Now I really have to marry the princess.

The carriage swayed gently, and Li Lizhi sat upright within, her hands neatly folded on her knees, regaining her usual dignified demeanor.

Her cheeks were slightly flushed, and the tips of her ears were a little hot; her heart was clearly not as calm as it appeared.

She quietly raised her hand, touched her forehead with her fingertips, and a sweet smile appeared on her lips.

Immediately, she lowered her head and her cheeks turned even redder.

On the rooftop, she was kissed on the forehead by that shameless guy.

It's warm, soft, and moist.

But that touch seemed to leave nothing behind, yet it was also as if it were branded into my heart from between my brows.

But why didn't he kiss me... on the lips!

Li Lizhi subconsciously pursed her lips.

She remembers closing her eyes and tilting her head back, but she forgot whether she pouted at the time.

It's really embarrassing to think about.

But he only kissed her forehead.

Thinking of this, Li Lizhi pouted again and cursed that shameless bad guy in her heart.

The rumbling of wheels rolled over the rammed earth road of Zhuque Avenue, and the wheel hubs creaked.

Outside the window, the old city wall recedes slowly, and rows of green locust trees line the roadside, their branches and leaves just beginning to flourish.

After a long while, the blush on Li Lizhi's face faded, and she glanced at the female official kneeling beside her.

The female official kept her eyes down, seemingly lost in thought, and coughed lightly.

"Yu Siyan, I don't blame you for the danger I encountered today. But if the Emperor knew, he would surely be furious."

Upon hearing this, Lady Yu was taken aback, then smiled bitterly to herself, "My lord, you don't need to do that. I'm not stupid."

She immediately replied solemnly, "I understand, Your Highness. Thank you for covering for me."

Li Lizhi had never been so unreasonable, so blaming others, and so threatening her subordinates as she was today.

However, I learned this from my father. I remember that this was how my father made the Duke of Su bow his head and admit his mistake.

A sly glint flashed across her lips, then she turned to the side, a smile on her face, and gently patted the lady-in-waiting's hand.

"Miss Yu, you are so good to me."

Lady Yu was startled again, and when she looked up, her eyes were a little red.

"Your Highness, I am one with you; we share both glory and loss."

Looking at the female official who was moved to express her loyalty, Li Lizhi was secretly pleased. Those shameless sweet words were indeed effective.

She winked at the lady-in-waiting and said gently, "You know who the Empress Dowager's people are, right?"

"I understand, I know what to do."

"My lady, if I ever marry, I will definitely take you with me."

Lady Yu was overjoyed. If Her Highness married Young Master Yang, she would surely live in the Princess's residence.

Given the Emperor's fondness for His Highness, the Princess's residence will surely be treated with the utmost respect.

In the future, she will be the head lady-in-waiting of this princess's residence.

This kind of future is far better than letting Your Highness marry into the Duke of Qi's mansion.

If it weren't for Young Master Yang asking Immortal Sun to speak to the Empress, and Her Highness had indeed married into the Duke of Qi's household and had to observe the rites of a daughter-in-law, she would still have been nothing more than a servant.

Moreover, since Young Master Yang's parents passed away early and there are no elders to restrain him in the mansion, His Highness will be more at ease in the mansion in the future, and she, as his close female official, will naturally have more dignity.

Now that Her Highness had given his promise, Lady Yu was overjoyed and quickly and respectfully agreed.

"Since Your Highness has not abandoned me, I am willing to die to repay your great kindness."

Li Lizhi nodded in satisfaction, then smiled to herself, her face blushing sweetly.

She took out a manuscript of poetry from her bosom and secretly read it again.

After a long and reluctant journey home, I finally return, to the winding corridors and slanting balustrades.

Only the moon in the spring courtyard is sentimental, still shining its light on the fallen flowers for this person.

the other side.

After leaving Xuandu Temple, Yang Zhengdao took Su Hongyi and Nazha to the blacksmith shop in the West Market to meet Xi Junmai and Aba.

