Chapter 322: First Young Master Ning said, "I"m requesting this of you."
"I have." Ning Xiaoyao said with a face full of yearning. "Once I have successfully fought with the aforementioned three to the death, I want to go travel around the world!" It"s not easy for her to come to a world without zombies. She definitely needs to go walk around everywhere and take a look. Otherwise, what"s the point of her dying in the apocalyptic world and coming here?"
First Young Master Ning asked, "Then what about this nation?"
Ning Xiaoyao appeared to be in a state of reverie. She uttered a sentence, "It can just do what it likes. I can"t look after it for the rest of my life!"
First Young Master Ning carefully observed Ning Xiaoyao"s expression. He wanted to see whether those were her true thoughts. However, Ning Xiaoyao"s idiotic dream-like smile caught him off guard. Is his little sister still half asleep?
"The mission is very arduous but hope is up ahead." Ning Xiaoyao wiped her face. The expression on her face had returned to normal. She told First Young Master Ning, "Big Bro Ning, we need to have confidence in life!"
This is not a problem about confidence. First Young Master Ning was at a loss for a very long time and couldn"t say anything. The eldest heir of the Duke from the Duke of Yue"s estate was finally experiencing the frustration of what it was like being unable to continue on with her conversation.
"Big Bro Ning, I"ll let Windy and the others help to gather some money and pack them into the carriage for you, okay?"
First Young Master Ning said, "Many thanks to Your Majesty. Your Majesty, this subject had only seen what Supreme Splendor Hall looked like. May this subject have a few more glances of the imperial palace?"
"Oh, you wanna look at the scenery? Alright, alright, Big Bro Ning, go ahead! Eh, allow me to ask, you have a wife already, right?"
"Yes," First Young Master Ning replied, "Replying to Your Majesty, this subject is already married."
"Oh, that"s fine then. Originally, I wanted to say that there are plenty of pretty young ladies here." Ning Xiaoyao felt regret for the little palace maids in the palace. This high-quality man is already taken!
Obviously, First Young Master Ning understood what Ning Xiaoyao was hinting. He really couldn"t refrain himself from knocking twice on her head. What exactly is her little mind filled with?
Ning Xiaoyao covered her head, but enthusiastically led Shadowgale and a bunch of others to fetch the money for First Young Master Ning.
Several days ago, when First Young Master Ning was in Supreme Splendor Hall, he had asked around to find out the exact location of Empress Dowager"s palace. This time, First Young Master Ning exited from Supreme Splendor Hall and walked towards the Empress Dowager"s palace.
There were Dragon Guards standing at the front, back and side doors. First Young Master Ning found a courtyard wall and directly climbed over the wall to enter the Empress Dowager"s palace.
Since it was midsummer, there were no sounds of insects crying and birds chirping. Due to a lack of wind, the flowers and trees were also silent and motionless. The enormous palace was absolutely still.
First Young Master Ning hadn"t walked far in the Empress Dowager"s palace when he faintly heard the wails of a child. The weeping led First Young Master Ning to the flower bed where Empress Dowager Xie was sitting. Empress Dowager Xie was holding Prince Cheng, Ning Xin, in her arms.
Empress Dowager Xie looked like a sorry figure. Her hair was disheveled, while her clothes were covered with mud. Moreover, she was also barefooted on one foot. Ning Xin was crying in Empress Dowager Xie"s arms and Empress Dowager Xie was also weeping. From the looks of it, they had been crying for a long time. Quite a number of flower petals had fallen on them.
First Young Master Ning stood at a place not far away from Empress Dowager Xie. People aren"t going to believe Grand Preceptor Xie anymore. Right now, Empress Dowager Xie is his sister"s only threat. As long as he gets rid of the Empress Dowager Xie and Prince Cheng, his sister will be safe in the imperial court so long as she doesn"t expose her own ident.i.ty. The war had just ended and there are many a.s.sa.s.sins readily available. The excuse will be the a.s.sa.s.sins wanted to get rid of the remaining evil members of the Xie Clan. Obviously, First Young Master Ning was not going to let such a great opportunity go.
"Xin"er, don"t cry anymore." Empress Dowager Xie coaxed Ning Xin with a hoa.r.s.e voice and wiped the tears on his face. It was difficult to tell whether Ning Xin was hungry or thirsty. He still wailed nonstop despite being gently rocked and coaxed by Empress Dowager Xie.
First Young Master Ning clenched his fists. Ning Xin is still young and hasn"t done anything wrong, but as long as this little prince exists, it is a way out for Xie Wenyuan. Why should I leave a survival path for Old Traitor Xie?
First Young Master Ning strode forward. It is just a pair of woman and child. Killing them also won"t exert too much of his strength.
