Chapter 488: Heading Toward the Capital 5
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
Jiang Yeqian paused for a moment before speaking, “What you said is indeed very reasonable— but what if the parents of the son from a wealthy family have both passed, and there would be no trouble from the in-laws? What if he also plans to take only you as his wife, and not accept any concubines? If he promises to care for your three children, would you accept him?”
“Will there ever be such a person?” Qi Qingyao looked at him suspiciously. It was hard to believe that such absurdities had come out of Jiang Yeqian’s mouth…
Jiang Yeqian lowered his eyes, acting natural, and said, “You already have a grand master who’s willing to stick by your side and be your bodyguard. Is it strange for a lucky person like you to have someone else who’s willing to have you as his wife show up too?
‘Is that possible?” Qi Qingyao still believed that it was unlikely.
Jiang Yeqian nodded dryly, “It shouldn’t be possible—but if it happens to you, would you still think that it’s impossible?”
Qi Qingyao gritted her teeth and responded solemnly, “If such a person really does exist, then he must be crazy!”
Jiang Yeqian, “???”
‘Why would that person be crazy? Are you that insecure?’
If not for the current circumstances, Jiang Yeqian would have really wanted to probe her for her opinion of him…
Lu Yan’s gaze was focused. He did not say a word as he glanced at a certain little girl with a cryptic expression.
…
…
As soon as Li Ruoxuan returned, he noticed their lively conversation. He joined in with a smile and asked curiously, “What are you guys talking about?”
Jiang Yeqian, “…”
Lu Yan, “…”
Qi Qingyao turned her head and answered with a bright smile, “Discussing your possible impotence.”
“…”
Li Ruoxuan gasped, managing to force out three words between his teeth. “You are crazy.”
What did he mean she was crazy? With the gaze of a gossiping onlooker, Qi Qingyao asked excitedly, “Do you have an ex-girlfriend or a current girlfriend?”
“…” Li Ruoxuan did not want to answer this question.
“No?” Qi Qingyao’s reaction was immediate as she immediately ame to a conclusion. Li Ruoxuan’s face suddenly bore an ugly expression, and Qi Qingyao said in a shocked tone, “Damn, is the State Preceptor not interested in women?”
Li Ruoxuan was rather calm. He sat down, then joined in on the conversation. “I’m very interested in women. It’s just that I can’t allow a woman to hold me back, so I haven’t gotten married yet.”
The corner of Qi Qingyao’s lips twitched. “You’re still a virgin…”
Li Ruoxuan’s expression darkened. He hoarsely said, “…Don’t talk so much! Get ready to go.”
When Qi Qingyao realized that she was inadvertently correct, she burst out into laughter. “Hahahaha! You’re indeed a virgin!”
Jiang Yeqian, “…”
This woman really seemed to not fear death, daring to speak of Li Ruoxuan in such a manner. Though it was very amusing, laughing right in front of him was crossing the line.
After Qi Qingyao had calmed down, she looked at the three burly men seated around her. “Of the three of you, one is mildly sick while the other two claim to be normal. Still, it’s hilarious that both of you have never been with a woman. Are you two even men? At best, you’ve abstained and have remained single since birth! At worst…”
Before she could continue, Li Ruoxuan glanced at her coldly and interjected nonchalantly, “At least we’ve abstained, unlike you. You aren’t even sure who you’ve slept with. Your private life is a mess! You don’t even know who the father of your children is. Who should be mocking who?”
‘It’s not just me who did that five years ago, okay?! Clearly, the man was dumb too.’ Qi Qingyao really wanted to say this but could not. She could only complain silently in her heart as she reluctantly put her palms together and said to Li Ruoxuan, “My god, I was wrong! I’m messed up! I’m shameless! I’m depraved! I’m not a human being!”
“You don’t have to make yourself out to be so miserable.” Li Ruoxuan glanced at her aloofly. He continued speaking in a particularly arrogant tone. “It’s not that I’m not interested in women. It’s to prevent the possibility of anyone using that woman to extract information from me. Especially the Zhaixing Administration…” That was another reason he had always abstained.
The spies cultivated by the Wangyue Administration were used by the Zhaixing Administration. These spies could be either men or women… If he was looking for women, the lady he found might very well be a gift prepared for him by the Zhaixing Administration!
Therefore, to avoid making such a detrimental mistake, Li Ruoxuan deliberately did not approach women!
“To prevent spies from getting close to you?” Qi Qingyao said as if she had had an epiphany.
Li Ruoxuan said without haste, “As the State Preceptor, if I were to be so easily bewitched by beautiful women, wouldn’t it be easy for them to dig something out of me just by sending a beautiful woman my way?”
Jiang Yeqian, “…” This guy had really thought through everything thoroughly. No wonder the beauties that the Zhaixing Administration prepared for him had always been unable to approach him!
Qi Qingyao was shocked. “For the country, you’ve sacrificed your…” ‘Happiness!~’
“Do you suddenly admire me?” Li Ruoxuan said calmly.
Qi Qingyao, “…”
If he had not killed Qi Qingzhu, she might really have admired him. It was a shame that her desire to avenge her elder sister’s death was absolutely irreconcilable.
Jiang Yeqian stood up. Not wanting to continue this topic, he oarsely said, “Let’s go, let’s go.”
Qi Qingyao first glanced at her three children who were drinking soup, and then reluctantly stood up. She told her children to use the restroom before leaving as she stuffed all the rice she had left in her bowl into her mouth.
The children had not been able to understand the conversation between the adults at all—especially Xiaobao, who frowned as he listened to them. He got up and dragged the full-fed Dabao and Erniu with him, and they went to look for the inn’s restroom together.
