Unruly Phoenix Xiaoyao

Chapter 365: Supreme Commander cries bitterly & the furious father

“Wait for me outside the capital, Father,” First Young Master Ning insisted on meeting with Lou Zigui. After the Duke of Yue got on his horse, he whispered into his ear, “Rest assure father, I will not let Lou Zigui off.”

“You!” the Duke of Yue grabbed his son. If he wants to beat someone up, they should go together ah! Since they can’t get that dog Xie Wenyuan yet, they might as well first beat up Lou Zigui!

“The Black Frost Cavalry has already entered the capital,” First Young Master Ning continued whispering into the Duke of Yue’s ear, “We don’t even know if Lou Zigui has anything up his sleeves. It’s better to be safe than sorry.”

“Then why are you still going?” the Duke of Yue hastily asked. First Young Master Ning looked at those behind his family and remained silent.

The Duke of Yue wasn’t stupid and immediately understood what his eldest son meant. With them waiting at the south gate, Lou Zigui would have to ask him for permission before killing his eldest son ah! 

“Elder Li and the others have arrived,” Pei Yan added from behind the father and son duo. “Father please tell Elder Li I’ll be back.” First Young Master mounted his horse.

“Big bro!” Ning Xiaoluo shouted. First Young Master Ning sat on his horse and looked at his dumb little brother and suddenly blurted out, “Dongfu can follow me to see Lou Zigui.”

“Ah? Ok.” Ning Xiaoluo heard that and immediately mounted his horse. Seeing both his sons ride away, the Duke of Yue wiped his eyes and slowly made his way down the bridge to greet Elder Li.

“What are we going to say when we see Lou Zigui? Are we going to give him a scolding?” On the way there, Ning Xiaoluo asked his big brother.

“You don’t have to say anything. Just let Lou Zigui look at you.” Ning Xiaoluo asked dumbly, “After seeing me, His Majesty will be alive again?”

“There’s something I can finally tell you. Do you know why father rushed all the way here?” Ning Xiaoluo was puzzled. “Because His Majesty saved my life? Father has said it before, I have to repay that favour no matter what it takes.”

First Young Master Ning sighed and relayed to Ning Xiaoluo, “Fifteen years ago, mother birthed a daughter in Grand Preceptor’s estate…” Third Young Master Ning listened attentively to First Young Master Ning’s story and stayed silent throughout.

“That’s what happened,” First Young Master Ning finished the story. Third Young Master Ning touched his face and only uttered one sentence, “No wonder.”

“Both of you take after mother,” First Young Master Ning stated. “Then why didn’t you take her away while we were here?” 

After First Young Master Ning highlighted the resemblance to their mother, Ning Xiaoluo was set ablaze and instantly shouted, “Why did you leave her in the capital!?” Tears glistened in First Young Master Ning’s eyes. Lowering his voice, he muttered, “Because I never thought things would end up like this.”

“You.. Did you tell His Majesty?” Third Young Master Ning trembled.

“No.”

“Why ah?!” the fire that was repressed immediately flared up again and Ning Xiaoluo passionately shouted. “Because I couldn’t do anything for her then,” First Young Master Ning helplessly replied, “Even if I told her the truth, what’s the point? Was His Majesty supposed to give me a title or rewards?”

Third Young Master Ning stayed silent. An hour later, First Young Master Ning brought Third Young Master Ning to the courtyard away from Fang Tang’s suspicious eyes. Pushing open the doors to the Supreme Splendor Hall, the two brothers walked into Ning Xiaoyao’s bedroom.

Lou Zigui looked up and saw First Young Master Ning on the first glance. On second glance, he saw Third Young Master Ning with red and swollen eyes. Lou Zigui frantically got up and smashed the chair onto the ground.

“Your.. Your Majesty?” Lou Zigui probed and called out to Third Young Master Ning. Third Young Master Ning looked at Lou Zigui with hatred in his eyes.

“You are not His Majesty,” Lou Zigui whispered dejectedly. Miss Ning would never look at him with those eyes.

