Chapter 139: Chapter 139: Supreme Commander’s male beauty trap

Ning Xiaoyao rubbed the place where she’d been kissed before asking, “Why do I feel like you’re using a male-version beauty trap on me?”

“.......” said Lou Zigui. Big Boss Black swished his tail in agitation before running for the window and escaping outside. A cat like him couldn’t stand to listen to that kind of conversation anymore.

Ning Xiaoyao held Lou Zigui by his chin and observed his handsome face, before she whispered, “You do have the qualities for a male beauty trap.”

Lou Zigui felt helpless at her statement and managed a joke with some difficulty. “Does Xiaoyao find my looks pleasing?”

“They’re pleasing, ah,” Ning Xiaoyao nodded. “If I still wasn’t satisfied by looks like yours, I’d probably incur divine wrath, right?”

How am I supposed to follow up to that?

“Alright, then,” Ning Xiaoyao said, “For the sake of your face, I’ll allow young née Wang’s requests.”

Lou Zigui was indeed left speechless.

“Hahaha,” Ning Xiaoyao said, amused. “I just realized that I have the potential to be a tyrant. That there, ‘beloved consort, you are just too beautiful. This emperor will never go to the morning court sessions again,’ hahaha~” She burst into laughter.

(#‵′), went Supreme Commander Lou. What kind of balderdash is she spouting?!

Outside the room, Elder Li asked Shadowbolt, “Is His Majesty alone with Supreme Commander inside those chambers?”

Shadowbolt nodded.

Elder Li was unconvinced. Lou Zigui seemed like a scrupulous and methodical man, yet His Majesty could be so happy just by speaking to him? “But Xie Wenyuan isn’t dead yet,” Elder Li muttered quietly to himself.

“........” said Shadowbolt. Are you saying His Majesty can’t laugh until Grand Preceptor Xie dies? What kind of twisted logic is that?

“Announce my arrival,” Elder Li pressed Shadowbolt, who was secretly ridiculing the man in his heart. He’s only remembering to have me announce his arrival now. You brought so many people with you to Supreme Splendor Hall, so why didn’t you remember that then?

“Don’t you know how to announce my arrival?” Elder Li asked when he saw that Shadowbolt hadn’t budged.

Shadowbolt revved up his spirits and stood in the courtyard to shout at the open door, “Your Majesty, Elder Li is waiting and requests an audience!”

Ning Xiaoyao sat on Lou Zigui’s leg, her body stiffening at the words. “I did hear someone come, but why is it that old geezer Elder Li?!”

“Afraid of him?” Lou Zigui asked.

Ning Xiaoyao sniffled a few times. “A-a bit.”

Lou Zigui didn’t understand. Why would an emperor be afraid of a subject with no military power, who only had stern words on his side? She wasn’t even afraid of Xie Wenyuan, but she had a healthy fear of Elder Li.

“I respect the elderly,” Ning Xiaoyao explained in an effort to salvage her fearless reputation. “Not only that, I love children too.”

Lou Zigui patted Ning Xiaoyao’s head. “Xie Wenyuan’s not that young, either.”

“But Xie Wenyuan’s nothing but a villainous old man!” Ning Xiaoyao said staunchly.

If they continued with this topic, there’d be no end of it. Lou Zigui only finished by saying, “Sometimes, I get tired of Elder Li too.”

“Right?!” Ning Xiaoyao looked at Lou Zigui in understanding, before she murmured, “There’s been plenty of times when I’ve had no idea what that old gramps was talking about.” (Author: How many times have you seen Elder Li in total? o(╯□╰)o )

“Have Elder Li and the rest come in,” Lou Zigui stood up. They should stop this topic for now. In any case, he could understand Elder Li’s words even when he didn’t understand Miss Ning most of the time. After Elder Li and his men were summoned into the room and had paid their respects, he asked about Ning Xiaoyao’s injury first.

“I’m alright now, ah,” Ning Xiaoyao said. “Perfectly fine.”

Elder Li inquired, “Which imperial physician examined Your Majesty?”

“Urk,” Ning Xiaoyao said, “Me myself, ah. I’m a doctor.”

