The convoy had barely entered a narrow stretch of road when Fei noticed the approaching woman from the tree line.
His expression immediately hardened.
"Stop."
Several soldiers moved into position. She halted several paces away, remaining calm despite the armed men surrounding her.
"I have come to speak with the Lord."
Fei's eyes narrowedi. "You can speak from there." He said coldly.
"I cannot." She said softly.
"Then you cannot speak with him."
Liusu remained composed. "I carry a very important message concerning the future of the Wu Kingdom."
That was enough to make Fei suspicious, but suspicion did not mean a lie. He calmly stepped forward and blocked the way into Luo He's carriage.
"You will be searched before you even get close to approaching the master."
Liusu calmly accepted the condition. Yet before the soldiers could move, Luo He's voice came lazily from inside the carriage.
"Let her come in." Fei immediately turned around.
"Master..."
"She came all this way just to negotiate. It would be rude to make her stand outside."
Fei's expression became complicated.
"My lord, that is precisely why she may be dangerous."
Luo He yawned.
"She's one woman."
Fei stared at him. That calm answer did absolutely nothing to reassure him.
"Search her first."
Luo He waved dismissively. "No need."
Liusu's eyes flickered with a little surprise. She had always expected resistance. She expected guards, questions, perhaps even a detailed inspection before being allowed anywhere near Luo He.
Instead, he simply opened the door and she slowly stepped forward. Fei though a little reluctantly, moved aside, though his eyes never left her.
She climbed into the carriage. The door closed behind her. For several moments, there was silence.
Then Luo He looked at the young woman sitting across from him.
Zhong Liusu was also known throughout the province as one of its most beautiful women. She is also very famous for being mischievous, ill-mannered and largely known to be an improper lady.
She wore a soft pink dress, with a small jade pendant hanging at her side.
Her black hair fell neatly to the middle of her back, framing a delicate yet distinctly sharp face beautiful in its elegance.
Her brown eyes were calm and intelligent, carrying the faint, knowing look of a vixen who seemed to notice far more than she revealed to the world at large.
Her figure was graceful, well proportioned, and is shaped by years of swordsmanship without losing its distinctly feminine nature of elegance.
She carried herself with quiet confidence, every movement controlled and deliberate.
Beauty, however, was only the first thing people noticed about Zhong Liusu.
The second was her cunning.
She was dressed simply enough to avoid appearing threatening, yet there was an unmistakable refinement in her bearing.
Luo He smiled faintly. "So you're Zhoung's daughter."
Liusu bowed.
"Your humble servant greets Your Highness with all her heart." She said calmly.
"Your father sent you?" Luo He asked with no any resemblance of suprise.
"Yes."
"And he sent you alone?"
"Indeed."
Luo He leaned back comfortably. "That's interesting."
Liusu looked directly at him. "My lord father believes the Wu Kingdom has reached the point where continued resistance will only lead to unnecessary bloodshed."
Luo He's smile slowly widened. "So Elder Zhoung wants to surrender."
"Not exactly." She paused. "He wants to negotiate." She said calmly.
Luo He chuckled.
"That's quite a difference."
"It is." Liusu remained calm.
"That is why I came before the capital fell."
For the first time, Luo He's rather carefree expression became genuinely attentive.
She had chosen her words carefully.
Both parties knew what each other wanted and she had the boldness to just say it out right, unlike normal diplomats.
And somewhere behind those words was the real message. Elder Zhoung did not intend to beg for mercy after defeat.
He intended to negotiate while he may still possessed something worth offering and let him take the kingdom with minimum blood shed on his side of the army.
Luo He tapped his fingers lightly against the armrest.
"Very well." He smiled.
"Let's hear what your father thinks he can offer me on the long run."
Luo He looked across the table, his gaze cool and calculating as he leaned back.
"So what exactly am I getting here?" He asked, a subtle smirk playing on his lips.
"Are you included in the new contract as a benefit, or am I getting you as a bonus for my contributions?"
