Crowned Consort in Golden Age-Chapter 84. Holy Woman of the Southern Border

84. Sacred Maiden of the Southern Border

Darky Two knew many interrogation experts, such as the charming Third Young Master Feng, Feng Zhiyao; the head of the secret agents who trained them; and Uncle Mo, the stern but kind-hearted Steward-in-Chief of the King of Ding Kingdom’s Mansion. However, Darky Two never knew that their mistress, the originally delicate Princess Consort of Ding Kingdom, was also skilled in this area. Many times, the four of them couldn’t help but secretly guess how terribly the Ye Family must have treated the Princess Consort to twist a young lady of such refined and noble birth into someone like this.

Getting the unlucky assassin out of the Princess Mansion required a delicate touch. The cost of doing so might not be justified by the reward they would receive, especially during the strict lockdown in the mansion. Therefore, Darky Two didn’t plan to wait until tomorrow. He prepared to pry open the unlucky assassin’s mouth on the spot. The guest courtyard was quite large, and Ye Li’s inner chambers were at the very back, so as long as they didn’t scream loudly, even those monitoring outside the courtyard wouldn’t notice any movement. Of course, the secret agents already lurking in the Princess Mansion wouldn’t let anyone who shouldn’t be near the guest courtyard approach. That unlucky assassin, after being forced to drink a cup of tea mixed with a muscle relaxant, couldn’t scream even if he wanted to.

Thus, a bizarre scene unfolded in the elegantly arranged room. On one side, a Southern Border maid lay unconscious on a bed. At a table, a pretty young girl sat sketching under the light. Just a few steps away, a brutal interrogation was underway. Darky Two, his face grim, broke the assassin’s left leg bone. The assassin’s face was deathly pale, his body drenched in sweat, yet he stubbornly refused to speak. Due to the limitations of the location and the inability to use overly troublesome or bloody methods, Darky Two’s expression became increasingly grim. By the time Ye Li finished what she was doing and looked up, Darky Two still hadn’t managed to get a single useful word from the assassin; instead, the assassin had almost found an opportunity to commit suicide by biting his tongue.

"Not getting anywhere? Need help?" Ye Li stood up and asked.

Darky Two’s mouth twitched. He shook his head and said, "Such matters shouldn’t trouble you, Mistress."

"It’s alright. Even if you break another one of his legs, he still won’t confess."

"Then I’ll smash all the bones in his body," Darky Two said, staring menacingly at the assassin.

Ye Li shook her head and said with a smile, "By the time you’ve broken half his bones, he’ll be dead."

"Do you have any ideas, Mistress?"

Ye Li leisurely walked over, crouched down, and smiled gently at the assassin on the ground, whispering, "You understand the language of the Central Plains, right? Don’t worry, I won’t be as brutal as him." The assassin remained wary, staring at the pretty young girl with a kind smile before him. His instincts as an assassin told him that this pretty and adorable young girl was the truly dangerous one.

Ye Li looked at the wary assassin before her with a charming smile and said softly, "Don’t be scared. I won’t break your bones like he does. I plan... to dislocate every bone in your body. Let’s start with... the fingers." Her slender hand gripped the assassin’s left hand. With a CRACK, the first joint of his left index finger twisted at an odd angle. Ye Li continued downwards. Another sharp CRACK, and the entire index finger was dislocated. The assassin, whose jaw had been dislocated, couldn’t even scream, only managing to make muffled "AHH... AHH..." sounds. Ye Li looked at him. "Whenever you’re ready to confess, just nod. However... don’t wait until I’ve dislocated all your bones before nodding. By then... it will be too late."

CRACK...

Ye Li’s expression was calm, but her hands moved methodically. And it was precisely this calmness that was far more terrifying than Darky Two’s harsh threats and intimidation. As Ye Li moved her hand towards the assassin’s right hand, the assassin, now ashen-faced, his breathing faint, finally nodded weakly. Ye Li raised an eyebrow, glanced sideways at Darky Two, and said, "And here I thought he was some hard bone. Turns out he’s just this weak?"

