380: Chapter 380 I Understood

The Taoist disciples nearby, who hadn't seen much of the world, were dumbfounded. Could a woman really be so bold in her pursuit of love? And a royal princess at that!

In Taoist Xinyizi's eyes, however, a hint of admiration suddenly appeared.

"If the Princess wishes to marry into the Zhenbei Princes Mansion, why not have a chat with me first?"

Seeing Lin Xiao's impatient expression, Xiao Qingxuan spoke up hurriedly.

Princess Li Xinglan had been avoiding eye contact with Xiao Qingxuan because she felt this woman was too beautiful—so beautiful that it made her feel inferior.

However, considering she wanted to enter the gates of the Zhenbei Princes Mansion, she couldn't avoid this Princess Consort, so she braced herself and agreed.

Seeing Xiao Qingxuan handle it for him, Lin Xiao was happy to let her.

"Wife, make it clear to her exactly what she needs to do. Tell her to stop bothering this Prince and get on with her business!"

As a puppet, one had to have the awareness of being a puppet; being a vassal and making money for him was the key.

Always thinking about climbing into the master's bed—what was that about? Couldn't she see the bed was already very crowded!?

Xiao Qingxuan accepted the order with a smile. "Rest assured, Prince. I will make everything clear to her."

Lin Xiao nodded in satisfaction, greeted Old Celestial Master Xiao Dan, and went back to the courtyard to wash up. Besides, there were other women busy getting up; there were plenty of things to do in the morning!

Meanwhile, Xiao Qingxuan led Princess Li Xinglan to a deserted small pavilion in the mountains.

Princess Li Xinglan felt somewhat ill at ease. She couldn't help it; the vibe Xiao Qingxuan gave off didn't seem like an ordinary female relative at all. Her status seemed even more noble than her own.

"If you want me to give up on the Prince, you can forget it. I love him, and I won't marry anyone else in this lifetime!"

Princess Li Xinglan got straight to the point, acting like a dead pig that didn't fear boiling water!

Xiao Qingxuan was all smiles, not angry in the slightest. "My Prince is a peerless hero, talented in both literary and martial arts. It's only natural for the Princess to want to marry him."

"He's not even that great..."

Princess Li Xinglan blushed and said, "What do you want to say? Just say it."

"Does the Princess know that she has made two big mistakes?"

"Which two?" Princess Li Xinglan frowned.

Xiao Qingxuan's face turned cold as she held up a slender finger. "First, you shouldn't have claimed to be the Prince's person in public. Even if the Prince isn't afraid, and you aren't either, it's ultimately too high-profile and damages the Prince's reputation."

"I know you want to make it impossible for the Prince to avoid the issue and solidify this identity, but this is exactly what is pressuring him. This is a big mistake!"

Princess Li Xinglan knew she was in the wrong and felt a bit regretful. She nodded meekly. "Um... I was wrong."

Seeing Princess Li Xinglan's good attitude in admitting her fault, Xiao Qingxuan's expression softened slightly.

"Second, it's understandable that the Princess wants to marry into the Zhenbei Princes Mansion. There are thousands, if not tens of thousands, of noble ladies in the world who want to marry my husband."

"But the problem is, the Princess should first think clearly about what she can bring to the Prince, rather than... first thinking about what she can get from him!"

Princess Li Xinglan was indignant. "I am the Princess of Yan. My dowry is the Three Prefectures of Yan. Isn't that enough?!"

"Aren't the three prefectures already the Prince's right now!?" Xiao Qingxuan countered.

"This..."

Princess Li Xinglan's face froze, and she was left speechless.

Indeed, in essence, the lifeblood of the Three Prefectures of Yan was already in Lin Xiao's hands.

Was it really because Princess Li Xinglan was so wise and capable that the Yan Region could recover so quickly, with the people having food to eat and work to do?

It was only because the Northern Trade Alliance, Northern Construction, Northern Coal, and Northern Road Administration were pumping lifeblood into it like crazy!

Princess Li Xinglan's eyes turned red, and she was somewhat at a loss. "Then... then what should I do? The Emperor wants me to marry the Crown Prince, and I can't hand over the Yan Region. Should I just directly defy the imperial decree?"

"Defying the decree... why not?"

Xiao Qingxuan's beautiful eyes flickered, and she smiled playfully.

