Through Ye Fanchen's explanation, Qin Hanchu gained a thorough understanding of Longmen.
Although Longmen was merely an island, it boasted eight cities with a total population of over twenty million.
The eight ancient clans each controlled one city.
To facilitate management, the eight ancient clans established the Dragon Pavilion.
Major decisions were deliberated through Dragon Pavilion conferences.
Periodically, the eight great families would send outstanding clan members out for travels.
Ye Fanchen was one such member of the Ye family who ventured out.
In the Great Yan Kingdom, there were many families like the Wang family that were subordinate to Longmen.
Even within government departments, there were individuals from Longmen.
The royal family was aware of this, but due to Longmen's immense power, they could only turn a blind eye.
As long as things did not go too far, both sides coexisted peacefully.
Qin Hanchu speculated that there were likely some cooperative arrangements between them.
Just as he finished watching the video, Qin Hanchu's phone rang.
Seeing it was the Fifth Princess's call, Qin Hanchu already guessed the reason.
He answered, smiling, "Your Highness, what can I do for you?"
"Where are you? Let's meet!" the Fifth Princess stated.
Qin Hanchu glanced at the clock; it was already nine-thirty in the evening.
"It's quite late, can't we meet tomorrow?" Qin Hanchu asked.
"Right now," the Fifth Princess replied resolutely.
"I'm at my temporary residence. It wouldn't be appropriate for a princess to visit my place so late at night," Qin Hanchu said.
The Fifth Princess huffed, "Then come out. I'll treat you to drinks at a bar."
Hearing this, Qin Hanchu teased, "A bar? Are you trying to get me drunk because you're after me?"
"Get lost! I'll send you the location, hurry up," the Fifth Princess said with a coy tone.
Qin Hanchu knew he couldn't evade the inquiry, so he agreed.
Twenty minutes later, Qin Hanchu entered a members-only bar.
Upon entering, the Fifth Princess's attendant greeted him, "Mr. Qin, this way please."
Passing through the dance floor, Qin Hanchu spotted the Fifth Princess.
Seeing Qin Hanchu, the Fifth Princess offered a smile.
"You may leave," the Fifth Princess told her bodyguards.
"Your safety..." The bar was somewhat chaotic, and the bodyguards were concerned about potential harassment.
The Fifth Princess smiled, "The Champion Marquis is here, there's no danger."
Hearing this, the bodyguards departed.
"Fifth..."
Just as Qin Hanchu was about to address her as Fifth Princess, she said, "Just call me Huairou."
"It feels a bit awkward," Qin Hanchu commented.
The Fifth Princess huffed, "It wasn't awkward when you called Lin Ying and the others."
"Let's not talk about that. What did you want to see me about?" Qin Hanchu asked.
"I don't believe you don't know why," the Fifth Princess fixed her gaze on Qin Hanchu.
Qin Hanchu smiled, "The matter of the Toyotomi family?"
"Tell me, was the annihilation of the Toyotomi family your doing?" the Fifth Princess inquired.
Qin Hanchu smiled, "If I said it had nothing to do with me, would you believe me?"
"No," the Fifth Princess replied. "I'm just very curious. How did you manage it? And who is the force behind you?"
Qin Hanchu didn't answer directly. He smiled, "Guess."
The Fifth Princess pondered for a moment, then uttered two words, "Overseas?"
"I suppose I don't need to answer further."
Qin Hanchu intentionally steered the Fifth Princess to think of Longmen.
With Longmen's immense power, eradicating the Toyotomi family would be as easy as playing a game.
"When did you get connected with them?"
The Fifth Princess knew Qin Hanchu wasn't part of Longmen.
It was Prince Zhong who had informed Qin Hanchu about Longmen's existence.
"They saved me and invited me to join."
"I'm still considering whether to join them."
"I've heard they are very powerful, and I'm quite tempted."
Qin Hanchu fabricated the story with a straight face.
The Fifth Princess carefully observed Qin Hanchu's expression. Seeing that he didn't seem to be lying, she believed him to some extent.
Moreover, Qin Hanchu possessed the qualifications to be recognized by Longmen.
"Which family is so kind as to give you time to consider?" the Fifth Princess asked, clearly testing him.
Prince Zhong had only told Qin Hanchu about a mysterious force, but not the specific details.
If Qin Hanchu's answer revealed any inconsistencies, the Fifth Princess would easily detect it.
"The Ye family." Qin Hanchu, now well-informed about Longmen, found this question easy to answer.
The suspicion in the Fifth Princess's eyes completely vanished.
Qin Hanchu's frank mention of the Ye family indicated that he had indeed made contact with members of the Ye family.
"They aren't that great. Isn't it quite潇洒 to be a Marquis in the capital?"
"Let me tell you a secret: my father intends to enfeoff you as a King."
"However, you are too young and lack military achievements, so many people are opposed."
"After you graduate, opportunities to earn merit will arise, and then it will be legitimate." the Fifth Princess whispered.
Qin Hanchu chuckled, "Are you just dangling a carrot in front of me?"
"Do you want something tangible?" the Fifth Princess asked.
Qin Hanchu inquired curiously, "What?"
"Marry me," the Fifth Princess said, lowering her head shyly.
*Pfft...*
Qin Hanchu, who had just taken a sip of juice, spat it directly onto the Fifth Princess's face.
The Fifth Princess stared at Qin Hanchu in astonishment.
Her clothes were also stained with juice.
"I'm so sorry, your words were too startling," Qin Hanchu said apologetically, handing the Fifth Princess a tissue.
The Fifth Princess took the tissue and began wiping her clothes in a flustered manner, "I'm not joking. If you agree, I'm yours."
Qin Hanchu replied awkwardly, "It's better if we remain friends."
"Am I that bad?" the Fifth Princess huffed displeasedly.
"If I cared about looks, I would have won over Jin Hailu long ago."
"I'm pursuing love, not a marriage of convenience," Qin Hanchu explained.
The Fifth Princess quickly retorted, "That's easy. Starting today, let's get to know each other better. I believe you'll fall for me, and I'll fall for you."
"It's late, I need to get back to sleep."
Qin Hanchu wanted to avoid further discussion on the matter.
As he spoke, he hurried to leave.
In his haste, he accidentally bumped into a young man.
It was a slight physical contact, not even enough to cause pain.
Out of politeness, Qin Hanchu said to the young man, "Excuse me."
"Are you blind?"
As soon as Qin Hanchu spoke, the young man reprimanded him with an arrogant tone.
"Friend, don't be so hot-tempered. I already apologized," Qin Hanchu said.
"You call that an apology?" the young man scoffed.
Seeing the young man's demeanor, the Fifth Princess's expression turned cold. She said, "What more do you want?"
"An apology requires sincerity. Bend down and say sorry to me properly," the young man sneered.
"Don't push your luck," the Fifth Princess said angrily. "Get lost!"
"Damn it, how dare you speak to me like that?"
"Don't think I won't hold you accountable just because you're pretty."
The young man became enraged and cursed coldly.