Daqing Reborn Prince, Intercepting Si Lili at the Beginning

Chapter 14: Sili Li’s Bold Move! The Emperor’s Shock!

“Your Highness… you… you…”
Sili Li stared at Li Chengyuan with an expression of disbelief, utterly shocked beyond words.

At that moment, she was truly scared! Afraid of this man, Li Chengyuan!

The main reason was that Li Chengyuan was too terrifying.

Sili Li had said almost nothing.

Yet Li Chengyuan, solely based on the fact that there was something in the wine, deduced her identity as a spy from Northern Qi. This ability was simply uncanny.

What a pity that Sili Li didn’t know that Li Chengyuan was reverse engineering the answer he already knew.

In truth, Li Chengyuan’s reasoning had many gaps that could have been explained away.

But an utterly panicked Sili Li lost in her fear, didn’t have the clarity of mind to think about those loopholes.

Looking at Sili Li, who was trembling all over, Li Chengyuan smiled and said, “Judging by your reaction, I guessed correctly?”

Sili Li stayed silent for a while, then suddenly, as if resigned to her fate, she sat back down.

“Your Highness, since you already know my identity, then do as you will, whether it’s killing me or punishing me.”

Li Chengyuan shook his head, saying, “Don’t act all righteous in front of me. If you truly had the resolve to die, you wouldn’t be wasting time talking to me. You would have committed suicide the moment your cover was blown!”

Sili Li: “……”

“Alright, I’m done teasing you,” Li Chengyuan stretched lazily, his demeanor relaxed. “Rest assured, I have no intention of exposing you. Right now, I’m just a prince with no power or influence. Exposing you doesn’t benefit me in any way.”

Upon hearing this, Sili Li’s spirits lifted once again. She caught the subtext in Li Chengyuan’s words.

“Your Highness, are you suggesting you wish to cooperate with me?”

Li Chengyuan neither confirmed nor denied it but nodded slightly, “That’s what I’m considering. However, I hesitate because I don’t need unreliable allies. In other words, for now, you hold no credibility with me.”

Sili Li paused, gazing directly at Li Chengyuan for a moment before standing up. She walked over to him, sat directly in his lap, and wrapped her arms around his neck, her breath warm and sweet.

“Your Highness, how about this?”

Feeling the soft body in his embrace, Li Chengyuan was genuinely caught off guard.

Now it was his turn to feel a little uncomfortable.

“Is Miss Sili Li offering herself?”

Sili Li smiled charmingly, “Indeed! Your Highness doubts me and doesn’t trust me, so if I give myself entirely to you, would that earn your trust?”

Li Chengyuan shook his head, “You’re overthinking it. To me, this and trust are two separate matters. Even if you gave yourself to me, I would still not trust you if I didn’t before.”

Sili Li was truly irritated now. “Your Highness is so heartless?”

“It’s not that I’m heartless,” Li Chengyuan replied seriously. “Miss Sili Li, you’re mistaken about one thing. For me, trust is mutual and pure. If trust could be bought with a physical exchange, wouldn’t trust be a little too cheap?”

Sili Li was stunned once again.

She had thought Li Chengyuan was just toying with her.

But she never expected him to say something like this.

This side of Li Chengyuan suddenly felt unfamiliar to her.

It was the first time she’d encountered someone from the upper echelons of power like him.

After a moment of silence, Sili Li gazed at Li Chengyuan and, for the first time, sincerely asked, “Then, Your Highness, how can I earn your trust?”

“I don’t know either!” Li Chengyuan shook his head. “Trust isn’t built from a single conversation or encounter. As they say, you only know the strength of a horse over a long distance, and you only see someone’s heart over time. Without long-term interaction, how can trust develop?”

Upon hearing this, Sili Li looked at Li Chengyuan’s earnest expression and suddenly smiled brightly.

“Your Highness, now I understand. Then for now, please feel my sincerity!”

Before Li Chengyuan could respond, Sili Li lowered her head and kissed him on the lips!

Enveloped by Sili Li’s embrace, Li Chengyuan instantly lost all resistance.

Negotiations ended, and the night aboard the flower boat officially began.

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At the same time, in the Imperial Palace, inside the emperor’s chambers.

The emperor of Qing was dressed in a deep V-neck sleeping robe, sitting on his bed reviewing memorials.

Eunuch Hou hurried in, taking careful steps.

When he reached the emperor, he didn’t waste any time and reported directly.

“Your Majesty, news has just arrived: the Third Prince went to Zui Xian House tonight, escorted by the heir of the Duke of Jing!”

“Oh?” The emperor looked up, surprised. “Li Chengyuan went to Zui Xian House? And it was Li Hongcheng who took him there?”

“Yes, Your Majesty, and…” Eunuch Hou lowered his head and continued, “It is said that the heir brought a poem written by the Third Prince to Sili Li, the courtesan of Zui Xian House, and she was so moved by it that she invited the Third Prince onto her boat!”

“Sili Li? She invited Li Chengyuan aboard?” The emperor’s gaze sharpened. He then asked, “What poem did Li Chengyuan write?”

“Your Majesty, the Third Prince wrote a poem and even used a new type of calligraphy. Please take a look!”

With that, Eunuch Hou presented a piece of paper from his sleeve to the emperor.

This was the original draft written by Li Chengyuan himself.

The emperor took the paper, unfolded it, and was immediately captivated by the calligraphy that met his eyes.

This style of writing was something the emperor had never seen before!

He was instantly drawn to its novelty.

The structure of the characters was lively, the strokes slender yet firm, thin but without losing substance. The larger characters were especially graceful and poised. Truly, it was an exceptional style!

The emperor was inwardly astonished—his son had this level of skill?

After marveling at it for a while, the emperor shifted his attention to the poem itself.

Reading the verses, the emperor was once again taken aback, particularly by the lines “Where under the heavens are there no fragrant grasses?” and “The passionate are troubled by the heartless.” They made him want to applaud on the spot!

However, after admiring the work, the emperor looked up and asked in surprise, “Are you sure that this poem and calligraphy were truly written by Li Chengyuan?”

“Yes, Your Majesty. Our people saw the Third Prince write it with their own eyes! Moreover, the Third Prince claimed that this style of calligraphy was his invention. He calls it ‘Slender Gold Script’!”

“Slender Gold Script? What a fitting name! An excellent name!” The emperor sighed. “This Third Son of mine truly surprises me!”

Eunuch Hou, seeing this, cautiously asked, “Your Majesty, the Third Prince’s visit to the brothel will likely lead to some officials impeaching him tomorrow. Do you think we should give the Third Prince a warning?”

Upon hearing this, the emperor thought for a moment, then said, “Eunuch Hou, tomorrow go to the Li Jun Prince’s residence and convey my decree. Then, have this poem and the Slender Gold Script published in the newspaper exactly as it is!”

Eunuch Hou hurriedly accepted the order.

“Understood!”

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