My family has been wielding knives for generations, but now it's my turn to wield a pen!

"Your Highness, I know."

Zhang Xinnian lowered his voice and said, "Xiao Zijing is our current dynasty's little princess!"

little princess?

Upon hearing this, Jiang Xiaobai's face flashed with surprise, then he looked at Liu Guanlan and the woman and said, "So, you are the little princess's people?"

"Ahem!"

Liu Guanlan's smile froze for a moment, then he nodded slightly.

"That……"

Jiang Xiaobai pondered for a moment, then asked, "Is our little princess also interested in the throne?"

Upon hearing this, Liu Guanlan's expression changed.

Can't you just say that directly?

Liu Guanlan opened his mouth, but in the end he didn't dare to answer. He turned his head and glanced at the woman in the bamboo hat.

Yes, Liu Guanlan didn't understand why the eldest princess would write down the youngest princess's name.

After all, it wouldn't be good if this got out!

The woman in the straw hat remained seated quietly, her hat drooping slightly, obscuring her expression.

"Could it be..."

Jiang Xiaobai glanced at the two of them, then looked at the woman wearing a bamboo hat and said, "You... are you the little princess?"

Liu Guanlan still didn't dare to speak, but just then, he suddenly gasped, looked down at his thigh, and suddenly thought of something, and began to gesture at the woman.

But while gesturing, he himself felt embarrassed.

Yes, he didn't understand sign language either, but when he went upstairs, the princess told him to just use sign language whenever Jiang Xiaobai spoke.

He almost forgot about that.

After finishing her gestures, the woman in the straw hat finally raised her hand, dipped it in tea, and continued writing on the table.

Jiang Xiaobai looked down and saw the words "maid" written on the table.

"Oh?"

Upon seeing this, Jiang Xiaobai looked at the woman and said, "It seems you hold quite a place in the little princess's heart!"

That's right. If she were just an ordinary maid, she wouldn't have been assassinated by so many men in black.

The woman didn't speak, but simply withdrew her hand and sat there quietly.

Jiang Xiaobai didn't dwell on the woman's identity any longer, but instead looked at Liu Guanlan and said, "Alright, tell me, what benefits will I get if I join you?"

After hearing this, Liu Guanlan continued to gesture at the woman.

After seeing this, the woman in the straw hat also raised her hand and gestured a few times.

"Okay, okay!"

Liu Guanlan nodded and looked at Jiang Xiaobai, saying, "Young Master Jiang, if you are willing to help the little princess, you will naturally receive many benefits."

"First, the information we gather about the Blade Tower can be used by Prince Jiang. He can come here to investigate anything he wants to know, even some confidential matters!"

"Secondly, Young Master Jiang, you are currently enjoying too much influence, and during the day you have offended quite a few scholars at the Orchid Pavilion. Now that you have obtained the Hidden Edge Token, those who want to cause you trouble will likely come one after another!"

"Therefore, if Prince Jiang is willing, the little princess can help you avoid some of the trouble."

"To avoid trouble?"

Jiang Xiaobai smiled after hearing this: "How can we block it?"

"It's very simple!"

Liu Guanlan said, "If anyone asks about the fate of you at the Blade Tower, as soon as the news arrives, Young Master Jiang will be the first to know."

"If we can suppress it, we'll ask Daolou to suppress it for you. If we can't suppress it, we'll also send someone to inform you in advance."

Jiang Xiaobai listened and nodded slightly.

This benefit is indeed real.

Yes, if someone were to secretly buy his life, knowing this beforehand would be like having an extra life.

"Thirdly, there are news from the palace."

Seeing that Jiang Xiaobai remained silent, Liu Guanlan could only continue, "There are some things that can't be found outside, but the palace can hear about them."

"Young Master Jiang is now under imperial order to investigate the Ministry of Rites, and there will surely be many people implicated."

"Some people may appear calm on the surface, but they may be quite restless underneath."

"If Prince Jiang is willing, the little princess can send you some messages at an appropriate time."

"This is not bad!"

Jiang Xiaobai nodded and asked, "Is there anything else?"

"Of course, our princess has people on her side at Cangfeng Mountain. If Prince Jiang has any needs, our princess can pass on the message for you."

At this point, Liu Guanlan paused, "Besides that, Prince Jiang doesn't need to worry about being restricted."

"You don't need to enter the palace or change your residence. You just need to do things for the little princess when she needs them."

"That simple?"

Jiang Xiaobai listened with some surprise.

If that's really the case, then... isn't it just a matter of being a figurehead?

"Yes, it's that simple!"

Liu Guanlan let out a soft sigh and said finally, "As for money and manpower, if Young Master Jiang needs them, he can ask for them."

"As long as it's not excessive, we can discuss things with the princess."

After speaking, Liu Guanlan paused, looking at Jiang Xiaobai: "What do you think of these benefits, Young Master Jiang?"

"How about this, I'll think about it!"

Jiang Xiaobai said, "It's getting late. I'll come back and give you my answer after I've thought it over!"

Upon hearing this, Liu Guanlan paused for a moment, turned his head, and gestured to the woman.

The woman in the straw hat remained quiet. She slightly raised her head, dipped her hand in the tea, and wrote two words on the table: "Okay."

"Alright, in that case, let's head back to the manor!"

Jiang Xiaobai responded, gave the two of them a deep look, and then got up and led the way outside.

Only after the footsteps of the three people gradually faded away did Liu Guanlan finally breathe a sigh of relief.

A moment later, having confirmed the direction of the stairs had faded into the distance, Liu Guanlan looked at the woman and said with a wry smile, "Princess, wouldn't it be better to just tell him his identity directly?"

"If we go around in circles like this and he finds out, it might cause some misunderstandings!"

"Won't!"

A gentle voice sounded, and the princess raised her hand and gently removed her bamboo hat.

The light shone on her stunning face, making her even more captivating: "Right now, it's not appropriate for me to meet him directly."

"Leaving things with Zijing isn't a bad idea."

"What if the little princess and he meet someday, and she accidentally lets it slip?"

Liu Guanlan's brows remained furrowed after hearing this.

Don't worry.

The eldest princess smiled slightly: "I will handle this."

"That……"

Liu Guanlan paused, then said, "Do you think that the way we're making hand gestures... will Prince Jiang... notice anything?"

Yes, he was just making things up.

Even Liu Guanlan himself didn't know what he was gesturing at the end.

"He doesn't understand gestures!"

Upon hearing this, the eldest princess's lips curled into a slight smile: "Don't worry, I have a good eye for people. He... definitely didn't see through it!!"

Her stunning face radiated confidence.

As Liu Guan responded, he also breathed a sigh of relief.

Meanwhile, on the other side...

After Jiang Xiaobai led Tang Ningshuang and Zhang Xinnian out of Guanlan Tower, he looked up at the pavilion behind them and said in a low voice, "Something's not right!"

"This woman is probably the eldest princess!!!"