Chapter 201: The Empress Caught in the Act, Enters the Battlefield of Jealousy (1)
"Oh? You're that sure?"
Su Qing smiled lightly, speaking in a casual tone.
The sensation from his hand told him exactly what it meant to never want to go back.
But he also knew that this sweet little paradise had to be protected with a firm hand!
One misstep, and he wouldn't even be a prisoner—he'd be wiped out completely.
"I've dealt with that War Goddess before. I know her character."
"She may feel reluctant, but she's decisive. She can make cold-blooded choices."
"For some so-called greater good, she's willing to sacrifice anything. How could she possibly rescue that useless prince?"
"Master, doing this doesn't mean much. At best, it's a public slap in the face."
"They might send someone to stage a rescue just for show, but it'll be nothing more than a sideshow."
"The chaos it causes won't last long."
Princess Consort suppressed the strange feelings in her body and analyzed the situation seriously.
She wanted to show her worth in front of Su Qing—at the very least, earn the position of a strategist.
That way, she wouldn't be treated like a bullied puppy all the time.
"I know. Counting on one prince to lure out their core is obviously impossible."
"But with this uproar, they'll have to spend time quelling the fallout."
"While they're busy calming public opinion and stabilizing military morale, the capital will have peace."
"And then we'll have our hands free to focus on more important matters."
Su Qing spoke with a calm tone.
He naturally understood that a single prince couldn't bait the big fish.
The ones that surfaced would just be small fry—nothing that could cripple the rebellion.
But the public backlash would be enough to shake the wavering hearts among the rebels.
If they tried to stir trouble without stabilizing morale, things would go very wrong.
"Hm?"
Princess Consort paused, a trace of confusion flashing in her eyes.
But after a brief moment, her expression subtly shifted. Clearly, she'd figured something out.
Actually, the Empress should've already seen through all of this.
But the impact of the Imperial Jade Seal had thrown off her judgment.
If the target of the Imperial Beauty wasn't the rebels, then who?
Besides the rebels, what other factions were worth dealing with?
Of course—
The internal sects of the Southern Court, the fence-sitters who waver back and forth!
Those sects claimed they focused on cultivation and avoided worldly affairs.
But when there was something to gain, they'd always send people to meddle, overtly or covertly.
Especially the Heavenly Dao Sect—their influence was massive, so they acted openly.
The smaller sects sent disciples under the guise of "training missions."
Among the captured rebels, there were plenty of disciples from these sects.
And when things went south, these sects would immediately shift blame, distancing themselves cleanly.
Excuses like "it was a trainee disciple," or "the sect had no knowledge of it."
Every excuse in the book, all aimed at washing their hands of the mess.
But were they truly innocent?
The benefits they secretly reaped probably weren't small.
This was exactly why the Imperial Beauty decided to deal with them.
Otherwise, when something big happened, these sects would be the first to stab them in the back.
Yep, they'd even have righteous slogans ready, like "upholding justice and slaying demons."
Since the threat was clear, it had to be eradicated without mercy.
All of this groundwork was to prevent the rebels from joining forces with these sects when they charged into the martial world.
If the rebels were tied down, then it'd be the sects' turn to suffer!
At this moment, the Princess Consort had completely figured it all out.
"Caught on? Not bad."
Su Qing smiled and pinched her soft cheek.
That slight elasticity in her skin made it hard not to indulge.
"I just realized it too. Her Majesty is amazing—she's got them all wrapped around her finger!"
Princess Consort's voice held genuine admiration.
Partly to flatter him, but also from sincere respect.
It sounded simple, but who would've thought to make use of a worthless prince like that?
To come up with such a strategy after capturing that turtle of a prince...
Fighting against someone like that was never going to be pleasant.
"But scheming alone isn't enough. Real power is still needed."
"And that means I'll need your help, as well as Tianzang's, to make things go smoothly."
Su Qing continued.
"Ah... Master, if I agree to help you, can you not make me wear that thing?"
Princess Consort sounded reluctant. She pouted, lips red, and spoke softly.
As she spoke, her snowy ass lightly shifted against his thigh, like she was acting spoiled.
That timid, cautious demeanor was a far cry from her former pride.
She looked nervously at the thing in Su Qing's hand, her eyes full of pleading.
The Empress once believed she could remain composed no matter the situation.
But after meeting Su Qing, she realized she wasn't nearly as poised as she thought.
Like just now—when the boy pulled that thing out, she was genuinely scared out of her mind.
It was a white, pure-looking dog tail!
Yes, the plug-in kind—not something worn with clothes.
Where it was supposed to go... a woman like her who'd experienced it before instantly knew.
Too cruel. Just too cruel!
Even as someone who prided herself on being a queen, she'd never humiliated anyone like this!
"Well... that depends on how you behave. If you do well, maybe I'll reconsider."
Su Qing's face showed a contemplative expression.
"Master..."
The queen's voice was laced with unmistakable grievance.
As someone who played with people's hearts, she could see it instantly—
The boy had no intention of letting her off.
That "if you behave" was way too subjective.