After the Foolish Beauty Wore Women's Clothes and Married the Brutal General - Chapter 12

Chapter 12: You Want Me to Train You?

On the way to the outskirts of the capital, Nan Jianxue was still unable to sit still.

He huddled close to Liang Qifeng, asking him what he had heard from the emperor and if they had caught the person.

Liang Qifeng shook his head. “Not quite. He told me to hurry back and stay by your side.”

Nan Jianxue was a little confused about what “not quite” meant, but he was quickly distracted by the rest of the sentence. He frowned and complained, “Why is he like this again? When will he stop meddling in his sister’s affairs!”

Liang Qifeng glanced at him, his lips curling up slightly. “If you were more like Princess Anping or Princess Anyang, he would naturally have fewer worries.”

Nan Jianxue’s face stiffened. He thought of the increasingly charming male companions in his eldest imperial sister’s manor and his fourth imperial sister’s docile consort. A hint of heat immediately crept up to his ears.

But before the heat could rise, he met Liang Qifeng’s teasing eyes.

Embarrassment turned into annoyance, but he wasn’t about to back down. He asked, “You want me to train you like my imperial sister trained her consorts?”

Liang Qifeng’s expression froze.

Nan Jianxue immediately wore a triumphant smile.

“You’re not as good as your imperial sister,” Liang Qifeng looked at him. “If we had to compare, they’re tigers, and you’re… just a bigger cat.”

Nan Jianxue: ?

He immediately frowned and said angrily, “If you say one more word, I’ll get out of the carriage!”

Liang Qifeng laughed and stopped talking.

But even without words, Nan Jianxue could hear two words in his laughter—See? Told you.

Told you. Just a bigger cat.

Nan Jianxue was fuming, but since Liang Qifeng hadn’t said anything, he couldn’t actually kick him out of the carriage.

He crossed his arms and saw from the corner of his eye that Qingqian had just prepared tea for Liang Qifeng. He immediately stopped her. “Don’t give it to him!”

Qingqian obediently took the tea back, lowered her head, and drank it herself.

Nan Jianxue was satisfied and poured a cup of tea for himself.

Liang Qifeng chuckled. “Aren’t you interested in what I found out in the palace?”

Nan Jianxue glanced at him. “I’m not interested anymore.”

Liang Qifeng sighed softly upon hearing this. “He originally didn’t want me to tell you, so it’s good that you don’t want to know.”

While saying this, he took a few pieces of paper from his clothes and placed them on the table.

The papers were neatly folded. You could see there was writing on them, but you couldn’t make out what it said.

Nan Jianxue immediately reached out to grab them, but as soon as his fingers touched them, Liang Qifeng pressed down on the papers.

“Didn’t you say you didn’t want to see?” Liang Qifeng said.

Nan Jianxue raised his eyebrows and glared at him.

Liang Qifeng looked away, his fingers still pressing down on the papers.

Nan Jianxue: “…”

He glanced at the papers being held down. His curiosity was like a cat scratching him, making him itch.

After a moment of hesitation, he looked at Qingqian and reluctantly lifted his chin a little.

Qingqian pursed her lips and smiled. After Nan Jianxue glared at her, she immediately composed herself and made another cup of tea for Liang Qifeng.

Liang Qifeng released his hand from the papers, picked up the cup, and took a sip.

Nan Jianxue immediately grabbed the papers and looked at them.

The papers looked like a list. Several pages had a dozen or so names on them, followed by their jobs, addresses, cause of death, and time of death.

Most of them were outside the palace.

Nan Jianxue looked closely again. These people were of different ages and professions, and their causes of death were also different. The only common thing was that they all died within the last two months. Other than that, there was nothing scary about it.

He looked at Liang Qifeng blankly. “It wasn’t a eunuch?”

Liang Qifeng nodded. “This morning, I was investigating that eunuch in the palace.”

Although there were many people in the palace, with such detailed information, it wasn’t that difficult to find the person. They quickly found him.

“He’s already dead,” Liang Qifeng said. “He died before we got married.”

Or, to be more precise, he might have died right after he bought the poison.

Nan Jianxue frowned. “How did he die?”

