Chapter 244: The First True Meeting

Chapter 244: The First True Meeting

Jin Nine, accompanied by the coquettish dealer with a mischievous smile, swiftly left and casually closed the door behind them as they wished for Zhao Changhe’s well-being.

Meanwhile, Zhao Changhe looked helplessly at Vermillion Bird. She was glaring at him with her hands on her hips, and he could not fathom what had her so worked up.

“Why are you glaring at me?” Zhao Changhe finally spoke up. “I’m all wet and need to take a bath. Will you join me?”

As soon as the words left his mouth, he pursed his lips, realizing that perhaps such advances were not appropriate given her status.

Vermillion Bird, however, did not seem to mind his advances. Instead, she retorted, “What? Are you disappointed to see me? Were you really looking forward to having that scantily clad wench help you bathe?”

Zhao Changhe shrugged. “Yeah, since you won’t join me, can’t I find someone else who will?”

Vermillion Bird crossed her arms, sneering. “Is that all that’s on your mind? With such a one-track mind, do you really think you’re fit to swagger around and act all arrogant and brazen?”

“Well, I’ve already said to Venerable Vermillion Bird that since your cult venerates the four idols, why go against the harmony of the two polarities? Your venerable might think me too lowly to discuss such matters with her, but that does not change my opinion on the matter. I’m even pondering if the emperor’s missteps might be because he’s been abstaining from women. Look at how he used to be the greatest when he and the empress were happily producing heirs. Now, with his celibacy, he’s completely different, is he not?”

“What nonsense. Xia Longyuan is definitely engaged in a secret struggle with some mysterious forces...”

Zhao Changhe gave her a sidelong glance. “You seem to know a lot. Even organizations specialized in intelligence don’t know as much as you do.”

Vermillion Bird said angrily, “This is not the place to talk. We don’t know if there are any eavesdroppers here. Stop with your nonsense. Why did you choose to stay in this place for no reason?”

Zhao Changhe said casually, “Because this place is actually safer, even safer than the Huangfu residence.”

Vermillion Bird asked curiously, “Why is that?”

“For example, just now, I received a summons to the palace supposedly coming from the empress. However, it’s possible that the empress did not in fact summon me at all. I’m highly suspicious that the imperial noble consort wants to kill me. With that in mind, why would I willingly walk into a possible trap like the Huangfu Clan?”

So he is aware... Vermillion Bird sneered, “Why would the imperial noble consort want to kill you? What would her motive even be?”

“Eh? Isn’t this obvious? I even suspect that she killed the crown prince, so what would be strange about her wanting to kill me?”

“Right, right.”

“When I entered the city and went to Huangfu Shaozong’s place, it was originally just to approach the military. At that time, I had no idea that he had the imperial noble consort behind him. If I had known, I never would’ve even thought of staying there. Moreover, First Seat Tang is upright and loyal to the nation. When I saw the imperial noble consort and First Seat Tang having such a fierce confrontation, it made her look like a classic villainous concubine in my eyes. What if she really wants to kill me...”

“Then go and die!” Vermillion Bird was furious, but she could not tear into him here. She grabbed his collar angrily and said, “I have a place here too. Just stay with me. Stop wandering around like a stray dog.”

Zhao Changhe blinked innocently. “But I didn’t know where you were until now.”

“Well now you do!” Vermillion Bird dragged him out of the room. “Come with me!”

“Wait, I haven’t bathed yet...”

“I bet you just want to ogle at that pretty female dealer!”

Their voices faded into the distance as they argued, leaving Jin Nine to emerge from the adjacent room, hands clasped, looking extremely perplexed, “Is that really the Fire Serpent of Yi?”

“Look at her ceremonial robe, it’s of a status a notch lower than Vermillion Bird’s, so it can’t be her.”

“Well, that’s a relief. If someone told me that it was Vermillion Bird who just grabbed a young man by the collar and dragged him out, I’d feel as if the world ended.”

“Is it really that unbelievable...”

Zhao Changhe smiled apologetically and said, “As soon as I saw her at the Huangfu Clan, I felt that the imperial noble consort was incredibly beautiful. I even got distracted and ended up staring at her a bit too long...”

