Translator: Henyee Editor: Henyee
Luo Ningcha had had the busiest year of her life, and yet in a sense, she should thank her former servant.
Servant Huan’s change of attitude had had a huge impact on her which even outweighed the combined impact of her being forced to marry a disabled husband and her father dying. Although the shock she felt was not emotional, since she had never been emotionally invested, it had finally forced her to recognize how much power could change a man.
The former conspiracy teacher who always behaved humbly and racked his brains trying to please her had become a ruthless man that had mistreated her when they met again. How did this complete 180 change happen? Her breathtaking beauty hadn’t abated, and neither had her bad temper grown worse, or at least, most men didn’t notice it being any worse.
‘So it’s not my problem,’ thought Luo Ningcha. She had managed to climb out of the mud of self-pity and arrived at the conclusion that there was one thing that Servant Huan had gotten wrong. Female power and status didn’t solely come from their husband and father. Power produced power, and power could only be born from power; all other methods were merely mirror images and illusions.
Lady Meng, for example, used to be dominant in the castle but had been left in the cold in the blink of an eye. People like the Unique King and Big Head God could be defeated over and over again or even killed, but no one could deprive them of their power at will.
It took Luo Ningcha about a month to realize all this.
She was slow to think but quick to act.
Actually some of Big Head God’s former subordinates had come to her seeking refuge, but she didn’t take any of them seriously and made them leave after giving them several taels of silver. She had never met any of them in person. Now, she had realized how foolish she was, as she had actually refused the most important legacy left behind by her father.
After this epiphany, she immediately had her maidservant summon those seven or eight sub-chiefs of Iron Mountain who still remained in Jade City. Then she went down the mountain in person to meet them as the lord.
The Miss’s abrupt behavior startled the sub-chiefs, but they were all veterans and knew how to appropriately cater to powerful eccentrics that were willing to pay them.
Luo Ningcha was rich. She used to regard gold and silver as one of the sources of power, and every year she would ask for a large sum of them from the Big Head God. Now, she still valued them as a fertilizer of power, as only with them could the flower of power bloom faster and more vigorously.
The sub-chiefs were given the order to gather the former men of Iron Mountain. As for whether they would continue living as bandits or seek a new trade, Luo Ningcha hadn’t decided yet. It was a bit too difficult for her to think of a long-term plan.
The sub-chiefs promised readily, as they only cared about one question: Whether the Miss’s action had the permission of the Unique King.
Luo Ningcha nodded without hesitation. She didn’t tell her first batch of men that she had not seen the Unique King for a long time, but she had a trump card in her hand — the tenth son of the King Lord. From this, she felt that she could not be punished in any way by virtue of her son’s status as a future young master.
The Unique King soon discovered this woman’s mischievous act but didn’t stop her. Instead, he acquiesced at her mischief and even sent a deputy saberlord to help her with property management and to control the growing number of old subordinates of the Iron Mountain.
Luo Ningcha was overjoyed and thought that the King Lord still lusted over her appearance. So for a period of time, she dressed up every day in the hopes of receiving favor once more, but all she got was a disappointment.
Luo Ningcha finally realized that she had been used when Golden Roc Castle suddenly swept across the Western Regions. But that deputy saberlord had firmly gripped the former subordinates of Iron Mountain in his hand, leaving her as the nominal lord of these people.
So when she bragged to the Dragon King that she had built an army, she was actually full of bitterness.
But this army still brought her some benefits. She was listed when the Second Consort of Norland invited all the prestigious women of the various Western Regions’ countries and all the Prairy tribes.
Luo Ningcha didn’t want to come all the way to see the so-called Second Consort because in this world the most unbearable thing for her was to lower her head to another woman.
But after being persuaded by various people around her, she changed her mind. She would not only go to see the Second Consort but also become the first guest to reach the Royal Court.
The impact of Gu Shenwei using female archers in the Land of Fragrance far outweighed what he and Shangguan Ru had imagined. Even Luo Ningcha suddenly came to understand that women could also be generals and soldiers. Such an army would surely be more loyal to a female lord than those rude men of the former Iron Mountain.
Luo Ningcha went to the Royal Court but had uncharacteristically kept a low profile, so only a few people in the castle knew about her visit. The Unique King was one of the few who knew but still tacitly approved and indulged her.
The Second Consort of Norland was surprised at this guest who had arrived early and treated her with special courtesy and enthusiasm.
Luo Ningcha also proved herself capable of pleasing women. She had little experience in this respect, as the only person she could imitate and learn from was Xu Yanwei. She somewhat missed that maid and former prostitute and didn’t understand why Xu Yanwei would choose to follow the Dragon King rather than stay by her side.
In short, she did it very well. The two even lived under the same roof and ate at the same table. The prestigious women who came later didn’t even know the beautiful woman around the Second Consort was also a guest, and they instead treated her as another important consort of the royal family and flattered her, which Luo Ningcha enjoyed very much. The only person she avoided was Shangguan Ru.
“I’m talking to you on behalf of the Second Consort. She knows that we have a special relationship.” Luo Ningcha had changed her way of looking at the Dragon King, thinking that all powerful men were almost the same. Servant Huan was becoming more and more like the Unique King in temperament except that he was much younger and more handsome. If she could gain his assistance, it would be more helpful than a great army.
