Chapter 7: I Am Not the Villain

The “Wu Law” records that those who are not Soldiers are forbidden from practicing martial arts.

In other words, the military monopolized the legal means for Martial Artists to Cultivate.

Of course, this decree was seen by bandits and powerful noble families the same way they view a woman’s safe period. Utterly useless.

The Martial Artist Cultivation system is divided into six Realms.

The sixth Realm is Body Refining, which involves tempering the Physical Body and stimulating the Vital Qi. After achieving perfection in the Body Refining Realm, strength and stamina increase.

Every Soldier in Great Wu Cultivates, but 90% of them cannot Breakthrough this introductory Realm in their entire lives.

Above the Body Refining Realm is the Chenggang Realm. By gathering Protective Aura within the Physical Body, the Protective Aura can be channeled into weapons to easily pierce armor. Ordinary weapons become like divine weapons in the hands of a Martial Artist in the Chenggang Realm.

Only upon reaching the Chenggang Realm does a Martial Artist undergo a qualitative change, but those with the talent for Cultivation are few.

Among a hundred Soldiers, those who transition from Body Refining to Manifesting Elemental State number only a handful.

Therefore, when Ding Suian deliberately channeled Protective Aura into his blade, he immediately intimidated the crowd.

It wasn’t that Prince Lanyangs Estate couldn’t find Martial Artists with higher Realms to suppress Ding Suian; it was just that Ding Suian and his companions had sensitive and special identities, and Madam Wu dared not easily harm them.

Finding herself in a dilemma, Madam Wu had no choice but to suppress her anger and humble herself, saying, “Squad Leader Ding, to achieve this Realm at such a young age, your future is limitless. We might need to interact again in the future.”

First, she subtly hinted that Prince Lanyangs Estate could assist Ding Suian’s career, and then, using a slightly firmer tone, she said, “The matter today is imperative for my Estate. Squad Leader Ding, do not bring harm upon yourself.”

Ding Suian replied, “I just said that since the Prince of Lanyang has passed away, my An Squad only recognizes the Princess Consort. If the Old Madam wishes to take the Princess Consort, simply present an imperial decree from the Emperor.”

…

There was nothing left to discuss.

Just then, there was a flurry of hurried footsteps from behind. When everyone turned around, it was Li Fengrao, the Prefect, who had mysteriously disappeared earlier, returning.

“An imperial decree has arrived from Central Heaven City, and the palace attendants have already entered the Prefecture City. Your Estate should prepare quickly.”

Third Master Du thought the infallible Old Madam had sent someone to request the decree early, and he immediately beamed with joy, shouting at Ding Suian, “See? The decree has arrived!”

Only Steward Hou noticed Madam Wu’s expression was wrong and couldn’t help but ask Li Fengrao, “Prefect, is this decree issued to our Old Ancestor?”

Li Fengrao shook his head expressionlessly. “No.”

At the hour of Si (9 AM to 11 AM), at Chengxi Hall, the third courtyard of Prince Lanyangs Estate.

…Although Du Jue contributed nothing to the state, in consideration of his grandfather’s merits, he is posthumously granted the title of General Who Assists the State. The Princess Consort, Madam Lin, since marrying into Prince Lanyangs Estate, has been self-disciplined and adhered to propriety, managed the household skillfully, and moreover, possessed a compassionate heart, enjoyed charity, and earned the deep respect of all within and without, truly serving as a role model for women across the land.

“Upon hearing of her deeds, We are deeply gratified and hereby bestow one sheng of Eastern Pearls and thirty bolts of white silk, as a sign of Our commendation and consolation.”

Inside the hall, dozens of people knelt both inside and out, yet it was so quiet that a pin drop could be heard.

It wasn’t until Lin Hansu prostrated herself and kowtowed that the suffocating silence was broken. “Your servant, Madam Lin, kowtows to thank His Imperial Majesty for his great favor.”

Lin Hansu’s eyes were red and swollen, and her face still showed obvious signs of illness. She had only hastily changed into a plain white mourning gown, and her hair bun hadn’t even been re-combed.

This perfectly matched the image of a beautiful, haggard widow whose husband had just died.

“Princess Consort, please rise.” The Eunuch delivering the decree raised his hand in a gesture of support and lowered his voice, saying, “Before I came, Princess Xingguo specifically instructed me to ask the Princess Consort to restrain her grief…”

This was a display of favor, ensuring Lin Hansu wouldn’t forget who had saved her.