“He fell into a well,” Liang Qifeng said. “The eunuch who lived with him said that he suddenly came into some money and bought some alcohol. He got drunk and wanted to wash his face, but he slipped and fell into the well. By the time they found him, he had already drowned.”

Nan Jianxue’s frown deepened. “How can it be such a coincidence?”

“Indeed,” Liang Qifeng laughed softly. “It’s just that these kinds of things are not uncommon in the palace, so it didn’t attract any attention before I went to investigate.”

Nan Jianxue understood.

His imperial brother was not a tyrant. Although the imperial concubines in the harem schemed against each other, they wouldn’t just casually harm the people below them. It was just that there were many people in the palace, so accidents still happened occasionally.

Some died of illness, some died in accidents, and some were murdered in conflicts with others, or for other reasons hidden in the shadows that no one would know about.

These things were handled by others and would basically not reach his imperial brother’s ears, but he had heard about some of them.

“We’re already investigating,” Liang Qifeng said. “But… we might not be able to find anything. The person who did this was clearly prepared.”

Nan Jianxue lowered his eyes, picked up a piece of paper, pointed at a name on it, and asked, “Is this him? It says he’s missing. Was he found?”

“No, he’s not on this list,” Liang Qifeng said. “This list has a thousand and one connections to this matter.”

Nan Jianxue looked at him in confusion.

Liang Qifeng didn’t explain. He took the paper from his hand, laid it on the table, and pointed at the first name. “Wu Yong is a hunter. The pair of wild geese that the general’s manor sent for the betrothal gifts were bought from him.”

Nan Jianxue frowned. “You didn’t shoot them yourself?”

Liang Qifeng: “…”

“Because I didn’t want to get married at all,” Liang Qifeng glanced at him. “Are you going to listen or not?”

Nan Jianxue immediately made a motion of covering his mouth.

Liang Qifeng continued, “Dong Tao runs a winery. A lot of the wine from the betrothal ceremony to the wedding banquet came from his family. Zhuo Shichang’s family runs a cloth shop. A lot of the red silk was bought from there. Wu Dahong changed his name to Lailu after entering the palace and is a eunuch in charge of procurement…”

He said each one, and Nan Jianxue looked at each one.

Wu Yong went hunting a little over a month ago and went missing. His body was found half a month ago, and the coroner said he was killed by a wild animal.

Dong Tao was drinking at home with a friend, got too drunk, passed out, and died before a doctor could arrive.

Zhuo Shichang and a dye shop worker had an argument over wages. The worker got angry and held him in a dye vat, drowning him. The body was hidden in the vat and was unrecognizable when it was found.

Wu Dahong, or Lailu, went missing after leaving the palace and still hasn’t been found.

…

Nan Jianxue followed what Liang Qifeng said and matched it with what was written on the paper. After reading the whole thing, he was completely spooked. He threw the papers on the table and rubbed his arms in fear.

“Their deaths are related to us?” Nan Jianxue was a little incredulous.

Liang Qifeng nodded. “You could say that.”

People are born and die every day, and everyone dies differently. It’s normal for one or two people to be connected, but when everyone’s death can be linked together like this, it’s unlikely to be a coincidence.

Liang Qifeng continued, “This matter was not easy to discover in the first place, since on the surface, they don’t have many things in common.”

The first person to realize something was wrong was the prefect of Yong’an.

After the emperor granted the marriage between Princess Anle and the General of the North, the businesses related to their marriage became especially good. Many officials and nobles heard where the general bought his betrothal gifts and would go there to buy them. But when they went, they found that something had happened and were taken to the government office for questioning.

After hearing several people say things like, “I wanted to get a share of the princess’s and general’s good fortune, but who knew I’d get mixed up in something like this,” the prefect felt that something was wrong. After he organized all the recent cases related to them, he submitted them to the emperor.

Only after Nan Zhan Yuan had people investigate did he realize something was amiss.

He had originally planned to investigate this matter secretly, but he didn’t expect Nan Jianxue and Liang Qifeng to be ambushed on their wedding night.

Nan Jianxue also didn’t expect that their marriage would be linked to so many deaths. His face looked a little grim.

He couldn’t understand who would do such a thing.

His and Liang Qifeng’s marriage was arranged by the emperor. From the decision to the imperial decree, to the three letters and six rites, and the wedding night, the entire process went smoothly. There were no objections from anyone other than the two of them. What was going on now that this matter was suddenly being brought up?

