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

Chapter 19

Leaving aside Su Xie's male lovers, even the sharp-tongued Pharmacist Shen was a handsome man.

So much so that I've gotten used to it.

The young master stood up and came over, noticing my dimples, "Are these two your friends?"

I was about to nod when Princess Jinglian spoke first: "My name is Jinglian, and I am the princess of Xiaoye Kingdom."

The young master smiled shyly at her and said, "My surname is Ruan, and my given name is Lianhua."

"What a beautiful name!" Jinglian exclaimed. "It's as beautiful as my own name!"

The young master smiled slightly at her, then looked at the chubby boy beside me, tilted his head and chuckled, "And this is..."

The chubby boy whimpered, his face flushed red, and he looked at the young master with teary eyes, "I'm not called Fatty... I'm called Baoze, my surname is Furong... ah no, it's Murong..."

The young master smiled faintly, patiently waited for him to finish speaking, and bowed, saying, "So you are Prince Baoze. Lianhua greets Your Highness."

"A double name?!" Princess Jinglian was even more shocked than me, pointing tremblingly at the chubby boy, unable to believe her eyes. "You're saying this fatso is the little prince of Licheng?!"

I could sense Jinglian's shock, because I was just as shocked. I hadn't dared to be sure on the way here, but the fact that she could move so freely in Licheng Palace left no room for doubt...

I think Ruan Lianhua asked definitively, "You know the Little Prince?"

Ruan Lianhua smiled and shook his head. "I heard my father say that the Prince of Licheng's surname is Murong, and..." He smiled and whispered to me, "I heard that the Prince of Licheng is a fat man."

Yes, the facts now tell us that reality is indeed this cruel.

That's right, he is Prince Murong. He is indeed... a figure as white as jade, just a little chubby, and he resembles his father more than his mother, which is... understandable.

The little prince looked at the young master with teary eyes. Princess Jinglian was furious. Just as I was thinking of a way to trick the little prince into getting the young master out, I heard footsteps outside the cell. The jailer said anxiously, "Steward, you've finally arrived! Quickly take the little prince back! None of us dared to disturb him!"

I turned my head and saw an old man rushing over. He gave us a cold look and then bowed to the little prince, saying, "Your Highness, what brings you here? Please come back with this old minister."

He reached out to pull the little prince away, but the little prince clung tightly to the prison door, refusing to let go, "I won't..."

The steward's face darkened, and he raised his voice to me and Jinglian, "Why haven't you taken His Highness back yet! Are you waiting for the King to come in person?"

After a moment's thought, I decided it was best to hold off for now. I tugged at the agitated Mirror Lotus, nodded in agreement, and then turned to the little prince, saying, "Let's go back first..."

"No!" The little prince was stubborn, staring longingly at Ruan Lianhua.

I sighed and whispered to the little prince, "Go back first, you'll see the beauty tonight, otherwise..." I glanced at the irritable Jinglian, giving her a knowing look.

Sure enough, the little prince pouted, looking aggrieved, "Really?"

Chapter 23, Part 22

The little prince was coaxed and coaxed back, while Princess Jinglian and I were scolded by the female official and escorted back to the side hall.

I think this trip was quite fruitful. First, I found out where the young master's residence is.

Secondly, I figured out the Little Prince's true nature and also unexpectedly heard that the Little Prince has a problem: he is too fat to cry. Once he cries, he has difficulty breathing and his mouth and nose turn purple. Therefore, the King of Licheng, who dotes on his son to an outrageous degree, ordered that no one in the palace should provoke him. If they see him, they should pretend not to see him. Moreover, now he has fallen in love with many people at first sight, which is very helpful for me to save people.

Thirdly, Princess Jinglian can finally determine whether to stay or run away.

Princess Jinglian was actually a rather bold girl. Spoiled, she had no guile. As soon as she returned, she kindly told the girls in the house that the little prince was a fatso.

Unfortunately, reality dealt her a cruel blow. Not only did no one believe her, but the other girls also mocked her, saying, "The princess is so kind; if she wants us to back out, she doesn't need to slander the little prince."

Princess Jinglian was so angry that she smashed things all over the room. She grabbed me and said, "Let them all marry that fat bastard! I'm just asking you, do you want to run away with me?"

