Chapter 261: His Majesty's not familiar with causing chaos
“Then what do you plan to do with Lil Big Bro Song’s big brother?” Ning Xiaoyao asked Lou Zigui as they headed for Supreme Splendor Hall. “Just what happened? Do you know, Supreme Commander?”
“Now isn’t the time to worry about that,” Lou Zigui murmured. “After we deal with the consequences, we’ll look into the cause.”
Ning Xiaoyao thought over his words. “That makes sense. But Supreme Commander, aren’t you even a little bit curious about it all?”
“Now isn’t the time to interrogate Song Xu,” Lou Zigui replied. “He’s still useful.”
Ning Xiaoyao was very disappointed. “So it’s like that, ah. I wanted to go beat him up, too.”
Lou Zigui laughed and pinched her cheek. “I suspect that news of Fang Tang ‘getting into trouble’ should have spread by now. I’d like to see Xie Wenyuan’s reaction.”
“The Grand Preceptor’s reaction?”
“Mhm.” As the path before them turned, sunlight shifted to shine on Ning Xiaoyao instead. Lou Zigui stepped to her left to shield her from its rays before he murmured, “Later I’ll tell Song Xu that Fang Tang’s unharmed.”
“And then?” Ning Xiaoyao didn’t understand his intentions. “How will the Grand Preceptor react to that?”
“Don’t you have eyes and ears in the Grand Preceptor’s estate?” Lou Zigui turned to look at her.
“Urk, yes,” Ning Xiaoyao nodded. She had lots of little pals there.
“Keep an eye on Xie Wenyuan,” Lou Zigui said. “If he sends anyone to Anyuan, then it’ll prove that Fang Tang really is unharmed.”
Ning Xiaoyao nodded. Am I missing some brain cells or something? I never understand Supreme Commander’s words.
“If Grand Preceptor Xie’s still sending men to Anyuan at a time like this, then it’ll be to check whether the Black Frost Cavalry’s really made their way to the capital. This would mean that Fang Tang never fell into their hands,” Lou Zigui explained.
Ning Xiaoyao turned over the words in her mind before she sputtered, “But what if the Grand Preceptor’s just putting on another show to trick us again? He knows you’ll reason like that, Supreme Commander, so he’ll follow your train of thought to lower your guard against him.”
“He doesn’t know we already know that Song Xu’s betrayed us, so why would he put on an unnecessary show?” Lou Zigui smiled. “Moreover, with your little pals keeping an eye on him, we’ll know everything he says and does. Why should I be afraid of him?”
“Even my little pals didn’t know about Song Xu,” Ning Xiaoyao knitted her brows. How did the Grand Preceptor manage to hide that from an estate full of animals? I’ll need to investigate this.
“So please have them put in extra effort this time,” Lou Zigui stopped, brushing aside the willow tree branches that had come to rest against Ning Xiaoyao’s head. “Xiaoyao, we can’t afford to make any more mistakes.”
“If Fang Tang’s untouched, then doesn’t that mean the Black Frost Cavalry still has a chance of showing up?” Ning Xiaoyao asked.
Lou Zigui gave a bitter laugh. “There’s the possibility, but we can’t rely on them now. If we gamble all our prospects on Fang Tang and lose, then I...”
Ning Xiaoyao rested a hand over Lou Zigui’s mouth. “Then we won’t do that.” She didn’t like it when he looked so hopeless. Supreme Commander Lou should never be like that.
Lou Zigui nodded and shifted his gaze to look ahead. Only then did Ning Xiaoyao realized they were standing in front of a large lake. Five or six wild ducks were currently swimming in its waters.
“Xiaoyao,” one of the ducks quickly headed towards her. Ning Xiaoyao knew this one--it was Fivehue, who liked to chat with her back at Supreme Splendor Hall.
Lou Zigui saw the duck come closer and brushed his sleeve, where he’d hidden some darts. “Do you want to eat wild duck?” Miss Ning was a foodie, so he wanted to do something to make her happy as compensation for such a big failure.
