"I figured it out through fortune-telling."
"I don't believe in fortune-telling. Do you know the assassin?"
"What? Are you saying your savior is actually in league with the assassin? Then why would I save you?" Lu Zhenghai snorted faintly, a little displeased.
"This Princess will investigate thoroughly."
"As you wish."
"Are you an Embroidered Uniform Guard?" Princess Mingzhu suddenly asked.
Lu Zhenghai wasn't wearing his flying fish robe today. After all, he was here to save someone, and a flying fish robe would be too conspicuous.
Although he wasn't wearing a flying fish robe, he was holding a xiuchun saber, mainly because he didn't have a second weapon.
Princess Mingzhu had such keen observational skills.
"Yes." Lu Zhenghai had nothing to hide.
"Then I believe you should have no connection with the assassin."
The power of the Embroidered Uniform Guard almost entirely derived from the Great Yu Imperial Family.
To put it bluntly, the Embroidered Uniform Guard was the Great Yu Imperial Family's hawk and hound, even a dog.
Therefore, it was highly unlikely for an Embroidered Uniform Guard to assassinate a princess or other members of the Imperial Family.
Unless this particular Embroidered Uniform Guard was a pawn planted by someone with ulterior motives.
However, anyone joining the Embroidered Uniform Guard had to undergo a very rigorous vetting process.
Passing that review indicated a clean background, making it highly improbable for such a person to be a planted pawn.
Of course, despite saying that, she would still investigate Lu Zhenghai, just in case.
"So, am I considered your savior?" Lu Zhenghai asked.
"Yes."
Princess Mingzhu nodded.
If that arrow had struck her, she would most likely have died, as the arrow surely carried a potent poison.
Lu Zhenghai suddenly felt a bit disheartened.
Damn it, he originally wanted to become Princess Mingzhu's savior.
That would make him an Imperial Family benefactor, effectively latching onto a powerful backer.
But now, it didn't seem to be the case.
Not to mention being inexplicably suspected... this Princess Mingzhu also didn't seem like someone who would repay kindness, remaining aloof and indifferent from beginning to end.
She wouldn't think that, as an Embroidered Uniform Guard, saving her, a princess, was his duty and what he *should* do, would she?
Thinking this, Lu Zhenghai directly spoke up: "Since I am Your Highness the Princess's savior, giving me some reward is not a problem, right?"
Latching onto a powerful backer was out of the question!
Lu Zhenghai was a very realistic person. He was now thinking that he couldn't have come for nothing; he had to get some benefits.
"You..." Qiu Hen was a bit angry.
Didn't you just say you admired the Princess?
Yes, you saved the Princess, which is a great merit.
But you can't demand a reward right to her Face, can you?
How vulgar!
What kind of admirer acts like this?
"What reward do you want?" Princess Mingzhu asked indifferently, feeling a little strange inside.
If she remembered correctly, some time ago, she went to see Mu Wan.
Mu Wan said that Nanny Yi's death had been investigated, and the one who received credit was an Embroidered Uniform Guard Banner Commander named Lu Zhenghai.
As a result, that Lu Zhenghai leveraged his favor, still demanding money, which was very vulgar... And last night, news came that Mu Wan and that Lu Zhenghai had gotten together, which was completely outrageous!
So outrageous that she was preparing to burn incense and pray before immediately heading to the Grand Tutors Residence, but then she encountered an assassination.
"Banknotes." Lu Zhenghai said loudly.
How much are your life worth in banknotes, Princess Mingzhu? You figure it out.
You can't be too stingy, right?
A strange look flashed in Princess Mingzhu's beautiful eyes. This Embroidered Uniform Guard, similarly, leveraged his favor, and similarly, wanted money?
Princess Mingzhu thought to herself, could this person be Lu Zhenghai?
Princess Mingzhu was, after all, Princess Mingzhu. Even with a myriad of thoughts in her heart, her exquisite Face remained indifferent and calm.
She spoke: "We can discuss the banknotes later. Since you have rendered great service, how about joining my Princess Residence as an advisor?"
"Princess..." One of the leading eunuchs among the Princess Residence's eunuchs seemed unwilling: "We haven't investigated his relationship with the assassin yet, have we?"
Princess Mingzhu turned and glanced at the eunuch.
Just one glance, and the eunuch's Face immediately turned pale. He quickly knelt down and kowtowed heavily, thoroughly frightened.
However, Lu Zhenghai didn't even think: "I don't want to be an advisor in the Princess Residence. I just want banknotes."
Advisor?
Isn't that just being Princess Mingzhu's dog? No fun.
Yes, you, Princess Mingzhu, are extremely, extremely beautiful, but I can't have you.
Being your dog, while seemingly a high position that many would respect.
But it has no future!
Moreover, the biggest gain from becoming an advisor in the Princess Residence would probably be being bestowed some awesome Internal Skill and Martial Skill by Princess Mingzhu.
For others, this was indeed very, very, very attractive.
But Lu Zhenghai, of all people, didn't covet those things. He already had the "Supreme Primordial Cycle Technique" and "One Sword Flying Immortal."
Staying in the Embroidered Uniform Guard, who knows, maybe one day he, Lu Zhenghai, could become a Commander. Just thinking about it was exhilarating.
At this moment, Qiu Hen and Summer Lotus, these two young Maidservants, were almost furious, glaring fiercely at Lu Zhenghai.
This scoundrel!
Didn't he keep saying he admired Your Highness the Princess? It was all lies.
Throughout the Imperial City, who knows how many young talents longed to become advisors in the Princess Residence.
After all, the early bird catches the worm.
But Your Highness the Princess didn't even give them the chance to be advisors.
Now, Your Highness the Princess gives you this opportunity, how honored you should be!
You actually don't cherish it?
Money, money, money, all you know is money, utterly vulgar.
"How much silver do you want?" After a few breaths of silence, Princess Mingzhu asked, with a hint of curiosity.
"One million taels!"
Lu Zhenghai thought, if I ask for too little, you'll think I look down on you.
Your life, you can't say it's worthless, can you?
It's said that Princess Mingzhu is very favored and should be very rich.
And by stating this number, he also left room for negotiation.
Princess Mingzhu, who had always been calm, finally showed a trace of emotional fluctuation on her Face.
Yes, she was caught off guard by Lu Zhenghai's greed and outrageous demand.
And Qiu Hen, Summer Lotus, as well as Yang Xingguang and the other guards, and those eunuchs, were all dumbfounded.
They thought their ears were malfunctioning.
One million taels?
How the hell do you dare?
The Great Yu Dynasty's annual fiscal revenue was only around 500 million taels.
The population and land area encompassed by the Great Yu Dynasty were indeed exaggerated.
Unfortunately, the Great Yu Dynasty was a coexistence of imperial power and Sects, so the actual fiscal figures that could be collected were not particularly exaggerated.
You open your mouth and ask for one five-hundredth of the annual budget?
"If one million taels is too much, eighty thousand taels will also do."
Lu Zhenghai saw that Princess Mingzhu and the others seemed to be in a bad mood, and painfully lowered the price a bit more.
Princess Mingzhu: "What is your name?"