Chapter 9 Did the young lady marry me willingly?

Heat the oil in a wok over high heat and fry until golden brown on both sides...

Of course not.

Upon hearing Shimi's instructions, Ali Dao immediately brought over several cartloads of firewood and piled them in front of the huge stove.

The furnace had been prepared beforehand. The craftsman, striving for perfection, often had discarded materials, such as heads, limbs, and torsos. These couldn't be thrown away carelessly, so they were sent to the furnace to be incinerated. After burning, they turned to ashes, leaving no trace and avoiding a lot of trouble. But previously he had dealt with fake objects; this time he was burning real ones. Lacking experience, he wondered if he might make a mistake and attract the attention of the neighbors.

Fortunately, the chimney was tall enough that the smoke diffused into the air, so the smell shouldn't permeate the alley. The people carried the boxes inside and laid out the wood densely on both sides. Ali Dao was quite proud, gesturing with his hand and saying, "This isn't ordinary wood, it's fruitwood, the kind used for roasting ducks."

The fire raged fiercely, burning even more intensely than before. Flames frequently leaped from the cave entrance, and Ran Dian was very worried, "Won't it explode?"

The furnace wouldn't explode, but the burning time was indeed very, very long. At first, everyone stayed by the furnace, lamenting the brevity and length of life, but later they grew impatient and gradually dispersed.

Lu Min returned to his bedroom and sat on the edge of the bed for a long time without moving. The setting sun shone through the large window, and a narrow strip of light fell on his shoulder, making his profile look faintly sad.

They burned people without batting an eye beforehand, but did they regret it afterward? Shimi leaned against the doorframe and joked, "It would have been better to bury them. People believe in burial for peace. Do you have ancestral graves? Why didn't you think of sending them back to the ancestral graves for burial?"

He lowered his head as if he hadn't heard, and after a long while he said, "Sending it back to the ancestral grave will bring endless trouble. In the future, if someone with ulterior motives digs up the remains, they will confront me in court and ridicule me for using sorcery to prolong my life, calling me a hypocrite."

He thought too far ahead, planning ten steps ahead for every one step he took—this was the secret to his invincibility. Shi Mi, however, looked down on this kind of betrayal. "The Grand Tutor is truly a contradictory person. On one hand, he enjoys the benefits of the body swap, and on the other hand, he despises this as a sorcery that steals the heavens and changes the sun."

He finally turned his face, which was more vibrant and handsome than it had been five days ago. He slowly stroked his knuckles, and the pros and cons quickly turned into a light smile. "Everyone has secrets they don't want others to discover, and my secret is a huge weakness that concerns my life and death. I absolutely cannot let my political enemies take advantage of it."

"It would be against the natural order for someone as powerful as you to have no weaknesses." Shi Mi also knew how to comfort people, especially since he had control over Shi Mi's weaknesses. He had even more room for compassion and said kindly, "You are no different from a living person now. For example, if you were imprisoned at the same time, the other person would die if he didn't eat for ten days, and you would also die if you didn't continue to live for ten days. Different paths lead to the same end, so think about it more positively."

Lu Min frowned. "Is this how you calculate things? The difference between me and others isn't as simple as whether or not I have food to eat. For others, having food can sustain them, but for me, it's not enough."

This made it difficult to persuade him. Shimi said, "Life is about gains and losses. You no longer have to endure the pain, you've survived, and you have a strong body. You can argue in court with full force. Is there anything better than that? As for what you're worried about, it's nothing more than drawing water when the jar is empty or adding firewood when the fire goes out. It's all very ordinary. Besides, you still have me. I share weal and woe with the Grand Tutor. With me here, the Grand Tutor can rest assured."

Lu Min looked at her, his sharp eyes filled with light and shadow, changing in an instant.

Even now, a thin veil still separates them. That meeting with the Puppeteer, seemingly full of answers, was actually just a formality. What they truly want remains unrevealed; it's far more than simply seeking the Grand Tutor's protection. It doesn't matter if they can't uncover it for now; the immediate crisis is resolved, and now it's just a matter of responding to each move as it comes.

