Chapter 131

Eunuch Hu walked in and bowed to report, “Your Majesty, the princess of the Xuanwu Empire wants to meet you.”

Hearing this, Xuanyuan Lie frowned and put down his vermilion writing brush. He looked at Eunuch Hu and asked, “Is she alone?”

Immediately, Eunuch Hu answered with respect, “Yes.”

Xuanyuan Lie’s frown deepened. Why did that woman come to him alone?

“Let her in.”

“Yes.” Eunuch Hu bowed out of the imperial study.

In a short while, Eunuch Hu led Xiahou Shan in.

Xiahou Shan saw Xuanyuan Lie and slightly bent down to salute him, “Your Majesty, greetings.”

“Princess, rise.” Xuanyuan Lie’s voice was lukewarm. Somehow, he couldn’t take kindly to the eldest princess of the Xuanwu Empire.

Upon hearing it, Xiahou Shan stood up straight and looked at Xuanyuan Lie. For a moment, she didn’t know how to start.

Xuanyuan Lie saw through Xiahou Shan’s hesitation and narrowed his eyes, “What brings you here?”

After a deep breath, Xiahou Shan looked up at Xuanyuan Lie and responded, “May I make bold to ask if you don’t want Prince Zhan to marry into the Zhuque Empire, Your Majesty?”

At the sound of this, Xuanyuan Lie blinked his black eyes and said coldly, “It seems to be our Baihu Empire’s business. Don’t bother about it, Princess of Xuanwu.”

Xiahou Shan’s face stiffened, and a hint of embarrassment flashed across her enchanting eyes. She took another deep breath and calmed herself down. Then she looked up at Xuanyuan Lie and said, “What if I have a way to get Prince Zhan to give up Duanmu Xi?”

“Oh?” Xuanyuan Lie took an interest in her words and smiled, “Why not tell me about it?”

He knew Xuanyuan Mo’s character best. Once Xuanyuan Mo decided one thing, no one could change it. Now he was bent on marrying Crown Princess of Zhuque, so Xuanyuan Lie wondered how Princess of Xuanwu got Xuanyuan Mo to give up Duanmu Xi.

Xiahou Shan’s face grew red, “As long as he marries me.”

“Marry you?” Xuanyuan Lie tittered, “You’re joking. You should understand Mo’s mind. He will never marry you.”

Xuanyuan Mo was a spoony man, so how could he suddenly change his mind and turn to marry Xiahou Shan? That was impossible.

Xiahou Shan blushed at his words and became angry from shame, “What if I sleep with him? By then, he’ll have to marry me, though he doesn’t want to. As the crown princess of the Zhuque Empire, Duanmu Xi will naturally be unwilling to share her husband with me. So even if Prince Zhan doesn’t give up Duanmu Xi, she will abandon him.”

Moreover, she had confidence in herself. As long as she slept with Xuanyuan Mo, he would definitely fall in love with her.

Xuanyuan Lie looked at Xiahou Shan and sneered, “Princess, stop your fanciful ideas and say something practical!”

Did Xiahou Shan want to sleep with Xuanyuan Mo? It was simply a fool’s talk. If Xuanyuan Mo was so easy to deal with, why did Xuanyuan Mo throw out the beauty he sent every time?

At the sound of Xuanyuan Lie’s words, a sinister flashed in Xiahou Shan’s eyes. She smiled with certainty and looked up again, “Now that I’ve said so, I naturally have a plan. As long as Your Majesty helps me get a drop of Prince Zhan’s blood, this matter can come true.”

After Xiahou Shan finished speaking, Xuanyuan Lie frowned involuntarily. She wanted Mo’s blood. What a vicious woman! What was her devilish plan against Mo?

“Princess, can you tell me your specific plan?” This was a matter of Xuanyuan Mo’s safety, so Xuanyuan Lie had to ask further.

At this point, Xiahou Shan frowned and considered whether she should tell Xuanyuan Lie the whole plan. No, she must not tell him. Because she was going to plant a worm in Xuanyuan Mo’s body and things about worm were forbidden in the imperial family, he would never agree to her plan.

“I can’t tell you about it, but I can guarantee that I won’t hurt Prince Zhan.” She was going to marry Xuanyuan Mo, so how could she possibly hurt him?

A coldness crossed Xuanyuan Lie’s eyes. He said with a straight face, “I won’t force you to say it, but if you do something bad to Mo, I will ignore our relationship with the Xuanwu Empire’s. Please think twice before acting and don’t ruin the centuries-old friendship between the Baihu Empire and the Xuanwu Empire.”

Xuanyuan Lie’s murderous words caused Xiahou Shan to shiver unconsciously.

“Please go back first! I won’t grant your request.”

Xuanyuan Lie asked Xiahou Shan to leave. No wonder Xuanyuan Mo disliked this woman. Now Xuanyuan Lie didn’t want to see her at all.

Xiahou Shan walked out of the imperial study in dejection with Xuanyuan Lie’s words echoing in her ears. She felt lost and didn’t know whether to continue her plan. If she gave up, she would be reluctant. If not, she was afraid that the Baihu Empire would have a war with the Xuanwu Empire because of her.

As Xiahou Shan was pondering, a maid came over and bowed to her, “Your Highness, greetings. My mistress would like to have morning tea with you.”

Xiahou Shan looked at the maid and frowned, “Who is your mistress?”

The maid answered with respect, “It’s Consort Hui.”

Xiahou Shan frowned thoughtfully and seemed to have an impression of Consort Hui. Why did Consort Hui want to see her?

