Chapter 92: Gifted Beyond Measure

“Suspicious?”

At those two words, Liu Xie, who had looked stern a moment ago, actually paused. A faint, inexplicable smile appeared on his face, but Qiao Feng was in such a tense state that she did not notice it at all.

“These two women were entirely a burden to Your Majesty at the time. Since you brought them along, it proves they were of considerable use. Yet now it seems their presence merely served as the silk lining for Sun Ce’s attempt to win over Guan Yu. I thought Your Majesty was not such a foolish man.”

Well, that was interesting.

Liu Xie had never expected Qiao Feng, under such oppressive pressure from him, to be able to say so much. After all, she was only a girl who had studied a few years at most.

For her to analyze the matter to this extent proved that her grasp of detail was something most strategists could not match.

If this were in a later age, Liu Xie felt sure she would make an excellent detective. Comparing her to Conan had truly not been wrong.

“Then what do you think I kept those two women for?”

Realizing he had strayed a little, Liu Xie immediately hardened his expression again and pressed her further.

Qiao Feng understood that if she could not make Liu Xie fully understand her thoughts today, she would never get past this. Liu Xie was clever, and more clever than her.

“I have no proof. It is all still conjecture. But how could a truly capable person be willing to be treated by others as a mere puppet? Even my sister and I have always tried to change our miserable fate. If Your Majesty had truly resigned himself to it, you would not have come to Wu Commandery. So these two women may have been the leverage for an important plan of Your Majesty’s. My guess is that Your Majesty did not mean to let Sun Ce win over Guan Yu, but instead intended to bring Guan Yu under your own command!”

Qiao Feng nearly said this while drenched in cold sweat. She knew that if she was right, and if Liu Xie still did not trust her, she would be finished. Worse, she would drag her younger sister down with her.

For a moment, she had even wondered whether she could somehow talk her way around Liu Xie for now, then tell Sun Ce her speculation later in exchange for her and her sister’s safety.

But the very next instant she dismissed the thought. Compared with Liu Xie, Sun Ce might indeed be the lord of Jiangdong, yet if Sun Ce heard one word, he could have the two sisters bundled away without a second thought. That alone proved that, in Sun Ce’s eyes, women were worth nothing.

But Liu Xie was different. They had all seen how Empress Fu treated Liu Xie. That kind of thing could not be faked.

In the end, with both options impossible, Qiao Feng chose Liu Xie and told him the truth in her heart. She believed that with Liu Xie’s intelligence, he should be able to tell whether she was lying.

After speaking, Qiao Feng swallowed hard and waited for his judgment.

She had long understood that this was a world where the strong preyed on the weak. Though Liu Xie was a puppet, he was still not someone she could overstep.

“What is my purpose in winning Guan Yu over?”

To her surprise, Liu Xie neither admitted nor denied it. Instead, he continued asking with a blank expression.

Once some things had begun, one had to force oneself to carry them through. Countless times of hardship had already taught Qiao Feng that lesson.

“Although Your Majesty is fairly free in this temporary palace, and can even leave the palace to stroll through Wu Commandery city, every time you enter the city you are followed by Sun Ce’s spies. If Your Majesty wants to control certain matters yourself, you need a capable man outside to look after things for you. Guan Yu is said to be meticulous, fierce in battle, and unmatched in loyalty and righteousness. He is the right choice. If Guan Yu can be made to serve Your Majesty, then Your Majesty can quietly begin to develop your own—”

“That is enough. You have said quite enough.”

Qiao Feng had barely ground out those words through clenched teeth when Liu Xie abruptly cut her off. She too was panting heavily; everything she had just said could have been enough to get her silenced forever.

“Sit. There is wine on the table. Have a few sips and steady yourself.”

After a while, Liu Xie walked to the bedside and sat down. Then he pointed to the bench and the wine on the table and spoke to Qiao Feng.

He had never seen her drink before, but for someone in such a state of tension, a little alcohol could indeed bring noticeable relief.

Qiao Feng used both trembling hands to pick up the half-full flask of wine and took a large gulp at once. Apparently, she knew she could not keep holding herself together like this forever.

What followed was a fit of violent coughing. Clearly, she had never truly drunk before.

Liu Xie sat on the edge of the bed and watched coldly for a moment. Then he gave a wry smile, shook his head, poured her a bowl of clear water, patted her back, and handed it to her.

Qiao Feng instinctively took the water and drank, easing the burning pain in her throat. But what shocked her even more was Liu Xie’s attitude.

“Your Majesty will not punish me?”

Qiao Feng stared wide-eyed. The face that had seemed as cold as frost now wore a huge question mark.

“If I punish you, what use would that be? Do you think that would make you stop thinking this way? I am not a fool. Of course I can tell that you have not told Sun Ce or the people around him about these suspicions. Since you spoke to me like this, you must have already decided to bind yourself to me. Why should I punish you?”

When Qiao Feng heard that, she realized that everything she had been thinking had probably already been seen through by Liu Xie.

For some reason, holding the bowl of water he had handed her, Qiao Feng felt a tiny flutter of emotion in her heart.

“Your Majesty really is trying to win Guan Yu over?”

“This question is not difficult for me to answer. However, the empress does not know about this matter either. The reason I have not told her is not that I do not trust her, but that I do not wish to drag her into it. What I am doing now is walking on the edge of a blade. One wrong step, and the whole board is lost. The more you know, the more danger you bring not only to me, but potentially ruin to yourself as well.”

When he said this, Liu Xie once again wore a grave expression. Yet this time, Qiao Feng was no longer afraid.

“When I first investigated this matter, I was indeed driven by curiosity. But now that I have already become one of Your Majesty’s people, if anything should happen to you, how could I possibly remain untouched? Please, just say it. I have always been a woman of Jiangdong and had no connection to Your Majesty. With some matters, having me work with Your Majesty is better than letting you face them alone.”

After hearing this, for some reason Liu Xie also felt a little warmth in his heart. He thought of four words: keeping each other warm.

In his former life, he had not believed in such a thing.

Now, he did.