Chapter 140 - Chapter 140: 140. Just a hairpin

Chapter 140: 140. Just a hairpin

Translator: 549690339

By the time Ning Jing and Su Liang arrived at the Battle Arena with

Zhengzheng, the afternoon contests were more than halfway through, leaving only four groups remaining.

During the intermission between the two matches, Chang’an went to Duanmu Chen’s side and whispered a few words.

Duanmu Chen raised his eyebrows and gave him a look.

As soon as Chang’an left, Duanmu Chen saw Su Liang and Ning Jing appear by Xing Yusheng’s side, with Ning Jing holding a smiling little child in her arms.

At first glance, they looked very much like a sweet, loving family of three.

Duanmu Chen’s gaze landed on Duanmu Che’s face, and sure enough, he saw him looking towards Su Liang’s position.

“Sixth sister.” Duanmu Chen suddenly turned his head to call out to Duanmu Qianqian.

“Fourth imperial brother, what’s the matter?” Duanmu Qianqian looked dutiful.

Duanmu Chen smiled, “You have a good relationship with Miss Nian, do you know who her master is?”

Duanmu Qianqian blurted out, “It should be General Nian who taught her, right? Before, when I would look for Xuexue to play, she often mentioned wanting to learn martial arts from General Nian but didn’t have the time. I just didn’t expect her swordsmanship to be so good and never revealing it, it’s so humble and truly rare.”

“Indeed.” Duanmu Chen agreed. If Nian Ruxue had been hiding her skills just to shine in the Military Exam, he would have to look at her differently.

The next competition began.

Su Liang focused on watching the competition, occasionally sharing her thoughts with Ning Jing, such as admiring a particular move and wanting to try practicing it when she got back.

Ning Jing rarely offered his opinions. Every time Su Liang spoke to him, he would slightly lower his head, leaning towards Su Liang, looking far from close, and even as if Ning Jing’s neck was uncomfortable and occasionally tilting to the side…

When the four matches ended, the results of the first day’s ranking matches were out.

Although there were still nine more days of competition, those who had watched the whole day’s matches already had a list of strong contenders in their minds.

Most people believed that Su Liang and Nian Ruxue had the strength to advance to the final competition and even make it into the top three.

And the participation of these two women made this Military Exam quite unique and highly anticipated by the audience.

When Duanmu Che was pushed away from the Battle Arena in his wheelchair by his old servant, he glanced at Su Liang’s direction again.

The old man whispered, “Master, should I go and find her?”

“I don’t want to repeat what I already said.” Duanmu Che said indifferently, “If she doesn’t come to find me again, let’s pretend to be strangers.”

The old man sighed deeply and left with Duanmu Che.

On the way home, Su Liang and Ning Jing learned that the news of Duanmu Ao being thrown out of Nian Ruxue’s carriage, disheveled in public, had spread like wildfire.

“Someone must have fueled the fire.” Su Liang said. It hadn’t been long.

She guessed that it might have been done by Duanmu Chen since he was very concerned about the movements of his “enemies.’

Although suspicious, they had not yet confirmed that the Nian Ruxue participatinz in the Militarv Exam was a fake.

Now, Su Liang was watching the events unfold. The more things that happened to Nian Ruxue, the more likely a mistake would be exposed.

Last time, Duanmu Ao was injured at Huguo Temple, but no one had seen it happen.

This time, on the bustling main street, the second prince fell out of a carriage and fainted, and it was from a woman’s carriage. If there was no reasonable explanation, how would he save face?

Duanmu Chen, who had sent Chang’an to secretly instigate trouble, received news about Duanmu Ao again: he was summoned into the palace late that night.

“Master, if the emperor is looking for the second prince regarding today’s incident, will he still protect Nian Ruxue?” Chang’an asked.

Duanmu Chen sneered, “Protect her? With Duanmu Ao’s beastly nature, he probably just wants to ravage Nian Ruxue now. But after all, Nian Ruxue has a status and must be married first before he can do as he pleases.”

