novelYoung ne Wang gets her wish fulfilled
| ← Ch.149 | Ch.151 → |
"How about you try another sip, Grand Preceptor?" Ning Xiaoyao suggested to Grand Preceptor Xie."If it's wine again, I'll apologize to this warrior and find another way to uncover the culprits."
The quick-witted Dragon Guard quickly picked up the bottle from the ground and offered it to Grand Preceptor Xie. Ning Xiaoyao was quite anticipating the old man's reaction. If he dies this time, it won't be on me, right?
Grand Preceptor Xie wasn't that stupid. He unscrewed the lip and dripped a bit of the liquid on the ground, only to see it fizz and froth later. The crowd broke into an uproar at the sight.
"Impossible, " Xie Anshi muttered in shock. He had personally put that bottle away and ordered his men to guard it, but why was there still poison here?
Next to him, Xie Anji muttered, "Did His Majesty slip in the bottle just then?"
Although Ning Xiaoyao had ended up sprawled across the officer in an undignified manner, it'd only taken seconds before Lou Zigui pulled her back up. That was hardly enough time for His Majesty to stick out a hand, much less slip in the evidence. Could they accuse His Majesty of framing the other man? Could His Majesty even move that fast? Unless he knew how to do sleight of hand?
There were people who suspected Ning Xiaoyao in the courtyard, but they quickly dismissed the idea. Moreover, all of them had watched the entire incident unfold. How could anyone miss a person slipping a bottle into the man's pants?
"I've, I've been framed, " the officer finally found enough breath to shout out.
"Bastard, " Grand Preceptor Xie cursed, before pouring the contents of the poison on his face.
"AH!" Both the officer and Ning Xiaoyao cried out at the same time.
"H-how could you do such a thing?!" Ning Xiaoyao pointed at Grand Preceptor Xie in rage.
Grand Preceptor Xie was shaking all over, furious beyond belief."The crime of my mother's death must be avenged!"
"......." said Ning Xiaoyao. When it comes to acting, I really can't compare to his skills.
At this moment, the military officer let out a horrible shriek. A layer of blood-soaked bubbles formed on his skin. Because his mouth was open, the liquid trickled between his lips and suddenly silenced him. Before long, bloody froth began to emerge from his lips as well. An acidic liquid capable of dissolving wood and dirt was more than capable of eating through skin and flesh.
"Take them all into custody!" Grand Preceptor Xie commanded as he pointed at the military officers. Lou Zigui swept his eyes over the men who moved forward and froze them with one glance. Meanwhile, Ning Xiaoyao knelt down and rested her hand against the bleeding officer's face. She was full of internal curses as the bloody froth bubbled beneath her. She never expected Grand Preceptor Xie to be so eager to kill.
"Take them away, " Lou Zigui told the Dragon Guards.
"Lou Zigui, what do you mean by this?" Grand Preceptor Xie was now simply using Supreme Commander Lou's full name.
Lou Zigui's reply was cold."This subject understands the Grand Preceptor's pain for losing a mother. However, Grand Preceptor cannot resort to using torture methods in front of His Majesty."
"Killing someone without interrogating them first?" Elder Li stepped forward."Grand Preceptor, aren't you afraid that the Old Madame will be discontent in death? Until we figure out who's right or wrong, aren't you concerned with uncovering the truth?"
Lou Zigui waved a hand at the Dragon Guards, who ran forward, raised up the officers, and carried them away. Ning Xiaoyao grabbed a handkerchief and used it to cover the face of the officer she'd helped. It'd be better if no one saw his fully recovered face and accused her of using dark magic.
"Why couldn't any of you find the bottle before?" Xie Anshi ran over and said loudly. No matter who did it, that's just planting evidence to fabricate charges!
Lou Zigui replied, "Who's going to touch a place like for no reason?"
Xie Anshi was rendered mute. That's right, what kind of man would touch another man in that place? The bottle isn't big to begin with, and it's the long and narrow type, so even if someone touched it accidentally, they might not realize what it is.
"Look at what you're saying, " Ning Xiaoyao glanced at Third Young Master Xie."Planting stolen evidence on him? If that's the case, why didn't he say anything? Wouldn't he have felt it if someone stuffed something down his pants?"
Once again, Xie Anshi didn't know what to say.
"Young née Wang's matter, " Lou Zigui murmured by Ning Xiaoyao's ear.
Ning Xiaoyao knitted her brows. Things are already haywire, so why don't we forget about the little white flower instead?
Elder Li then said to Ning Xiaoyao, "Your Majesty, you must interrogate these seven men thoroughly. Ask them why they made a move against an old lady."
"Mhm, " Ning Xiaoyao nodded. Lou Zigui nudged her hand again, forcing Ning Xiaoyao to say, "I released young née Wang. In the past, Old Madame Xie told me that she really liked that little white flower. In light of her tragic death, and to express my own filial piety, I'm---I'm going to let young née Wang be the official consort of Xie Anyi." Ning Xiaoyao felt her teeth ache when she finished speaking. After all that fuss, I let that little white flower get what she wanted in the end!
Lady Wang was standing right outside the courtyard. At Ning Xiaoyao's words, her eyes rolled to the back of her head before she lost consciousness.
"My Lady?"
"Someone come, quick, My Lady's fainted away!"
Outside the courtyard, the servant girls and women were whipped into a frenzy. Meanwhile, Ning Xiaoyao spread out her arms towards Grand Preceptor Xie."Looks like Lady Wang's very happy. See that? She was so thrilled that she fainted."
".........." said everyone else.
Grand Preceptor Xie could taste blood in his throat from his rage. Not only did you ruin Old Madame's wake, you stole those seven officers from my very hands and sent young née Wang, that vicious wife, to disgust us all.
