Super Main Gauche Dorée

Chapitre 31

Everyone looked grim. After today's commotion, they all understood that their master wouldn't back them up. Now that the young master was in power, they feared they wouldn't have a good future. With this in mind, they all took their leave.

Nie Chengyan then said, "I have something else to clarify with everyone. Doctor Chen just mentioned my daughter, Xiaoxiao. I think although everyone understands what's going on, I'm still worried that some of you might not get it, so it's better to be clear. Xiaoxiao was originally a maidservant that the old man found for me, but things are different now. She's the one I love. Some of you might have dirty thoughts about this, and I can't control your minds, so please don't let me hear anything unclean. Also, since she's the one I love, I will naturally protect her. I have many shortcomings, one of which is that I'm extremely protective of my own, so you can save your energy and don't bother finding fault with her or causing her trouble. Whatever she does, I will take responsibility for her. Do you understand what I'm saying?"

How could there be any misunderstanding? The group bowed and quickly withdrew. Now that Han Xiao was both the unsuccessful disciple of the divine physician and the lover of this young master, all the benefits would go to her. They should not provoke her.

Han Xiao had no time to concern herself with such interpersonal matters, and scheming had never been her forte. With Nie Chengyan's protection, she was able to focus on studying medicine. The old man of Yunwu told her about many difficult and complicated diseases she had never even considered. She read many treasured medical books, and she personally treated several seriously ill patients who came to Yunwu Mountain for treatment. Every few days, she would even go to Baiqiao City to compete with other doctors for patients, in order to accumulate more practical experience in treating the wounded. She vaguely wondered if her eagerness might be contrary to her original intentions, but Nie Chengyan said that if the methods were reasonable and just, why be bound by one's initial intentions? A knife can kill, but it can also save; it all depends on how the person wielding the knife does it. Therefore, evil is not in the knife, but in the heart.

Everything is a matter of the mind.

When Nie Chengyan said this, Han Xiao's eyes widened: "Master, this is not the kind of thing you would say."

Nie Chengyan's face flushed slightly. If it were up to him, he would have said that as long as he had a knife, he could kill or save as he pleased; as long as he was well and satisfied, that was all that mattered. But this time, he deliberately chose to say what she wanted to hear. He stubbornly said, "I'm a few years older than you, and I have more experience than you, so naturally I understand things better than you do."

As expected, Han Xiao felt he had benefited a lot and nodded repeatedly: "That's right, Master, you have indeed figured out the principles of using the knife very well."

"Insightful?" He figured she was even more insightful. But this girl didn't appreciate it. Encouraged by him, she focused solely on learning and practicing diligently before the old man of the clouds left. They didn't know when the old man planned to depart, so Nie Chengyan could only let Han Xiao work herself to the bone, intensifying her studies.

Nie Chengyan himself also frequently had to descend the mountain. He needed to coordinate the management of Baiqiao City with that of Yunwu Mountain, and suppress all the discontented individuals on the mountain. Busy with both sides, although he and Han Xiao shared a room, they saw each other far less often. Nie Chengyan was deeply frustrated by this. He seriously suspected that the old man was playing a malicious trick, deliberately feigning an impending departure to deceive him and Han Xiao. However, his messengers brought back news that the old man of Yunwu had written a book on the antidote to the Green Frost Poison and sent it to the desert. This response to the provocative and forceful pursuit of first place was indeed in the old man's style, suggesting that his trip to the desert was indeed true.

Nie Chengyan sent some people down the mountain; some left voluntarily, some were forced to leave unwillingly, and some were reassigned to work in Baiqiao City. To Han Xiao's surprise, Lian Qiao was among those who volunteered to leave. Lian Qiao explained that she had been on the mountain for several years and hadn't learned anything there; she could do any job as a maid, so her family was urging her to return home. Lian Qiao was one of the few true friends Han Xiao had made in the mountains, and she was truly reluctant to see her leave. But Lian Qiao's mind was made up, and Han Xiao couldn't persuade her to stay. She could only wish her all the best for the future and tell her to come find her at Yunwu Mountain if she encountered any difficulties.

