Chapter 269: Chapter 269: His Majesty says, I’ve committed a sin

Chen Lu protested, “Grand Preceptor, I’ll find a way to...”

Grand Preceptor Xie’s face was grave. “You want to act stubborn against this old man, too?”

Chen Lu fell silent.

“Afraid of the Grand Preceptor, afraid of his wife,” Ning Xiaoyao shook her head at the sight. “How did a jerk like him end up being a Great General? Was he like Tao Chen, gaining favors through back doors?”

Lou Zigui replied, “I’ve never interacted with Chen Lu before.”

In other words, he’s not familiar with the man. Ning Xiaoyao nodded and said, “It’s fine, you’ll get to know him in the future.”

Lou Zigui turned to look at her. “You’re so certain that Chen Lu will forsake the darkness for the light?”

“Mhm,” Ning Xiaoyao scratched Lou Zigui’s palms in amusement. “I can make it so that Lady Xu can bear children again. Supreme Commander, don’t you think that’s enough of a advantage?”

“You,” Lou Zigui wanted to say that this wasn’t a joking matter, but on second thought he simply asked, “Is Lady Xu ill?”

“It’s not a serious issue,” Ning Xiaoyao said as she patted her stomach. “Her womb’s just grown a little thing, that’s all.”

“......” said Lou Zigui. Isn’t that a really serious problem?

“What’s more,” Ning Xiaoyao lowered her head to mutter, “As long as Chen Lu and that General Xu Jing don’t want to be emperor, does it matter who they follow in the end? If the Grand Preceptor can pay them money and give them official titles, so can I. I can give them even more and cure Lady Xu’s illness so she can have children again. Why do they have to follow Grand Preceptor Xie to the death?”

“How could anyone who betrays his master be placed in an important position again?” Lou Zigui challenged.

Ning Xiaoyao pursed her lips. “My father was a stupid bastard, so they had no choice but to follow the Grand Preceptor. Otherwise, they’d be as wretched as the Lord Protector’s family. Now that I’m the emperor and not some idiotic jerk, why can’t they choose to follow me instead?”

“You...”

“I’ll write them a note. All the bad deeds they’ve done under the Grand Preceptor before won’t count against them,” Ning Xiaoyao declared. “Xu Jing’s a powerful and mighty Great General, isn’t he? I’ll make him an Extremely Powerful and Mighty Great General instead!”

What the hell’s an Extremely Powerful and Mighty Great General? Lou Zigui rested a hand against his forehead.

“And I’ll had them lead two more barracks’ worth of soldiers,” Ning Xiaoyao added. “Are those terms enough? If not, I can add more things. I’m the emperor, so why can’t I give them anything I want?” Well, this is all talk in the end, she added internally.

Lou Zigui just stared at her. You’ve said everything already, so what else can I say?

“I have confidence,” Ning Xiaoyao said resolutely.

Lou Zigui simply turned to survey the courtyard again. “You can try it.” Even if Xu Jing doesn’t forsake the darkness for the light, I can still protect this girl by my side.

Lady Xu stopped talking to her husband and Grand Preceptor Xie as she turned on her heel to leave the courtyard. Chen Lu wanted to chase after him, but Grand Preceptor Xie called him back. Once his wife was out of sight, Chen Lu asked, “Is HIs Majesty really behind the scenes of this matter?”

Grand Preceptor Xie smiled coldly. Quickly, Chen Lu expressed his loyalty once again. “Grand Preceptor, this soldier is utterly faithful to you, ah.”

“Pah!” Ning Xiaoyao spat. “Why don’t you go ahead and say you love him instead?!”

Lou Zigui’s mouth twitched before he patted her head. “Don’t speak nonsense.”

Inside the courtyard, Grand Preceptor Xie waved a hand at Chen Lu and said, “This old man believes you.”

Ning Xiaoyao was still spitting at Grand Preceptor Xie from the rooftop as she stuck out her tongue and made faces. Meanwhile, Oil Jar bared his teeth at him. Lou Zigui could only pretend that he didn’t see a thing. Lady Xu reached the front courtyard of the estate, where various injured bodyguards were sitting on the ground.

Xie Laibao was sitting amongst them and ordering, “Keep an eye on these men!”

Lady Xu knitted her brows before she strode to Xie Laibao and kicked him to the ground. As he fell, he cried out in pain. His broken bones were still healing, so it was impossible for him to pick himself up. The Grand Preceptor’s men standing on the side wanted to help, but the sight of Lady Xu cowed them. Xie Laibao finally turned over to face the woman and prepared to curse, but realized his bad luck as soon as he saw her face. Instead of speaking, Lady Xu simply kicked him two more times, causing him to cough up a mouthful of blood. He forced himself to swallow it back down and take it. Anyone who earned the ire of this tigress was only asking for trouble.

Lady Xu continued to head for the door. The Grand Preceptor’s men parted ways for her as she walked, respectfully sending her off. One of the Chen estate nannies opened the curtains of her sedan chair and asked in a low voice, “My Lady, we’re not waiting for the general?”

“Why should we wait for him?” Lady Xu asked coldly. The nanny fell silent.

Lady Xu raised a foot to get on her ride, causing the Grand Preceptor’s servants to collectively exhale in relief. She was already bending to sit when she heard a whoosh from behind--the sound of an arrow leaving its bow. Instead of raising her head, she simply moved to kneel on the ground. A flaming arrow buried itself into her sedan chair, lighting the drapes on fire before the entire carriage was swallowed up by fire.

“Ah--!” All of the Chen Clan servant girls cried out in alarm.

