Chapter 113: Target Sun Shangxiang

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After they had done what they had done, another hour or so passed. When they finally lay side by side again, both of them were drenched in sweat, though neither could tell whose was whose.

“Following me, things may seem pleasant enough for now. But remember this: days like these may not last much longer. From Xuchang to Wu Commandery, and then to the matter of Guan Yu and Lady Mi, I have really been creating an opportunity for myself. If it succeeds, the only way we can hope to live like this again will be after the realm has been unified!”

Qiao Feng blinked her large eyes and stared at Liu Xie’s face. She paid no attention to the sweat still dripping onto the quilt. After a long silence, she said each word carefully, “Whether in life or death, I will remain at Your Majesty’s side.”

Liu Xie nodded faintly and, almost instinctively, drew Qiao Feng into his arms.

Qiao Feng felt that this was the most genuine Liu Xie had been since the day she met him. His usual abandon—the claims that he loved only women, that one should drink while the wine was at hand—was merely the hard shell he had built around himself. Though he was the emperor, he had no choice but to survive in this era beneath such a disguise.

When Sun Ce had captured her, Qiao Feng’s heart had already died. The meaning of her continued existence had become nothing more than protecting her younger sister.

Even when she had agreed to accompany Liu Xie to his sleeping quarters, she had still been wary of him. It was only after she discovered that he could effortlessly fulfill every promise he made to her—especially his promise not to touch Qiao Shuang—that her suspicions had gradually faded. He had truly kept that promise until now, something Qiao Feng had never imagined at the beginning.

“Next, Guan Yu will certainly propose returning to Wu Commandery to retrieve Lady Mi. Zhou Yu will find a way to make Liu Biao and Cai Mao learn of it. Liu Bei, this outsider, will not enjoy many more peaceful days. But if Liu Biao swallows him up, Jing Province will also be thrown into chaos. If everything goes smoothly, I may finally be able to leave this deep palace!”

Liu Xie’s soft voice reached Qiao Feng’s ears. She still did not know exactly how he intended to accomplish all that he had described, but she possessed an inexplicable confidence in his abilities.

“What can I do for Your Majesty?”

“Sooner or later, Sun Ce will discover what I am planning. It may happen after the matter in Jing Province is settled, or perhaps somewhat later. Once he has no weakness in my hands, even if I can protect myself, the several of you will suffer. So before he realizes what I intend, you must help me with two things.”

Qiao Feng’s expression grew extremely grave.

She understood that Liu Xie was speaking the truth. If Sun Ce learned that Liu Xie intended to become a true emperor, his first reaction would certainly be to kill him. And if he could not kill Liu Xie, Empress Fu Shou and the two sisters would undoubtedly be among the first to suffer.

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“Your Majesty has only to give the order.”

“First, you must have the ability to protect yourselves. When the Empress was in Xuchang, she learned to ride under my instruction, and she also acquired some skill with fists, kicks, and weapons. You sisters must catch up as well. At the very least, you must reach the point where ordinary soldiers pursuing you cannot capture you.”

Fu Shou set aside an hour every day to practice martial arts. Qiao Feng knew this. She had been somewhat unable to understand it before, but after hearing Liu Xie’s words, everything became clear.

“Qiao Shuang and I will begin training with the Empress tomorrow. Within six months, we will reach the level Your Majesty described.”

“Mm… The second matter is related to the first. If you wish to practice martial arts, you need a capable teacher. I know a few techniques myself, but there is someone more suitable than I am to instruct you.”

“Oh? Here in Wu Commandery, we have no relatives or friends. Are you suggesting that we ask Sun Ce to find us a martial arts instructor? Wouldn’t that alert him?”

“No. Sun Ce’s younger sister, Sun Shangxiang, is about your age. In Wu Commandery, she is famous for her martial prowess. Whenever she goes out, she carries a long sword, and even her attendants possess some skill. If you seek her guidance, would that not be perfectly natural?”

“Sun Shangxiang? I have heard of her. But she is Sun Ce’s younger sister, after all. If she notices something unusual in the imperial residence…”

At that, Qiao Feng glanced worriedly toward Sun Ce, only to find him watching her with an expression both familiar and strange. She froze for a moment, then immediately understood what Liu Xie had in mind.

“Your Majesty intends to use Sun Shangxiang to threaten Sun Ce? But… although Sun Shangxiang is Sun Ce’s own sister, she is still only a woman. If matters truly reach the point of no return, I fear she may not carry enough weight to be of much use!”

Once she understood what Liu Xie intended to do, Qiao Feng’s first reaction was not anger but an assessment of Sun Shangxiang’s importance and whether it would be sufficient.

Liu Xie gave her a thumbs-up. Qiao Feng was indeed remarkably professional. When judging a matter, she did not allow personal feelings to interfere at all. She was a trustworthy companion.

“I will not let matters reach the point where you imagine there is no way forward. She is merely a precaution. Besides, I have already investigated the matter fairly thoroughly during this period. Sun Ce places considerable value on his sister.”

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“When did Your Majesty investigate all this? Why did I know nothing about it?”

“What I intend to accomplish will naturally be accomplished. In a few days, I will arrange a banquet, and Sun Shangxiang should attend. At that time, use the excuse of seeking instruction in martial arts to become friends with her. Have her visit my residence frequently. As for the rest, you need not concern yourself with it.”

Qiao Feng naturally understood why they did not need to concern themselves with the rest.

What she understood even more clearly was that in this era, even a man who was not an emperor could quite normally have several women.

Moreover, in the strictest sense, Liu Xie currently had only two women: herself and Fu Shou. If he later took Qiao Shuang as well, that would make three—still far short of what was considered normal for an emperor. Adding Sun Shangxiang did not bother Qiao Feng in the least.

As for Sun Shangxiang, anyone who had spent time in Wu Commandery knew at least something about her.

She had practiced martial arts under Sun Ce since childhood, and her greatest dream was to go onto the battlefield. Sun Ce, of course, had never granted her wish.

But she had never abandoned her training. Every day she went out with a sharp blade hanging from her waist, while the attendants accompanying her were armed from head to toe. Under such circumstances, no one had dared to marry her.

If one were to ask what troubled Sun Ce most at present, many would probably say that it was how to marry off his younger sister. Though the remark carried a hint of teasing, it also revealed the situation with remarkable clarity.

Under these circumstances, whether marrying his sister to Liu Xie would truly be a good choice for Sun Ce was something Liu Xie and Qiao Feng had clearly already decided. They were about to put that decision into action.

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