Lian Qiao stared at her intently for a long time, and finally hugged Han Xiao: "Since nothing good will come of meeting again, it's better not to see each other again."

Lian Qiao's departure left Han Xiao depressed for several days. What upset her even more was that Han Le, who had gone down the mountain with Nie Chengyan for a few days, secretly told her when he returned: "Sister, there's a princess named Ruyi who's incredibly arrogant. She's currently staying at the City Lord's mansion and refuses to leave."

Han Xiao was stunned. Princess Ruyi? After so long, why is she here again?

Han Le said mysteriously, "Sister, I've heard that this princess is almost 20, an old maid. She's refused to marry because of the city lord. This time she's probably here for one last gamble. Sister, we shouldn't delay, let's go down the mountain immediately and snatch the city lord back."

Han Xiao instinctively declined, saying, "I haven't finished organizing these prescriptions for these illnesses yet..."

"What? The city lord isn't as important as these prescriptions?" Han Le paced back and forth, muttering, "It's over, it's over, city lord. It's not that I don't want to call you brother-in-law, it's just that your status is too low, you're not even in the top ranks."

Han Xiao sighed: "What nonsense are you talking about?"

Han Le grabbed Han Xiao's arm and said, "Sister, don't worry, my heart is definitely with you. I will never complain to the city lord and give him a chance to lose his temper." Then he thought, "However, he has a lot of excuses to lose his temper. If he does, you can't blame me."

“When did I say I didn’t care about my master? You have no grounds to complain.”

"Really? That's great, it's good that you care. Let's go down the mountain now." Han Le didn't give her a chance to refuse, and rushed to the door, shouting to He Ziming, "Hero, get ready, my sister and I are going down the mountain."

Han Xiao rubbed her face. This younger brother of hers always called these shadow guards "heroes," and it's a wonder they could understand who he was referring to. She'd been dragged down the mountain by him now, but what was she supposed to say when she saw her master? Was she really going to say, "I heard you were about to be robbed, so I came to protect you?"

She hadn't figured out the question by the time the carriage stopped in front of the Nie residence. Just as she was feeling awkward and reluctant to go inside, she heard Han Le, who had jumped off the carriage first, ask, "Who are you?"

Han Xiao peeked out and saw another young woman standing at the entrance of the Nie residence. With her large, bright eyes and jade-like face, she was a stunningly beautiful woman. She glanced at Han Xiao, who had just stepped down from the carriage, and then at Han Le, who looked wary, and said clearly, "I'm here to see City Lord Nie Chengyan."

Han Xiao's face fell, and a wave of bitterness welled up inside her. There was a princess in this manor, a beautiful woman standing outside, and her little maid rushing down the mountain in a hurry. Just how many suitors had her mistress attracted?

Author's Note: Haha, you'll never guess who this beauty is, hahaha~~~

Madam Long

Han Le clearly didn't have a good impression of this woman who came to his door looking for her future brother-in-law. He crossed his arms, pouted, and looked like a little bully: "The city lord is not someone that just anyone can see."

The woman had a half-smile on her face, seemingly finding Han Le quite amusing. She asked generously, "So, according to you, how can I see him?"

Han Le frowned, looked her up and down again, and asked, "Tell me first, who are you?"

"Then tell me, who are you? If your identity is incorrect, then all my self-introduction has been for nothing."

How dare he ask him a question? Han Le raised his head and answered arrogantly, "I am the city lord's most capable steward in the future. If you want to see him, you have to get past me first."

The woman clasped her hands in a fist and said, "So you are the young steward. My apologies for my rudeness." She smiled, neither impatient nor annoyed.

Han Xiao walked over, patted her younger brother's head to stop him from being naughty, and then asked, "Who are you, young lady, and what brings you to the City Lord?"

"Me..." The woman's eyes darted around, revealing a mischievous glint, but her tone was helpless: "I'm said to be called Feng Ning, the third young mistress of the Long family."

Han Xiao was taken aback. Could it be Long San's wife? Or was it just hearsay? Han Le chimed in, "If she's Long San's wife, then she already has a husband. Why is she coming to see the City Lord?"

