Tome of Troubled Times

Chapter 497: This Is Not an Act

Inside the sacred temple, the warm light from the luminous pearls filled the space.

Sisi, dressed in her grand ceremonial attire, kneeled before Zhao Changhe, looking up at him with a subtle hint of allure in her eyes.

Her outfit, her posture, the setting, all of them combined to was more enticing than any of their previous playful encounters, even without a single word exchanged.

The outfit, her posture, the setting... Without even having to say a single word, she was already far more enticing than she usually was when she would flirt with him.

Zhao Changhe felt his throat tighten.

He intended to discipline the people outside. He planned on having them kneel and letting them see how their queen served their sacred envoy—delivering a blow to the psyche and pride of the entire tribe.

However, he did not truly intend to go through with it. After all, it was those people who he wanted to punish, not Sisi. Using her in that way would be cruel.

Sisi's kneeling was originally just a ceremonial gesture for others to see. Between them, they never had such formalities. Even earlier, when she came to call him for dinner, Sisi would pull up any maid that kneeled, showing she did not care for such customs.

By reason, Sisi was clever enough to understand his intentions. She only needed to put on a show, and once the door was closed, she could get up.

Yet she did not stand up... Not only did she remain kneeling, but she also looked up at him with such alluring eyes. What man could resist such an experience?

Inevitably, Zhao Changhe began to think that if she was willing, there was not much need to pretend otherwise, right?

We've already been in each other's arms, and she even tended to me with her feet... And when I was having those nightmares, when vicious qi was plaguing me, it seems like she already...

The words "Get up, you don't need to act anymore" stuck in his throat, and he could not bring himself to say them.

Seeing his hesitation, Sisi revealed a slight smile, and she actually slowly...

“Hiss...”

This witch...

This was not Zhao Changhe's first time experiencing something like this. He had done similar things with Chichi and Huangfu Qing before. To them, it was just bedroom pleasure, without much deeper emotional meaning. This time, however, he did not feel much as the sensations he was supposed to experience seemed to have been transferred over to Sisi herself.

Yet, the sense of conquest was overwhelming.

Perhaps he really could not be as pure and upright a hero as Yue Hongling... In this moment, what flashed in his mind was Vermillion Bird's red lips and Huangfu Qing's words about what if Vermillion Bird kneeled before him.

Sisi blinked and realized that he had become more...

She herself was struggling to maintain her composure. Earlier, when she used her feet, her entire body hurt, and she was not much aware of anything else. But now that the pain was gone... She found that this approach could make a man feel this good. It was clearly better than the dual cultivation with Yue Hongling that afternoon.

With an amused look in her eyes, Sisi thought to herself, "Is this considered self-study?"

Just as she thought that, the sensation disappeared.

The effect of the Pain Transfer Gu lasted exactly a day and had just ended.

Zhao Changhe nearly convulsed from the sudden shift in his sensations.

Sisi quietly raised her eyes to observe Zhao Changhe's expression. Their eyes met, and both of their expressions were peculiar.

Sisi lowered her head again.

Zhao Changhe: "..."

He wanted nothing more than to pull this enchantress up and press her down on the throne.

He even reached out his hand, but then paused.

Can I really do that?

He had just talked to Yue Hongling about this earlier. This Pain Transfer Gu could not even be detected by the Qinghe Mirror. If he really got affected by a Heart-Bonding Gu or something similar, who knew what the outcome would be? That would truly mean being at the mercy of a woman...

Sisi seemed to understand his hesitation. She lowered her gaze, her head silently bowed.

There were indeed some types of gu that required intimate relations to take effect. But not all of them were necessarily harmful...

Yet he could not be blamed for being cautious, since he could not even fully trust himself.

* * *

After spending roughly half an hour in silence, Sisi, who was sitting on Zhao Changhe's lap and leaning against his chest, muttered, "It was clearly much faster before. You did it on purpose, didn't you?"

Zhao Changhe himself did not know, so he could only say, "I was injured back then, so I was low-energy..."

“Hehe...”

“What’s so funny...” Zhao Changhe felt a bit conflicted, unsure of how to respond, but he unconsciously lowered his head and kissed her forehead gently. "You’ve been exhausted all day, more than anyone else. Get some rest."

Feeling his tenderness, Sisi was pleasantly surprised. She looked up at him for a while, her eyes blinking, and finally smiled.

So he really does like me... He just doesn't dare to admit it.

Smiling, Sisi wrapped her arms around his neck, murmuring in his embrace, “That bit of exhaustion is nothing compared to what you’ve endured, Master... Besides... I deserve punishment.”

