Chapter 575: The Princess of the Li Dynasty

Liu Zheng looked at Deng Wenhui with the gaze one reserves for the mentally challenged for a full five minutes.

Do I look that much like someone who is about to run away?

He laughed heartily and patted Deng Wenhui on the shoulder: "Rest assured, Prefect Liu will not run! Just prepare well!"

"Follow me, and when the time comes, we shall give the world a shock!"

Liu Zheng laughed heartily and turned to leave.

Deng Wenhui's lips moved silently.

Can it really work?

……

"Extra! Extra!"

"Prefect Liu turns to ice and snow in three days!"

"The big bookie has opened the betting!"

"Place your bets, place your bets!"

All over Jinghua, the betting pools had started again.

The bustling Jinghua was now crowded with people coming and going. They were drawn in all at once.

People wearing all sorts of attire gathered around. They were chattering away, incredibly lively.

"Come, come, come! The odds are fair; getting rich starts at this very moment!"

The person beating the gong and drum was straining their voice.

Prefect Liu wins.

Or loses.

Many gamblers were rubbing their palms together; they increasingly found that in this Longyan Dynasty, the most popular betting pool was undoubtedly this one involving Prefect Liu. As long as it was his affair, the number of participants was countless, and the funds in the pool were certainly the largest.

Betting big to win small—thrilling!

This time, the odds for Prefect Liu succeeding were again one to fifty!

In every street and alley, people could not help but get involved.

"Move aside, move aside a bit!"

"Hurry and move aside!"

Just then, a procession suddenly appeared on the street. At a glance, the style of both the horse carriages and the accompanying personnel was completely different from that of the Longyan Dynasty.

Someone sneered.

They assumed it was just another small barbarian country arriving. In these past few days, had there been a shortage of such displays in Jinghua?

In our Longyan's Jinghua, what are you putting on airs for?

These people continued to place their bets as if no one were there, not giving way to them at all.

"This..."

The general of this procession, wearing a unique military uniform, saw his expression shift slightly and he shouted angrily: "In the dignified Longyan, are the commoners actually this rude? The Princess of our Li Dynasty has arrived, and this is the treatment we receive?"

The bystanders laughed loudly upon hearing this.

"Li Dynasty?"

"Where did these barbarians come from? How dare they act presumptuously in Longyan Jinghua!"

"Is the Li Dynasty what used to be Goryeo?"

The Li Dynasty was an abbreviation; in reality, this Li Dynasty was Joseon. It was a dynasty on the Korean Peninsula whose monarch's ancestral origin was the Jeonju Li clan, established by the Goryeo general Li Chenggui, who replaced the Goryeo Dynasty.

After Li Chenggui's military coup, Joseon entered a period of vigorous development. Unfortunately, while his sons and grandsons were considered wise, the later descendants were truly disappointing. They were muddled and lacked the art of governing, with factional strife continuing incessantly.

Especially in these recent years, with the rise of Wa.

The Li Dynasty had already turned from prosperity to decline, and the Imjin War provoked by the feudal Landlord Class of Wa, along with two invasions by the Manchu Nobles, had repeatedly dealt exterminating blows to the nation and society.

Represented by the Li Dynasty's Princess Dehui being forced to study abroad in Wa, the Li Dynasty had increasingly lost its sense of presence while looking eastward toward Longyan.

Merely lingering on in a steadily worsening condition.

"General Li, let us wait."

At this moment, a soft voice rang out from inside the horse carriage.

"Princess, we..."

The general was still furious.

"General, we have come this time to seek aid from the Longyan Emperor; Jinghua is full of Nobles, so it is better not to stir up trouble."

The curtain of the horse carriage was lifted, and a peerlessly beautiful face appeared before the crowd.

This woman wore Joseon attire, her dark hair gently pinned up, her fair face crystalline like jade, and those expressive eyes seemed as if they could see through a person's soul at a glance.

