Chapter 117: The Identical Substitute (First update, seeking monthly votes)

"Li Fengyao, stop staying here and being an eyesore."

"With you here, the wine doesn't even taste good."

After Li Qiushui finished speaking, the entire Imperial Garden fell into an eerie silence.

Li Qiushui poured and drank by herself, a demeanor of complete indifference, utterly ignoring the Second Prince's existence.

Yet Li Fengyao, having been insulted, did not suffer a Broken Defense and throw a tantrum; instead, he narrowed his eyes and stared intently at Li Qiushui's profile.

And as the third person present, Ren Yidao was even more agitated than Li Fengyao.

Yes, far more agitated than him.

("Fight! Fight, damn it! You coward! Make a move! Pull her hair!")

("Don't wait! Do it! Second Battalion Commander!")

The little white fox in the corner scratched the ground in anger, wishing it could go up and push Li Fengyao to make him act like a brave man.

What a pity.

Until the very end, Li Fengyao did not hear his inner call.

Closing his narrowed eyes, Li Fengyao let out a slight breath.

When he opened them again, his expression had returned to normal.

No... it was even more perfect than before.

A person on the path like jade, a young master peerless in the world.

Li Fengyao was like a gentle young master so perfect it felt unreal.

It was as if he were wearing a mask that could never feel anger, and external matters would not affect his mood.

There was some distress in his smile, but even more of that... doting affection that gave Ren Yidao goosebumps.

Li Fengyao shook his head with emotion and sighed:

"However, since you have some misunderstandings about me, I fear that no matter how much I say now, it will be of no avail."

At this moment, in Ren Yidao's eyes, Li Fengyao was like a veteran actor with years of honed acting skills performing to his heart's content on stage.

Even if there was only one audience member, he was performing perfectly.

You clearly know that none of this is real, that it is all acting.

But, as soon as you see those gentle eyes revealing true feelings, you still unconsciously begin to believe.

Your heart begins to waver; what if what he says is true?

This guy, it doesn't look like he's acting.

And as long as there is even a little bit of wavering in your heart, his goal has already been achieved.

From this point alone, Li Fengyao's performance and what Ren Yidao had done previously had similar goals.

Both were to leave a gap in Li Qiushui's sturdy heart for a future breakthrough.

The white fox tilted its head, pondering the details Li Fengyao had displayed.

Acting style, orator, excellent appearance, outstanding background, excellent reputation in the eyes of the world...

How come these things feel so familiar?

"It seems, it is the same kind of substitute."

Blinking, Ren Yidao couldn't help but sigh.

"Always being imitated, never being surpassed."

Li Fengyao performed, and whether intentional or not, Li Qiushui never once met Li Fengyao's gaze.

She just kept pouring and drinking, turning a deaf ear, offering not the slightest reaction.

Seeing this situation, Li Fengyao finally stopped his one-man show and sighed twice:

"Ninth Princess, I am leaving. If you have any changes in your thoughts later, you can tell me at any time."

"I will always wait for your alliance."

"As long as the two of us join forces, this position of Prime Minister is absolutely within our grasp."

Gazing deeply at Li Qiushui in the pavilion, he made one last affectionate plea:

"It doesn't matter if the world doesn't understand me, but I hope you can understand me; everything I have done is for the people of the world."

"This position of Prime Minister must absolutely not be handed over to someone of unknown origin, otherwise... the world will surely fall into chaos, and everyone will be in the midst of fire and water!"

"The only mistake I have committed is being unable to speak my true heart to the people of the world, and even less able to make you all believe."

"This is the greatest regret of my life."

Seeing that Li Qiushui still had no reaction, Li Fengyao stopped speaking and immediately turned to leave.

The deep affection and sorrow on his face vanished the moment he turned, changing back into his usual gentle smile, his eyes calm.

His footsteps were steady, the distance of each step nearly identical, and he walked out of the Imperial Garden with his head held high.

"... Li Qiushui, why does she have such great hostility toward me? Which detail from before went wrong?"

Walking slowly, a multitude of thoughts flashed through Li Fengyao's mind.

"She mentioned Shi Xue, but wasn't that matter nearly ten years ago? Does she really have to keep remembering it until now?"

"Although Wanhua Valley has dual cultivation and harvesting techniques, as long as Shi Xue clearly refuses, who would dare force her to practice?"

After pondering for a moment, Li Fengyao abandoned this thought.

Li Qiushui's shrewdness was no lower than his own; this untenable reason could not be the real cause.

The Ninth Princess of Beigan who could decisively behead and confiscate the Song Family, such a decisive and ruthless existence, could not be someone who would act on impulse for such a childish reason.

Judging others by oneself, let alone that Li Fengyao had invited Shi Xue to join the sect back then, even if he had invited her, Li Qiushui, what could it have mattered?

If she didn't want to, she could have just refused directly; why make things so awkward?

"Therefore, this should just be an excuse she used to put me off; the real reason must be something else."

"What could it be? Where exactly did I expose myself... hmm?"

Pondering this, Li Fengyao's footsteps paused, and he looked down at his feet.

"... A hairpin?"

Li Fengyao's brows furrowed slightly as he bent down to pick up the accessory at his feet.

"Whose could it be? A palace maid's? Or one of Father Emperor's concubines'?"

There were no details on the hairpin to prove its owner's identity, nor could the style reveal the owner's status or position.

"This style, I seem to have seen it somewhere before..."

If it could leave a vague impression on Li Fengyao, then the owner of this hairpin could not be an ordinary palace maid.

Then under what circumstances would someone drop a hairpin here?

A hairpin is not an ordinary accessory that one wouldn't feel if it fell; once it drops, the entire hairstyle would come undone.

It is impossible not to have noticed.

Unless that person was doing something here that would cause their hair to come undone...

Tap, tap...

Lost in thought, Li Fengyao heard footsteps approaching and instinctively flipped his hand to put the hairpin away.

This is the Inner Palace's Imperial Garden; that he, a Second Prince, could come and go as he pleased was already an exception.

If someone saw him holding a woman's hairpin, things would be very bad.

Which concubine did you pluck this from?

Or perhaps, which concubine are you planning to give it to?

Once asked, either situation would be quite disadvantageous for him.

It is better to avoid trouble than to invite it.

Accompanying a monarch is like accompanying a tiger; this point is the same for a prince like him, perhaps even more dangerous.

If Li Long grew dissatisfied with him, then this struggle for the imperial throne would become even more difficult, adding only trouble.

"Ah, Your Highness!"

"Mm, you've worked hard."

Smiling and nodding at the palace maid carrying a wine pot, Li Fengyao smiled and left the Imperial Garden.

"However, there is still one point of doubt about this matter..."

"Who could the candidate Li Qiushui mentioned be?"