Finally, he began to examine the woman in front of him with great interest.

She seemed indifferent to everything, and on the surface, she appeared to live a very carefree and unrestrained life. He had originally thought that a pseudo-human attached to a puppeteer would not have much independent thought, but after spending these few days together, although she did not take care of him, her words were sharp as needles, which was still vivid in his mind.

"Did the young lady marry me willingly?" he suddenly asked.

Shimi said, "It's my choice. A girl has to get married eventually. I can't have children with my body. Marrying an ordinary person would be unfair to them. Marrying you is just right."

His words were unpleasant to hear, but fortunately he didn't mind. "So, whatever the puppeteer arranges, just do it. Aren't you worried that I'll treat you badly?"

Shi Mi couldn't help but laugh. "I don't need you to treat me well. Just treat me like Ran Dian and the others do. But you can't mistreat me either. If you mistreat me, I will mistreat you in return. If that delays your important matters, then the Grand Tutor will suffer a great loss. I hope you will consider this carefully."

Lu Min was speechless at her reply and ultimately did not gain the upper hand. He then asked, "May I ask your name, young lady? Is it really Lu Xiafang?"

Shimi casually replied, "I don't remember much about the past. Ran Dian and the others all call me Ami, so you can call me Ami too."

“Ami…” The two words rolled off his tongue, carrying a strange flavor. After a pause, he suddenly informed her, “I will return to Jiuzhang Prefecture tomorrow, and set off for the capital the day after tomorrow.”

This schedule put Shimi in a difficult position. "Even ten days might not be enough to get used to things properly. You want to go back in six days and make a long journey to Baiyujing. Aren't you afraid something might happen?"

In terms of physical compatibility, he has recovered to about 50-60% at most, but time waits for no one. He has too many official duties to attend to, and that behemoth of Jiuzhang Prefecture must be kept firmly in check. If he leaves for too long, there is no guarantee that something will not happen.

It's because I've gotten used to being busy all these years that I can hardly believe I've managed to keep going until today, dragging that battered and bruised body.

"What could possibly happen? At worst, I'd die in front of everyone, my bones shattered." He said, his eyes fixed on her with a deep gaze. "Besides, isn't there a young lady here? With you here, I can be sure of my safety."

That was a well-placed compliment, cutting off all her escape routes. She had initially intended to be modest, but then realized it was unnecessary, and patted her chest confidently, "That's right, I'll take good care of you and keep you safe for the time being. But are you going to take me to Baiyujing? We'll leave the day after tomorrow?"

He asked, "Does the lady have other plans?"

Shimi said no, "I have nothing to do all day, so how could I have any plans? When the time comes, I will stay by your side, and if others ask, just say that I am your maid."

"A maid?" He glanced sideways. "Isn't that too much of a hardship for a young lady?"

Shi Mi was a perceptive person. He believed that one should fulfill one's duties in a position of power. "What decent young lady would follow you around before marriage! I'm doing this for my own reputation. Shouldn't the Grand Tutor's wife have some dignity?"

He didn't object after hearing this, saying, "Then let's do as the lady wishes."

Without any matchmaker or gossip, the marriage was a done deal. When they talked about it, it was as natural and easy as discussing what to have for dinner.

Shi Mi glanced at that expressionless face. "In your heart, do you feel that I'm out of your league?"

Lu Min's silence was the best response. After a while, he slowly replied, "I entered the court at the age of twelve and became prime minister at the age of twenty. The marriage proposals of prominent families who wanted to marry me were piled up to three feet high."

See? He's practically saying yes. Shi Mi didn't want to indulge his arrogance and laughed openly, "Three feet tall? Is it that noble families in the Yan Dynasty are worthless, or that prestigious families only produce daughters? It's undeniable that you're in high demand, but so many people wanted to marry you. Before the poison took effect, your health was still good, so why didn't you marry anyone? Did you have some hidden illness?"

Lu Min was always aloof and superior, and no one had ever dared to be so presumptuous in front of him. Now, a woman who didn't know her place had come, which annoyed him, so he sat up straight and retorted in a cold voice, "The world is not yet unified, what's the big deal about getting married?"

