Chapter 178: Greetings, Princess Sister-in-law
"Guards, seize him!"
Xiao Li erupted. Four guards rushed forward, drawing their blades and pressing them against ’Liu Yan’s’ neck.
Everyone else shot to their feet in terror, but ’Liu Yan’ remained the calmest of them all.
He casually nudged the blade away from his face with his chopsticks and asked with a smile, "What is the meaning of this, Princess? Is it because you dislike my name?"
Xiao Li glanced at him coldly. "You are not Liu Yan."
"Drag him away."
Two guards grabbed him and began to drag him off. Seeing that he could no longer keep up the act, ’Liu Yan’ ducked low and wrenched himself from their grasp.
He turned to face Xiao Li, ignoring the swords in the two guards’ hands. He straightened his collar, a rakish smile playing on his lips and a calculated affection in his eyes. He bowed in a deliberately elegant pose. "Forgive me, Princess. I only resorted to this crude ploy because I was so desperate to see you."
"I am Lu Ling. It is an honor to meet you, my dear Princess-in-law!"
’The Lu Family was detestable enough, and now he had the gall to call her ’Princess-in-law’?’
A spark of fury ignited in Xiao Li’s chest, and she laughed derisively. "I was too merciful back then. I didn’t have the Emperor annihilate your entire clan, which gave you the false impression that you could parade that face in front of me and expect to live."
Lu Ling gave a placating smile. "Calm your anger, Princess. Lu Yanzhi is a charmless, blind fool. It was his failing to have hurt you, but that doesn’t mean all the men of the Lu family are the same."
"In my eyes, the Princess is like the bright moon, like the brilliant morning sun. A rare and wondrous woman, peerless in her elegance."
"The Princess shouldn’t reject the kindness of all men just because one was bad."
He all but said, ’I want to replace Lu Yanzhi.’
Xiao Li looked up, her eyes glinting with amusement. "You hate Lu Yanzhi?"
Lu Ling put on a sincere expression. "As you can see, Princess, I resemble him, and my scholarly achievements are no less than his. But only because he was born of the main family branch and has always lived in the Capital City, he relied on his status to win your favor, yet he didn’t know how to cherish it. How could one not find him detestable?"
After saying this, he didn’t forget to declare his intentions, gazing up at Xiao Li with lovelorn eyes. "The person you hate is Lu Yanzhi. I only share his face. I am nothing like that ungrateful fool. Please, Princess, judge me clearly."
’A kinsman of the Prince Consort, coming to publicly confess his feelings to his former sister-in-law... Did this one man inherit all the shamelessness of the entire Lu Family?’
The meaningful glances, the suggestive words—it was all seduction.
Xiao Li reined in the anger that was about to erupt. She scanned him from head to toe, her gaze finally resting on Lu Ling’s face.
"Indeed. The one at fault is Lu Yanzhi, not this face."
At the side, Song Junzhan looked at Xiao Li in surprise, but his expression calmed a moment later. His gaze toward Lu Ling, however, grew a few shades darker.
Xiao Li seemed mesmerized by his face, even beckoning him with a hooked finger. "Come here."
Lu Ling faltered for a second but walked over anyway, a glint of intrigue in his eyes. ’He wanted to see what this woman would do.’
He stopped before Xiao Li’s table and let her scrutinize him.
Xiao Li appraised him carefully. "At first glance, you look very similar, but there are actually significant differences. He always had that look of hypocritical aloofness that was just nauseating. Your eyes are more handsome than his..."
The smile on Lu Ling’s face deepened slightly. ’He liked hearing that.’
Xiao Li rose and walked toward him, unhurried.
She hadn’t dressed up extravagantly for the talent banquet. She wore a set of narrow-sleeved robes made from shimmering, crescent-white Cloud Brocade, her hair held by a golden hairpin and a jade coronet, and her slender waist was adorned with jade. She didn’t look particularly feminine or alluring; instead, she resembled a debonair young master from an aristocratic family.
With red lips, white teeth, and a face as fair as jade, she was utterly androgynous.
And yet, she was so breathtakingly beautiful that even dressed this way, no one could look away.
This was the first time Lu Ling had seen Xiao Li up close. Her face was more magnificent than he had ever expected.
As he watched her approach, a smile on her lips, his own smile deepened. A sense of smug satisfaction grew within him. ’He was far more charming than Lu Yanzhi. He would definitely conquer her.’
SHINK!
The dagger pierced through fabric and plunged into flesh. The smile on Lu Ling’s face froze.
The next instant, a kick slammed into his chest, sending him flying backward. The dagger was yanked free, flinging droplets of blood into the air.
He collapsed to the ground. His vision filled with the sight of Xiao Li, standing where she was, dagger in hand. Her hands were covered in blood as she looked down on him, her eyes filled with icy contempt and disgust, as if she were staring at an ant.
"Just because the Emperor didn’t kill the Lu Family doesn’t mean I won’t. Wearing a face that resembles Lu Yanzhi’s will only make you die faster!"
Lu Ling truly hadn’t expected Xiao Li to be so audacious as to draw a knife in public.
’He hadn’t even shown any malice.’
’His abdomen throbbed with pain, blood pouring out. He truly felt like he was dying. And yet... he was so excited.’
’She was so audacious, so vicious. So brazenly evil, wantonly arrogant, and utterly disdainful of everyone.’
’He had never met a woman like this. So beautiful, so cruel and heartless, so cold-blooded and wicked.’
’It was as if he had found the other half of his soul. Looking at Xiao Li again, his eyes held nothing but crazed obsession.’
’Before, he had wanted to get close to the Princess because of Lu Yanzhi. But now, at this very moment, he was utterly captivated by her. He had to have her.’
’He absolutely had to!’
Xiao Li didn’t know what he was thinking, but his perverse expression disgusted her.
"Drag him out. And kill him."
’Tsk, tsk. The way she wanted him dead... How heartless. How utterly enchanting.’
"My dear Princess-in-law~~~!" Lu Ling called out, still running his mouth as he was dragged away. "I will be back! I used my real name on the examination papers, and I wrote a love poem on every single one! Every word, every line, is sincere and from the bottom of my heart..."
Xiao Li gripped her dagger tightly. ’If he hadn’t already been dragged out the door, she absolutely would have stabbed him two more times.’
Her murderous gaze swept over the remaining six men. "This is a talent banquet, not a matchmaking banquet. The feast has not yet begun. You have one last chance. Anyone with ulterior motives should leave on their own."
Several Maids quickly wiped the blood from the floor, but the metallic scent still hung in the air. And the Princess still held a blood-stained dagger in her hand.
The remaining six men were all shaken. Those with a clear conscience lowered their heads, not daring to speak. Only one man with delicate features stood up, so nervous that his movements were stiff and clumsy. "Reporting to the Princess, this humble student is Su Ziqi. My father received a decree from the Emperor, ordering me to attend the selec—the talent banquet. If I am fortunate enough to be chosen by the Princess, His Majesty... will bestow a marriage..."
He lowered his head as he spoke, not daring to meet Xiao Li’s gaze.
At that moment, Su Ziqi wished he were dead. ’He had no idea how he had been chosen by the Emperor. He had to attend because it was an imperial command, but he never intended to be selected. However, the questions were so novel that he found himself irresistibly drawn into answering them. He certainly never expected to actually be chosen by the Princess.’
’Just moments ago, he had been a nervous wreck, both afraid the Emperor would actually decree a marriage and cautiously sizing up the Princess. But before he could even warm his seat, the Princess had lashed out at ’Liu Yan’ and then simply killed him.’
’The rumors about her were true after all. Was he going to die here, too?’