The Tyrant's Cannon Fodder Male Empress Chapter 152

Chapter 152

Lu Jinan immediately dispatched a messenger to notify various officials in Jiangnan to ensure Xue Yao’s safety. Afterward, he mobilized warships, detained the Deputy Minister of Revenue, and personally pursued the grain ships heading to Jiangnan.

It took one to two months to reach Jiangnan by water.

After hitting the road for more than ten days, Lu Jinan initially thought he could catch up. However, upon inquiry, he discovered that the assassin hired by the Deputy Minister of Revenue was actually lying in ambush at Qixing Gate, not in Jiangnan.

Qixing Gate was the transfer point to Jiangnan, which took a little over twenty days by water.

If the boat had been faster, Xue Yao might have already walked into the ambush of the assassin at this moment, with no time to intercept!

Lu Jinan felt helpless as he sat alone in the cabin in despair. It seemed as if he had lost all his strength. Slowly closing his eyes, he recalled the year of grain procurement when Xue Yao, still green, went to great lengths to suppress grain prices for him. There was also the year of the widespread plague, where that child, with frail shoulders, shouldered the well-being of the entire county…

Lu Jinan bent over slowly, supporting his forehead with one hand, emitting a painful sob deep in his nasal cavity.

•••

In the evening, the three assassins at Qixing Gate finally intercepted the official grain ship from the capital. To their surprise, Xue Yao was not on board.

Having bribed the local constables for assistance, they gathered information — Xue Yao disembarked from the grain ship in Lushan and headed to Pingrong County.

The three assassins immediately took a shortcut to rush to Pingrong County, aiming to deliver Xue Yao to the King of Hell as soon as possible.

Xue Yao saved a woman’s life, narrowly avoiding a brush with the King of Hell and escaping the first calamity.

After ten days passed, he should have boarded the ship as agreed to head for Jiangnan. However, the people of Pingrong County, with heartfelt insistence, made it difficult for him to depart.

Without official troops led by Lu Jinan clearing the way, Xue Yao found it hard to decline and reluctantly agreed to stay a few more days.

The Zhang family, especially Old Zhang, felt immense gratitude towards Xue Yao. Their eldest son even offered to become Xue Yao’s servant, ready to serve him like an ox or horse.

If Xue Yao really brings a young man back to the capital, wouldn’t that turn the lemon sprout into a true tyrant, acid and all?

Xue Yao could only advise the young man to stay at home and take care of his parents.

Initially reluctant, the young man later realized Xue Yao’s genuine reluctance. He had no choice but to plead with Xue Yao to stay in their home for a few days, at least until they finished consuming the pig at their place.

Accepting the Zhang family’s goodwill, Xue Yao lodged at their home.

Little did he know that this stay would attract the attention of the assassins.

This group of assassins, hired by the Deputy Minister of Revenue and several high-ranking officials, spared no expense to engage top-notch experts. With well-established connections, they swiftly located Xue Yao’s residence.

Following their employer’s instructions to disguise themselves as bandits, Xue Yao, sitting in Old Zhang’s backyard enjoying pig’s head meat, witnessed a group of rugged-looking men brandishing knives barging in, shouting about robbing.

Xue Yao was completely bewildered.

Who ever heard of bandits robbing poor farmers? That was quite low…

Without much thought, and not particularly nervous, Xue Yao figured that since it was a robbery, providing enough silver would make them leave. Issues solvable with money were trivial.

So, with a pleasant demeanor, Xue Yao persuaded the bandits to put away their knives and discuss matters over money.

The assassins, having received payment from their employer, weren’t there to negotiate with their target. Ignoring Xue Yao’s chatter entirely, they advanced a few steps, and one of them swung a knife toward Xue Yao!

Fortunately, Old Zhang’s son reacted swiftly, pushing Xue Yao out of harm’s way.

“Murder! Someone’s killing!” Old Zhang’s wife was the first to recover, yelling with a voice nothing like that of a weakened patient, summoning the neighbors!

The villagers nearby rushed into the yard upon hearing the commotion.

Taking advantage of the numerical superiority, Xue Yao quickly got up, intending to grab a tool for a counterattack. However, he saw the villagers who rushed in being swiftly knocked down by the three bandits.

Injured villagers struggling on the ground grabbed the bandits’ legs, shouting to Xue Yao in fear, “Daoist, run quickly!”

“Kind Master, run quickly!”

“Kind Master, hurry and run!”

Without time to think, Xue Yao was pulled by Old Zhang’s son, rushing out of the courtyard gate.

The three bandits, holding blood-stained knives, chased out of the courtyard but were surrounded by the oncoming villagers from Pingrong County.

Why were the bandits not seizing wealth but instead killing villagers?

In the midst of his escape, Xue Yao nervously looked back, only to find his gaze meeting the eyes of the bandits following closely behind.

