Huangfu Qing angrily kicked him off the bed: "I think the reason the Great Han can't subdue the regions is mainly because you've ruined its reputation! What a dirty Han!"

Zhao Changhe stood with his hands clasped, floating beside the bed, remaining silent with an earnest expression.

Huangfu Qing looked at his floating form with some amazement, but also kept silent with a sour expression.

"Ahem." Zhao Changhe coughed lightly: "What I want to say is, you can openly go abroad as a representative of the Great Han. Assuming a formal identity on a diplomatic mission, even if they want to harm you, it's difficult to do so publicly in broad daylight. Killing you without causing a city-wide uproar would be hard, making it safer. Of course, don't remove your mask, as there's no reason for an Empress Dowager to go abroad. Let's count it as a mission from the National Church Venerable, and coincidentally embroil Yuxu so people think he has ties with us."

Huangfu Qing's eyes lit up: "That's reasonable. So I'll leave the city now and enter with grand pomp under a diplomatic identity."

"Find a reason for the diplomatic mission."

"Whatever." Huangfu Qing waved her delicate hand: "Why not for our family's King Zhao to seek marriage with their Li family's young lady? The implication being, if you don't give us your daughter for our King Zhao to enjoy, we'll beat you up."

With this kind of reason, it's clear you women can only think of such motives... Zhao Changhe rolled his eyes; diplomatic missions seeking marital alliances count as a reason whether or not the other party agrees. But anyone can see what the outcome of the latter half of the statement would be, it's simply causing trouble.

Doesn't matter now, what's needed is trouble. A genuine marriage alliance would be troublesome; nobody would ally with a force colluding with barbarians, losing their fundamental standing.

...

Huangfu Qing got dressed and left the city, taking along a few sect members disguised as entourage. A proper diplomatic mission requires a dispatch of national letters first.

Zhao Changhe did not disguise as anyone else, he remained as Qin Jiu, leaving Four Symbols Sect's secret realm quietly by night.

This time, he was going to see Li Ba at the gambling den.

As expected, upon entering the gambling den, it was still bustling, with many people gambling all night. Li Ba was still awake, overseeing the place.

Seeing "Qin Jiu" come in, Li Ba's eyes lit up, and he greeted him with a smile: "Didn't this gentleman go out to play with Dai Gongzi?"

Zhao Changhe smiled and said: "He plays his games, I play mine."

Li Ba's eyes twinkled, chuckling softly: "So, what does the gentleman wish to play? Could it be me?"

Zhao Changhe said: "Don't you think our names are so similar, Li Ba and Qin Jiu, like we could be siblings?"

"More like brother and sister." Li Ba chuckled: "But in this world, not many are literate. Naming kids with numbers is too common; if that were the case, we'd have too many siblings."

"Indeed." Zhao Changhe chuckled too: "I've roamed the Worldly Society and met many such brothers: Chen Yi, Yuan San, Li Si, Sha Qi..."

Li Ba's smile disappeared.

Zhao Changhe smiled and said: "Adding you and me, eight and nine, see? Except for two and six, which sound bad, aren't we missing five? Sister Ba, do you know where five is?"

Li Ba replied indifferently: "Just a coincidence, why insist on having five?"

Zhao Changhe said: "I just think such a bustling Chang'an should be more complete, that's all."

Li Ba scrutinized him for a moment and suddenly said: "He can't come here, also because he has other matters."

Zhao Changhe said: "Can't come here because he killed Li Gongsi?"

Li Ba smiled brightly: "Since the gentleman already knows, why ask?"

"Of course, to inquire what his other business is."

"Traversing the Hexi Corridor, intercepting the road of Guanglong." Li Ba's smile was brilliant: "He was a horse bandit originally, wasn't he?"

Zhao Changhe said: "Then you dare to use such an obvious name here; aren't you afraid for your life?"

"I was originally a branch of the Li family, that's my actual name. Silly you, I've already told you, people with numbers for names are everywhere; why assume I'm Ying Wu just from looking?" Sister Ba gazed at him as if looking at a fool: "You just happened to run into a dead rat. If I were indeed from the Li family, I'd capture you right now."

Zhao Changhe smiled and said: "It's not really a dead rat. Sister Ba's attempts to pry Dai Gongzi's secrets are too obvious, the behavior of an intelligence gatherer."

Knowing her own actions are easily discernable by the vigilant, Li Ba felt it unnecessary to argue further, and said in a low voice: "If you're someone from Zhao Changhe's side, then please convey that Fifth Brother and King Zhao have always been allies; that relationship hasn't changed. The awkwardness now is because it involves the killing of Xia Chichi's father... They say Vermilion Bird participated in the battle. However, the relationships differ; Vermilion Bird is Xia Chichi's master, so they intend to settle things behind closed doors. Yet for outsiders like us, it's a bit awkward."

Zhao Changhe nodded: "Understood."

Li Ba said: "Fifth Brother's intention is, if the Great Han side doesn't mind this, then we are still allies. Fifth Brother inherently stays away from politics; whoever unifies the world means nothing to him. He's just a horse bandit; the gambling den is for gathering secret realm intelligence, unrelated to other affairs. If asked for his inclination, he certainly prefers the Great Han. Frankly, he has been investing in King Zhao since the beginning. If Zhao could replace Xia, that's what he would hope for. Now it seems close... Moreover, he's killed Li Gongsi, making him mortal enemies with the Li family, naturally aligning with the Great Han."

Zhao Changhe said: "That's precisely the straightforward reason for my visit now; our relationship doesn't need much hiding. Sister Ba can also convey to Fifth Master that the Great Han doesn't hold past affairs against him; we are still allies."

He said, revealing a Demon Suppression Department Jade Token as proof of identity.

Li Ba breathed a sigh of relief, once again revealing a smiling expression: "That's good. Actually, in the current state, we are naturally cooperating without communicating. Don't be fooled by the current prosperity of Chang'an; a big factor is the Silk Road, now intercepted traversed by Fifth Brother, causing headaches in Chang'an. The hottest debate within Chang'an's court is whether to first advance east to Hangu Pass or westward out of Yumen, clearing horse bandits before discussing the Central Plains."

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