Chapter 432: Try It?

Xiong Liqing’s eyes were large.

And bright.

That brightness had not dimmed in the slightest simply because she had now become a prisoner.

At the same time—

Zheng Fan could see hatred in the depths of her eyes.

Hatred toward whom?

By reason, it should have been directed at him.

But somehow it did not seem that way.

Zheng Fan leaned slightly backward.

Siniang, standing behind him, picked up the chair and pushed it forward one step.

Just enough for Zheng Fan to sit down perfectly.

And so they returned to the arrangement from before.

Count Pingye sat in the chair.

The Princess of Chu remained on the bed.

The only difference was that the distance between them had shortened somewhat.

Zheng Fan tossed the unlit cigarette in his hand onto the floor.

Then he took another peppermint candy from the metal case and placed it in his mouth.

Count Zheng had no intention of quitting smoking.

But after all the trouble they had gone through before entering this secret chamber today he did not especially want to let any distinctive smells cling to his body.

The smell of tobacco was distinctive too.

Tobacco had not yet become widespread in this world.

The mainstream habit was still taking alchemical powder.

And the cigarettes made by the Blind Man used particularly refined ingredients.

Anyone with a sharp nose could smell one once and never forget it.

Xiong Liqing stretched out one trembling hand and held it before Zheng Fan.

Zheng Fan fell silent.

Even the motion of chewing his candy stopped.

“I want... candy too.”

A faint smile appeared at the corner of Zheng Fan’s mouth.

He took out another piece and placed it in Xiong Liqing’s palm.

Xiong Liqing put the candy into her mouth.

A man.

A woman.

Facing one another.

Both eating candy.

From time to time the faint sound of teeth grinding against hard candy could be heard.

Siniang stood behind Zheng Fan.

Silent.

Finally—

Zheng Fan moved.

He reached out and cupped the Princess’s chin.

Her skin was very smooth.

A woman raised in luxury naturally possessed the conditions to care for herself well.

“What is Count looking at?” Xiong Liqing asked.

She did not resist.

She allowed Zheng Fan to hold her chin.

“Nothing.

“I just think this is amusing.”

As he spoke—

Zheng Fan touched Xiong Liqing’s nose.

Then her forehead.

Then her earlobe.

Then his hand slowly moved downward.

Xiong Liqing’s body trembled.

Before Count Zheng’s hand could descend any farther she leaned backward and avoided it.

Yet she seemed to dislike her own retreat.

Instinctively she almost leaned forward again.

But hesitated.

Zheng Fan withdrew his hand.

What he had done just now was not simply taking liberties with her.

He had deliberately used this simple, direct method to make the girl retreat.

To restore the original rhythm of the conversation where strength and weakness were clearly divided.

She was still too inexperienced.

Far more inexperienced than the Commandery Princess of the Marquis of Zhenbei Residence who had once given Zheng Fan such a headache.

But that was normal.

If every street were filled with women like the Commandery Princess that would be what truly made no sense.

Once the body retreated the spirit followed.

To relieve the fear building inside her, Xiong Liqing took the initiative to speak.

“Count thinks...

“I was trying to provoke you with reverse psychology?”

Zheng Fan raised one hand.

He waved it lightly before himself.

Xiong Liqing immediately shrank back again in fright.

But this time—

Siniang did not step forward to slap her.

Zheng Fan said:

“Too cliché.”

“Cliché?”

Zheng Fan shook his head.

Siniang stepped forward.

**Smack!**

One slap.

Siniang’s slaps were an art form.

She had perfected them years ago while making examples of one girl before another.

The slap needed to sound loud.

Sharp.

Hurt properly.

Yet never damage the girl badly enough to leave scars or ruin her face and affect business.

Xiong Liqing felt she might already have been slapped numb.

She stared blankly upward.

Looking at Zheng Fan.

Zheng Fan placed one finger against his lips.

Then said softly:

“Don’t waste words.”

Xiong Liqing lowered her head.