Princess Li Xinglan's body shuddered. Looking at the heavenly Princess Consort before her, who wore an unfathomable smile, she suddenly felt a hint of fear.

"Princess, as I said just now, you have to prove your value..."

"Take my sisters for example. Wanying and Caiwei can both hold their own, leading armies to fight for the Prince in the north and south."

"Su Wansha and Juner can manage the people's livelihood internally and engage in trade and business externally. They are indispensable figures in the Northern Trade Alliance."

"The things Yaner does are all behind the scenes, and their importance goes without saying."

Xiao Qingxuan said, "And you, Princess, although you seemingly hold three prefectures, in reality, you are nothing more than a puppet. You are truly insignificant."

Princess Li Xinglan felt aggrieved hearing this. "Then what about you? Didn't you also get with the Prince early..."

Before she could finish, a series of rumbling cracks resounded from the pavilion, and cold, hard Profound Ice completely covered the cliff and the pavilion!

Princess Li Xinglan shuddered all over, discovering in horror that the pavilion had turned into a giant "ice sculpture"!?

"I may not be particularly outstanding by the Prince's side, but I believe I am... still a bit more useful than the Princess."

Xiao Qingxuan reached out her frost-white hand, her icy fingertips touching Princess Li Xinglan's cheek.

Princess Li Xinglan trembled all over, almost unable to catch her breath.

"Princess, do you understand what I just said?"

Princess Li Xinglan took a deep breath of the cold air and suddenly became clear-headed.

"Um..."

The girl's gaze gradually became firm, and she nodded heavily.

Half an incense stick later.

Lin Xiao and the women had all finished washing up and were ready to head out to watch the Prodigy Battle.

Leng Bingyan had easily broken into the top thirty-two yesterday. Today, she would encounter a few capable opponents and seemed eager to try.

After a short wait, Lin Xiao saw Xiao Qingxuan return with a gentle and moving smile.

"Wife, is it settled?"

"Yes, Princess Xinglan is already preparing to head down the mountain and return to the Yan Region," Xiao Qingxuan nodded.

"Did she understand?"

"Rest assured, husband. The Princess has agreed to defy the decree upon her return and advocate for the independence of the Three Prefectures of Yan!" Xiao Qingxuan smiled.

Wait, what!?

Lin Xiao's eyes widened. "You... you're having her rebel!?"

Xiao Qingxuan blinked her eyes. "Husband, did you... not mean that?"

"I... I just wanted her to ignore that arranged marriage and go about her business!"

Lin Xiao now felt as if he had intended to visit an ice and snow theme park, but ended up being sent to the North and South Poles!

Xiao Qingxuan frowned and said, "I thought that Emperor Hong pressuring Princess Xinglan with an arranged marriage to take back the three prefectures was equivalent to slapping the face of his own decree of bestowing favors and going back on his word."

"With Princess Xinglan's current prestige in the Yan Region and the court's previous actions, the people's hearts are definitely with the Princess. So, isn't this the perfect time to break away and seize territory?"

"Once the Yan Region becomes independent, the court will be powerless to suppress it. At that time, whether husband manages it in secret or 'reclaims' the Yan Region on behalf of the court to subdue the 'rebels,' it will all follow logically!"

Lin Xiao gasped; that did seem to make sense!

Emperor Hong's move with the arranged marriage seemed to put Princess Li Xinglan on the spot, but in reality... it was delivering a surprise gift pack to him!

"I didn't consider so much. My wife indeed has more foresight, haha..."

"What are you saying, husband? I merely explained your thoughts to her in detail. You have the world in your heart, so naturally, you don't need to consider every single detail," Xiao Qingxuan said softly.

Lin Xiao felt embarrassed. Being of commoner origin, he couldn't compare to those who had studied the art of kingship since childhood!

That's too ruthless!

The other women were also very excited to hear that Princess Li Xinglan was going back to rebel. This way, they would have plenty to keep them busy again!

The group chatted excitedly as they made their way back to the Tianwu Grand Tournament venue.

At the entrance, Qin He, whom they hadn't seen for a day, came running over excitedly.

Behind him followed a group of men, women, and children dressed in Blade Mountain attire, but they stopped at a distance, seemingly not daring to approach rashly.