The Demon Lords

Chapter 1025 - 240: Changing the Script

Underneath the artificial rock mountain of the Qingfang Room, there’s an underground chamber. When Zheng Fan moved in, the people at the Fan Mansion informed him of this place.

Now, it’s conveniently being used to house the princess.

The chamber is quite a distance from the artificial rock mountain, with a long channel inside that sunlight cannot penetrate. After the princess moved in, Siniang ordered the walls of the channel to be sprinkled with rather pungent incense ash.

Before meeting the princess, Zheng Fan was asked by Siniang to take a bath, not in the soup pool, but in the pond, scrubbing himself with the mud at the bottom.

After changing clothes, Zheng Fan followed Siniang into the chamber, and formally met the princess of Chu State.

The reason for the previous procedure is that Siniang distinguished the princess’s unusual identity through the scent of incense. In this era, those who could afford incense were from well-off families. Using expensive incense naturally indicated wealth.

Moreover, many places in the Fan Mansion were blooming with flowers, unlike the winter atmosphere. The powder used by the maids was also top-notch. Living in the Fan Mansion, one inevitably absorbed these scents.

Additionally, some wooden or unique decorations and the scent of the animals within the mansion were very distinctive.

Should the princess catch a whiff of them, as long as she wasn’t foolish, she could deduce which local rulers of Xiayong might be involved, leading her to identify the Fan Family easily.

Although it’s unclear if keeping the princess unaware that the Fan Family kidnapped her is truly meaningful,

it’s better to be safe than sorry,

one can never know how things will develop in the future,

being cautious and meticulous now,

provides greater flexibility for future planning.

At this moment,

lying in the chamber is a person, the princess;

seated is a person, Zheng Fan; standing is a person, Siniang.

Lord Zheng adjusted his collar,

and pointed at the princess.

Siniang understood, stepped forward, and injected a needle into the princess, who gradually awoke.

Zheng Fan couldn’t help but ask, "It seems quite effective, is it acupuncture?"

"Yes, but not exactly. If my lord wants to learn, I can teach, and you can practice on A Ming."

"Hmm, we can talk about this later."

The princess woke up, her gaze swept over Zheng Fan and Siniang. She didn’t scream or shout, even restrained her fear, and silently sat up.

The chamber fell silent.

After a long while,

the princess asked in a relatively calm tone:

"What do you want?"

A very smart question, she didn’t ask who they were, or why they captured her.

This means, this princess’s intelligence is online.

It’s good for communication when the intelligence is online.

Lord Zheng silently took out a Chinese iron box, drew out a mint candy, put it in his mouth, and tossed one to the princess.

The princess brought it to her nose, sniffed it, then without much hesitation, put it in her mouth.

Zheng Fan smiled,

The chamber had only one chair, he crossed his legs, placed the iron box on his knee, patted it lightly, and said:

"Let’s start with introductions, no, let’s do something interesting first. Try guessing who I am?"

The fewer visits to the princess, the better, because Zheng Fan didn’t want to wash off the pond’s cold winter mud every time he came in.

But there’s no limit to the duration of one visit.

When he and Fan Zhengwen just returned, an inner guard with a token came to the Fan Mansion, after which Fan Zhengwen personally mobilized hundreds of family members to launch the Fan family’s efforts in the princess’s search operation.

Therefore, Zheng Fan could temporarily ignore the outside matters.

The princess cooperatively started playing the game, because she knew she had no choice.

"You’re not Chu people?"

"Correct." Zheng Fan nodded with a smile.

"Are you... a Yan person?"

"Correct."

"From the Yan Spy Bureau?"

Zheng Fan shook his head.

The princess’s gaze began to circulate up and down Zheng Fan, she was observing.

After a while,

She spoke:

"You’re a military general."

After riding horses for long periods, wearing armor for extended durations, staying long in the military, it indeed leaves many marks on the body.

"Correct."

"Do you want me to continue guessing?" Xiong Liqing asked.

"Continue."

"Then it becomes easy to guess." Xiong Liqing smiled, "Since you want me to continue guessing, it means your name, Chu people must be very familiar with. It can’t be an unknown person or a not-famous general, otherwise it would be purposeless, embarrassing yourself."

"Correct."

"Your age, your conduct, actually, I don’t know many names of Yan State generals."

Zheng Fan smiled slightly.

Xiong Liqing said:

"Xiong Liqing of Chu State, have met Lord Pingye of Yan State."

Phew,

Felt comfortable.

It’s a kind of, look at this, I’m still quite famous kind of comfort.

It’s like in the past life when I started creating comics, I deliberately posted screenshots of my comics in forums asking whose comic this is, it’s drawn so well, then secretly bumped the post,

finally,

seeing someone replied with my author name below.

Lord Zheng is very particular about the quality of life, the previous Q&A game actually had no real use, but it enhanced the pleasure, thus directly enhancing the quality of life.

Xiong Liqing saw Lord Zheng still half-closing his eyes, seemingly immersed in some emotion, waited a bit before speaking:

"Lord Pingye comes to my Chu State, surely is my Chu State’s honored guest, my Chu State will surely fulfill the host’s duties."

