The princess's expression changed drastically. Before she could react, she was dragged away in the blink of an eye.
Jiang Ming walked up to the princess and said with a smile, "Your Highness, I'm sorry to disappoint you. You can't take me away. Instead, you have to stay with me as my hostage for a while."
The princess's expression was uncertain.
"Ning Caichen, don't go too far! Don't forget that you're just a nobody. You should be flattered that I want you! If you dare hurt a single strand of my hair, you will die miserably!"
The princess kept threatening him, which made Jiang Ming raise his eyebrows in displeasure.
Zhu An'an took a step forward and placed a dagger on the princess's neck.
"Your Highness, if I were you, I would obediently shut my mouth and not say a word. Otherwise, I don't mind ending your life!"
Zhu An'an's threats made the princess even angrier, but she still shut her mouth and did not dare make a sound.
She knew very well that she had to understand the other party's goal. She stared at Jiang Ming intensely. She hoped she could find some sort of clue in his expression.
However, Jiang Ming's expression was very calm. Nothing could be seen from his face alone, which made the princess laugh helplessly.
"For a commoner like you to get this far in life means you're quite talented. Where are you from? How dare you hold me hostage? Aren't you afraid that the Qingmiao Kingdom will come after you?"
The princess stared at Jiang Ming and asked this question seriously. It seemed that she wanted to see any trace of fear on Jiang Ming's face.
Only in this way could she feel more at ease. Unfortunately, Jiang Ming remained stoic.
"Princess, I will bring you to meet Lord Long. The journey will be boring, and I have many questions to ask you. Thus, I will have to trouble you to come along!"
Jiang Ming was about to leave. Suddenly, the guards of the princess came forward.
"Princess!"
"Your Highness!"
The guards exclaimed.
An expert from the Qingmiao Kingdom stepped forward and shouted coldly, "How dare you, Ning Caichen! Release my princess, or I will make sure that you die miserably!"
At this moment, Zhu Asi turned around and said coldly, "Do you want your princess to suffer the same fate? Are you sure?"
The expert from the Qingmiao Kingdom stiffened. Even from such a distance, he could feel the coldness in the other party's eyes.
The expert could not help but gulp. However, he still gritted his teeth and said, "As long as you are willing to release Her Highness, we are willing to give you anything in return!"
They were planning to make a trade.
Upon hearing this, Jiang Ming chuckled and shook his head. "Don't be ridiculous. What I want is the princess of the Qingmiao Kingdom. I don't want anything else."
"Ning Caichen, don't push your luck!"
"We have already given you enough chances!"
The expert from the Qingmiao Kingdom wanted to say something more, but he gritted his teeth and said, "Fine! What do you want? As long as you name your price, we can reach an agreement."
The status of this princess was too important. She was the eldest daughter of the current king of the Qingmiao Kingdom, and the eldest princess favored by the royal ancestor. In terms of reputation and status, she might be even more important than the crown prince. If it were not for her being a woman and the rules of the Qingmiao Kingdom, the princess would probably be the first crown princess in the history of the Qingmiao Kingdom and also the future queen.
How could such an important person be held hostage so easily?
Once the news got back, they would all die!
The experts of the Qingmiao Kingdom stared at Jiang Ming, hoping that he would release their princess. However, Jiang Ming obviously did not have any such intention. He just waved his hand impatiently and said weakly, "If you continue to be annoying, I won't be able to guarantee anyone's safety."
This time, everyone was stunned. They never expected Jiang Ming to be so reckless.
Many people stared at Jiang Ming. It was as if they wanted to gauge whether he was serious or joking.
"What exactly do you want?"
The experts knew that Jiang Ming would not take the princess away for no reason.
Why was he doing this?
"The reason is very simple. You guys are a bunch of trash, after all. You don't understand what you're going to face! Do you think you can humiliate the Dragon Marquis Kingdom by holding me hostage? Haha, I didn't know that I was so important. Besides, do you really think that the king of the Daliang Kingdom would let you go to the capital of the Dragon Marquis Kingdom?"
This last sentence made everyone narrow their eyes.
"Ning Caichen, what do you mean? Are you saying that the king of the Daliang Kingdom wants to hurt me? My status is not as high as his, but if he were to attack me, he would inadvertently provoke my father and grandfather. If that happens, a war might break out at any moment. After all, the other six kingdoms have been keeping an eye on the Daliang Kingdom. As one of the best allies of the Daliang Kingdom, if we turn against each other because of me, the Daliang Kingdom will be in deep trouble. I believe that the king of the Daliang Kingdom is a smart person and would not do such a stupid thing!"
However, Jiang Ming sneered disapprovingly.
"I told you that you were stupid, but you still don't believe me. Let me tell you the truth, what you see now is just an illusion. Do you think that the king of the Daliang Kingdom cares about his kingdom? He doesn't. Without his kingdom, he could still support a brand-new dynasty and rule the world! You will live in the shadow he created. This is your fate!"
Jiang Ming made it sound like the man was a demon. His acting was so good that people were genuinely terrified!