The three bandits didn’t bother searching for valuables in houses. They followed Xue Yao all the way, their faces filled with a mocking expression of having caught a turtle in a jar.

These three were definitely not ordinary bandits!

“They are after me.” Xue Yao halted, pulling his arm away from the young man and shouted to the approaching villagers, “Don’t come closer! Everyone, disperse and report to the authorities!”

The young man anxiously held onto Xue Yao, “Kind Master, please go! They’re catching up!”

Xue Yao didn’t know why these three wanted to kill him. The possibilities were too numerous. He only knew that he couldn’t outrun them.

The assassins seemed to relish Xue Yao’s despair, leisurely following behind at a steady pace.

Xue Yao would rather be directly hacked to death than have this time for desperate contemplation before dying.

He dared not think about how Lu Qian would react upon learning of his demise.

In this life, Lu Qian couldn’t endure such a shock. Unable to exist like a lifeless corpse as in the previous life, he would surely plunge into madness, possibly directing his wrath at Lu Jinan.

He dared not dwell on it any longer.

Why?

Throughout his life, doing good deeds and accumulating virtue, seeking only to provide Lu Qian with peace and happiness, yet it resulted in such a cruel outcome.

Was there really a compassionate Buddha in this world? If the Buddha allowed such horrifying events, then the Buddha was damn well a scoundrel!

Xue Yao seized the wrist of the young manbeside him, “Younger Brother, I implore you, ask the authorities to write a letter for me, send it to Prince Ning in the capital. In the letter, write, ‘Xue Yao has fallen in love with a young noble from Jiangnan, and has decided not to return to the capital. Please, Seventh Lord, find another suitable partner.'”

The young manurgently exclaimed, “Kind Master, what nonsense are you talking! Quickly—”

Before he could finish speaking, Xue Yao abruptly pushed the young man away—

Glinting coldly, a knife descended directly onto the hands Xue Yao had pushed out!

The county messenger rushed urgently for four hundred miles, delivering the letter to the palace in three days.

After reading Xue Yao’s “infidelity letter,” Lu Qian only took his sword. Without preparing any luggage, he hit the official road like a bolt, breaking the historical record of the Beijing-Hangzhou official road race. Red Hare horse might wept, while Absolute Shadow horse might be rendered speechless upon witnessing it.

Upon reaching Jiangnan, the magistrate informed Lu Qian that the grain collection team from the capital had not yet arrived in Jiangnan. The government, having received an urgent report from the palace, had dispatched troops to Pingrong County to ensure Xue Yao’s safety.

“Ensure Xue Yao’s safety?” Lu Qian’s gaze sharpened. He grabbed the magistrate’s collar, questioning in a low voice, “Who dares to jeopardize his safety?”

Half a month ago, Lu Jinan’s warship passed through Lushan. Knowing he couldn’t catch up with the grain ship, he ordered his ships to dock. Alone, he disembarked and went to Pingrong County.

Lu Jinan vaguely felt that if Xue Yao had passed through this area, he might go to Pingrong County to visit the people he had once helped.

It was this miraculous telepathic connection that allowed Lu Jinan, in the nick of time, to draw his sword and block the blade aimed at Xue Yao’s arm.

At that moment, Lu Jinan had no bodyguards with him. Unable to withstand the combined assault of three top-notch assassins, he shouldered Xue Yao and desperately escaped their pursuit.

At this very moment, Xue Yao was hiding in the government office.

Lu Jinan had learned from the Deputy Minister of Revenue that those three were top-notch assassins with multiple unsolved murders on their records. They had been wanted by the government for over a decade, yet still eluded capture, their methods of assassination terrifying.

Once the mission was undertaken, it couldn’t be canceled. That was the rule. So, as long as the three assassins remained at large, Xue Yao was still in imminent danger.

Lu Jinan lacked sufficient manpower, and hastily hitting the road would only increase the danger. He could only have Xue Yao hide in the government office first.

Those three assassins were actually hiding in an inn near the government office.

In these days, they took turns scouting the government office and had already confirmed Xue Yao’s hiding place.

At sunset, a black-clad man with a bamboo hat moved through the crowd near the inn, silently ascending to the second floor.

Approaching the end of the corridor in front of a room, he opened the door, took off his bamboo hat, revealing a face both comical and frightening—

A dark scar snaked from his nose to the left corner of his mouth. The scar’s end curled upward, giving him a perpetually crooked and eerie smile—strange yet comical.

“Tonight, we can make our move,” Scarface said in a hushed tone.

In the silent room, suddenly, two faces simultaneously turned toward him. These two individuals seemed to have just appeared in the room.

“Should have acted earlier,” one of the assassins complained in a low voice. “That guy in white has a considerable background. If we keep waiting, we’ll surely attract more trouble. We’re only three people. We can’t afford to be careless.”

