I put my arm around the strong man's slender waist

Chapter 17

My face twitched, and I smiled faintly, "Priest, you seem to be in high spirits..."

Yan Shu picked at the chestnut shells, then suddenly leaned over and said with a smile, "I want some too."

I was so startled by him that my body trembled, my fingers twitched, and I almost lost control and threw a handful of chestnuts at his face. I controlled myself, controlled myself, and controlled myself again before I said, "Changhuan, peel chestnuts for the High Priest."

Chang Huan agreed, and Yan Shu leaned back disappointedly, playing with his gold-flecked fan as he said, "The Left Protector sent four messages by carrier pigeon this morning, saying that if the young master isn't brought back soon, he'll come in person..."

He truly is a loyal and devoted Left Protector.

Yan Shu added, "I'll write back to him and tell him that the young master ran away with you. You can decide what to do."

You bastard! This is clearly an attempt to shirk responsibility! You're the one who lost the young master, and now you're saying you ran off with me. If the Left Protector knew the young master had been captured, he would tear me apart alive!

Seeing my gloomy face, he was overjoyed and said with a smile, "The Left Protector has a very bad temper. If you lose the young master, he will definitely come and execute you on the spot."

What do you mean I lost it!

I muttered defiantly, "I told you it was you who ordered it! If we're going to die, we'll die together..."

"Hmm?" Yan Shu narrowed his eyes as he looked at me. "Are you threatening me?"

I ignored him and continued muttering, "Since I'm going to hell, I'll drag you down with me..."

My chin tightened, and Yan Shu pinched my jaw, forcing me to look up and face him directly. His slightly narrowed eyes flashed with a cold light, and the slight smile on his lips sent chills down my spine. "Hmm? Say it again."

The wicked will get their just desserts... I won't tell you if you want to hear it.

I took a deep breath, put on a smile, and said, "Sir, I just ate garlic and didn't wipe my mouth..."

He decisively let go, shrank back, and swiftly opened his folding fan to cover his nose, saying with utter disgust, "You'd better fulfill your promise to me as soon as possible, otherwise, without the Left Protector lifting a finger, I will personally crush you to death!"

Could someone with such obsessive-compulsive disorder have spent their childhood in a mass grave? I still can't believe it.

"I'm trying to figure something out..." I said with a sneer, "Do you think the leader of the alliance is so easy to persuade? Righteous people are the most unpredictable."

Yan Shu snorted coldly, stood up and said, "I don't care what methods you use, I just want to see results as soon as possible, preferably before they leave Licheng." Then, without glancing at me, he turned and left, saying, "Changhuan is yours to keep to pass the time."

Meaningful...

I smiled, a twitch at the corner of my mouth, "Thank you for your concern, sir."

He suddenly turned around at the threshold, looked at me, and said, "Don't try to drag me into hell."

I was taken aback. He looked at me without smiling, but a deep smirk played on his lips. "Has no one ever told you that I am a Rakshasa from hell?"

Chapter 21, Twenty

Show-off.

Yan Shu's flamboyant yet subtly roguish temperament is so intense and profound in my mind that it is indelible, to the point that I cannot even imagine his childhood.

I silently despised him for what he said.

I took Changhuan back to the inn. Along the way, he told me what was written on the imperial edict. I then realized that Changhuan was so talented. Not only was he proficient in poetry and prose, but he had also studied various languages since childhood. He humbly said that he knew a little about them.

It's no wonder Su Xie went to great lengths to win over such a handsome and talented young master from a prestigious family; he was simply too eye-catching.

Changhuan translated it for me, and I immediately understood.

Actually, it's because the King of Licheng thinks my most beloved youngest son, the Prince of Licheng, is now quite old and it's time for him to have children and carry on the family line. However, he doesn't like the young lady I've chosen for him and refuses to have children. I'm very anxious about this, so I've decided to hold a city-wide selection of beauties. No matter where you come from or what your background is, as long as you don't have a lover, you can participate. Anyone who catches the prince's eye will enjoy a lifetime of wealth and glory.

A sparrow can turn into a phoenix – such a rare opportunity, aren't you tempted?

Of course, the last sentence is my own interpretation, but the gist is this: the little prince is choosing a wife, which is an excellent opportunity. I think with Su Xie's looks, participating in the selection and infiltrating the Licheng Palace would be a piece of cake.

I discussed this plan with Leng Baichun and Chang Huan.

