“For A’kou’s sake since she likes you, I can use this quarter hour to make a deal with you and give you a chance.” Tie Ci clapped her hands.

Chi Xue and Dan Shuang walked out of a room, escorting the chieftain, while A’kou followed behind them dejectedly, the tiger on her shoulder also weakly calling “lonely” without energy.

A’dan’s eyes flashed, then she stood up and said, “Don’t hurt him—”

“Here you go showing off your clumsy acting again.” Tie Ci sighed and shook her finger. “If your voice trembled three parts more, your body shook two parts more, and your eyes showed seven parts more terror, perhaps I might believe you one part more.”

A’dan chuckled and simply sat back down, giving up completely: “Since I can’t satisfy you no matter what, why bother negotiating with me?”

Tie Ci said gently, “Just to let you see that this chieftain lord is strong and healthy, full of energy, and has been well cared for by us.”

“Oh, then thank you…” A’dan replied casually, then suddenly stopped.

No matter how things had changed before, she had always been laughing and joking as usual, but until this moment, her expression finally changed.

She had obviously caught the meaning in Tie Ci’s words.

Since there was “this one,” naturally there was “that one.”

Behind her came a light laugh with a gorgeous voice.

With this sound, A’dan was shocked to discover that the dignified yet cunning woman across from her suddenly had her entire face light up.

In A’dan’s eyes, this woman had always had a gentle and bright temperament with extraordinary bearing, but cold light often flowed in her eyes, carrying the aloof attitude of someone in power. She never expected that such a person would rejoice upon hearing a name, suddenly radiating brilliant divine light, like a magnificent lamp on the wall being ignited by heavenly fire—even rosy clouds couldn’t match her brilliance.

She turned back and saw a person walking out of the darkness behind her. His journey from darkness to light seemed like a divine statue revealing its true form—darkness retreated on all sides while light remained only on him alone.

So much so that after a while, the dazzled A’dan realized he was also carrying someone in his hand.

That person hung lightly on his elbow, skinny as a rail, with withered claw-like hands constantly spasming in mid-air, opening and closing, opening and closing.

It was remarkably the old person who had also wanted to come “enthusiastically” offer something when Tie Ci first arrived.

A’dan clicked her tongue, obviously dissatisfied with her own soft-heartedness back then. One really shouldn’t underestimate others too much—since this old thing had exposed herself, she should have simply silenced her then and there.

Tie Ci smiled at Murong Yi. In that smile, she had already looked him up and down thoroughly. He was well cared for, and his clothes’ stitching showed they came from the hands of a skillful woman. She wondered which beautiful girl from the Mo tribe it was?

Murong Yi was also looking at Tie Ci, his eyes burning bright, reflecting only one person inside and out. Even when A’dan twisted her waist and swayed her hips in front of him, posing in countless alluring positions, she couldn’t get him to spare her an extra glance.

“I never expected the dignified Nanyan chieftain to fall to such a state.” Tie Ci looked at the old woman and couldn’t help but sigh.

She looked again at the “chieftain” being held by Chi Xue and Dan Shuang and smiled: “Should I call you Chieftain Sir, or Second Madam?”

The room fell silent for a while before A’dan asked, “How did you guess?”

“Before coming, I researched materials on the three major Pacification Offices. The Nanyan chieftain was elderly, had countless wives and concubines in the past, and though his temperament was unknown, he had killed and fought plenty over territory and power. He didn’t seem like the type to exclusively favor one woman or even willingly entrust great power to her. Moreover, the idea of rejuvenation was too absurd. I first suspected you used some strange poison, but A’kou said there wasn’t any. Then I suspected the chieftain had become your puppet, but the affection between you two was indeed deep and genuine. Since several possibilities were ruled out, I had reason to suspect that the chieftain was your person, but the chieftain wasn’t the chieftain.”

“Furthermore, A’kou also smelled a familiar scent on the chieftain. After thinking for a long time, she remembered it was the fragrance of Myriad Forms grass liquid mixed with women’s cosmetics—something that could adjust voice and appearance. Women, especially those who were once concubines, when disguised as men, inevitably reveal flaws in some details. Not to mention, since there’s still a beloved companion for intimate moments nearby, the disguise as a man wouldn’t be thorough enough.”

