220 Taming the Sick Scholar

Xingyang, I could probably defend it for a month."Ye Li said, "General Leng could hold out for half a month. My lord, do you know which day of our journey we're on Even if we had wings to fly with, we...220. Taming the Sick Bookworm

Ye Li quickly translated the text on the silk scroll. Fortunately, this time Emperor Taizu didn't try to trick anyone again; the real treasure was located within the western territory not far from Li City. However, it wasn't an opportune moment for digging up treasures since many nobles and influential figures were still actively searching for them in secret. Ye Li handed the translated text along with the original treasure map to Mo Xiuyao, who merely glanced at them before burning them without leaving any traces.

The people from the King of Hell Pavilion were accommodated in a courtyard on the northwest side of her mansion. Although Li City was still not entirely peaceful and smooth yet, it remained much more serene compared to the chaos outside. With nothing else urgent on hand, Ye Li turned her attention to resolving the issue with the sick bookworm first.

After breakfast, as she visited the courtyard where the people from King of Hell Pavilion were staying, Ling Tiehan and Leng Liu Yue were sparring. The sick bookworm sat alone by the side watching his siblings practice in the garden, a dark expression on his face; he tightly held onto the armrest of the chair, leaving red marks on it.

Smiling, Ye Li walked up to him and lightly remarked with indifference: "I've heard that Pavilion Master Leng, although a woman, is also one of the top martial artists in the江湖 (jīāng hú - the martial arts world). Seeing her now, it's clear why she and Pavilion Master Ling are such an excellent match."

The sick bookworm’s face contorted slightly as he glared at Ye Li with a sinister look. Having dealt with all sorts of villains and mentally unstable individuals in her previous life because of her profession, the sick bookworm barely registered on Ye Li's radar.

With twinkling eyes, she continued to smile at him: "It’s rather strange, isn’t it Pavilion Master Leng is already well into her thirties. At this age for a woman and still unmarried—Pavilion Master Ling must be truly holding her back. I’ll have to mention it to His Royal Highness and ask him to give your brother some advice. Third Pavilion Master, don't you think"

"Ye Li!" The sick bookworm gritted his teeth as another bout of violent coughing followed; blood stained his palms when he wiped them.

On the other side, Ling Tiehan and Leng Liu Yue heard the commotion and immediately stopped sparring to return inside. "Third Brother, what's wrong" Ling Tiehan asked solemnly (Rebirth of a Hacker Empress).

The sick bookworm didn't appreciate their concern; he glared at Ling Tiehan and went back into his room. Frowning, Ling Tiehan turned to Leng Liu Yue: "Liu Yue, go check on him." Silent as ever, Leng Liu Yue nodded and returned inside.

Ling Tiehan wiped his hands with a cloth and then turned to Ye Li: "Duchess, Third Brother's health is truly poor; please spare him your words." Ye Li raised an eyebrow and smiled. It seemed Ling Tiehan had figured out that the sick bookworm’s sudden coughing up of blood was due to her taunting him. Without denying it, she swept her sleeve and sat across from Ling Tiehan with a smile: "Pavilion Master Ling, although Third Pavilion Master is your kin, you can't be too biased towards him. This duchess was also quite infuriated by him yesterday. If I don’t vent this anger, I won't be able to eat or sleep at night." Ling Tiehan sighed in exasperation; his adopted younger brother's mouth could even make a person like himself want to beat him up sometimes.

Looking at Ye Li with resignation, he asked: "Duchess, are you wondering why I've been protecting Third Brother all this time"

Ye Li nodded slightly; she was indeed curious. Given Ling Tiehan’s personality and nature, it seemed unlikely that he would have a preference for someone as obsessive, gloomy, vicious, and ruthless like the sick bookworm.