Zhoung Liusu didn't hesitate. Without a flicker of embarrassment, she stood up from her seat opposite him and crossed over to his side.
She sat down right beside Luo He, her movement fluid, and rested her hand directly on his thigh.
Leaning in close enough that her breath brushed his neck, her voice dropped to a sweet, dangerous murmur.
"No… my father didn't send me. I came on my own accord. So you can just take me as a reward for accommodating me." Luo He's eyes darkened, but his smile only widened.
Instead of pushing her away, he took her hand in his and gave a subtle, deliberate tug, gesturing for her to come onto his lap.
If he expected her to hesitate or pull back, he underestimated her entirely.
Zhoung Liusu met his gaze with a spark of challenge and shifted seamlessly, climbing up to straddle his lap.
Now sitting directly atop Luo He, eye to eye, the real negotiation began, not as a formal court council, but as a battle of raw wills and confidence in political audacity.
"My father sent me because I'm the only one who could stand up to you." She said smoothly, resting her hands casually on his shoulders in an intimate gesture.
Luo He's gaze swept over her rather relaxed posture. "Aren't you suppose to bring any written documents?"
"No formal scrolls, no stamped contracts. So you're putting everything on your great seduction skills, Lady Zhoung?"
Zhoung Liusu smiled down at him, with a completely unbothered mood, her eyes glinting with amusement. "And yet, here I am, sitting right on top of you."
"Clearly, my seduction skills are exactly as effective as I promised."
Luo He chuckled softly, a low rumble in his chest. His hands settled firmly on her waist, holding her exactly where he wanted her.
"What if I just use you and throw you away when I'm done, like a pile of old clothes?"
"What would you be left with then?"
She didn't even flinch. Her smooth tone now shifted, becoming sharp and precise as she laid out her true leverage.
"If you cooperate, my father can help you secure the loyalty of Wu's other powerful people without shedding any unnecessary blood." She said, her voice dripping with calm authority. Then came the threat.
"Because you and I both know the capital of Wu has never fallen before. Its fortifications will most likely hold on. If you try to starve it out, you'll be trapped between two armies sooner rather than later."
"Once the minor lords gather their armies to hit you from behind, you'll have no choice but to retreat back to the Yue kingdom."
Luo He threw his head back and laughed, a rich, genuinely entertained sound. "Oh, I don't want any aid in Wu." He said, his voice cold and dripping with absolute certainty.
"I am planning to put down the Wu Kingdom with raw power. The capital will only stand until my convoy reaches its front gates. The moment I get there, it will fall."
Zhoung Liusu just rolled her eyes, a teasing smirk playing at her lips.
"You are most likely dreaming if you think that will happen."
"Wait and see." Luo He replied smoothly.
"So if I'm right, what will you give me?" He asked with a smug smile on his lips.
Zhoung Liusu leaned down slowly, her lips brushing deliberately against the shell of his ear as she whispered honeyly. "I don't have anything to offer… Except for myself."
Luo He's hand brushed along her side with deliberate possession. "Well, I'm certain the castle will fall. Which means you'll will most certainly be mine eventually. So why wait?"
He paused, a dark amusement flickering on his sharp features. "You should know, I'm a happily married man. A very loyal man to my wife, in fact."
"So I might just change my mind if you don't act soon enough.
Zhoung Liusu didn't pull back. Instead, she just laughed softly, the sound dripping with disdain.
Zhoung Liusu leaned in very close, her eyes locking onto his lips with raw unmistakable intent. Then, with a sharp smile, she pulled back in one fluid motion, sliding off his lap and rising to her feet.
"We'll see." She said, stepping toward the carriage exit. "If the castle falls, I'll come meet you then."
Before he could respond, she pushed open the carriage door and leaped out into the moving night, vanishing into the shadows with flawless grace.
Luo He sat alone in the quiet carriage, the faint scent of plum blossoms still lingering in the air. A sudden, booming laugh broke from his throat. He shook his head, a bright, dangerous gleam in his eyes.