CHAPTER 364: CHAPTER 364: LIKING SOMEONE ISN’T WRONG

Such a terrifying person, not directly killed, but helped to find and return to them? This... isn’t this lifting a rock only to drop it on one’s own foot?

Xiao Lizi didn’t quite understand Emperor Yongning’s intentions in doing this.

Emperor Yongning scoffed twice, as if mocking himself, and his previously upright back seemed to bend a bit, he spoke weakly, "Xiao Lizi, what you said, how could I not know. However, our East Chukuo has no choice now and must do this..."

Otherwise, if East Chukuo ignites the flames of war at this time, it will face the disaster of extinction!

Compared to the disaster of extinction, striving for a chance to linger on for a few more years, and then gathering momentum to reverse the situation, such a choice is more viable.

As for that noblewoman of the Beast Taming Clan, today they can make a grand search, tomorrow they can unite with another country to assassinate her directly.

If one wants to kill someone, there are always ways.

Emperor Yongning didn’t agonize over the future crisis brought about by the existence of the noblewoman from the Beast Taming Clan.

Because the crisis is not just of East Chukuo, but of other countries as well. Once other countries know of the return of the noblewoman from the Beast Taming Clan, they will certainly take action.

"Alas..."

Xiao Lizi didn’t know Emperor Yongning’s plans, only saw his difficulties, pain, and struggle, and he looked at Emperor Yongning with distress, sighing countless times in his heart.

"The urgent task is to quickly find the noblewoman from the Beast Taming Clan..." Emperor Yongning said, "Xiao Lizi, continue to issue orders, deploy more manpower near the Black Forest, and search quickly."

"It is imperative to find her."

The last sentence, ’It is imperative to find her,’ Emperor Yongning’s voice was a bit low.

As if not hopeful of finding this person, or simply not believing she would be found.

After all, without a portrait or basic characteristics of the person being sought, finding someone who has been missing for more than ten years in the vast sea of people is incredibly difficult.

The hope is slim, or rather, there is no hope at all.

Do what one can, leave the rest to fate.

...

Trapped in the Shang Shufang, Jun Ning, inquired with others about what led East Chukuo and Bei Xia to suddenly come to the brink of war, but everyone around her remained silent, unwilling to speak.

Jun Ning asked continuously for more than half a month, but didn’t get any answers, nor did she understand why everyone was hiding it from her.

She was confined in Shang Shufang to study, reading every day, all of which were about rigid rules and regulations, and she felt like she was going to lose her mind from reading it all.

She really didn’t want to waste her time on this, so she racked her brains and seized an opportunity to slip out of Shang Shufang.

She went to Qi Mansion to see Qi Xiangsi, inquiring about Qi Xiao’s situation, and then, as usual, headed to the Black Market Qianji Pavilion.

Darkness had already fallen, and the vendors at the Black Market had started setting up stalls for business. Many years ago, the cold and deserted street of Qianji Pavilion now had many small stalls, selling all sorts of strange things.

Today Jun Ning was in high spirits, she browsed the small stalls for a while, finally buying a pair of White Jade Crystal Bracelets at a high price, the white jade was top-quality, better than what she had seen in the palace. Moreover, the white jade was inlaid with rare East Sea Crystal.

Saying that this pair of bracelets was priceless was not an exaggeration at all.

However, in a place like the Black Market, there were relatively few people who recognized their value.

Hence, Jun Ning was able to buy them easily, though she spent quite a bit of silver coin.

After the stall owner packed up the White Jade Crystal Bracelets for Jun Ning, Jun Ning took them and went into Qianji Pavilion.

She wanted to give one of the White Jade Crystal Bracelets to Lan Xihe, and wear the other herself. But unexpectedly, on her way to find Lan Xihe, she stumbled upon a scene she shouldn’t have seen.

Not far away, Lan Xihe unexpectedly embraced Ye Ying from behind and said, "Master, I like you, I’ve liked you since I was little, I’ve liked you for many years, do you know?"

"What nonsense is this." Ye Ying broke away from Lan Xihe’s hands, "It seems you still have ample energy, go back and train."

"I won’t go, today Xi He must speak her mind." Lan Xihe completely ignored Ye Ying’s words, for the first time, she was so rebellious.

One must know, in the past, she would comply with everything Ye Ying said, whatever Ye Ying told her to do, she would do, without any retort.

Today’s defiance left Ye Ying also surprised, "What, are you not listening to your master’s words anymore?"

Lan Xihe shook her head, "No." She hesitated for a moment, then said, "I just wanted to tell Master that I like Master very much, not in the way a disciple likes a master, but the kind of liking between a man and a woman."

"Master, I like you, I like you very much."

"To be worthy of you, I work hard every day, strive to complete all the tasks you assign me, desperately trying to get close to you."

"I beg you, please don’t marry someone else, and don’t let those noblemen indiscriminately decide marriages for you, wait for me to grow up, will you marry me?"

Lan Xihe was not talking nonsense, she was serious, very serious.

And these words, she had held in her heart for a long time, but never dared to say them. The reason she impulsively spoke out today was that she was provoked by those sending women to Ye Ying.

Ye Ying never expected that Lan Xihe would have such thoughts about him.

To be understood, he had always regarded Lan Xihe as a little girl, even though she was almost of marrying age, he never saw her as a woman of age.

But he never expected that she had already harbored so many miscellaneous thoughts.

If Lan Xihe hadn’t spoken today, he might never have noticed, would never have known she had so many stray thoughts, all her mind filled with these stray thoughts.

"Xi He, do you want to disappoint your master?" Ye Ying calmly responded.

Lan Xihe panicked upon hearing this, "No..."

Ye Ying emanated a cold air, and said inexorably, "Then train well and become a better version of yourself. Don’t indulge in such frivolous thoughts at a young age."

"Master?"

Lan Xihe didn’t receive the response she sought in her heart, she looked at Ye Ying with disappointment.

Ye Ying also looked at her, but his expression was cold as ice. Whenever she made a grave mistake, he would look at her like that. Such a gaze always made her feel afraid.

Especially at this very moment.

She expressed her affection for him, wanting to marry him.

But he looked at her as if she had committed an unforgivable mistake.

Why did he have to look at her like that?

Loving someone isn’t wrong! Even if she’s only a teenager.

"Master will say it one last time, go back and train?" Seeing Lan Xihe standing still, Ye Ying urged.

"Yes!" Lan Xihe nodded glumly and walked away.

But after a few steps, she bumped into Jun Ning, Jun Ning blocked her, "So late, what’s the point of training? Besides, I came today, Sister Xi He, don’t go train, stay with me and chat, okay?"