Chapter 220: Supreme Commander, hurry up and marry Xiaoyao
Ning Xiaoyao sat there blankly while Big Boss Black and Grandfather Sparrow exchanged glances. Then one perched by Ning Xiaoyao's feet while the other flew to her shoulder to keep her company.
"Supreme Commander said before that he'd give me a proper account in the future." After a long while of sitting, Ning Xiaoyao took the last sugar bean out of her pocket and munched it up. "Is this the promise you guys were talking about?"
Grandfather Sparrow said, "Then when is this future going to come?"
Ning Xiaoyao thought it over. "After we kill Grand Preceptor Xie?"
"Then when will you guys be able to kill off Grand Preceptor Xie?" Big Boss Black asked next.
Ning Xiaoyao scratched her palms as she shook her head. "I don't know, ah. The Grand Preceptor's really powerful."
"Ninny," Big Boss Black rolled his eyes at her. "Jiao Jiao's told me multiple times that she'd have sons with me."
Ning Xiaoyao overlooked the 'ninny' comment and asked, "Then did you guys have kittens together yet?"
"No." At those words, both Big Boss Black's whiskers as well his fur all drooped.
Ning Xiaoyao's mouth twitched. "Looks like Jiao Jiao's just as hard to catch as Supreme Commander, ha."
Grandfather Sparrow said, "Xiaoyao, you also need to remember that Supreme Commander has a very, very big grudge against the late emperor, your own father."
"……" said Ning Xiaoyao. Here was a heartbreaking fact. It wasn't just her father, but her mother and maternal grandpa who had grudges with Supreme Commander, ah!
Big Boss Black whispered, "Xiaoyao, it would've been better if you weren't the late emperor's son."
"You're saying that as if I wanted to be that stupid bastard's son," Ning Xiaoyao replied. "Ah peh! What son? It should be daughter."
"Don't talk about such pointless things," Grandfather Sparrow flapped his wings at Big Boss Black.
"So that's why you shouldn't be so docile before you figure out what Supreme Commander's thinking, you ninny. You're worrying this cat to death, miaow!" Big Boss Black meowed at her. Ning Xiaoyao narrowed her eyes to look out at the flower gardens and suddenly thought of a problem. Why didn't I just show off some of my green healing orbs instead? Why did I try to rely on Big Boss Black instead? She whacked herself on the head and realized she'd played the ninny once again.
"Why are you hitting yourself?" Big Boss Black asked.
Ning Xiaoyao stood listlessly to her feet. "No reason. Let's go back. There'll be egg yolk guoba to eat later, that's worth waiting for."
Grandfather Sparrow nuzzled against Ning Xiaoyao's cheek with his head before flying off. Big Boss Black jumped up to perch around Ning Xiaoyao's shoulders as usual. Ning Xiaoyao walked a bit more before whacking herself on the head again.
Big Boss Black's whiskers twitched. "Are you thinking you're not stupid enough yet?"
"I've been all tangled up listening to you and Grandfather Sparrow talk," Ning Xiaoyao said, "The way you guys put it, it sounds like I've already given Supreme Commander my promise or something."
Big Boss Black cocked his head to one side and looked at her. "You mean you're not Supreme Commander's waifu? If you don't pair up with Supreme Commander, who else would you pick?"
Ning Xiaoyao pursed her lips. "Waifu? Have I even married your Supreme Commander yet?"
"……" said Big Boss Black. She really hasn't.
"Who knows what might happen in the future?" Ning Xiaoyao resumed walking. "Let's think of ways to survive first."
Big Boss Black grew a little afraid at her words. "Xiaoyao, are you going to die?"
"All humans die," Ning Xiaoyao said, "Maybe Grand Preceptor Xie will get rid of me, or that Big Boss Xiang will kill me, or the Northern Hu will murder me, or even a carriage will run me over and leave me dead when I'm crossing the road."
