Chapter 81: Using the same old tricks again, shameless and shocking Huangfu Li's worldview...
Just to be on the safe side, Jin Suiqing and Ji Saiyu disguised themselves and took Gong Dagou to the largest restaurant in Jinling for a banquet.
The moment they entered and sat down, the food and drinks were quickly served, and the male and female dancers busied themselves pouring drinks. Then, a group of people dressed as what appeared to be a friendly owner entered the room, about to greet the two of them...
Jin Suiqing stood up, rolled her eyes speechlessly, and said to him, "Call Huangfu Li out."
The person on the other end panicked for a moment, "Ah, who did you say?"
"Stop acting, aren't you tired?" Jin Suiqing took off her hat, tore off the mask stuck to her skin, revealing her true face, and said impatiently, "Don't disgust people, tell him to come out and see me."
The people on the other side were thrown off their rhythm and frantically searched for someone. Jin Suiqing told Ji Saiyu to go find Gong Dagou, who was hiding outside the restaurant, and told the two of them to go to the Jinling government office immediately to inform Huangfu Li that he had arrived in Jiangnan Road and was at the largest restaurant in Jinling. The distinguished guest had come from afar and needed to be warmly welcomed.
With a calculated plan followed by a covert one, Ji Saiyu nodded and left first.
One after the other, Huangfu Li strode heavily and kicked open the door, angrily shouting, "Jin Suiqing, it's you!"
Three years ago, Jin Suiqing and Huangfu Feng's commotion in Ziwei City ruined the reputation of the Eastern Palace. Not only did Huangfu Ying's attitude towards him worsen, but the noble ladies in the capital who were suitable for marriage also avoided him. They wanted to stay as far away from Huangfu Li as possible, for fear of having any relationship with him.
In addition, over the past three years, Huangfu Feng has been operating with the help of Princess Qingyang's former subordinates, constantly confronting Huangfu Li, yet handling matters flawlessly. As a result, Huangfu Li's path in the court has become increasingly difficult, and criticisms of him as the crown prince have been rampant in the court.
With the culprit Jin Suiqing nowhere to be found, and unable to vent his anger, even Jin Shiyu, whom he usually relied on, stopped going to Zhanxing Tower. Although she was still managing affairs, she stayed in the Jin Mansion like a young lady in her boudoir, never venturing out.
Huangfu Li was furious. Just in case, he checked the accounts of Zhanxing Tower and found that Jin Shiyu's accounts were extremely clean, without the slightest flaw. Not only did he fail to catch Jin Shiyu in the act, but he was also completely outmaneuvered by Jin Shiyu.
Helpless, Huangfu Li had to find another way. Hearing that a new kind of heavy magic weapon had emerged in Jiangnan Province in the past two years, all of which were manufactured under the supervision of the government, he immediately set off for Jiangnan Province in secret. Upon seeing it with his own eyes, he was immediately impressed by the telescopic boom crane. He then wanted to get in touch with this magic weapon master before Huangfu Ying got involved.
His purpose has never changed.
Huangfu Li wants to rebuild the super sulfur combustion engine.
As long as we can seize control of the military industry in Kyushu, there's no need to waste time with Huangfu Feng, let alone wait for Huangfu Ying to abdicate. The throne will be firmly in our grasp.
To achieve this goal, he needs an extremely talented mechanical engineer.
Zhu Feng caught his eye, but then the person ran away; he suspected it was Jin Suiqing, but then the person ran away again.
I finally found one I liked, but unexpectedly, it turned out to be Jin Suiqing again!
Huangfu Li was so frustrated, he hated her to death, but he couldn't bear to move. He stared at the face on the table that seemed to be etched into his bones, stammering "you you you you" for a long time, his teeth itching with anger.
Jin Suiqing squinted at him for a long time, and seeing that he probably wouldn't touch her easily, she revealed a wicked smile and said gloatingly, "Surprised? Unexpected?"
"What a pleasant surprise!" Huangfu Li slammed the door shut, held it against the door for a long time, and forced himself to swallow the thought of tearing Jin Suiqing apart. Only then did he sit down as far away from Suiqing as possible with a stiff face.
