Upon seeing Luan Ling, Suo Han Yi frowned deeply. His gaze filled with anger and disgust as he said coldly, “You worthless scum, you actually know how to come back? Getting burned by a woman and then running all the way to the Heavenly Demon Mountain Range, missing even Father’s final moments. You really are something, aren’t you?”
Luan Ling did not argue. Instead, he lowered his head and said, “Big Brother, I was wrong.”
Suo Han Yi was somewhat surprised. His relationship with Suo Lun had always been poor. Because their adoptive father had valued him highly, Suo Lun had both feared and envied him, never addressing him as Big Brother and always glaring at him with hostility.
Even so, Suo Han Yi had never truly looked at Luan Ling with proper respect. In his heart, he utterly despised this nominal younger brother of his, despite his deep loyalty to the Suo clan.
“Big Brother, has something happened in Tianshui City?” Su Ningbing asked softly.
Suo Han Yi turned his face away, no longer sparing Luan Ling a glance, and looked towards Su Ningbing.
Luan Ling could not help but feel it was an illusion, yet he sensed that Suo Han Yi’s gaze towards his sister carried a certain heat, though it was extremely subtle and vanished in an instant.
“Suo Lun, I have important matters to discuss with Little Ice. You should leave,” Suo Han Yi said bluntly.
This attitude was extremely rude. After all, Suo Lun was not only his adopted younger brother but also his liege lord. Yet Suo Han Yi was treating him like a subordinate to be ordered about.
Su Ningbing’s expression became slightly unnatural. Then, with a gentle smile, she said, “Big Brother, Little Lun is grown up now. He should also start learning how to handle territorial affairs.”
Suo Han Yi nodded and said, “I came to the Royal City for two reasons. First, I heard Suo Lun had returned. Second, a crisis has arisen in Tianshui City.”
Su Ningbing’s lovely face changed colour. “What crisis?”
Suo Han Yi replied, “Nu Erdan is secretly rallying the various high-tier warrior lords, planning to break away from the Suo clan and declare independence.”
Nu Erdan was the largest lord in the Tianshui City territory and had always harboured great ambitions.
Su Ningbing’s expression shifted dramatically. “How can they do this? Their lands were granted to them by our Suo clan. They are not only vassals of the Suo family but servants as well.”
Suo Han Yi said, “Previously, Suo Lun had been missing for so long that everyone believed he was dead and that the Suo clan had no heir. They used this as their excuse to break away and stand on their own.”
Su Ningbing said, “But now Suo Lun has returned.”
Suo Han Yi replied, “Yet before that, Nu Erdan’s rallying had already begun.”
Su Ningbing asked, “How many warrior lords have responded to Nu Erdan?”
“Out of the nineteen warrior lords, at least seven or eight are already on his side. The rest are beginning to waver,” Suo Han Yi said. “If we do not stop this soon, within a few months they will rise up and declare independence. Then the royal family will intervene, and our Suo clan will completely lose the five hundred li of Tianshui City territory.”
Su Ningbing’s breathing quickened. Her beautiful eyes turned to Suo Han Yi as she asked, “Big Brother, what should we do then?”
Suo Han Yi said, “The fastest way is to have Suo Lun inherit the title and the position of Lord of Tianshui City as soon as possible, then return to the territory and use righteous authority to suppress them. Everyone knows a kingdom cannot go a single day without a ruler.”
Su Ningbing furrowed her brows. The Suo Lun standing before them was a fake—Luan Ling in disguise. His knowledge of this world’s civil and martial affairs had started from zero. Even passing the Royal City Academy’s graduation grand examination next year would already mark him as a genius.
Thus, Ning Bing said awkwardly, “Big Brother, although Suo Lun has reformed and is now striving hard, he fell too far behind in both civil and martial studies before. It will be quite difficult for him to pass the Royal City Academy’s graduation grand examination this year.”
“Hmph,” Suo Han Yi sneered. “Little Ice, you don’t need to cover for him. With that spendthrift’s own abilities, he couldn’t graduate even in ten years. You’ll have to find another way.”
Su Ningbing fell silent for a moment, then nodded. “Big Brother, I understand.”
Suo Han Yi said, “Remember, Suo Lun must graduate smoothly within a few years and inherit the title. If it drags on until next year, those high-tier lords in Tianshui City will definitely rebel and declare independence.”
“Yes,” Su Ningbing said with a bow.
……
Suo Han Yi continued, “That’s all. I must return to Tianshui City immediately.”
Ning Bing asked, “Big Brother, won’t you stay the night before leaving?”
Suo Han Yi replied, “The matter is urgent. I cannot delay even half a moment.”
Ning Bing said, “Then at least have a meal before you go. I’ll prepare something for you myself.”
Suo Han Yi shook his head. “No need. Just prepare a few meat pancakes for the road.”
Then he put on his helmet and prepared to leave.
“Alright,” Ning Bing said, her eyes reddening slightly as she spoke softly. “Big Brother, thank you. Without you, I truly wouldn’t know what to do!”
