Chapter 773: Lord Gao, you make me feel mediocre

"Lord Gao, having not seen you for many days, you actually came to see me. This is truly unexpected!"

Chu Qingluan sat on a chair, her phoenix eyes looking coldly at Gao Yang, an aura of extreme nobility permeating her body.

"A day without seeing you is like three autumns. This official specifically came to see the Second Princess." Gao Yang rubbed his nose and replied.

Chu Qingluan was almost gritting her teeth with hatred. If it weren't for the Gao Yang before her, how could she have become a prisoner and suffered such great humiliation!

"Hmph!"

Chu Qingluan snorted coldly and turned her head away directly.

"The relationship between this official and the Second Princess is already so familiar, so I will just get straight to the point. As long as the Second Princess helps this official with one thing, I will return your freedom."

"Oh? Lord Gao still has matters to ask me for help with?"

Chu Qingluan was somewhat surprised, but she straightened her body and said unhappily, "I didn't realize we were that familiar."

"The Second Princess and this official have already been frank and open with each other; doesn't that count as familiar?"

Hearing this, Chu Qingluan's beautiful face was filled with anger, "Gao Yang, shut up! I was forced into that!"

Gao Yang pointed at Chu Qingluan in surprise, "Second Princess, that is somewhat unconscionable of you. At the time, it was clearly you who told this official to remove my armor, all of it. Why are you crying foul now?"

"Furthermore, that day, it was you, Second Princess..."

Hearing this, Chu Qingluan's face turned even redder. At the time, she didn't want to be the Second Princess of Great Chu and have Gao Yang force himself upon her, insulting the dignity of the Chu Kingdom.

But was she willing?

Seeing Gao Yang about to continue, Chu Qingluan hurriedly said with a serious face, "Lord Gao, let's not mention the past. Let's talk about cooperation properly."

"What does Lord Gao want me to help with?"

Gao Yang took the opportunity to say, "This official wants the Second Princess to admit that there is a traitor in Changancheng who not only smuggled Da Qian armor but also intended to rebel."

"Oh?" Chu Qingluan raised an eyebrow.

Gao Yang added, "The Second Princess needs to cooperate with this official in the imperial court and write a personal letter to the First Princess, ordering her to cooperate with your subject."

After hearing this, Chu Qingluan's face darkened, "Lord Gao, you want to use my strength to get rid of whom?"

Gao Yang said, "Da Qian Xu Xiang Xuanji."

"Xu Xiang?"

Chu Qingluan looked shocked.

"This matter is not difficult for the Second Princess. During the morning court, someone will reveal that there is someone in the court smuggling Da Qian weapons. This official and His Majesty will summon the Second Princess and the First Princess, and by threatening you with the Great Chu captives, this matter will be settled."

Chu Qingluan's mouth twitched, and she said deeply, "I seem to have heard of this method. If I remember correctly, the Prince of Rong of Da Qian was framed in this way and ultimately lost his life, right?"

"Now Lord Gao wants to use the same method to get rid of Xu Xiang?"

Gao Yang's expression was indifferent.

"Whether it's a white cat or a black cat, a cat that catches mice is a good cat. A clever scheme or a vicious scheme, a scheme that achieves its goal is a good scheme!"

"Schemes have no good or bad; they are good as long as they work."

"How much benefit can Great Chu get from this?"

Chu Qingluan narrowed her eyes and asked in a deep voice.

"This official will also give the Second Princess the bottom line. After the matter is done, the Great Chu captives, as well as the Second Princess, were originally one city and two hundred thousand taels of silver. Now, it's a flat price: one city plus a twenty percent discount, sixteen thousand taels of silver!"

"For the peace talks between the two countries, this official feels we should be a bit more elegant, so there will be no need for negotiations."

Chu Qingluan looked at Gao Yang, her expression changing, "How many of my Great Chu captives are left, Lord Gao knows better than anyone."

"One city, sixteen thousand taels of silver, Lord Gao really dares to ask!"

