Unruly Phoenix Xiaoyao

Chapter 34: Where there's a Heaven, there's a Hell

The paved flagstones beneath their feet led straight forwards. Thanks to years of carriage wheels crushing them underfoot, the limestone had acquired ruts that looked like they were carved in by hand. Lou Zigui finally realized today that long use of limestone roads would turn them into such a state.

"It's time for a change," Lou Zigui said out of the blue.

"What?" Ning Xiaoyao and the gyrfalcon both looked at him, not understanding.

Lou Zigui pointed at the ground beneath his feet. "It's time to change these flagstones."

Ning Xiaoyao looked down but still didn't get what Supreme Commander meant. Was she in charge of repairing the roads too, now that she was the emperor? She never heard of the emperor being responsible for construction or roadworks. Ning Xiaoyao thought as she lifted her foot to stomp on the ground, puzzled as she spoke. "Isn't it pretty alright?"

Lou Zigui fell silent as he moved forward again. This time, he didn't let Ning Xiaoyao support him. Ning Xiaoyao only felt baffled. This wasn't how one made conversation, ah!

"Supreme Commander wants to fix the roads?" the little gyrfalcon asked.

Ning Xiaoyao thought it over. This was a very long street. "Then who's going to pay for it?" Her question was very pragmatic. She had a pocket full of sugar beans but not a coin of money. Was he hoping she could fix the streets? The little gyrfalcon shut his mouth. Falcons didn't have money and neither did his master~

A street can be replaced with a new one, but what about a dynasty? Lou Zigui asked himself. How does one bring a dying dynasty back to life?

Ning Xiaoyao ran to Lou Zigui's side and asked, "Hey, you really want to fix the roads?"

Lou Zigui turned to look at her. Ning Xiaoyao's large eyes were shining. She'd realized she was a pauper right now and wanted to find a place to cry. It was no good for an emperor to be poverty-stricken.

Lou Zigui had been hesitant before, but now he'd made his decision. Standing in the empty street, he told Ning Xiaoyao, "Be the emperor."

Ning Xiaoyao's eyes widened, making her face seem even smaller than before. This person knew she was a girl, but wanted her to be emperor?!

"I know you had no choice," Lou Zigui said. Ning Xiaoyao nodded, this was true. The day she arrived, she was already the emperor. Even if she was Ning Yu, how could she blame herself for her unlucky fate? That girl's entire life was in the Xie father and daughter's hands, so how could she have made choices for herself?

"If you want to break free from the Xie father and daughter pair, I'll help you," Lou Zigui bent his waist slightly to speak in a low voice. His breath still carried the scent of Chinese medicine, which mixed with the fragrance of flowers to leave Ning Xiaoyao a little disoriented.

"As for our matters," Lou Zigui added, "We'll talk about that in the future, all right?"

Ning Xiaoyao blinked. "What matters?" As long as Supreme Commander Lou didn't blame her for the crown prince's death, what other debts did they have between them? Ning Xiaoyao really had no idea, but Lou Zigui believed that all women in this world valued their chastity. Ning Xiaoyao had to be pretending she didn't know.

"Let's go," Lou Zigui straightened up and walked forward.

"Ah? Oh." Ning Xiaoyao walked by his side. Lou Zigui released a breath when Ning Xiaoyao didn't mention the events of that night, but he'd only taken a few steps before he started spurning himself in his heart. After taking away a girl's virginity, he actually insisted on not talking about their future. So as it turned out, he was that sort of wretch and scoundrel. If his father and older brothers were still alive, they'd definitely beat him to death.