Chapter 72 You want me to live well, is that all?
Ning Jinli thought to herself that she had seen quite a few things by now.
If someone from ancient times can be so calm and composed, why should I be so hesitant?
It's not like I haven't seen him without clothes on before.
Besides, taking off someone's pants to apply medicine is nothing compared to how she carried four decapitated corpses by herself in the middle of the night in an unfinished building in the suburbs.
Thinking of all this, Ning Jinli calmly said, "Lift your butt up a bit."
Xiao Qidi cooperated well, exerting slight force with his legs, lifting his buttocks, and slightly suspending his waist and abdomen in the air.
Ning Jinli bent down and unbuckled his belt, slowly pulling down both his inner and outer pants, and then removing the wound protector from his waist and hips.
So his entire back, buttocks, and thighs were completely exposed to Ning Jinli.
Ning Jinli blushed involuntarily.
With a height of nearly two meters, a perfect proportion of broad shoulders and narrow waist, and clearly defined muscle lines that look as if they were carved by a knife, even his buttocks are so shapely.
The burn scars overlapped with the whip marks from his time as a hostage. On such a stunning body, they didn't look bad at all; instead, they resembled large artistic tattoos, adding a touch of wildness.
Ning Jinli was quite engrossed in watching.
Noticing that she hadn't made a move for a long time, Xiao Qidi asked in confusion, "Miss Ning, did my scars frighten you because they were too gruesome?"
"Oh, no, no, it's quite pretty." Ning Jinli blurted out.
Xiao Qidi was very surprised.
She actually said...it looks good?
You should know that when he was a child, he was whipped so badly that his body was covered in scars on his shoulders and back, and he was always ridiculed by others.
A gentle touch suddenly came from her back, and Ning Jinli's voice rang out, "Does it still hurt? If it does, I'll be gentler."
Xiao Qidi said softly, "It doesn't hurt."
Ning Jinli then began to clean him up.
First, wipe away any remaining medicine with clean water, then clean carefully, and finally apply a new layer of medicine.
“When I was little… whenever I was beaten, my mother would carefully apply medicine to my wounds just like this.” Xiao Qidi suddenly spoke up, taking the initiative to talk about the past.
Ning Jinli's fingertips trembled. She remembered that, according to historical records, Xiao Qidi's relationship with his mother was very complicated.
Now that he brings up things about his mother, Ning Jinli doesn't know whether she should respond.
"By the way, Miss Ning, how do people of later generations evaluate her?" Xiao Qidi asked.
Ning Jinli's heart skipped a beat.
What can I say?
According to surviving historical documents, the story of Xiao Qidi's birth mother is truly complicated, with much disagreement and controversy surrounding her.
"How about... you come over to my place sometime and use your phone to look it up online?" Ning Jinli suggested.
Xiao Qidi was silent for a moment before saying, "I don't want to investigate."
"Then why did you ask..." Ning Jinli pouted.
Xiao Qidi said quietly, "I'd like to know your opinion."
“My opinion isn’t important,” Ning Jinli pondered. “What’s important is how you see her.”
Xiao Qidi suddenly sneered, "Debauched and shameless, her mind is only on men. She can deceive anyone and use any means necessary to satisfy her desires! She was like this when I was a child, and now she's become even more outrageous. Does she think I don't know about her affair with Marquis Le'an?"
Ning Jinli fell silent, her feelings a jumble of emotions.
Although she fell from heaven to hell overnight after the age of twelve, she grew up happily under the care of her parents. In fact, even if the next ten years were difficult, she was still fortunate to have Aunt Su to take care of her.
Therefore, no matter how hard one tries to imagine, it is impossible to fully understand the misery of Xiao Qidi's childhood.
He was born as a hostage, and when he was three or four years old, his biological father abandoned him and fled back to the Xuan Kingdom.
His only support, his mother, later became increasingly distant from him, and they even turned against each other multiple times.
Throughout his life, he may have known almost nothing about the warmth of family.
He really is... a loner.
"Miss Ning, do you think she would be very sad if I killed Marquis Le'an?" Xiao Qidi asked coldly. "Did I kill him later?"
Ning Jinli snapped out of her thoughts. "According to historical records, you did indeed kill Marquis Le'an."
Xiao Qidi's eyes lit up. "When? How will they kill us?"
"It was probably before you unified the six kingdoms... that you executed him by tearing him apart with five horses."
Ning Jinli thought that if she combined it with the secret history, when Marquis Le'an was executed, Xiao Qidi had already been replaced by a puppet king.
The puppet and the court power that controls the puppet need to utilize his great talent and strategy. If he wants to execute someone who does not affect the interests of the puppet group, he will definitely agree.
Therefore, it's not wrong to say that he executed him.
"Dismemberment by five horses?" Xiao Qidi's eyes flashed with cold light, even carrying a sinister grin. "Haha! Good! Then it's settled! When the execution takes place, I'll make sure that woman watches closely!"
Ning Jinli felt a chill run down her spine, but she didn't express any opinion, after all... it was those two who brought this upon themselves.
