The Demon Lords

Chapter 1072: Chapter 258: Lord Pingye

By the time he returned to his room in the inner court, it was already late at night.

Lord Zheng sat by his desk for a while, his mind involuntarily recalling the "confrontation" between the Regent and the Fifth Prince.

Indeed, their confrontation lacked the grandeur of soldiers rallying in the autumn battlefield, yet it was a mutual understanding known to all.

The affairs of a nation, resolved in a manner akin to a street martial arts contest, might seem like child’s play, but in truth, it was quite typical. In his past life, on a trip to Mount Li, Lord Zheng toured the cave where Jiang Jieshi once hid.

He exhaled deeply, dismissing all the stray thoughts in his mind, then stood up, walked over to the basin, and scooped up water to wash his face.

In his previous life, he endured great hardship and fatigue, so in this lifetime, Lord Zheng had always yearned to live a more relaxed life as long as conditions permitted.

After washing his face, Zheng Fan walked over to the doorstep and sat down.

Above him, a bright full moon hung high, casting its light over the courtyard, creating a tranquil ambiance.

He closed his eyes,

inhaled deeply,

then spread his arms wide, stretching lazily,

imagining himself absorbing the essence of the sun and moon.

After a while,

Zheng Fan opened his eyes.

Tomorrow is the wedding.

He stood up and walked toward the princess’s bedchamber.

Outside the bedchamber, Eunuch Zhao diligently stood guard.

Upon seeing Lord Zheng approach, Eunuch Zhao’s face immediately broke into an ingratiating smile;

Zheng Fan knew he could act more subtly. This young man, who had climbed his way up from the street, possessed a sense of sophistication and restraint uncommon among ordinary eunuchs. Yet, he still lowered his posture as much as possible, akin to a dog exposing its belly to someone it trusts and submits to.

Dogs usually expose their vulnerable belly only to those they trust and submit to.

Eunuch Zhao did not announce his arrival, nor did he greet Lord Zheng, but simply retreated a few steps, silently making way.

But Zheng Fan stopped his footsteps.

"Zhao Cheng."

"Yes, master."

After a long silence,

Lord Zheng did not speak, and Zhao Cheng dared not speak either.

Finally,

Lord Zheng placed his hand on Zhao Cheng’s shoulder.

Zhao Cheng’s body trembled slightly;

Lord Zheng patted Zhao Cheng’s shoulder and said:

"Good evening."

"Good evening, master."

Precisely because Zhao Cheng was a clever man, Lord Zheng didn’t need to say much. To Zhao Cheng, he only had the power to drift along with the tide; he had no seat at the table.

This kind of servant is actually not suitable to be placed nearby as an attendant. Perhaps he’d be more apt for other purposes.

But for now, having Zhao Cheng around certainly was convenient.

Lord Zheng pushed open the door to the bedchamber and walked inside.

As soon as he stepped in, a python’s head descended from the beam and dangled directly in front of Zheng Fan.

Lord Zheng’s face was only about twenty centimeters away from the snake’s head as its flicking tongue lightly brushed against Lord Zheng’s face.

From the eyes of this Green Python, Lord Zheng saw disdain; its demeanor was lofty.

But subject to the princess’s control, it could not choose to devour him directly.

Lord Zheng thought, perhaps the aura from the Mo Wan on him was so thoroughly concealed that this creature dared to be so insolent in his presence.

Nevertheless, Lord Zheng was not about to lose his temper with this beast at this moment. Thinking back when the Pixiu first arrived, it too was arrogant with its nose up, but eventually, it was trained by the demonic lords to become submissive like a quail.

The fate of this Green Python would be no different.

Lord Zheng bent down and maneuvered past the side of the Green Python.

The princess was sitting on the bed at this moment; she was probably lying down earlier but sat up upon hearing the door open.

She wasn’t wearing shoes, her lower half dressed in a skirt, her casual attire exuding a subtle allure.

"Aren’t you afraid of catching a cold?"

Lord Zheng sat down beside the princess.

The princess voluntarily leaned over, embracing Lord Zheng’s shoulder.

The two maintained such a posture, sitting for a long time.

Finally,

Lord Zheng felt his shoulder start to go numb,

and spoke:

"Why aren’t you saying anything?"

The princess replied, "I don’t know what to say."

"Not married yet, and already out of words?"

"Not at all, it’s just, what can be said now—talk about how life will be once we go to Yan State, and it’s like negotiating terms with you?

Express that I feel conflicted, hesitant, and torn inside, and it might make you think I’m not fully committed to being with you?

So whatever I say, it would disgust you, and ultimately impact the inclusion of my son’s name in the final will."

"Ha ha ha."

Lord Zheng laughed,

then withdrew his hand, changing his position to hold the princess.

"Actually, I haven’t thought that much," the princess continued, "Master Yao once wrote a poem comparing life to mayflies; maybe you’ve exerted all your strength, yet still can’t change your fate of drifting with the tide.

Now, for me, marrying Qu Peiluo is truly unbearable; whether I eat meat or gruel following you, it is my choice.

By the way, where did you go with my brother during the day?"

Zheng Fan shared about the day’s events without any concealment.

Because letting the princess know that her brother visited her only incidentally was more advantageous to Lord Zheng.

Thereafter,

Zheng Fan briefly discussed some plans for tomorrow with the princess.

Indeed, the sky had not brightened; according to modern standards, it was only around one in the morning.