Darky Two silently wiped the sweat from his forehead. He, too, felt this assassin was a bit too useless. But at the same time, he felt that what was terrifying about their mistress wasn’t her methods of torture, but that frightening calmness. If it were him, he was afraid he would be scared too.

"Good. But don’t try to fool me," Ye Li advised him sincerely. "Otherwise... the consequences will make you regret ever being born into this world."

Ye Li nodded with satisfaction. "Very good. Now, tell me, who is your master?" Motioning for Darky Two to set his jaw back in place, Ye Li asked.

Fear flickered in the assassin’s eyes. He looked at Ye Li, opened his mouth, but still said nothing.

Ye Li frowned delicately, thought for a moment, and said, "If you’re worried about your life, I can guarantee your safety. And after I’ve finished my business in the Southern Border, I can give you a sum of money so you can change your name and start a new life." The assassin’s eyes flickered, and a hint of hesitation appeared on his face. Seeing this, Ye Li’s smile became even more genuine. "Your information is very important to me, so... as long as the information you give me is true, I guarantee I will fulfill the promises I just made. However, I think you should also understand that you’re not the only one who knows this information. If you don’t speak, it doesn’t mean others won’t. When that time comes... I’m sorry, but I’ll have no choice but to..."

Seeing the assassin’s nervous expression, Ye Li chuckled. "No, I won’t kill you. On my way to the Southern Border, I passed through a valley where blood-red flowers bloomed everywhere. Beneath each flower, a small snake was coiled. At that time, I was thinking, with so many snakes, what do they eat to grow? What do you think...?"

"Snake... Snake Valley... No..."

It wasn’t just people from the Central Plains who feared places like Snake Valley. While people of the Southern Border indeed didn’t fear snakes in general, aside from snake tamers, no one would be unafraid of thousands of uncontrollable venomous snakes.

"So... your answer?"

"I’ll talk... What do you want to know?"

Ye Li looked back at Darky Two, arching an eyebrow in satisfaction.

In truth, they didn’t get much information from the assassin. After all, someone sent out as cannon fodder like him wouldn’t likely be a core figure. However, it at least confirmed some of Ye Li’s speculations and helped narrow down the focus regarding Xu Qingchen’s disappearance, though his exact location remained unknown. Now that it was confirmed Xu Qingchen was not in immediate mortal danger, Ye Li’s worried heart finally relaxed.

"Junwei... Junwei..."

A joyful voice rang out on the bustling street. Passersby turned to see a handsome man in white Central Plains attire waving joyously at a young man not far away. Ye Li turned her head and sighed helplessly at the white-clad man rushing towards her. She put on a smile and said, "Brother Han, it’s been a few days since we last met. Have you been well?"

Han Mingxi looked at Ye Li reproachfully with his captivating eyes. "Junwei, I came all this way to Nanzhao with you, and you just abandoned me. You’re so heartless..."

"Renjia"... Ye Li couldn’t help but shudder. Although the passersby couldn’t understand what he was saying, judging by his appearance and tone, they couldn’t help but look at them strangely.

"Brother Han!" Ye Li couldn’t help but rub her forehead. She managed to control her temper and said with a smile, "Brother Han, you’re finally awake? That’s quite rare."

Han Mingxi showed no sign of guilt as he sidled up with a chuckle. "Not at all! I woke up long ago and even took a stroll around the city, both inside and out. I just didn’t see you, Junwei. If you had something to do, Junwei, why didn’t you tell me? Wouldn’t it be safer if I went with you to handle it?"

Ye Li rolled her eyes at him. "I was just looking around, not going to brave a dragon’s den or a tiger’s lair."

Han Mingxi shrugged nonchalantly. "Even if Junwei were going to brave a dragon’s den or a tiger’s lair, I would accompany you." After saying this, he even winked at Ye Li, his eyes clearly saying, ’See how good I am to you?’

Ye Li frowned. She hadn’t expected to run into Han Mingxi. Having him around now was clearly very inconvenient. But if she didn’t take him with her, with Han Mingxi’s personality, who knew what kind of trouble he would cause Tianyi Pavilion to stir up in Nanzhao Capital. After thinking for a moment, Ye Li said, "Brother Han, let’s find another place to talk."