"Where is Young Madame Wang?" Lou Zigui asked.
"The woodhouse in the eastern courtyard, " Ning Xiaoyao told two other Dragon Guards."Take a trip and bring her over."
The two Dragon Guards did as they were told. Grand Preceptor Xie felt his body grow cold. Ning Yu even knows what's going on around the estate. There has to be spies in the house. More than that, they're even spies who can walk freely about the estate!
"Your Majesty!" By now, Lady Wang had been revived by her servants and was kneeling outside the courtyard to shout out.
Ning Xiaoyao didn't left her come in, only replied, "Your ladyship doesn't need to thank me. Go busy yourself with Old Madame's funeral arrangements instead." If I let that woman in, she'd definitely bite me to death.
Lady Wang shouted out, "Your Majesty, young née Wang was neither a virtuous wife nor a principled woman. How could such a person be my son's official wife? I beg Your Majesty to reconsider, ah!"
There were a few male members of the Wang Clan present in the courtyard as well. When they heard Lady Wang's words, their expressions turned ugly. This is a chance for our Wang Clan women to revive instead of worrying whether they'd be able to marry. What does Lady Wang mean by this? His Majesty's making a concession in the face of Old Madame, but this woman still wants to force our clan's females to a dead end?!
Grand Preceptor Xie silently cursed his wife for being stupid, before turning to order Xie Anshi."Your mother is so stricken with grief that she's lost all sense of reason. Take her back to her rooms!" Antagonizing her own clan for the sake of a single girl we could easily get rid of ourselves? Just what is she thinking?
Xie Anshi didn't dare to speak, but only muttered an assent and walked out of the courtyard.
"Your Majesty!" Lady Wang was still crying and wailing outside as she rebuked each and every one of young née Wang's wrongs.
One of her elderly servants suddenly murmured under her breath, "My Lady!"
Lady Wang turned back at the voice, only to see young née Wang standing nearby, staring at her expressionlessly. She adjusted the comb in her hair before striding straight past her without a glance, completely disregarding her aunt and mother-in-law.
"Despicable charlatan, " Lady Wang grew angry at the attitude and rose to grab at her."You base wretch!"
The Dragon Guard behind young née Wang promptly pushed Lady Wang back with the sheath of his sword. His orders were to being young née Wang to His Majesty's side, so he had to complete it without fail. Two elderly servants rushed forward to catch Lady Wang as she toppled so she wouldn't fall down.
Young née Wang stared at Lady Wang and murmured, "Aunt and mother-in-law, we come from the same house. I do ask that you refrain from saying things like 'base wretch' in the future. If you get carried away with cursing me, how will the rest of the Wang Clan daughters fare in the future?" She left as soon as she finished speaking, paying no mind to Xie Anshi as he rushed out of the courtyard.
Ever since the Xie and Wang Clans forsook her, young née Wang was already clear that she could only rely on His Majesty to live a stable life. As long as His Majesty made her Xie Anyi's official wife, as long as she raised Xie Anyi's son to adulthood, then she could live a live of wealth and splendor all the same. As for Xie Anyi, young née Wang smiled coldly in her heart, What's there to mourn over a man who only cares about himself?
Xie Anshi had two of the servants help Lady Wang back to her rooms, but she lunged forward and grabbed her third son with tears streaming down her face."We cannot, the Xie Clan cannot keep such a wretched good-for-nothing!"
Xie Anshi only knew that his mother despised young née Wang for harming his older brother. He lowered his voice and murmured, "Mother, His Majesty's already decreed it. How could we defy imperial will?"
Lady Wang felt herself grow lightheaded at the word 'decree. ' Short of breath, she fainted away yet again.
Inside the courtyard, young née Wang knelt down to pay her respects to Ning Xiaoyao, who waved her hand with difficulty to dismiss the bow. Xie Anji suddenly spoke up to say, "How is Your Majesty planning to deal with this subject's brother?"
Before Ning Xiaoyao could speak, Lou Zigui siad, "Xie Anyi shall be exiled into the winter wastes as requested by the Grand Preceptor. Xie Anji, didn't you know?"
Xie Anji pointed a finger at young née Wang. Your Majesty, you spared young née Wang, so why not my older brother as well?
Ning Xiaoyao only clicked her tongue in disapproval."You can't let go of a grudge with a woman? Some man you are."
Xie Anji was currently entertaining thoughts of killing his sovereign. Who was the first to hold grudges against a woman?!
"Speaking of which, what's that?" Ning Xiaoyao pointed at the north courtyard walls as she asked Grand Preceptor Xie. The crowd turned to see a dozen or small pots lined up against the wall.
"Those are pickled vegetables that the Old Madame salted for winter, " Grand Preceptor Xie replied."Is Your Majesty worried that those contain poison as well?"
Ning Xiaoyao was only asking out of curiosity because she'd noticed the pots as soon as she came into the courtyard. Now that they were preparing to leave, she'd simply tossed out the question. Grand Preceptor Xie's tone carried a sneer as he added, "If Your Majesty is still concerned, you may take these pots to the palace for inspection."
"You don't want them?" Ning Xiaoyao asked.
Grand Preceptor Xie replied, "This official is worried that Your Majesty won't be at ease otherwise."
"Alright then, " Ning Xiaoyao waved a hand at the Dragon Guards."Every person to a pot, we'll take them all with us." Pickled vegetables were still food and she had no reason to reject free munchies.
At this moment, Shadowgale finally walked into the courtyard. As soon as he came in, Ning Xiaoyao realized that there was a situation. Why does Windy smell like rouge and powder?
| ← Ch. 149 | Ch. 151 → |