A hand extended from behind First Young Master Ning and slapped his shoulder with a "clap".
First Young Master Ning didn"t notice anyone approaching him. The smack on his shoulder shocked him so much that he nearly pulled out the dagger from his sleeve.
Ning Xiaoyao blinked her eyes and asked, "Big Bro Ning, why did you come here?"
First Young Master Ning: …
Ning Xiaoyao looked past First Young Master Ning and saw that Empress Dowager had stood up from the ground while carrying Ning Xin. "You have something you need to find Empress Dowager for?"
"Who is he?!" At this moment, Empress Dowager asked Ning Xiaoyao in a harsh tone as she stood before the parterre.
"We meet again." Ning Xiaoyao waved her hand at Empress Dowager Xie.
Empress Dowager Xie looked at First Young Master Ning in panic. He doesn"t look like an a.s.sa.s.sin, but why would he be inside her palace?
First Young Master Ning unclenched his fists. Then, he turned around to bow and paid his greetings to Empress Dowager Xie. "This military official is Ning Xiaomu."
Fengzhou"s Duke of Yue"s estate had a very well-known reputation but Empress Dowager Xie didn"t know who Ning Xiaomu was. However, the imperial clansmen didn"t need to refer to themselves as "this military official" in front of her. Aside from them, which other families have the surname "Ning"?
"You," Empress Dowager Xie sized up First Young Master Ning and asked, "You"re someone from Fengzhou"s Duke of Yue"s estate?"
"It shouldn"t concern you who he is, ah!" Ning Xiaoyao stood in front of First Young Master Ning and looked at Empress Dowager Xie. "Your son is already crying to this extent and you still adamantly refuse to leave your palace?"
Empress Dowager Xie looked at Ning Xiaoyao, enmity gradually appearing in her gaze. "You still know how to feel sorry for your younger brother?"
"You"re the biological mother yet you don"t even feel sorry for him. Why should I feel sorry for him?" Ning Xiaoyao sniffed and spoke without a care, "You could drink the water from the pond but aren"t you hungry?"
Empress Dowager Xie sneered, "What did Your Majesty come here for? To see this Dowager"s miserable state?"
"I"m not interested, thank you. My Big Bro Ning must have taken the wrong path so I came to look for him. You think I actually like coming here?"
First Young Master Ning: … He didn"t take the wrong path.
When Empress Dowager Xie heard Ning Xiaoyao"s comment, she was slightly dumbfounded. Big Bro Ning? Esteemed Empress Dowager glanced at First Young Master Ning. This means that Fengzhou"s Duke of Yue"s estate has also crossed over to Ning Yu"s side. This d.a.m.n girl sure knows how to strategize.
Since Ning Xiaoyao and Empress Dowager Xie were on different wavelengths, Xiaoyao turned her head to tell First Young Master Ning, "Big Bro Ning, let"s go. There aren"t any little young ladies here, there"s nothing to see."
Before First Young Master Ning could respond, Empress Dowager Xie screeched, "Ning Yu! You have gone too far in humiliating this Dowager!"
"You should think about whether you want to live or die from hunger." Ning Xiaoyao rolled her eyes at Empress Dowager and pulled First Young Master Ning to leave.
When Empress Dowager Xie saw Ning Xiaoyao pulling First Young Master Ning"s hand, she wanted to say something. However, Empress Dowager Xie looked down at her son in her arms and ultimately decided to keep her mouth shut. If she wants to live, there are some things she can"t say.
As Ning Xiaoyao dragged First Young Master Ning away, he turned back to look at Empress Dowager Xie. Based on his ability to make discerning judgments, First Young Master Ning could immediately see through Empress Dowager Xie"s inner thoughts. She clearly wants to speak, yet she is holding back due to fear. This woman. The thought of killing her flashed across First Young Master Ning"s mind again. As long as this woman is alive, she would always be a threat to his little sister.
"Your Majesty," First Young Master Ning shouted at Ning Xiaoyao.
"Your Majesty, this Dowager has something to tell you." Empress Dowager Xie seemed to have made up her mind and called out to Ning Xiaoyao.
However, Ning Xiaoyao instantly dashed when she heard Empress Dowager Xie"s yell. Talking to this empress dowager was too d.a.m.n exhausting for her heart!
First Young Master Ning was hauled by Ning Xiaoyao and exited Empress Dowager Palace"s courtyard wall as if they were flying.
"Ai ma." Ning Xiaoyao stood outside the courtyard wall and wiped her forehead. "Big Bro Ning, why did you come to the Empress Dowager"s palace?"
First Young Master Ning thought about it and replied, "This subject took the wrong path."
"Oh." Ning Xiaoyao nodded and didn"t suspect much. Based on their age gap, her Big Bro Ning couldn"t have any tryst with Empress Dowager Xie. There can"t be a hidden story here.