At this moment, in the Imperial Palace, Duanmu Ao knelt before Emperor Duanmu Yi with a gloomy expression on his face.

“What happened today?” Duanmu Yi asked coldly.

Lowering his head, Duanmu Ao said, “I couldn’t control myself after thinking about being engaged to Miss Nian and offended her.”

Duanmu Yi’s face darkened, and he grabbed the inkstone and smashed it on the ground in front of Duanmu Ao, “You fool! You’ve lost all the face of the royal family! ”

“Father, please forgive me. I already have an intimate relationship with Miss Nian, and it’s my fault, not hers. Now I just hope to advance the wedding date, so that outsiders can’t gossip anymore,” Duanmu Ao said.

Duanmu Yi looked at him, “How is the injury from last time?”

Duanmu Ao’s expression stiffened, but he gritted his teeth and said, “It’s much better.”

“The Yin Country wants to have peace talks with the Qian Country, and the envoy will arrive soon, including General Man Ya,” Duanmu Yi said coldly.

Duanmu Ao was stunned.

General Man Ya was a famous young female general in the Yin Country, and even the entire world. She was also the one who had once publicly ridiculed Qian Country’s women for only knowing how to embroider.

“The participation of the two women in this Military Exam will soon be known all over the world. When Man Ya comes, there will be a big fuss. Qian Country can’t afford to lose face again! Do you understand?” Duanmu Yi said coldly.

Duanmu Ao nodded subconsciously, “Yes, Father.”

“Behave yourself lately and don’t provoke Miss Nian. As for the wedding date, it will be decided after the Military Exam and negotiations with the Yin Country,”

Duanmu Yi said.

Soon after, Duanmu Ao walked out of the palace with a sullen expression.

Duanmu Chen soon received the news.

“It seems that father wants to protect Nian Ruxue,” Duanmu Chen thought,

“but only for the time being.”

Chang’an frowned, “If Miss Nian really shines in the Military Exam, can she reject or change the imperial marriage decree?”

Duanmu Chen snorted, “It’s not impossible. That’s why it’s even more important to tie her tightly to Duanmu Ao and not let them separate. If she is capable and ambitious, after marrying Duanmu Ao, she might instigate conflicts between Duanmu Ao and Duanmu Cheng. Wouldn’t that be interesting?”

Changing the subject, Duanmu Chen asked, “Any movement from Duanmu

Che?”

Chang’an shook his head, “No. No one has come out since the Fifth Prince returned home today.”

Fifth Prince’s Mansion

It was late, and Duanmu Che was still reading.

“Master, you should go to bed,” the old man persuaded.

Duanmu Che turned a page of the book and suddenly asked, “Is the letter Su

Liang sent that day still here?”

The old man hesitated for a moment before shaking his head, “As per your order, master, the servant burned it.”

“You never read what she wrote?” Duanmu Che asked.

The old man sighed, “No. Back then, I also had a deep prejudice against Miss Su and thought that there would no longer be any connection between us, so I didn’t bother reading it.”

Seeing Duanmu Che’s silence, the old man tentatively said, “Why doesn’t the servant find Miss Su now? Since she is a martial artist, it would be convenient for her to come at night without anyone noticing.”

Duanmu Che’s face darkened slightly, “I said it before, wait for her to come find me again!”

The old man sighed again, “Yes. Master, you should rest early since you have to go watch the competition tomorrow morning.”

Duanmu Che put down his book, “Not going.” He then entered his inner chamber.

The old man looked at the silhouette projected on the folding screen, his expression filled with helplessness.

It was deep in the night, and the weather was chilly in spring.

Su Liang hadn’t gone to bed yet, and was discussing the day’s competition with Ning Jing on the training ground.

Learning from others’ techniques was not an easy task, but Su Liang had always been good at learning and mastering other people’s strengths as her own. Ning Jing was an excellent master and practice partner for her.

The two finished their fight and left the training ground together. They walked around the Garden Lake three times while Su Liang finished telling the story of Romance of the Three Kingdoms. Afterward, they went to rest.