Big Boss Black grew blank for a long while before he finally managed to asked, "If you die, what will happen to Supreme Commander?"
Ning Xiaoyao rubbed her chin in thought. The Earth still spun even when people died. Who hadn't lost family members, loved ones, or friends in the apocalypse? Didn't everyone just have a cry and find ways to live on all the same? Following that principle, would Lou Zigui stop living just because there was no more Ning Xiaoyao? She found the idea impossible. After figuring things out, Ning Xiaoyao was much more at ease. She felt like a ninny for feeling so uncomfortable back then. There were so many problems to take care of now, so why waste time considering the future? Whether or not they'd live was still a conundrum, to say nothing of forever and ever.
"Let's go back and fill our stomachs first," Ning Xiaoyao said as she raced towards the main palace with a shout. "Chef Huang, I'm coming!"
"….." said Chef Huang as he made meatbuns in the little kitchen. His Majesty's hungry again?
Big Boss Black licked his whiskers. Things had developed differently from what he was expecting. Perhaps Xiaoyao wouldn't even be with Supreme Commander in the future, ah. Now he began to fret about his Supreme Commander—if that's the case, Supreme Commander still needs to work to make Xiaoyao his waifu!
Ning Xiaoyao reached the kitchens in the blink of an eye and sat waiting for Chef Huang's to come out of the steamer. When she saw the two steamers full of tender white buns and counted all 18 pleats on each one, Ning Xiaoyao forgot all about her worries and cares.
One hour later, Lou Zigui entered the kitchen with a bag of egg yolk guoba and osmanthus honey candy. Big Boss Black stood in front of him and meowed with all his might. "Supreme Commander, hurry and marry Xiaoyao already. Otherwise, she'll run away with another man! Supreme Commander, you have to keep going and work hard, ah, miaow~"
Lou Zigui stared at the constantly meowing black cat and said, "You want to eat these? They're for your owner."
You're about to lose your waifu but you're still thinking of gifting her food? No matter how much food I gift Jiao Jiao, she still won't have kittens with me! This doesn't have anything to do with food, alright? You're worrying this cat sick! Big Boss Black anxiously ran in circles around Lou Zigui, hating the fact that he couldn't speak Human.
Lou Zigui circled around Big Boss Black and went straight for the kitchen door. At the same time, Ning Xiaoyao walked out with a meatbun in each hand. Seeing them, Lou Zigui asked, "You've already eaten?"
Ning Xiaoyao rubbed her stomach. "It's fine, I can eat more."
Inside the kitchen, Chef Huang stumbled in his steps. Could it be that the late emperor never summoned His Majesty to court because he couldn't afford to raise His Majesty's voracious appetite? (Author: Have you heard of any emperors who couldn't afford to feed mouths? o(╯□╰)o )
"Want to eat meatbuns?" Ning Xiaoyao beamed as she grabbed the oilpaper package of egg yolk guoba from Lou Zigui's hands while gulping down her meatbuns. With mouth full, she mumbled, "Sheff Hwang's meat'uns are really tastee, the stuffin' duzzn't just have meat, but pamboo shoods and tch'ken too. Haha, tch'ken's a kinda meat too."
"….." said Lou Zigui. Of course chicken is a kind of meat, is that supposed to be something funny?
"Delicious," Ning Xiaoyao said seriously. Inside the kitchens, Chef Huang felt a sense of inexplicably pride. What was the happiest thing for a chef? Knowing that others recognized his cooking skills. People like Ning Xiaoyao would definitely be favorite customers for every chef, because she found everything tasty and ate them like the most luxurious foodstuffs.
Lou Zigui patted Ning Xiaoyao on the head. "I'm not hungry. Tri-stuffing meatbuns can be saved to eat at dinner, too."
"Eh?" Ning Xiaoyao was amazed. "I didn't even say their name yet, but you already knew they were tri-stuffing meatbuns?"
