The air carried the soothing fragrance of sandalwood. Stacks of processed jade slip memorials covered the desk. A white-haired woman with sharp, heroic features sat quietly with her eyes closed on a sturdy wooden chair.
The white-haired woman was tall and elegant, her hair tied up in a high crown. She wore a wide-sleeved red-and-white brocade robe that inspired awe at first glance.
This person was none other than He Xiu, the current Monarch of Southwind Immortal Kingdom—a Body Integration realm eighth-layer powerhouse of the Wind Dao.
A knock sounded at the door, and the white-haired woman opened her eyes.
“Enter.”
The door opened, and a green-haired young woman wearing a pale yellow dress with a side ponytail walked in.
“He Ying pays her respects to Mother. May I ask why Mother has summoned this daughter?”
He Ying was not tall, but she stood ramrod straight. In front of He Xiu, she appeared exceptionally obedient. Her large green eyes were filled with reverence.
He Xiu looked at He Ying, her expression unchanging.
“Your elder sister He Shu has been operating undercover in Jade Water Immortal Kingdom for eighteen years and has sent back a great deal of valuable intelligence. However, half a month ago, she was exposed and captured by Hua Yanyun.”
“Hua Yanyun publicly accepted He Shu as her favored consort right in the middle of court, in full view of everyone. It was clearly a performance meant for me, signaling that she already knows He Shu is a spy from our Southwind Immortal Kingdom.”
“As expected, less than a week later, another one of our Southwind Immortal Kingdom spies was rooted out by Hua Yanyun.”
He Ying listened to He Xiu’s calm and unhurried recounting of the situation, gradually understanding the full picture.
She was not surprised by He Shu’s capture. In fact, she had learned of it on the third day after it happened.
“So, what does Mother wish me to do?”
He Ying asked cautiously, a probing tone in her voice.
“Hua Yanyun has not publicly revealed He Shu’s identity as a spy. This is a signal to me that she does not want to escalate the matter to the level of official diplomacy. She wishes to discuss this matter with me in private.”
He Xiu interlaced her fingers and rested her chin on the back of her hand.
“As the Monarch of Southwind Immortal Kingdom, I cannot leave easily. Therefore, I am entrusting this matter to you.”
A flicker of delight crossed He Ying’s face when she heard she would be put in charge. She quickly replied, “Thank you for trusting this daughter, Mother. He Ying will not fail your expectations.”
He Xiu nodded at her daughter’s assurance. She had deliberately assigned this task to her third daughter, He Ying, to give her experience in diplomatic affairs.
“How do you plan to handle this?”
Faced with her mother’s question, He Ying lowered her head in thought. After more than ten breaths, she looked up and answered, “This matter is neither too major nor too minor. This daughter has prepared three strategies: upper, middle, and lower.”
He Xiu nodded approvingly upon hearing that He Ying had thought of three different approaches. “What are these three strategies? Let me hear them.”
“First is the upper strategy: a hostage exchange.”
“Our Southwind Immortal Kingdom also holds quite a few Jade Water Immortal Kingdom spies captive in the Cold Sky Ice Prison. We can use the pretext of exchanging prisoners to bring He Shu and Xia An back to our kingdom. This approach is open and honorable, allowing our Southwind Immortal Kingdom to maintain its dignity.”
“As for how to handle He Shu after her return, we can publicly announce that she is a member of the He Imperial Clan who has returned from exile. We can then grant her a residence and a sinecure position.”
“This way, we will not only protect our reputation but can also gain another wave of positive public image.”
After finishing the upper strategy, He Ying paused for a moment. Seeing He Xiu nod slightly, she continued with the middle strategy.
“Next is the middle strategy. If Hua Yanyun refuses to exchange prisoners or demands too high a price, we can offer certain benefits. Whether it be spirit stones, immortal materials, artifacts, magic treasures, or inheritances from ancient sages—our Southwind Immortal Kingdom can afford to pay them.”
“He Shu knows far too many of our kingdom’s secret intelligence. The value of that information is immeasurable and entirely worth such a price.”
He Ying’s tone was relatively relaxed when speaking of the middle strategy, but when she reached the lower strategy, her demeanor shifted sharply, and a ruthless glint appeared in her eyes.
“As for the lower strategy…”
“If Hua Yanyun refuses to release her no matter what, or deliberately drags things out and haggles with us, insisting on keeping He Shu as a piece to restrain our kingdom…”
He Ying paused briefly before continuing.
“To prevent our valuable intelligence from falling into enemy hands, we would have no choice but to silence her permanently.”
As she spoke, He Ying made a slicing motion across her throat.
After presenting all three strategies, He Ying added, “These are this daughter’s thoughts on the matter. I ask Mother to make the final decision.”
By offering upper, middle, and lower strategies, He Ying was not only giving suggestions but also had her own subtle intentions. By returning the final decision to her mother, she could test exactly what her mother’s true attitude toward He Shu was.
He Xiu gave her youngest daughter a meaningful look and said, “There is no need to decide on this matter immediately. Our Southwind Immortal Kingdom will first dispatch a diplomatic mission to Jade Water Immortal Kingdom.”
“The members of the mission cannot be of low status. We will have your eldest sister, He Cen, serve as the diplomatic ambassador. Additionally, Elder He Baisu will accompany her.”
“The mission should consist of at least ten people to demonstrate our sincerity. As for the remaining eight members, Ying’er, you may select them.”
He Ying felt some disappointment at He Xiu’s response, but none of it showed on her face.
“This daughter will go arrange the personnel selection now and will not disturb Mother any further.”
With that, He Ying pushed open the door and left.
He Xiu watched her daughter depart, then reached out and picked up one of the neatly arranged jade slips from the rack on her desk.
This was the last jade slip He Shu had sent back more than half a month ago, before she was captured by Hua Yanyun.
She inserted her divine sense into it and read its contents once more.
“By Your Majesty’s command, this servant has fully uncovered the task assigned. Hua Yanyun has been in frequent contact with the Heavenly Secrets Pavilion recently. This subordinate speculates that the time until her next Heavenly Dao tribulation is approaching soon.”
Holding the jade slip, He Xiu recalled the night eighteen years ago when He Shu had cried in her arms before leaving for Jade Water Immortal Kingdom. She remembered how He Shu had nestled in her embrace and called her “Mother.”
“…….”
She placed the jade slip back and closed her eyes.
“That’s good.” Her tone was flat and even.
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Ah this is kind of sad. Hope this bad mother gets her comeuppance