It was during the bustling time of the West Market.

The three of them had no choice but to dismount and walk.

The streets were bustling with traffic, crowded with people, and teeming with merchants.

The Western Region merchants with blue eyes and high noses, the Turkic tribes with their hair loose and their robes fastened on the left, all dressed in strange costumes and speaking different languages, made for a noisy mix of Han and non-Han peoples.

Naza, a woman of foreign origin with amber eyes, looks more like a Tang Chinese when thrown into a crowd.

Shops lined both sides of the street, with flags fluttering in the breeze.

As we passed a tavern run by a foreign merchant, bursts of laughter came from inside, interspersed with the sounds of pipa and bili, the melodies carrying a strong exotic flavor.

And at that very moment.

A caravan of merchants from the Central Asian countries moved slowly through the area, the camel bells jingling. The camels carried heavy loads of goods, and the air was filled with the faint scent of spices and wool.

Across the camel caravan, a figure flashed past Yang Zhengdao out of the corner of his eye.

It's that courtesan Zhezhi.

Although I couldn't see her face clearly, I couldn't be wrong about the two lanterns hanging on her chest.

Yang Zhengdao turned around abruptly and saw only the back of a figure in a narrow-sleeved silk robe in the crowd.

That tall figure, that slender waist, that swaying, pert buttocks—it was none other than the courtesan Zhezhi who had drugged him in Pingkangfang that day.

That night, according to the confession of the foster mother Liu Rushi, the prostitute from Zhezhi was named Dili. After dancing for Yang Zhengdao and Li Hui, she left the other place.

Yang Zhengdao shouted at the retreating figure, "Dili!"

She turned around.

This time, without the veil to conceal her face, Yang Zhengdao saw her exquisite features.

A pert nose, bright red lips, and emerald green eyes.

Sure enough it was her!

Yang Zhengdao made a quick decision and casually tossed the reins to the servant boy soliciting business in front of the tavern.

"Red dress, Naza! It's that courtesan Zhezhi! Come with me and chase after her!"

Without hesitation, Su Hongyi and Nazha also left their horses behind and followed Yang Zhengdao, pushing through the crowd and chasing after them.

When Dili saw Yang Zhengdao chasing after her, a smile appeared on her lips. She then turned and disappeared into the depths of the crowd.

Yang Zhengdao pursued relentlessly.

Su Hongyi and Nazha followed on either side.

One after the other, the four of them moved like a fast boat gliding through the crowd, cleaving through the bustling ocean.

"Get out of the way! Get out of the way!"

Yang Zhengdao chased after them while shouting, but there were just too many people and too many different kinds of people in the West Market.

Several merchants were haggling over prices around a stall, a vendor selling flatbread was pushing a cart across the road, and a group of porters in short tunics were slowly walking along carrying boxes of goods.

Yang Zhengdao squeezed past them, nearly knocking over a woman carrying a pottery jar. The woman shrieked something, but he didn't care.

Dilireba is agile and moves around the crowd with ease.

She walked through the banners of the silk merchants, around the stalls selling flatbread, and brushed past a foreign merchant leading a donkey. The donkey was startled, raised its head and brayed, and almost kicked the person next to it.

Yang Zhengdao gritted his teeth and chased after him, but the more he chased, the more frightened he became.

It was obvious that Dili was extremely familiar with West City, and he suspected that Dili had appeared on purpose, or even deliberately lured him here.

Soon, Yang Zhengdao and his two companions followed Dili away from the bustling street and turned into a winding alley.

Yang Zhengdao stopped abruptly at the alley entrance.

The alley was very narrow, with the back walls of shops on both sides. At the base of the walls, there were piles of miscellaneous items, as well as some broken baskets and broken tiles.

The alley is not deep, but it has many side streets. People who are not familiar with the terrain will most likely get lost if they go in.

At this moment, Yang Zhengdao deeply regretted not bringing Aba along. With Aba's memory, they certainly wouldn't have gotten lost here.