Trembling, she answered:

“Yes.”

Zheng Fan asked:

“Why?”

“What do you mean by wh—”

She stopped herself.

“No.

“I hate.

“I hate.”

“Who do you hate?”

“I hate...”

Zheng Fan raised one hand.

Interrupting her.

By now, the Princess of Great Chu had already learned to understand and obey Count Zheng’s gestures perfectly.

“Don’t rush to give me the answer.

“You played the guessing game earlier.

“I want a turn too.

“Let me guess.”

Count Zheng rubbed his fingers against his chin.

He put on a thoughtful expression.

Then said:

“Who exactly do you hate?

“The Qu Clan?

“Qu Peiluo?

“I hear Qu Peiluo has a fairly good reputation.

“You Chu people all say he possesses something of his father’s bearing.

“Even if it is an act—anyone capable of acting that well still counts as decent.

“So you probably do not hate him.

“There isn’t enough there to hate.

“Then who?

“Me?”

Zheng Fan smiled.

“There’s no need to say you hate me.

“It would be perfectly normal for you to hate me.

“If you liked me instead—that would be strange.”

Hearing this—

Xiong Liqing nodded along obediently.

“Yes.”

“Oh.”

Count Zheng opened his mouth.

Then pointed one finger directly at Xiong Liqing.

Xiong Liqing looked confused.

Siniang stepped forward.

**Smack!**

Another slap.

Xiong Liqing’s breathing quickened.

She had no idea what she had done wrong.

Once Siniang returned behind Zheng Fan—

Count Zheng finally spoke.

“Why can’t you like me?

“Love at first sight or something.

“Am I really that terrible?”

“I...”

Zheng Fan smiled warmly.

“Next time you speak—remember to behave.”

“Yes.

“Yes, Count.”

Zheng Fan pinched his fingers together thoughtfully and continued:

“Then who do you hate?

“Your father Emperor?

“The old Emperor of Chu died years ago.

“He’s already ashes and smoke.

“There’s no point talking about hatred anymore.

“Besides, I heard he was very fond of you while he was alive.

“So.

“So.

“So.

“Who do you hate?”

Zheng Fan leaned forward.

He brought his face closer to the Princess’s.

Close enough to see every individual eyelash.

“Phew.”

Count Zheng blew gently.

Xiong Liqing instinctively narrowed her eyes.

Then Zheng Fan’s voice sounded beside her.

“You hate your elder brother.

“Your full elder brother.

“The Regent of Chu.”

Xiong Liqing hesitated.

Whether she was hesitating over the answer or how she should phrase it—

Zheng Fan could not tell.

But in the end she nodded.

“Yes.”

“Clap, clap, clap.”

Count Zheng applauded.

Siniang, standing behind him, applauded too.

The Princess of Great Chu looked at the two of them.

Then, almost instinctively she raised both hands.

Hesitated for only a tiny instant.

And began clapping along.

Applauding Count Zheng’s brilliant deduction.

Count Zheng lowered both hands.

The applause stopped.

“Then let me guess why you hate your elder brother.”

Xiong Liqing looked at him.

Silent.

Zheng Fan closed his eyes.

A long moment passed.

Then, he opened them again.

And said:

“You love him?”

The Princess’s eyes widened violently.

Her face filled with disbelief.

This was a secret.

A secret of the imperial clan of Great Chu.

A secret belonging only to the two of them brother and sister.

Why did he know?

How could he know?

How could he possibly know!

This was no guess.

There was no such thing as guessing correctly in one try!

Impossible.

Impossible!

Yan’s Secret Intelligence Department...

The Secret Intelligence Department...

Could it actually...

Could they actually...

Could they...

One only had to look at Xiong Liqing’s reaction.

Even an idiot could tell.

Count Zheng had guessed correctly.

Zheng Fan sighed.

Then shook his head slightly.

With a faintly disappointed tone he uttered two words.

“Too cliché.”

Xiong Liqing was still completely disoriented.

