Chapter 562
Drugged
After they boarded the ship, Ning Qi followed closely behind and soon joined them.
"boom!"
"boom……"
Fireworks suddenly went off on the decks of the flower boats all around.
Colorful and dazzling.
"it's beautiful."
Looking at everything before her, Li Xiangrou couldn't help but exclaim in admiration.
Ning Qi also looked at the fireworks in front of him, a look of reminiscence on his face.
"Your Highness, the singing and dancing have begun!"
Wang Mang first clapped his hands towards the distance, and soon on the decks of all the flower boats, dancers began to dance.
Li Xiangrou was on the top floor of the largest flower boat, looking at the surrounding scenery.
It made her feel the extravagance of royalty.
So this is what my elder sister was after.
But all of this will eventually fade away.
What's the use if everything returns to peace?
Instead of dwelling on these issues, it's better to focus all your efforts on cultivating and improving your strength. Only in this way can you ensure that you have enough power to deal with those who oppose you.
Seeing her serious expression, Ning Qi couldn't help but ask, "So, how's it going? Is it fun?"
"Not fun."
Li Xiangrou shook her head: "This kind of extravagant lifestyle is not what I want."
"Oh? What do you want?"
Ning Qi, curious, couldn't help but ask.
"strength!"
Li Xiangrou turned to look at Ning Qi and said seriously, "What I need is absolute strength, so that I will never be assassinated again!"
"Even if someone wants to kill me, I have the ability to protect myself."
"Also, I want to protect everything I want to protect."
"All of this will only lead me astray and will not help me in any way."
"Okay, since you want to improve your strength, I'll lend you a hand."
After hearing her words, Ning Qi revealed a satisfied expression: "I will give you cultivation techniques and magic treasures, so that at least within the Heavenly Immortal realm, no one will be able to threaten you!"
"Oh? Really? Thank you."
Upon hearing this, Li Xiangrou immediately smiled and said, "Then I won't stand on ceremony with you."
"There's no need for formalities between us, is there?"
Ning Qi smiled slightly and looked at Li Xiangrou, saying, "However, after I leave, you'll have to rely on yourself!"
"Hmm, no problem, I can handle it myself!"
Li Xiangrou looked at Ning Qi with a confident expression and said, "It's enough that you've helped me get to the end!"
"Okay, I'm relieved to hear that!"
Ning Qi smiled with satisfaction.
Looking at Li Xiangrou in front of him, he knew very well that she had fully grown up.
"Your Highness, please sit here, enjoy our fragrant tea, and watch the performance."
Wang Mang took the initiative to invite Li Xiangrou over.
"it is good!"
Li Xiangrou did not refuse, but sat down with him, and waved to Ning Qi: "Ning Qi, you come too."
"it is good!"
Ning Qi responded briefly and then sat down with him.
A barely perceptible glint of cold light flashed in Wang Mang's eyes.
His attention swept over Ning Qi, then he clapped his hands: "The circus troupe, let's begin."
"Yes!"
"..."
After he said that, the people behind him began to move.
The dancers were all called away, and soon acrobats came up to the deck of the ship and began to perform.
Everyone was working hard, not daring to slack off in the slightest.
Li Xiangrou looked at the acrobatics below, but unlike before, she didn't excitedly cheer or jump around.
This time, she only clapped symbolically while watching the performances.
Wang Mang had been observing her every move.
"Your Highness, how was our acrobatic performance?"
When the performance was about to end, Wang Mang asked with a smile.
"Not bad, you've all put in a lot of effort. Give them a reward when you go downstairs."
Li Xiangrou responded with a smile.
In such a situation, if they are not rewarded, their fate will be either being killed or exiled.
The lack of a statement implies that they are not satisfied with the performance.
"Yes, Your Highness!"
With those words from her, Wang Mang knew that these people no longer needed to die.
After agreeing, he smiled and said, "Your Highness, it's getting late. Let's go back to our residence to rest."
"Okay! I'm tired too!"
Li Xiangrou gently rubbed her forehead and agreed.
"Your Highness, please!"
Wang Mang stood up and then beckoned Li Xiangrou to get off the boat with him.