Supreme Commander Lou could only laugh secretly. You've already told me the fillings for the meatbuns, so how couldn't I guess? Every time he talked with this girl, they were always on different pages. He couldn't figure out why.
"Yummy," Ning Xiaoyao's eyes squeezed in pleasure as she bit the still warm egg yolk guoba.
"You like it that much?" Lou Zigui couldn't help asking.
"Mhm," Ning Xiaoyao nodded.
Big Boss Black ran over and raised his head to meow at Supreme Commander. "As long as it's food, the ninny likes them all! She was like this when eating meatbuns too! Supreme Commander, you should marry the ninny!"
Ning Xiaoyao glanced at Big Boss Black, who was sitting by his feet.
"Otherwise, the ninny will run away with someone else, meow!" Big Boss Black called out.
Ning Xiaoyao silently raised a foot and dragged Big Boss Black behind her.
"What's going on with that cat?" Lou Zigui asked.
"Nothing much, he says he worships you a lot," Ning Xiaoyao translated carelessly.
"That's not it!" Big Boss Black wanted to run towards Lou Zigui, so Ning Xiaoyao simply picked him up and threw him over the walls.
"Now the world is peace and quiet," she said to Lou Zigui.
"……" said Lou Zigui.
"Of course, the world would be even more beautiful if the Grand Preceptor didn't exist," Ning Xiaoyao added, before tossing some osmanthus honey candy into her mouth. "Candy's good, too."
The topic had jumped from Grand Preceptor Xie to osmanthus honey candy, leaving Lou Zigui unable to reply. Was he supposed to talk to her about Grand Preceptor Xie or the osmanthus blossom scented sweets?
—
Inside Grand Preceptor Xie's study, a teacup went flying to the ground and shattered into pieces, spilling its contents all over the floor. Everyone sitting or standing in the room didn't dare to say a word.
"Tao Yu," Grand Preceptor Xie spat as he stared at one of his disciples who worked in the military barracks. "His Majesty ordered Tao Yu to lead the troops to East Ji?"
The agent nodded his head before adding timidly, "His Majesty also allowed him to take away his faithful subordinates at the barracks. Prince Fu is accompanying him as well, while the soldiers' grain supplies are being shouldered by the imperial princes."
Grand Preceptor Xie kept staring at the man, who quickly grew uneasy. Still, there were things he had to say, so he continued, "This is what Lou Zigui said himself. The imperial decree should be coming out very soon."
Grand Preceptor Xie stared at the table before him, which still held a few teacups ripe for smashing. But this time he simply rested his hand on the table and lightly pat it a few times. Now wasn't the time to vent his temper, but to find a solution instead.
"Why would it be Tao Yu?" an official asked. "Instead of using a readily available Lou Zigui, His Majesty sent Tao Yu instead?"
Grand Preceptor Xie smiled coldly. Lou Zigui's kept at the capital to deal with me. Should I give that girl my thanks for treating me as the more serious threat? (Author: That's not what His Majesty thought at all….)
"Does Tao Yu have the ability?" another official asked suspiciously. "Has he ever led troops or fought a war?" Tao Yu might have experienced the military life alongside Tao Chen in the past, but few people knew how he'd performed. But after the consort-born son Tao Chen became Grand Preceptor Xie's son-in-law, Tao Yu was forced to suffer under a yoke. Still, if he was completely useless, would Grand Preceptor Xie need to control him in the first place? But now Tao Chen and his entire family were dead, while the people present now were all part of Grand Preceptor Xie's inner circle. They couldn't very well make such blatant assumptions, so they only feigned ignorance about it all.
One official looked worriedly towards the Grand Preceptor. Now that His Majesty's favoring Tao Yu, wouldn't Grand Preceptor Xie be thoroughly discredited if that man makes a name for himself out there?
"Should Grand Preceptor meet with Prince Fu?" another official suggested. Tao Yu was sure to be loyal to His Majesty now, but did they have a chance to win back Prince Fu, Ning Guangshun?