Elder Li knitted his brows and gave Ning Xiaoyao a stern look. “Doctors shouldn’t treat themselves. It’s highly important for Your Majesty to take care of your dragon body. As the saying goes, a body worth a thousand pieces of gold...” Once again, Elder Li attempted to instruct Ning Xiaoyao with wisdom from sages of the past.

Ning Xiaoyao’s forehead broke out in cold sweat as she shot Lou Zigui a pleading look. What in the heck is that old gramps talking about now?

Lou Zigui had no choice but to steer the topic away. “What has Elder come to find His Majesty for?” His question earned an unhappy glare from Elder Li, who’d been interrupted in the middle of his tirade.

“That’s right, that’s right, ah,” Ning Xiaoyao hastened to add. “Old gramps, what do you need me for?”

“This subject makes to ask Your Majesty,” Elder Li said, “How should the issue of the damage to the ancestral hall be dealt with?”

“Oh, that,” Ning Xiaoyao exhaled in relief. She’d long ago thought of the solution. “Isn’t it just that the floor caved in? I’ll have someone mend the hole in the floor.”

“.........” said Elder Li and the rest. After something so catastrophic, do you think just filling in the hole will fix everything?

“It’s getting late,” Ning Xiaoyao added with a cheery grin. “You guys should all go home and eat.”

Elder Li replied, “This subject isn’t hungry.”

Ning Xiaoyao gave a start before she tried again, “Then, sleep?”

“This subject isn’t sleepy, either!” Elder Li was now shouting.

Ning Xiaoyao began to dig her nails into her palms again. She’d purposely chosen safe topics like eating and sleeping, but it’d still earned that old gramp’s ire. Is it impossible for us to coexist peacefully? “Old gramps, just what’s wrong with you?” Ning Xiaoyao felt a headache coming on.

“Your Majesty is still asking this subject?” Elder Li replied.

“Ah?” Ning Xiaoyao said. “Who else am I supposed to ask when you’re the one that’s angry?”

“This subject isn’t angry!” Elder Li roared.

“Fine, fine, you’re not angry,” Ning Xiaoyao had no choice but to say. “Then I’ll be the one who’s angry, alright? Elder Li, can you leave now?”

Elder Li became even more furious. “Your Majesty is chasing this subject away?”

Save me! Ning Xiaoyao clutched her head. Can’t we just talk like sensible people? All of the subjects who’d came with Elder Li backed up a step. They’d never expected to hear such a pointless conversation after entering this room, much less see Elder Li so mad or His Majesty so ready to die.

“Elder,” Lou Zigui had to step out in interference once again. “Just what matters do you bring us? Give His Majesty a simple rundown.”

Everyone now fixated their stares on Lou Zigui. Supreme Commander, why does it sound like you’re saying His Excellency Elder’s previous words were incomprehensible to His Majesty?

“His Majesty is tired after today’s events,” Lou Zigui added after realizing his previous statement was a little fishy. Ning Xiaoyao immediately affected looking weak, all the best to make Elder Li go home faster. Elder Li couldn’t help but to be amused and chuckled a few times despite his anger. Ning Xiaoyao immediately straightened her posture in her chair, having never seen an old man laugh so unkindly.

“How is Your Majesty planning to deal with Xie Wenyuan?” Elder Li asked Ning Xiaoyao.

Ning Xiaoyao said, “It’s not like I can kill him, so what else can I do?”

This was an irrefutable truth, even to Elder Li.

“Then, what about the refugees who broke into the palace? What will Your Majesty do with them?” another official asked.

Ning Xiaoyao didn’t give it a second thought. “Let them go.”

“Let them go?” many officials chorused at the reply. Those refugees were conspiring against the state, and we’re just letting them go?!

“Your Majesty,” Elder Li said, “They say the law excuses the masses, but it’s unsuitable to apply that logic to those refugees.”

Ning Xiaoyao glanced at Lou Zigui and murmured, “What does ‘the law excuses the masses’ mean?”

Lou Zigui replied succinctly, “Elder means to say that those refugees can’t be forgiven.”n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

Ning Xiaoyao felt her head hurt again, and asked Elder Li, “Then old gramps, what do you mean to do? Kill them all? Plenty of refugees died at the ancestral hall grounds already, right?”