“As for how I guessed it was the Second Madam? Two concubines who should have been rivals had an unexpectedly good relationship, and this kind of substitution scheme has always been impossible to hide from bedfellows. So the Second Madam must have participated in the fake chieftain’s seizure of power, and participated deeply. It just so happened that I never saw the Second Madam during this entire visit, so why not boldly guess that good sister Second Madam was busy helping you, A’dan, with the most important task?”

“Then how did you guess who the chieftain was?”

“If women can disguise as men, naturally men can also disguise as women. If someone became rejuvenated, then someone else aged rapidly. The fake chieftain became younger while the real chieftain was made to age. Over time, the tribal people wouldn’t think the chieftain had become like this. Old women are usually cautious—what would make her risk approaching strangers despite her physical condition? Her hands kept opening and closing. Have you thought about what she was doing?” Tie Ci made a clasped-hands saluting gesture. “This etiquette isn’t practiced locally in Yannan—it’s the protocol for meeting southern officials. In a tribe like Nanyan, only officials of the Pacification Office, big and small, would use such etiquette. Since the chieftain couldn’t speak, he used actions to tell me his identity.”

A’dan stopped talking. After a long while, she sighed and shook her head: “You Central Plains people are cunning. Your minds have nine curves and eighteen bends. Xi Ti has dealt with Central Plains people too much and has become much cleverer than before.”

Xi Ti was the Nanyan chieftain’s name. Hearing her own name, the old woman made a series of turbid, suppressed groans from her throat.

“What deal did the You father and son make with you, calculating that I would come to seek this hidden army?”

“To trap all those who come seeking military power.” A’dan looked at the sky. “When I set off fireworks as a signal, they’ll send people to come receive and handle the situation.”

“Then set off your fireworks.”

“You want to retaliate in kind?” A’dan said. “Why should I cooperate with you? What benefit is there for me?”

Tie Ci smiled.

“Indeed, cooperating with me brings you no benefit; but not cooperating with me would bring you great harm.”

A’dan crossed her arms and chuckled.

“Do the Nanyan people know their chieftain has always been a fake? Do they know you two women conspired together to deceive the tribal people?” Tie Ci glanced at the fake chieftain. “Even if you don’t mind the truth being exposed, surely you don’t mind each other’s lives either?”

“Moreover, you do mind being exposed, otherwise why keep the chieftain alive?” Murong Yi said. “Presumably in some situations, the chieftain himself must be present.”

The chieftain made angry sounds of “ah ah ah.”

A’dan smiled: “In that case, why don’t you kill us? The chieftain who regains power would be grateful to you, and afterward, wouldn’t everything you want be easily obtained?”

Tie Ci smiled softly: “I only make deals with useful people.”

A’dan giggled. Her gaze kept scanning up and down between Tie Ci and Murong Yi, observing their expressions and the details of their looks when they made eye contact. Suddenly she smiled: “I hate clever women. I want to talk to him.”

Tie Ci said nothing more and left with the fake chieftain and the others.

The room door closed. Inside was quiet. The fake chieftain looked at the tightly shut doors and windows and suddenly said, “A’dan is very good at bewitching people.”

Tie Ci: “Mm.”

“She has a special charm for young men.” The fake chieftain smiled, saying with shared glory, “When she first arrived, all the young men in the village were spellbound by her.”

Tie Ci: “Oh.”

The fake chieftain lowered her tone but spoke with absolute certainty: “No one can be an exception.”

Tie Ci: “Ah.”

She was so cooperative yet so uncooperative. The fake chieftain seemed to have never encountered such a person and was stuck for a while, not knowing what to say. After a moment, she said again: “Aren’t you curious why we turned against those close to us?”

Tie Ci said gently: “Naturally I’m curious. I’ve already curiously imagined seven or eight versions for you. The perverted chieftain version, the abusive chieftain version, the suspicious chieftain version, the mutual support version, the helping each other version… which one would you like to hear?”

Fake chieftain: “…”

After a long while, she said angrily: “You have no heart!”

“Whether I have a heart isn’t important.” Tie Ci said indifferently. “If you think something is right, then do it. There’s no need to seek moral and psychological support from outsiders. If you always want to convince others, it’s probably because you haven’t been able to convince yourself yet.”

The fake chieftain stopped talking.

Suddenly, a scream came from inside the room.