Gao Yang smiled and said, "The captives are secondary. The main thing is that the Second Princess is priceless in this official's heart. If I sold you cheaply, let alone His Majesty, I wouldn't agree to it first."

One sentence instantly choked Chu Qingluan, leaving her speechless.

She had gained a deeper understanding of this person's shamelessness.

"What if I don't agree?"

Chu Qingluan snorted coldly, her tone icy.

Following this sentence, the room suddenly went quiet, which made Chu Qingluan pause. She hurriedly looked up and saw Gao Yang taking off his clothes.

Her face turned red, and she couldn't help but raise her voice, "Lord Gao, why are you taking off your clothes for no reason!"

Gao Yang's movements stiffened, and he looked at Chu Qingluan, "Isn't this what the Second Princess meant?"

Chu Qingluan said somewhat shyly and angrily, "Nonsense, when did I tell you to take off your clothes?"

"As the old saying goes, it's easier to get things done with an acquaintance. If the Second Princess doesn't agree with this official, it must be because our relationship is distant and not familiar enough."

"But this is also normal. This official was mentally prepared before coming."

While speaking to Chu Qingluan, Gao Yang took out colorful medicine bottles from his long sleeves and placed them neatly on the table.

"What is this?"

Chu Qingluan looked vigilant.

Gao Yang picked up a green porcelain bottle, "This is the Bone-Strengthening and Muscle-Building Pill, secretly made according to ancient methods. The medicinal effect is excellent."

"What about that red medicine bottle?"

Chu Qingluan pointed at a red medicine bottle and asked.

"Six-Flavor Rehmannia Pill."

"Second Princess, no need to ask. The other medicine bottles are about the same. This official brings the greatest sincerity today. We shall decide the outcome and life or death!"

Gulp!

Chu Qingluan swallowed hard.

She looked at Gao Yang's face and the colorful bottles and jars on the table, and she hurriedly said with a serious face.

"Lord Gao, there is no need for that!"

"Framing Xu Xiang is a small matter; I can help with it easily. I agree to this matter."

As the saying goes, "The man is the knife and board, and I am the fish and meat." Chu Qingluan also knew that since Gao Yang had set his sights on her, he would definitely not stop until he achieved his goal.

So she might as well agree immediately to suffer less.

And it was obvious that Wu Zhao had also nodded to this matter. If she continued to resist, it would be Great Chu that suffered.

Defeat is like a mountain collapsing; the defeated side has no bargaining power.

"Sorry, Xu Xiang, whom I have never met!"

Chu Qingluan said silently in her heart.

Cooperating to perform a play and saving forty thousand taels of silver is also a good thing for them.

Xu Xiang is not important!

Soon, Chu Qingluan used the brush, ink, paper, and inkstone to write a personal letter.

"Lord Gao, this is my personal letter. Take it to the Great Chu mission. Whether my sister agrees or not has nothing to do with this official."

Gao Yang took it, glanced at it, then tucked it into his wide sleeve, a smile appearing on his face.

"Happy cooperation!"

Gao Yang reached out his hand.

Although Chu Qingluan was somewhat reluctant, she still extended her slender jade hand and said, "Happy cooperation!"

"Lord Gao, I am curious about one thing: how did Xu Xiang provoke you that you would use this scheme to get rid of him?" Chu Qingluan was somewhat curious.

Gao Yang sighed, "Some reasons are inconvenient to say, but the Second Princess can simply understand it as: Xu Xiang was hiding under the bed, and this official accidentally blew twenty-one farts in Xu Xiang's face!"

"If he doesn't die, this official cannot sleep!"

Chu Qingluan's mouth twitched violently.

Accidentally blowing twenty-one farts in someone's face—was that really an accident?

As a result, Gao Yang wanted to strike first!

Chu Qingluan took a deep breath, suppressing the surging emotions in her heart.

"Lord Gao, you may go."

Chu Qingluan said coldly. She didn't care much about the grievances between Xu Xuanji and Gao Yang.

But she couldn't wait to break free from the cage of Da Qian, return to Great Chu, and welcome that hard-won freedom. ===== CHAPTER 775 =====