The saintess is pregnant, what does that have to do with me, a spoiled brat?

Qian Dafu knelt on the ground, his fat trembling like a sieve.

"Your Highness, spare me! I was blinded by greed, I'll never dare to do it again!"

Xu Nuo looked down at him and tapped her folding fan in her palm.

"Manager Qian, I'm a very reasonable person."

"I said yesterday, if you dare to mess with me again, it won't be your ribs that get broken, it will be your dog legs."

Qian Dafu suddenly looked up, his face deathly pale.

Before he could even beg for mercy, Xu Nuo raised his right foot and stomped hard on Qian Dafu's left knee.

Click!

The sound of bones breaking was crisp and piercing.

"Ah—" Qian Dafu clutched his broken leg and rolled wildly on the ground, his pig-like screams echoing throughout the street.

The onlookers all took a half step back, their scalps tingling with unease.

The heir of the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion is too ruthless!

Xu Nuo squatted down and disdainfully used a folding fan to lift Qian Dafu's dusty collar.

"Stop howling, or you'll lose the other leg too."

The screams abruptly stopped. Qian Dafu gritted his teeth, his clothes soaked with cold sweat, and stared at Xu Nuo in terror.

"Young Master... how will you compensate me? I'll sell everything I own to pay!"

Xu nodded in satisfaction.

"That's right, harmony brings wealth."

"You brought people to wreck my place, scared away my customers, and dirtied my land."

"How about this, I see that the Drunken Immortal Restaurant across the street is quite spacious. Give me the land deed, and we'll call it quits."

Qian Dafu's eyes widened.

Zuixianlou is the most profitable restaurant in the outer city, making a fortune every day! This is practically robbery!

"Young Master, this...this Drunken Immortal Pavilion isn't just my personal property! There are others behind it..."

"Who else?" Xu Nuo interrupted him, her eyes suddenly turning cold. "The Earl of Anyang? Or some other minister?"

Qian Dafu swallowed hard, not daring to reply.

"I don't care who's behind you." Xu Nuo stood up, clapped his hands, and said, "I want to see the land deed within half an hour. Otherwise, I'll personally go to your residence tomorrow and break all three of your remaining legs."

"roll."

The guards who hadn't broken their legs scrambled to their feet, grabbed Qian Dafu, and ran away without even looking back.

The crowd fell silent.

Fatty Li swallowed hard and muttered under his breath, "Brother Xu, have we gone too far? There are big shots behind Zuixianlou."

"What's there to be afraid of?" Xu Nuo sat back in the armchair. "If the sky falls, Grandpa will hold it up."

"Clap clap clap!"

A burst of crisp applause rang out.

Li Wanning, fanning himself with a folding fan, swaggered up to Xu Nuo, his almond-shaped eyes shining brightly.

"Xu Nuo, that time you broke his leg, that was so cool!"

Xu Nuo glanced at her.

This girl is dressed as a man today, but her face is too delicate and her chest is too bulging. Only a fool would not be able to tell that she is a woman dressed as a man.

"Young master, now that you've seen the excitement, please line up to buy wine. If you're not buying, please make way."

Li Wanning slapped the counter.

"I've got plenty of money! Give me two more bowls of beer!"

Xu Nuo pointed to the empty wooden barrel.

"Sold out."

"You're lying!" Li Wanning pointed behind him. "I clearly saw Fatty carrying half a bucket into the backyard!"

Xu Nuo laughed. This girl has a sharp eye.

"That's for my own consumption."

"I'll offer a thousand taels!" Li Wanning pulled out a stack of silver notes and slammed them on the table.

Xu Nuo paused in his actions.

He looked at the banknotes, then at Li Wanning.

"make a deal."

Xu Nuo turned to Fatty Li and shouted, "Fatty, go to the backyard and fill that half-bucket of swill... no, that half-bucket of premium beer for this young master!"

Li Wanning, satisfied, carried a small wooden bucket and left with his maid.

Before leaving, she turned back and winked at Xu Nuo.

"I promise, I'll come again tomorrow!"

Xu Nuo watched her retreating figure and stroked his chin.

Whose sheep is this fat sheep?

Night falls.

The backyard of the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion.

Shen Qingyi sat cross-legged on the bed, with a faint flow of true energy around her.

The cultivation methods of the Primordial Holy Land emphasize tranquility and detachment from desires, but she just couldn't calm her mind tonight.

His mind was filled with the messages sent back by the spies during the day.

Xu Nuo broke the leg of the owner of Zuixianlou in the street and forcibly took away the land deed of Zuixianlou.

This skill, this audacity—how could he be a good-for-nothing who only knows how to eat, drink, and have fun?

She infiltrated the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion to seize control of the Great Li imperial power. She had initially thought Xu Nuo was an easily manipulated fool, but now it seemed she had completely misjudged him.

The door was pushed open.

Xu Nuo sauntered in carrying a food box, a faint smell of alcohol on her.

