Daqing Reborn Prince, Intercepting Si Lili at the Beginning

Chapter 13: Drugged by Si Lili? Exposing Si Lili’s Identity!

On the Flowing Crystal River, aboard Si Lili’s flower boat.

Si Lili and Li Chengyuan sat facing each other. The table was filled with fine wine and delicacies.

Si Lili poured wine for Li Chengyuan, her eyes filled with a coquettish and seductive glint.

“I toast you, young master. Tonight, I belong to you. Please, treat me kindly!”

“Of course!” Li Chengyuan smiled lightly, clinking his glass with Si Lili’s, and downed the wine in one gulp.

Si Lili also drank, then looked at Li Chengyuan and asked, “Speaking of which, I still don’t know your identity, young master!”

Upon hearing this, Li Chengyuan looked at Si Lili with a smirk. “You don’t know?”

Si Lili feigned confusion, “What does young master mean by that? It’s my first time meeting you, of course, I don’t know your identity!”

“Heh, Lili, you’re not being very sincere!”

Li Chengyuan poured himself another glass of wine and continued:

“The person who brought me here is Li Hongcheng, the heir to Prince Jing. He’s a regular here and didn’t hide his identity. I don’t believe you don’t know him!”

“Well… of course, I know the heir!”

“If you know him, then here’s the problem!” Li Chengyuan drank another glass, then looked at Si Lili and asked, “Earlier, Li Hongcheng called me ‘third brother’ in front of everyone. He’s the heir to Prince Jing, and there’s only one person in the entire Qing Kingdom who can be his ‘third brother.’ And now you’re telling me you don’t know who I am? Lili, aren’t you underestimating my intelligence?”

Si Lili’s entire body trembled. She hadn’t expected Li Chengyuan to be so sharp, catching such details even at that moment. She had miscalculated.

However, Si Lili didn’t panic. After being exposed, she immediately stood up, performed a respectful bow, and spoke in a soft, coquettish voice:

“Your Highness is truly wise. It was foolish of me to try to show off. I admit, I did know your identity beforehand, but I just wanted to tease you. Please forgive me, Your Highness!”

Si Lili’s face bore an expression of fragile charm, a seductive and beguiling look that could easily melt the heart.

At this moment, any other man might have been reluctant to blame Si Lili.

But Li Chengyuan remained unmoved.

He poured himself another glass of wine and then looked at Si Lili with amusement, saying, “Heh, just a joke? You’re bold, aren’t you? So you’re telling me that, knowing full well I’m the third prince of Qing, you still dared to drug my wine? Do you know what kind of crime that is?”

!!!

Si Lili, who had been calm just moments ago, suddenly changed her expression drastically.

How did he find out?

Si Lili was utterly baffled. She had indeed drugged Li Chengyuan, using a special poison made by the royal family—colorless, odorless, and extremely hard to detect. How has Li Chengyuan noticed?

More importantly, if Li Chengyuan knew the wine was drugged, why did he keep drinking it?

And most confusing of all—why isn’t the drug taking effect after so many glasses?

Si Lili was utterly bewildered.

But now wasn’t the time to focus on these questions. She had to figure out how to get through this moment first.

Glancing at Li Chengyuan’s calm expression, Si Lili took a deep breath, forcing herself to remain composed. She smiled, trying to sound casual, “What are you talking about, Your Highness? I wouldn’t dare drug you. I’m not that brave. Please don’t scare me.”

“Heh!” Li Chengyuan chuckled, shaking his head. “I don’t know if you’re brave or not, but I do know your acting skills aren’t very good. Lili, I’ve been upfront with you, so don’t pretend to be confused anymore. Otherwise, I’ll get upset.”

With Li Chengyuan’s words, Si Lili realized he wasn’t bluffing—he genuinely knew the wine was drugged.

Si Lili made a decisive move. She knelt with a thud and confessed, “Please forgive me, Your Highness! I realize my mistake!”

“Get up,” Li Chengyuan said softly as he glanced at her, “Tonight’s a beautiful night, and I don’t want to ruin the mood. Besides, I promised earlier to treat you kindly, so… sit down, and we’ll have a good conversation. If it goes well, we can forget about this.”

Hearing this, Si Lili knew Li Chengyuan had conditions to negotiate, which gave her a sense of relief.

She obediently stood up, sat back down, and with a sincere expression, said, “Thank you for your mercy, Your Highness. I promise, from now on, I won’t tell any more lies!”

“That’s your promise!” Li Chengyuan smiled again, then asked, “Now tell me, what did you put in the wine?”

“It’s Rao Gu Rou,” Si Lili admitted shyly. “It’s just a harmless aphrodisiac. After taking it, Your Highness would pass out and, in a dream… have an intimate moment with me.”

“I see!” Li Chengyuan understood.

He couldn’t help but feel lucky.

The system’s timely reward had saved him from what could have been a humiliating night.

Although there would have been no lasting harm, the thought of being drugged and left dreaming of an intimate night was highly embarrassing. If word got out, it would be incredibly humiliating.

Thinking of this, Li Chengyuan looked at Si Lili, both angry and amused. “So, you want to be a courtesan queen while still preserving your virginity?”

Si Lili lowered her head in guilt.

Li Chengyuan shook his head and said, “Do you know that drugging me like this is a capital offense?”

Si Lili looked up, her face filled with pitiful pleading. “Would Your Highness bear to punish me? Didn’t you just promise to treat me kindly?”

“Normally, I wouldn’t bear to,” Li Chengyuan said, staring deeply into her eyes, before continuing meaningfully, “But… are you just a normal woman?”

“Wha… what do you mean?” Si Lili stammered, panicking once again under Li Chengyuan’s intense gaze.

Swirling the wine in his glass, Li Chengyuan spoke in a calm tone:

“First of all, if you were just a normal courtesan, upon knowing my identity, you wouldn’t dare drug me, even if you didn’t offer yourself up willingly.

“Second, the drug you used, Rao Gu Rou, shouldn’t be something a regular courtesan could acquire, at least not one of ordinary means.

“Third, the way you’ve risen to fame so quickly in the capital, attracting such a large following, isn’t something an ordinary courtesan could achieve either.

“So, your identity is not ordinary.

“And I’m guessing there’s a hidden power behind you, supporting you.

“A courtesan hiding her true strength while being so protective of her purity… There’s only one explanation for all of this—you must be a spy. And not a spy of Qing, because Qing’s spies aren’t as high-profile and modest as you are.

“So, based on all of this, you’re a spy for Northern Qi, aren’t you?”

Si Lili’s face went pale, and she jumped to her feet in shock!

’’

Footnotes:

1. Rao Gu Rou(绕骨柔): A fictional aphrodisiac in the story, translated as “Bone-Twisting Softness.” In many wuxia and xianxia novels, such drugs or poisons are often depicted as having powerful effects but are rarely fatal.