Chapter 141: 141. I’m really silly (Updated)
Translator: 549690339
Qian Country’s capital city.
The progress of the Martial Arts Competition had passed the halfway point.
What most people were keenly discussing was that in the first five rounds, the only two female contestants, Nian Ruxue and Su Liang, both had five wins and zero losses.
Now, in the biggest Gambling House in the capital city, bets were being placed on who would win if Nian Ruxue and Su Liang fought each other.
Su Liang’s friends had all placed bets on her, waiting to make a fortune when the time came.
Duanmu Ao publicly placed a heavy bet on his yet-to-be-wed Imperial Concubine Nian Ruxue, and the news spread far and wide.
This day, Su Liang woke up early to the sound of rain. After getting ready and opening the door, she saw the gloomy weather and the drizzling rain.
Although she practiced martial arts diligently, she didn’t want to get wet in the rain unnecessarily. Thinking that the Martial Exam might be suspended for a day, she thought it would be nice to stay at home without going out.
After having breakfast, the rain showed no sign of stopping, but rather intensified.
Qi Yan braved the rain to inform Su Liang that the Martial Exam would be suspended that day and would continue after the weather cleared up the next day. The announcement had already been posted.
Xing Yusheng guessed that Su Liang hadn’t left the house and specifically asked Qi Yan to inform her.
“Where is your master?” Su Liang asked.
Qi Yan laughed and said that Xing Yusheng had gone to the Lin’s house. After picking up Lin Xueqing, the two went to Duke Qin’s Mansion to visit Old Master
Qin.
Ning Jing applied acupuncture every three days.
Old Master Qin managed to get to his feet these past two days, though he still needed to lean on a cane and couldn’t walk far.
However, the Qin Family saw hope for Old Master Qin’s full recovery and were extremely grateful to Su Liang.
“Would Miss Su like to go there as well? Miss Lin and Miss Qin would surely be delighted,” Qi Yan said.
Su Liang shook her head, “Not today, I want to rest and let them play.”
When Qi Yan was about to leave, Su Liang suddenly asked, “I haven’t seen your brother for several days, is he not in the capital city?”
Qi Yan nodded, “Ajun was sent out by the master to the south to find Second Master Lin. We didn’t know that Second Master Lin was safe and sound at that time. The master saw Miss Lin was worried and asked Ajun to help send a message and see if there was any assistance needed.”
“That’s good,” Su Liang thought Xing Yusheng was really thoughtful. Once Lin Bojun returned safely, their wedding date should be set soon.
After Qi Yan left, Ning Jing asked Su Liang if she had any free time.
Su Liang shook her head, “Nope, I need to make medicine,” She thought he must want her to tell stories.
“I have time, I can help you,” Ning Jing said.
Thus, as Su Liang worked on preparing the poison, Ning Jing acted as her assistant.
The sound of the rain was dripping gently, the two sat by the window, busy with their tasks, and chatted casually.
The Fifth Prince’s Residence.
The weather was poor, and Duanmu Che had been coughing non-stop since he woke up. Yet, he still insisted on opening the window to watch the rain, making his attendant, Huang Bo, anxious.
However, Duanmu Che was always stubborn, and no amount of persuasion worked.
Helpless, Huang Bo mentioned Su Liang again, “Since the Martial Exam is suspended today, Miss Su must have some free time. Shall this old servant go invite her over?”
Instead of giving a cold face, Duanmu Che shook his head after coughing twice and said, “Maybe she no longer intends to inquire about the past from me.”
“How could that be?” Huang Bo shook his head, “Su Liang didn’t come because Master refused to see her before. She must be waiting for the Master to be willing to see her before informing her. Otherwise, her sudden visit would seem rude.”
Duanmu Che’s expression hesitated, “Could it be that…”
Seeing his attitude softened, Huang Bo nodded repeatedly, “It must be! She’s just a young girl, she’s come here twice, only to be turned away. The letter she sent on her second visit must have explained her amnesia, but Master didn’t see it. If Master doesn’t give the nod, how could she come here again? She’s forgotten everything, she doesn’t even know what the Master is angry about. She might think that Master is utterly disgusted with her and doesn’t want to see her at all! It’s all a misunderstanding!”
Duanmu Che was silent for a long time, then asked, “Didn’t Xiao Muyun visit her again?”
“Why would Master mention those with the last name Xiao? Su Liang has long forgotten about him, and they only had that chance encounter at the restaurant. Su Liang went to see him probably to get some answers,” Huang Bo said seriously, “Master, having seen Su Liang’s current outstanding performance, with her future prospects being boundless, how could she possibly be interested in a widower like Xiao Muyun?”
