Traveling back to ancient times to get rich

Chapter 375 Ouyang Lie in Hibernation

The City of Leisure is not only renowned for its extravagant lifestyle, but also for its exquisite cuisine. Aygul moved briskly through the mansion's long corridors. In no time, she returned with a dazzling array of delicacies. These dishes, of course, were not her own creation, but rather the meticulous preparations of the mansion's skilled cook. Aygul smelled the enticing aromas, and couldn't help but nod in approval. Each dish was exquisitely crafted, its presentation and color pleasing to the eye.

She carefully selected a variety of dishes, her gaze lingering on those that looked incredibly delicious, thinking that Nazai would surely enjoy them. Soon, Ayiguli brought the food to Nazai's room. Nazai was starving, her stomach rumbling, but her body felt limp and powerless, leaning weakly against the bed. Seeing Ayiguli enter, she forced a smile, her voice weak but full of gratitude: "Ayiguli, thank you. Please help me to the table; I'm truly hungry." Hearing this, Ayiguli quickly stepped forward, carefully helping Nazai to her feet, and steadily leading her to the table. She gently helped Nazai sit down, then meticulously selected one dish from each item, placing it on a delicate little plate, her movements gentle and considerate, as if handling rare treasures. After arranging everything, she remembered something and hurriedly ran to the side, bringing out the clay pot soup she had carefully selected from the kitchen. The steaming soup emitted an enticing aroma, as if beckoning the hungry Nazai.

Naza was indeed starving. The moment the first bite entered her mouth, she was instantly captivated by its exquisite taste. She, who had always been careful with her diet and rarely ate, was now like a different person. The food seemed to possess a magical power; she kept stuffing it into her mouth, quickly consuming a great deal. Driven by this hunger, a strange emotion welled up within her. She thought, given her current situation, the worst that could happen was that the food was laced with poison. But even so, what difference could it make? How much worse could her current situation be? Thinking this, she ate with even greater abandon.

As she ate, Nazai suddenly jolted as if struck by lightning, her body jolting violently before she snapped back to reality as if waking from a dream. She then realized how utterly pathetic she had been eating—completely lacking the poise expected of a princess, she had been wolfing down her food like someone who hadn't eaten for days. Nazai's face flushed crimson; she felt incredibly embarrassed and ashamed. She instinctively looked up, glancing around to see if anyone else had witnessed her disgraceful state. However, she found that apart from Ayiguli, there was no one else in the room.

For some reason, when Nazai saw that only Ayiguli was present, she felt a strange sense of relief. Perhaps it was because Ayiguli was her personal maid, and they were quite familiar with each other, so she didn't feel too awkward. Nazai composed herself, then looked at Ayiguli and said softly, "Ayiguli, could you find me a mirror? Also, I'd like to change my clothes."

Aygul frowned slightly, considering Nazai's words. She felt Nazai's requests weren't unreasonable; after all, a princess needed to maintain a good image at all times. So, Aygul nodded in agreement. Then, Aygul turned and left the room, reaching the doorway. She whispered Nazai's needs to the hidden guard. The guard nodded slightly, indicating he understood. Then, he quickly turned and left to carry out Nazai's orders.

Not long after, the mirror and clothes were brought over. Aygul took them and went back into the room. She went to Nazai's side, gently helped her remove her slightly worn clothes, picked up the new clothes, and skillfully helped her change. After changing, Aygul helped Nazai to the mirror. Nazai looked at her refreshed self in the mirror, a complex emotion flashing in her eyes. After fixing her makeup and clothes, Nazai felt exhausted. She dragged her slightly heavy steps and simply sat back down on the bed. After sitting for a while, she felt aches and pains in her back and couldn't hold on any longer, so she slowly lay down. Her eyes gradually closed, her breathing became even, and soon she fell into a deep sleep.

Naza slept soundly, as if forgetting all her troubles and worries. When she slowly awoke, the room was still quiet. She sat up gently, her eyes searching the room, but she couldn't find Ouyang Lie, the one who had captured her. She couldn't help but feel very curious, secretly wondering if Ouyang Lie had some extremely important matter to attend to? He had simply captured her and then left her there, disappearing without a trace. The more she thought about it, the more puzzled she became, and her brows furrowed involuntarily.

She recalled the day she was captured, Ouyang Lie's cold, stern face and unwavering gaze, and a chill ran through her. She didn't know why he had targeted her, nor what awaited her next. She silently plotted, determined to escape this place and return to her familiar hometown if given the chance. As she thought about it, her eyes hardened, as if she had seen a glimmer of hope in the darkness.

Meanwhile, in another part of the mansion, Ouyang Lie sat in his study, his brow furrowed, surrounded by piles of documents and letters. He held a writing brush in his hand, yet hesitated to put it down. In recent years, the Emperor's health in the Western Regions had been steadily declining. The princes were all vying for power and influence, but they were all incompetent, some even going so far as to seek advantage in the Great Xia. Various factions were stirring, forcing him to expend considerable energy dealing with them. However, he couldn't openly vie for the throne because his mother's rank was too low. Therefore, he could only cultivate his own power while feigning the life of a spoiled young master.

Ouyang Lie slammed his brush heavily on the table and sighed deeply. There's nothing good about being a member of the royal family. There are many things he didn't want to do, but he had no choice. Naza's innocence was probably ruined by him. Since it was ruined, he'd support her. After all, she wasn't the only one he supported. As long as they thought he was that spoiled brat, the more mediocre he was, the safer his mother would be, and the safer he would be.