“Just you three?” A young man’s voice suddenly came from outside the door.

“Who’s there?” The three inside the room leapt up like lightning, brandishing their weapons toward the door.

The person outside the door huffed disapprovingly, “You’re finally all here tonight? Your grandpa has been waiting for days.”

The leader of the assassins turned to Scarface. “You’ve been trailed?”

“Impossible!” Scarface’s eyes flashed with murderous intent. Turning like a swirling dragon, he lunged toward the door, but heard two sharp whistles behind him!

He quickly turned back, seeing his comrades wielding knives to block the projectiles flying in from the window.

“He’s outside the window!”

Suspecting a potential pincer attack, the leader immediately ordered a change in formation. As he turned, Scarface, holding a knife with lifeless eyes, suddenly rushed towards him!

“What are you doing!” Before the leader could react, a long sword thrust out from Scarface’s chest, piercing through his throat.

The leader incredulously clutched his throat. In the blurry moment before his vision dimmed, he saw a man lean out from behind Scarface’s head.

A remarkably handsome young man with slightly narrowed peach blossom eyes, bathed in the sunset’s glow, his light-colored pupils seemed to melt like gold.

As the last hint of twilight faded, the government office received a report of a homicide in an inn. Three guests were found dead in their rooms.

After thorough examination, it was revealed that the deceased were the three assassins.

Lu Jinan was perplexed.

Which unsung hero had witnessed injustice and slain the culprits without leaving a name?

Regardless, the crisis was averted.

Xue Yao was finally released from the government office, regaining his freedom.

That night, the people of Pingrong County held a ceremony in the mountains to pray for Xue Yao’s well-being.

Lu Jinan had the Deputy Minister of Revenue join this ceremony.

“You know, Xue Yao willingly serving as a humble reader-in-waiting all these years suggests that there might be a hidden conspiracy at play.”

Lu Jinan stood under a tree, watching Xue Yao being surrounded by the locals not far away. He spoke softly, “Well, now you see clearly. This is Xue Yao’s ‘conspiracy’ over the years. A few years ago, disregarding his own safety, he fought against the epidemic, saving tens of thousands of people in Pingrong County and the neighboring areas. So, these powerless common folks see him as a living deity, as their second parents. If he truly had the ambition you claim, why wouldn’t he spend this fearless energy on befriending the powerful?”

The Deputy Minister of Revenue stared blankly at Xue Yao, surrounded by the people nearby. After a long while, he bent his knees and knelt down, bowing his head in acknowledgment of his guilt.

After the ceremony, the villagers celebrated with a feast by the bonfire.

Although he had narrowly escaped death, Xue Yao couldn’t let go of one thing. Seizing an opportunity to slip out of the crowd, he found the son of Old Zhang and inquired—

“The matter I entrusted you to report to the officials that day, was it taken care of? If not, there’s no need to bother.” Xue Yao thought he was doomed that day and planned to deceive Lu Qian with a fabricated tale of a new romantic interest.

If this letter truly reached the capital, the lemon sprout would surely explode in anger.

Old Zhang’s son’s eyes lit up, assuring Xue Yao with reliability, “Kind Master, after you were rescued that day, I immediately conveyed your instructions to the county magistrate. Please rest assured!”

Xue Yao: “……”

It seemed Kind Master was in for trouble.

“Kind Master, have another bowl!” Old Zhang’s son warmly urged.

“No, I have something to attend to shortly.”

“Tonight? What else does Kind Master have to do tonight?”

“Uh…” Xue Yao turned his head, planning to use Lu Jinan as a shield.

In that fleeting glance, Xue Yao suddenly noticed not far away, villagers gathered around, and among them stood a tall figure, wearing a crimson headband and a dark purple robe.

The figure stood out conspicuously among the villagers. It seemed strangely familiar, making Xue Yao somewhat weak-kneed…

Why was the lemon sprout here!

Was he here for revenge because of the “infidelity letter”?

Xue Yao, feeling guilty, took two steps back, intending to find Lu Jinan to help explain and vouch for him.

However, Lu Qian seemed to sense his attempt to escape and leisurely turned his head towards him.

Xue Yao prepared himself for the worst.

As Lu Qian’s eyes landed on Xue Yao’s face, he suddenly revealed a clear and innocent smile.

This smiling expression felt too much like cheating, leaving Xue Yao devoid of the will to survive.

Lu Qian strode forward with long strides, quickly approaching. With narrowed eyes, he smiled at Xue Yao, “Forgive my boldness, are you a local here?”

“Huh?” Xue Yao was confused.

Did this lemon sprout lose his memory due to an explosion of jealousy? Why didn’t he recognize him?

Lu Qian cleared his throat, glanced at Xue Yao, and said with a serious expression, “Your grandpa is a young master from a prestigious family in Jiangnan. Just now, when our eyes met in the crowd, your grandpa’s heart fluttered in admiration.”

