Chapter 412: Chapter 282: That Unyielding Dominance Before the Emperor
Nie Fengxing’s identity was a heavy burden for Ye Huangyu.
She was no longer the ignorant and fearless Ye Huangyu who had yearned for Hong Fang.
Even Hong Fang, a bastard of the Hong Residence, was despised by her.
Let alone Nie Fengxing, whose status was even higher.
Even if not for her own sake, she had to consider her daughter Ye Lingyue. As a divorced woman cast aside by the noble Marquis Mansion, what qualifications did she have to remarry Nie Fengxing?
Seeing Ye Huangyu’s expression, Empress Liu deeply sympathized with this pitiful woman.
"Don’t worry, I may not be able to help with you and Fengxing, but I will definitely help you become a general. You will surely be the first female general of Daxia."
Ye Huangyu could only force a bitter smile. The position of a general, which she once longed for, did not make her happy when it became a reality.
When Empress Liu and Ye Huangyu returned to the imperial garden, Emperor Xia and Nie Fengxing had already left.
The eunuch said that General Nie had been summoned by the Empress Dowager, who mentioned that if Vice General Ye returned, she should go to Bai Feng Palace to find him.
"In that case, I will accompany you to Bai Feng Palace," said Empress Liu with a smile, leading Ye Huangyu toward the Empress Dowager.
In the Empress Dowager’s Bai Feng Palace, she was happily chatting with Nie Fengxing, asking him various questions.
Beside the Empress Dowager sat a very pretty young lady, her face like a peach blossom, her affectionate eyes occasionally glancing at the stiff Nie Fengxing.
"Fengxing is my grandson. This boy has been naughty since he was little. Whenever he got into trouble, he liked to hide here. It used to frustrate Old Marquis Guanwu so much that he was angry but dared not speak," the Empress Dowager said cheerfully.
"Fengxing, this is Lord Ruyu, the daughter of the Assistant Minister of Rites. She’s eighteen, well-educated, and skilled in music, chess, calligraphy, and painting, a well-known talented woman in Xia Capital. What do you think of Lord Ruyu?"
It turned out that the Empress Dowager summoned Nie Fengxing today not just for a chat, but to try to match him with the beautiful Lord Ruyu.
Nie Fengxing inwardly complained, knowing well the Empress Dowager had no good intentions, always introducing him to daughters of various ministers, county masters, and commandery princesses whenever he returned to Xia Capital.
"Lord Ruyu, what do you think of Fengxing?" Seeing that Nie Fengxing was expressionless, the Empress Dowager turned to Lord Ruyu.
Seeing that Nie Fengxing was handsome and also the grandson of the Empress Dowager, Lord Ruyu was more than satisfied and shyly nodded without a word of objection.
"Fengxing, then what do you think of Lord Ruyu..." The Empress Dowager was pleased and looked at Nie Fengxing.
"Earlier, the Empress Dowager mentioned that the Lord is proficient in music, chess, calligraphy, and painting?" Nie Fengxing, annoyed by the questioning, interrupted the Empress Dowager.
"I know a little," said Lord Ruyu, her face turning as red as a piece of red cloth as she noticed the person she admired staring at her.
"Then may I ask if you know how to ride horses, shoot arrows, skin beasts, and remove beast bones?" Nie Fengxing asked further.
"I do not know these," Lord Ruyu replied, her expression changing slightly, not understanding why Nie Fengxing was asking these things.
"Can the Lord be accustomed to eating half-cooked beast meat with blood, drinking dirty murky water, and know how to dress wounds and stop bleeding for injured soldiers?" Nie Fengxing continued to ask.
"Minister, I am completely incapable of all these," said Lord Ruyu, her face turning pale at the mere thought of the scenarios described by Nie Fengxing; the idea of confronting such scenes in reality was even more nauseating.
"Fengxing, why mention such things? Lord Ruyu is a lady of high birth; her hands have never touched spring water, let alone do the crude tasks meant for base women," said the Empress Dowager, with a hint of anger.
Every time matchmaking for him is brought up, Fengxing has that long face.
It had not been easy to find among Xia Capital’s unmarried women someone willing to accompany Nie Fengxing to the Xixia Plain, and now, after frightening Lord Ruyu into such a state, she was surely unwilling to go to Xixia.
"Empress Dowager, my good lady, why be angry over these matters?" While the Empress Dowager was angered, in came Empress Liu with a soldier.
"Empress, do speak to Fengxing. He is an adult, yet he still does not know how to speak with discretion," complained the Empress Dowager, obviously upset.
Empress Liu stepped forward, quickly trying to soothe the Empress Dowager.
However, Nie Fengxing was staring at Ye Huangyu who entered with Empress Liu.
Seeing her frowning delicately and those beautiful eyes refusing to even glance at him.
Coarse women...
Ye Huangyu heard exactly the Empress Dowager’s words upon entering.
The bitterness in her heart grew stronger; the Empress Dowager was right, normal women would not engage in those deeds.
"Who might this be?" With outsiders present, the Empress Dowager deemed it inappropriate to continue her outrage, giving Ye Huangyu several looks, finding him familiar but unable to recall where she had seen this man before.
"Empress Dowager, this is Vice General under the general, named Ye Huang. This time, he and Fengxing together slew a Ninth-grade Spiritual Beast on the Xixia Plain and achieved great merit. He has come to Xia Capital to report on his duties and will soon be appointed as a general," introduced Empress Liu about Ye Huangyu.
"So, it is Fengxing’s Deputy General. Looking at him, he has a clear and handsome appearance, even more delicate than a woman. Vice General Ye, I have been looking for a wife for your general. What do you think of Lord Ruyu?" asked the Empress Dowager to Ye Huang, pleased by his appearance, inquiring spontaneously.
"Empress Dowager!" Nie Fengxing’s face changed, fearing that Ye Huangyu might misunderstand.
"Very suitable." Ye Huangyu lowered his eyes and spoke softly.
Truly very suitable; Lord Ruyu, young and beautiful, nobly born, indeed a proper match for Nie Fengxing.
"I knew it, my judgment is never off..." The Empress Dowager’s laughter resembled that of Buddha, only to be interrupted suddenly by a loud "smack."
Fuming, Nie Fengxing suddenly stood up, shattering the table right in front of him.
"Say that again!" Nie Fengxing almost choked Ye Huangyu with his words.
He thought that after their Life and Death Tribulation, they should already understand each other’s irreplaceable position in their hearts, but Ye Huangyu’s remark of "very suitable" shattered Nie Fengxing’s confidence into pieces.
"Fengxing, what’s gotten into you? The Vice General was merely stating the facts," said the Empress Dowager and Lord Ruyu, both shocked.
Especially the Empress Dowager; she had never seen Nie Fengxing lose his composure like this before.
"Fengxing, don’t be rash," Empress Liu also hurriedly intervened, afraid that Nie Fengxing might act rashly in haste.
"General, what I meant is, you and Lord Ruyu are very suitable, you should marry a woman like her who matches you well," Ye Huangyu’s chest ached dullly, yet he forcefully finished his words.
"Ah!" Ye Huangyu suddenly widened his eyes, reached out his hands without hesitation, and in front of all those watching, fiercely pressed down on her lips.