Ling Tiehan sighed with regret: "I've known my two younger siblings since childhood. When Third Brother was young, although he was quiet, he wasn't like this at all back then. We were still children at that time, not having any abilities in the martial arts world which led us to suffer a lot. There was one year… Liu Yue fell seriously ill; we spent all our savings but it wasn’t enough for medical treatment. To save Liu Yue, Third Brother sold himself and left with someone else just leaving behind some money. When Liu Yue recovered from her illness, we joined the King of Hell Pavilion. Liu Yue trained day and night hoping to one day find him. It was only after more than a year that I found him; he had been through so much suffering no one knew about it. By then, he was critically injured nearly dying when we found him. Third Brother's natural talent wasn't exceptional, even if he practiced martial arts, he couldn’t reach my or Liu Yue’s level and therefore wasn’t suitable for the King of Hell Pavilion environment. After his recovery, both I and Liu Yue hoped that he could live a peaceful life as an ordinary person; with me and Liu Yue looking after him, he wouldn't be bullied by others. But who would have thought…"

Ling Tiehan sighed: "He didn’t listen to us despite our advice. In the end, he entered the King of Hell Pavilion on his own accord. With his talent, even if he practiced martial arts, at best, he could only become a second-rate assassin in the pavilion and often used as cannon fodder. So, he took another path focusing solely on poison techniques, which eventually made him one of the top assassins in the King of Hell Pavilion. He may seem ruthless to others, but towards his own people, he’s extremely kind-hearted. Although he is an assassin, Liu Yue being a woman sometimes softens her heart. Third Brother always took up business that she couldn’t bear to complete herself."

Ye Li quietly listened to Ling Tiehan's words and didn't expect that the three masters of the most feared Yanguan Pavilion in today’s martial arts world had such a past. However, it was understandable since innate perverts were few, and Scholar Sick’s psychological illness wasn’t formed overnight either. "Are you and Cold Pavilion Master being so tolerant towards him because you feel guilty" Ling Tiehan fell silent; he clearly admitted Ye Li's words. Back then when Ling Tiehan was still young and brash, and in such a place as the Yanguan Pavilion, most of his energy was spent improving his martial arts skills. By the time he realized it, his foster brother had already become one of the feared poison experts in the martial world.

Ye Li thoughtfully looked at Ling Tiehan and asked, "Speaking of which, even Third Pavilion Master is close to thirty this year but hasn’t yet settled down with a wife. Why"

Ling Tiehan lowered his eyes in thought before he sighed after a while, "I am solely focused on the martial arts path and indeed have no thoughts of settling down. Besides, what Yanguan Pavilion does is killing for money. Those who kill will be killed… it's better not to have any family ties. Only now do I remember that I’ve been neglecting Liu Yue and Third Brother."

Ye Li couldn’t help frowning as she carefully observed Ling Tiehan’s calm yet slightly remorseful expression, indicating that Ling Tiehan indeed didn't have feelings for Cold Liu Yue. Scholar Sick was definitely secretly in love with Cold Liu Yue; if Ling Tiehan had no interest in her, things would be much easier to handle. However, it was unknown what Cold Liu Yue's intentions were. Even a female killer shouldn’t not want someone close to their heart after turning thirty. The only men near to Cold Liu Yue were Scholar Sick and Ling Tiehan, but if given the choice, Ye Li felt she wouldn't abandon Ling Tiehan for Scholar Sick.

"Does Pavilion Master know why I’m here" Ye Li asked softly.

Ling Tiehan nodded, "Of course. In these two days, Liu Yue and I will also try our best to persuade Third Brother to teach us the formula. After all, it’s a mutually beneficial matter; there’s no need for both sides to suffer."

"Then… may Pavilion Master answer my question" Ye Li asked carefully.

Ling Tiehan was taken aback but still nodded, "If I know something, I’ll speak up."

Ye Li lowered her eyes and softly asked, "How does Pavilion Master view Cold Pavilion Master"

"I naturally regard Liu Yue as my own younger sister…" Ling Tiehan frowned at his words. He was quick to realize what Ye Li meant. His steady and handsome face showed a hint of surprise, "Is the duchess implying that…" Just as Ye Li smiled slightly and nodded, she heard rustling clothes behind her. Both turned around just in time to see Cold Liu Yue’s departing black figure. Ye Li helplessly looked at Ling Tiehan with a bitter smile; it seemed that Cold Liu Yue had overheard their conversation. More importantly, Cold Liu Yue might genuinely have feelings for Ling Tiehan and thus left feeling hurt after hearing his words. "Cold Pavilion Master is unfamiliar with Licheng City. Pavilion Master should go check on him first. Don’t let anything happen to him." Ling Tiehan knew that Licheng City was different from other places, with the Dark Guards of the Ding Prince’s Manor, Black Cloud Cavalry of the Ink Clan and the mysterious Qilin all gathered around this city. If Cold Liu Yue got into trouble, she might not be able to escape unscathed. Nodding his head, Ling Tiehan stood up and chased after Cold Liu Yue's direction.