In desperation, he could only shout, "Stop!"

Dili glanced back, her eyes clearly smiling. She winked mischievously at Yang Zhengdao before turning into another alley.

The three chased after her again, but Dili had already disappeared from sight.

The empty alleyway in front of us then splits into three side streets.

Su Hongyi glanced around the alley, frowned, and asked, "Brother, should we continue chasing?"

Yang Zhengdao was somewhat unwilling.

If Dili had only used aphrodisiacs during the song and dance that night, Yang Zhengdao would definitely have turned around and left.

After all, the aphrodisiac that night was arranged by Lu Chengqing.

But she went to the extra mile and sprinkled aphrodisiac powder on the curtain of the inner room on the west side.

This makes it all the more intriguing.

If it wasn't Su Hongyi, who came to monitor him, who fell victim to the trap while checking the house, then the one who fell victim must have been his stepmother, Liu Rushi.

His first time in this world will surely be with that old cow.

This is so scary!

Yang Zhengdao felt a chill run down his spine when he thought of Liu Rushi's face with its caked-on makeup.

I can't even imagine what that scene would look like.

But what else can such methods do besides disgusting people?

Or did Dilireba already know about Su Hongyi's existence?

If it is the latter, then her unnecessary actions seem to have secretly helped him break Lu Chengqing's scheme, while also setting a trap for Su Hongyi.

He, on the other hand, was the one who benefited completely.

If we use the result to reverse the driving force, we will arrive at an unbelievable answer.

This courtesan named Dili is a friend, not an enemy.

If it's a friend...

It would be best to avoid Su Hongyi and go meet this prostitute, Zhezhi, alone.

The other party likely had the same intention in leading him to this three-way intersection.

Should we split up to chase after them? Or turn back?

A friendly force capable of scheming against Su Hongyi is worth the risk of making contact with.

Yang Zhengdao made up his mind.

He frowned and saw several bamboo poles leaning against the wall at the entrance of the alley.

He casually picked up a short spear, about the same length as those used on both horse and foot, and with the basic horse spear combat skills given to him by the system, he felt more confident.

"We split up to investigate, each pursuing the trail for only five hundred paces. If we find nothing, we return the way we came."

Su Hongyi also thought it was a good idea, so she nodded.

With worry in her eyes, Naza softly cautioned, "Master, please be careful."

So the three of them split into three groups.

Yang Zhengdao took the middle fork, while Su Hongyi and Nazha entered the side forks on either side, one on the left and one on the right.

Yang Zhengdao gripped the bamboo pole tightly and continued forward.

He had only chased after them for less than a hundred paces when the alley suddenly turned a corner and narrowed abruptly.

The high walls on both sides were mottled, with moss growing at the base. The damp, musty smell mixed with the aroma of spices wafting from somewhere, which went straight into my nose.

Only a sliver of sky was visible overhead, and the afternoon sun slanted in, casting interplay of light and shadow in the alley.

Yang Zhengdao only regretted that the system hadn't given him short-range combat skills like the horizontal sword.

In the narrow alley, which was only a few feet wide, he couldn't maneuver his bamboo pole at all.

He had no choice but to slow down and become more cautious.

Footsteps could be faintly heard on the high wall to the right.

Yang Zhengdao immediately stopped and listened carefully.

The sound was very soft, so it probably wasn't a person; it was more like a cat stepping on the roof tiles.

Just as Yang Zhengdao was wondering if he was being paranoid, a dark figure suddenly rushed towards him from the left wall.

The shadowy figure was extremely light, as if it were silent.

It was the sudden change in the light and shadow overhead that reminded him.

He instinctively raised a bamboo pole to block.

With a "snap," the bamboo pole firmly caught a fair, slender hand.

Dilireba was standing right in front of him, very close.

She was wearing a long, narrow-sleeved silk robe that covered her slender waist and concealed her fair and delicate abdomen.

