Chapter 106: The Princess’s Continued Lethal Output
Xiao Li’s indiscriminate attacks made the Emperor feel guilty and put the Wang family on the back foot.
In the end, the Emperor had to offer a great many rewards just to get the opportunity to question Xiao Li.
Xiao Li still granted the Emperor some face. He asked, and she answered.
After all, Prince Chen was the killer. She didn’t know why he had appeared, but he seemed to be looking for his Princess Consort. The first thing he did was ask her where the Princess Consort was.
Why would Prince Chen kill them but not her?
’Isn’t that obvious? They’re cousins. And she’d never offended Prince Chen, so why would he kill her for no reason?’
A mix of truth and lies. As for the real story? Who could possibly know?
Besides, Prince Chen’s fate was unknown. It wasn’t like he could risk capture just to crawl out of hiding and point the finger at her.
As Xiao Li was the sole survivor, the Wang family was naturally a bit suspicious of her story.
But it was a fact that Wang Shiqi had taken in the manipulative Jiang Yu’er. It was also Wang Shiqi who had tried every trick in the book to invite the Princess. He had even arranged for his men to block all of the Princess’s attendants at the Shuixie.
From start to finish, it was Wang Shiqi who had harbored malicious intentions. Was she the suspect simply because she had survived and had a prior history of killing?
The members of the Wang family knew themselves that this was just baseless, displaced anger.
If Prince Chen was the killer, however, everything seemed to add up.
Xiao Jingyu was really taking the fall for this one.
Just as the matter seemed settled, the Minister of the Ministry of Justice pointed out a discrepancy. "Wait, that’s not right. Third Young Master Wang was wounded by that same unknown type of Hidden Weapon. The assassin who uses that weapon previously killed Lu Cang and the others, ruining Prince Chen’s plans. He and Prince Chen should be mortal enemies. Why would he be helping Prince Chen?"
All eyes turned to Xiao Li. She looked back at them as if they were idiots.
"Shouldn’t that be a question for Prince Chen? Why are you all looking at me? Is the answer written on my face? Instead of investigating the case, the Ministry of Justice is here questioning an unrelated person. How did you become the Minister? Did you get the job by using that head of yours as a decoration?"
What a sharp and reasonable rebuttal.
Everyone was speechless. "..." The Princess’s devastating attacks showed no signs of stopping.
Xiao Jingyi chimed in to help. "My Imperial Sister already said it was Prince Chen who did the killing. It’s just a Hidden Weapon. If others can use it, why can’t he? Even if you don’t believe her, shouldn’t your priority be to capture Prince Chen? Once you have him, won’t the truth be revealed?"
The logic was sound, but Prince Chen was not going to be easy to catch.
Xiao Li had no desire to deal with them any longer. With a flick of her sleeves, she turned and walked away.
Before she left, she shot a look at Xiao Jingyi, her eyes glancing toward the Wang family. ’Help me fleece them,’ she mouthed silently, ’and you get half.’
Xiao Jingyi’s eyes lit up. ’Roger that.’
The Emperor now got a headache just from looking at Xiao Li. When she used to make trouble for the Lu family, he had been happy to watch the drama unfold.
But now that she was tormenting the Wang family, he just felt exhausted.
’So, it’s all Wang Shiqi’s fault. Why did he have to provoke Xiao Li?’
"Someone, escort the Princess back."
A crowd of attendants bowed, but for a moment, not a single one stepped forward. The Emperor knew they were terrified of her. He could only raise a hand and point. "Lou Yan, you’ll escort her."
Lou Yan, his face devoid of expression, bowed. "This servant obeys."
On the long palace corridor, Xiao Li walked ahead at a leisurely pace. She seemed a little weak and tired from walking, so the Lord Seal Master quickly offered his arm, bowing slightly to support her.
Given Princess Xuanyang’s heroic exploits of hacking people with a sword, it didn’t seem particularly outrageous for her to be ordering around the Emperor’s number one Chief Eunuch.
In reality, hidden by her cloak, the Lord Seal Master’s hand had turned upward to grasp the Princess’s hand tightly. The pads of his fingers caressed her skin as if she were a treasure he couldn’t bear to release.
Some people may appear cold, sinister, and ruthless, with a ’keep away’ aura, but in reality, his heart was pounding and his breathing had grown unsteady.
It was hard to say what was so exciting about just holding a hand, yet after only a moment, he was no longer satisfied. He spread his fingers and slid them between hers, openly interlocking their hands.
Xiao Li tugged, but couldn’t pull her hand away.
She let out an exasperated little laugh and let him be.