"Okay, I'll disinfect the wound protector before putting it on you," Ning Jinli said as she finished applying the medicine and stood up.
“No need,” Xiao Qidi pulled up his pants and sat up. “The wound has scabbed over, so there’s no need to wear it anymore. This thing makes it a bit inconvenient for me to move around.”
Ning Jinli frowned. "No, if it scabs over and you accidentally scratch it open again, the wound will get infected."
Xiao Qidi's face fell. "I said I won't wear it, and I won't."
"Get down on your knees!" Ning Jinli said sternly.
Xiao Qidi: ...
"Hurry up!" Ning Jinli glared at him.
She wouldn't let him act recklessly in this kind of situation.
Xiao Qidi's expression was uncertain, but in the end he pursed his lips and silently lay back down.
"That's right, you're so good," Ning Jinli smiled. "I'll buy you milk tea later."
Xiao Qidi kept a straight face and managed to squeeze out, "I'm not a child anymore."
Ning Jinli asked with a smile, "Would you like some milk tea?"
Xiao Qidi's lips trembled slightly, and he said somewhat embarrassedly, "I'd like it, the kind with extra pearls."
Ning Jinli's eyes crinkled into crescent moons with laughter. "Alright, alright, plenty!"
Subsequently, with Xiao Qidi's honest cooperation, Ning Jinli disinfected the protective shield and put it back on him.
After finishing all that, Ning Jinli asked him about the generator.
Xiao Qidi said casually, "There's still a little bit of diesel left."
"A little bit? How much is a little bit?" Ning Jinli asked, puzzled.
“Ahem,” Xiao Qidi looked away, “about half of what you sent last time.”
"Huh??" Ning Jinli looked surprised. "That should last a few days. Didn't you message me last night saying you'd run out?"
Xiao Qidi said calmly, "Did I say that?"
“Sigh…” Ning Jinli was speechless. She took out her phone and showed him the chat history.
“Look.”
"The generator ran out of fuel and can't continue generating electricity. Could you please give me some more? Isn't this what you gave me?"
Xiao Qidi glanced at it, then said "oh" expressionlessly.
Ning Jinli was exasperated. "Oh, what does that mean?"
Xiao Qidi said, "I am an ancient person, and the writing I learned is very different from that of later generations. Although I am learning the writing used in later generations, I inevitably make mistakes, so I have missed a few words. What I wanted to tell you is that the generator is running out of oil and will not be able to continue generating electricity."
Ning Jinli was speechless after hearing these words.
At first glance, it seems to make some sense.
But... why does it always feel like there's an element of sophistry involved?
“Little brother,” Ning Jinli narrowed her eyes, staring at him suspiciously, “Are you hiding something from me?”
Xiao Qidi's eyes flickered slightly, but his tone was quite firm, "No."
He didn't want to say that he just inexplicably wanted to see her, went to the factory but couldn't find her, so he made up an excuse on the spot.
If I tell her this, won't she laugh at me?
That would be so embarrassing for me.
Ning Jinli continued to stare at his face.
On the young king's unparalleled beauty, she could vaguely discern a certain insecurity and loneliness hidden behind his arrogance.
She thought for a moment, then squatted down, gently placed her hand on his knee, and said earnestly, "If you want to talk to me, just tell me directly, no need to beat around the bush."
Xiao Qidi tensed up, and his pupils contracted slightly.
She noticed?
How did she figure that out?!
“I didn’t want to,” Xiao Qidi turned his head away. “I was just being prepared, and if my wording was inappropriate, I apologize if Miss Ning misunderstood.”
Ning Jinli stood up. "Really? Then I'm leaving!"
"Take care, I won't see you off." Xiao Qidi remained stubborn.
Ning Jinli stepped out of the tent.
Seeing that she was about to leave, Xiao Qidi clenched his fists, jumped up and chased after her, "Miss Ning, please wait..."
He couldn't understand what was wrong with him. He kept saying those things, but his body wouldn't obey him.
"Is there anything else?" Ning Jinli asked.
Xiao Qidi pondered for a moment and said, "The people miss you very much. Now that the place is temporarily at peace, I hope you can come and visit them more often."
"Oh?" Ning Jinli's eyes crinkled with a smile. "Then how about I stay here for a few days?"
Xiao Qidi blurted out, "Excellent!"
He immediately noticed the smile in Ning Jinli's big eyes and quickly added, "I'm doing this on behalf of the people. If it's inconvenient for Miss Ning, then we won't force you."
Ning Jinli said, "I'm alright. The factory has a factory manager, the antique company doesn't require my attention, and as for the pharmaceutical company... I'll have to wait for Medicine King Valley to recover. I still have a few days to stay here, which is perfect since I wanted to take a break and experience ancient life in depth."
"He stayed for a few days, but didn't have time to reply to my messages," Xiao Qidi muttered to himself.
He waited a long time after sending a message to Ning Jinli at the factory last night.
No one replied.
"What did you say?" Ning Jinli asked, not having heard clearly.