Leng Baichun said weakly, "What kind of trouble has this little prince of Licheng committed..."

I felt this was a compliment, so I gave her a shy smile.

Chang Huan paused for a moment, then said, "Miss, have you thought about how to escape? What if..."

"Don't worry, I've thought it all out." I said confidently, "I'll first take the opportunity to get close to the little prince and find out where the young master is being held, then I'll use my beauty to get the little prince to release him!"

Chang Huan and Leng Baichun both looked at me in silence. After a long while, Leng Baichun scoffed at me without giving me any face.

I said somewhat dejectedly, "Fine, even if the honey trap doesn't work, I can capture the little prince and use that to blackmail his father into releasing him..." I was still unwilling to give up, "But I still think peace is the best policy, and the honey trap is quite good..."

"Skip the honey trap," Leng Baichun said cruelly, "You might as well just use force."

"Why?" I was indignant. I finally managed to become a femme fatale like Su Xie, would it kill you to praise me just once!

Leng Baichun sneered, "When has Su Xie ever used peaceful means?"

I was speechless. I looked at Chang Huan, and he nodded at me.

Su Xie, do you have to be so perverted...? At such a young age, you're not learning good things, and violence is so discordant.

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I entrusted Leng Baichun to Chang Huan's care, and also told him to be careful of the Alliance Leader's whereabouts. Then I said goodbye to Brother Jiu and, following Leng Baichun's instructions, changed into bright red clothes before going out.

The flowers were so red, like a wedding procession, that it was too eye-catching. I didn't even dare to look in the mirror, and I was afraid of running into the leader and his party. I covered my face with my sleeve the whole way and didn't dare to look up. When I arrived at the gate of Licheng Palace, I saw that it was truly a riot of colors and flowers!

The customs and traditions of various countries, including the Central Plains, the Western Regions, and Persia, are suddenly vivid in my mind's eye. The beauties are like floating clouds, obscuring the sun and moon.

My confidence was instantly shattered.

With so many people, the registration line stretched like a long street. By the time it was my turn, the young master would probably have already been reincarnated. I was anxiously waiting at the back of the line when I saw only a few people in front of another gate not far away, with a female official standing in front of the gate to guide them.

I glanced at the long line in front of me, stepped forward, and the female official smiled politely and asked me, "Do you have a letter of recommendation, young lady?"

"No."

"Is he royalty? Or a nobleman?"

I felt a little embarrassed. "This..." So this was the so-called backdoor...

The female official's smile turned cold, and she said indifferently, "Commoners, please line up over there."

This backdoor is way too obvious. I thought for a moment and tentatively asked, "Does being from the Sala religion count?"

The female manager hesitated slightly before asking, "What position is it?"

I thought for a moment and said, "Acting Right Protector."

Let me use this title first, and saying I'm an agent... isn't too much of a stretch, is it? I heard from Leng Baichun that Licheng and the Saluo Sect have always been interdependent. The slaves and several generations of Dharma protectors of the Saluo Sect were all selected by the King of Licheng, and even several of the Licheng Queens came from the Saluo Sect. So, they can be considered to have a deep friendship.

The lady hesitated for a moment, scanning my face and body several times before bowing and saying, "Please write your name here, young lady."

It actually works! That's so dark! That's outrageous!

Using my identity as a protector of the Sala religion, I brazenly bypassed the preliminary and intermediate selections and went directly to Licheng Palace to participate in the final selection.

A dark and corrupt court!

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I and several other so-called royal and noble girls were placed in a side hall of the Licheng Palace to await the final selection. The so-called final selection was to show off our talents in front of the little prince, seduce him, and move him.

The female officials displayed their talents one by one. Good heavens, these girls are proficient in everything from music, chess, calligraphy, and painting to weapons like axes, halberds, hooks, and forks. They even have talents that seem to descend from the heavens!

I feel quite ashamed; aside from Su Xie's appearance, I don't seem to have any special talents... When I was little, to please my father, my mother made me learn to break stones on my chest, but I don't know if Su Xie could withstand that now...

The lady-in-waiting smiled and asked me, "What talent has Miss Su prepared?"

"Hmm..." I thought for a moment, then thought again, and seeing the official's obviously cooled smile, I scratched my head and said, "Does embroidery count...?"

The official's smile froze completely. She turned to the maid behind her and said, "Go prepare the silk thread. Miss Su is to embroider a piece. She will come to pick it up tonight."