“He is Ning Xiaoluo.” First Young Master crisply told Lou Zigui. So what Miss Ning said was true after all. Ning Xiaoluo really looked exactly like.. like her? Lou Zigui widened his eyes and his expression morphed from disbelief to panic.

“Wait for me outside.” First Young Master Ning patted Third Young Master Ning’s shoulders. Third Young Master Ning turned to leave.

“Wait a second!” Lou Zigui called out.

“You’re not the emperor yet,” Third Young Master Ning said erratically, “You think you can order me around now? Pah! *spits on the ground*” After shouting at Lou Zigui, Third Young Master Ning slammed the door and left.

“You might feel that you don’t owe His Majesty anything,” First Young Master Ning sat down on the opposite of Lou Zigui and slowly drawled, “Perhaps that is so. His Majesty saved you once and you helped her resolve the division of the capital. The debts between you two have been settled. Thus, it doesn’t matter why you took so long to come. Your motives are understandable. You are only human and the allure of the country is too seductive.”

Lou Zigui remained still while he stared at First Young Master Ning. He wanted to speak but no words came out. “I brought Dongfu to meet you,” First Young Master Ning continued, “Because I wanted to let you know about the past. His Majesty is my Duke of Yue’s Fourth Young Miss. Fifteen years ago, my mother gave birth to a girl on the same day as Empress Dowager Xie in the Grand Preceptor estate. The little princess must have died during childbirth. Xie Wenyuan used my sister to replace that little princess.”

Lou Zigui slowly retreated and lowered himself down to a chair.

“She and Dongfu both take after my mother. They are very similar.” Lou Zigui opened his mouth but nothing came out.

“I’m not telling you this to make you guilty and upset. His Majesty is not a male and also not of royal descent. She is the Fourth Young Miss of the Duke of Yue’s estate. Of course, I could just be making a mountain out of a molehill. Perhaps, Supreme Commander is not guilty and upset at all,” First Young Master Ning got up from the chair and looked at Lou Zigui, “Currently, the throne has no owner. I should congratulate Supreme Commander in advance.”

First Young Master turned to leave. “We’re leaving just like that?” Third Young Master Ning shouted indignantly from outside the door, “Big bro, are we just going to let it go like this?!”

Sounds of footsteps faded. Ning Moyuan must have took Ning Xiaoluo away. Immediately, the door opened again and Fang Tang ran into the Supreme Splendor Hall. “Get out!” Lou Zigui screamed.

“The Ning brothers…” 

“Get out!” Lou Zigui furiously roared. Fang Tang could only retreat.

The Duke of Yue’s Fourth Young Miss, Fourth Young Miss... Lou Zigui kept chanting these three words and couldn’t help but laugh to himself. He mocked himself for being too stupid. Mocked himself for being obsessed with power.

In the end, Lou Zigui could no longer hold back as his mouth quivered and water dripped on his hands. Anyuan’s Supreme Commander sat in the empty palace room and wept bitterly.

Meanwhile, in another chamber, Prince Fu’s servants were packing Prince Fu’s luggage. A few imperial princes stood in front of him. After staring at each other for a long time, Third Prince finally opened his mouth, “Imperial Uncle, you’re going to leave?”

Prince Fu stared coldly at the princes before him, “The capital gates are open now, why would I stay?”

“But His Majesty is already gone... If you leave as well, we…” Prince Fu waved his hand to stop Third Prince from continuing, “Have you already forgotten my scolding from the other day?”

Third Prince forced a smile, “I know that Imperial Uncle only said that in a fit of rage.”

“It wasn’t in a fit of rage,” Prince Fu sighed, “I have no ability to be the emperor. So, I’m leaving.”

“Imperial Uncle ah!” the princes exclaimed simultaneously.

“Currently, all the troops in the capital lie in the possession of Pei Yan and Chen Lu,” Prince Fu continued, “Lou Zigui’s Black Frost Cavalry is located just outside the north gate. The Duke of Yue’s Destruction Prisoner Army is waiting outside the south gate. Aside from that, the Lord Protector still has the troops from thirty-six barracks. Xu Jing is in Xiyuan City. You guys can test your abilities and try to gain possession of these troops.”

