Imperial Princess Aids My Ambition

Gongshu Xia went to see his father.

It wasn't that Gongshu Songting was truly ill; it was simply that he had no desire to get tangled up with these politicians.

He knew his old father felt the same way, so when the old man anticipated that the Crown Prince and the Imperial Princess might arrive, he simply feigned a bout of high fever to avoid them.

He pushed his own son out to take the heat.

How utterly lacking in martial virtue!

Time to slip away!

Once the riffraff had cleared out, the atmosphere instantly turned pure.

The puppet glanced at their burning gazes and hurriedly scrambled back into its box: "I have things to attend to as well, I'm off!"

Li Zhixuan quickly grabbed the puppet: "Sir, no need to rush. Gongshu Xia has left, but aren't we still here? I was utterly captivated by your performance at the Puppet Assembly today. Since we happen to have met at the Gongshu Mansion, why not share a few drinks?"

The puppet pointed at its Wooden Head: "Look at me like this—do you really think I can drink?"

Li Zhixuan: "..."

This puppet was so lifelike that he had completely forgotten that detail.

Yet, the more lifelike it was, the more he wanted to recruit this person into his service.

He smiled warmly: "Your puppet is so nimble, your true self must not be far away. Before I arrived, I already had a banquet prepared at the Jade Terrace Wine Pavilion. I hope you will do me the honor."

With these words, he had lowered his posture significantly.

He had always been respectful to men of talent, which was why his faction was filled with capable people.

But the puppet wasn't interested in the slightest: "No need. I have no interest in eating or drinking, and even less interest in the Crown Prince."

Li Zhixuan: "???"

The smile on his face froze instantly. He had been running his own estate for a long time, and it wasn't as if he hadn't faced cold shoulders before. The Capital City was full of talent, each with their own agendas; some didn't want to pick a side, some were close to Li Xingluo, and naturally, many rejected him.

But even when they refused, they usually gave him enough face.

How was such bluntness any different from an insult?

No matter how good Li Zhixuan's temper was, his expression couldn't help but darken.

Respecting talent was one thing, but the purpose of respecting talent was to win their hearts.

If there was no possibility of winning a man's heart, then continuing to smile would be nothing more than groveling.

His master had been insulted.

A guard nearby flew into a rage: "You scoundrel! How dare you speak so disrespectfully to the Crown Prince!"

The puppet crossed its arms and leaned back tactically: "Is being uninterested in the Crown Prince considered disrespectful? I am but a free spirit; I seek no office and only care for beauty. If I were interested in the Crown Prince, that would be disrespectful, wouldn't it?"

"You..."

"Enough!"

Li Zhixuan waved his hand, his expression indifferent: "Since you wish to remain a free spirit, I shall not force you. Farewell!"

With that, he turned and left.

The puppet bowed to Li Xingluo: "Imperial Princess, I shall take my leave as well."

Li Xingluo suddenly chuckled: "Just now you said you seek no office and only care for beauty, and that you have no interest in the Crown Prince. Does that mean you have no interest in me either?"

The puppet waved a hand: "Just an excuse. I'm simply being rude."

Li Xingluo shook her head: "At the Puppet Assembly today, you outshone all your peers, yet you still showed great deference to the Gongshu Clan. How could you be a person who doesn't understand etiquette?"

"I share a mutual appreciation with the Gongshu Clan. Besides, I wanted to steal a few tricks of their trade—I had to show them some respect."

"So, it's all because the Gongshu Clan has something you want?"

"Yes!"

"In that case, I also have something you want."

"And what does the Imperial Princess have?"

"Money!"

"Hiss..."

The puppet drew a sharp breath, but still managed a difficult wave of its hand: "The Crown Prince has money too. Why should I choose the Imperial Princess?"

Li Xingluo shook her head: "I don't know."

The puppet laughed: "If you don't know, then why..."

Li Xingluo smiled slightly: "However, the fact that you drove the Crown Prince away just now, yet are willing to speak so much with me, is proof enough that you hold different attitudes toward us.

Just now, you said your interest in beauty was merely a pretense.

Setting aside the differences between men and women, the only real difference between the Crown Prince and me is our political stance.

Sir... do you truly have no desire for an official post?"

The puppet seemed to have been struck to the core by her words, remaining silent for a long time before saying, "Your Highness truly has eyes like torches!"

A smile bloomed on Li Xingluo's face; her guess had been correct.

There were indeed recluses in this world.

When living in straitened circumstances, it was only natural to earn some loose change.

They might hold those in power in contempt, but they would certainly not treat people differently.

The fact that he could treat them differently meant that, in his heart, the two were already distinct.