Seeing this, Jin Suiqing stood up with a cheeky grin, moved closer to the two stools, blinked, and laughed, "What, doesn't Crown Prince recognize me?"
“I recognize you, Jin Suiqing. I’d recognize you even if you were ashes,” Huangfu Li said through gritted teeth, leaning back.
Jin Suiqing smiled and said, "Oh ho, I'm truly flattered."
Huangfu Li's eyes twitched. "Did you really think I was praising you?"
Jin Suiqing: "Otherwise what? Aren't I amazing?"
"Amazing, Jin Suiqing, you are truly amazing," Huangfu Li closed his eyes, trying his best to appreciate her excellent design to calm his emotions. "The long-arm telescopic machine was also your creation?"
"Your Highness, since you've come to me in person, you must already have your answer."
"Is Chasing the Wind also you?"
Jin Suiqing rested her chin on her hand, picked up a piece of cold dish with her chopsticks and put it in her mouth, nodding indifferently, "Yeah, that's me too."
"Now you dare to admit it so openly?"
"Why can't I admit it?" Jin Suiqing sneered. "I have long since severed ties with the Jin family, and I'm no longer in the capital. Why can't I acknowledge my identity?"
Huangfu Li opened his eyes and looked into Jin Suiqing's open and honest eyes, which were bright and piercing, with even more color than before.
Seeing his anger, Jin Suiqing showed no mercy, rolled up her sleeves, picked up a leg of lamb, and took a bite, chewing heartily with puffed-out cheeks. She'd been busy with experiments these past two days and hadn't had a proper meal. Today, she was taking advantage of Huangfu Li's connections to eat out in the city; she figured she might as well eat, at least to cover her travel expenses.
Huangfu Li kept staring at her.
Only now can one see a hint of the foolish, gluttonous, and playful side of Jin Suiqing from his childhood.
No, she's not stupid.
She's incredibly clever, so clever that she can even manipulate the Empress!
Huangfu Li was even angrier. He snatched the lamb leg from Jin Suiqing's hand and threw it back onto the plate. He then held her hand down and said in a sinister tone, "That also means that no one will protect you no matter what I do to you now, right?"
Jin Suiqing remained silent, then casually smeared the oil from her hands onto his sleeve, grinning insincerely: "Do you need me to cooperate and scream 'Your Highness, I'm so scared!'"
Huangfu Li leaned close to Jin Suiqing and said coldly, "You're so sharp-tongued, you even know how to provoke me. Jin Suiqing, I was so stupid to actually think you were such a kind and caring younger sister."
Jin Suiqing turned her head and spat, "Pah! If you really thought I was a good sister, would you have done something like kidnapping someone at Zuixianlou? Would you have done something like assassinating someone at Shuangjishan? Oh, and I haven't even scolded you for deliberately blocking me and setting a trap, you dog Huangfu Li!"
Huangfu Li's eyes widened: "What did you say to me?"
Jin Suiqing spat and said, "You dog! You've tricked me so many times, and you call yourself a sister? You can fool others, but don't fool yourself."
At the height of his anger, Huangfu Li could no longer show his emotions. He coldly grabbed Jin Suiqing's wrist and said, "All you can do is talk."
After saying that, Huangfu Li drew a dagger and pressed it forcefully against Jin Suiqing's lips: "I'll cut your tongue out first."
Jin Suiqing showed no fear whatsoever; instead, she laughed out loud: "Huangfu Li, you can't."
"As the Crown Prince, what is there that I cannot do?"
Before he could finish speaking, the door was opened from the outside, and several local officials in official robes were so frightened by the horrifying scene in the room that they nearly lost their souls and rushed over in a panic.
Some people hugged Huangfu Li's waist, some grabbed his hand holding the dagger, some tried to pry Jin Suiqing's wrist, and some hurriedly moved between the two, raising their hands and saying, "Your Highness, please calm down! Spare his life! Spare his life!"
One was the infamous Crown Prince, and the other was a powerful heavy industry boss in Jiangnan Province; neither could afford to offend the other. They could only comically separate the two, constantly winking at Ji Saiyu and Gong Dagou at the door, signaling for someone to take Jin Suiqing away.