Shen Qingyi suddenly opened her eyes and looked at him coldly.

"What are you doing here again?"

Xu Nuo placed the food box on the table and poured himself a cup of tea.

"My wife is right to say that I should go back to my own room to sleep."

He opened the food box, took out a bowl of milk tea with ice, and pushed it in front of Shen Qingyi.

"Business was good today, so I reserved this especially for you."

Shen Qingyi didn't even glance at the bowl of milk tea; her gaze was fixed on Xu Nuo.

"You stole the land deed for Zuixianlou today?"

Xu Nuo raised an eyebrow.

"You're quite well-informed. What's wrong, my wife? Are you worried about me?"

"The Drunken Immortal Pavilion is backed by the Second Prince's men," Shen Qingyi said coldly. "By doing this, you're essentially slapping the Second Prince in the face. Although the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion is powerful, your grandfather is old after all. Do you really think no one can deal with you?"

Xu Nuo smiled.

He stood up, slowly walked to the bedside, and looked down at Shen Qingyi.

"What is the Second Prince anyway?"

Shen Qingyi's pupils contracted slightly.

Xu Nuo leaned down and whispered in her ear.

"The entire Great Li Kingdom is ruled by the Li family. But my Zhenguo Duke's Mansion is ruled by the Xu family."

"If they behave themselves, I can play along with their spoiled brat games. But if they dare to lay a hand on my plate..."

Xu Nuo straightened up, a chilling aura emanating from his eyes.

"I chopped off all their claws."

Shen Qingyi's breath hitched.

At that moment, she felt an unprecedented sense of oppression from Xu Nuo.

That feeling was even more terrifying than that of the elders of the Primordial Holy Land.

Is this his true face?

Xu Nuo suddenly dropped her coldness and put on a playful, smiling face.

"Alright, stop worrying about that nonsense. The milk tea's almost melted, hurry up and drink it."

He reached out and pinched Shen Qingyi's cheek.

"It feels good."

"Get out!" Shen Qingyi shouted angrily, slapping Xu Nuo's chest.

Xu Nuo dodged to the side, then grabbed her wrist and pulled her into his arms.

Shen Qingyi lost her balance and crashed directly into Xu Nuo's arms.

A faint scent of soapberry mixed with the aroma of alcohol wafted towards me.

"Since my wife has thrown herself into my arms, I will not stand on ceremony."

Xu Nuo lowered his head and kissed him directly.

Shen Qingyi's eyes widened, and her mind exploded.

She struggled desperately, but Xu Nuo's arms were like iron clamps, tightly gripping her waist.

After a long while, Xu Nuo finally let go of her.

Shen Qingyi's face was flushed, she was panting heavily, and her eyes were filled with hatred as if she wanted to tear Xu Nuo to pieces.

"I promise! I'm going to kill you!"

Xu Nuo licked her lips, savoring the moment.

"It tastes good, sweeter than milk tea."

He turned and walked out, stopping at the door.

"I'm going to take over Zuixianlou tomorrow, and there might be some uninvited guests at the manor. Be careful."

After saying that, he pushed open the door and went out.

Shen Qingyi sat on the bed, touching her burning lips, her mind in turmoil.

The inner city, the residence of the Second Prince.

The study was brightly lit.

The Second Prince, Li Tai, looked at Qian Dafu, who was kneeling on the ground, weeping bitterly.

"Your Highness! You must do me justice! That promise is utterly outrageous! Not only did he break my legs, but he also forcibly seized the land deed for the Drunken Immortal Pavilion!"

Li Tai toyed with a pair of jade gallbladders in his hands, making a crisp clinking sound.

"That good-for-nothing heir of the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion?"

"It's him!" Qian Dafu gritted his teeth. "He got his hands on some weird drinks from somewhere and stole all our business. I took some men to confront him, and he attacked without a word!"

Li Tai sneered.

"A debate? You're bringing a dozen or so guards to debate with them?"

Qian Dafu was sweating profusely and lay on the ground, not daring to raise his head.

"Useless," Li Tai cursed. "You can't even handle a spoiled brat. What use are you?"

The aide standing nearby stepped forward and lowered his voice.

"Your Highness, Zuixianlou is a vital source of revenue for us in the outer city, and we must not allow it to fall into the hands of the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion. Moreover, promising this action clearly shows that they do not respect Your Highness."

Li Tai stopped what he was doing, and the jade gall bladder was being squeezed so hard it made a cracking sound.

"That old bastard, the Duke of Zhenguo, relies on his military achievements to act arrogantly in court. Now even his grandson dares to shit on my head."

"Go." Li Tai looked at his advisor. "Notify the Prefect of Shuntian Prefecture that someone has committed murder in the street and robbed people of their property. Tell him to take men to arrest Xu Nuowo tomorrow."

The staff member acknowledged the order and withdrew.

Li Tai began to turn the jade gall bladder in his hand again, his gaze fixed on the flickering candlelight with a gloomy expression.