“The emperor doesn’t understand either,” Liang Qifeng said. “He’s not sure which one of us is being targeted, which is why he told me to hurry back.”

“I have Shuying. My imperial brother specially sent her to protect me,” Nan Jianxue said. “If the other party is coming for you, then me being with you will only implicate me!”

Liang Qifeng raised an eyebrow. “Is your next sentence going to be that we should sleep in separate rooms?”

Nan Jianxue: “…”

“I hadn’t thought that far, but now that you mention it, yes,” Nan Jianxue said. “I’ll go find my imperial brother after the banquet is over.”

Liang Qifeng chuckled. “It’s easier to protect both of us when we’re together.”

Nan Jianxue pouted. “That’s true.”

If they were separated, they would need to send more people, but when they were together, the assassins would have to get past the guards, as well as Shuying and Liang Qifeng, which would not be easy.

Liang Qifeng put the papers away again and continued, “The emperor’s intention was to hide this from you, but I thought… it would be better to tell you. It’s good to be aware, in case you run around foolishly and get into trouble.”

Nan Jianxue was still thinking about the list. He only half-listened and thought Liang Qifeng was telling him not to run around, so he gave a vague “mm.”

A few seconds later, he glared at Liang Qifeng. “Who are you calling foolish?”

Liang Qifeng lowered his head and took a sip of tea without saying a word.

Nan Jianxue was about to scold him again, but the carriage had already stopped.

“Princess, we’ve arrived,” the coachman’s voice came through.

“I know,” Nan Jianxue gave Liang Qifeng one last glare, smoothed his hair and clothes, and got out of the carriage.

Liang Qifeng followed behind. As soon as he got out, he felt several judging gazes.

The gazes were not malicious; they were more out of curiosity, along with the murmurs that came with it.

Liang Qifeng could faintly hear them discussing himself and Nan Jianxue.

However, Liang Qifeng didn’t care, and neither did Nan Jianxue. He walked into the manor with Liang Qifeng.

There were many people who came to greet them along the way. Most of them were warm and fawning, but Nan Jianxue only glanced at each person who greeted them and then gave a slight nod, appearing distant and cold, completely different from how he was with Liang Qifeng in the manor.

Liang Qifeng finally understood where the rumors about Nan Jianxue came from. He walked next to Nan Jianxue and said in a very low voice, “I never knew you were such a good actor.”

Nan Jianxue slightly tilted his head and glared at him. Although his face was still expressionless, his eyes were the ones Liang Qifeng was most familiar with.

Liang Qifeng let out a soft laugh.

Nan Jianxue held back the urge to kick him, turned his head, and continued to walk forward.

It was also here that he got a clearer understanding of Liang Qifeng’s infamous reputation.

A person like Liang Qifeng would be a hot commodity at a banquet like this, but from the moment they got out of the carriage to the moment they entered the door, almost everyone who came to greet them came for Nan Jianxue. Liang Qifeng was like a shadow beside her. Many people would only glance at him, call out his name, but not dare to make prolonged eye contact. After a quick greeting, they would turn their gaze back to Nan Jianxue.

That is, until the two of them met Princess Anping, Nan Jianlan, and Princess Anyang, Nan Jianfei.

The two of them were talking, with people next to them. When they saw them approach, Nan Jianlan spoke first. “Ah Xue has come too.” She said, glancing at Liang Qifeng and giving a slight nod.

Liang Qifeng bowed to the two, and Nan Jianxue also gave a slight curtsy and called out, “Imperial Sister.”

Nan Jianfei smiled and walked closer to look at him. “Your face is glowing with happiness. It seems the consort is not bad.”

Nan Jianxue nodded. “He’s decent to me.”

Nan Jianfei let out a short laugh.

Only then did Nan Jianxue realize what she was referring to. A little bit of heat immediately crept up to his ears, and he said anxiously, “I didn’t mean it like that.”

“I know,” Nan Jianfei reached out and pinched Nan Jianxue’s cheek. “Xiao Xue is so thin-skinned.”

Nan Jianxue pursed his lips and looked at her unhappily.

Nan Jianfei immediately took a step back, standing next to Nan Jianlan.