Zheng Fan opened his eyes, extended a forefinger, shook it,

and said:

"Your brother tells me such things, that’s expected. But you, you can’t say that to me."

Xiong Liqing took a deep breath, slowly exhaled, her face, surprisingly, showed a smile.

Actually,

This Chu State Fourth Princess wasn’t a stunning beauty,

This is nonsense,

A stunning beauty is rare, which is why they’re called beauties, how can every carrot and garlic be a beauty?

But she looked quite pleasant, a bit of baby fat, somewhat naive, especially when she smiled, reminiscent of the sweet cuteness seen in Japanese girl groups of the past life.

"I don’t know what Lord Pingye brought me here for?"

Zheng Fan smiled and said:

"I sincerely apologize to inform you, Your Highness, bringing you here was an accident. My subordinates just happened to run into you and brought you over for a visit."

"So, it’s a misunderstanding, then?"

"Yes."

"Lord Pingye, can I ask a naïve question?"

"Since you know it’s naïve, better not ask."

The princess was taken aback.

Zheng Fan yawned, continuing:

"In fact, we were supposed to meet, but this meeting was scheduled more than half a month ahead of plan."

Xiong Liqing’s gaze narrowed slightly,

Soon,

The smile on her face became strange.

It was a smile as if she had seen through everything, deliberately showing that she had seen through it.

An annoying smile.

So,

Zheng Fan spoke:

"Slap her."

Siniang stepped forward,

"Smack!"

A slap landed,

Loud,

Decisive,

With moderate force,

The blood on the corner of her mouth was just right.

Then, Siniang retreated and stood behind Zheng Fan again.

Xiong Liqing began to take deep breaths, reaching out to touch the cheek that had just been slapped, then slowly raised her head to look at Zheng Fan.

Lord Zheng’s gaze remained calm.

"Your Highness, you may act lively within certain limits, but please don’t make me uncomfortable."

Xiong Liqing murmured:

"Since I was little, this is the first time I’ve been hit."

Zheng Fan opened his mouth,

Raised his head,

Nodded,

Lightly patted his thigh,

And said:

"Well, that’s something."

Siniang stepped forward again,

"Smack!"

"Smack!"

Two more slaps landed,

The princess’s hair was already disheveled.

Zheng Fan silently took out a cigarette, bit it in his mouth without lighting it,

Saying:

"Have you tasted it?"

Xiong Liqing licked her lips, tasting the blood, lowered her head, and said:

"My lord, you caught me too early."

"Hoo..."

Zheng Fan exhaled, the Fourth Princess of Chu in front of him, besides having a bit of noble arrogance, was truly clever.

He rubbed his brow and smiled:

"Indeed."

Xiong Liqing raised her head, reached out to tidy her disheveled hair, looked at Zheng Fan, and said:

"My lord, even if you keep me here, the wedding over there will still take place as planned."

Zheng Fan nodded and said, "Probably."

"So, my lord, you’re troubled, aren’t you?"

Zheng Fan lightly flicked his hair with the hand holding the cigarette,

And said:

"A little."

"I have an idea."

"Oh, let’s hear it."

"Let me go."

"Oh?"

"Arrange a place for me to be rescued, and I can go back and marry Qu Peiluo. On the day of the wedding, you can come and take me away in front of Chu State and the world, while Yan’s Lord Pingye takes away the Princess of Chu."

"That’s a good idea."

"Do you think so, my lord?"

"Hmm."

Zheng Fan waved his hand,

Siniang stepped forward again,

Xiong Liqing immediately prostrated on the bed, quickly shouting:

"I’m not playing games with you, my lord!"

Zheng Fan stood up from his chair,

Looking down at Xiong Liqing,

He said:

"Releasing you and then capturing you again, do you think I’m stupid or disabled?"

After today, the wedding day security of the Chu State would be thousands of times stricter. Not to mention Zheng Fan only brought a thousand riders, even with five thousand cavalry, trying to capture someone in front of the fully guarded Chu people would be a fantasy.

Xiong Liqing bit her lip,

Stubbornly raised her head,

And said word by word:

"What if on the day of the wedding, I’m willing to go with you, my lord? What if I’m willing to cooperate? What if I voluntarily come out on the day of the wedding?"

Zheng Fan’s eyes narrowed.

Xiong Liqing continued:

"The Fourth Princess of Chu disdains Qu Clan’s eldest son, secretly admires Yan’s Lord Pingye, willing to spend a lifetime with him, defying the royal family, betraying the country, willing to enter Yan with her beloved man.

Ten years later,

Twenty years later,

Thirty years later,

Even sixty years later,

It would still be a folk legend sung by people!"

You captured me,

To make a name,

I’ll give you a better story.

Zheng Fan laughed,

A silent laugh,

In his eyes,

Making it unclear what’s hidden within.

"Still, the same sentence, do you think I’m, stupid?"

Xiong Liqing stared into Zheng Fan’s eyes,

Her body trembled a bit,

But she still insisted:

"My lord, do you dare to try?"