Chapter 21
Yun He's words further confirmed Ling Huanchen's suspicions. The mermaids were under the guise of a visit, but their real purpose was something else. If they brazenly brought it over, all their efforts would be wasted if they were turned away. It would be better to cover it up like this and test Yu Xi's intentions first.
In his previous life, he had never heard from the mermaids again because he had kept a low profile. The rumors about him were vague and never reached the mermaids. But now, he had openly moved into the Jade Luan Palace, and the mermaids would surely take action upon hearing the news.
Although his father, the King, may have been indifferent to matters, he was still the head of his clan, and his calculations were no less cunning than those of any other monarch. The tributes his clan had sent to Mingcheng had all met with disastrous results, but their first attempt to send tributes to Youcheng had yielded unexpected results. He must have been eager to capitalize on this success, recruit new members, and ultimately take advantage of the Youcheng King's influence.
Although his father had many children, and with the addition of his relatives, the mermaid royal family had plenty of tribute to offer, there were still some who were reluctant to give away. As long as they could hold Youcheng steady, the mermaids would no longer have to bother trying to curry favor with other cities. This showed how much effort his father had put into this effort.
Ling Huanchen said calmly, "The mermaids are sending tribute again?"
"Yes, the tribute has been carried to the Purple Ceremony Palace, and the envoys of the Mermaid Tribe are inviting the king to join them there."
Ling Huanchen stood up upon hearing this and said, "Let's go take a look too."
Looking at those dead things is fake, the real purpose is to find an opportunity to keep this prince in the palace.
At this time, in the Ziyi Hall, Yu Xi sat in the main seat of the main hall with an indifferent expression, listening to the mermaid envoys talking, but he was not interested.
If someone shows you kindness without any reason, he is either a traitor or a thief.
If he hadn't wanted to see what the mermaids were up to, he wouldn't have wasted his time here. However, as time passed, he began to regret that he should have left the mermaids to the prime minister.
I don’t know what his son Huanchen is doing now, whether he is reading or playing the piano.
"Master Qiao, do you have anything else to report?"
The envoy of the mermaid tribe shut his mouth with a click, and looked at the expression of King Youcheng, showing no joy or anger at all, but he spoke at this moment, probably because he was impatient to listen.
"Your Majesty, I have finished my report." Lord Qiao winked at the prince.
"Your Majesty..." Prince Lingxu stepped forward and bowed, "I have something to report."
Yu Xi didn't raise her eyes, "Speak."
"I have been good at music, chess, calligraphy and painting since I was young. I just performed a dance, but it was not good. I would like to perform it again for Your Majesty." Ling Xu raised his head quietly, his charming eyes following Yu Xi's figure, as if he was crying and complaining. The teardrop mole under his eyes made him look even more seductive.
If it were any ordinary man, even a bad man, it would be hard to resist. Ling Xi knew that this trick worked every time, but unfortunately Yu Xi was not an ordinary person.
"No need for that. Your Highness is tired from the journey. You should go back and rest early."
Ling Xi's smile froze, and he bowed again, "Yes, I thank the king for his concern."
Yu Xi glanced over and inadvertently saw the pearl necklace on his wrist, "Wait."
Ling Xu was delighted. He knew that with his looks and talent, the King of Youcheng would definitely treat him differently. As for the prince of Yuluan Palace, no matter how good-looking he was, he would be discarded once the novelty wore off.
"Where did the beads in your hand come from?"
A green pearl strung on a black rope, hanging on Yu Xi's wrist, was the only thing that concerned her.
"Your Majesty, this pearl belongs to the royal family of the mermaid tribe and is a symbol of status."
Yu Xi asked casually, "What's the significance of the different colors?"
"This..." Ling Xu gritted his teeth. His status was no lower than that of the royal family, which was something he had always cared about. Even if he was presented to the king and ended up as a meal on the table, he didn't want to be inferior to others.
"Red symbolizes the royal family's direct descendants, while green represents the collateral relatives."
Yu Xi murmured to herself, "So that's how it is."
"If Your Majesty wishes to know more details, I can tell you everything." Ling Xu never missed an opportunity to get close to Yu Xi; he had already made plans before arriving. He had heard that the Tenth Prince's life was not in danger after entering Youcheng, and he was also being favored. This was truly a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
If he could win the favor of the King of Youcheng, he could replace him. He wouldn't have to return to the mermaid tribe and be controlled by others, nor would he be sent elsewhere to be slaughtered. Meeting Yu Xi in person only solidified his resolve. The rumors that the King of Youcheng was cruel and capricious might just be myths, otherwise why would he be so kind to the Tenth Prince? Even if he was a bloodthirsty devil, if it meant wealth and glory, even if it meant feeding the devil, what did it matter?
"I think there is no need to trouble the prince."
Everyone turned around when they heard this, only to see Ling Huanchen strolling in as if he were at his own doorstep. No one stopped him, as if everyone was used to it.
Yu Xi finally had a smile on her face, "Why don't you wait for me in Yuluan Palace?"
"I saw that the king was late in coming back, and I couldn't eat or sit still, so I came to look for him." Ling Huanchen said meaningfully, walking past the two people and taking the hand that Yu Xi extended, "I'm waiting for the king to have his meal."
Ling Xu widened his eyes, looking at the scene in disbelief. The man in green was so rude, but King Youcheng was not angry at all. Instead, he looked at the man with a smile in his eyes, as if he tacitly approved of all his actions.