Before they went their separate ways, Ning Jing asked, “What will you tell next time?”

Without thinking, Su Liang said, “Journey to the West.”

“What kind of story is that?” asked Ning Jing.

With a serious expression, Su Liang explained, “A monkey, a pig, a river demon, and a monk traveling together to obtain scriptures. Are you not interested now?”

Ning Jing shook his head, “If you aren’t tired, I’d like to start listening now.”

As Su Liang rolled her eyes she told him, “Go to sleep, you can find anything in your dreams.”

Ning Jing once told Su Liang these same words, she had never forgotten them, and finally had a chance to use them back against him.

The second day of the rankings.

Duanmu Che did not appear, and Su Liang still didn’t end up in the same group with Nian Ruxue. But they both won their individual matches.

Duanmu Ao came and, in front of Duanmu Cheng and Duanmu Chen, laughed and said that there was nothing going on between him and Nian Ruxue, they were just playing around yesterday.

Duanmu Chen expressed that as long as Duanmu Ao was happy, it was all good.

Anyways, watching Duanmu Cheng’s fake smile was quite an amusing sight…

That evening, the Nian Family received news that Nian Jincheng was on his way back to the capital.

Duanmu Chen sent Chang’an to inform Su Liang of the same news, with more details.

“Nanping Prince has been captured and beheaded, Yin Country wants to talk peace with Qian Country, and the envoy will return to the capital with Nian Jincheng. It seems he has accomplished a great feat this time, and if he learns that Nian Ruxue has been granted in marriage as a concubine for Duanmu Ao after returning, he will probably stand up for her,” said Su Liang.

Ning Jing didn’t say anything about this, but he secretly went to the Lin Family and informed them that Lin Bojun was safe and should be back by the end of the month, so they should feel at ease.

In a city in the southern part of Qian Country.

Nian Jincheng walked out of Yin Country’s envoy’s residence with a dark face, while Lin Bojun, waiting outside, greeted him with a sympathetic look. However, his words were difficult to hide the mockery, “Did that woman with the surname Wood tease General Nian again?

Nian Jincheng snorted lightly, “Bo Jun, if you continue to gloat, I’ll arrange for you to deal with Mu Ya.”

Lin Bojun hurriedly raised his hands in a salute, “No, no, no! General Nian, please don’t scare me! I have someone I love, and I’m waiting to go back to the capital to propose marriage! Besides, General Mu Ya wouldn’t care for me!” “Which young lady is it?” Nian Jincheng asked.

The two had a good relationship, and they had become good friends while carrying out their mission together.

Lin Bojun grinned and hooked Nian Jincheng’s shoulder, “I’ll tell you, but you can’t tell anyone else. It’s Duke Qin’s daughter, but it’s just me who has feelings for her.”

Nian Jincheng nodded, “A perfect match. You have made great contributions, and after we return, His Majesty will certainly reward you greatly. You can ask His Majesty to arrange a marriage for you.”

Lin Bojun’s expression turned serious, “That won’t work! What if Lady Qin doesn’t like it? And the credit for killing Nanping Prince belongs to both of us, not just to me.”

Nian Jincheng shook his head, “Even though my official position is higher than yours, you don’t have to act like this. In the end, you were the one who discovered Nanping Prince, captured him, and beheaded him. The greatest contribution is yours.”

“It was just luck,” Lin Bojun said.

Nian Jincheng frowned, “In any case, I will report the truth to His Majesty. There’s no need for further discussion on this matter.”

The two had argued over this issue many times before, so Lin Bojun knew that Nian Jincheng was honest and upright, so he didn’t say anything more.

Lin Bojun was holding a brocade box in his hand. Nian Jincheng glanced at it but showed no interest in asking about it. Lin Bojun took the initiative to open it for him. Inside were three wooden hairpins, very delicate and clever.

“For Lady Qin?” Nian Jincheng casually asked.

Lin Bojun grinned, “One is for my little sister. One is for Miss Qin, if she agrees to be with me. And the last one is for my junior brother!”

