This Is What a Villain Is Like

Suddenly...

A thought suddenly struck Xiao Teng, and his mind buzzed. Heat rushed to his head, and his face, like a boiled crab, turned scarlet with rage.

He felt thoroughly and utterly cuckolded.

’It must be that villain, Jiang Lan! He’s deliberately humiliating me, making Xie Jianjia contact me at a time like this.’

In the dead of night, on a soft couch...

Xiao Teng didn’t dare to think any further. With a trembling hand, he took out the Communication Jade Talisman. He took a few deep breaths, forcing himself to calm down, and only then did he inspect it with his Divine Thought.

Then... he froze completely.

"What?"

"Jian Jia is alright?"

Xiao Teng could hardly believe his eyes. He checked it over and over again several times before he could finally be sure.

"This is great, this is really great."

Xiao Teng’s gloomy mood, which had lasted all day, instantly cleared up.

His dejection vanished, replaced by an excited, invigorated smile.

The few servant girls attending to him were stunned by the sight. They had no idea what the Third Young Master had seen to make him so overjoyed.

’Father is trying to figure out a solution for me. I have to tell him this news.’

’It seems the Prime Minister’s Mansion wasn’t just putting on an act. They must have had their prize snatched away too...’

Xiao Teng hurriedly got up, left his courtyard, and went to find his father.

Meanwhile, Xiao He was in his study, flipping through some books by the light of a Bright Pearl, but his brows were tightly furrowed. His mind was clearly elsewhere.

He too was troubled by Xiao Teng’s situation.

During the day, he had already gone to see the National Master, Ge Qixing, but even Ge Qixing had no good solutions at the moment.

Even knowing that Xie Jianjia was in the Prime Minister’s Mansion, who would dare demand her release without proof? The Xie Family’s tragic precedent was a stark reminder.

’But if I can solve this problem for Xiao Teng,’ Xiao He mused, ’what will his mother think when she finds out? How grateful will she be to me?’

After all, even Ge Qixing, his biological father, was helpless in this matter.

’I’ve treated Teng’Er as my own son. After all these years, she must have seen my feelings for her...’

Xiao He shook his head. Though he was Prince Zhenbei, a man of high status and great power, in his heart there was an obstacle he could not overcome.

Even heroes struggle to resist the charms of a beautiful woman. How could he be any different?

"Father..."

Suddenly, a knock came at the door. Xiao Teng had arrived in a hurry.

Because of Xiao He’s high regard and affection for him, Xiao Teng often didn’t need to be announced by a servant when he came to see him; he could enter directly.

"Teng’Er, what’s happened to make you so happy?" Xiao He asked in surprise. Just that day, Xiao Teng had been gloomy and dejected.

Why was he suddenly so excited and invigorated?

"Father, it’s like this. Jian Jia sent me a message and told me her current situation..." Xiao Teng briefly explained the whole story.

His main reason for coming was that he didn’t know about the Naxian Alliance. He had never heard of it before, so he wanted to ask his father if he knew anything about it.

"So that’s how it is."

’It seems that fellow Jiang Lintian had such a terrible expression in court today and repeatedly questioned His Majesty for this very reason. I thought the man was just acting, but it seems he was genuinely angered...’

A smile appeared on Xiao He’s face. He had already guessed the truth of the matter.

In court, many people had thought the Prime Minister was just putting on a show, intentionally trying to vex Emperor Xia. And His Majesty Emperor Xia, at the time, did indeed look quite angry but restrained himself to maintain his royal dignity.

Now it seemed that His Majesty Emperor Xia’s acting skills were improving by the day.

"Father, have you heard of this faction, the Naxian Alliance?"

"I’ve been in the Imperial Capital for so many years, how have I never heard of it?" Xiao Teng asked.

Xiao He looked at him and said, "Regarding Jian Jia’s current whereabouts, you must remember not to breathe a word of it. As for the Naxian Alliance, you must not mention it to anyone either."

"I imagine Jian Jia only told you of the Naxian Alliance’s existence to put your mind at ease."

Hearing this, Xiao Teng finally felt his heart settle.

His father’s profound and mysterious expression clearly indicated that the Naxian Alliance had an extraordinary origin.

"So, does that mean Jian Jia is safe now?" Xiao Teng asked.

"The Naxian Alliance is indeed very mysterious. Few people know about it at present."

"But it might be related to... *that place*. With Jian Jia there, she is of course completely safe..."

Xiao He nodded, then gestured meaningfully toward the sky.

Xiao Teng was stunned for a moment, then he understood, his face breaking into a wide smile.

’Since Jian Jia is fine, I can now focus all my attention on the important matters ahead...’

...

「Inside the Prime Minister’s Mansion.」

「The next morning.」

As was his custom, he finished his night of cultivation.

Jiang Lan joined his parents for breakfast.

During the meal, Jiang Lintian took the initiative to bring up the matter of Xie Jianjia.

"According to the reports from our spies, Prince Zhenbei’s third son, Xiao Teng, should now know that Xie Jianjia is in the hands of the Royal Family."

"In court yesterday, Emperor Xia still pretended to be ignorant of the matter." His face still showed his displeasure about it.

Li Qingshu said from the side, "In that case, husband, go directly to court today and demand the person from Emperor Xia. If he refuses to hand her over, then let Prince Zhenbei’s Mansion suffer the same fate as the Xie Family."

Jiang Lan silently sipped his tea at the side.

Hearing this, he interjected at the opportune moment, "Mother, Prince Zhenbei holds military power. He’s not comparable to the Xie Family. To me, Xie Jianjia isn’t actually that important. It makes little difference whether I have her or not."

"Father is, after all, in the wrong in this matter. If we make a move against Prince Zhenbei now, it could incite panic in the court."

"The Royal Family’s Southern Hunting is imminent. The dignity of Great Xia is at stake. At this critical juncture, it is not wise to get into a conflict with the Royal Family."

After all, Xie Jianjia was in his hands. Only Emperor Xia himself truly knew the grievance and injustice he felt in his heart.

If his father pushed Emperor Xia too far, the emperor would feel that the Prime Minister’s Mansion was going too far. Even a cornered rabbit will bite.

Although Emperor Xia was tolerant, it was the eve of the Southern Hunting. If the various great Immortal Sects witnessed this scene, they would only see him as incompetent, and the Royal Clan Relatives would feel that he was damaging the Royal Family’s prestige.

Jiang Lan was genuinely afraid that the emperor might, in a moment of confusion or rashness, disregard the bigger picture and start a fight to the death with the Prime Minister’s Mansion, which would ruin his many subsequent plans.

’In the original story’s plot, Emperor Xia’s personality was a bit crazy and twisted anyway...’

"Lan’Er is right. She is just one Xie Jianjia; not worth starting another conflict with the Royal Family over."

"It’s just that Emperor Xia seems to be growing more powerful, daring to pull these petty tricks right under my nose..."

Jiang Lintian also nodded, his gaze turning thoughtful.

Upon hearing this, Li Qingshu dropped the matter. She didn’t really care about the political situation in Great Xia.

She just felt a little guilty that they hadn’t been able to fulfill the request Jiang Lan had personally made.