Elder Li replied, “Your Majesty, they were part of a mob--traitors with a plot!”

Ning Xiaoyao waved her hand at Elder Li. “What traitors, ah? They were obviously all tricked into rioting by the Grand Preceptor. If we can’t kill the Grand Preceptor, we’ll vent our temper on them instead? We can’t do something that disgraceful.”

“........” said Elder Li.

“.........” said everyone else. His Majesty was probably the first person to ever curse Elder Li as disgraceful.

“Moreover, they ran into my house,” Ning Xiaoyao added, “Cursed me, and wanted to kill me. I’m not even mad about that, so why are you so angry, gramps? There’s no need for that. Don’t lose your temper. Go back and eat something tasty, then go to sleep. When you wake up tomorrow and see the sunshine, you’ll definitely be in a better mood.”

Elder Li stared woodenly at Ning Xiaoyao. Ning Xiaoyao had plenty of other comforting things to say, but she lost her courage to say them in the face of his stare.

“Supreme Commander,” an official asked Lou Zigui. “Do you think they should be released as well?”

“I listen to His Majesty,” Lou Zigui answered.

“Your Majesty is certainly wise and brilliant,” Elder Li then bowed towards Ning Xiaoyao. Recently, His Majesty had taken care of all the refugees. But they’d still believed in hearsay and charged the palace to revolt. Those refugees were nothing more than ungrateful types who’d bit the hand that fed them, and people who thoroughly deserved death. Yet the current emperor was still willing to forgive them. Such breadth of mind made Elder Li himself feel inferior.

Ning Xiaoyao was so shocked that she nearly fell out of her chair. What did I end up saying this time?!

“The sovereign possesses a bosom as vast as the four seas,” Elder Li said, still bent over in a bow.

Ning Xiaoyao lowered her head to glance at her chest. How am I supposed to fit four seas in that? Even without binding her chest, there was no sign of her bosom there! (Author: That old gramps isn’t literally talking about that!)

When Lou Zigui saw Ning Xiaoyao blatantly examining her chest, he knew immediately what she was thinking about. His face inexplicably reddened before he patted her on the shoulder so she could stop staring and raise her head. It’s not like they’ll grow just from your staring.

Elder Li said, “Your Majesty is wise and brilliant, moving this subject to tears of gratitude.” His eyes really had turned red. He had waited two successive dynasties for a worthy sovereign. Old Elder Li had it rough, too!

Ning Xiaoyao silently chuckled to herself. How did I end up wise and brilliant again? She couldn’t figure it out, but she felt like Elder Li was a very profound and subtle person.

“Then how is Your Majesty planning to deal with the people who raised blades against you?” another official asked.

Lou Zigui rested his hand on Ning Xiaoyao’s shoulder and squeezed it slightly.

“Anyone who raised arms can be directed to Supreme Commander to deal with,” Ning Xiaoyao answered immediately.

“This subject accepts the decree,” Lou Zigui said with a bow.

“Anything else?” Ning Xiaoyao asked Elder Li and the rest.

“That doppelganger?” Elder Li asked.

“We’ll treat his illness first,” Ning Xiaoyao said. “When he recovers, I’ll see if I can find his family.”

“Your Majesty is going to search for his family?” Elder Li said uncertainly.

“He’s not a bad person,” Ning Xiaoyao said. “Every injustice has its perpetrator. If he’s really so capable, we’ll go hunt out the real mastermind.”

Elder Li lowered his head. “Your Majesty instructs rightly.”

“Nonono,” Ning Xiaoyao quickly shook her head. “How could I dare to instruct you?”

Elder Li shook his head with a smile. When Ning Xiaoyao saw that the smile looked more kindly this time, she grew happy. “Feeling better now? If so, everyone can go.”

“Your Majesty,” Elder Li withdrew his smile to add in one final reminder. “Old Madame Xie has passed away, but she’s still Your Majesty’s great-grandmother. According to principle, Your Majesty should pay a visit to the Grand Preceptor’s estate.”