“Your Highness’s great kindness, your servant will never forget,” Lin Hansu quietly stated her gratitude. She intended to follow the protocol of asking the Eunuch delivering the decree to rest in the guest room before presenting him with the customary gratuity. However, her Phoenix eyes swept down, and she couldn’t find a single usable person.

“Eunuch, you must be tired.”

Madam Wu stepped forward at the appropriate moment, adopting the posture of the principal mistress. Her expression was calm and benevolent, showing no sign of the frustration caused by her failed plan.

This imperial decree was clearly suspicious.

Logically, since the Prince of Lanyang had just died, the content of the imperial decree should have focused on Du Jue’s posthumous honors. However, the entire text contained only a few short sentences, not only failing to grant him a Posthumous Title but also including the low appraisal, ‘contributed nothing to the state.’

Instead, a large portion was dedicated to praising Lin Hansu, even using terms like ‘role model for women across the land.’

The Du Family members present were filled with doubt and surprise. They couldn’t understand how a trivial matter like burying twenty-something female attendants from the inner courtyard could alarm the Emperor.

But regardless, the life of Lin Hansu, the ‘role model for women,’ was temporarily saved.

Only Madam Wu remained composed. “Steward Hou, accompany the Eunuch to the front hall for tea on my behalf.”

The moment the Eunuch delivering the decree left, dozens of people in the hall uniformly turned to look at Lin Hansu, who was seated in the main seat of the central hall.

There were many people, yet it was surprisingly quiet.

Lin Hansu’s back was straight, and her beautiful eyes were lowered. She resembled a fawn being hunted by a pack of wolves, desperately trying to maintain the dignity of the principal mistress of the Estate while defending against numerous unfriendly gazes, fearing that the slightest hint of cowardice or weakness would cause the crowd to pounce and tear her apart.

“After half a day of commotion, I am tired. Let’s return to our rooms to rest.”

With Madam Wu’s faint remark, The Du Family members clustered around her like well-trained hounds.

Reaching outside the hall, Madam Wu paused briefly in front of Ding Suian. Her cloudy, aged eyes, like two bottomless dry wells, meticulously scrutinized him from head to toe.

“A heroic young man, Squad Leader Ding. You have given this old one cause to look at you with new eyes.”

“Haha, thank you, Old Side Consort, for the praise. Protecting the Estate is merely my duty.”

Ding Suian simply assumed the Old Madam was praising him and returned a harmless, brilliant smile.

A moment later, Chengxi Hall returned to tranquility.

Only Ding Suian remained outside the door, and Lin Hansu inside the hall.

Anyone with eyes could see that the situation facing Hansu’s Buttocks was still unfavorable. With this incident involving burial, Madam Wu and Lin Hansu had completely fallen out, leaving no room for reconciliation.

However, the entire Estate was still firmly controlled by Madam Wu. Although Lin Hansu had escaped disaster this time, Madam Wu would have countless ways to make her meet an ‘accident’ inside the deep courtyards later on.

Ding Suian poked his head in and looked inside the hall.

In the depths of Chengxi Hall, light and shadow intersected. Lin Hansu, still sitting straight-backed on the chair, had her upper body hidden in the shadows and her lower body bathed in sunlight.

Her facial expression was obscured, but this scene at this moment looked exactly like the camera work used when a character turns evil in a TV drama.

“Princess Consort, you have to add more money! Look, their whole family now hates me too.”

Ding Suian stepped over the threshold and walked into the hall.

Fruits and melons intended for entertaining the Eunuch delivering the decree were still placed on the tea table. Fresh fruits and vegetables are precious during Mid-winter.

Ding Suian casually picked up a Fragrant Pear, wiped it haphazardly on his clothes, and bit into it.

His devil-may-care attitude—the kind that suggests ‘if you die, you die; if you live, you live forever’—actually caused Lin Hansu to relax as well, and her taut back slumped slightly.

Once she relaxed, her mind became much sharper. Lin Hansu sorted out her thoughts, stood up, and walked over.

“Mhm, I’ll add more!” Lin Hansu imitated Ding Suian, picking up a Fragrant Pear, deliberately wiping it crudely with her sleeve, opening her mouth wide, and taking a fierce bite. Crunch! The crisp sound echoed, and juice trickled down the corner of her mouth—

—a stark contrast to her usual dignified image.

