I really didn't want to burn it.

"Um, do you think that person can be trusted?"

Following Li Ang back to the dance floor, Ryougi Shiki asked in a low voice.

“There’s no such thing as trustworthy or untrustworthy.” Li Ang sighed deeply. “Anyway, our ultimate goal is very clear: as long as we can get DD back, that’s all that matters.”

Ryougi Shiki didn't ask Li Ang what to do specifically. She stared blankly at Li Ang and asked softly, "Ang, are you tired? Do you want to go rest there?"

"what?"

Li Ang noticed that Ryougi Shiki was pointing to the other side of the banquet hall.

"Although it's blocked by a wall, there's a row of small private rooms on the other side of the wall," Ryougi Shiki said with a smile.

Upon hearing this, Li Ang's lips twitched: "Uh... are you serious?"

"Is there a problem?" Ryougi Shiki asked, tilting her head.

"Hmm...do you know what that place is for?"

“A place to rest,” Ryougi Shiki recalled, “The waiter said it was very soundproof, a place specifically for people to rest, I think it was called…”

"The Pearl Room," Li Ang said, pinching his nose. "You didn't actually send any of you in, did you?"

"Hmm... Chloris and Skadi took Kirie inside," Ryougi Shiki whispered. "They said they were going to rest, but actually they were sending Kirie's spirit to gather intelligence."

"The three of them went in together..." Li Ang said with a smile. "I hope their actions aren't seen by anyone, otherwise the small circles in Luoyang will have something to talk about tonight."

"Is there a problem there?" Ryougi Shiki asked again.

Li Ang touched his nose helplessly and said, "That's for the men and women who are having a blast at the banquet. The so-called good soundproofing is just to prevent outsiders from hearing some strange noises."

The Pearl Room, ostensibly a resting place for those weary from banquets, was in reality a recognized place of pleasure.

After all, at a dance like this, with men and women hugging and cuddling all the time, it's easy for things to get going. When dry wood meets a raging fire, it would be abnormal if nothing happened.

Although no one in Luoyang's high-ranking officials ever openly admitted it, everyone tacitly acknowledged the purpose of the "Pearl Rooms." There were also servants at the door of the cubicles, ready to be dispatched at any time, and they would even provide temporary clothing if the men and women went too far and their clothes became unwearable.

This is why, even though the Pearl Room offers better soundproofing and privacy, Leon and Kirshtalia Wodim chose to negotiate on the terrace.

"..."

Ryougi Shiki is the heir of the Ryougi family, and she's no naive little girl. Even if she didn't understand at first, after Li Ang reminded her, she immediately knew what that place was for.

"H."

Ryougi Shiki's face flushed slightly, and she muttered a curse under her breath.

"You must have used that place thoroughly back then, right?" Ryougi Shiki pinched Li Ang's arm with her fingers. "Tell me, how many girls did you play with there?"

"Zero."

"Really? I don't believe it!"

Li Ang lifted Ryougi Shiki's little head towards the second floor above.

“The royal family has a special private room where my concubine and I conduct our business.”

"..."

If there weren't so many people around, Ryougi Shiki really wanted to bite Leon, and she would have bitten him right at his death line.

"What does it matter? According to the laws of the Tang Dynasty, my concubines and I are legally married," Li Ang replied nonchalantly.

To be honest, Li Ang didn't use these rooms very often. Doing *that* in the banquet hall's private rooms was exciting at first, but it was just for the novelty, and it got boring after a while.

[That's because you're playing with your own concubines, isn't it? Playing with your own wives is nowhere near as quick and easy as having an affair with someone else's...]

Bah!

Li Ang punched the unreliable system pop-up aside.

Ryougi Shiki pouted in dissatisfaction upon hearing Li Ang's reply, her expression a mixture of anger and shyness.

"Well... um."

Ryougi Shiki blushed and extended her hand to him. "Would you like to come with me to the Pearl Room to rest for a while?"

"hehe."

Ryougi Shiki's awkward manner made Li Ang laugh.

"what's so funny?"

"It's nothing, I just suddenly realized that when you blush, your charm increases even more."

"Stop...stop with this kind of pointless flattery." Ryougi Shiki stared at the man with her cat-like eyes. "You haven't answered this question yet."

"This is it~"

Li Ang gently brushed aside the black hair that was hanging down beside Ryougi Shiki's ear with his fingers, and then he brought his mouth close to Shiki's ear and spoke.

"If you don't mind, I'd really love to go!

Ryougi Shiki's face immediately lit up with excitement.

Seeing Shi, who was usually calm, make such an adorable expression, Li Ang couldn't help but smile like an aunt.

"Ugh... Oh, you're so mean. I just don't know where Chloris and the others are. I hope you can take me there to find them."

While Ryougi Shiki was trying to find excuses for herself, she also punched Li Ang's chest with her little fists.

"Since you're not ready, then don't push yourself," Li Ang said with a smile.

"You still dare to say that?" Ryougi Shiki trembled slightly. "Are you really planning to take me there?"

"No, if we knew which room Chloris and the others were in, we could go there. But since you don't know, let's forget about it."

Although the cubicle doors were all locked, if someone were careless and left them unlocked, and Li Ang saw a high-ranking official jogging parallel to someone else's wife, it would be a huge joke.

Even if all the doors are locked, if Li Ang knocks on them one by one, what if he scares someone so badly they have a stroke? That would be even worse.

"So, before your companions arrive, Miss Ryougi, let me act as your protector."

As he finished speaking, Li Ang added a sentence in his mind.

"I didn't expect Shi would actually invite me to the Pearl Room."

"When did you become so eloquent?"

Ryougi gave a sulky hum, then gently raised her hand and gestured to the waiter not far away, thus ending the topic.