The fake chieftain was so startled she jumped in place and stretched her neck, but Chi Xue and Dan Shuang holding her had hands like cast iron—they didn’t move at all, and didn’t even have expressions on their faces.

Tie Ci also made no movement, not even bothering to take a step closer.

The fake chieftain said incredulously to Dan Shuang: “Aren’t those two a couple? How can she not care about him at all? How can she not want to know what’s happening in the room? As maidservants, don’t you worry about your master’s affairs either?”

Chi Xue smiled without speaking, and Dan Shuang rolled her eyes.

Playing divisive tactics and psychological warfare in front of this pair—wasn’t that a bit too childish?

The door suddenly opened, the lights came on, and everything in the room was as before. Murong Yi still stood in his original position, but A’dan had changed her sitting posture in the chair, appearing more lazy and casual. She tilted her face, and under the lamplight, her brow tips and eye corners were faintly flushed, complementing her pearl-and-jade-like skin, beautiful as a crabapple after rain.

She beckoned to those outside, and when she spoke, her voice had somehow become much softer and more tender: “We’ve talked it over. I agree with you all.”

The word “talked” was emphasized, carrying satisfied laughter.

Tie Ci asked Murong Yi: “What happened?”

Murong Yi’s lips curved in a slight smile: “Nothing happened.”

Honestly, at this moment, A’dan looked from head to toe—every strand of hair didn’t look like nothing had happened.

Every woman looking at A’dan at this moment would involuntarily think of certain rosy matters. Hearing such an answer would only feel it was perfunctory and guilty.

A’dan’s lips also curved in a smile, part lazy, part mocking.

But then she heard Tie Ci say plainly: “Then you worked hard.”

No matter how you heard it, these words were full of sarcasm. A’dan’s smile deepened.

Murong Yi actually said seriously: “Not hard work. A’dan worked harder.”

A’dan rested her chin on her hand and gazed at him tenderly: “Being able to reach an agreement with you, I don’t feel it was hard work either.”

Murong Yi smiled at her, and A’dan’s brow tips and eye corners were full of joy. The two looked at each other with tender gazes.

The kind that could drive all legitimate wives mad.

Tie Ci strode over.

The joy in A’dan’s eyes increased.

The fake chieftain’s expression was mocking with a hint of disappointment.

She had thought they would be a different kind of couple.

Tie Ci strode to A’dan’s side, reached out, and pinched A’dan’s face.

The smile that had just bloomed on A’dan’s face froze.

Tie Ci smiled: “Can’t be defeated by force, saw that we have an extraordinary relationship, so you want to attack psychologically through male-female relations. Your little brain works so fast—I find it quite cute.”

A’dan’s dazed, wide-eyed look now truly seemed somewhat cute.

But suddenly a claw reached over and slapped down Tie Ci’s hand with a “pa.” Murong Yi’s voice sounded sinister: “Don’t flirt around!”

A’dan slowly opened her mouth wide.

The lines she wanted to hear, the reactions she wanted to see—she finally heard and saw them, but how had the roles switched?

Tie Ci obediently withdrew her hand and smiled: “Come on, you’re even guarding against women?”

Murong Yi smiled slightly: “I heard that in your mansion, there are dozens of people of all shapes and sizes, each one refusing to be released when they come of age. That’s fine, but you also like visiting tea houses and brothels. I just heard that the brothels in the capital are spreading stories about how there was once an ugly clown at the academy who pursued someone with ridiculous behavior—both looking down on people with dog eyes and fawning after learning the truth, plus shamelessly pestering without end.”

Tie Ci smiled: “What does this have to do with you?”

“This was a 360-jin fat person.”

“Then you shouldn’t project onto yourself even more.”

“Born to a Liaodong aristocratic family, stupid with lots of money and a dog-like temperament. A barbarous, uncivilized person from the icy lands who only knows how to throw money around to buy people’s hearts—a foolish rich landowner.”

“…”

“Also likes cross-dressing as a woman, stuffing all that fat into colorful silk fairy dresses, thinking she walks like a floating fairy when she’s actually particularly like a slug.”

“…”

“Daily routine is just throwing money around, showing off, showing off and getting stepped on, constantly provoking the Five Weirdos of Wu House and then getting her face stepped on by the Five Weirdos—a complete weirdo.”

“…”