“How refreshing!”

Lin Hansu’s willow eyebrows lifted slightly, and she smiled freely.

The corners of her lips curved up like blooming cherry petals, and her Phoenix eyes narrowed into crescents, like clouds parting and mist dissipating—

Honestly speaking, she was indeed very beautiful.

“Let’s go. Accompany me to the Inner Residence and let out the people in my room. Then I, Elder Sister, can get you the money.”

“Me? Go to the Inner Residence?”

“Oh, are you scared? This morning, when you stood outside the door with your blade, I thought you were truly fearless.”

“It’s not exactly fear, but is it proper for an outsider male like me to enter the inner quarters?”

“Rules?” Her Phoenix eyes swept over the empty Chengxi Hall. “Didn’t you say this morning that I am the principal mistress of the Estate? I want to change the Estate’s rules!”

At the beginning of the hour of Wu (11 AM to 1 PM), Lin Hansu and Ding Suian walked into the Inner Residence, one after the other.

As expected, this did cause a minor commotion.

The older women they encountered along the way looked as if they had seen a ghost. Some hid behind rockeries and pillars, pointing fingers, while others lifted their skirts and sprinted toward Mianze Pavilion, where Madam Wu resided, to report.

The two traveled all the way to Qiyuan Garden, the fifth courtyard.

According to Lin Hansu, Qiyuan Garden was originally her courtyard. After the news of the accompanying burial leaked the day before yesterday, Madam Wu, to prevent the female attendants from escaping, drove all of Lin Hansu’s people here and locked them up.

A brass lock hung on the door of the main room in Qiyuan Garden, and two robust older women guarded the entrance.

Suppressed soft sobbing could already be heard from inside the room through the door.

“Open the door.”

Lin Hansu’s gaze was slightly lowered, and her expression was cold and aloof.

The two older women had likely heard about the imperial decree in the front residence. Seeing the Princess Consort arrive in person, followed by a young Soldier clad in armor and carrying a blade, they felt uneasy.

However, the duty of guarding this place had been personally ordered by Madam Wu. They feared Madam Wu far more than Lin Hansu, so they pretended to be foolish and remained silent with their heads bowed.

They neither spoke nor opened the door.

Lin Hansu didn’t bother arguing with them. She turned slightly and looked at Ding Suian. “Squad Leader Ding, I trouble you.”

Swish!

The blade flashed like a sudden white rainbow.

Clang!

The older women guarding the door only felt a blur before their eyes. Before they could clearly see the movement, the brass lock had snapped into two pieces, falling to the ground and clattering crisply on the bluestone pavement.

Ding Suian pushed the door open and entered.

Inside the room, there were more than twenty people. Hearing the commotion, they thought their death was imminent, screaming and desperately retreating backward, trying to get as far away from the door as possible.

The crying suddenly grew louder.

A woman who looked about forty years old walked forward against the retreating crowd, taking a breath and shouting, “Why are you crying! Don’t embarrass the Princess Consort!”

The young maid clinging tightly to the woman had a face swollen like a bun, with clear bluish-purple slap marks on her cheeks. She timidly glanced at Ding Suian, her lips trembling, and finally couldn’t hold back, bursting into tears with a wail. “Granny Xu, I don’t want to be buried alive.”

That cry broke Granny Xu’s composure too. She wrapped her arms around the young maid, tears streaming down her face. “Don’t be afraid. Granny will accompany you on the road to the Yellow Springs.”

“Granny Xu!”

Lin Hansu walked into the room from behind Ding Suian, her soft call slightly trembling, clearly showing emotion.

The crying in the room paused abruptly.

“Princess Consort! You… you didn’t escape?”

Granny Xu widened her eyes in disbelief, her gaze darting quickly between Lin Hansu and Ding Suian. A look of fierce determination appeared on her face, as if she had made some crucial decision.

The next moment, Granny Xu suddenly lunged forward, grabbing Ding Suian in a tight hug. She turned her head and shouted desperately at Lin Hansu, “Princess Consort, run quickly! Yi Huan, grab his leg! Sanniang, why are you standing there stunned? Run!”

Her shouts were heart-rending and blood-curdling.

But…

Ding Suian: I’m not the villain!

Thank you to reader ‘Jade-Faced Chang’ and reader ‘20220523123542638’ for the tips!