Jin Suiqing stepped over the shoulder of the thin official blocking his way and warned, "Huangfu Li, you came to Jiangnan Province in secret this time. No one cares why, but I advise you not to cause any trouble. Be careful that your enemies don't report this to His Majesty."
Huangfu Li shuddered suddenly, his eyes instantly becoming clear.
She's right.
The dagger fell to the ground, Huangfu Li cursed under his breath, and released Jin Suiqing's wrist.
He used considerable force, leaving a red mark. Jin Suiqing grimaced and rubbed it for a moment, then deliberately rolled up his sleeves to let the local officials see clearly. He snorted coldly, turned around, and left with Ji Saiyu and Gong Dagou.
In the eyes of the officials, both of them were important figures, and it would be inappropriate to hurt either of them. It was already a blessing that Boss Jin didn't make a big scene.
Seeing that Huangfu Li seemed to have calmed down, the official quickly smiled and said, "Your Highness, we are sorry for not welcoming you properly. We should apologize to you. How about we treat you to this meal today? We'll drink with you. Please don't blame Boss Jin anymore, okay?"
"You call her Boss Jin?" Huangfu Li laughed instead of getting angry. Seeing the local officials' respectful attitude towards Jin Suiqing, he said, "It seems that Sister Suiqing has made quite a big deal out of this."
Being able to command local officials meant he was a powerful local figure.
He knew Jin Suiqing well; they had grown up together and had a grudge against each other, so it was understandable that they would bicker and curse each other. Huangfu Li still wanted to get some information about Jin Suiqing from the group of smiling officials in front of him, so he had to give them some face and agreed to drink with them.
As soon as everyone sat down and the wine was poured, Jin Suiqing returned with a food box. Seeing that everyone's wine had been poured, he smiled and approached Huangfu Li, took his wine cup, and toasted the officials: "You all have worked hard, having to work overtime to accompany His Highness the Crown Prince. I toast you all!"
The official dared not speak, tears streaming down his face. "My dear Boss Jin, look at the man beside you! His face has turned pale. Stop making a scene!"
After drinking it all in one gulp, Jin Suiqing poured a cup for Huangfu Li to see, and then smiled and said, "Brother Crown Prince, I've already taken a bite of this lamb leg, and this cold dish too. I know you don't like it, so I'll pack it up and take it with me."
She picked up the plate, stuffed it into the lunchbox without any ceremony, and turned to leave. Huangfu Li quickly grabbed her collar, "You toasted others, but not me?"
Jin Suiqing turned his head and chuckled, "You're not worthy?"
He was arrogant and seemed determined to infuriate Huangfu Li to death.
Huangfu Li took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and mentally scanned Jin Suiqing several times. He opened his eyes, his phoenix eyes narrowed slightly, and he said affectionately, "See you next time, Suiqing."
Jin Suiqing knew the two weren't done yet, and said with a smile, "Next time, I'll treat you to some good wine, Crown Prince." She leaned close to Huangfu Li's ear and whispered, "Let's have a good chat about the order. Does Crown Prince really want a crane?"
Huangfu Li's eyes brightened slightly as he looked Jin Suiqing's face over. "The crane is just a pretext. I want you more than that thing, Jin Suiqing."
Jin Suiqing's eye twitched, and she spat again, "Your words are disgusting."
Seeing that she finally looked disgusted, Huangfu Li felt a little relieved and looked down at the food box in her hand. "Is one leg of lamb enough? Do you want me to buy you two more?"
He outwardly showed concern, but inwardly he was cursing her as a beggar.
"That's great!" Jin Suiqing pretended not to understand. In this regard, she was thick-skinned enough, and her motto was: "Why not take it if it's free?"
Anyway, it wasn't her who was bleeding.
Jin Suiqing slapped Huangfu Li hard, making him stumble and almost fall off the stool. She caught him and said with a smile, "It's almost New Year's, and I don't need many, two hundred will be enough."
Huangfu Li asked in surprise, "Why order so much?"
"Mind your own business. You pay for it, and it's none of your concern if I feed it to the dogs," Jin Suiqing said shamelessly. "I'll gladly accept these two hundred roasted lamb legs."
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