Her voice became softer when she mentioned “deserving punishment,” and it was unclear if she was referring to bearing the punishment for her tribe or something else entirely.

Zhao Changhe was lost in thought, but Sisi interrupted his thoughts, speaking softly, "This servant does not need rest. We can go out now... Hmm, let this be a plea for them as well—they’ve been kneeling for a long time... Watching their queen be played with and chastised inside is already humiliating enough..."

"...Did I chastise you?"

"No, but Sisi wants Master to chastise her."

“....” Zhao Changhe cleared his throat and stood up with her in his arms. “Alright, let’s go out.”

As Zhao Changhe was about to set her down, Sisi held onto him tightly, whispering into his ear, "Carry me out. Let them see."

Zhao Changhe obligingly carried her and strode out of the temple.

The temple doors slowly opened. Outside, it was still nighttime, with bonfires flickering and countless people kneeling in neat rows. Hearing the sound of the doors opening, they all looked up.

The newly crowned queen, with her disheveled hair ornaments and flushed face, weak and powerless in the arms of a man, looked as though she had been thoroughly worn out.

It was strange, really. One might think there should be feelings of shame or anger, but oddly, instead, it felt like this was how it was supposed to be. Some even seemed to feel a sense of relief.

Since the queen had offered herself in sacrifice, the god would not punish anyone else.

Perhaps the relationship between humans and gods was slightly different from that between people. This was a symbol of divine power—people's initial faith in deities stemmed from their fear of the power of heaven and earth.

If a god was too approachable, it diminished their authority.

And regarding this queen who served the god with her own body, no one looked down upon her; instead, everyone felt a deep sense of indebtedness to her. After a brief silence, they all called out in unison, "Greetings, Sacred Envoy. Greetings, Your Majesty."

Only then did Sisi step down from Zhao Changhe's arms. She still leaned weakly against him, speaking calmly, "I am tired. Let's end it here for tonight. Tomorrow at dawn, we shall enter the temple to discuss matters."

"Yes," everyone responded, kowtowing in respect before dispersing.

As Sisi watched the crowd ebb away like a retreating tide, she sighed softly and said quietly, "I need some time to reorganize the kingdom. For our next moves, I would like your advice."

Zhao Changhe didn’t say the usual “you can decide for yourself” and simply responded, “Alright, tell me.”

Sisi was completely serious now. "I'm not boasting, but if the Spirit Tribe emerges from the secret realm in full force, we could sweep through Miaojiang. The Black Hmong are far from our match. However, the old beliefs of most in the tribe can't be changed overnight, and I cannot act too unilaterally. Second, if the Spirit Tribe really does reveal its full force, I can't be sure whether there might be harmful consequences. Third, the reaction of the Xia people is unpredictable, and it might bring us disaster. And fourth, I am not sure whether you’d like that."

Zhao Changhe looked at Sisi in surprise for a while and then suddenly smiled. "It's like I'm getting to know you all over again."

Sisi smiled. "We were both putting on an act before. It's time to step off the stage, Master."

“Then why do you still call me master?”

Sisi’s gaze softened as she whispered, “Because this isn’t an act.”

Zhao Changhe: “...”

Sisi continued, "So, what do you think, Master?"

Zhao Changhe said, "Whether I like it or not is not what's important. What matters are the real issues. There are indeed many problems with the Spirit Tribe leaving the secret realm en masse, so it's better to take it slow. Those who are willing to move out may do so, and the chaos in Miaojiang should also come to an end. As for the empire’s reaction... I suggest that you submit a memorial to Wanzhuang at that time, stating that the Spirit Kingdom is willing to serve as a southwestern vassal of the Great Xia Empire. In return, the Great Xia should formally recognize it, allowing for peace."

Sisi laughed, knowing that if Tang Wanzhuang were to learn of these events, her eyes would probably brim with tears. Zhao Changhe said that he was not the crown prince, yet he was acting more like one than any crown prince would.

Especially considering that the loyalty of such a vassal state was far from guaranteed; the only thing that could command the loyalty of this nation was Zhao Changhe himself.

She simply said, “Sisi will listen to her master.”

Zhao Changhe gave her another strange look. "I'm really going back to rest now."

Sisi replied indifferently, "If you don't intend to summon me to the bedchamber, then there's no need to tell me that."

Zhao Changhe pursed his lips, unsure how to respond, and awkwardly left.

Sisi stood on the mountain peak in the night breeze, watching his figure gradually disappear into the distance, and sighed softly.