This Lady Is Trying to Kill Me

Chapter 43: Annoying Trifles

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

Dye Workshop Street, Double Osmanthus Alley…

The sun was rising in the east, and golden rays of light sprinkled on the vegetable trellis covered in dewdrops. The stars were crystal clear.

The orderly sound of cutting vegetables echoed in the spotless courtyard.

Thump, thump!

A stunningly beautiful woman in a thin blue dress stood elegantly in front of the kitchen window. The golden morning sun shone on her face, and her peach blossom eyes were lost in thought. After putting the sliced garlic sprouts on a porcelain plate, she looked up at the rising sun in the distance.

There were three rooms in the old courtyard. Every day, she cooked, planted flowers and plants, and waited for her husband… No, waited for her son and daughter to return. There were no sabers and swords of Jianghu, only a leisurely and peaceful life…

Perhaps this was the life of an ordinary person. Ordinary people had long been tired of it, but Jianghu people couldn’t wait for it…

Tap, tap, tap…

Amidst the countless knots in her heart, light footsteps sounded outside the courtyard. It sounded like Yunli’s.

Luo Ning regained her senses and turned around. She saw Yunli, dressed like a girl next door, run back from outside, jump over the wall, and land in the courtyard.

Zhe Yunli was a little anxious. “Martial Mistress, bad news. I was wandering around the streets just now and bumped into Protector Zhang…”

“Hmm?” When Luo Ning heard this, the kitchen knife in her hand paused.

The Protector Zhang that Yunli mentioned was called ‘South Mountain Iron Trigram’ Zhang Henggu. He had been a little Daoist child of the Great Yan imperial astronomer. When the previous dynasty was destroyed, he had escaped to the South Firmament Mountains with the Great Yan imperial family and experienced sixty years of ups and downs. Now, he was one of the Four Great Protectors of Pacifying Heaven Cult and a founding elder. Even the Pacifying Heaven Cult Master had to call him martial uncle.

Now that he had suddenly run to the capital, it could only be the Pacifying Heaven Cult Master had spoken and invited her back to the South Firmament Mountains.

Luo Ning pondered for a moment, then walked out of the kitchen and asked, “Where is Protector Zhang?”

“He arranged a way to leave the capital at the east gate and asked me to go back and invite you over. He said that it’s going to be the Zhou family’s birthday banquet soon. He even brought the Zhou family’s invitation. Martial Mistress, your sword was made with the help of the Zhou family. If you don’t go, people in Jianghu will say that you are ungrateful and forgot your old friends after marrying into a wealthy family…”

When Luo Ning was still the Moon Goddess, she had searched for experts everywhere for help to avenge her family. She had once gone to the Water Cloud Sword Pool. Although she didn’t learn swordsmanship, thanks to her reputation of being ‘beautiful’ in Jianghu, the Zhou family still did her a favor and forged the famous weapon ‘Weeping Water Sword’ at her waist.

Later, she married into the Pacifying Heaven Cult and became the cult mistress, so the Pacifying Heaven Cult naturally came to owe this favor. The Zhou family didn’t ask her to pay them back, but she really couldn’t forget it. “Isn’t Old Master Zhou’s birthday in the middle of next month? It’s not like 1 said I’m not going. Why’s the hurry?”

“Protector Zhang said that there might be friction between the Zhou family and the Red Flower Pavilion at this birthday banquet. There’s a high chance that you’ll be involved if you attend. Master wants to discuss countermeasures with you and wants you to go back.”

Luo Ning’s original plan was to take a boat from the capital to the Zhou family in a few days. In any case, the distance was not far. She would come back after going through the formalities and continue working on rescuing Qiu Tianhe.

Hearing what Yunli said, she couldn’t help frowning. She glanced at the food cooking in the pot. “There’s already some progress in saving Qiu Tianhe…”

Zhe Yunli patted the poached eggs on her chest heroically. “Martial Mistress, don’t worry. I’ve already told Protector Zhang about the situation. I’ll stay in the capital to accompany Brother Jingtang. Protector Zhang will take over and secretly control the situation. You can go back without worry…”

?

Luo Ning’s eyes turned cold as she looked at Zhe Yunli severely. “Nonsense! You have a rash personality. How can I be at ease if you stay in the capital alone?”

Zhe Yunli blinked. “Protector Zhang will protect me in secret. He’s much more powerful than you…”

“That won’t do either.”