Feng Ning laughed and reached out to pat Han Le's head: "You're such an interesting child, why do you smell so jealous?"

Han Le pouted and turned her head to the side, refusing to let her touch her. This guy's words are really boring. What do you mean he's all jealous? He's just worried about his sister. He sees that his sister is obsessed with studying medicine and isn't keeping a close eye on the city lord. What if another woman snatches him away?

He Ziming and Han Le's guard, Ye Zhu, had already stepped forward when Feng Ning reached out her hand, but seeing that she meant no harm, he stopped. Han Xiao thought differently from Han Le. Hearing that it was Long San's wife, she naturally assumed that Long San had asked her to come and see his master on some important matter. So she quickly told the gatekeeper to announce her arrival. But before the servant could go in, Steward Chen ran out. It turned out that he had heard that the young master had secretly run back to the mountain and brought Miss Han with him, so he hurried out to see.

"Miss Han, you're back." Sure enough, it was the siblings at the door. Steward Chen naturally didn't dare to neglect them and hurriedly invited them into the mansion. The one named Feng Ning didn't stand on ceremony either. After Han Xiao introduced herself to Steward Chen, she followed him inside.

“Miss Han, you must be tired from your journey. Please go back to your room and rest. I'll tell the kitchen to prepare some more dishes.” This suggestion from Steward Chen was immediately met with Han Le's objection: “We're not going back to our room, sister. We're going to the garden. The City Lord is definitely there.” Han Le had thoroughly investigated Nie Chengyan's whereabouts these past few days. The City Lord, presumably to avoid suspicion, didn't share a room with women, so if he were meeting the princess, it would certainly be in the garden. Steward Chen's suggestion that his sister return to her room meant the City Lord was meeting the princess. That wouldn't do! He summoned her here to abduct her, after all. Going back to the room was out of the question; the garden was the proper place.

Steward Chen looked troubled: "Lele, the master has distinguished guests."

"I know, I know." Han Le waved and pulled Han Xiao towards the garden.

Feng Ning followed behind and asked, "What about me? You two stewards, there's no need to arrange a room for me. I'll be leaving soon. But you should at least provide me with dinner. I've been traveling a long way and I'm hungry. Also, could you postpone your meeting with your distinguished guests so I can see the city lord first? I have important business to attend to."

"What important matter?" Han Le turned to look at Feng Ning, realizing he had almost forgotten about her.

"It's something important I can't tell you," Feng Ning said calmly and steadily.

"But you don't seem to be in a hurry at all?" Han Le was very suspicious. She came alone without even a guard by her side. She didn't have the demeanor of a young mistress of the Long family. Her words were also strange.

Feng Ning smiled and said, "Yes, you seem much more anxious than I am. But you can't judge things by appearances alone, right, little steward?"

Han Le's eyes darted around, and he replied, "You're right. Wait here, I'll go find the city lord. If he's willing to see you, then we'll talk." Han Le thought to himself that dragging his sister along like this would seem a bit embarrassing. Saying that a guest had arrived and he had urgent business to discuss would be a much more legitimate reason.

Feng Ning didn't mind, and replied "okay," then sat down on the railing. She seemed tired and said to Manager Chen, "Would you like a glass of water first?"

Steward Chen bowed and said, "Madam, please come with me. You may rest in the hall first." Feng Ning smiled and followed Steward Chen in a generous manner.

Han Xiao glanced back at her a few times, finding her somewhat strange. However, with Steward Chen and the others present, she figured she couldn't cause any trouble. She went to the garden with Han Le, where Nie Chengyan was indeed there, sitting opposite Princess Ruyi at a stone table. Neither of them spoke; they simply sat there. Princess Ruyi looked heartbroken, while Nie Chengyan remained expressionless.

Han Le called out from afar, "Lord City Lord!" He pulled Han Xiao along as they ran towards Nie Chengyan. When Nie Chengyan saw Han Xiao, his eyes lit up, his expression softened, and he reached out to pull her closer: "How could you bear to leave those medical books behind?"