Lou Yan escorted Xiao Li all the way to her sedan chair, and then guarded her entourage all the way back to her mansion.
With a group of people following behind, it was impossible for him to have a private moment with the Princess to... do something. He could only depart with regret.
When he returned to the palace gates, he happened to see the Wang family leaving.
Lou Yan’s eyes narrowed, and the gloomy aura surrounding him intensified.
’Coveting the Princess, trying to kill the Princess, and now they dare to blame the Princess...’
Lou Yan turned and re-entered the palace. As the Wang family was on their way back, the carrying pole of Wang Changwen’s sedan chair suddenly snapped. Caught by surprise, he was thrown out and broke his arm when he hit the ground.
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After some "subtle" prodding from Xiao Jingyi, the Wang family had no choice but to "voluntarily" compensate Princess Xuanyang for her emotional distress.
The Wang family had lost their Third Young Master, been thoroughly thrashed and lectured by the Princess, and now they had to pay compensation on top of it all.
Just a few days ago, they had been riding high from their victory over the Lu family. Now, it was as if a basin of ice-cold water had been dumped over their heads, chilling them to the bone.
The compensation gifts were delivered to the Princess Mansion, but Xiao Li didn’t even glance at them. She simply had her people set aside half and send it to Xiao Jingyi.
While she didn’t make a big show of it, she made no effort to hide it either.
Xiao Jingyi was speechless. ’...’ ’Is my Imperial Sister afraid I won’t attract enough hatred?’
’But sharing the wealth means sharing the hatred. That’s only fair.’
He pretended to be oblivious to the Wang family’s animosity and happily accepted his "hard-earned fee." Of course, he didn’t forget to prepare another thoughtful gift to send to his Imperial Sister.
’Reciprocity is the key to a long-lasting relationship. This way, my Imperial Sister will think of me the next time such a golden opportunity arises.’
Xiao Li had no time for his petty schemes. She had a small problem of her own.
The weather was cold, and Xiao Li didn’t feel like moving. She preferred to curl up on her daybed with a book, and nap when she got tired.
Liu Xueyin still hadn’t been found, and she didn’t know what else to do. Life was feeling a bit listless.
She was just getting engrossed in her book when Lou Yan appeared without a sound.
This was Xiao Li’s bedchamber.
Ever since Xiao Li had given Rong Qing and the others her instructions, Lou Yan moved about with no inhibitions, completely unafraid of being discovered.
Xiao Li remained lying on the daybed, reading. She knew he had arrived but didn’t move. Lou Yan didn’t disturb her either. He simply walked over, sat on the edge of the bed, and took hold of the foot she had stuck out because she was warm, tucking it into the warmth of his robes.
As Xiao Li turned the pages of her book, he just sat there, still as a statue.
When Xiao Li finally finished her book, she wiggled her foot, trying to pull it back. But he caught it firmly, refusing to let go, his thumb stroking her skin playfully.
Xiao Li put on a deliberately cold expression and shot him a look. "This is insubordination. You deserve to be punished."
Lou Yan lifted his wickedly cold eyes, a dangerous smile rippling within them. It was exactly what he wanted. "I am at the Princess’s mercy."
Exasperated, Xiao Li raised her toes to press against his chest, intending to push him away. But he caught her foot in his hand, lowered his head, and pressed a kiss to it.
"You pervert," Xiao Li gasped. A tingling heat instantly spread across the back of her foot, and her whole body felt strange.
Lou Yan said nothing, but his gaze was scorching, as if it could devour her whole.
Xiao Li sighed in resignation. "Stop trying to seduce me. You can look, but you can’t touch. I don’t know if you’re torturing yourself or me."
Lou Yan’s gaze softened slightly. "If the Princess were willing, this servant would serve you with all his heart. I would never disappoint you."
Xiao Li had heard him say this twice now, so she was quite composed. She could even ask curiously, "And where did you learn to do that?"
’He nearly self-combusted from a single kiss, yet he’s talking like some kind of expert. Who gave him that confidence?’
Lou Yan asked earnestly, "The palace has many books on the secret arts. This servant is self-taught. Would the Princess care to test my skills?"
’Should I be praising him for being so clever?’ Xiao Li thought.
Lou Yan leaned in to kiss her, but Xiao Li, disgusted by the thought of him having just kissed her foot, quickly turned her head aside. His kiss landed on her neck instead.
Lou Yan wasn’t the least bit angered by the rejection. Her neck was fair and slender, warm and fragrant.
The rich scent was just as intoxicating, leaving him mesmerized and unable to pull away.