Chapter 162: Is he Head Ding?

“Is this Aunt’s grave?”

“Mm.”

Two miles east of Liqiu, outside a dense forest.

A small burial mound stood with a small tombstone, simply engraved with ‘Tomb of the Deceased Wife’.

It didn’t even have a surname.

Ding Suian bent down to pull out a few weeds.

Behind him, Lin Hansu gazed at his figure under the cold, dim starlight, an inexplicable sourness rising in her heart, and she said guiltily, “It’s a pity we didn’t bring incense, candles, or offerings.”

Ding Suian was not as sad as she had imagined. Due to being a transmigrator from birth, he had some vague impressions of his childhood.

But at that time, his cochlea and eyeballs were not yet fully developed, so he could neither hear clearly what his mother said nor see her appearance clearly.

This was quite regrettable.

He only remembered that her movements were exceptionally gentle.

At that time, Ding Suian could not resist his physiological instincts; he slept most of the time every day, and when he occasionally woke up, he was always held in the woman’s arms.

The world was a blur, and with every slight jolt, it seemed they were always on the road.

He didn’t remember how long the jolting lasted, but in short, one day, the person holding him changed to Old Ding, and he never saw that gentle woman again.

When he was about two or three, he babbled and asked Old Ding, ‘Where is Mother?’

Only then did he learn from Old Ding that his mother had passed away due to illness.

A few days ago, on Qingming Festival, Ding Suian was still on his way back to the capital and couldn’t come to pay respects, so he took the opportunity of leaving the city tonight to come over, sit for a while, and have a look.

“Young Master, let me pay my respects too.”

Lin Hansu, who was at his side, spoke softly.

Ding Suian moved aside.

In the wilderness, there were naturally no prayer mats for kneeling.

Lin Hansu didn’t mind; she straightened her clothes, slowly bent her knees, and knelt on the grassy ground stained with night dew.

Then, she folded her hands in front of her forehead and respectfully performed three kowtows to the grave.

“Mother-in-law, your daughter-in-law Hansu has come tonight with Young Master to pay respects. He is doing very well now; he has grown up, is responsible, capable, and is the best young man in the world.”

Lin Hansu’s voice was light and soft, “For the rest of his life, I will take care of him on your behalf, protect him, know his needs, and stay by his side. I will also… expand the Ding Family, bring prosperity to the family line, and ensure the incense continues. Please rest assured, Mother-in-law.”

The night wind blew, and the forest rustled softly.

At the Hour of the Ox, the world was completely silent.

“Young Master, carry me up~”

The two prepared to return to the city; Lin Hansu stood beside the Mythical Beast and opened her arms to Ding Suian for help.

Mounting the horse was a trivial matter for her.

But Lin Hansu knew she was older than him, so she would occasionally deliberately show a clumsy, weak appearance, needing to be taken care of by him.

Thereby reducing the impression of her strong-willed demeanor, giving Young Master a chance to show off, and satisfying a man’s self-esteem.

“Alright~”

Ding Suian replied, wrapping one arm around her slender waist and supporting her buttocks with the other hand.

With effortless ease, he steadily placed Lin Hansu on the saddle.

During the process, she didn’t forget to let out a low cry, “Young Master has such great strength.”

Ding Suian could naturally see through her delicate little thoughts, but hearing this, he still couldn’t help but laugh out loud, “Sister, I’m not a three-year-old child; there’s no need to coax me like this.”

“Hehe, I just like to coax you~”

The two mounted the horse, and as Ding Suian was about to turn the reins, his gaze inadvertently caught a glimpse of flickering lights through the gaps in the forest, as if pavilions and high towers were hidden behind the trees.

Before, he knew there was a large mansion in the distance, but he didn’t know who the owner was.

Seeing him looking in that direction, Lin Hansu couldn’t help but look over, then whispered, “Behind the forest is an imperial manor.”

“Oh? Sister knows so much now.”

“It’s just a coincidence. After the New Year this year, Your Highness specifically moved here to stay for a while to avoid the officials’ New Year greetings. I was named by Your Highness to accompany her, so I found out about this place.”