Gu Shenwei had severed all the past views he had held about Luo Ningcha. This was a negotiation, and like any other he had to deal with it calmly. “Very good, what does she want?”
“Don’t you want to know what she can offer first?”
Gu Shenwei actually knew already, but he still nodded and said, “Tell me.”
“It depends on your purpose in Norland.” Seeing the Dragon King’s attitude, Luo Ningcha turned reserved instead, “Did you come here for an alliance, shelter, horses, money, or — the army?”
“What about Shangguan Ru? The Second Consort didn’t put her on the list?” Gu Shenwei suddenly blurted out.
“Shangguan Ru? What about her?” Luo Ningcha appeared very surprised, then suddenly understood, “Oh, I see. I was wondering why the people I had sent to her all said that she wasn’t there. Is she missing? Look at you … What’s the relationship between you two?”
Luo Ningcha’s tone couldn’t help become harsh.
Gu Shenwei realized that he had made a low-level mistake. He had put focused solely on the negotiation and neglected the simple fact that the Second Consort was unlikely to kidnap her guest, let alone blackmail him after the kidnapping.
He turned to walk towards back outside. This woman could not be reasoned with. The fact that the Second Consort had trusted her meant she was also unreasonable. So it was useless to negotiate with them.
“Wait a moment.” Luo Ningcha changed her tone at once. She would not be jealous for any man because that was the stupidest thing a woman could do. And she thought herself wise. “I don’t want to interfere in your business, but the Second Consort may be able to help if you want to find someone in the Royal Court.”
Gu Shenwei paused and turned to say, “I don’t like to beating the bush. Just cut to the point so we can save some time.”
“In the past …” Luo Ningcha controlled her temper and smiled, “Well, to put it bluntly, the Second Consort can provide you with an army of no less than ten thousand people. It would all be cavalry. She can also help you to find Shangguan Ru.”
Luo Ningcha was waiting to see how surprised the Dragon King was, but Gu Shenwei was more concerned about the price, “Mm, what do I have to pay in return?”
Luo Ningcha was a little disappointed but then became happy again. She looked upon the Dragon King as a disciple observing her Master and found that his attitude was impeccable. The more he wanted something, the more indifferent he appeared, which was exactly one of the keys to negotiating. “Your sword.”
“Trading a sword for an army, this is really a good deal.”
“It’s you who told me to be straightforward, so you should not play dumb with me. You know what I mean.”
Gu Shenwei, of course, knew it, “Who does she want the sword pointed at? The Khan?”
Luo Ningcha burst into laughter, “You are so daring. Everyone wishes for the Khan to die early except the Second Consort. She doesn’t have a family to support her like the Chief Consort and also can’t inherit a fortune like the other kings. In a word, your sword won’t be aimed at the Khan, but unless you accept the deal, we … the Second Consort will not tell you the target.”
The Dragon King’s past identity as a killer had left its impress upon her, and no one could ever forget that.
“Tell her I’ll consider about it. As for Shangguan Ru, leave it to me.”
“Whatever, but don’t take too long. Opportunities won’t stop and wait for you.” Luo Ningcha didn’t expect an immediate answer from the Dragon King. He was not under enough pressure, and he would naturally accept all the conditions they demanded when he had no other place to go. This was the result that the Second Consort had anticipated beforehand.
No wonder the Second Consort would agree to Shangguan Ru’s plea to help lift the siege of the Dragon Army encampment … Gu Shenwei decided to do a thorough investigation of her.
Before this, he, like most people, had thought that the Second Consort was a concubine who had been favored by the Khan and that she was gathering those prestigious women just for a fling. Now it seemed that the matter was far from being that simple. Gu Shenwei regretted not asking Shanguan Ru more about it.
He was just about to leave when Luo Ningcha stopped him again, “One last thing, what do you think about … my performance today?”
Luo Ningcha’s eyes sparkled. She knew she had to stay calm but she couldn’t help wanting a comment from her ‘Master’.
Gu Shenwei didn’t know what to say.
“Look, I didn’t hold a grudge for your last rude behavior, which means that I can take it easy and control my temper; I was able to gain the Second Consort’s trust, indicating that I already know the way of the world; I wanted your help, but instead of just asking for it, I gave you an offer hard to refuse, which means that I’ve learned how to negotiate. I’ve learned all of these skills from you.”
Gu Shenwei thought the Miss hadn’t changed at all. “Very good,” he said, leaving the happy Luo Ningcha alone to savor the praise.
Luo Ningcha wasn’t a smart person but sometimes she could say something smart. Those words might have been instilled into her mind by someone else but it did contain the truth. Gu Shenwei was still not sure who had snatched Shangguan Ru away, but he seemed to have suddenly stumbled upon a bigger conspiracy.
Luo Ningcha would never imagine that the negotiation terms hadn’t aroused the Dragon King’s interest, but the words she had casually said had enlightened him.
Ever since the first day he entered the prairie, he had made a series of mistakes and been led around by the nose. He could only passively wait for the enemy to make a move. But now, he didn’t want to wait any longer.
No matter if it was saving others or saving himself, Gu Shenwei didn’t want to wait around anymore.