Ning Xiaoyao froze with her hand half raised in the air. She was going to toss some food to Fivehue, but now...
“Quack?” Fivehue turned blank at Lou Zigui’s words before he cried out. “The idiot who can’t even beat the Grand Preceptor wants to eat us, quack!”
o(╯□╰)o, went Ning Xiaoyao. The other ducks heard Fivehue’s cry and all flew into the air. Lou Zigui felt a hint of regret. He hadn’t even raised his hand, much less attack a duck. Ning Xiaoyao turned to look at him. “Do you feel like even the ducks are bullying you now?”
Lou Zigui was feeling sorry because the ducks had flown, but her words turned his face black.
“Don’t be like that,” Ning Xiaoyao patted his chest. “This time I’ll definitely keep an eye on the Grand Preceptor. No worries, Supreme Commander. With me here, no one can pick on you.”
Lou Zigui stared down at Ning Xiaoyao’s petite form and sighed.
“I’ll grow,” Ning Xiaoyao said seriously.
Lou Zigui rested a hand against his forehead. “Whether or not you grow, I’ll still like you.”
“I’ll definitely grow,” Ning Xiaoyao insisted. Once she dealt with the Grand Preceptor and had easier days ahead, she’ll definitely grow, both in height and her you-know-what size!
Lou Zigui could only nod. “Yes, you’ll grow.”
“I don’t like to eat duck,” Ning Xiaoyao added.
“There are even things you don’t like to eat?” Lou Zigui blurted out.
Ning Xiaoyao puffed her cheeks. What does that mean? Do you think I’m some sort of glutton? (Author: You mean you don’t think so yourself? (￢_￢))
“Alright, I know now. Let’s go,” Lou Zigui tugged at Ning Xiaoyao, who glanced at Fivehue flying in the air before docilely following along.
As they walked, she said, “Supreme Commander, are we really going to keep up our act with Song Xu?”
“Yes,” Lou Zigui nodded.
“Motherf***ing,” Ning Xiaoyao cursed. This really is ‘life’s a stage and all its men are merely players.’ We’re relying on our acting to live on.
“What does that mean?” It wasn’t the first time Lou Zigui had heard her say such words, but he’d never understood them. Now was the time to ask.
“Urk,” Ning Xiaoyao said. “I was cursing someone just then.”
“......” said Lou Zigui. Let’s just pretend I didn’t ask a thing.
Ning Xiaoyao returned to Supreme Splendor Hall, where Wheat met her at the door by landing on her shoulder. “Xiaoyao, Big Yellow who’s in charge of the dogs at the south gates wanted me to pass on a message. Chen Lu is currently hiding in the seventh courtyard on the left of Fangqi Lane in the south of the city.”
Ning Xiaoyao glanced at Supreme Commander Lou, then the Dragon Guards coming to welcome her back, and said, “Supreme Commander, Wheat here is hungry. I’m going to find him some food, so you go chat with Windy and the Lord Protector first.”
One of the Dragon Guards saw His Majesty dart past and asked, “Who’s Wheat?”
“Wheat is a sparrow,” Lou Zigui replied.
The Dragon Guards felt their mouths twitch. So does this mean His Majesty’s keeping that whole nest of sparrows in the wutong tree from the back gardens as his pets?
Ning Xiaoyao found a deserted corner before crossing her legs to sit on the ground. “Come on, tell me what’s going on?”
Wheat said, “Big Yellow didn’t find me directly. He wanted to find a dog first, but none of them were capable of slipping into the palace. Elder Li’s dog, Black Panther, told him that it’s more useful to find Big Boss Black, but Big Yellow’s on bad terms with Big Boss Black. So in the end he found the head of the crows in the south city....”
“Wheat, Wheat,” Ning Xiaoyao cut him off, a little dizzy from it all. “I know already, the news spread one by one until it reached you.”