Qi Qingyao followed them to the restroom, waiting for her three children outside the door.
The four-year-olds relieved themselves.
After they relieved themselves, Qi Qingyao took the children to wash their hands before heading to the front of the inn.
As soon as she came over, she noticed the Head Grand Secretariat and the State Preceptor looking at each other impassively.
Qi Qingyao let out a cough.
The two big guys snapped out of their daydreaming.
They glanced at her.
Li Ruoxuan said, “Let’s go!”
He then turned around and got into the carriage.
Qi Qingyao stuck out her tongue and made a face at Li Ruoxuan when his back was turned, then took her three children to the Lu family’s carriage.
After getting onto the carriage, Xiaobao’s curiosity was uncontainable—so he was the first to ask Qi Qingyao.
“Mommy, what does ‘impotent’ mean?”
Qi Qingyao, “…” She was immediately left dumbfounded!
Xiaobao was still looking at his mother with an innocent face, awaiting her explanation.
The corner of Qi Qingyao’s lips twitched. Finally, she answered, “You’ll learn about these things when you grow up!” Then, she grabbed the little guy’s head, held it down, and tousled his hair roughly!
Xiaobao, “???”
He really wanted to know.
…
…
Gongsun She looked at the town from afar, not daring to get close.
This was because the convoy consisting of the State Preceptor, the Head Grand Secretariat, and Master Lu had arrived in town.
Gongsun She’s instincts had told him that.
The person who had ascended to the level of a grand master this time could either be the State Preceptor or the Head Grand Secretariat of Northern Liang. Exactly which one of them had remained unknown.
If Qi Qingyao was indeed the Harbinger, then the two of them were the only upper rank-nine people who had recently come into frequent contact with her.
Whether it was Li Ruoxuan or Jiang Yeqian who had ascended into grand mastership… It would be difficult for him to find out.
Although these two were young, in terms of strategies and tactics, they were definitely the most cunning!
Chapter 489: Heading Toward the Capital 6
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
As a grand master, Gongsun She’s intuition told him that Li Ruoxuan had specially recruited the tiger guards just to protect themselves against him!
Although he was a grand master, the intelligence system of the Zhaixing Administration as well as the investigative abilities of the State Preceptor of Northern Liang himself were very refined. Both parties were certainly aware that he had not left Qingzhou City.
Hence, the question stands—if the tiger guards had been called in by Li Ruoxuan, then… perhaps the mysterious person who had just ascended to the level of a grand master was Li Ruoxuan? Was it possible that his true motive of recruiting the tiger guards was to protect himself, while under the guise of accompanying Qi Qingyao to the Capital?
…
…
Three days after their departure, they finally arrived in a relatively large town, staying at an inn under the Senluo Chamber of Commerce. The inn had been vacated in advance to welcome the group. With the Head Grand Secretariat, the State Preceptor, and their own master coming, the innkeeper was overwhelmed with excitement.
They greeted the group with delicious meals, not daring to be even a little tardy.
After they had eaten, the children were utterly exhausted and so went straight to bed, falling asleep almost immediately.
The horses had rushed the journey, causing a rough ride for those in the carriage. The children could hardly stand it!
On the other hand, Qi Qingyao was in high spirits. As she stood in the corridor, she peered into the backyard of the inn. The tiger guards were in the midst of swapping shifts. Some of them guarded the front of the inn while others guarded the back, making the entire inn practically impenetrable.
After Qi Qingyao had observed enough, she returned and sat at the table in the hall.
She took a sip of tea.
Upon seeing her in deep thought, Lu Yan asked, “What exactly are you looking at?”
Qi Qingyao answered with a half-smile. “I have a feeling someone is following us.”
Li Ruoxuan happened to enter the hall from the backyard then. He brushed the dust off his body and asked in a deliberately unbothered tone, “What makes you think that?”
Qi Qingyao shrugged and responded jokingly, “Probably because you’ve called upon so many tiger guards, and that we have been hurrying throughout the journey. Also, every time we’ve stopped to rest, you’ve sent out a team of scouts to carefully scout the surrounding area.”
“I call it being cautious,” Li Ruoxuan said with a straight face.
Sitting at the table next to him and calmly drinking tea, Jiang Yeqian thought to himself, ‘He’s just trying to protect us from Gongsun She.’
“If you’re overly cautious, then there is certainly more to it than just wanting to stay safe,” Qi Qingyao said lightly. “Right?”
Li Ruoxuan glanced at Qi Qingyao with sharp, blade-like eyes. He said, “Do you want to know why I called in so many tiger guards alongside personally escorting you to the Capital? If you would really like to know, then beg me—maybe I’ll pity you enough to tell you the reason.”
What a joke!
Beg him…
Qi Qingyao paused, then smiled casually. “You’re being very cautious because Gongsun She hasn’t left.”
She knew? This surprised Li Ruoxuan. “How do you know that he hasn’t left?” He glanced at Jiang Yeqian. Surely it couldn’t have been this guy that told her! Definitely not—he was not such a revealing person.
Jiang Yeqian also glanced over nonchalantly.
His gaze happened to meet Li Ruoxuan’s.
They both saw the confusion in each other’s eyes.
Qi Qingyao answered unhurriedly, “Because he came looking for me.”
Jiang Yeqian, “…!!!”
Li Ruoxuan’s face immediately darkened. “Why didn’t you mention this before?” He hastily walked toward her and sat opposite of her.
He gave the table a single hard hit.
Qi Qingyao reminded him with a kind tone, “Before I left Qingzhou City, he came to see me—though it was just to say goodbye.”
“That old man’s objective was not just to say goodbye to you..” Li Ruoxuan said, mildly angry.