“I see. Let’s go, back to the city.”

“Mm~”

At the first quarter of the Hour of the Ox.

Compared to the caution when leaving the city, the two were much more relaxed when entering the city.

Ding Suian didn’t dismount and continued to ride on the same horse, only Lin Hansu put on her veil again.

The banquet in the gate guards’ resting room seemed to have just ended; several Dutou in armor were surrounding a battalion commander, standing in the gate tunnel chatting about something.

They were talking with great excitement, beaming with joy.

Lin Hansu, who had just walked to the gate tunnel, couldn’t help but feel nervous. Although the military discipline of the Great Wu Imperial Guard in Central Heaven wasn’t completely lawless, it was late at night, and there were no other pedestrians in the entire barbican except for her and Ding Suian.

And the other party was clearly drunk.

If they were looking for trouble, it would be really hard to say.

After all, the two could not be exposed right now and could not use their identities to intimidate them.

“How about… we enter later?”

Lin Hansu tilted her head slightly and whispered.

Waiting another hour, until the Hour of the Tiger, there would be more vendors selling vegetables and firewood into the city.

By then, mixing into the crowd wouldn’t be as conspicuous as it was now.

“It’s too late, let’s go in.”

Ding Suian whispered, controlling the Mythical Beast, and continued to enter the gate tunnel at the original speed.

What he meant by ‘too late’ was that the group of drunken officers had already noticed them and were staring straight at the man and woman entering the city in the middle of the night.

If they turned around now, it would be more likely to cause misunderstandings.

‘Da~ Da~ Da~’

The sound of the Mythical Beast’s hooves on the blue bricks was exceptionally clear in the empty gate tunnel, which was five or six zhang deep.

The group of officers stared at the two as if they were performing a salute.

The battalion commander, surrounded by his men, was flushed, his eyes lingering on Lin Hansu, and then he turned his head to a short, fat, oily-faced Dutou beside him and whispered, “Old Hou, go and probe their background~”

Commander Hou immediately stepped forward with slightly staggering steps and blocked the front of the Mythical Beast.

“Entering the city in the middle of the night, what for?”

“You know.”

Ding Suian had just spoken when his sleeve was gently pulled by Lin Hansu, and he heard her say, “We were delayed on our journey; please let us pass, sir.”

Commander Hou’s gaze lingered on their clothes for a moment, and he first gave a lewd laugh.

Because of the kowtowing earlier, both of their clothes were stained with grass juice and mud.

It looked a bit like…

“Hehe, on the road? I’m afraid you went outside the city for a tryst.”

“Hahaha~”

As soon as Commander Hou finished speaking, his colleagues burst into lewd laughter.

The inverted U-shaped gate tunnel had a sound-focusing effect, and the laughter echoed, buzzing.

Ding Suian tensed his waist, preparing to dismount, but Lin Hansu in front of him hurriedly grabbed his sleeve again.

“This officer, please speak carefully, lest you invite trouble.”

Lin Hansu’s voice turned cold.

There were nobles everywhere in Central Heaven, and her fearless posture did indeed slightly intimidate Commander Hou.

Unexpectedly, the flushed commander from a little further away puffed out his belly, walked over with a splay-footed gait, stared at them with red-rimmed eyes, and looked them over, “Take out your household registration papers.”

“…”

Household registration papers were similar to a family register.

Who the hell carries that when they go out?

Knowing they couldn’t produce it, the drunken commander added, “Then where do you live? What are your names?”

“…”

This still couldn’t be said.

“Commander Zheng, these two are acting suspiciously; they might be Southern Zhao spies. Let’s take them into the resting room and search them!”

From behind, among the officers laughing and watching the fun, someone kindly suggested.

Commander Zheng turned back and gave his subordinate an approving smile.

He was certain that the two riding together had done something shameful. According to his guess, either the man had a family and had secretly taken a city prostitute to the wilderness for a tryst.

Or some unmarried young lady had run off to the wilderness with her lover for a tryst.

Encountering such a good thing, not only could he extort some money and take advantage of them, but the two wouldn’t dare to speak out afterwards.