After they found a private room in a teahouse and sat down, Ye Li finally said, "Brother Han, I have some things to do, and it might be inconvenient for you to come along."

Han Mingxi slumped onto the table in dissatisfaction, glaring at Ye Li accusingly. "You... when you wanted intelligence from Tianyi Pavilion, you didn’t say it was inconvenient. Now you’re trying to dump me. You’re so fickle and faithless!"

Ye Li was speechless. She had paid a corresponding price for Tianyi Pavilion’s intelligence; she hadn’t made him work for free.

Seeing Ye Li’s expression of not wanting to deal with him, Han Mingxi bit his nails and said with a grin, "What could possibly happen in a small place like Nanzhao? Weren’t you looking for the Flower of Abyss Underworld, Junwei? I have news about the Saintess of the Southern Border, you know. Or perhaps it’s the sickly scholar? I also know his whereabouts, but it seems he’s being targeted by another group. Junwei, it’s best not to provoke them. Or could it be... Young Master Qingchen has disappeared, right?" Tilting his head, Han Mingxi smiled with an air of utter innocence.

"Tianyi Pavilion’s information network truly lives up to its reputation," Ye Li sighed.

Han Mingxi chuckled. "Tianyi Pavilion is in the business of selling intelligence. There have only been these few major incidents in Nanzhao Capital recently. If we didn’t even know about them, how could we continue to operate? So... which one do you want to deal with first, Junwei?"

Ye Li stared at him fixedly, then after a moment, she chuckled softly. "Do you know where Young Master Qingchen is?"

A flicker of dissatisfaction crossed Han Mingxi’s eyes. "So you really want to find him first? Junwei, I thought the Bilo flower and the Flower of Abyss Underworld were more important to you."

Ye Li said, "Things can be retrieved anytime, but if a person isn’t found soon, they might not necessarily still be safe and sound."

Han Mingxi propped his chin on his hand, looking at her. "You can have news about Young Master Qingchen, but tell me, what is your relationship with him?"

Ye Li shook her head and replied with a slight smile, "You don’t know Xu Qingchen’s whereabouts either. Otherwise, you wouldn’t be trying to bargain with me only now, would you?"

Han Mingxi snorted, glaring at her with a frustrated expression. "Well, do you want the information about the Saintess of the Southern Border or not? If you don’t, I’ll burn it."

"He’s my elder brother," Ye Li replied.

Han Mingxi frowned, looking her up and down for a long moment before asking, "Brothers? Are you Xu Qingbai or Xu Qingyan? In terms of age... you seem more like Xu Qingyan, but your personality is more like Xu Qingbai. However... no one has ever said that any of the young masters of the Xu Family know martial arts?"

Ye Li smiled. "It seems Tianyi Pavilion’s intelligence isn’t that reliable after all. The Third Young Master of the Xu Family, Xu Qingfeng, is currently serving in the army. Weren’t you aware of that, Brother Han?"

Han Mingxi stared at her suspiciously. "Could it be that you’re really from the Xu Family?"

Ye Li smiled but said nothing, neither confirming nor denying. 𝕗𝕣𝐞𝐞𝘄𝐞𝚋𝚗𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗹.𝚌𝕠𝚖

Han Mingxi paced back and forth in the private room, somewhat agitated, muttering to Ye Li to vent his dissatisfaction, "You tricked me... you didn’t come for the Flower of Abyss Underworld at all; you came for Xu Qingchen! Junwei, you lied to me..."

"Young Master." Darky Two’s voice came from outside. The door was pushed open from the outside. Darky Two glanced at Han Mingxi and said to Ye Li, "Young Master, we have news."

Ye Li nodded. "Come in and speak."

In the private room, Ye Li and Darky Two both looked towards Han Mingxi. Yet, surprisingly, the usually tactful and worldly Young Master Han seemed completely oblivious to their wish for him to step aside, instead lounging comfortably in his chair and starting on the pastries.

Ye Li sighed helplessly and waved her hand at Darky Three. "Forget it, just speak directly."

Darky Three nodded and said in a low voice, "Princess Anxi had contact today with Young Master Qingchen, or... someone connected to Young Master Qingchen."

