Chapter 148 (1/2)
PIAPIA it was the the crisp sound made by the soles of your shoes when they slapped your cheeks. Unfortunately, people in Chang'an City had not seen the performances of a comedian who dressed in a skirt in their world, which might result in their inaccurate understanding of what he wanted to convey. Ning Que took Sangsang out of the courtyard and then left through the side door after chatting for a few seconds. However, they did not go far in the carriage before they heard the hurried sounds of horses approaching from the rear.
Sangsang slightly straightened her slim shoulders and looked up at him, with her willowy eyes full of doubt and vigilance.
Ning Que patted her on the shoulder with a smile, and comforted her. ”Even though the Prince was very angry he wasn't crazy to send underlings to kill or beat us in Chang'an City, they wouldn't be so stupid as to catch up with us after we just set out.”
His judgment was right. The elegant carriages hanging with soft ropes brandis.h.i.+ng the royal insignia, were catching up with them fast. In this circ.u.mstance, the coachman quickly moved his carriage to the roadside, but he never expected that the carriages with the royal insignia of the Tang Royals would slowly come to a halt as well.
The blue curtain was lifted and Lee Yu's pleasant face appeared. She furrowed her eyebrows, yet with a smile on her lips, it was hard to guess her true emotions.
Ning Que and Sangsang quickly got off the carriage, and walked to the window to give a respectful salute. Perhaps he had no respect for the Princess, but he dared not reveal it on this busy street.
”A few days ago, I heard that you were no longer popular among your cla.s.smates in the Academy.” Lee Yu smiled looking at him, and he continued after a pause, ”Though you stood up for the Academy at the banquet today, you still failed to convince your fellow cla.s.smates to feel the same way you do judging from which, your popularity in the Academy isn't bad, but really poor.”
Ning Que replied with a smile, ”Speaking of popularity, it's a very strange thing like the weeds on the city wall. They always creep towards the side where the wind blows. Sometimes it just indicates that the wind isn't strong enough.”
”That sounds funny,” said Lee Yu with a smile.
Ning Que scratched his head before catching a glimpse of the woman behind the window, replying, ”I wouldn't talk too much if Her Highness couldn't understand”
Lee Yu declared, ”Others must be surprised at the way you talk to me and your presumptuousness.”
”Her Highness, one of my old friends, is so virtuous that I naturally needn't try too hard when speaking with you,” Ning Que explained with a smile, making a bow with hands folded in front.
Lee Yu sighed and stared into his eyes, ”You young fellow, always do the exact opposite.”
Ning Que considered what she said a bit strange. After a moment of silence, he replied with a smile, ”It's me that Her Highness should blame. At least I believe I'm regarded as unbridled enough in the eyes of Prince Long Qing today.”
At the thought of Prince Long Qing's gloomy face, Lee Yu felt comfortable as if her whole body had been washed by the spring breeze. She took a satisfied glance at Ning Que and then at Sangsang next to him, and praised, ”You did well today. However... you dare to offend citizens of Yan Kingdom and West-Hill Divine Palace for the sake of congeniality, your courage is much greater than that of previous years. To be honest, you're really different from that of your original temperament.”
The inquiry seemed normal but incisive. Only those people who had real contact with Ning Que knew that border town soldiers always attached more importance to real things, such as life and death, rather than imaginary names such as shame.
Now Ning Que felt somewhat amused while he recalled the harsh moment at the banquet, and he smilingly shook his head, explaining, ”I don't know why I was so upset when I saw Prince Long Qing's way of doing things. I really wanted to lift the table and kill him after hearing the little Taoist boy's words, but... You know, I'm unable to kill him with such little capability, so I had no choice but to entice his 'interest' by using a few harsh words.”
”Is it just 'interest'?” Lee Yu said with a smile, and then she gradually withdrew her smile and looked at Ning Que solemnly, while thinking of the big event that would take place the day after tomorrow and recalling Crown Prince of Yan Kingdom, Chongming, who seemed to have been ignored at the banquet today. She fell into a long silence before whispering, ”Only one person can enter the Second floor this year. Is it possible that the person... is you?”
Ning Que did not know how to answer, gazing at the serious woman inside the window.
”I don't care what people of West-Hill Divine Palace and Yan Kingdom are thinking about or what kind of agreement has been reached between them and the court, all I know is that I really don't want Long Qing to be admitted to the Second floor.”
Li Yu said, staring at his eyes.
Ning Que glanced back at her and reluctantly spread his hands, saying, ”Prince Long Qing, the bigwig of Judicial Department of West-Hill Divine Palace, is a cultivator standing on the threshold of the Knowing Destiny State. On the other hand, I'm... just an ordinary student of the Academy. You must think too highly of me to expect me to be a stumbling block on his glorious road?”
The glare in Lee Yu's eyes gradually faded. Watching Ning Que's clean, fresh but still ordinary face, she thought to herself that she was really out of her mind to count on this guy. She could not help but laugh at herself. She then extended her hand out of the window and gently pinched on Sangsang's cheeks, and said pridefully, ”You're more capable than your young master.”
During the past six months, Sangsang often went to play in the Princess Mansion so that she had become quite familiar with Lee Yu. Thus, she did not resist such kind of intimacy. She burped and then said softly, ”Young master is the one who is truly competent.”
Hua Shanyue, the Senior Captain of Gushan Commandery, rode over to the royal horse carriage, and suddenly opened his mouth, watching the horse carriage that was about to disappear around the corner, ”Haven't seen you for a year, and I never expected a lad from the border town to be admitted into the Academy.”
”Last year on the trip, Lyu Qingchen once told me, 'since we can be certain without any doubt that Ning Que can enter the Academy, then why can't we believe that he can get into the Second floor?'”
Lee Yu gazed out at the lively crowd in front of the street, and calmly said, ”I suddenly remember those words and the strange hope that Mr. Lyu reposed on him, seeing him so eloquent in the courtyard, I can't help wondering if I'm wrong this time?”
”Today he performed wonderfully at the banquet, and didn't bring shame on the Tang Empire and the Academy, but... After all, these are only verbal skills. If he meets head-on with Prince Long Qing, the unique cultivation genius, in the battlefield or the examination, and then it's true that he's highly esteemed just as he said earlier.”