My Husband Is Not Easy To Mess With. - Chapter 25: That's My Person!
Chapter 25: That’s My Person!
Being single for two lifetimes and suddenly having a spouse.
Although this spouse is a bit strange, with a lot of tricks up their sleeve, maybe, possibly, it should be a good thing?
Nie Yao comforted himself this way.
He sat in the study all night before finally sorting things out a little. At least he understood that he was currently in a relationship.
In this world, ninety-nine percent of relationships lead to marriage.
Nie Yao tried to imagine married life: His spouse’s personality was… very fond of stirring up trouble. As soon as they were unhappy, they would order him to do this and that; with many tricks, he could easily be led into a trap if he wasn’t careful; they also had a bad temper and would bite when angry.
Nie Yao touched his bitten lip.
He felt cold all over, like a corpse.
He couldn’t feel at ease at all.
“Sir, you’ve taken the wrong path,” the butler reminded Nie Yao. This path led to the vegetable garden.
“Huh? Oh. I know.”
Nie Yao snapped back to reality, suppressing the anxiety in his heart.
He turned back, took a different path, and sat down to eat.
With too much on his mind, he ate only half of his usual meal before putting down his bowl and chopsticks.
The butler urged him, “Sir, please eat more.”
Nie Yao waved his hand weakly, “No more, I have no appetite.”
No appetite?!
The butler was shocked.
He had served Nie Yao for over twenty years and this was the first time he had heard such a thing. His master had been a big eater since childhood, and would eat anything given to him.
Now he only ate three bowls for one meal.
His master must be ill!
“Sir, I’ll go call a doctor for you right away!”
Call a doctor for what? He wasn’t sick.
Nie Yao called the butler back, “You arrange to have the house cleaned. Fish in the pond should all be caught and sent to the palace later. Oh, right, do we still have the lotus root starch made some time ago? If so, send that along too.”
The butler: ???
Why would his stingy… thrifty master suddenly want to send things to others?
The butler was puzzled.
However, the master had his reasons for doing things, and he just had to obey the orders.
“Yes. We still have over ten catties of lotus root starch. I will arrange for someone to deliver it to the palace later.”
“Mhm, also remember to clean the house. Especially the cobwebs outside, it’s time to have someone sweep them away. If you don’t have enough manpower, go to the military camp to find some. We must get the house cleaned up today.”
“Yes, I understand.”
Nie Yao’s family garden was full of vegetables, and the pond was full of lotus roots and edible fish.
He thought it was quite nice himself.
He was just afraid his boyfriend wouldn’t like it.
His boyfriend’s newly built palace was not only magnificent and imposing but also featured rockeries and flowing water. Even someone like him, who didn’t understand appreciation, could sense a bit of poetic charm from it.
Nie Yao asked the butler, “Ah Zhong, do you think our house is too shabby?” There were few pieces of furniture, and not a single flower or plant. The bamboo was eaten when it was still bamboo shoots, the lotus roots in the pond were for eating, and the fish inside were also for eating.
Although they were all delicious, was the house lacking some class?
“Sir, do you want me to tell you the truth?”
The butler would not lie to his master.
He couldn’t in good conscience say that the mansion was elegant and impressive.
Compared to the residence of a second-rank official, their Minister’s Residence was more like a country estate.
Chickens, ducks, geese, green onions, and small vegetables were all available.
In this house, nothing existed to show off status or simply because it looked good. Everything that remained was useful or edible.
Even the trees planted in the courtyard were fruit trees that bore fruit.
The butler bowed his head, “Master, do you want to renovate the mansion?”
Nie Yao: “Mmm, not for the time being.”
The money he saved was still stored at the border.
Even if he wanted to renovate, he didn’t have the money in hand.
It’s better to wait until the money arrives.
In the meantime, he could also ask Little Lanlan what kind of house he liked. After all, he might live here in the future, and if he were to make changes, he should ask for his opinion.
“Oh, right, isn’t the deed to the house next door with us? Knock down the wall and expand the mansion. If we can’t grow vegetables at home in the future, we’ll plant them next door.”
The house next door was also large.
Several hundred acres.
Enough to grow a lot of vegetables.
“Yes, I’ve noted that.”
Nie Yao went to work. The butler smiled as he sent him off, then immediately turned to busy himself arranging people to clean the house.
In the palace.
As soon as Nie Yao arrived, he saw many people kneeling at the entrance of the Xuanzheng Hall.
At a glance, there weren’t many high officials; the majority of those kneeling were the small fry under Sun Ji who were still roaming outside.
“What’s going on?” Even though he had guessed that these people were mostly trying to plead for Sun Ji, Nie Yao still asked symbolically.
“Sir, you’re here!” The military officer beside him, holding a big meat bun with thin skin and ample filling, finished it in two or three bites and replied, “They want to force His Majesty to release the officials of the Ministry of Rites we arrested, or maybe it’s Sun Ji, by kneeling.”
The military officer’s words were rough but not inaccurate.
That was essentially what these people meant.
Nie Yao withdrew his gaze and asked the military officer, “Where did you get the buns?”
“Because we arrived too early, the Imperial Kitchen said they could provide us with breakfast from now on!”
The military officer happily finished the last piece.
He told Nie Yao that the buns were delicious, the skin was made of white flour, and the filling was abundant and fragrant, bursting with meaty flavor with every bite.
It was very tasty!
Nie Yao had only eaten three bowls in the morning.
He didn’t feel it when he left, but now seeing others eat good food, he felt a little hungry too.
Fortunately, the butler had packed him a few extra large pancakes.
Taking advantage of the little time left before the court assembly began, Nie Yao took out two large pancakes and quickly devoured them.
He ate fast, swallowing the last mouthful just as Little Douzi announced the start of the court assembly.
“Reporting to Your Majesty. Foreign envoys will soon enter the capital. Receiving the foreign envoys concerns the face of Great Yu. Does Minister Nie, who is responsible for this matter, have a countermeasure?” a third-rank official asked.
Nie Yao was indifferent.
The matter had been handed over to him, so what countermeasure was needed?
He would figure it out when the time came. Anyway, all he had to do was let the two countries know that he and Little Lanlan were not on good terms.
Nie Yao lifted his eyelids, “You also know that His Majesty assigned this matter to me? The matter has been entrusted to me, yet you still ask. What, does this official intend to teach me how to do my job?”
The person who raised the question thought so.
But with Nie Yao asking this, he dared not admit it.
“Your Majesty, your servant is just worried that Minister Nie lacks experience, and not formulating a countermeasure beforehand might lead to him being overwhelmed at the critical moment.”
Literary officials knew how to talk.
He clearly wanted to criticize Nie Yao for being incompetent, but every word he spoke sounded like he was concerned for Nie Yao.
Nie Yao: “This is my business, you, a running dog of Sun Ji, don’t need to worry about it.”
“Your Majesty, your servant is an official of Great Yu, and everything I do is for Great Yu.”
“Oh, really? Why can’t I see that?”
“Your Majesty, please discern.”
This official was a bit more sophisticated and very patient.
Even when Nie Yao countered him after every sentence, his emotions remained stable.
This was a seasoned official.
His words and actions were flawless.
“Is Minister Zheng dissatisfied with Our decision?” Du Suilan saw that the official speaking was a slippery character who didn’t accomplish anything.
And he dared to challenge his Ah Yao?
Du Suilan: “We think, judging by Minister Zheng’s capability, asking Minister Nie for his countermeasure is meaningless.”
“Minister, resign.”
“We do not need officials who are incompetent and yet overtly and covertly play tricks against loyal subjects.”