Ye Li frowned. "How so?"

Darky Three said, "Today, when Princess Anxi returned to her mansion, she was tinged with a special fragrance. The people of the Southern Border are not fond of using incense, so they haven’t made any particular study of fragrances. However, they wouldn’t know that in the Central Plains, even the same type of fragrance can have many different distinctions. For example, among the young masters of the Xu Family, apart from the Third Young Master and the Fifth Young Master who don’t use incense, the Second Young Master is accustomed to using plum blossom fragrance, the Fourth Young Master prefers orchid fragrance, and Young Master Qingchen, because he often travels, uses incense personally prepared by Madam Xu. It contains some medicinal herbs beneficial to health, so it carries a very faint medicinal scent. It’s extremely difficult for ordinary people to distinguish, and even harder to replicate."

Ye Li frowned. "What places did Princess Anxi visit?"

"The Royal Palace. This morning, the King of Nanzhao summoned Princess Anxi. After Princess Anxi left the Royal Palace, she returned directly to her mansion," Darky Three stated affirmatively.

Han Mingxi asked with a curious smile, "Could Young Master Qingchen be in the Royal Palace?"

Darky Three hesitated, then frowned. "The chances of Princess Anxi having met Young Master Qingchen directly should be slim. From the time Princess Anxi entered the palace until she left, aside from her audience with the King of Nanzhao, she was basically within our line of sight. It’s impossible for her to have had an opportunity to meet Young Master Qingchen, unless it was during her audience with the King of Nanzhao. Moreover... after returning to her mansion, Princess Anxi dispatched additional manpower to secretly search for Young Master Qingchen."

Ye Li shook her head. "The King of Nanzhao wouldn’t be unaware of my elder brother’s identity. If something were to happen to my elder brother in Nanzhao now, it would bring him no benefit. So... the chances of my elder brother being in the Royal Palace are also slim. That fragrance... it was likely him trying to send us a message that he is relatively safe for now."

Darky Three was puzzled. "If Young Master Qingchen isn’t in the Royal Palace, why would the message come from the palace? And how would Young Master Qingchen’s personal incense be in the Royal Palace?"

"Naturally, it’s because the other party is likely someone from the Royal Palace, or at least someone who can freely enter and exit it."

Han Mingxi lazily shook his head. "That’s not right... Junwei. In Nanzhao, apart from the Eldest Princess, no one can freely enter and exit the Royal Palace. This includes other princesses, and of course, even the Eldest Princess isn’t in Nanzhao at the moment."

Ye Li glanced at him sideways. "If not openly, then couldn’t it be done secretly?"

"Secretly?" they both asked in unison.

Ye Li frowned and asked, "Have the tracks of those assassins been investigated?"

Darky Three nodded. "We tracked them down, but we were a step too late. They were silenced on a small hill two li outside the city, and their bodies were discarded in an abandoned cave."

"Explain in detail."

"We found their bodies in a hidden cave ten li west of the city outskirts. However, there were no signs of a struggle at the scene. Although the place wasn’t far from the capital, the path was very difficult to travel, and there was nothing notable in the surroundings. Even if those assassins were fleeing for their lives, they shouldn’t have escaped in that direction. Fortunately, the hidden weapons that injured them had been smeared with a tracking medicinal scent beforehand. It took an entire night to find them. It seems they were silenced not long after leaving the city, and only then were their bodies dumped in that cave."

Ye Li rubbed her brow, pondering, and asked, "In which direction from the city were they when they were silenced?"

"To the east."

"So, they originally intended to head east, but after being killed, the culprit dumped their bodies to the west? What lies to the east?" Ye Li stood up. "Give me the map of Nanzhao Capital."

Darky Three took out a thin sheet of paper from his robes and carefully spread it on the table. Han Mingxi leaned over for a look and pouted, "A complete map of Nanzhao Capital? With this kind of thing, Junwei, you wouldn’t have needed to come to Tianyi Pavilion for information, would you?"

Ye Li smiled faintly. "More information means more security. I’ve always cherished my life. Besides... I don’t believe Tianyi Pavilion couldn’t produce this map." It wasn’t a defense deployment map, just a general city layout map.