After Ryougi Shiki ordered a drink, Li Ang also took one.

"Honestly, I worked all night and all I got were some bullshit promises. I feel so cheated."

After taking a sip of wine, Li Ang turned to look at the banquet hall.

"He's the emperor of this country, after all. Shouldn't he have some patience?"

Although she also disliked such occasions, Ryougi Shiki appeared more at ease.

As the eldest daughter of the Ryougi family, she had attended quite a few social occasions, no matter how much she disliked them. It could be said that, aside from the bizarre atmosphere of this particular banquet, Ryougi Shiki was actually more comfortable with such events than Li Ang.

"I used to be, but now I'm just an outsider..."

Before she could finish speaking, Ryougi Shiki reached out and touched Li Ang's cheek.

“Ang, don’t say such nonsense.” Ryougi Shiki stared at Li Ang and said.

If Li Ang truly had no feelings for the Tang Dynasty, he wouldn't have needed to go through all this trouble; he could have simply had the Qin Dynasty launch a full-scale war against the Tang.

“Indeed, it’s quite silly.” Li Ang paused for a moment, then gently touched Shi’s hand and chuckled.

"Oh, it's so warm."

Ryougi Shiki closed her eyes and quietly felt the sensation brought to her by Li Ang's hand.

It was probably because Li Ang took care of her during the time she was injured that a unique understanding and feeling developed between them.

Even though it was just this level of physical contact, it created a warm, familial feeling between the two of them. This feeling made both Ryougi Shiki and Li Ang enjoy it immensely.

"This is my fault. I took too big a step in the Tang Dynasty, which prevented the country from keeping up with me and caused all sorts of problems. But we can also look at it on the bright side. At least I still have the opportunity to change it."

Li Ang concluded that he was no longer interested in the topic. Then, Li Ang extended his hand to Ryougi Shiki.

“Miss Ryougi, if you don’t mind dancing with me, the one who can turn a waltz into a tango…”

“That’s a tough choice.” Ryougi Shiki looked troubled and thoughtful. “Um, give me a reason why I’ll embarrass myself later because you’ve made a mistake in your dance steps.”

"Because I want to dance with you."

"Not enough."

Shi shook his head slightly.

"So……"

Li Ang lowered his head and kissed Ryougi Shiki's fair and delicate face.

Shi Qing closed her eyes and hooked her arm around Li Ang's neck, responding to the man.

For a long time, the lips are divided.

"Then, how about this reason, so that Miss Ryougi's beauty may be forever imprinted in my heart?"

To attend the banquet of the Tang Dynasty, Ryougi Shiki, who didn't want to attract attention, changed into a Tang Dynasty court dress, a rare sight even for Li Ang. It's worth noting that Ryougi Shiki usually wore rather conservative and elegant kimonos.

But it must be said that Ryougi Shiki's outfit was truly stunning, perfectly highlighting her figure and beauty, making her a beauty who rivaled all the other women in the banquet hall.

Although her brightly colored outfit attracted a lot of attention, completely ruining her plan to avoid drawing attention, Li Ang felt that she had still achieved her goal from the perspective of avoiding outlandish attire.

"Yes, I accept your invitation."

Ryougi Shiki placed one hand on the hand that Li Ang offered, and with the other hand she lifted the corner of her long dress, she gracefully walked towards the center of the dance floor.

"To avoid the tragedy you just described, where someone tries to dance a waltz to a donco, Ang would better relax and follow my movements..."

Shi pulled Li Ang's right hand around her waist, then placed her left hand on Li Ang's shoulder, and pulled Li Ang's body up slowly.

Soon, Li Ang heard Ryougi Shiki speak.

"I feel like I've been tricked. You seem to be a really good dancer..."

"Who said that? I've forgotten how to dance."

Li Ang raised his eyebrows and suddenly hugged the beauty in front of him tightly.

After a brief silence, Ryougi Shiki could be heard muttering a complaint: "You're lying again!"

Li Ang chuckled and teased, "Isn't this the kind of tenderness you like best?"

"......."

Ryougi Shiki had nothing to say.

Because what Li Ang said was absolutely right.

M78 Nebula 756365104

P.S.: The term "parallel jogging" comes from the Christmas special of "Yes, Minister".

Chapter 298 The show begins

With the conclusion of the welcoming dinner for the Afghan provincial negotiating delegation, negotiations between Luoyang's top officials and the delegation officially began.

However, Li Ang left all the specific details of the negotiations to the Qin officials in his team who came from the School of Diplomacy; he himself did not get involved at all.

Aside from the fact that Li Ang had already communicated with Her Majesty the Empress and set the general direction for the negotiations, he was too lazy to care about the details.

Leaving professional tasks to professionals is Li Ang's consistent approach.

In any case, aside from fanning the yin wind and lighting the ghost fire, the skill tree talent points of the School of Diplomacy are basically all allocated to diplomacy.

During the following period, apart from showing Chloris and others around Luoyang, Li Ang basically focused on preparing for the "rebellion" that Kirshtalia Wodim had labeled as such.

The reason it's in quotes is that Li Ang still doubts the authenticity of this rebellion.

Who knows if this is a lie deliberately fabricated by that effeminate captain? Li Ang definitely needs to be prepared for both possibilities.

Given the current backdrop of frequent troop movements between Luoyang and surrounding areas, there's bound to be a good show to watch.

Li Ang's goal is clear: rescue his maid DD and then completely drive Group A out of the Singularity. As for whether the Tang Dynasty will help Her Majesty the Empress, the so-called rebels, or whether Li Ang will choose another successor, he will probably have to wait and see after careful observation.

Choosing a successor is a troublesome but very important matter for a great nation, and Li Ang did not want the Tang Dynasty to deviate from the proper path once again.