Xiao Qidi then said, "Where would Miss Ning like to stay? I will have someone arrange it."
Ning Jinli thought for a moment, "Let's stay in this campsite. Just give me a small tent."
A hint of joy flashed in Xiao Qidi's eyes. "Yes, Miss Ning."
"Because of the message you sent last night, I was busy until the wee hours of the morning before I could sleep," Ning Jinli pouted. "Anyway, I've already bought the diesel, so I'll go over and send it over now."
"Thank you, Miss Ning."
"I'll head over there then. You should quickly arrange for someone to prepare for the move."
"yes."
Afterwards, Ning Jinli returned to the factory.
Not only did they deliver the diesel fuel they bought last night, but they also brought Xiao Qidi several dictionaries and a super-sized milk tea with extra pearls that they specially bought for him.
"This is a dictionary of ancient Chinese characters that I specially found at the bookstore. You can find every character from your era in it. Study it carefully so you don't have any problems sending messages later."
"Yes, Miss Ning."
Xiao Qidi's eyes held a hint of a smile.
He picked up the dictionary, flipped through it, and casually asked, "Did all the people of China in later generations use the same script?"
Ning Jinli nodded, "Except for some ethnic minorities who have preserved their own traditional scripts, most written texts are written in Chinese characters."
“This is truly excellent,” Xiao Qidi exclaimed. “The seven major vassal states in the Central Plains alone use different ways of writing characters. Add to that the other smaller states and surrounding tribes, and it becomes extremely complicated. I’ve thought, why need more than a dozen ways of writing the same character, which only increases the difficulty of correspondence?”
Ning Jinli patted him on the shoulder, "You guessed right. Let me tell you, standardizing the written language was one of your great contributions after you achieved unification."
Xiao Qidi couldn't help but smile. "As expected of me."
“Little brother,” Ning Jinli said solemnly, “so I really hope you can live well and not let some evil things in Xuan Kingdom succeed. Future generations should admire the real you, not that puppet.”
"Besides, even if you were murdered like that, imprisoned in a dark basement, you were still able to devise strategies to achieve unification and establish the Xuan Dynasty. If that incident hadn't happened, and you had controlled everything personally, how powerful would the Xuan Dynasty have been? How much more powerful would China have been? How much more powerful would our country have become in later generations? Think about it carefully."
Ning Jinli said all this in the hope that Xiao Qidi would try his best to fight against history and fate.
When the two talked about these things last time, Xiao Qidi was already convinced that it was unchangeable.
His views are indeed irrefutable and even very much in line with scientific theory.
But Ning Jinli was unwilling to give up any hope.
Xiao Qidi looked into her eyes and asked softly, "You want me to live well, is that all there is to it?"
Ning Jinli was taken aback. "Is there a problem with this reason?"
“It’s not a problem,” Xiao Qidi’s eyes darkened slightly. “Is there no other reason?”
Ning Jinli frowned. "It seems like that's all... But isn't that enough?"
A barely perceptible hint of desolation flashed across Xiao Qidi's eyes, and his tone turned considerably colder. "I understand. That's enough."
He sneered inwardly. Sure enough... none of the people he had ever met truly cared about him.
When he was a child, because he was the son of the king of Xuan Kingdom, he was a hostage who was easy to use. No matter how much the people around him bullied him, they would always try to keep him alive.
As he grew up, he inherited the throne, which was a very useful figurehead. Even if the court officials secretly despised him, they still had to put on a good show on the surface.
Everyone cares about his situation, but what everyone cares about is only the identities attached to him.
Those people were like that, and even Ning Jinli... was the same.
"Miss Ning, I have other matters to attend to. Please make yourself at home." Xiao Qidi reverted to his usual aloofness and turned to leave.
"Hey, your milk tea!" Ning Jinli called out.
Xiao Qidi didn't even turn his head. "I'm not drinking anymore."
"Fine, it's like this again. If you won't drink, I'll drink it myself," Ning Jinli muttered as she inserted the straw. "Hmph, everyone says that a woman's heart is like the bottom of the sea, that a woman's temper changes faster than turning the pages of a book, and that women are a mysterious species. I think men are the same."
In the afternoon, an extra tent appeared at the campsite in Linxian Village.
This was built by the soldiers using supplies they had previously seized from the enemy forces of the Yu Kingdom.
To make the fairy's living space more comfortable, the best fabrics available were used inside and out.
As the sun set, Ning Jinli arrived with some simple daily necessities.
At the same moment, several strong men dressed in the clothes of ordinary Xuan Kingdom citizens appeared in the continuous high mountains outside Linxian Village.
The group of people were all ordinary in appearance and build, but they all possessed superb martial arts skills.
In the blink of an eye, he had scrambled up a hilltop, without changing his expression or panting.
"We've traveled day and night without stopping, and we've finally arrived." The leader looked down from his vantage point and said coldly, "Let's rest here for a while. We'll move out after dark. We must bring the Crown Prince of Yu and Xiao Qidi to our eldest brother!"
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