Chapter 2709 The Mad City Lord's Love-Hate Relationship 31

The Imperial Palace, Princess Chiyin's Palace.

Jin Chen followed the eunuch leading the way through layers of palaces and stopped in front of a magnificent palace that was somewhat secluded.

The glazed tiles of the palace gleamed coldly, the vermilion palace gates were tightly closed, and the palace maids and eunuchs standing in front of the gates had their heads bowed and eyes lowered. Perhaps this palace had not been filled with laughter and joy for a long time, and it lacked the vitality of living people.

Ling Gun Gun clung to Jin Chen's head, its claws gripping a strand of his dark hair, looking around and muttering to itself.

[Host, the original plot only mentioned her briefly. This Princess Chiyin was the daughter of the deposed empress in the Cold Palace. Not long after the empress's death, the princess unexpectedly fell into a coma for five years, essentially a background character. It's strange, how come she suddenly woke up and specifically asked to see you?]

It tilted its head, its eyes filled with confusion. "With your current strength, neither the old emperor nor the imperial advisor dares to easily do anything to you. Why don't you just refuse this inexplicable audience?"

Jin Chen glanced at the gloomy guardian beasts on the eaves of the palace, and a smile curled at the corner of his lips.

[Since I'm idle anyway, and that troublesome ghost king still hasn't found a way to sneak into the mortal realm, I need to find something to do to pass the time.]

Zero Rolling: [...Hiss.]

As they were talking, the palace doors opened silently, and a palace maid dressed in simple clothes bowed and came out, "Young Master Jinchen, Her Highness the Princess summons you to the palace."

Jin Chen nodded and stepped into the hall.

The palace was elegantly furnished, filled with a faint, cool fragrance, and exuded an inescapable chill. There were more palace servants standing there than outside, but they all looked like clay or wooden sculptures with their heads bowed and eyes lowered.

Ling Gun Gun shrank his neck, ["Eek...this place feels even more creepy than a ghost town..."]

Jin Chen stopped outside the twelve sandalwood and jade screen at the entrance. Behind the screen, the gauze curtains hung low, and a slender figure could be vaguely seen leaning on the soft couch.

"This humble commoner, Jin Chen, greets Your Highness."

Jin Chen cupped his hands in greeting, his voice clear and indifferent, showing none of the fear and awe that ordinary people would have when meeting a member of the imperial family.

There was a moment of silence inside the tent, then the person raised their hand and waved. The palace maid next to them immediately understood and stepped forward to relay the message.

"Your Highness invites the young hero to come forward and have a word."

Jin Chen stood still, her gaze piercing through the screen and gauze curtains, landing on the blurry figure.

"Your Highness has just recovered from your illness, but you are still feeling unwell, which prevents you from speaking to me in person?"

The palace maid who delivered the message was clearly taken aback, a look of panic flashing across her face. She quickly bowed her head and said, "Young hero, you misunderstand. Her Highness is in good health, but... but she doesn't like to talk much."

Jin Chen stood with his hands behind his back. Hearing this, he smiled slightly, but the smile did not reach his eyes.

"If Your Highness sincerely invites me to speak, why are you unwilling to show your true face and talk to me in person?"

"Could it be that I am unworthy to hear Your Highness's words?"

His words were neither humble nor arrogant, and even contained a hint of provocation. The palace maid who delivered the message turned even paler with fright, fell silent, and dared not utter another word.

An eerie silence fell behind the screen.

After a long while, a very soft laugh, mixed with a strange magnetism, was heard. The voice was not like that of an ordinary woman, but a low, husky voice that was indistinguishable between male and female, alluring without the person even realizing it.

"Come forward."

It was the same order, but it came personally from behind the gauze curtain.

Jin Chen raised an eyebrow slightly, a faint interest flashing in her eyes. She walked around the screen and stopped three steps away from the gauze curtain.

The princess inside the tent adjusted her posture, and her voice came through the gauze curtain, asking casually.

"Young hero, from which sect or school do you come? And... are you currently married?"

Jin Chen answered readily.

“Your Highness, I come from the Guadao Sect. As for marriage…” He paused, “naturally, we are not yet destined for each other. Otherwise, why would I have accepted Your Highness’s invitation to come to the palace for an audience today?”

There was a moment of silence inside the gauze curtain.

The princess's pale fingertips gripped her sleeve, a strange hint of gritted teeth in them. "So, young hero, you know that I... I've come to find you on the Emperor's orders, intending to make you his consort?"

Jin Chen nodded, her tone frank: "Now I know."

"Then..." The voice from inside the gauze curtain paused, as if taking a deep breath, "Would the young hero agree?"

Jin Chen chuckled softly and raised his eyes. "Her Highness the Princess is unwilling to let me see her face in person, to catch a glimpse of her true appearance. How could I... so easily agree to such a lifelong commitment based on just a few words?"

Princess:"……"

Immediately afterwards, a corner of the gauze curtain was lifted by an excessively pale hand. "Go outside and wait! Accompany me for a walk in the Imperial Garden later!"

Jin Chen: "I will obey Your Highness's orders."

Jin Chen left the palace and waited for the princess's carriage under the corridor.

He was in a good mood and casually glanced around the courtyard, but then he caught sight of a furtive figure peeking out from behind the artificial hill not far away.

At this moment, Fu Lingjing was torn between his inner thoughts and his external forces.

He truly couldn't understand the immortal's instructions in his mind. "Who exactly is that princess? What good is her beauty? You know I'm attracted to men, why would you send me to seduce a princess? This…this is utterly absurd!"

"Idiot! Who cares what kind of wind you're enjoying!"

The immortal is irritable.

"Now that the princess has taken a liking to Jin Chen, this is a golden opportunity! You must find a way to get close to the princess, attract her attention, and ruin Jin Chen's chance. Here you go, a secret manual!"

A faint light flashed, and Fu Lingjing found himself holding an ancient, thread-bound book that looked quite old.

Fu Lingjing glanced at it briefly and found that the various methods recorded therein were indeed quite profound. He was immediately delighted. If he could learn this technique, what would he have to worry about...

He immediately forgot his previous resistance, gritted his teeth, and agreed, "Alright! I'll go and keep watch outside the princess's palace right away!"

Thus, what Jin Chen saw at this moment was Fu Lingjing in the garden outside the princess's palace, sneaking around and secretly gesturing to the scene recorded in the manual.