“Lead the way!” Since the maid came to her, she would go and have a look.

The maid bowed in response and turned to lead the way.

She brought Xiahou Shan directly to the Yonghe Palace.

“Your Highness, Her Highness Princess of Xuanwu is here,” the maid stood outside the Yonghe Palace and reported respectfully.

“Come in!” A casual and feminine voice rang out.

“Yes.” The maid turned to look at Xiahou Shan and bowed, “Your Highness, my mistress invites you in.”

Xiahou Shan looked around and walked into the Yonghe Palace.

As soon as Xiahou Shan entered, she saw a middle-aged beauty in purple sitting in the hall. It was the consort who sat on Xuanyuan Lie’s right side at the banquet last night.

“You’re Consort Hui.”

Hearing this, all the maids in the hall frowned. Princess of Xuanwu was so rude and had the guts to talk to Consort Hui in this way.

The two maids behind Zhou Manyun even wanted to walk up and rebuke Xiahou Shan, but Zhou Manyun reached out to stop them.

Zhou Manyun didn’t get angry and put on a faint smile. She looked at Xiahou Shan and said gently, “Princess of Xuanwu, sit down, please!”

Without thanking her, Xiahou Shan sat down impolitely in a chair.

Once again, the maids’ eyes widened in anger. This princess was so ill-mannered.

On the contrary, Zhou Manyun smiled graciously and turned to instruct her maids, “Leave us!”

“Yes.” The maids heard her command and bowed away.

When all the maids left, Xiahou Shan looked at Zhou Manyun and asked baldly, “Why did you call me here?”

Zhou Manyun picked up her teacup on the table and took a sip. Then she put it down and stared up at Xiahou Shan, “His Majesty didn’t grant your request, right?”

Xiahou Shan froze at her words and blurted out, “How did you know that?”

Zhou Manyun smiled and knew that she guessed right.

“For your request to His Majesty, I can help you.”

Upon hearing this, Xiahou Shan goggled at her and said with some excitement, “Can you help me get Xuanyuan Mo’s blood?”

Zhou Manyun frowned slightly, “Do you want Xuanyuan Mo’s blood?”

Only then did Xiahou Shan realize her slip of the tongue. Suddenly, she found the woman with a gentle smile frightening. In just two words, Zhou Manyun lured her to say her purpose of visiting Xuanyuan Lie.

Ignoring Xiahou Shan’s surprised expression, Zhou Manyun continued, “Why do you want Xuanyuan Mo’s blood?”

Xiahou Shan made no reply and glared at Zhou Manyun with wary eyes.

Zhou Manyun chuckled, “Don’t you believe me? I promise I can help you.”

Xiahou Shan hesitated for a moment before answering, “Plant a worm in Xuanyuan Mo’s body.”

Planted a worm? Zhou Manyun was stunned and didn’t expect that Xiahou Shan wanted Xuanyuan Mo’s blood just to plant a worm. Only the Heartless Worm needed human blood as a trigger. Was Xiahou Shan going to plant the Heartless Worm in Xuanyuan Mo’s body? Did it do her any good?

“Are you going to plant the Heartless Worm in Xuanyuan Mo’s body?”

At the sound of this, Xiahou Shan goggled at Zhou Manyun in disbelief. Unexpectedly, Zhou Manyun knew the Heartless Worm. Although she wasn’t wholly right, she seemed to know a lot about these worms. Who on earth was the woman? Was she just a consort in the imperial palace?

“It is not the Heartless Worm but Love Worm,” Xiahou Shan still told her the truth and believed that she must be a helper, whoever she was.

A trace of sarcasm flashed across Zhou Manyun’s enchanting eyes quickly. Princess of Xuanwu was so stupid. It was obviously the Heartless Worm, but she mistook it for Love Worm.

Although their names were related, they were totally different worms. When a man was infected with the Heartless Worm, he would forget the woman who detoxified him. On the contrary, a man infected with the Love Worm would fall in love with his female detoxifier. These were two completely different results.

Princess of Xuanwu must be fooled, but it had nothing to do with Zhou Manyun. No matter who fooled her, Zhou Manyun would help her as long as the target was Xuanyuan Mo.

Zhou Manyun put on a gentle smile again, “Don’t worry. I’ll get Xuanyuan Mo’s blood for you before the Mid-Autumn Festival.”

Xiahou Shan was excited at her words, but then she thought of something and looked at Zhou Manyun in confusion, “Why must it be before the Mid-Autumn Festival?”

Zhou Manyun sneered and turned to the window, “Because Xuanyuan Mo is the weakest at the full moon. By then, we will be easiest to succeed against him.”

Xiahou Shan nodded understandingly. It turned out that Xuanyuan Mo was the weakest at the full moon. After she got his blood, she would put it into the black jar at the full moon. Then Xuanyuan Mo would belong to her.

Seeing the result she wanted, Zhou Manyun gave a wry smile and thought, “Xuanyuan Mo, the good show is starting.”

After Xiahou Shan left, Zhou Manyun said to the air, “Did you hear what we had talked about just now?”

Upon hearing Zhou Manyun’s words, a woman in black appeared out of nowhere and half knelt before her.

“Yes.” The woman’s voice was hollow as if she was a thoughtless puppet.

Zhou Manyun looked at the charming face of the woman in black and narrowed her eyes, “Then it’s up to you. You can let her detoxify him, or do it yourself. But you should know what will happen after you detoxify him. Think it over.”

Hearing this, the woman in black blinked her eyes and then disappeared into the hall.