Chapter 45: Delicate beauty, please choose me... Ah Zhao. ...
The look in Li Jin's eyes could no longer be described as horrified.
But as a prince who has been in the Jinyi royal family for many years, his composure is several times better than that of ordinary people. After seeing some big storms, he can barely stay calm at this moment.
Li Jin clenched his back teeth.
Now before him was a monster that had been dormant for many years.
Even the emperor's brother is no match for her.
Li Jin couldn't help but think of the first time he confronted her head-on. It wasn't really a confrontation, it was just a one-sided setup for her.
Back then, he'd thought killing her was like killing an ant, but he'd never imagined that he was the ant in her eyes. In this game of swords and blood, he was just the most insignificant pawn.
Others are the butchers and I am the meat.
Li Jin closed his eyes and a smile suddenly appeared at the corner of his lips.
So what? Regardless of the process, Lou Wanqiao is now in his hands. It's real and cannot be faked.
He was a prince after all, and he had used those dirty tricks before. When he paved the way for his royal brother in places where no one else could see, he also heard a lot of abuse after his dying struggle.
Li Jin naturally didn't take it seriously. Who could have imagined that the seemingly idle prince, who always smiled at everyone, would resort to such shady tricks? Everyone who knew was already dead.
Except Lou Wanqiao.
The turning point of everything started with the trap set up for Lou Wanqiao.
Thinking of this, Li Jin looked up at her. His tone was no longer filled with the fake smile of the past, but was replaced by a cold indifference after the disguise was torn off: "Don't think you have won! Lou Wanqiao, I am not killing you now only because you still have some use for me."
"I know, just like I kept you here a few days ago." Lou Wanqiao looked at him calmly and continued the rest of the sentence calmly, "...just like now, you and I are both useful to him."
"…What do you mean?"
The force in his grip suddenly increased, nearly suffocating her. Lou Wanqiao gasped twice, then spoke in a low voice, "Didn't you always despise being associated with him? ...that poor hostage prince you've ostracized."
Li Jin was stunned, and an inexplicable fear spread in his eyes.
She actually expected it.
She actually... knew about that person's existence.
Obviously, everything is being done secretly, and even my royal brother is unaware of this information. How could this person in front of me seem to know everything clearly?
Could it be that... Could it be that she did this on purpose—?!
“Pfft, ha, hahaha…hahahahaha!”
Lou Wanqiao couldn't help laughing. Her laughter was like a death spell, which made Li Jin shake his wrist and throw her back onto the couch.
She raised her face, her eyes filled with malice. "Li Jin, you're just a discarded child! Li Lianhan used you as a tool to deceive others, and now Li Yulan, whom you regard as a waste, is using you as a stepping stone to take revenge on the Great Li!"
"Shut up... Shut up!" Li Jin couldn't control his irritation. He felt a nameless anger burning in his chest and wanted to destroy the man in front of him at all costs.
The former King Yun's hair was disheveled on his temples, his eyes were bloodshot, and his remaining sanity pulled him back from the brink of danger. He was teetering on the edge of collapse.
Lou Wanqiao seemed oblivious. Her laughter never ceased, turning from a loud, resounding laugh into a low, cold, mute chuckle. "Your Highness Prince Yun, you can't go back. It's not easy to give up a luxurious life, is it? It's such a shame that neither you nor Li Lianhan can go back."
"Li Jin, what's the harm in running away? Do you know why I killed Li Lianhan there? ...Because I was trying to lure you out."
"ah--!!"
Li Jin roared, grabbed her neck with both hands and pressed down on her: "Lou Wanqiao!! You bastard!"
His arms were shaking, his eyes were red, and it was unclear whether it was sweat or tears dripping down his cheeks onto hers.
Lou Wanqiao breathed with difficulty, but he couldn't suppress the smile on the corner of his lips. The hint of mockery in his eyes was just right to hurt him all over.
Li Jin's eyes were getting redder and redder. He had clearly curbed Lou Wanqiao's lifeblood, but it was he who was breathing more and more rapidly.
"Damn it... Damn you! Why did you show up? Why did you go against me..."
The air in his lungs became thinner and thinner. Lou Wanqiao closed his eyes silently, and the next second he heard a dull sound in his ears.
Then the force on his neck loosened, and Li Jin fell down heavily.
Fresh air filled her lungs, she took a deep breath and exhaled heavily.
Footsteps came from not far away, accompanied by the sound of a door closing. She wanted to look up, but Li Jin was too heavy on her body. She had no strength left, and she couldn't move Li Jin away by herself.
Lou Wanqiao was not in a hurry. He lowered his eyes and quietly recovered his strength until he felt his body lighten. Someone moved Li Jin aside and untied the hemp rope that bound her hands.
She sat up and leaned casually against the wall, pushed her hair behind her ears, and looked up at the person who came.
Oh, isn’t he one of the protagonists in her “heated discussion” with Li Jin just now?
Li Yulan, the former prince of Dali, was sent as a hostage to a neighboring country.
