bookcurios Chapter 363: Make a Deal
Chapter 363: Make a Deal
Someone as shrewd as Lin Rusi probably already knew what words she would use to put herself in a bad light when she arrived at the Third Prince's residence.
Even though he knew she was saying it on purpose, Li Jingyang couldn't refuse and could only accept his fate.
Seeing his silent expression, Lin Rusi smiled.
It is unknown how much time passed before the Empress walked in again from outside the door.
She hesitated as she looked at Lin Rusi, as if she had something to say, but in the end she didn't say it.
He simply ordered his men to tie Lin Rusi up and take her outside.
Following obediently behind the Empress, Lin Rusi was a little curious about where she was going to take her.
But her doubts didn't last long; the empress soon stopped.
Not far away, a man dressed in a gray robe stood silently in a corner.
He didn't seem to like daytime; being exposed to the sun, his face was full of impatience.
Even though they were quite far apart, Lin Rusi still spotted the lizard clinging to his body at a glance.
She simply couldn't bring herself to like these cold, mollusks.
So he could only suppress his nausea and whisper, "You must be His Highness the Third Prince?!"
The Third Prince raised an eyebrow but remained silent, waiting for Lin Rusi to continue.
Knowing that he was the third prince, not many people would dare to negotiate with him.
This woman is one!
Thinking this, he looked into Lin Rusi's beautiful eyes.
When the woman looked at him, there was no emotional fluctuation in her eyes, clearly she was truly unafraid.
"Speak, I'm quite curious, what do you want to say to me?" The Third Prince looked over with interest.
Lin Rusi merely raised her lips and said, enunciating each word clearly, "Does Your Highness still remember Princess Lihua?"
Upon hearing this, the Third Prince's expression changed drastically, and his hand, which had been playing with the thumb ring, froze instantly.
He stood up abruptly, strode towards Lin Rusi, gripped her shoulders tightly with both hands, and looked at her with a fierce gaze.
"Do you know where she is? Have you seen her? Did you kidnap her? What's your relationship with her?! Tell me! Confess now!"
The Third Prince acted ruthlessly, showing no regard for Lin Rusi's feelings.
Despite his repeated questioning, Lin Rusi simply smiled brightly.
They did not answer any of his questions.
At this moment, Lin Rusi knew that their positions and status had completely changed.
Previously, she was in a weak position and could only swallow her anger.
But now, it is the Third Prince who needs her help.
Seeing her smug look, the Third Prince became even more anxious and roared, "Tell me! Tell me where he is!"
The Third Prince was very strong; when he exerted force, the veins on his arms bulged, which was quite frightening.
Feeling the pain, Lin Rusi merely glanced at him coldly and said, "Your Highness, Third Prince, don't be in such a hurry."
Her calm and unhurried attitude provoked the Third Prince to kick over a stool.
Are you going to tell me or not?
His voice was sinister, with a hint of threat.
Seeing that Lin Rusi remained silent, he finally could not suppress his anger any longer: "Guards! Bring out my whip!"
As soon as he finished speaking, the guard did not hesitate and hurriedly and carefully stepped forward to hand over the whip.
Immediately afterwards, the Third Prince pointed fiercely at Lin Rusi: "You won't talk, huh? Watch me beat you until your skin is torn and bleeding, then you'll talk or not!"
"Alright! Your Highness, try hitting me. I've hidden poison in my mouth, so I can't leave this Third Prince's residence alive anyway. Your Highness might as well give it a try."
Upon hearing this, even the madman Third Prince was taken aback.
"you……"
Lin Rusi's lips curled up even more: "It would be no pity if I died, but has Your Highness considered that if I died, no one would tell Your Highness where the Princess is?"
She smiled smugly, with a hint of confidence in her eyes.
Seeing this, the Third Prince, no matter how unwilling he was, finally put down the whip.
It must be admitted that people are unable to be rational when facing what is most important to them.
Although Lin Rusi's threat was full of loopholes, and moreover, he still had Li Jingyang in his hands, and could have used that man to threaten him, the Third Prince did not dare to do so.
If you have any reservations, you've already lost half the battle.
In silence, Lin Rusi sized up the Third Prince for a long time, a thoughtful look flashing in her eyes.
The Third Prince took a deep breath, turned his back, and his chest heaved violently.
It took him a while to regain his composure and turn around again: "Tell me, what do you want?"
"If we're going to discuss terms, shouldn't Your Highness release me first? Only on equal footing can we properly negotiate."
Although the Third Prince was clearly displeased, he still gave a look to the person next to him, signaling him to go forward and untie Lin Rusi.
Seeing this, Lin Rusi immediately got up and stretched her muscles.
Her gaze fell on the Empress behind the Third Prince: "I suppose the Empress has already told you that I came to find you for the antidote."
The Third Prince, though aloof, couldn't hide his anxiety: "I do indeed have the antidote."
"What we want is the antidote. Besides, I originally wanted to negotiate with His Highness, but His Highness insisted on tying us up and imprisoning us in this mansion. Isn't that a bit unreasonable?"
Seeing that Lin Rusi was going around in circles and wouldn't reveal her purpose, the Third Prince became really anxious.
He didn't want to delay any longer: "Just name your conditions! I only want the whereabouts of Li Hua!"
"I want the antidote! And also, let the three of us go!"
Lin Rusi reached out her hand to him directly, a smile on her lips.
"That's all?" The Third Prince raised an eyebrow.
"Yes!" Lin Rusi nodded.
The Third Prince clearly hadn't expected things to be resolved so simply.
Without further hesitation, he left behind three words: "You wait!"
As soon as he finished speaking, he hurriedly turned around and walked towards the other room.
A moment later, she came out carrying a small wooden box: "This is the antidote you asked for. There are two pills in total, and the one from your man's body is also in here. One for you and one for Tian Lingzi. You'll be better in less than half a day."
The Third Prince offered the antidote and immediately pressed, "Now can you tell me where she is?"
"Don't rush, Your Highness. You haven't let us go yet. Besides, my husband is still tied up by you. You have to release him first before I can trust you. Otherwise, I'll be at a loss."
Lin Rusi narrowed her eyes and spoke calmly.
The Third Prince took a deep breath and immediately glared at the guard beside him: "What are you standing there for?! Release the person right now!"
When Li Jingyang was untied and taken to the courtyard, he was still somewhat dazed.
But his gaze had already unconsciously fixed on Lin Rusi in the courtyard.
He strode over, lowered his voice, and asked, "Is Asi hurt? Did he give you any trouble?"
Seeing Lin Rusi shake her head, he breathed a sigh of relief, while keeping a wary eye on the Third Prince.
"I would appreciate it if Your Highness could have your guards withdraw. Once they have withdrawn, I will tell you the whereabouts of Princess Lihua."
At this moment, the Third Prince had lost his patience and even began to suspect that Lin Rusi was playing a trick on him: "You're not playing a trick on me, are you?! Let me tell you, if you are, I will make sure you die a horrible death!"
“Your Highness, if I didn’t know about what happened between you and Princess Lihua, how could I use the princess to negotiate with you? I know so much, so naturally I know where the princess is. Besides, if you want to find the princess, you have no choice but to trust me right now.”