Upon hearing this, Shi Mi felt even more strongly that this man was a complete schemer. All people are equal; who should rule the world, and who should be preyed upon? The Yan people's ambition was to annex the four kingdoms and become the sole ruler; in truth, the previous five kingdoms existing side-by-side weren't so bad.

She wanted to hold back, but she couldn't. "Have you asked the people of the four kingdoms if they are willing to submit to the Yan Dynasty and acknowledge the King of Yan as their king?"

Those who govern naturally have their own set of principles: "The world, after a long period of unity, will inevitably divide; after a long period of division, it will inevitably unite. The five kingdoms ruled each other for thirty-nine years. During those thirty-nine years, heroes vied for power, and countless people died or were injured. This was not a good thing for the people of the five kingdoms."

So they caused widespread suffering, and in order to achieve their grand ambitions, they decided that a short, sharp pain was better than a long, drawn-out one.

Shi Mi smiled with drooping eyebrows, not intending to argue any further. "The Grand Tutor is right. It's good to get married when the world is at peace. The time has come."

While they were chatting idly, Ali Dao rushed in like a whirlwind, shouting, "I thought it would burn for a whole day, but it turned to ashes in just two hours. We had to add more charcoal; the flames were roaring and impossible to extinguish."

Shimi turned around and asked Lu Min, "It's all burned, do you want the ashes?"

He was willing to sacrifice his own flesh and hair, so what else could he possibly want to do to cause him so much torment day and night?

“Throw it away.” He turned to look out the window. “It would be even better if a rain came and turned everything to dust.”

Ali Dao, quick-witted for a moment, excitedly said, "It doesn't matter if it doesn't rain, I'll carry two buckets of water, mix them, and pour them against the wall."

Shi Mi was horrified. Although she didn't really believe in ghosts and gods, the sight of countless mindless Lu Mins lurking around the house was still a bit frightening.

“Why don’t we dig a hole and bury him?” she sincerely suggested. “After all, he has suffered a lot in this world, and to end up ashes is just too tragic.”

Her sudden change of heart surprised Lu Min and shocked Ali Dao even more. "You said last time that you used bone powder to polish the knife, and the blade would be as shiny as new. Why don't you polish the knife then!"

Shimi grinned and said, "I was saying that mixing bone meal with soil makes the flowers bloom even more brightly. Are you planning to mix it with soil?"

Seeing that Ali was about to nod, she quickly interrupted him, "Shut up! This is the Grand Tutor's bone powder, let the Grand Tutor make the decision himself. We've been cleaning knives and planting flowers, it's not good for us to overstep our bounds. Next, go and ask Ran Dian if Yan Shi's meal is ready. The Grand Tutor is leaving tomorrow, we must see him tonight."

Ali Dao accepted the order, turned and left, then called out to Lu Min, "Come with me into the hall now."

However, he shook his head. After his battered body was thoroughly cleaned, he finally felt the relief of traveling light. But he also wanted to test his limits. The puppeteer had said that the initial fusion was extremely taxing, and the blessing should have been completed yesterday, but he had deliberately postponed it. Counting the hours, it had already exceeded twelve hours, and he didn't feel anything particularly noticeable yet, at most a little tired, but his limbs moved freely.

"What would be the worst outcome if we didn't bless it?" he suddenly asked.

Shi Mi slowly narrowed his eyes. "Grand Tutor, your thoughts are a bit wild. Your physical body was created by the Puppeteer, and your flesh and blood are connected to his. He spent a lot of effort to make you and your body become one. I know you want to know yourself and your enemy, but don't joke around with yourself. If you mess things up, you might not wake up."

He stubbornly insisted, "When I'm out doing business, many things can change unpredictably. I always need to have some leeway to have a chance to turn things around."

Seeing his stubbornness, and knowing there was nothing he could do, he said helplessly, "Fine, if you really want to try, I can't stop you. People always learn from their mistakes..."

Before she could finish speaking, he collapsed. She had no choice but to shout to Ali Dao, "We have another job! Quickly carry him to the dark room!"

A note from the author:

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200 small red envelopes~