Chapter 9: Let him go, or else I'll strip
Grand Preceptor Xie walked quickly up the execution platform and exclaimed, “Your Majesty?”
Ning Xiaoyao turned to face Grand Preceptor Xie. She had no good feelings towards the person who would ensure her death in the future, so she said, “Grand Preceptor, let’s stop this execution here.”
Grand Preceptor Xie almost turned stupid with rage at Ning Xiaoyao’s words. In order to get Lou Zigui on this execution platform, he’d used no end of mental and physical effort. Stop just because you said so? “Your Majesty, these pertain to national affairs,” he said.
Ning Xiaoyao only replied as a matter of course, “I know these are national affairs. Can’t an emperor like me take charge of them?”
Grand Preceptor Xie was quick to add, “Your Majesty, please forgive me. This subject spoke wrongly.”
“It’s fine,” Ning Xiaoyao was very broadminded. “It can’t be helped, you’re my maternal grandfather after all. You can even curse at me if you wanted.”
“This subject doesn’t dare,” Grand Preceptor Xie could only say such words.
“Have everyone fall back,” Ning Xiaoyao said. “I’m going to take Supreme Commander away.”
“Your Highness!” the Grand Preceptor’s tone grew serious as he yelled at Ning Xiaoyao.
If she really was Ning Yu, she would’ve known that this was a sign of her grandfather about to lose his temper. But Ning Xiaoyao had no way of knowing. Even if she did, it’d be impossible for her to fear him. “All of you wait here,” Ning Xiaoyao said to Lou Zigui and the rest. “I’ll go chat a bit with the Grand Preceptor. Young man,” she pointed her finger at Fang Tang. “Be careful of the arrows, protect Supreme Commander well.”
Fang Tang set his sword at a horizontal line as he stood in front of Lou Zigui. Meanwhile, Ning Xiaoyao walked towards the Grand Preceptor, who didn’t wait for her to speak before he said, “Your Majesty, do you know what you’re doing?!”
“I know,” Ning Xiaoyao said, “Supreme Commander was falsely accused.”
“Don’t listen to hearsay from Fang Tang and those soldiers!” Grand Preceptor Xie said hastily.
“Where’s the proof?” Ning Xiaoyao asked.
“There were letters detailing dealings between the criminal and the royal palace of the Northern Hu,” said the Grand Preceptor.
“Oh,” Ning Xiaoyao said, “Where did you get them from?”
“Naturally, from the Northern Hu’s royal palace,” replied Grand Preceptor Xie.
“Then how do you know the Northern Hu weren’t just trying to sow discord?” Ning Xiaoyao asked. “How hard is it to copy someone’s handwriting? For the sake of some vague letters, you instigated the populace into eating human flesh?”
“... ...” Grand Preceptor Xie was speechless. This granddaughter’s words had started out sounding reasonable, but did her final words make any sense at all?
“Are you going to let him go or not?” Ning Xiaoyao asked.
“If this subject doesn’t dare to, then what?” Grand Preceptor Xie countered.
Ning Xiaoyao glanced at the sea of people beneath the platform before she shrugged her shoulders. “Then I’ll take off my clothes.”
Grand Preceptor Xie tottered back a few steps, looking as if he’d seen a ghost.
“I’ll count up to three for your answer,” Ning Xiaoyao said. This man had forced her into making a decisive move, so she’d go ahead and do it. So what if she took off her clothes? During the apocalypse, men and women could find a bed to tumble around in any time they found a pleasing partner. Moreover, she didn’t even need to strip bare to reveal her gender as a female.
“You...”
“One.”
“You can’t...”
“Two.”
“Your Majesty, ah!”
“Three.”
“Your Majesty!” Grand Preceptor Xie cried.
Ning Xiaoyao undid her button.
Grand Preceptor Xie never thought there'd be a day when Ning Yu left him at a loss for what to do. He who rode a tiger finds it difficult to dismount. If everyone discovered that Ning Yu was a girl, then everyone would know their Xie Clan had committed the crime of deceiving their sovereign. They’d die without even a place for burial.
“You'll die too!” Grand Preceptor Xie reminded Ning Xiaoyao.
Ning Xiaoyao kept unbuttoning her buttons. She's already died once, so what was a second time? Everyone else watched in confusion as Ning Xiaoyao undressed herself. Even the smartest amongst them couldn't figure out what she was doing.
“All right.” Grand Preceptor Xie said the words between clenched teeth as he saw Ning Xiaoyao finish with her buttons and prepared to untie her waist sash.
Ning Xiaoyao stilled her hands to look askance at him. “You're not lying to me?”
Grand Preceptor Xie didn't speak, but two figures like imperial guards emerged from behind him to stand by Ning Xiaoyao’s sides.
“Protect His Majesty and escort him back to the palace,” Grand Preceptor Xie said.
Tch!
Ning Xiaoyao knew this old man wasn't easy to deal with! She reached out her hands and ripped her outer robes in half before the pieces fell to the platform.
“Hold it,” Grand Preceptor Xie hurriedly called out to the two guards when he saw Ning Xiaoyao about to rip her inner robes.
“Let him go,” Ning Xiaoyao threatened, “Or else I'll strip!”