“Back then, she used to think that no one could match Xiao Muyun,” Duanmu Che sneered.
Huang Bo sighed, “Master, don’t cling to Su Liang’s past. She was young and ignorant back then, and must have suffered a lot to be where she is today. Master should consider the Su Liang of the past dead and the current one as reborn. ”
Duanmu Che murmured, “Reborn… It really does seem like she’s been reincarnated.’
“So, shall this old servant go invite Miss Su Liang over?” Huang Bol s eyes were filled with hope.
Before Duanmu Che could answer, a servant’s voice came from outside,
“Master, Fourth Prince has arrived.”
Huang Bo frowned, “What is he here for?”
Duanmu Che gave Huang Bo a cold look, prompting him to hold his tongue and go out to greet the guest.
Duanmu Chen entered with Chang’an, who was carrying several gift boxes, and they were greeted inside.
“What brings Fourth Brother here today?” Duanmu Che asked coldly.
Duanmu Chen didn’t mind, “I originally wanted to watch the Martial Exam, but unfortunately, the weather is bad. Since Fifth Brother didn’t go these past few days, I came to check on you since I had some free time. How’s your health?”
“Hmm.” Duanmu Che’s words had just fallen when he started coughing violently again.
Duanmu Chen sighed, “Fifth Brother, you’ve taken a lot of medicine these years, but there’s been no improvement. When I went out at the end of last year, I found several medicinal diet recipes specifically for nourishing the body. They should suit Fifth Brother’s constitution, so give them a try.” Chang’an respectfully handed over a wooden box.
“Thank you for your concern, Fourth Brother,” Duanmu Che nodded slightly.
Huang Bo took the box from Chang’an’s hand.
“Father always praises Fifth Brother’s chess skills, how about we listen to the rain by the window and have a tew rounds”‘ Duanmu Chen had no intention ot leaving.
Huang Bo hoped that Duanmu Che would decline on account of his poor health, but he nodded instead, “Alright.”
Huang Bo set up the chessboard and asked, “Shall we invite a doctor over today?”
He implied to Duanmu Che whether he should go find Su Liang.
Duanmu Che shook his head, “No need. You may leave.”
Disappointed, Huang Bo obeyed.
Su Liang didn’t know what Duanmu Che was thinking. She planned to investigate the past events after the Martial Exam ended and had put him in the back of her mind.
After a whole day and two failed attempts, as the sky darkened, Su Liang finally made one of the medicines from the Poison Sutra.
“Do you want to try it?” Su Liang asked Ning Jing excitedly, holding the pitch -black pill.
This medicine was called the Leisurely Pill. When consumed, it would drive a person mad and delirious, and they would lose their clarity. However, the effect lasted only 24 hours, after which everything would return to normal.
“You try it,” Ning Jing replied bluntly.
“Draw straws?” Su Liang suggested.
Ning Jing took the pill and put it in a small bottle, claiming it for himself. “It’s mine now. Go cook.”
Su Liang threw a few punches in the air behind Ning Jing’s back.
Ning Jing turned around and saw Su Liang making a fierce face. He frowned slightly. “Not happy?
Su Liang smiled as he got up. “How can I be unhappy? I’ve been sitting for too long; it’s time to stretch.”
Thanks to Ning Jing, the medicine was successfully prepared.
He was a man with incredibly nimble hands. Without his help, Su Liang would have needed more time to succeed and would have wasted a lot of good medicinal ingredients.
At this point, in a city six or seven days away from the capital, Qi Jun had already met his Master’s future second uncle, Lin Bojun.
Nian Jincheng and Lin Bojun were ordered to leave the capital on an official mission, but their actions were meant to be kept secret. So no one from Lin’s family had written to Lin Bojun before, fearing it would distract him.
And no one from the Nian Family would ever think of writing to Nian Jincheng.
As a result, neither of them knew what had happened in the capital during their time away.
Tonight, Qi Jun arrived.
Upon hearing that Lin Xueqing was given an Imperial Edict of marriage to Xing Yusheng, Lin Bojun’s face darkened!
Qi Jun immediately explained the inside story of the marriage edict.
Lin Bojun’s face brightened slightly after listening. “So that’s what happened. Crown Prince Xing is Xiaoliang’s friend and also Miss Qin’s cousin. My sister shouldn’t dislike him.”
Qi Jun shook his head with a smile. “Miss Lin gets along very well with my Master!”
Lin Bojun snorted, “You’re quite pleased, aren’t you?”
