spoiled brat

Chapter 88, Section 87: The Lost Boat (Part 7)

Xiu Yi didn't mind her offense, nor did he offer any pointless explanations. With a creak, the door opened a crack, and He Bi stepped in, carrying a thick stack of documents: "Sir, the land deeds have arrived."

Zhao Zhao glanced at the words above and saw that they were all top-tier fertile fields.

The land that was originally scheduled to be distributed after the refugees went to court is now being distributed?
Xiu Yi looked at the thin shopkeeper: "Please take us to see the wounded who are out of danger."

The thin shopkeeper bowed and invited him to leave, but his sleeve was tugged at.

In the dim candlelight, Zhao Zhao looked at him and said, "I have something to ask of you."

Xiu Yi's gaze lingered briefly on her face before he instructed He Bi, "Help her to the side, I'll come back when I'm done with my work."

"Yes," He Bi replied reluctantly.

He handed the land deed in his hand to two attendants beside him, helped Zhao Zhao lie down on an empty bamboo couch in the corner, and said irritably, "Little girl, you're lucky. I'll be blunt and tell you the truth—the person who summoned my master to the city wall is a very important figure. If he wants to kill you, my master is powerless to do so even if he wants to."

Zhao Zhao stared at the frosty white figure not far away, like a ray of moonlight brushing over each bamboo couch. It seemed that comforting the wounded was not something a dignified young master should do: "Then why is it that your princess can draw her sword and attack?"

He flicked the candle in his hand for a moment, then glared at him fiercely: "Don't ask questions you shouldn't ask!"

Even he himself couldn't understand what Xiu Ning had said to make Yi Xing back down. If it was about coercion by power, the Ning Prince's Mansion was now nothing more than fish in a cage; if it was about appealing to emotions, Xiu Ning was definitely not the type to back down.

Seeing the blood seeping from the bandage on Zhao Zhao's arm, why bother to re-bandage it? Zhao Zhao casually asked, "Your princess's hand..."

"I was injured by the shock," He Bi said sullenly.

Zhao Zhao recalled the silver bow in Xiu Ning's hand: "Was it from the shock of drawing the bow?"

He nodded, his usually frivolous face now filled with melancholy: "My princess was personally taught archery by the Queen Consort. When she was your age, she was free-spirited and unrestrained, but later..." He sighed and didn't finish his sentence.

Later, he was poisoned and his health deteriorated. Even now, when Xiu Ning is weak and sick, he still has an unforgettable demeanor when he holds a bow and rides a horse. If he hadn't been harmed by villains, he would have been an amazing figure.

As if hearing Zhao Zhao's thoughts, why bother with idle gossip: "Do you know who our lady is? The princess is in good health, probably just like the lady."

Yunzhou is remote, and rumors about the nobles in the capital are rarely heard. Zhao Zhao shook her head and said she didn't know.

He slapped his thigh and said, "My lady is the daughter of Yan Ping, the Duke of Anguo, one of the eight founding dukes..." Avoiding the taboo of the respected person, he leaned closer to Zhao Zhao and whispered, "Yan Zonglian."

Zhao Zhao's eyes suddenly lit up. Xiu Ning's mother was someone she had heard about from storytelling stalls since she was a child.
Ordinary nobles and royalty wouldn't tolerate random gossip from the common people, but this empress was an exception. She wasn't afraid of being talked about, just like an eagle in the sky isn't afraid of being pointed at. At the storytelling stall, she was the first living, breathing noblewoman.

Zhao Zhao still remembers climbing on a tree branch with Xiao Duo when they were young, eagerly waiting for the storyteller to strike the gavel and shout, "Learn the Eight Trigrams Formation of Xichuan, and hold the military tally in your sleeves!" Then he would talk about how Yan Zonglian was raised by the Duke of Anguo from a young age, followed his father to quell a rebellion when he was young, and was later ennobled by the late emperor and given the Jade Blood Sword.