This put me in a bit of a dilemma. Seeing how loyal she seemed, I really didn't want to discourage her, so I could only explain, "Actually, I came to Licheng Palace to save someone, but now I'm afraid I can't go with you..."

"Save people?" Princess Jinglian looked at me mysteriously. "So... you infiltrated here on purpose!"

I hurriedly covered her mouth and whispered, "Keep it down!"

Princess Jinglian nodded and asked me softly, "I know who you came to save."

Wow? So smart? Not too stupid either.

She asked me, "Isn't that the beauty in the dungeon?"

I simply smiled and remained silent.

She suddenly frowned with unusual seriousness and asked me, "What's your relationship with that handsome man? You don't happen to like him too, do you?"

"Huh?" I glanced sideways at Princess Jinglian and laughed, "What? Can't I like him?"

"Of course not!" Princess Jinglian blushed, looking away from me guiltily, but she mustered her courage and said, "You can't compete with me for him. I consider you a friend, but I took a liking to him first!"

I smiled and didn't answer.

She suddenly became anxious and grabbed me, saying, "If you don't fight me for him, I'll help you get him out!"

My spirits lifted. "How do we save them?"

She laughed triumphantly, "Once I escape from Licheng Palace, my father will send troops to rescue me. My father personally escorted me here, and the troops are stationed outside the city. It will be quick!"

I stared at her, my face contorted with embarrassment. I really shouldn't have overestimated the princess's wisdom. "I'd better go prepare to see the little prince..."

"Hey!" Princess Jinglian said unwillingly, "Don't you believe me?!"

I waved to her and turned back to my embroidery, only to hear her angrily say behind me, "I'll prove it to you!"

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Once again, it proved that the princess was indeed a woman of action. She had already disappeared when she went to see the King of Licheng that evening. The ladies-in-waiting were anxiously searching for her, while arranging for us to go to the main hall.

I felt a little uneasy. Did this silly princess really think her father would send troops to rescue her? She was disobedient and ran away; was her father as foolish as her to come and rescue another man...?

I prayed she wouldn't do anything foolish, and with a nearly finished embroidered handkerchief tucked in my pocket, I went with the lady-in-waiting and several girls to pay homage to the King of Licheng.

The road was lined with lanterns, creating a dazzling spectacle.

The main hall was about the same size as the Demon Sect's main hall, and two rows of seats were filled with high-ranking officials from Licheng and relatives of foreign countries, with very luxurious cups and glassware.

Today, only those of us who came in through the back door have come to pay our respects.

I stood behind the curtain with several girls, waiting to be summoned. I overheard them whispering about which one was the little prince, and I couldn't resist peeking out. Under the swirling lights, I saw the King of Licheng sitting at the head of the table. Hey! He really was a fat man! He had a small mustache that twitched up and down, quite a festive look!

Looking at the queen sitting upright beside him, he couldn't help but feel sorry for her. She was indeed beautiful and elegant, dressed in plain clothes, her hair carefully tied up with a small plum blossom hairpin, her smile was pure and reserved, and she lovingly held the little prince who was leaning against her.

It makes me wonder if the Little Prince is even her biological son...

"Who is that fat guy?" the girl next to me asked.

He glanced at the pretty young girl and said, "He must be the Queen's nephew. I heard that the Queen's nephew is here."

"It's so ugly!"

"You've just gained a little weight..." I kindly agreed, only to be met with a few eye rolls.

These girls are so difficult to get along with. I don't know why they are always so hostile towards me. Before, Princess Jinglian was also hated along with me, but now I'm the only one left. Even when the female official took us to change clothes at night, my clothes coincidentally had two big holes in them. I had no choice but to wear my old clothes.

How childish! I'm really embarrassed to get angry at such childish tricks. After all, I was nineteen years old before I was reborn, a few years older than them.

And I'm actually quite... happy when they say bad things about me behind my back, like I'm all breasts and no brains.

Suddenly, I heard the girl beside me exclaim in uncontrollable surprise, "Look, look! The one in white next to the King of Licheng! He's so handsome!"

"Could that be the Little Prince?"

"Definitely!" The pretty young girl blushed and said modestly, "He's even more noble and handsome than when he was a child."