She cupped her hands with great sincerity: "It is hard to find a soulmate in this life. Sir is overflowing with talent, yet one needs someone who appreciates them to help realize their lofty ambitions. If Sir truly harbors such aspirations, the Imperial Princess Mansion still has a fourth-rank vacancy..."

The puppet interrupted with difficulty: "I ask that the Imperial Princess give me time to consider."

Li Xingluo smiled slightly, flipped her palm, and handed over a token: "This is the Imperial Princess Token. If you come to a decision, Sir, come to the Imperial Princess Mansion to find me at any time."

"Certainly!"

"May I ask for your honorable name?"

"This humble Daoist is Kongxu."

"So it is Daoist Kongxu."

Li Xingluo smiled and cupped her hands: "The Imperial Princess Mansion awaits your arrival at any time, Daoist."

With that, she left with Pu Mingzhu.

The puppet stood where he was, his wooden-carved face revealing neither joy nor sorrow.

The goal of approaching Li Xingluo had been achieved.

He had no political ambitions whatsoever.

But "Daoist Kongxu" could.

After all, when clinging to a powerful figure, one must cater to their preferences and take a clear stance. Besides, he didn't find the notes on Li Zhixuan's fate particularly pleasing anyway; it was the perfect opportunity to step on him while simultaneously satisfying Li Xingluo's emotional needs.

And then there was Li Zhixuan's fate.

[Fate Grade]: Second Rank (111/2560)
[Annotation]: Suspicious and weak-willed. Facing the deep-seated ills of the Great Gan, he resorts only to compromise and concession. Less than ten years after ascending the throne, the peak of the Great Gan will crumble into the dust of history.

Second rank.

If he could pull him down from his position as Crown Prince, he should be able to obtain quite a lot.

"Brother, brother!"

Gongshu Xia came running back from behind the trees.

The puppet couldn't help but laugh: "Didn't you go to buy medicine? Why are you back so soon?"

Gongshu Xia slapped his thigh: "Isn't it strange? The moment the Crown Prince and the Imperial Princess left, my father's high fever broke on the spot."

The puppet pondered for a moment and remarked with earnest gravity: "Indeed! It is truly too strange."

Gongshu Xia smiled and made a gesture of invitation: "Since the idlers have left, shall we exchange pointers, brother? My father specifically opened the Library Pavilion today; he certainly won't let you leave empty-handed."

"And I certainly won't let the Gongshu Clan suffer a loss!"

"After you?"

"After you!"

The two walked side by side toward the Library Pavilion.

Qin Muye was somewhat surprised that the Gongshu Clan was so generous.

But thinking about it, it made sense; today he had publicly saved face for the Gongshu Clan, and the clan had offered corresponding courtesy in return.

Both sides had their own strengths in puppet refining, and mutual learning was beneficial to everyone.

Qin Muye did not intend to hide his skills, as he didn't believe the value of the Gongshu Clan's collection was lower than the Thread-Crafter. The spiritual power circuits for combat, which the Gongshu Clan excelled at, were precisely his own weakness.

Moreover, a fate-skill like Thread-Crafter was no different from an innate divine ability; such heaven-defying methods of imbuing spirits were simply impossible for outsiders to learn.

However, since they were both in the field of artifact refining, with Gongshu Xia's monstrous talent, he would surely be able to grasp something unique.

When drinking with a soulmate, a thousand cups are not enough.

If the two were already heavy drinkers, a myriad of cups would likely not suffice.

Gongshu Xia had originally lost interest in artifact refining, but having suddenly encountered a puppet-refining secret technique that he could understand but could not for the life of him master, his desire to study it was thoroughly ignited.

Qin Muye was also unwilling to give up this rare opportunity to steal techniques. Throughout the process, he operated the puppet with total immersion, and combined with his insights from Thread-Crafter and Craftsman Heart, his artisan comprehension soared.

For an entire night, the two chatted by candlelight, neither showing any intention of stopping.

Of course.

Everything has a price.

The consumption over the course of the night was extremely high.

It caused him to sleep until the afternoon of the next day before he finally rose.

Upon waking.

Bai Yuji was currently checking his pulse, looking as if she were facing a formidable enemy: "Why are you so exhausted?"

Qin Muye spouted nonsense: "I was too excited last night and suffered from insomnia..."

For some reason, the corners of Bai Yuji's mouth curled upward, though she couldn't help but roll her eyes at him: "You need to rest quietly now and recover your energy. What are you letting your imagination run wild for?"

"I am thinking about the treatment."

"The treatment..."

Bai Yuji's heartbeat suddenly quickened.

She knew that the treatment he spoke of did not refer to taking medicine, but rather the steps taken after the medicine was ingested to stir up its potency.

After the treatment.

The doctor's mouth tended to get swollen.

Qin Muye asked: "Are we doing the treatment today?"

Bai Yuji: "..."