Looking at where Ling Tiehan had disappeared, the gentle smile on Ye Li’s face gradually faded, her beautiful face slowly turning cold. Originally, she shouldn’t interfere in Yanguan Pavilion’s tangled relationships, but if this was Scholar Sick’s only weakness, she wouldn't mind using his feelings for Cold Liu Yue to achieve her goals.

Standing up, Ye Li strolled towards the room where Scholar Sick rested. Even before entering, she heard intermittent coughing sounds coming from inside. Shen Yang and Doctor Lin were right; Scholar Sick's illness was indeed at a critical stage. Opening the door and stepping in, someone turned around abruptly upon hearing the sound, only to have their eyes dim when they saw Ye Li at the doorway, "What are you here for As a duchess, don’t you even know that one needs to inform others before entering their room" Unbothered by his rudeness, Ye Li smiled and walked into the room to sit down in a chair not far from his bed. With a light smile, she said, "I was talking with Ling Pavilion Master earlier; Cold Pavilion Master overheard us. Then he left alone."

"What were you two saying!" Scholar Sick’s eyes flashed with worry before turning furious as he shouted at Ye Li.

Ye Lily blinked and smiled, saying, "What's there to worry about We just talked about Senior Brother Ling treating Cold Pavilion Master as a beloved younger sister. Is there anything wrong with that"

The sick scholar was taken aback, for once not spewing venom at Ye Lily but rather lowering his head and remaining silent. Seeing the sick scholar's silence, Ye Lily curled her lips into a faint smile and said seriously, "Third Pavilion Master, in this world there is nothing that can be perfectly balanced. The key lies in personal choices. Compared to spending your life with someone you truly love, isn't it really that important to fight with my lord over pride If it was about some grievous feud between our lord and you, I could understand, but as far as I know, apart from the encounter several years ago, there has been no other interaction between you and our lord. Even your family has no grudge with Prince Ding’s Manor. Why must you hold such a grudge A step back reveals vast skies—there is some truth to this saying sometimes. What do you think"

The sick scholar suddenly raised his head, glaring fiercely at Ye Lily. His expression was unpredictable, filled with anger that he had been seen through by Ye Lily as well as hatred and resentment towards Mo Xiuyao. There were also feelings of inadequacy and dejection that couldn’t be clearly articulated, "You speak so prettily, but aren't you just after the prescription" Ye Lily nodded in agreement and smiled, saying, "Of course I say these things to get the prescription, for my husband’s life. Can it possibly be that I’m trying to set up a match between Third Pavilion Master and someone That would be absurd. With the prescription, if our lord survives, I’ll be happy. Whether you want to pursue Cold Pavilion Master after recovering is entirely your own business. To tell you the truth, if Second Pavilion Master ends up in Third Pavilion Master's hands someday, this Concubine will feel guilty." In Ye Lily’s view, the odd-tempered sick scholar was a million miles from being worthy of Cold Liuyue. Therefore, she only used Cold Liuyue as an entry point to talk with him and would never offer advice on pursuing her. Naturally, a woman like Cold Liuyue must be resolute in heart; if the sick scholar couldn’t win her over himself, others’ suggestions wouldn't necessarily work.

"You!" The thing the sick scholar hated most was being told he wasn’t worthy of Cold Liuyue. Although he knew deep down that he didn’t deserve his adoptive sister, he could not bear to hear it spoken aloud by others.

Seeing that she had said enough, Ye Lily stood up and prepared to take her leave, "Third Pavilion Master, think about this carefully—would you rather preserve your life or risk everything against my lord I guarantee... before you die, I’ll find a suitable husband for Cold Pavilion Master."

Leaning on the bedhead, watching Ye Lily walk away without hesitation, the sick scholar coughed violently again. "Ye Lily! You’re ruthless..." Indeed, she had hit his weak spot; someone like him would never be willing to see Cold Liuyue marry another man—he’d rather die.

No one knew what Ling Tiehan and Cold Liuyue talked about. Later on, the two returned to Prince Ding’s Manor as if nothing had happened.