Unlike Xie Chan, Gu Jin, and other beauties who were quintessentially Longyan, this Princess of the Li Dynasty naturally carried the tranquility and gentleness belonging to Joseon beauties.

Every time she spoke, the two dimples on her face seemed to smile along with her, making one feel as if they were bathed in a spring breeze.

That gentleness, that submissiveness, yet giving one the feeling that to harm her would be a crime, made it extremely easy to influence others.

"Hmph!"

This general was exactly such a person; it seemed that every time he faced Princess Li Xuanya, his overflowing anger would dissipate.

"Princess, no matter what, Li Zheng shall ensure you are not insulted by anyone this time! Whoever insults the Princess, Li Zheng shall kill first!"

The general had a backbone of steel and a face of determination.

Li Xuanya smiled lightly, let down the curtain, and sat back in the carriage. Afterward, a deep look of sorrow appeared on that heaven-sent, exquisite face.

Li Zheng.

A descendant of the Zheng Family.

After the Yichou Prison Incident, the Easterner Zheng Family had completely collapsed in Joseon.

Imjin War.

The Longyan Dynasty reinforcements suffered heavy losses.

The men of ambition in Joseon were brutally slaughtered.

The Li Dynasty's national strength declined, leaving it with no power to resist the Japanese. In the Northwest, the Qi achieved unification under the iron cavalry of Tiemu City.

The northern garrisons lacked the strength to cope.

Such a riddled and dilapidated Li Dynasty...

What confidence did it have to keep her from being humiliated?

She only hoped...

She took a deep breath.

A look of determination flashed across that peerless face.

She only hoped that this time, the Court Grand Dance she brought from Joseon could win the favor of the Longyan Emperor; if he would only agree to send troops to support them, the Li Dynasty's predicament would be resolved...

Come on!

Li Xuanya clenched her pink fists, her face full of the momentum to encourage herself.

She was quite confident in her Court Grand Dance!

"Prefect Liu?"

Inside the Horse Carriage, she listened to the person everyone kept discussing.

"Is his Grand Ceremony going to work?"

"Bet on him, take a gamble!"

Grand Ceremony?

Is he the person in charge of this Longyan Dynasty Grand Ceremony?

Li Xuanya looked surprised.

To think...

Is it a man?

There were not a few who bet on Liu Zheng to lose.

But there were also those who bet on Liu Zheng to win. On one hand, it was because the odds were truly tempting. On the other hand, people have a gambling nature. Moreover, they were convinced that since Prefect Liu debuted, when had he ever lost?

How could this myth be broken so easily?

However.

Just the next day.

A piece of shocking bad news arrived.

The ice and snow being transported by the Fengxing Escort Agency encountered a fire midway, and the ice and snow melted!

The ice and snow worth seventy thousand taels of silver turned into a puddle of sewage overnight!

When this news spread, the entire Jinghua was in an uproar!

"You, you, you, what are you saying?"

When he received this news, Feng Fan was in the largest brothel in Jinghua, surrounded by singing, dancing, and beauties, fantasizing that he would be the Feng Family Clan Head by tomorrow.

When this news arrived, he was completely stunned.

The top courtesan in his arms no longer smelled sweet.

He grabbed his son by the collar and roared, "What are you saying, what are you saying!"

"Wah... Father, it's over, we are completely finished!"

Feng Kai wailed and sat on the ground: "It's all gone, it's all gone..."

"Not a drop left... what are we going to do!"

Boom!

The father and son, who just a few days ago were arrogant and had swept Feng Sanniang and Liu Dahao out the door, were instantly struck by lightning.

Melted?

It all melted?

What is to be done?

If the Emperor's Grand Ceremony is affected, the entire Feng Family would not have enough heads to pay for it!

What to do?

What is to be done!

The two cried in a heap.

"Quick, quick, quick, go find your aunt, go find your aunt to think of a Method..."