"So what?"
These understated words seemed to instantly destroy the cold and aloof aura of the eldest princess in front of him.
So what?
She was threatening!
She knew the biggest secret of the Prince of Lin... He was a fake!
She was not interested in why Lin Jiangnian pretended to be the Prince of Lin, nor did she know what he was planning.
But she knew that impersonating the Prince of Lin was Lin Jiangnian's biggest secret.
The dignified Prince of Lin was actually impersonated by someone else. This crime deserves the death of all nine generations of his family. If the Linzhou Prince knew the truth, this person would suffer a terrible fate.
There will be no place for him in this world anymore.
In that case, why couldn't she threaten with it?
She wanted to use this man's biggest secret to force him to compromise and use him for her own purposes.
After all, Lin Jiangnian had already experienced life and death, so even though his secret was exposed, he remained calm and did not show any panic.
The former Prince of Lin had long since died in the ruined temple that night. All traces of him had long since been erased by Liu Su.
There can't be two exactly the same people in the world, and no one would ever believe that there is another person in the world who is exactly the same as Prince Lin.
So……
Even if the eldest princess in front of him discovered the flaw, things were far from the worst.
"Her Royal Highness the Princess's plan may be in vain."
Lin Jiangnian shook his head gently. "I don't know why Her Royal Highness the Princess suddenly suspected that this prince was an imposter, but this idea is simply a fantasy... Since this prince is the prince of Prince Lin, how can he be an imposter?"
"The eldest princess wants to use this 'out of thin air' to threaten this prince. I'm afraid she's overthinking it..."
The princess stared into his eyes and said, "You don't have to hide it... You are not the prince of Lin. You can't deceive me."
"Since I can see through your disguise, I can naturally find evidence..."
Having said this, she paused for a moment, looked at him again, and said, "However, I am truly not interested in you pretending to be the Prince of Lin. If you are willing to help me, I will not mention this matter again... Perhaps, I can still lend you a hand, what do you think?"
"Why is Your Highness the Princess so aggressive? This prince is the Prince of Lin, how could it be fake?"
Lin Jiangnian shook his head and sighed, "Even if we take a step back and assume that this prince is a fake... what Her Royal Highness the Princess wants me to do is nothing more than to mention the cancellation of the engagement to His Majesty..."
"As the Crown Prince of Lin, if I refuse the marriage granted by Your Majesty, I would be disobeying His Majesty's order. If the son of a vassal prince disobeys His Majesty's order, it would be tantamount to treason..."
"This prince cannot bear the crime of treason!"
The princess's cold eyes were calm: "I don't need you to cancel the engagement with my father."
"You're not going to cancel the engagement?"
Lin Jiangnian was stunned.
"So what you mean is..."
"Of course, it's not a marriage."
The eldest princess's expression was cold and gloomy. "I need your cooperation to put the marriage on hold for now and discuss it again after the court situation stabilizes."
Is the situation at court stable?
Lin Jiangnian stared at the woman in white in front of him, thoughtful.
"How long will it take for the situation at court to stabilize, as Her Royal Highness said?"
"have no idea."
“…”
Lin Jiangnian narrowed his eyes and said, "You mean, as long as the court is unstable, our marriage will be put on hold?"
"Um."
The eldest princess nodded expressionlessly.
"That sounds good, but..."
Lin Jiangnian glanced at her and asked, "Will His Majesty agree?"
The princess was silent for a moment. "My father is still in seclusion, and it's unclear when he'll be back... This matter requires the cooperation of you and me."
"So, the eldest princess should have had this idea in mind a long time ago, right?"
Lin Jiangnian seemed to see through something.
The eldest princess had a cold expression and remained silent.
"However, I am quite curious as to why the eldest princess did this."
Lin Jiangnian asked, "Even though the engagement can be put on hold for now, we still have to face it eventually... What should we do then?"
"Is our kiss going to be successful, or what?"
The eldest princess said calmly: "When the time comes, there will be a solution."
"Then why not now?"
Lin Jiangnian asked in return, "Since Her Royal Highness the Princess is unwilling to marry this Prince, why don't you just cancel our marriage?"
"Why don't you go?" The eldest princess glanced at him expressionlessly.
Lin Jiangnian waved his hand and said with a smile, "Of course it's because this prince wants to marry you, the princess!"
