Chapter 285: His Majesty yells, Big Brother Ning

“I'm leaving.” Ning Xiaoyao stuffed the mantou into her mouth and stood up to leave.

“Xu Jichang will arrive by today.” Lou Zigui informed Ning Xiaoyao.

Ning Xiaoyao swallowed down the mantou. “What about the empress?”

“Zhou née will definitely stay at a safe place.” Lou Zigui thought to himself, what other methods could I use to get Ning Xiaoyao to stay? “Don't you want to see Xu Feiyu?”

“Well, if the empress told him the truth, then that's all good.” Ning Xiaoyao said. “But if she didn't, aren't you afraid General Xu would beat me up, Supreme Commander?”

“He dares to?” Lou Zigui’s face darkened right away.

“Right now is not the time to create more internal drama,” Ning Xiaoyao patted Lou Zigui’s face. “I won’t see General Xu. He’s the empress’ true love. He has nothing to do with me.”

Lou Zigui thought of another way to convince her. “Shadowgale and the rest are in the palace. Without you there, it won't make a huge difference during the war.”

Ning Xiaoyao kissed Lou Zigui. “I’m going back.”

The scattered flower pattern on Ning Xiaoyao’s skirt flew up as she turned around. It looked like a half bloomed flower. Lou Zigui sighed and finally softened his gaze. Fine, he'll let it be. This woman is different from the mass. He couldn't control her, but he liked it.

Ning Xiaoyao ran to the tent entrance, and then ran back to face Lou Zigui. She boldly declared, “You are my true love.”

Lou Zigui wasn't sure if it was because the happiness came too fast, or if Ning Xiaoyao’s words caught His Excellency Supreme Commander off guard, but he was stunned.

Ning Xiaoyao’s mouth split into a smile, and she ran away again. Lou Zigui ran after her, but only saw the corner of Ning Xiaoyao’s skirt.

The soldiers didn’t dare to look up. Deng Rong and the others watched from a distance. They wished they could catch up to Ning Xiaoyao to have a few words.

Miss Ning disappeared before his eyes, and Lou Zigui looked at his troops.

When Lou Zigui looked at them, the generals felt goose bumps. Supreme Commander was looking at them so tenderly. Is this really their Supreme Commander?

“Supreme Commander.” Just then, one of Lord Protector’s officers hurried over and reported quietly, “Xu Jing, the Great General Xu, has arrived. He wishes to see you.”

The warmth in Lou Zigui’s eyes vanished. He nodded and muttered, “I’ll go welcome him.”

Deng Rong and the other generals followed Lou Zigui. Even though they were dealing with official matters now, they were still extremely curious. They wanted to probe, but didn’t dare to ask.

Lou Zigui walked briskly towards the main gates and pretended as if nothing had happened.

Ning Xiaoyao ran out of the camp and grabbed a few weeds to play with. As she walked, she heard someone talking nearby.

“First Young Master, the capital’s gates haven’t been sealed, but the common people are all fleeing the city. If we just enter like this, wouldn't it arise Xie Wenyuan's suspicions?"

“Big Brother, why don’t we go find Lou Zigui first?”

Eh?

Ning Xiaoyao halted her steps. The one who spoke last sounded very familiar. She was positive she had heard his voice from somewhere before.

“Big Brother, say something.” the young voice continued. “Whenever you have a plan, can't you share it with me too?”

Ning Xiaoyao’s eyes lit up. She remembered who it was. “Ning Xiaoluo!” Ning Xiaoyao shouted and jumped out.

Just as the Third Young Master of the Duke of Yue's estate was about to continue, he was caught off guard by Ning Xiaoyao’s shout. His teeth clicked together, and he violently bit down on his tongue.

“Ah!” Ning Xiaoluo howled, holding his face. He was about to hop up and down, but was frightened by Ning Xiaoyao, who had leaped in front of him.

“Why are you here?” Ning Xiaoyao widened her almond-like eyes at Ning Xiaoluo. “Don't tell me you couldn’t find your way home?”

