Chapter 224 You Are Not Living Up to Expectations!

May 10th.

At dawn, Ding Suian climbed over the wall to return home.

The bedroom door was half-open; he pushed it open and stepped inside, his footsteps faltering. The room was a mess, as if it had been burgled.

No, thieves at most steal things; they wouldn’t have the time to deliberately cause destruction.

The perfectly good quilt had been torn into strips, and cotton fluff was scattered everywhere like snow.

The jasmine in the vase had been deliberately snapped, its petals plucked off, leaving only a few bare stems sticking out of the bottle.

Destroying flowers with a ruthless hand?

Is Sect Leader Xu warning him? Or just expressing anger?

At the end of the mao hour, Ding Suian went out, bought some breakfast at the entrance of Suimian Street, and rode his horse toward Chongli Ward.

To be fair, seeing Sect Leader Xu covered in ruler marks last night, Ding Suian, as her bed-partner, felt a bit moved.

After all, she had taken the punishment for him.

He had originally planned to repay her, but Lin Hansu had returned in the middle of the night.

The repayment failed, and instead, it provoked Sect Leader Xu.

Please announce my arrival.

At 7-9 am, Ding Suian arrived at the Law Academy, but the auntie at the gate, perhaps having been warned in advance, said bluntly: The Headmaster is in seclusion today and is not receiving guests.

The auntie at the gate was quite arrogant.

Ding Suian didn’t pester her; he went around to the back wall of the Law Academy and patted the Mythical Beast on its rump. Bao’er, go to the Patrol Inspection Office yourself, and while you’re at it, ask for a leave of absence for me~

Whinny~

The Mythical Beast pawed the ground lightly and neighed in response.

Having dismissed the Mythical Beast, Ding Suian climbed over the wall into the Law Academy, using the pines, cypresses, and buildings as cover, and headed straight for Qingjiao Pavilion.

Qingjiao Pavilion was where Xu Jiuxi worked, and the second floor served as her bedroom.

He snuck up to the second floor silently, but when he turned around, he saw Shu Yao standing behind him holding a copper basin.

She was clearly startled, her eyes wide and her mouth slightly agape.

Ding Suian spoke first: Shu Yao! What are you doing standing here early in the morning? Do you want to scare this Lord to death!

…

Facing the interrogation from the Duke of Chu County, Shu Yao instinctively curtsied and said: This servant deserves to die for startling the Duke of Chu… Wait? That’s not right! The Duke of Chu County is sneaking into the Law Academy early in the morning; I should be the one asking why you are here!

What do you mean sneaking? This Lord is here openly to pay a visit to Sect Leader Xu, alright!

…

Mentioning Xu Jiuxi, Shu Yao set the copper basin on a side table, put her hands on her hips, and said: The Sect Leader is not receiving guests today, please leave, Duke!

Perhaps the Sect Leader has changed her mind?

Ding Suian didn’t stop, took two steps forward, and pushed open the door.

Inside the room, Xu Jiuxi was in her sleeping gown, with her back to the door, silent.

Seeing this, Shu Yao understood immediately. The two of them had been arguing just outside the door; if the Sect Leader didn’t want to see him, she would have driven him away long ago.

Old Xu, I brought breakfast.

Shu Yao closed the door, and Ding Suian placed the breakfast on the table.

Xu Jiuxi’s graceful figure, lying on her side, remained motionless.

Old Xu, are your injuries feeling any better? I brought some ointment; shall I help you apply it again?

Ding Suian sat on the edge of the bed.

The next moment, her figure, like a white jade sculpture, suddenly sprang up in an extremely bizarre posture, her joints bending backwards, defying common sense.

In an instant, she clung to Ding Suian’s back, her sleeping gown sliding off her shoulders like a cicada’s shell, revealing a stretch of snow-white arm.

Her jade-like arms locked around his neck from behind, and her long legs wrapped tightly around his waist, binding him firmly like vines.

Little wretch~ Xu Jiuxi breathed like an orchid, whispering softly in his ear: Since you’ve delivered yourself to my door, how about I take out your heart and refine it into a tiger’s ghost?

The legs wrapped around his waist suddenly tightened, causing his spine to creak.

Her black hair fell against his neck, the sweet scent of tea roses filled his nostrils, and her cold body pressed against him under her sleeping gown, but Ding Suian had not a single amorous thought.

He clearly felt the danger. Or rather, the loss of control as his life was completely in someone else’s hands.

Her legs continued to tighten; in a flash, his right hand, hanging at his side, suddenly unfurled, and the Bone-Softening Whip he had placed in his sleeve pocket earlier fell silently into his hand.

Snap~

Ding Suian whipped backhand, not using much force, and Xu Jiuxi’s neck arched back, letting out a short, sticky groan.

Mmm~

Her tense body trembled violently, and the binding force suddenly collapsed.

The limbs wrapped around him went limp, and she slid off his back like a molting silkworm, collapsing on the silk mattress and twitching slightly.

Ding Suian escaped the lethal move, rubbed his neck, and stood up to look back.

Xu Jiuxi’s black hair spread across the mattress, her eyes unfocused.

Hmph, noob!

At the same time that day, thousands of miles away.

Princess Zhao Nings Residence.

Morning light filtered through the carved lattice windows, spilling into the hall.