She took out a charcoal pencil and circled the Royal Palace, Princess Anxi’s Mansion, the location where Xu Qingchen disappeared, the body dump site, and the silencing site on the map. Then she looked up and asked, "Any thoughts?"

Han Mingxi pointed at the map. "If we don’t consider the body disposal site and Princess Anxi’s Mansion, these locations seem to be very close to the Sacred Maiden Hall. Speaking of which... if I hadn’t seen this map, I wouldn’t have realized the Sacred Maiden Hall is actually so close to the Royal Palace."

The Sacred Maiden Hall was on a mountain five li east of the capital city’s outskirts. However, if one calculated from the Royal Palace, including the mountain path, it would be at least a ten-li walk to reach the Sacred Maiden Hall.

Ye Li pointed at the map and said, looking down, "Normally, people only think that the road from the Royal Palace to the Sacred Maiden Hall is not short. Moreover, the Royal Palace is built against a mountain, and the peaks behind it are steep and treacherous. Trying to cross from the mountains is not only incredibly difficult but would also take more time than going directly out of the city. So, basically, no one has paid attention to it. In fact, the straight-line distance between the Royal Palace and the Sacred Maiden Hall is less than two li."

"A tunnel?" Darky Three asked.

"After all we’ve been through on this journey, haven’t we learned about the Southern Border people’s ability to dig tunnels?" Ye Li asked with a smile.

The two of them simultaneously recalled those mountains that had been practically hollowed out, and fell silent.

"What was the founding king of Nanzhao thinking, building the Royal Palace against a mountain?" Han Mingxi asked, puzzled. "In the history of the Central Plains, only temporary imperial residences or alternative palaces would be built against mountains. The true Imperial Palace is invariably situated in the very heart of the capital city, displaying the supreme dignity of the Son of Heaven and the authority that commands the allegiance of the realm."

Ye Li replied rather casually, "Different customs, I suppose."

Han Mingxi could tell she was being perfunctory. He glared at Ye Li for a good while, and when he saw she was still engrossed in her own thoughts, his face darkened. He coughed dryly twice, drawing the attention of the two people in the room, then said with a smile, "Do you suspect Young Master Qingchen is in the Sacred Maiden Hall? It’s common knowledge that the Sacred Maiden of Nanzhao is pure and chaste, and men are forbidden from entering the Sacred Maiden Hall, let alone being hidden there. If people found out what you’re thinking, believe me... you’d be drowned by the wrath of the Nanzhao populace."

Ye Li said nonchalantly, "Isn’t it more plausible precisely because it is common knowledge?"

Han Mingxi rolled his eyes. "Then pray tell, Young Master Junwei, how do you plan to enter the Sacred Maiden Hall, which is as heavily guarded as the Royal Palace, and find Young Master Qingchen, who could be hidden anywhere? If you don’t find him and get discovered instead, we’ll really be beaten to death by the Nanzhao people."

"I don’t plan to enter through the Sacred Maiden Hall," Ye Li said.

Han Mingxi looked astonished and impressed. "So, Young Master Junwei plans to brave the Nanzhao Royal Palace? Little brother Junwei, even if the Nanzhao Royal Palace is less than a third the size of our palace in the Capital of Great Chu, you shouldn’t underestimate them, okay? Don’t forget... our Royal Palace in the Capital of Great Chu definitely doesn’t have poisonous snakes, but that’s not necessarily true for Nanzhao."

Ye Li smiled faintly. "You say that as if a man of the world like yourself has never been to a royal palace. Wasn’t it you who, just a few days ago, was boasting about how a certain someone had roamed through the imperial palaces and inner courts of various countries?"

Han Mingxi was speechless. He somehow began to silently regret having boasted to Junwei about his past romantic escapades out of boredom during their journey some time ago.

"Even if you get in and find Young Master Qingchen, how do you plan to get him out?" Han Mingxi asked. "As far as I know, Young Master Qingchen has no martial arts skills whatsoever."