Ning Xiaoluo also stared back at Ning Xiaoyao with his equally huge almond-like eyes. A skirt with the scattered flower pattern... “Your Majesty?” Ning Xiaoluo screamed.

“Shh,” Ning Xiaoyao hissed. “Stop screaming! What’s up with you?”

“I...this subject...no...” Ning Xiaoluo circled Ning Xiaoyao. “You’re a woman?”

Ning Xiaoyao looked down at herself. She’d completely forgotten that she was wearing the flower-patterned skirt!

Ning Xiaoluo stood beside Ning Xiaoyao and was about to reach out to check if this person was male or female. However, he recalled how he was beaten up by those exact same hands. So Third Master Ning changed his mind and lowered his hands. He whispered, "You're a woman?"

“No,” Ning Xiaoyao solemnly stated. “I’m a guy dressing up as a girl. We're about to fight a war. If I don’t pretend to be a girl, I wouldn't have been able to come out.”

Ning Xiaoyao drew a breath, and eyed Ning Xiaoyao’s small stature again. “Really?”

“If you don’t believe me, you can touch?” As Ning Xiaoyao spoke, her hands formed fists. If this guy dares to extend his paws, she will beat him up.

Ning Xiaoluo shook his head. “I don’t need to touch, you look as flat as a board.”

Ning Xiaoyao: ...I still want to hit this idiot.

“Your Majesty, why are you here alone?” Ning Xiaoluo failed to detect the danger of being beaten up, and shifted closer to Ning Xiaoyao. “Are you dressing up as a woman to escape?”

Ning Xiaoyao sucked in a breath and asked, “Are you capable of human speech[1]?” Does she really seem like a wuss who would run at the first sign of danger?

“Ah?” Ning Xiaoluo was at a loss. Did he say something wrong?

Ning Xiaoyao clenched her fists. “Before I hit you, let’s clarify some things. How did you get here? Didn’t Supreme Commander say that you went home?”

“I went home, and then I came back,” Ning Xiaoyao replied. “Your Majesty, why do you want to hit me?”

“We’re about to fight a war here, why would you come?” Ning Xiaoyao moved her fist behind her back. “Speaking of which, are you skilled at martial arts?”

Ning Xiaoluo immediately smacked his chest and shouted, “I’m the Third Young Master of the Duke of Yue's estate ah! The Duke of Yue's estate ah!” As the Young Master of the Duke of Yue's estate, how could he not know how to fight?!

Ning Xiaoyao tilted her head and looked at Ning Xiaoluo. “I know that you’re the Third Young Master of the Duke of Yue's estate, but you can’t beat me, nor can you beat Supreme Commander.”

Ning Xiaoluo: ... He was speechless.

Ning Xiaoyao clicked her tongue. “Why don’t you tell me why you came to the capital this time?”

A hand reached out from behind Ning Xiaoluo. The person grabbed his head and pulled him aside.

“Who are you?” Ning Xiaoyao looked at the person standing in front of her. He looked quite young, definitely less than thirty years of age. Furthermore, he was about Supreme Commander’s height. He looked pretty and gentle. Although he was obviously a stranger, Ning Xiaoyao felt very close to him at first glance.

His Majesty had actually noticed his surroundings for once! The men were thrilled; this was something they had hardly seen before -if ever.

“This subject!” the young man rushed to greet Ning Xiaoyao formally.

“Save it,” Ning Xiaoyao hurried to grab this person’s hand. “Please don’t kneel, we’ll just talk, okay?”

“You’re His Majesty ah,” Ning Xiaoluo piped up from a side.

The man turned his head to give Ning Xiaoluo a look. Ning Xiaoluo hurriedly lowered his head and shut up.

“This subject is Ning Xiaomu, the eldest son of the Duke of Yue's estate. Ning Xiaomu greets His Majesty.” Although he couldn't kneel because His Majesty was holding his hand, the First Young Master still bowed to greet Ning Xiaoyao.

Ning Xiaoyao’s mouth flapped open. Ai ma! She nearly punched this man’s younger brother right in front of him!

“Your Majesty,” Ning Xiaomu smiled at Ning Xiaoyao.