Nan Jianlan said, “You know she’s thin-skinned, so stop teasing her.” She said, glancing at the people next to her. “Aren’t you going to say hello?”

Standing next to her were two very handsome men. One of them had a gentler disposition and immediately wore a soft smile when he heard this.

He bowed to Nan Jianxue and said, “Jinsu greets Princess Anle. May the princess be well.”

The other one had a cooler temperament. He also lowered his eyes and bowed to Nan Jianxue, saying in a very soft voice, “Yugu greets the princess.”

They were both people Nan Jianxue had never met before.

He looked at Nan Jianlan, and just as he was about to ask if they were new, he heard Nan Jianlan ask him, “Do you like them?”

Nan Jianxue: “…”

He immediately shook his head and hid a little behind Nan Jianfei.

Nan Jianlan immediately laughed out loud.

Nan Jianfei also laughed. “You like to tease her too.” She said, reaching out and stroking Nan Jianxue’s hair. “Go and say hello to Lady Guan. Do you need us to come with you?”

Nan Jianxue shook his head. “I’ll go by myself.”

After saying that, he took off.

Liang Qifeng nodded at the people next to Nan Jianfei as a greeting and followed Nan Jianxue.

He said, “I remember you’re close with them too. Why did you run so fast?”

Nan Jianxue sighed. “Because I have to.”

He was truly afraid of these two imperial sisters. Every time they met, they would tease him. Especially his eldest imperial sister, who was particularly keen on sharing the male companions in her manor with him. It always left him at a loss for words.

“Eldest imperial sister really likes handsome men,” Nan Jianxue said.

Especially men who were fair and handsome. They were her favorites. Princess Anping’s manor had many men like that.

Thinking of this, Nan Jianxue suddenly looked at Liang Qifeng. “Do you think those two men just now were handsome?”

Liang Qifeng was stunned.

“Your beloved is also a very beautiful person, right?” Nan Jianxue said.

Liang Qifeng didn’t know why he was asking this. He frowned and didn’t answer.

“Don’t worry, even if you like them, my imperial sister won’t give them to you,” Nan Jianxue said. “I just suddenly thought that your beloved is also the type my imperial sister likes. So… have you ever been to her manor?”

Liang Qifeng: “…”

“No,” Liang Qifeng said.

“Then I’ll find a time to take you there,” Nan Jianxue said with a smile. “If he’s really there, I’ll definitely get him for you!”

Liang Qifeng said with a headache, “You don’t have to.”

“Why?” Nan Jianxue was a little confused, but then he thought of something and suddenly realized. “Oh, right, your beloved wouldn’t be in my imperial sister’s manor. He must still be waiting for you!”

Liang Qifeng: “…”

Seeing him frown, Nan Jianxue shook his head inwardly.

He felt that his guess was actually very reasonable, but if his beloved had entered someone else’s backyard, Liang Qifeng would probably be very sad. He’d find a time to secretly go and take a look himself.

Nan Jianxue was understanding and didn’t bring up the matter again. Instead, he asked about another person. “I saw you say hello to General Xi. Do you know each other?”

Liang Qifeng nodded. “We used to work together, but we’re not that close.”

Nan Jianxue gave an “oh.”

Unlike his eldest imperial sister, his fourth imperial sister preferred strong and burly men, so the consort she chose was also a general, just not as impressive as Liang Qifeng.

He was a little curious. “Have you ever talked to my fourth imperial sister?”

“Of course,” Liang Qifeng glanced at him. Seeing his look of curious hesitation, he immediately understood what he was thinking and directly nipped his idea in the bud. “We just said a few words. Nothing else.”

His tone was cold and not very pleasing.

General Xi was also like this in front of people, but Nan Jianxue had seen what he was like with his imperial sister in private. Although he didn’t show much emotion, his tone was gentle and sincere, and the way he looked at his imperial sister was one of obsession and devotion. He treated her every word as gospel, just like… Although it was a bad thing to think, Nan Jianxue felt that he looked like a big dog at that time.

Thinking about it this way, it made sense why his imperial sister didn’t like Liang Qifeng.

Nan Jianxue glanced at the person next to him.

He was cold, disobedient, and always made him angry.

If General Xi was a lovable big dog, then Liang Qifeng was a vicious dog.

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