Huh? There's such a person in the Licheng Palace?

Curious, I lifted the curtain and peeked out. In the bright lamplight, I saw the King of Licheng raising his cup and clinking it with the white-clad man sitting below him.

With a crisp clinking sound, the man drank the cup in one gulp, overturning it, his fingers as white as jade.

"What a powerful presence!" came an uncontrollable exclamation from beside me.

The man seemed to have heard something, turned his head, and squinted at them. He had a sharp chin, bright eyebrows and eyes, and his usually tightly pursed thin lips were now slightly curved and rosy, perhaps from drinking some wine. They were tender and moist, captivating the heart.

I shrank back in an instant.

This is a ghost! It must be a ghost! How could the Alliance Leader be here?! Has the Central Plains' influence spread to Licheng? What is the Demonic Sect good for?! They can't even protect a small city like Licheng!

Moreover, the Gu siblings and Lu Mingxiu were with them. What were they doing here to join in the fun?

I was very anxious, extremely anxious, and was trying to figure out how to adjust my mindset when the female official suddenly urged me anxiously, "The King has summoned you for an audience, what are you standing there for!"

Before I could even react, I was suddenly shoved. I stumbled two steps out of the tent, but my foot landed on the hem of the girl's skirt in front of me. I lost my balance and pushed her away by the momentum...

She cried out in pain and fell to her knees, and the whole room fell silent.

I looked up and met Ruan Bicheng's surprised eyes. I hurriedly lowered my head and went to help the girl, saying repeatedly, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry... I didn't mean to, it was a mistake, a complete mistake."

The girl was the same pretty young woman who had argued with Princess Jinglian earlier. Now, she bit her thin lips tightly, her face flushed red and pale, and tears streamed down her face. "You're so vicious..."

"I really didn't mean to..." I tried to explain, but she completely misunderstood me, and I couldn't explain it away.

The female official rushed over to help her up, kneeling down and saying, "Your Majesty, please forgive me!"

I quickly knelt down, not daring to raise my head.

In the utter silence of the hall, the King of Licheng slowly spoke, "What are your names?"

"I am Luo Ziyi, from Da Xun, a woman from Luo City," the pretty young girl replied, her voice trembling with tears, yet she remained remarkably calm in the face of danger.

"Oh, so you're the daughter of the great Shangluo City in the Central Plains," the King of Licheng said with a smile, then asked me, "And you?"

I lowered my head, keeping my eyes down, and said, "Su Xie, I come from... the Salo sect."

"A member of the Sala religion?" The King of Licheng's tone was somewhat inscrutable. He didn't seem angry at all, but simply smiled and said, "Raise your head and let me see you."

I took a deep breath, still keeping my eyes down and looking up.

After a moment of silence, the King of Licheng suddenly laughed loudly, "Those from the Saluo Sect are indeed extraordinary; no wonder it's called the Cave of Beauties!"

I humbly replied, "Your Majesty is too kind; the little prince is the truly exceptional one."

The King of Licheng was very pleased. He laughed and told us to stand up, and introduced, "This is the leader of the martial arts alliance from the Central Plains. We are fortunate to be gathered here today. Regardless of good or evil, come, toast him."

This King of Licheng is just being blindly enthusiastic. The love-hate relationship between the righteous and evil factions has a long history. How can you possibly reconcile it just because you want to?

I took the wine, lowered my eyes to the leader, and glanced at his collarbone...without looking up, and said, "Thank you, Alliance Leader Su. I'll drink it all. Please feel free to drink as you please."

Suddenly, the wine glass was pressed down by slender, pale fingers. From the fingers to the elegant wrist with its graceful joints, and then to the leader's moist lips, I heard him say, "Miss Su, tea will suffice instead of wine."

He took my wine glass, poured a cup of hot tea, and handed it to me, saying, "This is a toast from Ruan to Miss Su."

He tilted his head back and drank it all in one gulp. As I watched his Adam's apple bob, my face flushed uncontrollably...

I was a little stunned. I took a sip of tea when my sleeve was suddenly tugged. I turned around and saw nothing but white. The little prince had a big face and small eyes, looking at me with a resentful expression. "Where's the beauty? Didn't you say she'd be back tonight? Liar..."

this……