Ye Li frowned. "That... does require careful thought." Forcing their way in was definitely not an option. Even if the secret guards were strong enough to snatch someone from the Nanzhao Royal Palace, dealing with the aftermath would be troublesome. If outsiders found out that people from the King of Ding Kingdom’s Mansion were responsible, it would be even more problematic.

Seeing her frowning in deep thought, Han Mingxi said cheerfully, "Well? Need help?"

Ye Li looked at Han Mingxi and shook her head. She and Han Mingxi only had a cooperative relationship. He had already taken considerable risks following her last time. This time, she absolutely couldn’t drag him into this adventure.

Han Mingxi looked at her with a smile. "Don’t refuse so quickly. Tianyi Pavilion is, after all, open for business. As long as you can afford it, Junwei, we can do more than just gather intelligence."

An idea struck Ye Li. She looked at Han Mingxi and asked, "What do you want, Brother Han?"

Han Mingxi said triumphantly, "Xunya Pavilion. I want another two-tenths share."

Ye Li said, "I thought Tianyi Pavilion preferred hard cash? You should know that regardless of the amount, both the Xu Family and I would pay."

Han Mingxi looked at him with an aggrieved expression. "Junwei and I are friends. How can a friend take advantage of another in their time of need?"

Friends? Ye Li raised an eyebrow. "Tianyi Pavilion doesn’t specialize in these matters. It’s better not to trouble Brother Han."

"Junwei, you’re being too much of a stranger," Han Mingxi said with a smile. "Although Tianyi Pavilion isn’t exactly proficient in this, we are very familiar with Nanzhao Capital. Compared to relying on our friendship, don’t you think Tianyi Pavilion is a bit more trustworthy?"

Ye Li frowned and pondered deeply for a good while before saying, "Then I’ll have to trouble Brother Han. I will cover any losses Tianyi Pavilion incurs. And of course, the two-tenths share of Xunya Pavilion still stands."

"I told you, Junwei, you’re being too much of a stranger," Han Mingxi sighed helplessly.

Ye Li smiled faintly and remained silent, inwardly considering whether she might also need Princess Anxi’s help.

「In the glimmering pearl light, the heavy stone door was opened once more. The woman in magnificent golden attire, however, had lost all her usual composure; her frantic steps seemed to betray immense fury. "Xu Qingchen!"」

Xu Qingchen, who had been resting with his eyes closed, opened them. He looked calmly and gently at the woman who had rushed in, frowning. "What’s wrong?"

The woman seemed extremely angry. With a sweep of her sleeve, she sent all the celadon teacups on the table crashing to the floor, the sound of them shattering clear and almost melodious. "Speak! How did they know you were here?!"

Xu Qingchen shook his head and said faintly, "I can’t even leave this room, so how would I know? What, has someone caused you trouble?"

"How could you not know?!" the woman demanded, striving to control her anger. "You must have been the one who leaked the information! Tell me, what method did you use?"

Xu Qingchen shook his head and sighed. "You overestimate me. I’m just a weak scholar with no power to resist, not some deeply hidden, peerless master. Instead of dwelling on this, wouldn’t it be better to consider if you’ve offended someone recently?"

The woman snorted. "How could I offend anyone? Apart from that woman Anxi, the only transgression in my life... hehe, seems to be your delicate fiancée."

"I told you not to touch her," Xu Qingchen said gravely.

The woman sneered. "Rest assured, your precious fiancée is completely unharmed. However... being fine now doesn’t mean she’ll be fine in the future. Last time was merely to frighten her a little. Speaking of which... it seems the ’flower-protecting envoy’ by her side has pretty good skills."

Xu Qingchen was unconcerned. "Are you referring to her personal guards? It’s common for young ladies from prominent families in the Central Plains to have a few guards when they go out. It’s nothing remarkable."

"You certainly trust her. Why don’t we continue to see if her guards can truly protect her? Perhaps while protecting her, they’ll fall in love. Don’t young women just love it when a hero saves the beauty?"

Xu Qingchen glanced at her. "If you have so much leisure, why don’t you tell me what exactly happened to make you this angry?"

At the mention of this, the woman’s face, hidden beneath her mask, couldn’t help but contort. She said resentfully, "Someone dumped the bodies of those assassins outside the Sacred Maiden Hall!"