Perhaps her brilliance was too dazzling, for no one cared who she ultimately married. Occasionally, someone would ask, and the storyteller would only offer a vague account, thus leaving the life of this remarkable woman unrecorded:

Many years ago, when Prince Ning was still a prince, he saw that the old men in the Ministry of War had brought firearms from the West, so he asked for one and issued a wide proclamation offering a large reward, saying that he wanted to compete with the best archer in the capital.

Prince Ning's archery skills were superb, and no one dared to challenge him. Just as he was feeling triumphant, he saw a man riding a horse through the rain, carrying a silver bow. It was none other than Yan Zonglian, dressed in white.

She said that in a competition, the loser would have to obey the other's orders from then on.

Zhan Ruoshui was waiting for her, the second young lady of the Yan family who wouldn't tolerate anyone stepping on her head. He smiled and said okay, then asked how they would compete.

Yan Zonglian put on the arrow ring and looked at the pavilions and towers in the misty rain. "Four hundred and eighty temples of the Southern Dynasties, how many pavilions and towers are shrouded in mist and rain?"
Her eyes and brows were filled with a sharp and arrogant spirit. She set a rule: whoever killed more Buddhas would win.

The two men, one riding a black horse and the other a white horse, one wielding a musket and the other a silver bow, shot an arrow through the forehead of the Buddha statues enshrined high in seventeen temples in the capital.

Those who revered Buddhism cursed them to suffer misfortune sooner or later, while those who despised Buddhism wished them a long and healthy life. Storytellers and onlookers gave this romantic affair a vulgar name: "Mandarin Ducks Destroying Buddhism."

Now that He Bi has brought up their past relationship, she feels it's both a coincidence and a pity for Xiu Ning. Seeing He Bi's depressed expression, Zhao Zhao comforted her, "Princess, your chess skills are superb. Even if you can't fight on the front lines like your mistress, you'll still be a top-notch strategist from the rear."

He Bi smiled and said, "That's true, my lord said the same thing."

Just then, Xiu Yi arrived. Next to Zhao Zhao was an empty bamboo couch. He was about to sit down when the thin shopkeeper behind him said anxiously, "Sir, this place is dirty. Why don't you wait while I go get a chair..."

"It's alright." Xiu Yi glanced at He Bi, who immediately stood up and said to the thin shopkeeper, "Shopkeeper, please come with me. Medicinal herbs have been delivered from outside. They're prone to getting damp in the rain, so we need to quickly count and put them into storage."

The thin shopkeeper thanked him repeatedly and left with He Bi.

Xiu Yi sat down, his frost-flowered silk robes standing out starkly against the dim surroundings. His long eyelashes cast shadows in the candlelight, softening his proud face. Yet, when he spoke, his voice remained indifferent: "What is it?"

"I have a secret I'd like to use in exchange for two favors from you." Xiu Yi nodded, and the two attendants behind him sensibly stepped back a few paces. "Go ahead."

“A few days ago, Xu Feng’an’s spies in the capital came to Yunzhou to deliver a message,” Zhao Zhao’s voice was a little hoarse, “saying that the higher-ups have started to investigate the accounts.”

Xiu Yi's expression turned cold. This "above" referred to Minister Jiang, who was on good terms with the Prince of Ning's mansion. Minister Jiang had only been secretly working on the river management case for a short time when the news leaked out, indicating that there were dissent among those around him.

“I didn’t hear what they said in the middle, I only caught the last few sentences. Xu Fengling’s spy reported back to Minister Wu and told him to rest assured,” Zhao Zhao paused, “He will never cause trouble for the Emperor.”

"Did you really hear the Emperor?" A ripple appeared in Xiu Yi's calm eyes.

“It’s the Emperor.” Zhao Zhao looked directly at him. “Xu Feng also said that no matter who digs three feet into the ground, they won’t be able to find his accounts.”

Suddenly, all was quiet. Zhao Zhao saw Xiu Yi's hand, resting on his knee, clench slowly, his delicate knuckles turning bluish-white. He quickly relaxed it, his expression returning to its usual indifferent state: "What do you want to change?"

"Wang Liuer has been sentenced to be executed by slow slicing in five days. I beg you to save her."

