Tome of Troubled Times
Chapter 816 (2): Pretending To Be

Chapter 816 (2): Pretending To Be

Racking her brain, Piaomiao came up with a weak diversion. “Big Brother Zhao~ Is that all you want to do with me? Can’t we talk about something else?”

Ye Jiuyou nearly burst out laughing.

Zhao Changhe laughed too. Weren’t you the one last night who didn’t want to talk and only wanted kisses? Women, changing their tune on a whim. Was I too good to you last night or what?

“I get the feeling whenever you say things like this, you’re jealous of your own dad.”

Piaomiao seized the chance and asked, “How is my father doing?”

“I gave him a few leads on how to break through to the Profound Control Realm. After that, it’s up to fate. You can’t force your way through such a barrier. If he manages to figure it out, then he’ll break through. If not, he might be stuck there forever. Honestly, I never realized before, but... your father’s not all that into martial arts to begin with.”

“Well, if it doesn’t work out, he can always return to court. He’s said himself that he prefers that life. The reason he hasn’t returned yet isn’t just about helping you all suppress the nobles by relinquishing power. A big part of it is that he doesn’t want to kneel and call Xia Chichi ‘Your Majesty.’ He’s got his pride. How could he just bow to his daughter’s rival in love?” Piaomiao was silently grateful that she had spent so much time sharing Cui Yuanyang’s memories. At this point, she was almost completely fluent in her life.

Zhao Changhe paused for a moment. “Uh... I forgot about that part. Well, no worries. Once he returns to court, we’ll just grant him exemption from court etiquette. No bowing, no addressing titles, and a seat in the audience.”

“Xia Chichi won’t object?”

“How could Chichi possibly deny me that bit of face? Besides, she knows your father’s worth... Hm, that reminds me of something.”

“What is it?”

“Now that Wanzhuang’s no longer overseeing the Demon Suppression Bureau and has passed it to Qin Dingjiang. I’ve been thinking... He’s loyal enough, but not exactly exceptional. He’s a decent general but lacks the presence of a true commander. The same goes for the rest of the bureau’s talent pool, specifically people like Wu Weiyang and the others. They’re all cut from the same cloth. I feel like it’s because Wanzhuang used to manage everything personally. Her subordinates never developed the ability to act independently. They’re used to seeking approval and waiting for orders. Without someone above giving direction, they’re like headless chickens.”

“You’re saying...”

“Didn’t you want to join the Demon Suppression Bureau a long time ago? You even came after me when I was a wanted man. I was thinking, when you return, maybe it’s time for you to head into the bureau and hone yourself a bit. When the time is right, we could hand it over to you.”

Piaomiao couldn’t help but laugh. “If none of them are capable, what makes you think I am?”

“You come from a distinguished lineage; you’ve just never had the right stage to show it. You’ve seen your share of battle, too. Remember Puyang, Langya, Hangu Pass? You commanded your own unit in each of those, didn’t you? Sure, you weren’t there as a general or commander, but maybe now’s the time to try. We’ll give you a chance to lead, to take full responsibility. Maybe you’ll surprise yourself. And if it doesn’t work out, nothing stops you from leaving it to someone more capable.”

Piaomiao smiled. “Okay, I’ll give it a try.”

Zhao Changhe felt something was off in her reaction. By all rights, Yangyang should have been leaping with joy as this was something she had always wanted. She had been dreaming of joining the Demon Suppression Bureau since forever, and their whole relationship had practically started with her chasing him as an acting agent of the bureau. Why the lukewarm response?

“What is it? Do you not feel as excited about the bureau as you used to?”

Piaomiao realized her response had been too flat and quickly added, “It’s not that, just... Well, with Xia Chichi being the empress now, I’d be her subordinate, so it’s not exactly something to celebrate.”

Zhao Changhe laughed. “Oh, come on. This isn’t about serving her, it’s about serving the land. If I didn’t think you were suited for it, I wouldn’t be pushing you toward it. That’s why I said that you can just try it out. Besides, when I say you will serve the land... that means the gods of the land too, doesn’t it?”

Piaomiao hesitated, then softly asked, “You’d... serve Piaomiao?[1]”

“Isn’t she worthy of it? Though... maybe I should say she was worthy of it. Her heart is full of Ye Wuming now, and whether she can still embody what she once stood for is hard to say. Piaomiao was at her most dazzling when she forged the four swords to protect the mountains and rivers, striking across realms in a flash, slaying a demon god in one blow to safeguard the mortal realm. It was incredible. I think the reason she hasn’t been able to return to that peak might not be about her soul not being complete. It’s more likely that she’s turned away from the will of the mountains and rivers she once upheld. Without that alignment, how could she still command the awe she once did? Even if we wanted to revere her or represent her... would she still be worthy of it?”

Piaomiao remained silent.

“Alright, enough about her, we only have the hour of the dragon.” As he spoke, the hand at her waist began to stray upward. “Heh... Piaomiao might have turned back time for your face, but not for some other parts...”

Caught off guard, Piaomiao suddenly found herself firmly cupped in his hand. Her mind went blank. Struggle too hard and the truth would come out. But to let him keep going? Absolutely not!