"So fast?!" I exclaimed. "This...embroidery is a craft, I can't finish it if it's too fast..."

The lady-in-waiting turned to me with a stiff smile, "Tonight, the ladies will be meeting the little prince. Does Miss Su have any other talents to showcase?"

I was speechless. I really couldn't understand the King of Licheng. He was just choosing a wife for his son. Why did he need so many talents? Did he plan to have the princess sing a little song for him when he was bored?

The female official was efficient; in no time, the eighteen musical instruments the girls had requested were delivered. Everyone gathered together and chatted warmly. Because of my rather special status, I wisely squatted on the threshold with a basket of silk thread, picking and choosing, deciding to just embroider two butterflies, something I was familiar with.

During this time, I overheard the girls in the room gossiping quietly, quite a lively discussion, mostly about the little prince's appearance and then about the queen of Licheng.

None of them had ever seen the little prince; they had only heard rumors that he was as white as jade. One of the girls said, "When I was young, I came to Licheng with my father and saw the queen and the little prince."

One girl exclaimed, "How is it? How is it? Is he Prince Jun?"

The girl nodded shyly. "The Queen is the most gentle and beautiful woman I have ever seen, like an immortal. The little prince has inherited all of the Queen's genes and is very handsome."

Yes, no wonder the little prince has such high standards. He doesn't like any of the women chosen by the King of Licheng and wants to hold a grand selection of his consort. He must have seen this kind of queen since he was a child and doesn't look down on ordinary ones.

But one girl sneered, "What kind of celestial being is she? She's just someone who climbed the social ladder and remarried. If Queen Ni Chang hadn't died young, would she have become queen?"

Wow! This girl is quite direct; she must have a very powerful backer. I peeked inside and saw a girl sitting gracefully on the chaise longue. She was extremely beautiful, with a striking and fierce beauty.

Mocking her as well, the girl who had spoken earlier blushed and turned pale, and retorted, "Don't talk nonsense! You're slandering someone like the Queen!"

"I'm talking nonsense?" The girl on the chaise longue raised an eyebrow and glared at her. "Go and ask around in Licheng. Everyone knows that the current queen was originally just a merchant's concubine who was chosen by the king and became a phoenix overnight."

This is outrageous! Forced acquisition? Or a clandestine scheme? In my haste, I pricked my hand with the needle, wincing in pain. Just then, a maidservant stopped the pale-faced, pretty girl and whispered, "Miss…she is Princess Jinglian of Xiaoye Kingdom, don't argue with her…"

Princess! Her background is indeed impressive. I thought the delicate young girl would defy authority and resist to the end, but to my surprise, she just snorted coldly and stormed back to her room.

The women in the room all seemed bored and went back to their rooms, which left me quite disappointed.

Sucking on my bleeding finger, I looked at the girl on the chaise longue. She haughtily snorted and turned her head away from me. Feeling awkward, I buried myself in embroidering my handkerchief. I hadn't been embroidering for long when I suddenly heard someone above my head say, "What are you embroidering?"

I was stunned. Before I could react, the handkerchief in my hand was snatched away. I looked up and saw Princess Jinglian standing beside me, looking at my handkerchief from left to right, and pouting, "The moth you embroidered is really ugly."

A butterfly! It's a butterfly! I stood up angrily and snatched the handkerchief back. "I haven't finished embroidering it yet! And... I clearly embroidered a butterfly..."

Princess Jinglian shrugged and mocked me, saying, "This is the first time I've ever seen such an ugly butterfly."

I'm furious. I don't care if people criticize my appearance, but they absolutely cannot tolerate criticism of my embroidery skills. After all, I practiced hard for a long time!

I shrugged like her and retorted, "This is the first time I've ever seen such an unlikable princess."

She was taken aback, stared at me with her big, round eyes, and then burst out laughing.

This is the first time I've ever seen such a crazy princess... Is it my fault for expressing myself, or is it that she has a problem understanding me?

She suddenly patted my shoulder and said, "This is the first time I've ever seen someone talk to me like that. I hate it when they pretend to be friendly when they don't like someone. It's so hypocritical."

I didn't comment on the princess's strange way of thinking, and she asked me again, "What's your name?"

"Thank you, Su Xie." I wasn't going to continue talking to the arrogant princess.

She suddenly nudged me with her elbow and said mysteriously, "Want to come with me to see the legendary Little Prince?"

I perked up, but then said listlessly, "What's so interesting about it? We'll see it tonight. What's there to see?"