Li Yuer gave Xu Ping’an the feeling that her offensive power had suddenly multiplied, catching him completely off guard, yet making it impossible to resist.
“Mister, there’s still a little wrinkle here～”
Today was April 10th, the day he was supposed to go to Erdaotou Village for the free clinic.
He had gotten up early and already packed his lantern robe, along with his bag and medicine box, ready to head to Erdaotou Village.
But just as he stepped out of his bedroom door, Li Yuer was already waiting in the living room.
The moment she saw him come out, she immediately rose and walked over to him, reaching out with smooth, practiced motions to straighten his collar.
It felt just like a devoted couple who had lived together through thick and thin, without the slightest awkwardness.
“Yuer, I told you before, I can handle these things myself. You don’t need to trouble yourself.”
“How can that be? If Mister were to walk out untidily dressed, wouldn’t it make people laugh at the Xu Family for having no one to look after you?”
Every time Xu Ping’an refused, Li Yuer would parry him with this line.
“But you’re the guest.”
Xu Ping’an sighed helplessly. Li Yuer’s hands paused slightly as she adjusted his collar; her expression briefly darkened before she smiled.
“Even if I’m a guest, the host can’t just let me walk out like this.”
He had tried many stern words before, but Li Yuer always found some excuse to change the subject.
After a few days, he was beginning to get used to it.
This was also what truly scared him.
Li Yuer was an intelligent woman—one in a hundred thousand with top-tier cleverness.
A person like her could have countless schemes and plans, yet she chose the simplest and most unpretentious method:
Subtle influence.
As a man, every day when he stepped out of his room, the first thing he saw was a beautiful woman tenderly caring for him.
If it were only brief, it would be fine, but if it lasted long enough, even the hardest heart would be moved.
“Yuer—”
Xu Ping’an was about to say something, but Li Yuer suddenly stepped back half a pace, appraising him from head to toe with a smile before nodding.
“This is more like the Mister I know. Mister… will you be coming home for lunch today? Should I prepare a meal for you?”
“No need. I’ll handle things in the village at noon. You all can eat by yourselves.”
Li Yuer had already moved to the door.
“Old Zhao, please take care of Mister.”
“No, I can go alone…”
“Old Zhao, if Mister gets hungry or thirsty on the way, you mustn’t let him suffer.”
“Um… may I say something?”
“And be sure to drive the carriage slowly, don’t jostle Mister. Off you go.”
“I…”
Li Yuer completely ignored his protests.
“Yes, Miss, please rest assured!”
“Ah, ah, ah~ I can walk on my own, I can walk on my own~”
Zhao Pingzhi glanced back at Xu Ping’an, as if checking whether he would actually leave.
He looked back at Li Yuer standing at the door, her happy smile like a devoted wife seeing her husband off, her slender hand waving lightly.
He sighed.
“Let’s go.”
Zhao Pingzhi cracked the whip and shouted,
“Drive!!”
The horse bells jingled, the wheels spun, and the carriage sped straight toward Erdaotou Village.
Drawing aside the curtain, Xu Ping’an looked back at the small courtyard; even at this moment, the figure at the gate was still watching in his direction.
He lowered the curtain, sighed, and looked up at Zhao Pingzhi ahead.
“Brother Zhao, with your Miss like this, aren’t you even a little worried? I have no official rank or title. As a commoner, if people find out, wouldn’t I be ridiculed?”
“Hahaha, Mister, that’s not quite right,” Zhao Pingzhi expertly drove the carriage.
“Leaving aside Mister’s abilities, even my Miss’s eyes aren’t bad. The old master has already entrusted her with the Prince of Zhen Nan’s Seal, which means she’s basically the head of the household now. I, Old Zhao, don’t claim great skills, but I do have loyalty as clear as the sun and moon.”
“And since this is Miss’s choice, as one loyal to her, I’ll do my utmost to support her.”
“As for others mocking? Heh~ Mister, if I may speak bluntly, in all of Southern Prefecture, who dares laugh at the Li Residence?”
That was true.
The Duke of the Southern Border’s Residence.
In the entire Southern Prefecture, it was like a feudal prince’s domain.
Though they lacked direct administrative power, the 380,000 troops under their command all belonged to the Duke of the Southern Border’s Residence.
With just that, the Duke could act with impunity across the Southern Prefecture.
To put it bluntly, even if Li Yuer killed someone in the street, officials wouldn’t dare arrest or interfere.
That was the system of Great Qi.
So far, Xu Ping’an had traveled eight years across seven provinces, and excluding Chao Ge, Great Qi had thirteen provinces.
They were divided among twenty-seven princes and five dukes.
Of these, the provinces with the strongest military forces were Saizhou on the frontier and Southern Prefecture in the southeast corner.
These two were also the most trusted princes by the current Emperor, backed by the Flowing Cloud Sect Master.
Most importantly, they were the Emperor’s brothers.
One was the 13th Prince, the Zhennan King, Li Huan.
The other was the 7th Prince, the Prince of the Frontier, Li Feng.
The Emperor entrusted these two brothers with the two most important regions: Saizhou was governed by the Prince of the Frontier, Li Feng, defending the border from enemy incursions.
Southern Prefecture, the granary of Great Qi, was entrusted to the Zhennan King Li Huan—Li Yuer’s father.
Now, with the Emperor poisoned and unconscious, the Emperor’s trusted letter summoned the Zhennan King Li Huan to the Capital to stabilize the situation.
As for Li Feng in Saizhou, he must not be disturbed.
If he moved, the Xiongnu beyond the frontier might also move.
As one of the Emperor’s most trusted brothers, the Zhennan King virtually held full governance over Southern Prefecture.
While officials still came from Chao Ge, they answered to the Zhennan King here.
He was almost a local emperor.
Of course, no one dared mock the Duke of the Southern Border’s Residence.
If a scandal happened, everyone would rush to spin it as a good thing.
He had to admit, Li Yuer’s tactic struck at his weak point.
He wasn’t without flaws; he was somewhat soft-hearted.
When others asked, as long as it wasn’t too troublesome, he rarely said no.
Li Yuer’s friendly approach was clearly designed to subtly influence him, to get him used to the presence of this long princess.
In just a few days, he even felt like he had gotten used to Li Yuer adjusting his clothes every morning.
Thinking carefully, his body seemed to be adapting—just now, when Li Yuer came over to straighten his collar, he didn’t resist in the slightest.
Thinking of this, Xu Ping’an shook his head and smiled bitterly.
“Your Miss really knows how to be cunning…”
“Haha, of course! Look at you… Wait! Mister! That’s not a nice thing to say, you can’t say that!”
“Well, then how should I put it?”
“You should say… my Miss is brilliant and full of schemes!”
But what’s the difference between that and being cunning?
Xu Ping’an lowered his head helplessly, feeling like three points of his spirit had drained away.
Ah… what a tangled fate!