Luo Ning would either stay or leave with her. How could she leave Yunli with Ye Jingtang? With that shameless little thief’s personality, by the time she returned, Yunli might be pregnant…

Luo Ning pondered for a moment before walking back to the kitchen. “Ye Jingtang is quite talented. If Protector Zhang sees him, he will definitely think of a way to bring him to the South Firmament Mountains…”

“Isn’t that good?”

“What’s so good about it? Isn’t our Pacifying Heaven Cult rebelling? Ye Jingtang’s goal is to be in the bureaucracy. He’s already done his best to help. Is it appropriate for us to force him to become a rebel in the South Firmament Mountains?”

Zhe Yunli pouted. She wanted to say something, but it wasn’t easy to refute this.

“Let’s go quickly. It’ll only take half a month to go back and forth… I will talk with Ye Jingtang later. Ye Jingtang values chivalry. After we leave, he will still help save Qiu Tianhe. We’ll be back in a few days.”

Zhe Yunli didn’t believe it. “We’ll be gone. Why would Brother Jingtang risk his life to help us save him?”

H ii

Luo Ning opened her mouth, but she couldn’t find a reason. She could only say calmly, “I will persuade him. Go prepare with Protector Zhang first. 1’11 come over later.”

“Okay…” Zhe Yunli could only turn around and leave quickly…

The Pei residence…

The Red Flower Pavilion was very large and had a lot of affairs. Just introducing the various industries took the eight helm masters half a day.

Ye Jingtang was listening, but he didn’t take it to heart. He was helping the Pei family handle affairs. It was fine as long as he helped Third Lady. He didn’t care for the family business, so it was useless to remember these things in detail.

By the time the meeting of the Azure Dragon Hall ended and the helm masters left through the tunnels, it was already noon.

Ye Jingtang crawled out of Third Lady’s bed and appeared in the boudoir. He heard a light tapping… It was the sound of claws kicking the door.

He opened the door and saw that the courtyard was silent. The bird that had been left outside the door for half a day tilted its head and looked elsewhere when it saw him. It made a face that said: Girls before birds… I don’t want to talk to you.

Pei Xiangjun came out of the bed curtain, and her demeanor turned into a gentle little woman again. She came to Ye Jingtang’s side, hugged the angry bird in her arms, and praised, “It’s indeed different to have a man in charge of the family. These helm masters are elders in the family and are all loyal. However, after watching me grow up, they always treat me as a junior in their hearts. 1 can’t lecture them. After you’ve taken them down a notch today and taught them the rules, it will be much easier to talk to them in the future.”

Ye Jingtang used to feel light-headed when he saw Third Lady’s admiring gaze, but after discovering that she was the Red God of Wealth, he instantly felt different. You’re the dignified leader of the Red Flower Pavilion, a famous formidable figure in Jianghu, yet you’re pretending to be a pitiful and beautiful woman asking for protection in front of me?

But being admired by a strong woman seemed to make him feel even more smug…

Ye Jingtang’s thoughts were a little chaotic. He thought for a moment and replied, “It’s just my duty. Third Lady, it’s good that you don’t mind. It’s getting late. I’ll go back first and come back tomorrow morning to listen to your arrangements.”

“You’re already the young master. Why are you treating us like outsiders and living outside? Your aunt has cleaned up the east wing, so you can live at home from now on.”

“The Pei family is full of women. As a man with a different surname, it’s inevitable that I’ll attract gossip if I live here. Dye Workshop Street isn’t far from here. Third Lady, you can send someone to call me at any time.”

Pei Xiangjun was placing all her hopes on reviving the Red Flower Pavilion on Ye Jingtang, so she naturally wanted to stay in front of him and spend day and night with him to nurture their relationship. But since Ye Jingtang was so persistent, she couldn’t force him to stay. She could only say, “I don’t need your help with the matters of Heavenly Water Bridge. The most important thing for you now is to go to the Juyi Building in a few days and help me suppress the hall masters. Go back and rest first. I’ll teach you spearmanship later.”

With that, Pei Xiangjun walked to the dressing table, opened a small drawer, and took out a stack of banknotes. It seemed she wanted to give Ye Jingtang pocket money.

Judging from the denomination of the banknotes, ten of them added up to a thousand taels. A thousand taels was approximately more than a million Chinese yuan according to purchasing power!

Seeing this scene, Ye Jingtang finally understood what it was like to be taken care of by a beautiful rich woman.

But as an upright man, he definitely wouldn’t take a gift other than his salary. He cupped his hands and said, “I’ll leave first. Third Lady, rest early.”

He went straight out the door.

“Huh?” Pei Xiangjun had just taken out the banknotes when she saw Ye Jingtang and the bird leave in a hurry.. Her eyes were full of helplessness…