“You…” Xue Yao understood. The lemon sprout was playing the role of the “young master from a prestigious family in Jiangnan” who fell in love with him at first sight in the “infidelity letter.”

What a novel form of revenge.

Xue Yao decided not to cooperate with the lemon sprout’s script.

Lu Qian, looking serious, continued to speak to Xue Yao, “May your grandpa invite you for a drink?”

Suppressing a laugh, Xue Yao rolled his eyes. “No, thanks.”

Lu Qian furrowed his brows seriously. “Hope you consider it carefully. Your grandpa is the freshest young master from Jiangnan, after all.”

Xue Yao: “……”

The night before leaving for the capital, he teased the lemon sprout, saying he didn’t like childhood sweethearts but preferred love at first sight for freshness.

Pursuing the “freshest” young master from Jiangnan, this guy was undoubtedly the top contender for the title of the capital’s most vengeful brat!

Xue Yao sighed, amused and exasperated. “Your Highness, got addicted to acting, huh? When did you come to Pingrong County? Why didn’t you come find me earlier? I’ve been…”

“Don’t move!” Lu Qian suddenly leaned in, carefully observing Xue Yao’s face.

Xue Yao raised an eyebrow. “What’s wrong?”

Lu Qian narrowed his eyes and sighed with fake mystery. “Your grandpa sees you with your charming appearance, truly the look of a Princess Consort.”

Xue Yao had no response to this mischievous brat and waited for Lu Qian to finish his act.

Lu Qian, with an expectant look, anticipated the moment when the water-like, delicate young scholar remembered his fiance in the distant capital. Then, with a newfound conscience, he would reject the “young master from Jiangnan,” rendering the infidelity letter invalid.

However, Xue Yao refused to play along with His Highness’ script.

Lu Qian, disappointed, lowered his eyes but persisted in muttering softly, “Your facial features are extremely rare…”

Seeing Lu Qian’s dejected expression, Xue Yao fell silent for a moment, took a deep breath, then suddenly changed his expression, showing a surprised look. Going along with the cub’s script, he excitedly said, “Really? I have the face of a Princess Consort?”

Lu Qian immediately perked up, lifting his head and responding, “Your grandpa never misjudges people.”

Xue Yao joyfully exclaimed, “Then, my Lord, please take a look! Where is my husband?”

Lu Qian, with a serious expression, stared at Xue Yao for a while before solemnly declaring, “Your perfect match now resides in the imperial palace. It seems, as a mere commoner from Jiangnan, your grandpa has no chance of winning you.”

“My husband lives in the imperial palace?” Xue Yao raised an eyebrow and snapped his fingers. “Could it be the most handsome prince from Nansan Hall? I’ve always admired him!”

Lu Qian chuckled, lowering his head and gazing at Xue Yao.

For the first time, a happiness tinged with lingering sorrow appeared in his eyes.

After a pause, Lu Qian answered in a low voice, “Yes, it’s him. You can only marry him in this lifetime.”

Xue Yao’s eyes widened slowly, then he covered his mouth in pleasant surprise. “Aiya… Do I have that honor?”

Lu Qian, amused by Xue Yao’s antics, quickly nodded with a serious expression.

The laughter of the surrounding people blended with the evening breeze.

The smiles of these two young men dimmed the splendor of the beautiful night.

Not far away, Liu Jinan stood, watching Seventh Brother playing and laughing with Xue Yao. A smile gradually appeared in his eyes.

It turned out that even between men, such wonderful connections could happen.

In the 21st year of Linan, Prince Ning, Lu Qian, ascended the throne by imperial decree, renaming the era to Youan.

In the first year of Youan, Xue Yao was named the Empress and granted the Golden Certificate and the Phoenix Seal, becoming the first male Empress of Great Qi. Due to his significant contributions to epidemic control and disaster relief, the people established a shrine for the Empress, affectionately calling him the “Bodhisattva Empress.”

【End of the main text】

Author’s Note:

The ending that I’ve rehearsed countless times in my mind took a whole night to write. Perhaps there is too much reluctance in my heart.

I really want to accompany Yaoyao and the cubs until the end of time, often receiving dynamic education from Eldest Brother, watching Second Brother praising Eldest Brother with rainbow farts, watching Fourth Cub support his mother and enjoy a good life, watching Sixth Cub being teased by someone to the point of covering his mouth, watching the culinary expert Sword Saint force an old man to taste his new dishes, watching Seventh Cub get exhausted by Fifth Brother’s chatter, telling Mother Consort the story of Houyi Shooting Down the Suns, and employing various black-belly tricks to attract Yaoyao’s attention…

But reason tells me that right now, this is the most beautiful punctuation in my mind from the beginning until now. Such an ending, extending into an infinite future, will also shine beautifully.

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