha Ji and send word back?”

“So you were thinking of Batu.”

“?”

Xia Chichi sighed: “Though we’ve sent letters to Batu several times, that fool always thought nothing would happen in the heavy snow, sleeping soundly in his own tent. Then Temur’s army struck, and Batu suffered a great defeat. If not for Xuanwu Venerable arriving just in time to save him, his head would have been cut off by Temur and used as a chamber pot.”

Zhao Changhe knocked his head in frustration: “I knew it, that idiot. So how could I rest easy and sleep…”

Xia Chichi said, “Getting anxious is useless. Anyway, there’s a big difference between grassland warfare and ours—it’s not easy to fight an annihilation battle. When they’re scattered and fleeing, it’s hard to pursue, and in the end, they can gather many again. That’s the main reason why, after victories over the Hu in past dynasties, they soon returned in force.”

“Mm…”

“So though Batu lost, he’s not so easily destroyed. But the fertile lands with water and grass have been taken back, and the losses in grain and livestock are severe… Come spring, it’ll be a seesaw, like last year’s repeat, just reversed. Now Xuanwu Venerable is helping Batu gather the scattered troops, but there’s no new news for now.”

Zhao Changhe pondered for a moment, then asked, “What about your master?”

“She went to help her brother with an ambush. Earlier, she wanted to kill someone, but your Wan Zhuang beat her to it, so she was full of pent-up rage… Now that she’s killed to her satisfaction, she should be back soon. Without her, even a successful ambush might not have guaranteed victory—our troops are too few, and Shao Zong’s army isn’t that elite… But once Zhuque Venerable unleashed the mountain-burning flames, there was no suspense.”

Zhao Changhe nodded. Huangfu Shaozong’s troops were too few and their elite level truly limited. For one thing, if they were a truly disciplined, battle-hardened army, they should have headed straight for Sanjin at this time to remove the threat from Yanmen. But this army likely couldn’t do that; after finishing this ambush, they probably just wanted to go home and claim rewards for the New Year.

After all, it wasn’t a game where you could dispatch troops anywhere with a headcount.

But perhaps a different approach could work: this army could be reliable for garrisoning the city, while the Four Symbols Sect’s elite could handle the Sanjin task. Because the situation in Sanjin was different from conventional warfare—maybe using Jianghu methods, especially demonic sect methods, would be more effective.

In the past, the Jinzhong merchants had been causing trouble behind the scenes, not only aiding the enemy but also colluding with local officials, manipulating military supplies, hoarding goods, and affecting frontline logistics—they were completely cancerous. Xia Longyuan ignored it, and the high officials in the court weren’t unaware; they too had a share in the profits, colluding up and down. Huangfu Yongxian could do nothing about it, so he had to send his own men disguised as horse bandits to steal grain. Zhao Changhe and Yue Hongling had personally experienced these things back then—it was utterly surreal.

This time, it was even worse. In the first few days after the new dynasty was established, the first army to arrive at the city gates was actually the Jinzhong forces. Though proximity played a part, it also revealed their close ties with the capital officials and their fully exposed rebellious intent. Now Yanmen was caught between them and the Hu, in extreme danger. If Batu hadn’t taken the first blow, who knows what the situation would be now.

But their situation seemed rather scattered, without a clear central authority—just a coalition of merchants. Using an army to conquer them one by one would be like wading into a swamp; perhaps Jianghu methods would be more suitable…

After this reasoning, Zhao Changhe felt that his frantic return might not have been so necessary after all. He had to wait for San Niang’s feedback on Batu’s situation before making plans. Rushing out now would be like a headless fly.

No wonder Chichi was puzzled by his return. At this time, he should have been sleeping with Yuanyang… Zhao Changhe felt all his burdens lift, but he regretted it bitterly.

Seeing Zhao Changhe’s expression gradually sour as he thought, Xia Chichi’s eyes sparkled with amusement. She deliberately changed the subject: “Hey, why do you like calling her my master? I never formally apprenticed to her; it’s just that as the previous generation’s Venerable, it was her duty to guide the new Saintess.”