“That’s right,” Wheat hopped a few times on Ning Xiaoyao’s shoulders. “Xiaoyao, you’re so smart!”
Ning Xiaoyao suddenly felt like her missing IQ had returned!
“Chen Lu was rescued and taken to that big courtyard,” Wheat continued. “Big Yellow was ready to help you out by biting him to death, but the masked man who took him was too powerful. Big Yellow was afraid that he and his brothers would be bitten to death instead, so they retreated first.”
“Mm,” Ning Xiaoyao nodded. “It’s no wonder Big Yellow is head of all the dogs south of the city. Doing that was the right decision. If you’re unsure about the enemy, you can’t attack them indiscriminately.”
“Big Yellow even heard them say that they’d take Chen Lu to the Grand Preceptor’s estate to meet him after dark,” Wheat added. “Big Yellow suggests that you meet him tonight at Fangqi Lane and join hands to bite Chen Lu to death.”
Ning Xiaoyao rubbed her chin. “I do want to bite that jerk to death.”
“But Xiaoyao, you’re not a doggie. How are you going to bite Chen Lu to death?” Wheat tilted his head at her.
Ning Xiaoyao thought it over before deciding. “Then I won’t bite him, but beat him to death!”
Wheat thought that was reasonable, so he continued. “A doctor went to look at Chen Lu’s wounds and said they were very serious. It’s uncertain whether he’ll live or die. Big Yellow said he heard Chen Lu say he wanted to see his family.”
“Did the masked man take Chen Lu’s family to see him?” Ning Xiaoyao guessed.
Wheat shook his head. “No. The masked man said wait until they reach the Grand Preceptor’s estate before meeting with his family.”
“Then let him have his last reunion with his family,” Ning Xiaoyao said. “He’s almost dead. Wheat, tell Big Yellow that we won’t take pains with Chen Lu. I’ll owe him and his brothers a meal of bones in exchange.”
“Alright,” Wheat agreed.
Leaning against the wall beneath the dappled shade of the trees above her, Ning Xiaoyao began to trace circles in the ground with her fingers. Tonight the empress was scheduled to leave the palace. There was no way they could let Grand Preceptor Xie find out. What was the best way to distract his subordinates away from Supreme Splendor Hall? Looks like making a ruckus at the Grand Preceptor’s estate isn’t a bad idea.
Should I start a fire?
No, Ning Xiaoyao shook her head. There’s plenty of people there to put out the flames. That won’t distract that old Xie enough.
What if I pretend to be a ghost and scare him? That wouldn’t work either. Suppose he doesn’t believe in ghosts?
Tear down his door? Again, Ning Xiaoyao shook her head. That’s no more useful than setting the place on fire.
“What should I do?” Ning Xiaoyao clutched her head in thought. She didn’t have any experience in causing chaos.
“Your Majesty?”
Hearing a voice, Ning Xiaoyao looked up and waved a hand at Ji Yuerong. “Miss Ji.”
Ji Yuerong looked around them before asking, “Your Majesty, why are you by yourself here?”
“I’m thinking over a problem,” Ning Xiaoyao replied.
“Oh?” Ji Yuerong settled to sit by her side. “Did something happen?” she asked in a low voice. “Supreme Commander called my grandfather in to discuss things.”
“We don’t have to worry about their men’s affairs,” Ning Xiaoyao said. “I have a conundrum on my hands right now.”
Ji Yuerong only looked at her in silence. That’s an awkward way to phrase things. Your Majesty, aren’t you a man yourself? (Author: Actually, she’s really not....)
“I want to cause chaos at the Grand Preceptor’s estate,” Ning Xiaoyao said. “Miss Ji, what kind of trouble should I raise to capture the Grand Preceptor and his men’s attention completely tonight?”
Ji Yuerong smoothed out her sleeves. “That’s easy, we’ll just go raise a row at their doors.”
“.......” said Ning Xiaoyao. This woman’s so violent. How’s she supposed to find a husband in the future like this? (Author: You still have the time to worry about that? (╯_╰))