First Young Master Ning turned his head and still looked at the Empress Dowager Palace"s palace hall and courtyard. Am I really going to let this pair of scourge go? Allowing Empress Dowager Xie and Ning Xin to live could potentially lead to future disaster.
"Let"s go, Big Bro Ning." Ning Xiaoyao had no clue what was on First Young Master Ning"s mind as she continued tugging him along. "This isn"t a good place."
First Young Master Ning couldn"t break away from Ning Xiaoyao"s grasp and could only ask, "If Esteemed Empress Dowager continues to be unwilling to leave her palace, what is Your Majesty going to do?"
"She won"t," Ning Xiaoyao said with conviction, "She has never suffered through hunger in this lifetime. Wait until she is hungry, then she will be obedient. Besides, she still has to look after Ning Xin."
"Your Majesty." First Young Master Ning looked at Ning Xiaoyao and was about to speak but hesitated. Should he directly tell his little sister that she can"t let Empress Dowager and Prince Cheng live? But when First Young Master Ning saw his sister"s sparkling almond eyes, he couldn"t bring himself to say those words.
"Mhm?" Ning Xiaoyao asked, "Big Bro Ning, what do you want to say?"
"You, you have to be careful of Esteemed Empress Dowager." Such a meaningless sentence finally came out from First Young Master Ning"s mouth.
"Hahaha," Ning Xiaoyao laughed thoughtlessly, "The Xie Clan is already done for. What else can Empress Dowager do?"
"A centipede dies but doesn"t turn stiff*." First Young Master Ning looked at Ning Xiaoyao and lowered his voice, "Your Majesty, you must be careful."
"Mhm, I"ll be careful." It was obvious that Ning Xiaoyao replied without putting much thought into it.
Outside the gate of the imperial palace, a total of nine large carriages loaded with silvers were prepared for the Destruction Prisoner Army. All the soldiers from the Destruction Prisoner Army had happy expressions on their faces. But the money aspect was only one of the reasons why they were so delighted. Most importantly was that the men felt like they had a good emperor. As long as Ning Xiaoyao remained the emperor of the country, the men were confident that their living conditions would only improve and they would live in peaceful times. Government officials were not the only ones who wished for a wise ruler. Commoners also wished for a wise ruler to provide them with peace and stability.
Lou Zigui was aware that First Young Master Ning was departing. Hence, he left the palace gate an hour earlier than Ning Xiaoyao.
First Young Master Ning watched as Ning Xiaoyao stood in front of the huge carriages. She was conversing with the Destruction Prisoner Army men. He walked to Lou Zigui"s side and said in a soft voice, "Chengying, could I have a private word with you?"
Lou Zigui followed First Young Master Ning and walked until they were further away from the crowd. He asked, "Why are you in such a hurry to leave?"
"The manpower I brought is limited so I can"t do much even if I remain. Chengying, Empress Dowager and Prince Cheng will always be a threat to His Majesty. I"m sure you"re aware of this."
Lou Zigui didn"t expect Ning Xiaomu to bring up this topic and slightly knitted his brows. Supreme Commander lowered his voice, "Your point is?"
"You know what I"m talking about." First Young Master Ning looked at Lou Zigui.
"This matter shouldn"t…"
"If you want His Majesty to be without worries," First Young Master Ning didn"t let Lou Zigui finish speaking and quietly stated, "Then there are some matters that can"t be dragged on. Chengying, you"re currently the person His Majesty relies on and values the most. Are you not going to consider for His Majesty"s sake?"
Lou Zigui could hear Ning Xiaoyao"s laughter and turned his head to look. Miss Ning was standing among the men of the Destruction Prisoner Army and chuckling. She was laughing so hard that only her teeth were visible. He had no idea what they were talking about, but in any case, everyone was in a great mood.
"I"m requesting this of you**." First Young Master Ning told Lou Zigui.
Lou Zigui turned around to face First Young Master Ning in astonishment. Where did this "request" come from? Is Miss Ning someone important to this Duke of Yue"s eldest heir? (Author: They are biological siblings…)
* Even if an eminent family clan has declined, it may be able to restore itself since it hasn"t been completely destroyed
** It can also refer to entrusting Ning Xiaoyao to him
Fml yo..this chapter is nearly 2600 English words long. It takes foreverrrrrrrrrrr. If you like my work, please consider donating to me! So far, I have a $10 UPX donation from a reader. LOL I"m putting it in a fund and hopefully by the end of UPX, I will have a few more donations so I can split with my newbies (otherwise, we each get a $1 LOL)
Note: I"m including a teaser today. To tease you guys. Yup. ? #evilgrace #awesomegrace #thecoolestgraceever #readonvolarenovels