Suo Han Yi trembled slightly. His gaze towards Su Ningbing became gentle yet burning as he said, “Silly words. You know very well that for you, Big Brother is willing to do anything—even give up my life.”
Su Ningbing felt stung by his gaze and instinctively looked away. Meanwhile, the hairs on the back of Luan Ling’s neck stood on end, as though a lion’s territory had been invaded.
A quarter of an hour later, the meat pancakes were ready. Su Ningbing wrapped them carefully in oil paper and placed them on the warhorse’s saddlebag.
“Suo Lun, you unfilial wretch, remember this: stop going out to cause trouble in the future. Listen to your sister, understand?” Before leaving, Suo Han Yi barked coldly at Luan Ling.
Luan Ling frowned and said, “Of course I’ll listen to my sister. I don’t need you to tell me.”
Luan Ling had always been a person with strong character. When others treated him kindly, he would appear shy and innocent. But when someone treated him poorly, he bristled like a porcupine.
Suo Han Yi thought he was simply reverting to his old ways and muttered under his breath, “A dog can’t stop eating shit.”
Then he strode out of the earl’s residence, mounted his fine horse, and galloped away. Su Ningbing bowed towards his departing figure.
……
“Little brother, you’ve suffered an injustice,” Su Ningbing said. “Big Brother only feels disappointed in Suo Lun for not living up to expectations. He harbours no ill intentions.”
Luan Ling replied, “It doesn’t bother me that his attitude towards me is bad. What I can’t stand is the way he looks at you.”
Su Ningbing’s cheeks flushed. She was not entirely unaware of Suo Han Yi’s feelings, though he had always restrained himself admirably.
“In any case, Big Brother is extremely loyal to Father and to the clan. Until you grow strong enough, he is the pillar holding up our family,” Su Ningbing said. “So you must rely on him and maintain a good relationship with Big Brother, understand?”
Luan Ling said in a muffled voice, “I know. But no matter who it is, if anyone harbours ambitions towards you, I won’t allow it.”
Hearing Luan Ling’s innocent yet domineering words, Su Ningbing’s face turned even redder. For a moment, she did not know whether to feel shy, joyful, or faintly worried. After all, at this moment Luan Ling was posing as her real younger brother.
She spoke softly, “Don’t worry. Your sister will stay by your side for the rest of her life. She will never marry again.”
“I want to marry you openly and honourably one day.” The words nearly slipped out of Luan Ling’s mouth, but he held them back in the end. He still felt he was not strong enough to protect his sister.
Su Ningbing had once been married. Her husband came from an extremely prestigious and lofty family. Yet less than a year after the wedding, they had divorced. Su Ningbing returned alone to her maiden home, enduring endless gossip and criticism.
As for the specific reason for the divorce, Luan Ling did not know. It was his sister’s painful past, and he had never asked. He believed that once their feelings deepened to a certain point, his sister would open her heart to him.
Recalling how Suo Han Yi had said Suo Lun could not possibly graduate smoothly and that another way must be found to inherit the title, Luan Ling could not help asking, “What exactly did Suo Han Yi mean by ‘finding another way’?”
Su Ningbing said gently, “In general, it means things like bribery. Little brother, don’t feel pressured. Just continue studying at your own pace as before. Your sister will handle everything.”
At that moment, Luan Ling wished even more desperately to increase his martial power at once, to pass the Royal City graduation grand examination smoothly and inherit the title without delay.
……
The next day, Su Ningbing went out, carrying three thin deeds. These three deeds were for a manor, a pawnshop, and a shop, with a total value of more than ten thousand gold coins.
More than ten thousand gold coins might not sound like much, but in truth it was an enormous fortune.
In this world, gold coins had a diameter greater than one and a half inches and weighed about eighty grams each. One gold coin was worth roughly fifty silver coins or ten thousand copper coins. Converted to Earth’s RMB, one gold coin was equivalent to ten or twenty thousand yuan.
Moreover, these were almost the last remaining assets of the earl’s residence in the Royal City. Yet Su Ningbing showed not the slightest reluctance. She took the three deeds and headed straight to Duke Zhi Ting’s ducal residence to offer a bribe.
Duke Zhi Ting was the king’s youngest brother and enjoyed great favour from King Zhi Bian. He had no interest in power and preferred only eating, drinking, and pleasure. He had an obsessive attachment to money and wealth. Thus, getting him to do something was simple: offer enough gold coins. Moreover, once he accepted money, he would definitely fulfil his end of the bargain. His reputation for reliability was excellent.
Originally, Su Ningbing had planned to have Luan Ling delay his participation in the Royal City Academy’s grand examination by a year. But now the situation in Tianshui City had become extremely dangerous. Luan Ling’s inheritance of the title and return to Tianshui City was urgent. Yet in everyone’s eyes, it was a pipe dream for Luan Ling to pass the Royal City graduation grand examination this year. Therefore, Su Ningbing had no choice but to use the earl’s last remaining assets to bribe Duke Zhi Ting.
In the magnificent ducal residence, Su Ningbing soon met Duke Zhi Ting.