Chapter 533 The Shabby Regent's Palace?
The old man in black opposite Lord Xie stood there motionless, his calm, unwavering eyes fixed on Lord Xie.
Lord Xie had fought on the battlefield for many years, and never before had anyone given him such a feeling. At this moment, after only a second of eye contact, he felt a chilling coldness rush from the soles of his feet to the top of his head, and the hairs on his body stood on end.
For a moment, Lord Xie felt that the old man in front of him was not looking at him, but at a corpse, a lump of rotten flesh.
Forcibly suppressing the strange feeling welling up in his heart, he shook his numb hand. The next second, his face darkened and he abruptly stepped back.
"Your Highness."
He stepped back in front of Xiao Yuanshan, his face ashen as he turned his palm over.
Black energy swirled around his palms, lingering for a long time. In the blink of an eye, his hands were completely black.
Xiao Yuanshan showed no surprise, casually flipping his sleeve to seal two needles on Lord Xie's arm, then tossing him a porcelain bottle.
The change happened in the blink of an eye. Xiao Yuanshan's smile didn't even change, but his deep eyes looked at the old man in black.
"Ah, so it's the protectors from the Imperial Preceptor's Mansion who have arrived? Where is my master? I'm sorry for not greeting him properly."
The old man simply lowered his head, remaining silent throughout. He coughed twice, then continued to hunch over, standing behind Jiang Nuanzhi once more. Despite his frail and aged appearance, his cloudy eyes swept around the area with a warning. His intention to protect Jiang Nuanzhi was self-evident.
For a moment, the surroundings fell silent again.
Xiao Yuanshan's fan, which had been swaying at first, gradually stopped, and the smile on his face gradually turned cold.
The atmosphere suddenly became tense again.
“Your Highness must have mistaken me for someone else. What protector? This is just an old servant from my household, accompanying me on this outing. He is quite old and a bit rude, please forgive him.” Jiang Nuanzhi’s clear and gentle voice broke the silence. She spoke casually, her gaze sweeping around her before she sincerely inquired, “Your Highness, will you still host a banquet? If so, where shall I sit? Where shall we eat? If it is inconvenient to host a banquet, may I return home now? Arong is waiting for me at home to take care of her.”
Xiao Yuanshan's cool gaze shifted to Jiang Nuanzhi. His brows furrowed suddenly, and the sharpness in his eyes almost materialized.
Jiang Nuanzhi, however, never looked away, only smiling as he stared at her.
Upon hearing the last part, Xiao Yuanshan chuckled softly.
In all these years, it's rare to find a woman like this standing before me, showing absolutely no fear. Is she just a newborn calf unafraid of tigers? Does she really think I wouldn't kill a woman?
As killing intent gradually seeped into Xiao Yuanshan's eyes, Lord Zhang, sensing something was amiss, hurriedly said:
"Please have a seat, Dr. Jiang."
As Lord Zhang spoke, he pointed to the seat opposite Zhao Xiuyuan's.
Then, he shook his head almost imperceptibly at Xiao Yuanshan.
He then gave the prince a meaningful look, signaling him to look at the sky outside.
Xiao Yuanshan narrowed his eyes, but Lord Zhang came up to him and said in a low voice, "Your Highness, she's already here at the Prince's Mansion. Does she think she can just grow wings and fly away? Besides, what can a mere woman do? Li Rong will have to show up eventually. We might as well see what he's up to."
Xiao Yuanshan raised an eyebrow, then sat back down in his seat: "In that case, let's hold a banquet. I want to see who has more patience."
If Li Rong wants to play, he'll go along with it.
As he spoke, he glanced at the old man behind Jiang Nuanzhi, curled his lips into a smile, and casually tossed a dagger to Lord Xie beside him: "Since you're here, let this Lady Li see the grand show in my manor. Don't be negligent."
The black aura on Lord Xie's hand had dissipated, and he had returned to his previous arrogant demeanor. Holding the dagger, a cruel smile appeared on his lips as he walked towards the person in the cage.
The next second, the dagger pierced the shoulder of a disheveled man in the cage, and thick, dark blood gushed out.
The man in the cage suddenly widened his eyes, then collapsed to the ground, howling in agony.
The surrounding crowd seemed to be shocked by the painful sounds and suddenly rioted. Those who were more conscious frantically tore at the cages, and the sounds of banging and screaming filled the entire hall, making it seem like a living hell.
Qin Lin sat there, his fists clenched. His face was pale, and he couldn't bear to clench his fists. He glanced at his sister-in-law, whom he was meeting for the first time, but in the end, he closed his eyes.
He didn't understand what strategy the general had used, but he knew that with their presence, given the general's personality, Xiao Yuanshan had won no matter what.
He stared intently at the dagger a meter away from him, a resolute look in his eyes.
Lord Xie listened to the sound as if enjoying it with his eyes closed. When he opened his eyes again, his gaze fell lightly on Jiang Nuanzhi: "Madam Li, what do you think of this dish made by the Li family army?"
Jiang Nuanzhi sat upright in her chair, her hand pausing as she picked up food. The next second, she put a piece of tofu with red sauce into her mouth, chewed slowly, and then put down her chopsticks leisurely. She seemed to be seriously appreciating the cage in front of her. After a while, she said, "It's so noisy."
He then frowned, as if speaking with a hint of humility, and said, "The plays performed at Your Highness's residence are truly extraordinary. I've never seen ordinary families entertain guests like this. Could it be that Your Highness's residence is currently somewhat strapped for cash and cannot afford to hire actors?"
As he said this, he seemed to whisper to Dongzang beside him, "Look, isn't this banquet even worse than the one hosted by Old Zhao's family at the entrance of our village?"
Dongzang was taken aback, then nodded seriously: "It really is true. When Old Zhao's family at the village entrance held a banquet, there were ten dishes, four cold and six hot, including several meat dishes, and a large bowl of wine. This is not like this one. Not only are there only two dishes, but they are both cabbage and tofu, and there is not even any wine."
“Exactly.” Jiang Nuanzhi nodded. “In my opinion, this Prince’s mansion is really glamorous on the surface, but it’s actually so shabby on the inside. Well, we’re here as guests, so let’s say less and be more polite.”
Dongzang: "Yes."
"Hey, you ignorant woman, what did you say?"
Lord Xie was stunned; this was completely different from what he had imagined.
At least he was over thirty years old. These people, who held high positions and had never even heard harsh words, were being ridiculed by this little girl who wasn't even as old as their own daughter. Lord Xie's face turned pale and then red.
After holding it in for a while, she finally said, "Don't you know anything? This isn't ordinary tofu, it's fish brain! The broth on top is made with a secret recipe. You're such a ignorant country bumpkin, do you even have any sense of propriety?"
Upon hearing this, Jiang Nuanzhi seemed taken aback for a second: "Really?"
As he spoke, he took another bite of the white tofu.
"Hey? It tastes really good, Dongzang, you should try some." With that, Jiang Nuanzhi scooped a spoonful and fed it to Dongzang.
After eating it, Dongzang nodded and said, "It really is different. However, this bean sprout dish is still a bit stingy for entertaining guests."
Jiang Nuanzhi nodded: "Yes, you're right."
"Bullshit!" Lord Xie was about to jump up and down: "Open your eyes and take a good look. These bean sprouts are filled with finely shredded Jinhua ham, stuffed into the bean sprouts to make a delicious dish. You ignorant woman, you really have no knowledge."
(End of this chapter)
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