Ai yo. Why does this big brother look so gentle when he smiles?

Ning Xiaomu looked at the hand grasping onto his. It was difficult to tell if this hand was male or female. Shifting his gaze downwards, he looked at the flower-patterned skirt. First Young Master Ning lifted his head and grinned, “We didn’t expect to see Your Majesty here.”

“Yeah, what a coincidence!?" Ning Xiaoyao liked seeing Ning Xiaomu smile. So, she kept staring at him. “Big Brother Ning, why did you come to the capital at this time?”

“Big Brother Ning?” Ning Xiaoluo yelped. How did his big brother become His Majesty’s big brother?

“What?” Ning Xiaoyao glared at Ning Xiaoluo. “Can’t your brother be my big brother?”

“What about Lou Zigui?” Ning Xiaoluo asked.

Ning Xiaoyao humphed, but didn’t say anything. A true love and a big brother weren't the same thing, ok?

“I don’t know why I came either,” Ning Xiaoluo ran to Ning Xiaoyao’s side. “My parents told my big brother to take me here.”

“Eh, is it to thank me for being your saviour?” Ning Xiaoyao made a guess.

Ning Xiaoluo shrugged. “I don’t know ah.” He went through so much trouble in order to return home. In fact, he even dressed up as a refugee. Surprisingly, the moment he went home and mentioned how much he resembled His Majesty, his parents spent the entire night discussing with his two older brothers. Then, the next day before the sun even came up, his older brother dragged him by the neck and they left home for the capital. “The whole time we were on our way to the capital, I kept asking my brother why we were coming back. But my big brother just ignored me.” Ning Xiaoluo felt very wronged.

Ning Xiaoyao scratched her head, and looked at First Young Master Ning, before looking at Third Young Master again. Ning Xiaoyao eventually decided to take the side of First Young Master Ning. “It’s probably because you’re stupid. Big Brother Ning is scared you’ll ruin things if you know the truth, so he didn’t tell you.

Ning Xiaoluo felt like there was absolutely no way he could ever be friends with His Majesty during this lifetime! Fate may have coincidentally made them look alike, but there was just no way to make them friends!

Ning Xiaomu coughed quietly. His Majesty really hit the nail on the head. His little brother may have gotten older, but his mind hadn’t aged with him. He didn’t say a word because he really was afraid his stupid little brother would ruin things.

“Supreme Commander’s camp is just back there,” Ning Xiaoyao pointed out the camp. “At the earliest, the war will begin at the capital tomorrow. Big Brother Ning, you guys should head to Supreme Commander, it’s safer there.”

Ning Xiaomu smiled. “Your Majesty, you don’t have to worry about your subjects’ safety.”

“I am worried,” Ning Xiaoyao said seriously. “Grand Preceptor wants to kill Ning Xiaoluo. What if he finds out that you’re here and tries to hurt you again?”

“Big Brother,” Ning Xiaoluo tugged his brother’s sleeve. “Since we’re already here, we should just kill Xie Wenyuan.”

Before First Young Master Ning could say anything, Ning Xiaoyao made the shape of a seven and warned, “There are seventy thousand enemy troops ah!”

“What?” Ning Xiaoluo was shocked. “There are seventy thousand rebel troops?”

“Yup,” Ning Xiaoyao nodded. Looking at the men around her, they were all tall and strong, but there were only about a hundred of them. How could they fight against seventy thousand people?

First Young Master Ning looked at Ning Xiaoyao. “How does Supreme Commander intend to deal with it?”

“Supreme Commander said that it’s fine.” Ning Xiaoyao continued, “He said that the more people there are, the more good-for-nothings there are. He told me not to worry about it.” (Author: Are you sure that’s what Supreme Commander Lou told you?)

“What are your thoughts, Your Majesty?” First Young Master Ning asked.

“Me?” Ning Xiaoyao inhaled. “I’ll just listen to Supreme Commander.”

Everyone:...Just how big is your heart? At this point, you still have no concerns, Your Majesty?!

[1] This is a figure of speech meant to express contempt or disapproval; in essence, she’s questioning the insensibility of his question.