Commander Hou felt he had shown weakness earlier and lost points in front of Commander Zheng. Now hearing his colleague beat him to flattering the superior, and remembering Commander Zheng’s background, he couldn’t help but regret it.

Eager to show off, he immediately raised his arm and pointed at Lin Hansu, “You, go to the resting room! Let Commander Zheng search you personally!”

“Hahaha~”

Another burst of lewd laughter.

Inside the veil, Lin Hansu’s phoenix eyes were frosty. This time, she sensed Ding Suian moving, but she did not stop him again.

Behind.

Ding Suian turned his waist, and like reaching for the moon from the bottom of the sea, he reached out and grabbed the finger that Commander Hou had extended.

‘Snap~’

“Ah!”

A sudden cry of pain rang out in the gate tunnel.

Before the crowd could see what was happening, the young man on the horse had already completed a series of actions: breaking Commander Hou’s finger, dismounting, and seizing Commander Zheng.

“…”

There was silence in the gate tunnel for a moment.

Mainly because no one would have thought that anyone would dare to take the initiative to attack the Imperial Guard in Central Heaven.

“Little thief! Let go of Commander Zheng!”

“What kind of thief, what great audacity!”

‘Clang~’

‘Clang~’

After reacting, there was a chorus of curses and the sound of blades being unsheathed.

Commander Zheng, with his throat gripped by Ding Suian, instantly sobered up by half and blurted out, “Do you know who I am?”

He said it very smoothly, as if he had said it countless times before.

Ding Suian asked in return, “Then do you know who she is?”

“…”

Eh?

This response is different from before!

Usually, Commander Zheng would ask a question, and the other person would respond, ‘Who are you?’

Then he could announce his identity and scare the other person into kowtowing and apologizing.

While confused, he suddenly felt the fingers gripping his throat tighten sharply. Commander Zheng clearly felt the sharp killing intent from the other party and hurriedly replied, “I don’t know who she is. You let me go, and I won’t seek revenge on you in the future.”

“It’s good that you don’t know~”

Ding Suian’s answer suddenly carried a hint of a smile, and he added, “Sister, hold the reins tight~”

After saying that, he suddenly raised his left hand and slapped the Mythical Beast on the buttocks, “Mythical Beast, let’s go home.”

“Wait~”

Lin Hansu let out a low cry, but the Mythical Beast had already galloped forward, turning into a black shadow, swiftly rushing out of the gate tunnel, running through the barbican, passing through the city gate, and heading straight into the wide Chengtian Street.

Only then did the hundred or so Soldiers in the barbican wake up.

“Someone is breaking through the gate!”

“Someone has taken Commander Zheng hostage!”

“Sound the alarm, sound the alarm!”

‘Clang~ Clang~ Clang~’

Although the nine gates of Central Heaven City were never closed day or night, there hadn’t been any news of someone galloping through the gates in the middle of the night for many years.

Some wanted to chase Lin Hansu, but her tracks disappeared in the blink of an eye.

Some ran to the top of the city wall to beat the gong and sound the alarm.

The barbican was in chaos, and the commotion quickly spread into the city.

But more Soldiers swarmed into the barbican gate tunnel, blocking Ding Suian completely.

Only then did he release Commander Zheng and smiled as he announced his name, “I am Ding Suian, Dutou of the Elite Cavalry of the Vermilion Bird Army. We are all brothers, let’s not hurt our camaraderie.”

After escaping control, Commander Zheng ran forward a few steps, but because he had been drinking tonight, his steps were unsteady, and he stumbled and fell to the ground.

“…”

Under the gaze of everyone, it was a bit embarrassing.

Several subordinates hurried forward to help him up. After Commander Zheng stood up, he pushed his subordinates away and shouted furiously, “Kill this Southern Zhao spy for me!”

The Soldiers who were originally slowly pressing forward suddenly stopped and looked at each other. Ding Suian? Head Ding? The Head Ding of the Vermilion Bird Army? The Head Ding who had just rescued seven thousand comrades from Southern Zhao and brought back the remains of his brothers?