Lord Qiao and Ling Xu exchanged a glance, each seeing the surprise in the other's eyes. Had they heard correctly? The King of Youcheng had referred to himself as "I" in front of that man?
"It's my fault that we went back late." Yu Xi pulled the person and asked him to sit next to her. After seeing Ling Huanchen, she didn't even remember that there were other people in the hall. Her eyes were only fixed on this one.
Ling Huanchen didn't sit down. Instead, he looked up and said to the two people below, "I will answer the king's questions about the mermaids. You may withdraw."
Lord Qiao had met the Tenth Prince before and immediately bowed, but showed no intention of retreating. "Your Majesty, this..."
Yu Xi waved his hand, "Huan Chen's meaning is what I mean."
Now, the two had no more excuses and had to leave the Ziyi Palace honestly.
When there was no one else in the hall, Ling Huanchen was about to pull his hand away when Yu Xi pulled him into his arms.
"I have some doubts. Can Huanchen answer them for me?"
Ling Huanchen pushed him away, straightened his clothes, sat down beside him, and coughed, "Your Majesty, please behave yourself."
Whenever Yu Xi saw Ling Huanchen's serious look, she wanted to make a joke, but she didn't dare to go too far.
This guy is here to talk about serious matters.
"What does the king want to know about the mermaids?"
Yu Xi thought about it seriously, "Is Huanchen jealous?"
"I didn't." Being jealous would only result in sweet and sour fish, which was absolutely impossible.
Yu Xi pondered for a moment, then suddenly leaned closer. "So, what is Huanchen so anxious to tell me?"
Ling Huanchen deliberately ignored the teasing look in the man's eyes. "I'm here to tell Your Majesty that the mermaids might be trying to present another mermaid to Youcheng. How should Your Majesty handle this?"
"Of course I'll keep you at a distance." Yu Xi said without joking, "I already have my own little mermaid. I don't need anyone else."
Ling Huanchen stroked the corner of his clothes, feeling overwhelmed by his sudden bluntness.
Yu Xi took the opportunity to pull the person over to his side, "I remember that they carried you here, why didn't they carry this prince?"
Times have changed. Tribute can be carried, but tribute with the guest's outer clothes cannot be carried.
"They're probably afraid that the king will order them to be taken back. After all, the envoy can stay for a few more days."
Yu Xi suppressed her smile and asked, "Why do the mermaids only offer members of the royal family and ministers as tribute?"
"The purpose of offering tribute is to seek protection. The mermaids value royal bloodlines, and the rest are considered ordinary. They are not good enough to be considered a perfect tribute, and sending them out might backfire."
Who would have thought that being a tribute requires qualifications.
Yu Xi couldn't help but frown when he heard this. This seemingly glamorous and noble royal identity suddenly became a little ridiculous.
Ling Huanchen felt the arm holding him suddenly tighten, and then he covered the back of Yu Xi's hand, "I'm fine."
The two of them hugged each other quietly for a while, and Yu Xi suddenly said, "I remembered something."
Ling Huanchen looked up, "What?"
"Just now, the prince was dancing in the palace, and his steps were very agile. Didn't they say that the legs transformed by the mermaids were not very agile?"
Ling Huanchen blinked and thought, it's over.
"Or is it that only Huanchen's transformed legs aren't very agile?"
Ling Huanchen slowly looked away, "Maybe."
Yu Xi had no intention of letting him go. "Or maybe there's no such thing as being incompetent at all?"
Ling Huanchen made up his mind and simply admitted it, "That's not true."
Yu Xi nodded, her expression unfathomable. "In other words, Huanchen lied before?"
"……yes."
Yu Xi raised an eyebrow and said, "Even someone as clear-headed as Huanchen has learned to lie. I'm so heartbroken. How should Huanchen compensate me?"
How could he forget that there was this hidden danger from the mermaids?
"Whatever the king says is fine." It wasn't a big deal, but it was Yu Xi who caught him in the act.
Yu Xi narrowed her eyes slightly, a gleam of her brilliance flashing across them like a fox, "I want Huanchen to call me something else."
"What...name?"
Yu Xi put her finger to her lips, pretending to be mysterious, "You'll know later, now is not the time."
Ling Huanchen inexplicably felt a chill on his back, and felt that it was not a serious address.
Since the envoys from the Mermaid Tribe stayed in Youcheng, Yuluan Palace had received more than one request to visit. However, Yu Xi had issued an order that no outsiders were allowed to enter unless there was a royal decree or Ling Huanchen's personal permission.
Ling Xu and Lord Qiao harassed Ling Huanchen many times in the name of being from the same clan, but they didn't even let him see a hair of Ling Huanchen.
"That prince is so annoying! Why hasn't he left Youcheng yet?" Xiao Qi was furious the moment he walked in, his cheeks puffed out like a rabbit. "Could it be true, as the rumors say, that the prince wants to take over my place?"
Ling Huanchen put the scroll down and said helplessly, "Are the snacks not delicious enough, or are the flowers in the imperial garden not beautiful enough? Is it worth ruining your mood for some imaginary people?"
"Master is right, that prince is nothing." Xiao Qi nodded heavily, "Don't mention him, it's bad luck."
At this moment, a palace attendant walked in, bowing his head. "Your Highness, the prince of the mermaid tribe requests an audience. He said he has something important to discuss."
The author has something to say:
Thank you for the encouragement from "Macabela Throw"~
Thank you "Meng Hui Datang" and "Gu Huaiyi" for the nutrient solution encouragement~
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