This is no easy task.

Xu Feng, holding the rank of third grade, was the face of the imperial court and could not be allowed to be trampled on by the common people.

Although the Prince Ning's family were related to the imperial family, they could not openly protect Wang Liuer. Otherwise, any one of the charges of "interfering with the judiciary," "encouraging the use of force to break the law," or "harboring thieves to assassinate officials" would make the already precarious Prince Ning's family even more difficult to deal with.

Xiu Yi gazed silently at Zhao Zhao, his eyes filled with pity and reluctance. Zhao Zhao felt a chill creep into her heart: "Could it be..."

“She suffered unimaginable torture.” Xiu Yi looked away from Zhao Zhao and said softly, “Even if she were rescued, she wouldn’t survive.”

The tension in Zhao Zhao's mind suddenly snapped, and everything in front of her became a dark blur. She felt as if she were trapped in a nightmare, unable to utter a sound.

Two days, just two short days.

Every moment that passed over Zhao Zhao felt like a knife piercing Wang Liu'er's body... Zhao Zhao forced herself to remain calm, and only after a few warm drops landed on the back of her hand did she bury her head in her hands and burst into tears, sobbing and chirping intermittently.

Xiu Yi saw her grit her teeth and suppress her sobs, a streak of crimson blood spilling from the corner of her mouth, mixed with her tears, falling to the ground with a pattering sound.

What he wanted to save was destroyed, what he wanted to protect was trampled upon. He understood this feeling; a hidden corner of his heart was touched, and now he admitted it.

He was happy when he saw that Zhao Zhao was still alive.

After an unknown amount of time, Zhao Zhao raised her head, her tearful eyes filled with hatred: "Now that Xu Feng is dead and You Ming has been implicated and imprisoned, the Yunzhou officialdom is leaderless. Stealing the pearl and replacing the jade to get her out is not difficult for you, young master."

Xiu Yi nodded and said calmly, "Tell me your second matter."

A cold glint flashed in Zhao Zhao's eyes: "May I ask how Lord You Ming is?"

Wang Liuer and You Ming were very close, and when Xu Feng was assassinated, the two of them were the first to be implicated.

"Your good godfather is crying foul in jail." Xiu Yi knew Zhao Zhao had no good intentions. "Want to go listen?"

"I miss him terribly." Zhao Zhao said viciously and openly, "He's trapped now, I want him to suffer a terrible death."

Xiu Yi scrutinized Zhao Zhao, keenly noticing the intense hatred in her eyes: "Just who is You Ming to you?"

"Him?" Zhao Zhao smiled, a soft smile. "Young Master, didn't you investigate him before? Don't you know how he made his fortune?"

Old stories, You Ming's despicable past has been forgotten. Why dig three feet into the ground, only to find that You Ming bribed his superiors in his early years to climb the ranks?

"Could it be related to you?"

“It’s related to my mother,” Zhao Zhao said. “When my mother was young, she had a relationship with You Ming before he became rich. He tricked and deceived her into selling herself to earn money to support him in his career.”

Xiu Yi guessed what would happen next: "After You Ming became rich, he disliked her status as a prostitute and abandoned her after starting a relationship?"

“Yes. That’s why I was able to get close to You Ming. I look like my mother, and out of a pitiful sense of guilt, he took me in as his goddaughter.” Zhao Zhao stopped smiling. “At first, I also hoped that one day he would have a change of heart, but not long after, he sent me to Xu Feng’s bed.”

Xiu Yi stared at Zhao Zhao for a long time without saying a word. He had told Zhao Zhao to take money and leave Yunzhou, but she appeared at Xu Feng's birthday banquet. He originally thought she was a greedy little prostitute who wanted to climb the social ladder, but he never expected that she had such a past story.

“You say I’m deceitful, insincere, and lacking in genuine feelings. I have no way to refute that.” Zhao Zhao looked down at her injuries and said with a self-deprecating smile, “But Your Highness, if I had the same background as you, how much lower would my superior attitude be compared to yours?”