They quickly disembarked and headed back ahead.
Ning Qi stayed with them the whole time, and when Commander Li and his men saw Li Xiangrou coming, they all returned.
Following Wang Mang's entourage, they returned along the same route and soon arrived back at the city lord's mansion.
Wang Mang personally led Li Xiangrou to a fine pavilion.
"Your Highness, please stay here for now. I've had a room prepared."
Wang Mang pointed to the pavilion and respectfully spoke to Li Xiangrou.
"Okay, thank you for your trouble!"
Li Xiangrou exchanged a few polite words and then went straight inside.
Someone was already waiting for her there.
"Your Highness!"
"..."
After seeing her enter, they all bowed respectfully to her.
"Alright, no need for formalities!"
Li Xiangrou raised her hand and then told the maids to get up.
"Thank you, Your Highness!"
"..."
The maids then stood up and stepped aside.
"Your Highness, I will take my leave now. If you have any instructions, please send them to inform me!"
At this moment, Wang Mang also stood at the door and respectfully spoke to Li Xiangrou.
"Alright, Lord Wang, go ahead. If anything comes up, I, the princess, will contact you!"
After Li Xiangrou agreed, she let him leave.
"Yes, Your Highness!"
Wang Mang agreed and hurriedly withdrew.
"You may all step back!"
Li Xiangrou glanced back and then continued, "Go back and tell your Lord Wang that this princess does not need any maids."
"Yes, Your Highness."
The maids exchanged glances, not daring to disobey her.
So, after agreeing to each other's requests, they left one after the other.
After they all left, Ning Qi came over and looked at Li Xiangrou, saying, "This Wang Mang should be your elder sister's man. I think he's testing your strength."
"Yes, but it doesn't matter. I have absolutely no interest in anything he's done!"
"I'm just waiting to go back now, to see if my royal sister can still smile!"
Li Xiangrou had already seen through her elder sister.
"Alright, it's getting late, you should get some rest too. I'll stay in the room downstairs for the night."
Ning Qi looked around and noticed the layout of the place.
The three-story pavilion has rest areas on the first and second floors, while the third floor is an open platform, clearly a place to enjoy the beautiful scenery.
"Okay, I am actually a little sleepy."
Li Xiangrou gently rubbed her forehead and then followed them upstairs.
"Commander Li!"
Ning Qi saw her go upstairs, then waved to Commander Li outside the door.
"Young Master Ning." Upon hearing this, Commander Li quickly stepped forward: "What are your orders?"
"Have the brothers split into two teams and patrol around this attic."
"Just in case!"
Ning Qi gave the order in a deep voice.
Although he has divine sense at his disposal, there are still many ways to evade divine sense detection.
Therefore, we cannot let our guard down.
"Okay, I'll go arrange it right away!"
After Commander Li agreed, he left in a hurry.
For a moment, only Ning Qi remained here.
"Master, what are you talking about Wang Mang for?!"
"I thought they were going to do something after handing over Princess Xiangxiang."
Yao Ling, perched on his shoulder, wore a solemn expression.
It's impossible to guess what Wang Mang's intentions were this time.
"Let him be. In the face of absolute strength, none of this matters."
Ning Qi didn't care at all, and then looked into the distance: "He's probably thinking of some countermeasures right now, and has informed Li Xiangrou's elder sister."
"Oh? Is that so?"
Yao Ling agreed and looked ahead at the same time.
Directly in front of them was the direction of Wang Mang's council hall in the front courtyard.
"Lord Wang, what do you suggest we do?"
At this moment, an old man below asked.
Wang Mang sat in the main seat, looking down at the crowd below.
These dozen or so armchairs were all occupied by people, many of whom had just greeted Li Xiangrou.
They were all summoned by Wang Mang at this time, obviously to help him devise strategies.
"Tell me, who exactly is that person beside Her Highness the Princess, and what is their strength?"
"I looked for a long time, but I didn't find anything."
Wang Mang sighed and spoke to the military officers beside him.
"Lord, I feel that this person may not be strong. Although I can't see through his strength."
"Could we also interpret him as just an ordinary person, or as someone whose abilities are not particularly outstanding?"
