The Princess Royal's Reaction, Little Stone's Disappointment

The conditions the Princess Royal had offered were simply poison wrapped in honey.

"Head of the family, Eunuch Cao seemed furious. He's one of the Princess Royal's trusted men. If he goes back and exaggerates things to her, the Princess Royal might take it out on the Li Family..."

"No matter."

Li Xinge waved a hand.

"The Princess Royal may have great power, but she has no shortage of enemies."

He turned his head and called out, "Elder Jiang."

"My lord."

"Send someone to Shenjing to pay a visit to the Crown Prince."

Elder Jiang paused, then nodded.

Li Xuantong's eyes lit up. "Head of the family, brilliant."

Li Xinge smiled faintly.

A month later.

Shenjing.

The Princess's Mansion.

In an octagonal pavilion, the Princess Royal was playing the zither.

The clear, tinkling notes stirred the soul.

Cao Jin stood with his hands folded outside the pavilion. Only after the piece ended did he step forward and bow. "Your Highness, this servant has returned."

Jiang Qinghuang did not turn around. Her slender fingers lightly plucked the strings, sounding a few scattered notes.

"Well? Did he agree?"

Cao Jin drew a deep breath and lowered his head further. "Your Highness, this servant failed in his duty. Governor Li... politely declined."

The music stopped abruptly.

She turned around. Her peerless face revealed little emotion. "Politely declined? What exactly did he say? Tell me in detail, without leaving out a single word."

"Yes, Your Highness."

As Cao Jin recounted the events at length,

the pavilion sank into dead silence.

After a long while, Jiang Qinghuang suddenly chuckled.

The laugh was soft, yet it made Cao Jin's heart tighten.

"I underestimated him."

There was no disappointment in Jiang Qinghuang's voice. Instead, it carried a hint of amusement.

Cao Jin cautiously lifted his head.