She was still wearing floral pants, but without slits on the sides, which covered her smooth and slender legs.

Those lotus-root-like jade feet were wearing a pair of small, short, high-top boots.

Only the pair of babies bounced and wobbled when they landed.

"Ah Lang, why did you come all this way alone?"

Her voice was soft and seductive, with a hint of provocation at the end, capable of sending a shiver down a man's spine. Her eyes held a captivating, enigmatic smile.

Yang Zhengdao quickly took two steps back, holding the bamboo pole horizontally in front of his chest. He felt that even Yingluo was just a little sister in front of this demoness.

Yingluo is at most pretending to be a little teasy, but Dilireba is truly naturally charming.

Yang Zhengdao composed himself and smiled, "Wasn't it Lady Dili who deliberately invited me here?"

As he spoke, he flicked his wrist, and the bamboo pole came crashing down from above.

Dilireba, however, moved gracefully to the side as if dancing, avoiding the attack.

The tip of the bamboo pole barely grazed the pair of treasures.

That little thing is so cute, it's a real shame if it gets broken.

When his attack failed, Yang Zhengdao changed his slash into a sweeping motion.

Dilireba's waist swayed like dancing water plants as she spun around to dodge.

The bamboo pole struck the high wall on one side with great force.

With a "snap," the tip of the rod cracked.

Dilire felt a chill run down her spine, and her expression changed.

She never imagined that Ah Lang knew martial arts, and that his moves were clearly military techniques.

Every move is a deadly strike, aimed directly at vital points.

She dared not be careless again.

Fortunately, the alley was narrow, which prevented Ah Lang from fully utilizing his bamboo pole.

Dili put aside her dismissive attitude and straightened up to deal with the situation.

She moved elusively, weaving through the gaps in Yang Zhengdao's bamboo poles, attempting to get close several times, but was forced back by Yang Zhengdao each time.

Although Yang Zhengdao was limited by the narrow alley and could not unleash sweeping moves, fortunately Dili had no weapon.

Therefore, he mainly used provocation and stabbing as his defense, and did not allow Dili to get close.

He seized the opportunity, took a deep breath, and thrust the bamboo pole forward, aiming straight for Dili's throat.

This thrust was swift and ruthless, delivered from a tricky angle.

Dili couldn't dodge in time and could only retreat, barely managing to avoid the attack when her back was already against the wall.

But the sharp bamboo tip on the split end of the pole just happened to graz her silk robe.

With a "rip" sound, her snow-white shoulder was revealed.

One of her collarbones was exposed, delicate and exquisite; and there was also that half of her treasure, white as jade.

Yang Zhengdao felt a blur before his eyes and couldn't help but swallow hard.

The bamboo pole in his hand unconsciously hung in mid-air.

Time seemed to stand still for three seconds.

Dilire blushed and was the first to react.

She lightly touched the base of the wall with her toes and moved closer.

When Yang Zhengdao saw Dili rushing towards him with that fair, pink, and radiant baby, he had no choice but to hastily retreat again.

However, it was already too late.

A mischievous smile appeared on Dilireba's lips, and her eyes curved into crescent moons.

Yang Zhengdao inwardly cried out in alarm.

For a moment, he forgot that this demoness, besides her alluring magical weapons, also knew how to use poison.

Dili reached down to her waist, then tossed it aside.

A cloud of white smoke exploded in front of Yang Zhengdao.

Before he could even hold his breath, a bitter smell filled his mouth and nose.

The bamboo pole slipped from his hand and hit the ground with a crisp sound. His body went limp, and he fell forward.

In the last moment before he lost consciousness, he felt as if he had fallen headfirst into Dilireba's arms.

My face was buried in the water, and I felt a little suffocated, but it was indeed soft and bouncy, warm, and sweet.

"Oh!"

First, I heard a seductive, coquettish voice, followed by that soft, tingling sound.

"Ah Lang, go to sleep, you'll feel better after a while."