Zhao Changhe snapped back to reality and replied casually, “That’s still a master-disciple relationship in essence… Like Instructor Sun teaching new recruits saber techniques—it’s just his duty, but he’ll always be my master, and everyone sees it that way.”

Xia Chichi bit her lower lip: “Isn’t it because that title excites you more?”

Zhao Changhe: “…I don’t need that title. She’s your Empress Dowager now—isn’t that title impressive enough?”

Xia Chichi said, “Do you really want the Empress Dowager and the Emperor to serve you together?”

Zhao Changhe turned his head: “I came to discuss serious matters! Don’t try to test a cadre with this!”

Xia Chichi said, “Hey, are you a subject now?”

Zhao Changhe asked impatiently, “What?”

“If you’re a subject, isn’t serving the emperor your duty?”

“…”

“Minister Zhao…” Xia Chichi said in a coquettish tone, “I’ve been at my desk all day, and my shoulders are sore. Come give me a massage?”

I’ve been more tired than you these past few days… Zhao Changhe pursed his lips but didn’t say it.

Earlier, he had just thought that Chichi taking on the emperor’s burden was liberating him—that was true. Just glancing at the desk cluttered with personnel relations, the aftermath of the capital rebellion, the official appointments after taking over the Cui, Wang, and Yang families, tax management, military reforms… and so on—it made his scalp tingle, and he just wanted to run away.

Though he had been fighting battles and rushing around these past few days, it was what he enjoyed, so it didn’t feel tiring. But the fatigue Chichi bore in her position might not be something she liked, and that weariness was easy to imagine.

Zhao Changhe sighed, walked behind Xia Chichi, reached out to massage her shoulders, and said softly, “If you’re tired, there’s no need to rush. Take it slow.”

Xia Chichi leaned back into his arms, closed her eyes to rest for a moment, and replied in a low voice, “You’re out there risking your life, even fighting gods and demons. What’s this compared to that…”

Zhao Changhe didn’t answer for a moment.

“I’m so glad you flew back in a hurry.” Xia Chichi said quietly, “You say it’s because of too many pending matters that you can’t rest… but deep down, it’s because you were worried about the capital battle and wanted to come see for yourself, isn’t it?”

Zhao Changhe was startled. Perhaps subconsciously, that was true… When the Chaos Chronicle reported the capital battle, he was in the secret realm’s waters and didn’t see it, leaving him feeling empty inside. He wanted to come see for himself to feel at ease.

For a moment, neither spoke, yet both felt close to each other’s hearts—you know what I’m thinking, and I know what you’re thinking.

“You should have been holding Cui Yuanyang at this time…” Xia Chichi brought up the topic again, whispering, “Since you’re here, let me accompany you instead…”

Zhao Changhe: “…”

Xia Chichi said softly, “Why are your hands so well-behaved? Go lower…”

Zhao Changhe complied, slipping his hand down from the dragon robe’s collar, touching a smooth, silky place.

Xia Chichi panted slightly: “Toying with the emperor in the imperial study—does it suit your fancy?”

She was his own wife, so Zhao Changhe didn’t pretend to be a gentleman: “Isn’t this His Majesty rewarding my hard work and merit?”

He kicked the chair aside, half-lifted Xia Chichi, made her lean over the imperial desk, and lifted the hem of her dragon robe.

Xia Chichi looked back with some resentment, a hint of reproach in her eyes.

He clearly loved this kind of desecration and conquest. Every time they did this, the dragon robe never came off.

Inside the imperial study, the oil lamp flickered, and the emperor’s suppressed gasping gradually drifted outside the door. From the moment they entered, all male beings had been driven miles away, leaving only the maids, blushing and heads bowed, shuffling their feet on the ground, unsure how to judge the scene of the emperor being pinned to the imperial desk and ravished.

A flash of fire streaked through the air, like a firebird soaring, then materialized into a slender figure, landing before the house.

The maids were startled and were about to pay their respects when the Empress Dowager pushed the door open: “Shao Zong is gathering the prisoners and leading the army back. The original plan to head straight north to Jinzhong was overambitious; we need to reconsider… Huh?”

“Bang!” The door was slammed shut, and the Empress Dowager’s voice turned furious: “You, the dignified emperor, looking like a pig rooting in the mud—have you no shame?”