A lieutenant general standing nearby echoed this sentiment.
I don't think so.
Another person added, "Don't forget, the people who escaped here said that there's a master here."
"We cannot rule out his identity until we know his true identity."
"Consider this: how could Her Highness possibly keep an ordinary person by her side, inseparable from her?"
Then another person joined in the analysis.
Gradually, more people joined in, making the council chamber increasingly lively.
"Yes, Lord Wang, didn't you see? Her Highness the Princess isn't interested in any of these things at all!"
The person who spoke earlier then added.
What does this mean?
"You can only say he's incredibly stupid!"
"..."
Immediately, several people started to mock them.
The two sides gradually began to argue, and the scene gradually became lively.
"All right!"
Seeing that they had all started to discuss it, Wang Mang gestured for them to be quiet and said, "All of you, be quiet."
After he said those words, everyone present fell silent, and they all looked at Wang Mang with solemn expressions.
"Sir, there is a secret message."
Just then, a guard suddenly appeared outside the door and knelt down.
"Bring it here!"
Wang Mang waved his hand and gave the order.
"Yes!"
The guards quickly stepped forward and handed it to Wang Mang with both hands.
Wang Mang took the secret letter and opened it directly.
Upon seeing the contents written inside, he couldn't help but frown.
"Lord of the city, what is it?"
"What did His Highness say?"
"..."
After seeing his expression, everyone became worried about the problem.
"His Highness commands us to take action again!"
Wang Mang sighed: "They told us not to use force, but to use a softer approach!"
"She has a highly skilled person by her side; we probably can't succeed either by using force or persuasion!"
"Yes, we still don't know who this person is."
"You want us to be gentle? How do we be gentle?"
"..."
As soon as he finished speaking, the council chamber erupted in chaos.
Everyone is discussing this matter; it's a huge problem they've been presented with.
"Don't worry, I already knew His Highness's temper."
"Do you think that when I took her to see the flower boats and the performances, it was just a simple matter of taking her to see them?"
Wang Mang smiled and then said to everyone, "I already had plans."
"Ah? What are your plans, sir?"
"We were all kept in the dark!"
"..."
His words immediately relieved the crowd below.
They all looked at Wang Mang with curiosity.
We'll wait for him to announce his plans.
"Don't forget, His Highness is engaged to our Duke of Protectorate's family!"
Wang Mang smiled and then said, "The Duke of Protectorate's great-grandfather was an elder in the Ten Thousand Swords Sect."
"That's right, but the Duke of Protectorate isn't on our side!"
"He won't listen to us anyway, it's no use begging him."
After he finished speaking, the crowd below began to discuss it again.
Everyone looked puzzled.
At this critical juncture, Wang Mang is still spouting useless nonsense.
"But what if Your Highness... loses your chastity? What do you think the Protectorate of the Nation will do then?"
"You know, they care about their reputation the most!"
Seeing the puzzled looks on everyone's faces, Wang Mang smiled and said, "If it were you, what would you do?"
us?
"..."
After hearing what he said, the group fell silent.
Clearly, they've all come up with a solution, but how do they use it?
The area around Xiangrou was heavily guarded, with a skilled fighter stationed there, so they simply couldn't find an opportunity to make a move.
"Hmph, I already made my move on her while she was having tea with me and watching the acrobatics!"
"And I also tampered with her guards."
Wang Mang smiled and then continued, "I was referring to her personal guards!"
"My lord, that's brilliant!"
"We admire you!"
After he spoke, many people began to flatter him.
"I'm asking you to come up with a solution, but the daylily is already too cold."
Wang Mang smiled smugly and continued, "His medicine is so potent that even a celestial being couldn't withstand it!"
"Once the drugs take effect, something interesting will happen in this attic!"
"It would be interesting if I married the grandson of the Duke of Huguo in the future!"
"Sir, won't this take a long time?"
One of them suddenly realized something: "How could they possibly get married so soon?"
After he said those words, everyone started discussing it.
"Hmph, all you can do is send people to spread rumors, right?"
Wang Mang glanced at the crowd and said irritably, "Do I need to teach you this?" (End of Chapter)