Consort of a Thousand Faces

Who is she? The guard was then reminded of what the commander had said earlier. This woman is none other than the missing Princess Consort Hao! To think that she is skilled enough to disarm me and turn the situation around.

He stared at her in silence before saying, “Kill me if you wish!”

Su Xi-er laughed.
“A sishi who’s foolishly decided to serve the wrong master.
I’d take my hat off to you if you were displaying such loyalty to someone worthy, but your master is evil and vicious.
Despite knowing this, you continue to assist him in his evil deeds!”

“Don’t accuse our master like that! Without the Third Imperial Prince, we would all be dead! Regardless, I won’t say anything else; kill me if you wish! ” He then raised his head to attempt to cut his own neck against the sword.

How dumb! Su Xi-er scoffed. I’d be dirtying my own hands if I killed him.

With a quick flick of her wrist, Su Xi-er had the sword cut the guard’s cheek before she aimed a swift kick at his head, immediately knocking him out.

By now, the other guard inside the room had noticed the commotion and walked out to investigate the commotion.
Unfortunately for him, the only thing he saw was a flash of red before he was out cold.

“Though the sishi are brave, they lack strategy.” Su Xi-er dusted herself and entered the room where the cauldron was placed.

The smell of herbs assaulted her upon entering.
The water in the cauldron was already boiling, and she spotted limestone powder in the corner of the room.
Seeing the murky water, she realized what Situ Li had intended to do.

If a human was put into the boiling cauldron of herbs and limestone, it would harden into a statue that would keep it preserved for at least 10 years! A person’s corpse could be thrown in, but they could also be thrown in alive to experience the pain and terror of slowly becoming a statue.

Such inhumane torture was already forbidden in Nanzhao! 

Su Xi-er’s eyes flashed as she grabbed a wooden bucket nearby, gathering some water from the nearby well to put out the fire underneath the cauldron.
Following this, she grabbed a nearby axe and split the cauldron open, fleeing outside and hiding in the bushes as the water seeped out.

Hearing rapid footsteps coming down the path, Su Xi-er watched as the commander of the guards yelled out.
“Fools! We couldn’t find her, and now the cauldron is broken!”

Another guard came up and said, “Master ordered everyone to retreat, and for us to take Princess Consort Hao out through the underground passage in the rear courtyard!”

Master doesn’t know that Princess Consort Hao has disappeared!