Han Xiao turned to look at the princess, gave her a curtsy, and the princess gritted her teeth inwardly, turned her head to rub her eyes, and when she turned back, she had an arrogant look on her face and held her head high. Han Xiao didn't know how to deal with her, so she pretended to be stupid and stared at the table. Seeing that there was a pot of tea and two plates of pastries on the table, she frowned.

Nie Chengyan immediately said, "I didn't drink tea, I drank water. You can ask Qi Yang if you don't believe me." He was still taking medicine and was forbidden from drinking tea, something she strictly controlled. Huo Qi Yang nodded with a sly smile, while Princess Ruyi glared angrily at Han Xiao.

Han Xiao felt uncomfortable being glared at by the princess, so he quickly said to Nie Chengyan, "Master, Third Master Long's wife has come to visit, saying she has important business to discuss."

"Is her name Feng Ning?" Nie Chengyan's expression turned serious.

Han Le responded loudly from the side, "Yes, Lord City Lord, they have important business to attend to." He emphasized the words "important business" and glanced at Princess Ruyi intentionally or unintentionally.

Nie Chengyan said to Princess Ruyi, "I have said everything I can, and I hope you understand. Please rest early today and set off for the palace tomorrow so that the Emperor will not worry. I have guests visiting and cannot keep you company any longer. Please make yourself at home, Princess."

Nie Chengyan raised his hand, and Huo Qiyang, understanding, pushed his chair. The princess, watching his retreating figure, suddenly stood up and called out, "Brother Nie..."

Nie Chengyan didn't turn around, only waved his hand, and Huo Qiyang pushed him to continue walking. Han Xiao didn't know what they had talked about before, and subconsciously glanced back, only to see the princess standing straight, her eyes filled with tears, her lips tightly pressed together, possessing a tragic and beautiful appearance. She seemed to sense Han Xiao's gaze, and hurriedly turned her back to him. A maidservant next to her went over and handed her a handkerchief, but the princess slapped the handkerchief away and rubbed her eyes with her sleeve.

Han Xiao sighed inwardly, followed Nie Chengyan, and whispered, "She cried."

Nie Chengyan reached out and took her hand: "What's wrong? Do you feel sorry for her?"

"No, at this moment, there are countless people crying in this world. She has to solve many things herself. Others can't pity her." When Han Xiao carried Han Le around seeking medical treatment, the two siblings cried a lot. She had long understood that tears were worthless and should only be used to regulate her mood. To get out of the predicament, she had to rely on herself.

Nie Chengyan rubbed her hand: "You're quite open-minded. I think the only way to make you cry right now is to burn all your medical books. You don't seem to care about anything else." His tone was incredibly sarcastic, and Han Le pretended to inhale deeply.

"I didn't!" Han Xiao glared at her younger brother, trying to defend herself. "I just heard about the situation and rushed over here, dropping all my medical books." She was showing enough concern for him, wasn't she?

But Lord Nie was still not satisfied. He said, "What are you saying? If there wasn't something going on, you wouldn't have come looking for me, right? I've been down the mountain for several days now."

"Three..." Han Xiao was about to answer when Huo Qiyang suddenly coughed because his throat felt uncomfortable. Han Le secretly waved a few fingers at her, and Han Xiao quickly changed her words: "Four days."

"Hmph." Nie Chengyan slapped the armrest of his chair: "You two, get out of the way."

Han Xiao quickly winked at Han Le for help, and Han Le said, "Lord City Lord, the wife of that Third Master Long is still waiting. She said she has important business to discuss."

Nie Chengyan glared at her: "No other man's wife is as important as my own. Let her wait." He waved his hand: "Qiyang, take this brat away."

Han Le shrugged helplessly at his sister and sheepishly followed Huo Qiyang to the corner of the corridor. He stood there listening, but didn't hear anything, so he asked, "Great hero, are your ears sharp? What are they saying?"

Huo Qiyang said, "I didn't hear anything."

"Liar." Han Le didn't believe it. He stood there for a while, then couldn't resist peeking around the corner. He saw Nie Chengyan giving him a lecture, while his sister Han Xiao listened with her head bowed, completely lacking any backbone. Han Le thought to himself, "This future brother-in-law is really something, he can even scold people so quietly."

