Chapter 43: Qin Lie’s Invitation

"Your Highness, the scent from that woman combined with the fragrance from the butterflies has created a hallucinogenic poison. This kind of poison will make people do things they wouldn't dare to do otherwise." Dongfang Ji truly was a 'ghost hand,' skilled in both medicine and poison.

Ling Mo naturally knew the effect of the fragrance. It seemed Qin Lie was giving Emperor Ling Ji a warning. Ling Mo took Li Ge's wrist and carefully checked her pulse. When he confirmed she wouldn't be affected by the poison, he finally relaxed and calmly watched the rather chaotic scene before him.

Looking at these people who usually pretended to be sages, who knew what kind of wickedness they harbored, and their hypocritical demeanor of brotherly friendship, it was truly laughable now, just like it was at this moment.

"Hmph, once this one becomes Emperor, he will definitely slaughter that damned Ling Mo." Prince Ling Dong raised his wine cup with high spirits, declaring boldly to everyone around him.

"Your Highness, Tong'er finally has you." Concubine Tong beside Ling Dong threw herself into the Prince's arms, mumbling.

"Beauty, was I brave just now?" Ling Dong wiped Concubine Tong's face, leering suggestively.

Seeing the Prince of Chaofeng and his concubine about to engage in lewd behavior in public, the Second Prince, Ling Feng, who had been smiling all along, finally put down his wine cup and gently advised, "Royal brother, wake up."

"Get out of my way! Who are you to stop me, you dog slave? You're asking for death!" Ling Dong stumbled and raised his foot to kick the Second Prince.

A fierce look flashed in the gentle eyes of the Second Prince. He sighed bitterly and slapped the Prince's back, causing him to collapse onto his body. The Second Prince, Ling Feng, then turned to Qin Lie, who had been enjoying the show, and said, "I hope the Prince can provide an antidote."

Qin Lie remained in the same posture, even pulling the woman who had been dancing earlier into his arms, and asked with a puzzled expression, "What antidote?"

"The Prince of Linjun shouldn't want to provoke a war between Chaofeng and Linjun at this moment, after all, it's impossible for him to conquer Chaofeng now." Ling Feng said, glancing at Ling Mo. The meaning was obvious. Even if he disliked everything about this place, Ling Mo, as the Third Prince of Chaofeng, wouldn't allow another country to invade.

"Oh, what does the Qingyi Prince think?" Qin Lie turned to Ling Mo, who had remained silent.

"This one believes the Prince of Linjun's wishes will ultimately be unfulfilled."

After saying that, Ling Mo glanced at Dongfang Ji, who understood and waved his hand. The fragrant scent began to gradually dissipate, and the butterflies, like intoxicated moths, lowered their wings and drifted to the ground like dust.

"Hehe, this Prince thinks the Qingyi Prince should take good care of his own things. If he's not careful, this Prince worries the Qingyi Prince will become a lonely man." Qin Lie said with a veiled threat.

He had been curious about what kind of woman could capture the attention of his icy opponent. After this round, he discovered that this woman was no ordinary person. His hallucinogenic drug was effective unless the person had taken an antidote beforehand or had a natural resistance to poison and a strong will. However, he had just seen that the woman hadn't taken any medicine. If she didn't have a deep understanding of poison, then her blood itself must be a detoxifying elixir.

It seemed that tonight's harvest was considerable. This woman had piqued his interest.

What would it be like to see the purity in those eyes tainted by the desires of the world?

Qin Lie's blatant gaze ignited a murderous aura around Ling Mo. He gently stroked Li Ge's back and said coldly, "This one doesn't need the Prince's concern."

Last night's banquet ended with everyone feeling ashamed and wanting to burrow into the ground. When Ling Ji saw Qin Lie leaving with the woman in his arms, his face turned from white to red, from red to blue, from blue to black. Li Ge had never seen such a rapid change in expression, but thinking of those who had once harmed Mo, she secretly smiled with schadenfreude.

In a royal villa, Qin Lie lay lazily on a soft couch, listening to his secret guard's report. "That woman was brought out of the southern forest of Chaofeng by the Qingyi Prince. No one knows her origins."

"Is that all the information you got?" Qin Lie tasted the fruit wine in a crystal goblet, saying lazily.

Even a single sentence caused the kneeling man to sweat profusely. Although he knew the Prince was in a good mood and might spare his life, he still didn't dare to raise his head, fearing that the Prince's mood would suddenly change.

Qin Lie enjoyed the trembling of everyone when they saw him. Although he was dissatisfied with this information, he thought that these people probably couldn't get anything more useful. Qin Lie waved his hand. "Alright, get up. Send a message to the Qingyi Prince's manor, saying that this one will host him and his future Princess at Piaoxiang Pavilion."

"Yes." The man quietly left.

When the room was quiet again, the enchanting woman who had danced last night twisted her waist and walked over, her slender arms around Qin Lie's neck, asking in a charming voice, "Your Highness, why did you specifically invite the Qingyi Prince?"

As soon as the woman finished speaking, Qin Lie's empty hand pushed her hard, and she was thrown to the ground with a slap. When she raised her head, the blood at the corner of her mouth was shocking.

The woman's tragic appearance didn't evoke any pity from Qin Lie. He stared at her with blood-red eyes, and his thin lips uttered cold words. "Remember your place, Mei Ji. It's not your business to ask. It's best to control your mouth, or you won't be let off so easily next time."

Mei Ji didn't have time to wipe the blood from the corner of her mouth and quickly knelt down, crawling towards Qin Lie, stammering, "Mei Ji knows her mistake, please spare Mei Ji, Your Highness."

Qin Lie rarely kept women who had made mistakes by his side, but despite this, those women still flocked to him like moths to a flame. Mei Ji was one of the luckiest ones, to receive the Prince's temporary favor.

"Don't let it happen again." Qin Lie helped Mei Ji up, saying without a trace of emotion.

"Yes." Mei Ji said excitedly.

She never expected the Prince to keep her. Could it be that her position in the Prince's heart was different from those other women?

But Mei Ji never imagined that Qin Lie didn't have feelings for her at all, but she was still useful.

Qingyi Prince's Manor.

Dongfang Ji anxiously looked at Ling Mo and asked, "Your Highness, are you going to Piaoxiang Pavilion?"

Ling Mo nodded, and continued to pile food onto Li Ge's plate. "Do you like this or that?"

Dongfang Ji stood behind Ling Mo, watching his Lord develop a tendency to be a wife-slave, and couldn't help but shake his head. Who could tell him if this was the same master he had followed for more than ten years? How could he elevate a woman to such a high position?