"What is this bitch doing here?" Tian Xifeng said the moment she recognized Lihua.
Lihua bowed to greet her, "Greetings to Lady Tian"
Xifeng walked immediately towards her.
"It's really you," then she slapped her.
Lihua did not retaliate. She just stood there straight, cold eyes looking at her.
"This servant did not know what crime I committed to receive such treatment. May I know if her ladyship loves to slap people?"
Lihua saw Xifeng turned furious.
"How dare you talk back! Are you here to see Shen? Is it because of you that he doesn't want to meet me?"
All the servants from the Prime Minister mansion present got confused hearing Xifeng words. When did the lowly maid Lihua get close to their master?
"Maybe her ladyship mistaken this lowly servant for someone else?" Lihua still remained her composure and cool. She cannot afford to create another commotion before she executes her plan.
Xifeng laughed loudly. For a young lady from a noble family, she is displaying traits of an unrefined lady.
"Are you saying I am stupid not to remember you?"
Lihua sighed before replying.
"My lady, this lowly servant rarely go out of the Prime Minister's mansion. This is the first time I met you." Lihua did not lose her eyes on her. She's an expert in convincing others. Xifeng's brow furrowed. She's clearly sure that she met this girl before but with her confident words, she started to doubt it as well.
"Lady Tian, I can guarantee with you that this maid hasn't met her ladyship before." It was Hui who now spoke.
"Okay, then. It is also very unlikely for Shen to bring a slave woman outside."
"Her ladyship, please. It is not good if you insist on entering the first young master's study room. Please return first to your manor. I will inform you immediately as soon as the young master returned."
Xifeng sized up Hui's words before turning around and walked away. After a few steps, she turned around again, "make sure to inform me when Shen arrived. I want to make sure that he will receive the news of our marriage as soon as possible."
"Congratulations" this is the first word that Lihua said the moment she entered Shen's study room. He saw the young man seated reading a book. He looked up and raised his eyebrows.
"I don't understand why you are congratulating me. We haven't found the blood princess yet."
Lihua smirked, "I also do not understand why you don't like her. Didn't you know that all the men in the capital coveted her?"
"Am I the same as with other men in the kingdom?"
"You're right, no one is the same as you." it is clear that she is implying something.
"I did not call you here to talk about her." Shen's face is grim and serious.
"Okay. Why did you call for me?"
"I know where the Blood Princess is."
Lihua immediately looked at him. She saw that Shen is deathly serious. Deep inside, Lihua is panicking. She did not know how he came up with that conviction. Maybe the past 2 weeks that they are not talking, he did something that she is not aware of.
"Where is she?"
Shen looked at Lihua intensely. He knew that she will be upset when he told him this new information without her prior knowledge. But he is also feeling proud of himself for acquiring this knowledge. He imagined the admiration that Lihua will have for him the moment he told him this good news.
Shen is grinning when he answered, "She's in the Holy Mountain"
"Hahahahaha" Lihua laughed after a few seconds.
Shen's brows furrowed and he is utterly confused.
When Lihua saw this, she said, "Holy mountain? Where all the monks are? You might be crazy."
"What I said is true."
"Young master, do you know that the Blood Princess is a woman right?"
"Of course," he is more confused now.
"You also know that the Holy Mountain does not allow female inside?"
"I know"
"So, how can the Blood Princess be there?" she raised her brow.
Shen's face is lit up with excitement. This is the part he is waiting for. To show off his superiority in front of her.
"The blood princess is the niece of the Holy Mountain's leader, Master Guang. They say that she is living pretending as a man all these years to avoid suspicion from others."
Lihua looked at him for a long time. And then, she looked at herself. I am pretending to be a man? When did that happen? Lihua thought to herself.
"I don't know where you got this idea but I don't know why the leader of the mountain, who likes to stay away from the world, would keep his niece as a man? I am sure there are other ways to hide her. Doing such a thing can actually arouse suspicions from others."
After hearing this, Shen thinks thoroughly. Then, spoke again, "I know you will doubt this but my source is reliable."
"Who is your source?" she asked immediately. She wants to know who the traitor was.
"I will not tell you."
"Why?"
"Like what you said before, there are things that cannot be said"
So, this is your way of punishing me? she thought to herself.
"Oh?" she said smugly.
"I will discuss with you the plan on how we can get her."
"Are you sure about this?" Lihua still couldn't believe his confidence with this information.
"Yes!" Shen's voice clearly shows frustration.
"Okay," that's all she can say at that moment. Maybe, this is a good opportunity to execute her plan. But she needs to inform his master about it.
All throughout the night, Shen and Lihua talked about the plan on how to enter the Holy Mountain, find the girl, and use the girl to blackmail Master Guang of giving them the girl to spare the Holy Mountain of the humiliation of keeping the Blood Princess under their wings. Lihua, after listening to Shen's plan, she thought he is rather overly enthusiastic about it. She found herself smiling while he is explaining the whole plan to her. He is indeed a good strategist. The only bad thing is that he is just second to her.