“…”
"Do you agree?"
The eldest princess stared at him with an expressionless face.
Lin Jiangnian leaned his arms on the stone table and moved slightly closer to the eldest princess in front of him.
Right now, both of them are pretending to be ignorant even though they know the truth.
The princess knew Lin Jiangnian's fake identity, and Lin Jiangnian also knew that his identity had been exposed. But they both tacitly concealed this fact.
"It's indeed a good suggestion, but I would like to ask, when will the court be able to achieve peace?"
Lin Jiangnian stared into her eyes and said, "If things remain unstable, won't this prince have to stay in the capital forever?"
The princess was silent for a moment, glanced at him, and finally spoke: "Wait until His Royal Highness the Crown Prince recovers."
Lin Jiangnian stared into her eyes and instantly understood something.
This eldest princess is of the same blood as the current Crown Prince and the third prince. They were born to the current empress and are siblings from the same father and mother.
But the relationship between the three is not as good as rumored by the outside world!
His Royal Highness the Crown Prince Li Ci Ning is the heir apparent appointed by the Emperor, but the Third Prince is not willing to be an idle prince.
Perhaps because they were born from the same family, or perhaps because the emperor's favor towards the empress was transferred to the third prince, compared to other princes, the third prince was the only one who enjoyed the most favor in the capital, and was also one of the few princes who could still stay in the capital after reaching adulthood.
As for the eldest princess in front of him, it was said that she had a closer relationship with His Royal Highness the Crown Prince, and there was some estrangement and conflict between her and the Third Prince.
Come to think of it, it’s not difficult to understand.
We are all brothers and sisters, why do you support the prince but not me?
Is it just because he was born before me?
In terms of talent and strategy, how can I be inferior to the prince?
Under the jealousy, resentment, unwillingness and anger, what kind of twisted mentality did the Third Prince develop? It is unknown...
Of course, others don’t know the specific situation, but they can roughly guess that the eldest princess is close to His Royal Highness the Crown Prince.
Rumors are circulating in the capital that the Crown Prince is gravely ill, and the court is in a state of turmoil. Under such circumstances, the Princess suddenly suggesting that the marriage be put on hold is a very subtle and worthy of careful consideration...
It was also in this instant that Lin Jiangnian quickly weighed the pros and cons.
He had not originally intended to marry the princess when he came to the capital. Her proposal to put the marriage on hold seemed like a good option for Lin Jiangnian.
In addition, the court situation of the Daning Dynasty is also one of Lin Jiangnian's greatest concerns. After all, it concerns the important fate of the Linwang Mansion's survival.
Will the dynasty make up its mind to wield the butcher knife and decide to reduce the power of the feudal lords, or will the court choose to negotiate peace and turn hostility into friendship?
Everything is unknown for the time being!
But it also presents an opportunity. Lin Jiangnian might be able to take this opportunity to understand the situation in the court, so that the Prince Lin's Mansion can make plans in advance.
"I wonder how your Highness is doing now?"
Lin Jiangnian suddenly asked.
The eldest princess stared at Lin Jiangnian without saying a word.
Lin Jiang smiled young: "This prince is engaged to you, and His Royal Highness the Crown Prince can be considered as this prince's...future brother-in-law."
"Is it okay for this prince to take care of the health of my future brother-in-law?"
The eldest princess calmly withdrew her gaze: "It's okay."
Although it was a simple "not bad", it was definitely not as good as it appeared. His Royal Highness had been ill for some time. If it was just a minor illness, why had he not recovered until now?
His Royal Highness's illness is probably somewhat unusual.
"If I had the chance, I would like to go to the palace to visit His Royal Highness the Crown Prince. I have long heard that His Royal Highness the Crown Prince is talented and kind-hearted. It is a great pity that I have never had the chance to see him in person!"
Lin Jiangnian sighed, but saw the eldest princess staring at him without saying a word.
"how?"
The eldest princess remained silent, and no one knew what she was thinking.
The cold wind blew into the pavilion, but she still sat quietly, sitting upright, her white hands lightly placed on the stone table, her eyes looking at Lin Jiangnian.
"What do you think?"
"Um?"
Lin Jiangnian raised his eyes, met hers, and chuckled, "What good will it be if I agree to your request?"
"I've already said that."
"It's not enough."