Qi Jun instantly retracted his smile, saying solemnly, “It’s my Master who is very pleased and fortunate to marry such a good girl as Miss Lin.”
Lin Bojun sighed, “I haven’t even gotten married yet, and I have to marry off my little sister.”
Qi Jun took out letters from Lin Shuzhi and Lin Xueqing, written for Lin Bojun.
“Women don’t stay in one place after they grow up; my sister was taken away by someone.”
Qi Jun: … didn’t dare to speak.
Lin Bojun put away the letters and asked Qi Jun, “The Military Exam has started on schedule, right? Xiaoliang must have been quite impressive!”
With a smile on his face, Qi Jun said, “By the time I left, Miss Su had participated in several competitions and won every single one.”
Lin Bojun laughed, “I knew it! Xiaoliang is the only girl in this Military Exam, and she’s also the most dazzling one! I want to go back and watch her compete right away!”
Qi Jun hurriedly mentioned that Nian Ruxue had also joined.
Lin Bojun was a bit surprised, “General Nian’s sister? Has she been eliminated?”
Qi Jun’s mouth twitched slightly. The question was pointed; it was a rather obvious distinction.
Qi Jun told the truth: Nian Ruxue’s performance had also been outstanding.
“But General Nian said his sister is a bit delicate. She claims to want to learn martial arts, but she’s afraid of hardship, so she doesn’t learn well.” Lin Bojun wasn’t biased against Nian Ruxue; he simply didn’t know her and based his judgment on Nian Jincheng’s words.
“Perhaps General Nian doesn’t really know his sister’s true capabilities. By the way, Fourth Miss Nian has already been granted to the Second Prince as an Imperial Concubine,” Qi Jun informed him.
Lin Bojun was very surprised. After asking Qi Jun a few more questions and arranging for him to rest, he hurriedly went to find Nian Jincheng.
“What did you say?” Nian Jincheng frowned deeply, looking disbelievingly at Lin Bojun. “My fourth sister, was granted marriage to the Second Prince, as an
Imperial Concubine?”
Lin Bojun nodded. “It’s true. A follow from Crown Prince Xing brought the news, so it shouldn’t be false. Besides, the marriage decree has been in place for some time now.”
Nian Jincheng, who had been standing, suddenly looked so sick he collapsed into a seat.
Lin Bojun quickly comforted him, “I know you had the best relationship with your fourth sister, and you must be unwilling to see such a result. But the Imperial Edict is irresistible, so don’t act impulsively.”
Lin Bojun tried to put himself in Nian Jincheng’s shoes. If Lin Xueqing were involved in such a marriage, he might have been tempted to rebel.
Thinking about it, he realized that Xing Yusheng wasn’t so bad. After all, Lin
Xueqing had almost been granted marriage to the Fourth Prince as an Imperial Concubine, but it was the Xing Family that saved her from falling into a fire pit. No one else could have saved her.
Nian Jincheng stared blankly, not speaking, his fists clenched so tightly that his veins were popping.
Lin Bojun, fearing that he would do something stupid, tried to comfort him some more. However, he saw Nian Jincheng suddenly stand up and punch the table heavily.
“Nian…” Lin Bojun tried to reach out to him. But Nian Jincheng muttered to himself, “I’m so stupid.”
Lin Bojun paused and stared dumbfoundedly.
“She said so much; it turns out it was all lies, all fake!” Nian Jincheng was furious.
Lin Bojun was confused. Who? What’s fake?
Nian Jincheng slapped himself hard, shaking his head with a bitter smile, “How could I not even believe him, but instead believed a liar, a liar full of lies!”
Once, Ning Jing had said that Nian Ruxue was only using Nian Jincheng and not truly caring for him.
Nian Jincheng thought Ning Jing didn’t know Nian Ruxue at all, as he had the best understanding of his sister.
Before leaving the capital, Nian Ruxue tearfully told Nian Jincheng that she had been sent to Emperor Duanmu Yi by the Nian Family, had been slept with by him at Changchun Garden, and could only wait to be brought into the palace.
Because of this, Nian Jincheng had a knot in his heart, and whenever he was free, he racked his brains, thinking of how to save Nian Ruxue, the only family member who cared for him.
But now, Nian Jincheng suddenly learned that Nian Ruxue had been granted marriage to Duanmu Ao!
How ridiculous!
No matter how corrupt the Royal Family is, they would never send a woman who has been played with by the emperor to their son!
There was only one possibility: Nian Ruxue was lying! The relationship between her and Duanmu Yi, was nothing like what she had claimed!
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