Yi Yiyi sat upright behind a rosewood desk, her raven-black hair loosely tied with only a simple silver hairpin. Her translucent, pale face was almost ethereal in the morning light, and when she lowered her eyes, her long lashes rested like ink-colored butterflies.

Her eyes, fixed on the official documents, had not moved for a long time.

At the beginning of the year, the current Emperor Zhao ascended the throne. It was no longer appropriate for the twenty-year-old Princess Zhao Ning to continue living in the palace. In the third month, Emperor Zhao bestowed his former residence, Prince Rens Estate, upon Zhao Ning.

An unmarried princess establishing her own household was an unprecedented event in the two-hundred-year history of the Great Zhao.

But Zhao Ning had her own special circumstances. Firstly, she was the only Bloodline of Emperor Zhao.

Secondly, her teacher was the State Preceptor of the Confucian Sect, and now half of the court officials were from the Confucian Sect; her existence was in itself a lubricant between imperial power and the officials.

Thirdly, Zhao Ning was not some delicate maiden raised in a boudoir. When she returned south from the State of Wu, she risked her life to lure away the rebels, the Prince of De and the Prince of Rui, during their ambush on her father. Later, she personally participated in the Vermilion Bird Gate Incident and played a significant role in the process of Prince of Nanshun’s counterattack and ascension to the throne.

Now, Princess Zhao Nings Residence was an existence that could not be ignored in the Southern Zhao court.

The court officials, borrowing from the precedent of the State of Wu, privately called her Little Princess Xingguo.

At this moment, the secret letter she had been holding in her hand came from the State of Wu.

As the person her father trusted most, Zhao Ning, with the secret support of the Jile Sect, was quietly building an intelligence network spanning both Zhao and Wu.

This secret letter came from Central Heaven.

…Prince Anping Chen Duan rebelled recently, led death squads to attack Princess Xingguos Residence at night, and was immediately suppressed. Duan entered the Imperial City and committed suicide.

Zhao and Wu, both countries had experienced royal infighting within the short span of a year, giving people a sense of impending storm and change in the world.

Looking down, the end of the secret letter mentioned the person she had instructed to be closely monitored.

Additionally, in the case of the rebel Duan, Ding Suian made contributions, was enfeoffed as Duke of Chu County, and leads the Nine Gates Patrol Yamen, quietly becoming a new noble of the State of Wu.

Under the red bean yew tree in the dense forest, the blood-soaked figure before the Vermilion Bird Gate, the wedding ceremony in the thatched hut.

Scenes flashed before Zhao Nings eyes instantly.

The longing she had suppressed with busy official duties burst forth instantly, exceptionally intense.

She sighed softly, put down the secret letter, looked at the summer morning scenery outside the window, and was lost in thought.

Your Highness~

Just then, the maid A Qi walked in on tiptoe.

What is it?

Zhao Nings tone was indifferent. A Qi whispered: Young Master Xie sent someone to deliver a letter, saying he just finished an article and asks for Your Highnesss critique.

Zhao Ning was still looking out the window, not speaking, and it was unclear if she had heard A Qis words. After a long while, she suddenly said: A Qi, did you send someone to look for Old Man?

Ah? Uh-

The two conversations were unrelated. A Qi was stunned for a moment, then hurriedly said: I did, but there has been no news.

Did you go to the western foot of Tushan Mountain, to Old Mans home?

Zhao Ning was still not giving up.

She was asking about the small courtyard where she and Ding Suian had stayed for one night after walking out of the mountains.

I did. And I went three times, but I didn’t see anyone.

A Qi replied truthfully.

Old Man was elusive. Since they parted in February, Zhao Ning had not seen him again. Her inquiries were fruitless, and even her teacher, State Preceptor, did not know Old Mans whereabouts.

Now that the last glimmer of hope was extinguished, a trace of frustration appeared involuntarily on her cold face.

Just then, outside the hall door leading to the garden, she saw an Old Man in cloth clothes, slightly hunched, walking in with a swaying gait.

At first, A Qi thought her eyes were playing tricks on her. This was the back residence of Princess Zhao Nings Residence, how could an old peasant just appear out of nowhere?

When she saw the mans face clearly, she couldn’t help but let out a low cry, Your Highness!

Zhao Ning sensed something, turned her head to look, and was stunned at first. Then, her usually cold and expressionless, beautiful face rarely showed excitement. She stood up abruptly and said with surprise, Old Man!

Hmm, I heard my granddaughter-in-law is looking for me?

Zhao Ning, who hadn’t heard anyone call her that in a long time, couldn’t help but blush slightly. She hurriedly curtsied and said with some grievance: Where did you go, Old Man? Why haven’t you shown yourself for so long?

Hehe~

Old Man walked to the hall door, casually snapped a branch from a flower shrub, and sat directly on the threshold. He glanced at Zhao Nings flat stomach, then… took off his shoes, and while using the branch to pick mud from unknown origins off the soles, he shook his head and sighed: Granddaughter-in-law, you are not living up to expectations! When you parted in February, you and my grandson tossed and turned all night, why didn’t you conceive a child?

…

Zhao Ning, who was just happy to see Old Man, instantly remembered how poisonous this Old Mans mouth could be.

Conceive a child?

An unmarried princess, conceiving a child, my foot!