After scolding Han Xiao for a while, Nie Chengyan looked unhappy and didn't know what Han Xiao responded to. Then Han Xiao bent down and gave him a light peck on the cheek. Han Le blinked and before she could react, she saw Nie Chengyan grab Han Xiao by the back of her neck, pull her into his arms, and kiss her hard.

Han Le cried out "Ah!" and quickly covered his eyes with both hands. But then he couldn't resist peeking through a crack in his fingers. Why couldn't he see anything even with the crack open? He opened his hands completely and found that Huo Qiyang's large hand was covering his eyes. Before he could protest, Huo Qiyang dragged him to the corner and forbade him from peeking anymore.

Han Le blushed and was tapped on the head by Huo Qiyang, who scolded, "Kids shouldn't look at things like that."

"Then, sir, you are an adult, could you please take a look at this for me?"

"If you dare to peek again, be careful the master finds out and punishes you."

Han Le thought about it and realized he really didn't dare look anymore. Having such a fierce brother-in-law wasn't a good thing. Sigh...

After a long while, Han Le grew impatient and nudged Huo Qiyang, saying, "Hero, why don't you go and urge them to finish kissing?"

"I'm not going."

"Honestly, if you want to kiss, wait until you get back to your room. How can you leave someone else behind and rush off to kiss them all by yourself..." He spoke quite loudly, but before he could finish, Huo Qiyang covered his mouth. Han Le, quick-witted, immediately understood and stood up straight in silence. Turning her head, she saw Han Xiao pushing Nie Chengyan towards her. Her face was flushed, and she seemed a little nervous, perhaps because she had heard his words. She pretended to be nonchalant and walked beside the wheelchair, but Nie Chengyan said, "Lele, you've been so bored lately, sneaking around and peeping. I'll have to keep a close eye on your homework from now on."

Han Le was so anxious that he scratched his head. Finally, he shamelessly put his arm around Nie Chengyan's shoulder and said, "Brother-in-law, I did this for you. If I hadn't risked my life like this, how could you have escaped from the princess so easily? Look, my sister is here now. It's so good to have her with you."

"Go away, go away." Nie Chengyan pushed him away: "Don't try to be clever. There's nothing between me and that princess." The last sentence was said to Han Xiao: "She's almost twenty and still unmarried. Everyone says it's for my sake, but I've never given her any hints or promises. Now that the emperor wants her to marry a foreign ruler, she can try again after negotiating her terms. If I'm willing to marry her, she won't have to go to the northern desert."

"A marriage alliance? To marry into the northern desert?" Han Xiao had no idea, but it didn't sound like a good thing.

"Xiaoxiao, everyone has their own destiny. I will not marry her against my will. Let her return to the palace tomorrow." Nie Chengyan truly had no sympathy for those around him.

As they entered the hall, Feng Ning, who seemed to have been waiting for a long time, was resting with her head propped up and eyes closed. Hearing the noise, she opened her eyes and sat up straight. Nie Chengyan carefully examined her from head to toe, and only after he had looked her over enough did he ask, "Are you Feng Ning?"

“Right?” Feng Ning looked at Nie Chengyan seriously.

Han Xiao found it strange; Feng Ning seemed unaware of who she was. It was said, right? Such a tone was indeed odd.

Nie Chengyan coldly asked, "How can you prove it?"

"I don't know." Feng Ning honestly admitted, then asked, "Why do you need proof?" She looked around and saw no one else, so she took out a small box from her bosom and handed it to Nie Chengyan: "The three Long brothers are not at home. The Long mansion was robbed, and they wanted to steal this. I stole it and don't know who to keep it for. I heard that the Lord of Baiqiao City is a close friend of the Third Master Long, so I came here."

Nie Chengyan was greatly surprised; he had no idea that such a thing had happened at the Long residence.

Author's Note: I knew you'd never guess! Hahaha, Long San married two wives, one a pig who married him as his principal wife, and the other a chicken who married him as his concubine. The one who arrives is Feng Ning, the one who married the pig. She's a very lovable supporting character; everyone, please give her a round of applause as she makes her appearance!

Long San and his wife