After Marrying The Paranoid God of War (Rebirth) - Chapter 14.2
A day later, at the Prime Minister’s residence:
Li Shuying had previously sent someone to inquire about the whereabouts of Jiannan’s physician, Ruan Gu. The servant found out that she seemed to be temporarily residing with her grandson in a private house in Guangde Alley, which happened to be a property owned by Li Yifang, the magistrate of Jingzhao.
However, when she sent someone to invite the old physician this morning, they discovered that the small house was empty, and the whereabouts of the physician were unknown.
When the servant reported this matter, Li Shuying was in front of the dressing table, meticulously applying powder to her cheeks. She held an exquisitely crafted gold-plated and gem-studded box containing extremely expensive fragrant balm.
Upon hearing this news, a sense of frustration and annoyance rose in Li Shuying’s heart.
In reality, although her facial features were delicate and beautiful, her skin’s foundation was not great. Besides lacking luster, it was often dull and yellowish.
However, due to her status, she always needed to maintain a polished appearance, spending at least half an hour each day applying makeup to make her skin appear fair and radiant.
However, the lead content in the makeup powder she used, while giving her skin a radiant appearance, was causing her skin to deteriorate.
Li Shuying’s tone remained calm as she softly instructed the servant, “Go find her whereabouts again. We must locate that old physician.”
“Yes.”
A few days ago, while inquiring about Ruan An at the silk shop, Li Shuying’s maid, Zhu Ju, brought a birthday gift from the He family’s eldest daughter, He Xinruo, and respectfully asked, “Miss, the He family is trying to curry favor with you again. This time they’ve sent a set of glass tea ware. Would you like to see it?”
Li Shuying cast a brief glance at the tea ware and replied, “Put it in the storage room.”
“Yes.”
Zhu Ju had guessed early on that Li Shuying must not appreciate the tea set given by He Xinruo. What kind of interesting things had their young miss not seen? It was just that the lady from the He family was shallow-minded and hadn’t seen much of the world.
After a while, Li Shuying tidied up her appearance. She pursed her lips slightly, and her lips quickly took on the color of pomegranate.
Since the physician with the surname Ruan had disappeared, she was also curious about the condition of the acne on He Xinyan’s face.
In the midst of all the noble daughters, if Li Shuying could be said to be the second, no one dared to claim the first. She was exceptionally beautiful, and her grandfather was the current emperor’s tutor. Looking across the entire Chang’an, no one could overshadow her.
Therefore, many noble ladies, even the wives of important officials, were all trying to flatter her.
Originally, she didn’t need to pretend to be friendly with He Xinruo, but every time there was a banquet, she felt a sense of satisfaction because of He Xinruo’s humiliation towards He Xinyan.
After all, she could find a lot of pleasure and balance in He Xinyan’s face covered in blemishes.
At this moment, Zhu Ju disdainfully said, “Isn’t that Miss He from the He family too proud? Just because she married into the Huo family? What’s there to be proud of? Everyone knows that since General Huo Pingxiao died in the borderlands, the power and arrogance of their Huo family have diminished significantly.”
Li Shuying remained silent, only gently touching her eyebrows in front of a bronze mirror.
Indeed, with Huo Pingxiao gone, how long can the Huo family, the head of the three major pillar families, continue to hold their position?
Prime Minister Huo Lang, who holds power over the court and the common people, is a man with disabilities and frail health. It won’t be long before Huo Lang collapses, and when that happens, the Huo family will be left without a capable successor. His other two sons, when compared to the proud and exceptional son Huo Pingxiao, appear extremely mediocre.
Li Shuying’s previously restless mood gradually calmed down, and a slight mocking smile appeared on her vermilion lips.
She is about to marry into the Eastern Palace and will eventually become the mother of the nation, the empress of the Great Li Empire. The fortunes of the Li family will only continue to prosper.
After Huo Lang’s death, the leading position among the three major influential families in Li Country should also pass to the Li family.
***
As the evening approached, the border between Li Country and Beiwan was a vast expanse of desert land.
Suddenly, a fierce wind rose, and in an instant, a sandstorm engulfed the area.
The Centurion on the watchtower looked solemnly into the distance, carefully monitoring the enemy’s movements. The wind and sand infiltrated his mouth and nose, blurring his vision. When the violent hurricane at the border subsided, he finally saw the distant scene—
The vast army was marching towards them like a black tide, and he saw tens of thousands of barbarian soldiers.
However, in front of these barbarians, there was a cavalry, the Wolf Cavalry Corps led by Marquis Dingbei, Huo Pingxiao.
Despite the days of exposure to wind and rain that had made these resurrected soldiers show some signs of fatigue, their spirits remained undiminished.
As the group drew closer to the watchtower, the Centurion could see the face of the leading commander and widened his eyes in disbelief.
It was the Marquis of Dingbei!
It was their Grand General!
It was the War God of their Great Li Kingdom, Huo Pingxiao!
Huo Pingxiao had returned alive!!!
The Centurion quickly descended from the watchtower and rushed towards Huo Pingxiao’s horse.
The round sun hanging high in the sky had a deep red hue, and the blood-stained flags and tattered red war robe fluttered in the wind.
Huo Pingxiao’s fierce beast-like helmet was slightly askew on his disheveled hair, yet it didn’t diminish his spirit; instead, it accentuated his unyielding demeanor.
He silently held the reins of his horse, and the vivid red behind him, contrasting with the ink-black of his warhorse, was both striking and exuded a kingly aura that made all gods tremble.
The centurion noticed that Huo Pingxiao seemed to have lost some weight since the campaign began.
The man’s facial features appeared even more rugged and cold than before the expedition, and his skin still bore a perfect tan.
From a distance, his dark eyes gleamed with a hint of wolf-like scrutiny, a touch of pride, and a sharpness that sent shivers down one’s spine.
Huo Pingxiao casually lowered his black eyelashes, and his armor bore the scars of a bloody battle, faintly revealing the traces of combat.
“Swish,” he suddenly raised the severed head hanging on his sword in the air, and the head of the Xiongnu chieftain, weathered by sand and wind, followed a parabolic path, flying straight toward the centurion.
The Centurion knelt on the sandy ground, excitedly calling out, “I have seen the Marquis of Dingbei! Congratulations on the triumphant return of the Marquis of Dingbei!”
After the head “thudded” to the ground, Huo Pingxiao’s unruly warhorse neighed a few times, showing impatience.
Huo Pingxiao furrowed his brows again and pulled the reins. The power of his palm bones was strong, controlling the unruly warhorse to prevent it from moving erratically.
“Hurry to Chang’an and inform His Majesty.”
The scar on the man’s neck added a touch of wildness to his appearance, and his deep, hoarse voice calmly stated, “I, the Marquis, am not dead.”
ML is back!! ( ¯ ³¯)?
Spoiler for Chapter 15!
“She could clearly feel that behind the almost transparent gauze screen, the sharp gaze of Marquis Dingbei had already fallen on her back.”
Translated by: All Things Fluff