A smile formed on Vermillion Bird’s lips. “So, do you actually think that the imperial noble consort wants to kill you?”

“I’m certain that Empress Wang wants to kill me. Whether that old eunuch is under her or not, there’s already no turning back when it comes to my relationship with the Wang Clan. I don’t need to consider anything else, just one thing—any enemy of the empress is my friend, so the imperial noble consort is also my friend.”

Vermillion Bird thought to herself: That might not necessarily be the case. I really wanted to kill you two months ago. Who told you that the enemy of your enemy is your friend? The empress and I aren’t vying for favor, so whoever her enemies are have nothing to do with me.

But hearing Zhao Changhe say that, she was quite satisfied. “Then which faction do you think the eunuch belongs to?”

“He probably is really under the empress. Since others will likely suspect that he was sent out by the imperial noble consort to frame the empress, so the empress just needs to send someone out to directly remove suspicion on herself and it will almost seem certain to others that the eunuch is one of the imperial noble consort’s underlings. She’s taking advantage of others’ smarts. There’s no need to overly complicate many things. Generally, the simplest answer is actually the correct answer.”

Vermillion Bird gave him a sidelong glance, “Interesting, what else?”

Zhao Changhe also gave her a sidelong glance. He was unsure of what to say for a moment. I don’t even dare to tease you now. What do you want me to say?

Their thoughts couldn’t be clearer to one another.

When Vermillion Bird went back to the Huangfu Clan, she had no idea that Zhao Changhe was there, so she did not even change her voice or scent. Actually, even if she had known, it would have been strange for her to inexplicably change her tone in front of her younger brother. Facing someone like Zhao Changhe, who seemed rough on the surface but was actually quite perceptive, the Fire Serpent of Yi and the pig mask were just decorations. She knew that he had probably already figured out who she was.

He had just made up some reasons to make it seem as if it was natural for him to believe that the imperial noble consort was not out to harm him, but in reality, they were just that, made-up reasons. The only reason he could be certain of it was that he knew she was the imperial noble consort, and he trusted her.

For some reason, Vermillion Bird felt an inexplicable sense of shame when he found out her identity. That was why she had inexplicably gotten angry just now. She had been disgusted by his smug, analytical look.

This meant that her identity had been uncovered now, and it would be difficult for her to just have the Fire Serpent of Yi disappear or die. After all, the imperial noble consort could not just do so.

She now had no idea how she would end this farce.

She was unsure whether her identity as Vermillion Bird was still secret, but she could be sure that her identities as the imperial noble consort, the Fire Serpent of Yi, and Huangfu Qing had become known to him. At the end of the day, though, she was fine with these identities being tarnished to any extent, as long as her identity as Vermillion Bird remained hidden.

Thinking of this, she finally softened a bit and said softly, “There’s no need to continue acting if you’ve already figured it out. There’s no one else here.”

Zhao Changhe finally said, “Then... Can I cash in on that bet that’s a month late?”

Vermillion Bird looked at him intently for a while before slowly removing her pig mask.

This might be the first time Vermillion Bird and Zhao Changhe had truly met.

Zhao Changhe’s heart could not help but skip a beat.

Why had Tang Wanzhuang looked like she was facing a great enemy and scolded him for staring at the imperial noble consort too much?

Because she was truly too beautiful.

When the hostility faded from between her eyebrows, all that was left was a blazing flame in the wind, and a heroic demeanor similar to that of Yue Hongling.

She was the noble daughter of a marquis, a noble concubine of the inner palace, and the leader of a cult. She exuded a calm demeanor and majesty, and she held some amusement in her eyes similar to that of an older sister looking at their younger brother, similar to when Tang Wanzhuang looked at him.

She also had a charm to her, as if a hint of Chichi had been added to her, the version of Chichi back then during the beginning of summer.

That might not even be enough to explain her appearance... There’s also a touch of mystique to her, similar to a god looking down from the distance, similar to the blind woman.

Zhao Changhe could not take his eyes off her. He could hardly imagine how so many different qualities could blend perfectly into one person. Can she really just be one of the Twenty-Eight Mansions?