Lin Jiangnian shook his head. "If I help you put your marriage on hold, I'll risk His Majesty's wrath. There's even a very real possibility that my Lin family will be charged with treason... This is such a dangerous matter. Does the Princess intend to send me off so easily?"
The eldest princess stared at Lin Jiangnian with cold eyes and a hint of chilliness.
a long time!
"What else do you want?"
"What can the eldest princess give this prince?"
"you say!"
The eldest princess' voice was concise and to the point.
Lin Jiangnian smiled and looked at the princess in front of him quietly, his eyes falling on the exquisite sword on the stone table.
The scabbard is exquisitely crafted with clearly visible carvings, and a faint chill permeates the air around the sword. It is obvious to the naked eye that this is a rare sword.
As if he had noticed something, Lin Jiangnian raised his eyes and met the eldest princess' gaze again.
"want to?"
"It's a fine sword indeed!"
Lin Jiangnian paused, then shook his head: "However, this prince never takes away what others like."
The princess was silent for a moment. "This sword is called 'Silver Moon'. It's one of two swords forged by the foremost swordsmith of the sword arts, who devoted his entire life to crafting it. It absorbs the essence of the sun and moon year after year, making it a rare divine weapon. It's indestructible, capable of cutting through iron like mud... In the past, countless people in the martial arts world fought for it, causing countless bloody incidents."
After hearing the eldest princess' introduction, Lin Jiangnian began to regret it... Why had he been so eager to show off just now?!
Such a magical weapon is rare.
As if she could see what Lin Jiangnian was thinking, the princess glanced at him again and said calmly, "The other one is called 'Autumn Water'."
"Qiu Shui?"
Lin Jiangnian was stunned for a moment, and then realized that this "Qiu Shui" might be referring to his Qiu Shui sword?
He knew that the Autumn Water Sword was a rare treasure in the world, but he never expected that it had such a great origin?
Together with the 'Silver Moon Sword' in the hands of the eldest princess, they both come from the way of the sword?
As one of the most advanced swordsmanship in the world, it is not surprising that Kendo can forge such magical weapons.
But what made Lin Jiangnian curious was that this 'Autumn Water Sword' was given to him by the old senior Li in Ruyi Tower. In addition, the old senior Li also taught Lin Jiangnian the supreme swordsmanship in Ruyi Tower - 'Nine Sword Techniques'!
Why does Senior Li know the supreme skills of kendo?
Even the last move of the lost 'Nine Sword Techniques' was passed on to Lin Jiangnian.
Who is he?
What is its connection with Kendo?
Although he was confused, Lin Jiangnian did not mention it.
Although the Nine Sword Techniques have not been put to use yet, Lin Jiangnian has not abandoned them. With diligent study and hard practice, he has now been able to demonstrate some strength.
As Lin Jiangnian's strength gradually increases, the supreme swordsmanship seems to be getting closer and closer to being unleashed.
Lin Jiangnian glanced at the eldest princess in front of him. It was rumored that she was the best master of kendo and her swordsmanship was the best in the world.
Although the 'Nine Sword Arts' consisted of only nine forms, these nine forms contained infinite variations and countless ways of deducing them. If one could master them thoroughly, one would at least become a rare and unrivaled master.
I just don't know which of the 'Nine Sword Techniques' she has learned?
"So the 'Autumn Water Sword' and the Princess's 'Silver Moon Sword' are a pair. So, it seems they are destined to be together."
Lin Jiangnian paused, then smiled and said, "Since the 'Silver Moon Sword' is in the hands of the eldest princess, this prince will naturally not steal her away..."
Since the Autumn Water Sword can be compared with the Silver Moon Sword, Lin Jiangnian is naturally not very interested in it.
He looked at the princess, paused, and then said, "Princess, do you still remember the medicines that you instructed Jinxiu to feed this prince when he was seriously injured and rescued?"
The eldest princess raised her head slightly, as if anticipating what he was about to say.
"I have to say those medicines are truly miraculous. They can actually help this prince improve his inner strength in a short period of time, greatly increasing his inner power..."
"I wonder if the eldest princess still has any?"
"And some more."
The eldest princess spoke slowly, but quickly shook her head: "But, it's of no use to you."
"Um?"
"Those medicines that temper the body and enhance internal strength are only useful for warriors below the fifth rank."