Xu Qingchen looked somewhat surprised, but his brow quickly smoothed. "Even so, it’s not a major issue. Just hand it over to the Nanzhao royal family or the government officials to handle."

"How can that be?!" the woman cried. "Don’t tell me you don’t know! If word gets out that bodies were dumped at the Sacred Maiden Hall, Anxi will definitely use this as an excuse to search the Hall. Hmph! Don’t think I don’t know she’s wanted to extend her reach into the Sacred Maiden Hall for a long time. But she isn’t qualified!"

As Xu Qingchen picked up a book and began to flip through it, he said, "You also haven’t considered that if people find out bodies were discovered at the Sacred Maiden Hall, the populace of Nanzhao will begin to doubt the sanctity of the Sacred Maiden of the Southern Border. Most importantly, if you had another year or two, you could still blame this on Great Chu or Xiling, but right now... you haven’t even finished preparations to go to war with Great Chu."

The woman’s eyes darkened. She stared at him gloomily and said in a low voice, "You know too much. Aren’t you truly afraid I’ll kill you?"

Xu Qingchen nodded slightly. "Because you still want to know more from me, don’t you?"

"Correct!" the woman admitted readily. "If you hadn’t secretly helped Anxi, she couldn’t possibly have won against me. Since you can help her, you can naturally help me too, can’t you?"

Xu Qingchen shook his head. "I will not help you."

"I will make you willing!" the woman sneered.

Xu Qingchen put down the book again and looked at her with pity in his eyes. "You are fundamentally unsuited for these things. None of the past Sacred Maidens of the Southern Border were suited for them. Even if you are more intelligent than them, when it comes to ruling a country, you are still inferior to Princess Anxi."

A flash of anger appeared in the woman’s eyes. She retorted coldly, "Who says I’m not suited? Didn’t you admit I’m more intelligent than Anxi?"

"You are merely more skilled at conspiracies and tricks. But a country cannot be run solely on schemes. What’s more... even your conspiracies are too crude to be effective."

"So what? At least you’re in my hands now, aren’t you?" the woman said proudly.

Xu Qingchen merely smiled faintly and said nothing.

Looking at Xu Qingchen’s calm and serene demeanor, the woman suddenly felt a surge of intense anger and hissed, "You look down on me!"

Xu Qingchen frowned. "I do not look down on you. I simply disapprove of your current methods."

"I know it! You do look down on me!" the woman shrieked. "What do you know? Do you know what kind of life Anxi has lived since childhood? And what kind of life I’ve lived? Why? Why was she born the Eldest Princess, a princess? Why is everything hers?"

"You are the Sacred Maiden of the Southern Border, also revered by tens of thousands," Xu Qingchen said.

"Heh heh... revered by tens of thousands? I haven’t seen my mother since I was three. At five, I was utterly alone. I wasn’t allowed to speak to the maids, not allowed to go out and play, not allowed to cry, not allowed to meet outsiders, not even allowed to develop affections for anyone! And when I turn twenty-eight, I have to go to that damn ’sacred land.’ Who wants to go to that godforsaken place? Nanzhao is mine! Everything is mine!" the woman shrieked, as if suddenly collapsing.

Xu Qingchen shook his head. "The life of a Sacred Maiden of the Southern Border is indeed pitiable. But I don’t think that includes you. No one has ever restricted your movements, have they? Otherwise, how would you have had the opportunity to meet Prince Li, and how would you have become estranged from Princess Anxi? Even... the new Sacred Maiden had already appeared two years ago, but you had her killed. The Sacred Maidens of the Southern Border can serve until the age of twenty-eight at the latest, but in fact, most abdicate before twenty-five."

"Anxi told you even this?!" The woman stared at him. "It seems she truly trusts you."

"Princess Anxi and I are friends."

"Hmph!" Her earlier breakdown seemed to have been a mere illusion, or perhaps one could call it acting. In an instant, the woman regained her elegance. "Such good friends. I will deliver the heads of your friend and your fiancée to you."

With that, the woman once again swept her sleeve and departed.