“Who’s there?!” the Grand Preceptor’s guard and his commanding men ran towards the source of the arrow. Someone wanted to kill Her Ladyship!

At this thought, all of the bodyguards moved to surround Lady Xu protectively in a circle.

“What’s going on?” Xie Laibao asked as he was helped off the ground and moved to the front door.

“No one’s there,” the head guard announced loudly after tracing the arrow to its source in a corner.

“If no one’s there, then where did the flaming arrow come from?” one of the nannies asked Lady Xu in a murmur.

Lady Xu simply stared indifferently at the flaming sedan chair.

“Him,” the nanny who had called Lady Xu out of her boudoir declared as she stared at the back of the head guard. “He’s the one who took those two little pageboys away!” (Author: They only have the same physique, you should check their faces first! o(╯□╰)o )

“You’re certain?” Lady Xu asked.

The old woman nodded her head. In her eyes, all of the Grand Preceptor’s men were suspect right now. Lady Xu nodded in turn.

“M-madam,” Xie Laibao wanted to speak up.

But Lady Xu simply ordered her guards, “Set this courtyard on fire.”

“......” said the Grand Preceptor’s men. Looks like someone’s bound to die again tonight.

“My Lady?” the various older female servants all chorused in alarm. Their general and His Excellency Grand Preceptor were still inside!

“Light it,” Lady Xu repeated. The bodyguards moved to act.

“You’re all still standing around?!” Xie Laibao exclaimed to his men. “You’re just going to watch them set the place on fire?!”

Lady Xu tossed out a scabbard, which hit Head Steward Xie on the head and knocked him to the ground, bleeding.

“Set this courtyard on fire!” Lady Xu shouted. Her guards nodded before throwing a torch inside the walls. Old Huo was standing inside and saw the thing land, then moved to set a few flowers and trees on fire as well with his bamboo lighter. Once the flames were burning, he tossed his lighter through the window of the building next to him.

It was a hot summer night filled with wind, so the flames were soon borne by the breeze until the entire place was raging with fire.

“Fire!” one of the Grand Preceptor’s servants cried out.

“Put, put it out!” Xie Laibao exclaimed from the ground as he clutched his head.

Lady Xu had no idea how many torches her men had thrown inside the walls, so she was startled by the magnitude of the conflagration as well. In that moment, her men broke into an all out brawl with the Grand Preceptor’s guards. The Grand Preceptor’s men were resolute that she shouldn’t escape after trying to burn their master--what a grave sin that would be! Meanwhile, the guards were determined that they had to protect Her Ladyship. If Grand Preceptor Xie really burned to death tonight, they’d still protect her all the way back home!

“Protect Her Ladyship!” someone shouted in the chaos

Xie Laibao was helped to his feet by a pageboy. He pointed a finger at Lady Xu and declared, “Just you wait.”

Instead of speaking, Lady Xu only graced him with an icy smile. Her nannies were just about terrified to death. Since when had things devolved to the point of arson and murder?!

“The Grand Preceptor wants to kill me,” Lady Xu stated.

Now the nannies were truly frightened out of their wits.

“He knows how much my father dotes on me and how much my younger brothers look to me,” Lady Xu continued. “After Chen Lu treated me like that, my father and brothers would definitely want his life, then revolt against Grand Preceptor Xie himself. If that’s the case, he might as well kill me first, then the rest of you, to seal our lips.”

“The Grand Preceptor can be that ruthless?” a nanny asked.

“What can’t he do as Xie Wenyuan?” Lady Xu was still smiling coldly.

Ning Xiaoyao sucked in a cold breath from her vantage point on the roof with Lou Zigui. “So she knew Grand Preceptor Xie was a bad seed all along!”

“Everyone in the world knows what kind of person Xie Wenyuan is,” Lou Zigui replied.

Ning Xiaoyao chuckled. Everyone in the world that is, except that muddle-headed ex-emperor.

The shouts and sounds of fighting carried over from a distant alleyway.

“Pei Yan and his men are coming,” Lou Zigui muttered to Ning Xiaoyao. “With this, Xie Wenyuan’s men will all come out too.”

Ning Xiaoyao stared at his face. It was ruddy red under the glow of fire. He’s a bad seed too, she thought.

“Née Xu!” Chen Lu ran into the front courtyard, where he was faced by a wall of flames. Then he saw the two troops of guards fighting each other and nearly tripped over his feet. Lady Xu stared at him as if he was a stranger, making his heart feel uneasy. “Why are you doing this?!” he cried in desperation.

“If we can’t be husband and wife, you can simply write me a letter of divorce,” Lady Xu answered. “Why are you trying to take my life as well?”

“Take your life?” Chen Lu exclaimed. “Who wants to kill you?”

Lady Xu looked past him to Grand Preceptor Xie, who was walking their way.

“What does Grand Preceptor Xie want to kill you for?” Chen Lu stamped his feet impatiently. Has my wife gotten possessed?

Lady Xu said, “Chen Lu, I couldn’t birth you a son or daughter. That’s my fault. But a single day as husband and wife still means 100 days of affection. We’ve been married all these years, yet you still treated me so heartlessly?”

“Wife, I---Grand Preceptor!” Great General Chen whirled back to call towards him. What to do now?!

On the roof, Ning Xiaoyao tugged at Lou ZIgui’s sleeve. “Supreme Commander, I feel like I’ve committed a sin.”

“Chen Lu, our love ends today!” Lady Xu declared. Hearing this, Chen Lu grew blank before his legs gave way. The Great General fell listlessly to the ground and lost consciousness.

“......” said Ning Xiaoyao. Ah geez, I really did commit a sin.

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