"It's no longer effective for you."
Now that Lin Jiang's internal strength has reached the fifth level, these medicines are naturally not very effective.
If you think about it carefully, it seems to make sense.
If one could mindlessly improve internal strength and mass-produce masters through drugs, then there would probably be countless martial arts masters in all the major families.
Although Lin Jiangnian was a little disappointed with this result, he was not lost.
Since there was no shortcut to improving his internal strength, he set his sights on the eldest princess in front of him.
"I've heard that the eldest princess possesses incredible martial arts talent. Despite her youth, she's already reached the pinnacle of martial arts, and few in the world can rival her. I wonder... could the eldest princess teach me a few moves?"
Lin Jiangnian brought it up again.
Such a great resource is right in front of us, it would be a waste if we don’t use it.
It would be of great benefit to learn a few moves or martial arts experience from a master of this level.
The eldest princess shook her head: "I can't give you any advice."
"Why?"
"Can't teach?"
“Why can’t I teach you?”
The eldest princess was silent for a while before she said, "I, can't teach."
She has never taught anyone and doesn't know how to teach!
For her, it seemed that martial arts did not require any teaching at all.
"You can't...teach?!"
Lin Jiangnian subconsciously questioned that it was simply nonsense for a master of her level to say that she couldn't teach.
But soon, he realized something.
"You, why can't you teach?"
"have no idea."
"Then how do you usually improve your strength?"
"Practice."
"What else?"
"Meditate and cultivate inner strength."
"Have you ever encountered any bottlenecks or things you don't understand?"
The eldest princess gave him a strange look and said, "Practicing martial arts is so simple, how could there be a bottleneck?"
Lin Jiangnian: “…”
He finally understood!
A martial arts genius like the eldest princess probably wouldn't be taught.
For them, talent determines everything. Questions that others would struggle to answer for months or even years seem effortless to them. It's as if they were taken for granted, something they should simply brush off...
This is the horror of martial arts talent!
This also meant that even though she had profound martial arts skills, she wouldn't necessarily teach others. After all, for her, some things didn't seem to need to be taught; they were innate.
If you ask her, she'll look bewildered: "Is that how I learned it? I don't know why, I just learned it!"
“…”
Lin Jiangnian was silent for a long time.
He believed that he had a very good talent for martial arts. After practicing martial arts for half a year, he was now among the world's top martial artists. Such talent and strength were rare in the world.
But now in front of the eldest princess, she seems a little pitiful.
Not good enough.
"Can I ask a question?"
Lin Jiangnian stared at the woman in white, who looked as cold and aloof as a fairy from the Ninth Heaven, and couldn't help asking, "What is your current strength?"
"Second-rank Tianxuan? Or a first-rank Grandmaster?"
Hearing this question, the princess seemed to think about it for a moment, then shook her head slightly.
"I don't know either."
"have no idea?"
Lin Jiangnian frowned: "Don't you know your current strength?"
"Um."
Lin Jiangnian stared at her for a long time, making sure that she didn't seem to be lying.
I became even more confused.
How could you not know your own strength?
It is rumored that she is already a master of the second-grade Tianxuan realm. She is either a second-grade Tianxuan or has already entered the first-grade grandmaster realm!
Why is it still unclear?
However, Lin Jiangnian did not ask any further questions.
"If this doesn't work, and that doesn't work, what benefits can you give me?"
Lin Jiangnian spread his hands and said helplessly.
What benefits can he get from this eldest princess?
It was simply her unfathomable martial arts that made Lin Jiangnian both apprehensive and envious. If he could use her to improve his own strength, it would be a good deal.
But now the plan has failed. The cold and icy Princess in front of him has no appeal to Lin Jiangnian. In fact, she is not as attractive to him as Jinxiu.
"How about you just give Jinxiu, your girl, to this prince as a maid?"
Lin Jiangnian said casually.
Compared to the eldest princess, Jinxiu seems to be more pleasing to the eye.
Lin Jiangnian was just saying it casually. After all, Jinxiu was the eldest princess's maid. How could she give her away so easily?
However, the eldest princess hesitated and thought seriously for a while.
“It’s not impossible.”
She raised her eyes to look at Lin Jiangnian and said calmly, "If Jinxiu is willing, I can let her follow you."
Lin Jiangnian: “?”
"Really?"
“…”