After dinner, Ye Lily and Xu Qingchen sat idly chatting while playing chess. The sick scholar sent a guard in the courtyard with a piece of cloth bearing an ancient script written in an unknown material. When Ye Lily unfolded it, she smiled contentedly and handed it to Qin Feng, instructing him to personally deliver it to Shen Yang’s residence.

With this long-standing matter finally resolved, Ye Lily looked even more relaxed.

Xu Qingchen picked up a chess piece while pondering aloud, "You’re so happy now that you’ve got the prescription for Forget-me-not Flower."

Ye Lily chuckled and said, "Of course I’m happy. Isn’t Brother pleased too"

Xu Qingchen shook his head and smiled, saying, "A grown-up daughter is hard to keep at home.

Ye Li felt embarrassed by what he said; she had been married for more than two years already, right Xu Qingchen calmly placed a piece and smiled. "You deliberately stirred up the emotional entanglements between Ling Tiehan and his siblings, forcing the sick scholar to comply. Right now, Ling Tiehan is preoccupied and hasn’t reacted yet, but when he comes to his senses, he’ll definitely come looking for you to cause trouble."

Ye Li didn’t care at all; she placed a piece on the board that swallowed up several of Xu Qingchen’s white pieces. "Does Ling Tiehan have any grounds to blame me The Cold Pavilion Master is already over thirty years old, and her entire youth has been spent waiting for him. He needs to give her an answer."

Xu Qingchen paused in placing his piece and looked at her with a smile. "How do I get the impression that your words have some hidden meaning"

When Xu Qingchen stared at her with a half-smile, Ye Li felt a chill down her spine, but she still managed to remain calm. "Isn’t what I’m saying true In this world, after reaching thirty years old, how can a woman find a good family for herself Regardless of whether Ling Tiehan knows it or not, isn’t his inaction and lack of concern for his younger sister, who has yet to marry at the age of over thirty, completely unreasonable To put it nicely, Ling Tiehan is obsessed with martial arts and isn’t disturbed by external things. To put it bluntly, he’s a scoundrel who ruined someone else’s life!"

"A scoundrel" Xu Qingchen’s smile deepened. "Sister Liè, do you have anything else to tell your elder brother Feel free to speak up."

Ye Li was taken aback and cursed herself for being so weak-willed. She didn’t know why she was afraid of Xu Qingchen rather than her stern older brother Xu Qingze, who had always been serious from a young age. Of course, this wasn’t unique to Ye Li; in fact, all three younger brothers under the Xu family were more fearful of Xu Qingchen’s refined and gentlemanly demeanor. "I’m not talking about Big Brother. You shouldn’t take it personally." Xu Qingchen nodded, looking at Ye Li’s rare guilty expression with a helpless sigh as he asked, "Has Princess Anxi visited you"

Ye Li felt somewhat embarrassed; after all, Xu Qingchen’s personal matters were none of her business. "Princess Anxi didn’t say anything about you specifically, but…" As the princess of a country and the crown princess of South Zhaoyue, Princess Anxi had no interest in the jade seal of the founding emperor, yet she remained in Li City for an extended period of time—this wasn’t something Ye Li wouldn’t understand. It was just that while Xu Qingchen didn’t avoid Princess Anxi, he was extremely busy with northwest affairs and couldn’t spend much time accompanying her. Every time Princess Anxi came to see Ye Li with a hesitant expression on her face, it made Ye Li feel sympathetic for her.

"Big Brother, what exactly do you think about Princess Anxi Your second brother is getting married soon; your maternal uncles and aunt must have also urged you."

After some thought, Ye Li decided to ask Xu Qingchen’s opinion. It wasn’t just because of Princess Anxi, but also due to her own mother’s nagging about his early marriage and the expectations of her grandfather and uncle. "Princess Anxi isn’t young anymore; regardless of your thoughts, you should clarify things with her."

Xu Qingchen nodded. "Big Brother understands and will handle it properly."

"Big Brother…"

"I’m not suitable for Princess Anxi," Xu Qingchen said calmly with a smile. "She’s the crown princess of South Zhaoyue, destined to become its queen one day." Ye Li frowned; she couldn’t determine if Xu Qingchen was interested or not. "What if Princess Anxi is willing to give up her claim to the throne"

"We’re just friends."

––– Interlude –––and reassure the surviving citizens before returning to the Governor's residence. The moment they entered, Feng Zhiyao invited Moshouyao away, while Ye Li returned to her study to attend to her own ma...