This Is What a Villain Is Like

This was a true usurper!

"If Your Majesty doesn’t understand, perhaps you should go back and think it over. Consider it carefully."

"I will be waiting for Your Majesty’s answer."

Jiang Lintian had no intention of wasting any more words on Emperor Xia. He gave a perfunctory salute, and without waiting for her response, turned and left. His actions made it clear he held her in utter contempt.

Emperor Xia’s eyes were bone-chillingly cold, her fury absolute. After Jiang Lintian had gone, she slammed her palm down on the desk before her with a resounding CRACK, instantly splintering it into pieces.

"What a fine Jiang... What a fine Prime Minister. Are you trying to force me to drag you and your Prime Minister’s Mansion down with me?" She gritted her teeth, her hands clenched so tight they made cracking sounds.

"Your Majesty, please calm down."

"Please, calm your anger..."

Spring Orchid’s face was pale with terror. She, too, had never imagined that the Prime Minister’s visit concealed such a grand and audacious scheme.

If word of this got out, it would undoubtedly cause a massive uproar. This was tantamount to forcing the current emperor into marriage! Such audacity... you could search through all the history books and never find a record of anything so bold.

Emperor Xia took several deep breaths. A clear, spiritual energy emanated from her soul within her Sea of Consciousness, allowing her to quickly regain her composure.

First, Jiang Lintian had used the loss of the Dragon-Suppressing Seal as leverage. Then, he had intimidated her with his immense power. If she refused, Jiang Lintian would surely use the missing seal as a pretext to attack her in court. The current political situation was already not in her favor.

Those old men from the Imperial Clan Court would certainly seize the opportunity to make their move as well...

Jiang Lintian would then prop up one of them and, in the name of righteousness, force her to abdicate.

Even if she broke through to the Eighth Realm, she would be without a National Treasure. And as a woman, she held almost no advantage. Her defeat would be certain.

"Do you know where Jiang Lan is right now?" Emperor Xia asked Spring Orchid, who was beside her.

Spring Orchid was stunned for a moment before subconsciously replying, "The Desire Immortal Pavilion?"

Emperor Xia snorted coldly, her heart filled with irritation. ’Something this momentous has happened, and he doesn’t know a thing about it? He still has the time to be gallivanting around the Desire Immortal Pavilion?’

"We’re leaving the palace."

Right now, she just wanted to find Jiang Lan and have him come up with a solution. She was in no mood to deal with anything else.

Even in broad daylight, the Desire Immortal Pavilion was a hive of activity. Palaces rose like clouds and pavilions stood in vast swathes, with the landscape adorned by Bihu Lake and flowing streams. As painted boats and Cloud Boats drifted about, a hazy mist filled the air, shrouding everything in a dream-like blur.

A thin mist rose from the river’s surface, making it look like a paradise on earth.

Inside the Xiaoque, accompanied by the Golden Lamp Incense Burner, the view from above was spectacular. The music of strings and bamboo was pleasing to the ear, the notes of the qin crisp and melodious.

Through a screen, several women in white could be seen playing their instruments slowly, their fingers sweeping over the strings with an elegant grace.

"It’s me, Miaoyin. Don’t tell me Young Master Jiang has already forgotten?"

"That day at the tea ceremony in Anyang City, Young Master Jiang personally promised that he owed me a favor."

At that moment, inside the Xiaoque, a woman in courtly dress sat with a flirtatious charm in her eyes. Her gaze shimmered like light on water, her breath was as fragrant as orchids, and her red lips were moist and glossy.

Though she sat upright, her posture exuded a lazy, seductive charm. Her snow-white neck was long and slender, her dark hair swept up in an elaborate, misty coiffure, revealing a wide expanse of smooth, pale skin that sent the mind racing.

Across from this courtly lady, Jiang Lan sipped his wine leisurely, his gaze fixed straight ahead.

"I owe favors to plenty of people. I really don’t recall when I came to owe one to you, Fairy," he replied offhandedly.

𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝚠𝚎𝚋𝗻𝗼𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝚘𝐦

He had originally come to the Desire Immortal Pavilion to lie in wait for someone, but this Fairy Miaoyin from the Divine Maiden Palace had somehow discovered his whereabouts and taken the initiative to visit.

Since she was a character who barely registered in the original story, Jiang Lan naturally planned to just brush her off perfunctorily.

He had no interest in doing things that were difficult, troublesome, and offered no reward. For her to visit him unannounced, she surely had a favor to ask.

"Sigh... If Young Master Jiang doesn’t remember, then so be it. I must be too plain to have left a deep impression on you, unlike Saintess Ling Zhuyun of the Jasper Pool Sect."

Fairy Miaoyin put on a sorrowful expression, looking as if she were on the verge of tears. Any ordinary man, upon seeing this, would have been desperate to pull her into an embrace and comfort her.

"Actually, Fairy, you needn’t be so self-deprecating. So what if you didn’t leave an impression back in Anyang City? It’s not too late to make one now..."

Jiang Lan was no ordinary man, but seeing her put on such an act, he just chuckled and reached out to pull her into his arms.

Fairy Miaoyin hadn’t expected Jiang Lan to suddenly get handsy out of nowhere. Her entire body stiffened. Then, with a slightly unnatural expression, she subconsciously shot to her feet and dodged backward.

Everyone in the Imperial Capital said that Jiang Lan was merely hiding his true strength, but that didn’t mean she would let him take advantage of her for free.

"Fairy, what’s the meaning of this?" Seeing her dodge, Jiang Lan seemed to lose interest.

’That day in Anyang City, this Fairy Miaoyin had drunk his tea and then bluntly stated she wouldn’t enter Purple Mist True Monarch’s Secret Realm to compete for the opportunity within. That was considered giving him face.’

’And just for that, she thought he owed her a favor?’

’She was the one asking for help, yet she expected to get something for nothing. Even he, Jiang Lan, wasn’t that shameless in his ambitions.’

"Young Master Jiang..." Fairy Miaoyin lightly bit her lower lip, her eyes glistening as she gave him a troubled look.