Third Prince choked, “Imperial Uncle, you must be joking.”

“I’m not joking. Without troops, how are you going to compete for the throne? Are you going to fight with the troops with your bodyguards?” The princes were stumped to silence by Prince Fu’s words.

“His Majesty sent an imperial edict asking for rescue troops,” Prince Fu shook his head, “I heard that the Destruction Prisoner Army didn’t enter the capital. The Duke of Yue and his sons may be bringing their troops back to Fengzhou tonight.” 

“They’re just leaving like that?” Fourth Prince asked. “The nine states in the southwest is the Duke of Yue estate’s haven,” Prince Fu icily stated, “If they wanted to fight for the throne, it would definitely be better for them to start from Fengzhou.”

“This is a country belonging to our Ning Clan ah!” Third Prince anxiously yelled, “Imperial Uncle, are we just going to hand over our ancestor’s throne like this?!”

“I am useless trash,” Prince Fu sighed, “You can protect the throne if you have the abilities.”

Without troops in their possession, who would have the ability to fight for the throne? The imperial princes were at a loss for words.

Prince Fu stood up and patted his robes. “If you don’t have the abilities, you should learn from me. Live incognito from now on and don’t worry about the throne. Change your surname and live a peaceful life ah.”

“Imperial Uncle!” the imperial princes all got down on their knees. “His Majesty was a good person,” Prince Fu sighed, “Unfortunately, he couldn’t defeat his fate.” Prince Fu bypassed around the imperial princes before walking out of the palace hall.

The imperial princes stayed on their knees for a long time before Third Prince blurted out, “What are we going to do now?”

“With Lou Zigui and the other’s greedy ambitions, wouldn’t those scumbags think of killing us all?” Fifth Prince asked.

The imperial princes got up from the ground and hastily ran out of the palace hall. Protect their ancestor’s throne? Before they could protect the ancestor’s throne, they had to find a way to protect their own lives!

Outside the palace doors, Ning Xiaoluo turned to his big bro, “The imperial princes are trying to escape now?”

First Young Master Ning coldly replied, “If they don’t leave, they would be awaiting death.”

“You return to the estate!” Third Prince ordered his steward from outside the palace doors, “Bring my wife and son. I.. I’m going to leave the capital first. I’ll be waiting for you outside the south gate.”

The steward nodded in assent and ran towards the Third Prince’s estate alone. Third Prince then brought his guards and ran towards the south gate.

“We are just going to let them off like this?” Ning Xiaoluo didn’t have any interest in the imperial princes’ affairs. But after seeing the Third Prince bringing his people away, he couldn’t help but ask his big bro how exactly they were going to get revenge for His Majesty.

First Young Master Ning replied, “Then I’ll wait here, you can go and fight to the death with Lou Zigui.”

Third Young Master Ning made a face, How could he be Lou Zigui’s opponent?

“This isn’t the time for the Destruction Prisoner Army to be fighting the Black Frost Cavalry,” First Young Master Ning coldly uttered. Third Young Master Ning was still unconvinced and wanted to add on when he saw that his big bro had already turned his horse and was heading towards the south gate. Hastily shutting his mouth, he quickly followed behind him.

An hour later, a military officer informed the Duke of Yue outside the south gate. “Duke, Third Prince and Fifth Prince have left the capital.”

The Duke of Yue didn’t even lift his head, “At this juncture, where can they go?”

“Duke’s intention is?”

“Let’s do a good deed. We shouldn’t let these nobles suffer. Let’s send them off.”

“Ah?”

Duke of Yue scoffed, “You don’t understand ah?” “Understood,” the officer raised his voice and accepted the order.

Why did my precious daughter have to sacrifice her life for the throne? The Duke of Yue was currently like a bloodthirsty demon. Since my daughter is dead, none of the Imperial Ning Clan can dream of living!