Chapter 1112: Taking Sides
After such a torrent of empty words, one could clearly see Xie Jiaofeng’s experience in bureaucratic bumble. He could slide past anything and would never answer directly, as slick as an eel.
However, Qi Xuansu insisted on forcing him to take a stance. How could he possibly allow Xie Jiaofeng to slip away so easily?
So Qi Xuansu said, “This time, I came to Lion City with 500 Spirit Guards. I originally planned to send 300 of them to bring those slave-traffickers back, but I worried that the daytime assassination attempt might repeat itself. It seems my head is still worth quite a few Taiping coins, enough to attract many people’s attention.”
Xie Jiaofeng originally wanted to say, “Chief Deputy Qi, you may rest assured, as the Tianfu Palace is absolutely safe.”
But just as the words reached his lips, he suddenly jolted awake. This was a promise he absolutely could not make, as it was akin to signing a military pledge. It would be fine if nothing happened, but should a second assassination occur, he would have to bear the full responsibility.
The first attack could still be excused as unexpected and unforeseeable, but a second attack would leave no justification at all. The Golden Tower Council might even add “failing to correct known faults” to his list of crimes.
Unlike the daytime incident, he also would not have Qin Hengjun to share the blame because Tianfu Palace was his turf, and the Black Robes could not even enter.
Cold sweat broke out all over Xie Jiaofeng’s body as he forcefully swallowed back the words he almost blurted out of habit. However, Qi Xuansu’s question still demanded an answer. The pressure Qi Xuansu was exuding as a superior could crush Xie Jiaofeng flat. Even though Xie Jiaofeng knew full well that Qi Xuansu was forcing him to take sides, he knew perfectly that this was a trap. But he still had no choice but to grit his teeth and jump into it. Between two harms, it was best to choose the lesser.
Thus, Xie Jiaofeng said, “Naturally, their duty comes first as Spirit Guards, since your safety is our priority, Chief Deputy. We must prevent an incident like today’s from happening again.”
He deliberately paused, then added in a tentative tone, “Perhaps...we could have the Tianfu Palace’s Spirit Guards provide support?”
Even now, Xie Jiaofeng was still doing everything possible to distance himself from liability, because he framed it as a request for instruction. The decision and responsibility would lie with Qi Xuansu now that the ball is in his court.
If Qi Xuansu agreed, and a second assassination took place, Xie Jiaofeng would have grounds to argue that he had sent his guards to apprehend the traffickers under the Chief Deputy’s orders, which was why Tianfu Palace was understaffed. Hence, he could not shoulder the full blame, and the one who issued the order must bear the main responsibility.