Cunning General Si Ning

Immediately Si Ning was done creating space for the teapot on the table, Ah Dai made his presence known by making his entry announcement and walked in setting the teapot on the table when he was about to start brewing the tea Si Ning waved for him to leave and he proceeded to brew the tea himself by adding the tea leaves in the teapot and waited a bit for the leaves to ferment before pouring it into two teacups and added a rose flower petal on the tea.

When Si Ning was done making sure the flower petal was floating and satisfied with the way the tea looked fancy, he placed a cup in front of Ran Chunhua but instead of her to take a sip like he expected instead she stared at the tea and frowned when it occurred to Si Ning that since Ah Dai wasn't present to taste the tea and Ran Chunhua was different from Qiu Bai or Shao Lang who drank tea without anyone tasting it first. 

Si Ning quickly took his cup and took a sip because Ran Chunhua didn't come with her court maid that would do the tasting for her and Ah Dai wasn't present so Si Ning had to do the tasting himself to show it was safe for her to consume. Si Ning nodded satisfied that he could brew the tea so well he wanted to give himself a medal and he proceeded to take two more sips before placing the teacup on the table and raised a brow at Ran Chunhua.

After staring directly into her eyes as Si Ning reminded himself he was an important person and shouldn't act like a Minister searching for favours in front of Xiu Zhicheng's Concubine by acting to respectful.

Ran Chunhua seeing Si Ning's attitude reached for her cup and took a sip. "General Si Ning are you not satisfied with being a General?" She asked out of the blue as she placed her teacup on the table, sitting so straight as she looked into Si Ning's eyes.

Si Ning leaned back and narrowed his eyes. Yes! he wasn't satisfied with only being a General but he wasn't about to tell Ran Chunhua that. "I am satisfied." He lied as he folded his hands on his lap looking directly into her eyes to avoid her seeing any expression to show he was lying.

Ran Chunhua chuckled as she glanced sideways before turning back to Si Ning, her body language screaming she doesn't believe him. "Then why didn't you refuse when his Majesty told you to be his Consort?" She asked as she raised her eyebrows, her voice sharp and stern, her sitting position showing that she was a noblewoman that have power and also have her pride as the Concubine of Xiu Zhicheng.

What!

All the historical dramas Si Ning had seen and the ones he acted in, not for once did a person refuse the Emperor especially when the Emperor wants to take in a Concubine but now Ran Chunhua just told him blandly that he had an option to refuse.

Si Ning had no idea why Ran Chunhua would say that, it almost sounded like she was jealous and dealing with a jealous woman was something Si Ning wasn't familiar with even though Ran Chunhua was keeping a straight face to hide any emotion from being seen but Si Ning knew from what he heard that she was supposed to be Xiu Zhicheng first wife but being the second wife hurt her pride and this made Xiu Ting, not like either the Crown Prince, Xiu Junjie or his mother Ling Changying, the first Concubine of Xiu Zhicheng.

All these details Si Ning gathered he realised Ran Chunhua was a proud woman who wants to sit at the top of the table. Even though Ling Changying was Xiu Zhicheng first wife, Ran Chunhua still felt like her rank was higher than Ling Changying.

Ran Chunhua sitting posture already shown that she had nothing to lose. Looking at her made Si Ning wondered how the Crown Prince title had not been stripped from Xiu Junjie and giving to Xiu Yuan but looking at her Si Ning realised it was possible and the woman sitting in front of him looked like she had things planned out and Si Ning would ruin it by joining the harem.

"I...." Si Ning stopped because he wasn't about to say he was scared of refusing the Emperor or didn't know he had that option yet the option doesn't seem like something that exists, an option he never for once thought possible or see an option like that in any of the books Ah Dai provided for him when he was searching for a way out.

"Or do you still clench to him because you still love him?" She started, taking another sip of her tea. "Still perhaps hoping to grasp his majesty heart."

Si Ning sighed now wondering how he was able to have a smooth relation with Liu Ting when women were so hard to understand. "I do not love him." He said firmly as his heart wavers and he felt like he just told a lie.

Get a grip on yourself. You do not love Xiu Zhicheng, you are only weak to pleasure and that is why you sometimes think of what we did in the Jasmine Palace and as soon as you get laid everything will be normal.

Si Ning was satisfied with his thought and he subconsciously nodded, agreeing to his thought and the last statement he made.

"Then tell me, General Si Ning, why didn't you refuse him and threaten to take your life unless he takes it back and leave you be!" She raised her voice a bit before giving Si Ning an apology look as she took a sip of her tea trying to calm her nerves.

Si Ning blinked. "And what if Xiu... His Majesty refused?" He had to ask to understand their odd discussion better.

"Then you can end your life!" Ran Chunhua almost yelled as she placed the teacup on the table with so much force it would have broke if not for her quickly withdrawing her hand making the tea spill on the table but none of them was concerned about the spilled tea.

What? Did she just mention death?

Si Ning couldn't believe what he just heard, he doesn't like how the people in this era sees death as a normal occurrence and Ran Chunhua just told him to die if Xiu Zhicheng insisted on marrying him, die for what? And gain nothing with his death, absolutely nothing.

For such a beautiful young lady to utter such words and act like it was the right thing to do started to give Si Ning a headache. 

How dare she tell me to die?

Oh, this was crazy than Si Ning thought, after losing an enemy it seemed he gained one. His wedding was approaching and he wondered how many enemies he would gain after getting married to Xiu Zhicheng. A wedding that was stressing him up and the cause of his chaotic mind.

"Isn't that what you told me General Si Ning that you are finally free and doesn't want anything to do with his Majesty anymore when I had A-Yuan." She continued without waiting for a reply. "Do General Si Ning not stand by his words?"

Si Ning doesn't want to continue this discussion anymore, he wasn't going to sit and talk to a person that just indirectly told him to die was better for him than to marry the Emperor since there was no way out of it but how to end the discussion without sounding rude made him closed his eyes to think.

"General, the escorts have been waiting for long." Xiao Pei called outside.

Si Ning opened his eyes, glad for the interruption. "I apologise Concubine Ran but I have somewhere to be." He said without giving a reply to Ran Chunhua question.

Ran Chunhua stood up and wore her hat. "I will be seeing you, General Si Ning." She said and before Si Ning could say a word, she was already out of the door.