Zheng Fan slowly rose.

He really had guessed.

Perhaps some secrets felt unimaginably twisted and abnormal to the people living inside them.

Something normal people could never conceive.

But to Count Zheng was guessing **forbidden sibling love** first not basic procedure?

He had expected something new.

Some different twist.

Some fresh bizarre story.

But the final answer was still old wine in a new bottle.

Clichéd.

Greasy.

Zheng Fan lowered his head and looked at Xiong Liqing.

Then suddenly barked:

“Hey!”

“Ah!”

The Princess of Great Chu screamed in fright.

“Hehehe.”

Count Zheng laughed.

He reached out.

Lifted Xiong Liqing’s face.

Forced her to look at him.

Then said:

“You love your elder brother.

“But your elder brother, for the sake of his position at court, wants to marry you off to the Qu Clan.

“You see that as betrayal.

“Your elder brother betrayed you.

“And hurt you.

“So you hate him.

“You hate him very, very much.

“Right?”

At this moment, in Xiong Liqing’s eyes—

Zheng Fan had become almost indistinguishable from a demon.

But under the pressure of his words she still nodded.

“Mm.”

“You should hate him.

“A man’s little sister is supposed to be cherished.

“Even if he refuses to do something that violates human ethics—he still should not take his own younger sister and sell her like merchandise in a political transaction.

“That is not how an elder brother behaves.

“Don’t you agree?”

“Yes...”

“So when you said you want revenge—what you really want is to humiliate him.

“To humiliate the nominal Regent of Great Chu—who in truth already rules like the current Emperor of Chu.

“Mm?”

“Mm...”

Zheng Fan leaned close to Xiong Liqing’s ear.

Then continued softly:

“The little opera script you invented earlier was not bad.

“But this play—would be extremely difficult to perform properly.

“If the performance goes wrong—it could very easily become a completely different play.

“One where—

“Count Pingye of Great Yan, a man covered in military glory, falls desperately in love with the Princess of Chu.

“When he learns the woman he loves is about to marry another man—he ignores the danger and leads a lone force deep into Chu, determined to reclaim his beloved.

“In the end—the Chu army surrounds him.

“He fights to the death.

“Exhausts every ounce of strength.

“And dies.

“That day in Ju’an City—snow falls.

“Snow falls so heavily it seems even Heaven itself mourns this tragic love.

“Why—why can two lovers in this world never become husband and wife?

“Aiya.

“Aiya.

“Tell me.

“Ten years later.

“Twenty.

“Thirty.

“Wouldn’t that opera still be capable of squeezing tears from countless young wives and little girls?”

Xiong Liqing’s chest rose and fell violently.

She she did not dare answer.

Zheng Fan stepped backward several paces.

A smile still covered his face.

“Hehehe.”

Then he turned.

And walked toward the exit of the secret chamber.

Siniang followed close behind.

The Princess of Great Chu had been subjected to Count Zheng’s endless psychological pressure hinting bullying frightening until she was almost hysterical.

She suddenly screamed after his retreating back:

“You’re a demon!

“You’re a demon!”

Count Zheng did not turn around.

He only raised one finger and drew a circle in the air.

Then added:

“With an angel inside.”

...

They left the secret chamber.

Walked through the artificial hill.

Count Zheng stretched.

Then drew in a deep breath of fresh air.

The chamber below had truly been too oppressive.

“Master.

“Just now, you...”

“Not bad?”

“Even if the Blind Man were here, he might not have done better.”

“Tsk.

“That kind of praise would feel much better if you said it in front of the Blind Man himself.”

Siniang smiled faintly.

Then seemed to think of something.

She asked:

“Master isn’t truly considering...”

Zheng Fan’s stretching movement paused.

Then he laughed.

“Only if my brain had been beaten loose.”

Siniang nodded.

**Smack.**

Count Zheng lightly slapped his own forehead.

Then said:

“Strange.

“There are mosquitoes even in winter.”

...

[End of Chapter 432]