Chapter 120 Winning Over Lin Xue'an
Li Yuanshu immediately straightened up and looked in the direction he was pointing.
From the crowd, a man dressed in a moon-white brocade robe was walking slowly towards them.
This person was slender and upright, with a handsome face. Although there was a hint of weariness between his brows, he possessed a refined and elegant temperament, which was completely different from those "ugly and dressed in fancy clothes" in the room.
Previously, she had only been focused on Pei Huaijin and had never seriously looked at the appearance of this illegitimate son of the Lin family.
Looking at it closely now, she has to admit to herself that Li Yuanzhao does indeed know how to enjoy life.
Having such a beautiful woman by your side all the time would surely bring comfort, even just to look at her.
Soon, Lin Xuesong came forward with his two younger brothers and bowed respectfully.
"Your subjects Lin Xuesong and Lin Xuezhu, and commoner Lin Xuean, greet Your Highness the Third Princess. May Your Highness be well."
Before leaving, Lin Xueyan repeatedly instructed his two eldest sons to seize the opportunity and do their best to perform.
If they could win the favor of the Third Princess and marry her, becoming her consort, the Lin family would effortlessly climb into the ranks of the Second Prince and the Cui family, with unlimited potential for the future.
Therefore, Lin Xuezhu took it very seriously and specially chose a royal blue brocade robe. The belt around his waist was covered with gilded ornaments, jade pendants and sachets, which jingled as he walked, as if he was afraid that others would not see his rich and noble style.
After bowing, he stepped forward and flattered him with an eager smile, saying, "Your Highness is truly radiant and peerless today, even more captivating than the fairies in paintings..."
Before he could finish speaking, Li Yuanshu didn't even glance at him, and directly instructed Cao Dongyang beside him, "Take them down to sit. Lin Xue'an stays."
Upon hearing this, all three of them were taken aback.
Lin Xuean looked at the Third Princess with some surprise, while Lin Xuesong subconsciously looked at Lin Xuean beside him.
Lin Xuezhu felt utterly humiliated, as if she had been slapped in public. A surge of shame and anger welled up inside her, but she dared not show it. She could only suppress her anger and retreat with her elder brother, whose face was grave.
After everyone had left, Li Yuanshu smiled and said to Lin Xuean, "Sit down, what are you standing for?"
After Lin Xuean sat down, she felt increasingly uneasy.
He knew all too well that the Third Princess had always been at odds with the Eldest Princess, and now seeing her so amiable, he couldn't quite figure out what she was up to.
Li Yuanshu casually asked, "How old is Young Master Lin this year?"
Lin Xuean replied in a low voice, "Your Highness, I am eighteen years old this year."
"Eighteen years old..." Li Yuanshu drawled, her tone as if she were having a casual chat. "At that age, shouldn't you be considering marriage?"
Lin Xuean lowered her eyes. "Your Highness is joking. My two elder brothers are not yet married. There is an order of seniority, and I dare not overstep it."
“That makes sense.” Li Yuanshu nodded, but then abruptly changed the subject, “However, given your current status, can you still arrange marriages and continue your family line like an ordinary person?”
Lin Xuean's face instantly darkened.
He was already insecure and sensitive, so how could he not understand the deeper meaning behind those words?
She was referring to his status as "the princess's lover".
His throat bobbed slightly, and he swallowed hard. "Your Highness, this humble subject has no idea what you are talking about?"
Li Yuanshu, however, did not tolerate him and spoke bluntly without holding back.
"Who in the entire capital doesn't know about your affair with my elder sister? Now you're pretending to be an innocent young man in front of me, is that interesting?"
Lin Xuean's face turned deathly pale instantly, and she stammered, unable to utter a word.
Li Yuanshu looked him up and down carefully before continuing, "Tell me, does my elder sister only like your face, or do you have some other extraordinary qualities that I don't know about?"
Lin Xue'an was stunned for a moment before she realized what she meant. Her face flushed red instantly, and she stammered, "Your Highness, you...you're overthinking it..."
Seeing that this person's mouth was like a saw, and he couldn't get anything out of him, Li Yuanshu cut straight to the point.
"As Li Yuanzhao's confidant, you have now been stripped of your official robes and become a commoner without any official position or title. Have you ever thought about what will happen if Li Yuanzhao gets tired of you and abandons you in the future? How will you survive then, without any official position and with a bad reputation?"
Lin Xuean finally raised her head, looked directly at her, and asked, "Your Highness, what exactly is your intention in saying these things to me today?"
Li Yuanshu rested her chin on her hand, looking innocent and naive: "I'm telling you all this because I pity you and want to help you out."
She leaned forward, lowering her voice slightly, "My sister is ambitious, single-mindedly focused on that position, but she might not achieve her goal. Besides, as you've seen, she's currently under house arrest by Father, and her confidants have either been exiled or demoted. Her life isn't easy. Think about it carefully, if one day she really falls to the bottom and completely loses power, do you think you'll still have a chance to survive?"
She bet that if Li Yuanzhao were to lose, the Lin family would be the first to sacrifice Lin Xue'an to curry favor with the new emperor and the Cui family.
She leaned back in her chair, her posture languid yet exuding arrogance. "But I'm different. The Princess Zhenguo is my own sister, and Prince Cheng is my own brother. No matter who ascends to the throne in the future, I will still be Princess Yaoyang, enjoying a life of unparalleled status and wealth. Naturally, I also have the ability to protect you and give you a lifetime of peace."
Lin Xuean suddenly realized that the Third Princess had come to recruit her.
He quickly lowered his head, his voice filled with fear: "Your Highness is joking! This humble subject is utterly unworthy to presume upon Your Highness's presence, much less to ask for Your Highness's protection..."
“No need to rush to refuse,” Li Yuanshu interrupted him. “Why don’t you wait and see what happens to my dear sister? But in any case, my word still stands. Whenever you’ve thought it through and are willing to come to me for help, I can always show you the way.”
She paused, her gaze sweeping meaningfully over his handsome face, a knowing smile playing on her lips: "Besides, I am different from her. I... do not covet your body."
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