The man was tall and straight, yet appeared frail. His slender waist was bound by a jade belt. His complexion was as white as jade, with a small shadow cast between his eye sockets and cheekbones, making him look as if a gust of wind could blow him away. Lou Wanqiao thought for a moment and decided that the four words "fragile beauty" were the most appropriate description.
His eyes were sharp, not aggressive, but rather penetrating and seeking to see the root of everything.
Being stared at like that, Lou Wanqiao instinctively resisted physically, but her expression remained unchanged as she continued to stare back without any expression.
She had met him before, but only once.
Li Yulan was sent to another country a long time ago and never returned to Dali. I think this must be the first time he has set foot on the land of Dali in many years.
Lou Wanqiao withdrew her gaze and waited quietly for him to speak.
Now he is the host and she is the guest. Although all this is intentional on her part, she needs to be careful with every step.
During her conversation with Li Jin, she sensed an extra presence around them, concluding that someone was observing them from the shadows. Li Jin's greatest role was as a chess piece. If he could be someone else's chess piece, then if he was used well, he could become hers, too.
From prison to now, everything is under her control.
After a while, Li Yulan said calmly: "Lord Lou is a smart man. I underestimated you."
"If you really underestimated me, you wouldn't have found a way to bring me here." Lou Wanqiao glanced around. It was a very standard room, like an inn.
She tried to move her hands, but found that she had no strength left and could not use any energy.
It seems that this person is quite cautious.
"You're right. I have a purpose for seeking you out. Lord Lou has always been forthright, so I'll be frank with you, too." Li Yulan said straight to the point, "You want to overturn your father's verdict, and I want to strengthen the Li Empire. If we work together, everything will be easy. How do you say that?"
Wow, that’s really straightforward.
"The Sixth Prince is a clever man. He was able to rise all the way from that cruel place. Now that he's come to Dali, I think he has established his own power there." Lou Wanqiao readily agreed. "But there's one thing I don't quite understand. I wonder if Your Highness would be willing to help me clear it up?"
"If you agree to my proposal, I can solve not just one problem, but ten."
"Your Highness is so smart and capable, why not take advantage of the opportunity to rise to the next level? With all due respect, Dali is no longer what it used to be. It's not as good as that place."
Li Yulan chuckled: "Lord Lou wants me to give up, but that's not that easy."
He immediately saw through her intentions, then slowly explained her question: "I can't wait. Lord Lou, how many springs can a person have in his life? Do you know how many years I was trapped within those palace walls, and how I managed to crawl out of that strange place?"
Lou Wanqiao did not respond, but just listened to him continue talking silently.
"When I first arrived in Dajin, no one looked at me. They didn't take me seriously, just like those good royal brothers in Dali... Lord Lou, have you ever experienced that feeling? I had nothing to eat or wear, and anyone could step on me. Even the lowliest eunuchs dared to yell at me!" Li Yulan's tone became increasingly agitated, his breathing becoming a little faster, but he quickly calmed down. "But it doesn't matter. This kind of situation is also common in Dali. I endured it for several years just to make those who looked down on me pay the price."
"Now that all the hard work has paid off, the first thing I have to do is naturally revenge. As for those people from the Great Jin? I have my own arrangements, so Lord Lou doesn't need to worry about them."
His words were vague, but Lou Wanqiao could probably understand what he meant. Li Yulan's goal now was to cooperate with her, or rather, to use her, in order to achieve his goal of ruling Dali.
Lou Wanqiao sneered in his heart.
This is a very unfair deal.
At this point, it was only a matter of time before she overturned the verdict. Li Su was officially the new emperor, but in reality, everyone knew the true power lay in her hands. If she "cooperated" with Li Yulan at this moment, she would be handing over the fruits of her hard work.
Li Yulan's words sounded nice, but in fact, it was almost like robbery... He took great pains to break into her house, painstakingly planned a big plan, and then with the help of Li Jin, he finally tied her here.
Isn’t this a blatant threat?
Lou Wanqiao whispered, "What if I don't want to?"
"Really? That's such a pity..." He said this, but there was no regret in his eyes. The flash of cold light was accurately captured by Lou Wanqiao.
She leaned back silently, her expression darkening. "Why, Your Highness, are you planning to kill me to silence me?"
"How could that be? Lord Lou is a rare talent, and I would hate to see him die. So, I should have saved you from the explosion that day and put you here to recover. How are you? Are your wounds still hurting?"
His tone was concerned, and he stood up and moved closer to her.
Lou Wanqiao couldn't figure out what he was up to for a moment, and alarm bells rang in his mind: "If it weren't for Your Highness, I don't think he would have been hurt, so there's no need for Your Highness to worry about him..."
"Lou Sir," he stopped half an arm's length in front of her, slightly tilting his head. The hair on his temples fell down his face, making his thin face look even paler. His long eyelashes cast a small shadow under his eyes. "Zizhao, they all call you that, right?"
Li Yulan's voice was low and soft, with a hint of fragile longing: "...Choose me...Azhao."
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