"Junior Sister, you are right, that waiter went in directly," said Senior Brother Dong.
"This shop is likely Prince Chu's property. Otherwise, he wouldn't dare to meet us here. I said, what good food can a prince not get, to the point where he has to come to a restaurant every other day. So he was fishing!"
Senior Brother Yang understood. He wondered why it had been so smooth.
"It's all because Yu Shu didn't handle things discreetly enough, allowing people to notice!" Senior Brother Wang complained, though the complaint lacked any real severity, spoken as if in jest.
"We can't blame Junior Senior Brother for that either. After all, this is his territory. But it also tells us not to be blindly confident in our own abilities," Lin Yan sighed softly.
Junior Senior Brother was too confident in his abilities and underestimated those in the imperial court.
"Junior Sister, do you think that Prince will meet us?" Senior Brother Wang worried slightly, as he wasn't entirely at ease with his Junior Sister meeting the Prince.
"He will. After all, he has led us to this place, so he will certainly meet us," Lin Yan said with great confidence.
As expected, after a while, the waiter came in to say that the distinguished guest next door had agreed to the meeting, but he would only see the person in charge.
"Then I will go alone. Please ask the waiter to serve all the ordered dishes. You Senior Brothers can wait here. I will return soon."
Lin Yan stopped the three Senior Brothers' protests, gestured to them, and then left with the waiter.
When the waiter heard Lin Yan's address to those beside her, his heart skipped a beat, but he tried his best not to show any abnormality.
Upon reaching the door of the private room, the waiter said, "Please wait here, miss."
Then, the waiter spoke to the guards at the door, "Please inform him."
The guards at the door scrutinized both of them carefully, then nodded. Afterward, they knocked and went inside.
Soon, the door opened, inviting Lin Yan in.
As soon as Lin Yan entered, she saw the man in opulent robes sitting at the table.
He wore a long robe made of purple brocade. This color is very selective; if one's complexion is not fair, wearing this color can easily make one look sallow and older.
But not him. In the light from outside the window, he seemed to glow with whiteness. This robe suited him perfectly. Although the robe had no dragon embroidery, just sitting there, he exuded an aura of nobility.
"Greetings, Your Highness!" Lin Yan removed her veil and performed a curtsy.
"Miss, please rise," Prince Chu gestured. He subtly assessed the woman who had requested the meeting.
"Thank you, Your Highness!" Lin Yan stood up, her head slightly bowed.
"Please take a seat, miss. May I ask the important matter that brought you to see me?" Prince Chu indicated a nearby chair.
"It seems Your Highness has many capable people around you. My Junior Senior Brother was not discreet enough, allowing Your Highness to notice our actions and witness a good show."
Lin Yan did not stand on ceremony and sat directly on the stool prepared for her. She casually placed her veil aside and shifted her body slightly.
Prince Chu noticed that the woman before him had changed. From the reserved demeanor of a noble lady upon entering, she had become very natural and relaxed. To him, it felt like the straightforward, bold manner of someone from a military family. However, she likely was not from such a background, as she lacked that particular aura. Perhaps she was from the martial arts world, but her martial arts presence wasn't very strong.
She was beautiful, with a vibrant, intelligent beauty. Completely different from the refined ladies he usually encountered. When she looked at him, there was no shyness or timidity. Her gaze held no disparity in status; she looked at him as an equal. It was as if he were not a prince of the realm but an ordinary citizen. She sat there calmly, as if everything were under her control.
Prince Chu looked at Lin Yan with admiration. He found her interesting, so interesting that he wanted to understand everything about her. With a gesture, a servant standing nearby immediately offered Lin Yan a cup of tea.
"Miss, you are too modest. Your Senior Brother's skills are quite good. It's just that my Imperial Brother is worried about me, so there are more guards around. Please have some tea."
Prince Chu's demeanor was very good, appearing approachable. "May I ask what business you have with me, miss?"
"Originally, I intended to discuss a business deal with Your Highness, but now I have changed my mind."
"Oh? And what has caused you to change your mind?" Prince Chu asked curiously.
"What are Your Highness's thoughts on people of the martial arts world?" Lin Yan asked, not answering directly.
"The martial world? Miss, you are also from the martial arts world, aren't you?"
"Yes. I have not yet introduced myself to Your Highness. I am Lin Yan of the Li Shan Sword Sect."
"Li Shan Sword Sect, Lin Yan. I recall the sect leader of Li Shan Sword Sect is also named Lin. Is he related to you, miss?" Prince Chu seemed very familiar with martial arts sects and had likely deduced her identity after she spoke.
"He is my father."
"So you are the beloved daughter of Sect Leader Lin. My apologies for my ignorance!"
"Your Highness is too kind. Li Shan Sword Sect is but a small sect. That Your Highness knows so much indicates that the imperial court has a thorough understanding of the martial world."
Lin Yan understood that this cooperation should be more stable now. However, Li Shan Sword Sect's position in the martial world was not high; otherwise, the cooperation would have been easier to negotiate. Now, she could only increase her leverage.
"All land under heaven belongs to the King. The martial world, in any case, does not escape the rule of Da Qi, does it?" Prince Chu probed. He was unsure of the lady's purpose in seeking him out, but since she mentioned the martial world, it was likely close to what he suspected.
"Your Highness speaks the truth. No one should be above the law, and the martial world is no exception. What I seek should be the same as what Your Highness desires."
"Then I thank you, Lady Lin, on behalf of my Imperial Brother for your noble intentions!" He cupped his hands towards Lin Yan.
Lin Yan quickly sidestepped, "Your Highness, you flatter this humble girl."
"Then, Lady Lin, what cooperation were you coming to discuss with me?"
"How about bringing the martial world under the jurisdiction of the imperial court?" Lin Yan said, looking at Prince Chu with a smile.
Prince Chu's hand movements paused, and he looked at Lin Yan with surprise, seemingly disbelieving her words.
"Your Highness seems very surprised?" Lin Yan's smile widened. "I am not doing this for the sake of the imperial court."
"I came out this time intending to discuss a business deal. But along the way, I have seen many scenes I had never witnessed before. There are cruel individuals who bully the weak at will, clashes that destroy city houses, and income earned through hard work being stolen clean. There are also heirloom treasures that bring about the doom of entire families. This martial world is not as free and beautiful as I had imagined; even worse, it is built upon the blood and tears of many."
Lin Yan could not forget the woman crying with her child amidst the collapsed houses. She also could not forget the man who broke down weeping after his family's income was stolen. This martial world was not as unrestrained and heroic, filled with chivalry and righteousness, as depicted in novels. Living here, she truly saw the ordinary people's suffering hidden beneath the surface.
Lin Yan felt she could not ignore this situation. She wanted to change it! Even if people's lives remained difficult in the end, at least they would have some dignity, not be trampled upon so carelessly!