Nian Jincheng was taken aback, “Your junior brother…”

“His name is Ning Jing, my father’s disciple.” Lin Bojun laughed. Now that the Ning Family was no longer in trouble and the Xing Family had transitioned peacefully, there was no need to hide their relationship with Ning Jing. Nian Jincheng was puzzled, “The hairpin, you are giving it for him to wear?”

Lin Bojun burst into laughter, “Of course not! Misunderstanding! I heard that there was a famous woodcarver in the city today, so I took the time to buy these three. Actually, this one is meant for a little sister, but I must have my junior brother deliver it! They are a pair!”

Nian Jincheng immediately understood that it was for Su Liang. However, Lin Bojun did not know that Nian Jincheng had already met Ning Jing and Su Liang.

“Where does the craftsman live?” Nian Jincheng asked.

“Are you going to buy one for your sister? It’s too late today. We’re leaving early tomorrow, and there may not be enough time. It’s my fault for not asking you sooner if you wanted one,” Lin Bojun said.

Nian Jincheng shook his head, “I’ll go and see, I can pay extra.”

The next day, when the team was preparing to leave, Nian Jincheng returned from shopping and held a wooden box, which contained three wooden hairpins.

One of them was for Nian Ruxue.

The other two were a pair, meant for Ning Jing and Su Liang.

Just as Nian Jincheng dismounted, the wooden box in his hand was snatched away.

A silver-belled laugh rang out, “General Nian must have bought these hairpins for me. I accept them with a smile!”

Nian Jincheng frowned, “Please return the box, General Mu.”

The woman wearing half a mask opened the wooden box, took out the hairpins, and threw the box back to Nian Jincheng, “I’ll take the hairpins, and you can have the box.”

Nian Jincheng’s forehead twitched, “General Mu, those hairpins are for my sister and a friend; please return them.”

“What friend?” Man Ya asked, “1 heard that you only have one friend, who seems to have the surname Gu. Is it him?”

Lin Bojun looked at the hairpins in Man Ya’s hand and quickly stepped forward, “General Mu, last night I told General Nian that after returning to the capital, I might soon get married. He bought it as a congratulatory gift for me!”

“I see.” Man Ya laughed and walked over, “Here, I’ll give it back to you!”

Nian Jincheng reached out, just as he caught it, Man Ya snatched the hairpin he was wearing and walked away.

“It’s your waist sword!” Man Ya glanced at the hairpin, then at the sword on Nian Jincheng’s waist, looking astonished, “I like this one!”

It was a birthday gift from someone to Nian Jincheng, and his face darkened. “General Mu, please return it!”

“General Nian, you can’t be so stingy? Is this how men in Qian Country treat their guests? It’s just a wooden hairpin; is it because your friend with the surname Gu gave it to you that you can’t bear to part with it?” Man Ya laughed and asked.

Lin Bojun initially thought that Man Ya was genuinely interested in Nian Jincheng, but now realized that she was up to no good! Who didn’t know who her friend with the surname Gu really was?

‘General Mu, please return my hairpin,” Nian Jincheng said, his black hair flowing down and his expression cold.

But Man Ya pretended to insert the hairpin into her hair, “I won’t give it back!”

Nian Jincheng slapped Man Ya’s hand, catching her off guard, grabbing her wrist, and snatching back the hairpin.

“General Mu, in Qian Country, we treat our guests this way: there are some things we can give, but you can’t take!” Nian Jincheng said firmly, before turning to order the team to move out.

Man Ya stood there, staring intently at Nian Jincheng’s retreating figure. A moment later, she snorted coldly and turned to walk toward her horse. Lin Bojun secretly gave Nian Jincheng a thumbs up. What he said just now was excellent!

As the two walked side by side, Lin Bojun looked at Nian Jincheng’s hairpin and laughed, “If that woman had broken your hairpin just now, I think you might have killed her.”

Nian Jincheng shook his head expressionlessly, “Not that far. It’s just a hairpin.

At most, I’d break one of her legs..”