Zhaojun had not the slightest fucking idea where she was going with this. The desire had been to deflect suspicion as to her escape from Hell and she'd [i]done[/i] that. So... what did she want [i]now[/i]? What did Iselsi Shae want? 

"What are the largest problems in the region, as you see it?" she asked. "Both internal to our administration, and externally?"

She had control over the situation. And... somehow that felt like... enough? That she was in this moment safe enough to start giving a damn about someone else's wants and desires. The same thing she'd felt when massaging the dragon girl earlier. There was a strange blissful contentment in this moment that rendered a mind of clawing violence calm and attentive. She wasn't just fishing for information at this point, she was seeing Piripiri clearly and had become genuinely interested in what she had to say.