Ye Jiuyou nearly burst out laughing.

Deep in the spiritual sea, Cui Yuanyang had just woken from her nap only to gape, dumbfounded, at the sight of her husband fondling Piaomiao. Her expression was even more stunned than Piaomiao’s.

What the fuck are you two doing?

Piaomiao, now acutely aware that Cui Yuanyang was awake, flushed red with rage and embarrassment. In her panic, she shoved Cui Yuanyang forward to take control of the body and darted back into the spiritual sea like she was fleeing for her life. Then, she promptly shut herself off from the world in utter shame.

Cui Yuanyang did not really know what had happened. But now that she was in control, she was back in her husband’s arms, and it felt warm and comforting. What then was the point in overthinking it?

A moment later, Zhao Changhe noticed his wife suddenly responding with surprising enthusiasm.

“Big Brother Zhao~ Kiss me.”

“I knew it.. You little vixen, you were just pretending earlier, weren’t you? Just needed a couple squeezes to get into the mood, huh?”

With that, he flipped Cui Yuanyang by the shoulder and leaned in to feast on her neck.

I was... pretending... earlier?

Cui Yuanyang blinked a few times. Outwardly, she enjoyed the moment of intimacy, but on the inside, a fierce interrogation immediately started.

“Big Sis... If you like him, you can just say so. Were you worried I’d be jealous? You don’t have to be. If you don’t want me in the way, I’ll just... leave.”

Piaomiao, still feeling every kiss through shared sensation, was so overwhelmed she nearly fainted from the shame. She could not even form a word in response.

But Cui Yuanyang was not done being a little troublemaker. “Big Brother Zhao...”

Zhao Changhe pulled back slightly, gently cupping her cheeks. “What is it?”

Cui Yuanyang’s voice came out soft and slurred under his touch, “Do you... like Big Sister Piaomiao?”

“Huh?” Zhao Changhe looked genuinely baffled. “We’ve barely exchanged a few words. How would I like or dislike her?”

Cui Yuanyang replied, “I think you treat her pretty well...”

“Well, she’s a good person. And she treats you well. With that being the case, I naturally wouldn’t treat her poorly.”

Cui Yuanyang tilted her head. “Have you ever seen what she looked like in the past?”

Zhao Changhe nodded. “Mm-hm. She looked a lot like you do now, though not exactly the same. You’ve inherited features from your parents too.”

“Then... was Big Sister Piaomiao pretty?”

“Of course she was. She’s a god formed from the qi of the mountains and rivers. She’s blessed by heaven and earth with grace and beauty. How could she not be pretty?” Zhao Changhe sighed. “But this line of questioning is pointless. Pretty or not has nothing to do with whether I like her. I’m telling you, I barely even know her.”

Cui Yuanyang let out a long sigh. “Big Brother Zhao, you’ve changed. You’ve seen every single bit of her, yet you don’t even feel the need to take responsibility?”

From deep within the spiritual sea, Piaomiao sprang up in indignation. When did he ever see me? He saw YOU, not me! My body back then wasn’t like this at all...

Cui Yuanyang ignored her and went on sweetly, “Back when you had that vision through the Qinghe Sword, I was there too. We both saw Big Sister Piaomiao bathing. Don’t think you can pretend it never happened, Big Brother Zhao. I remember it clearly~”

Piaomiao: “???”

Ye Jiuyou’s eyes were practically sparkling.

Zhao Changhe stood there, mouth half-open, expression utterly blank.

You stupid rabbit, have you lost your mind? Why would you bring that up? Who the hell volunteers to throw another woman at her own husband? Is this what they call a self-inflicted green hat?

The air went dead quiet.

After what felt like an eternity, Zhao Changhe awkwardly tried to change the subject. “Miss Ye... I think I’m ready to depart. Where’s Papiyas?”

The shift was so clumsy it bordered on tragic. Ye Jiuyou did not even want to dignify it with a response.

But after a few long blinks, she did reply. “Fine. But I suggest that Piaomiao accompany you.”

Zhao Changhe looked as if his head had started to ache. “Why would she go with me? You specifically said earlier that I should go alone. What’s up with this now?”

“When I told you to go alone, you hadn’t spoken with Piaomiao yet. But afterward, didn’t you say there’s a chance Papiyas might be able to help separate Piaomiao from Cui Yuanyang? I think there’s merit in that idea. But even if he does help you, it definitely won’t be in a way you’d like. If she is there, you might still get things to go the way you want, but if she doesn’t go and the opportunity’s lost, wouldn’t that be a shame?”

“Fine, that does sound reasonable... But I doubt that’s your only reason.”

“Of course it’s not.” Ye Jiuyou displayed a cold smile. “I want to see whether you care more about separating Piaomiao and Cui Yuanyang or if you care more about keeping her here to supervise me so I don’t go after your other wives. This headache is the price of your distrust.”

1. The word Zhao Changhe used here actually means both “country” and “god of the land,” so it’s a lot easier to make the semantic jump in Chinese. ☜