Can I Uninstall This Dating System!? chapter 83

Chapter 83: Competing for Dominance Again; Many “Shipping” Points: Little Xie and Prince Yong Clashing, Little Xie…

Prince Yong was nearly driven mad with rage, but he did not dare act out for long.

The gust of wind brought by Ying Dang as he rose from the couch made Ying Xi frown. He lowered his head and coughed into his sleeve several times. The Emperor’s eyes flashed with clear displeasure, his gaze reflecting a deep-seated worry that his brother’s nature was truly difficult to change.

“Cough, cough, cough…”

Making his elder brother angry went completely against Prince Yong’s current strategy.

The fire in Prince Yong’s heart was extinguished instantly.

Ying Dang muttered, “I understand. Gu will go down!”

The words “go down” were spat out with such venom it felt as if he wanted to bite Xie Qianli to death.

Prince Yong’s expression was foul as he opened the carriage door.

Xie Qianli had already gestured for a soldier to bring a bamboo hat and a straw raincoat. “Put on the rain gear properly; His Highness has injuries.”

“……” How inhuman.

Prince Yong didn’t even get a chance to play the pity card before he was tightly bundled into the hat and raincoat. His teeth were nearly crushed from grinding them, but there was something even more infuriating.

Sitting atop his horse, Xie Qianli lowered his gaze, his hand extended with unquestionable authority. “His Highness shall disarm.”

In plain terms: I want your blade.

Prince Yong burst out, “You’re using a chicken feather as a command arrow! Do you ever stop? This blade was bestowed by my brother; what right do you, an outsider, have to take it!”

Xie Qianli was not provoked. He suppressed all arrogance and irritability. “I act upon the decree to restrain Your Highness. Do not show disrespect to the Imperial command. Hand over the blade.”

“Elder Brother!” Prince Yong looked into the carriage for help.

In truth, Ying Xi was worried about his brother causing trouble and had long wanted to take his blade away. Since someone was willing to play the “bad cop” for him, he was more than happy to let it happen.

Ying Xi remained silent.

Fury simmered within Prince Yong, but he ultimately found no one to back him up. Moreover, he couldn’t afford to break the trust he had just built with his brother.

He reached to his waist and drew the short blade. The pigeon-blood ruby on the hilt shimmered.

Prince Yong handed the blade over, intentionally planning a trick: if Xie Qianli pulled the blade with force, the scabbard would fly off while the hilt remained in his own hand, surely causing the man named Xie and his horse to stumble.

Thinking of this scene, Prince Yong curled his lips into a cold smirk.

Satisfying!

But the smile froze on his face. Prince Yong’s lip twitched.

It turned out this bastard didn’t move an inch. He didn’t even grab it; he simply held out an open palm, waiting for Prince Yong to place it there.

Prince Yong’s expression became increasingly unsightly: Where did he get such an ego???

But after a moment of stalemate, he had no choice but to comply.

Ying Dang suppressed his temper and rested the short blade on Xie Qianli’s right hand. When the scabbard touched the palm, his competitive heart flared up after all!

Ying Dang tried to pull the short blade from its sheath.

However, the blade suddenly spun. The hilt was firmly grasped in Xie Qianli’s hand, leaving Ying Dang holding only the scabbard.

He had no way to snatch it back.

Because the moment he used force, Xie Qianli would press the hilt, causing the scabbard to fly off. The one who would lose face by stumbling would be himself.

Prince Yong let go. The short blade was already tucked into Xie Qianli’s waist. Ying Dang had been completely disarmed.

No words could describe the look of fury on Prince Yong’s face at this moment.

This—filthy—beast!!!

Ying Dang huffed and puffed as he mounted his horse and returned to the ceremonial procession. He cursed as he rode, his words foul. 长安城第一高手 (The number one expert of Chang’an)… Pui! He’s truly a damn beast.

A beast with lust-filled eyes…

Just you wait, I’ll pull those dog teeth of yours sooner or later!

However, Ying Dang’s silent curses failed to attract anyone’s attention, and the sound of hooves gradually faded into the distance.

The sound of rain grew more pronounced.

Inside the carriage, Ying Xi pressed his hand to his lips and coughed several times, shaking his head with a bitter smile at Ying Dang’s behavior.

Outside the window, Xie Qianli was moved by that cough, becoming even more certain of Ying Xi’s condition. “Is Your Majesty unwell?”

“A bit of a sore throat. It’s a small matter; I should be fine after taking some medicinal pills.”

But the small matter he spoke of was not ignored by Xie Qianli.

Xie Qianli observed him from outside the carriage and spoke softly, “Tea interferes with medicinal properties; you cannot drink tea when taking medicine.”

“The snacks are too dry, and longans cause internal heat. None of these are suitable to eat.”

The Emperor always hid his physical condition while traveling with the army. The soldiers were coarse and unrefined; the snacks prepared in the carriage were all local specialties. As for whether the Emperor could eat them, they didn’t know.

“I shall have someone take them away,” Xie Qianli said.

Without Yujing to serve him on this trip, Xie Qianli was naturally considered meticulous compared to the soldiers. Now that Xie Qianli pointed it out, Ying Xi realized his life had indeed become a bit “rough.”

A fuzzy itch rose in Ying Xi’s heart, as if he were holding a dog that was nuzzling him.

Ying Xi smiled faintly. “No need to change them; it will only attract attention. I can endure it.”

Suddenly, a hand reached into the window, clutching a water skin wet with rain.

Xie Qianli said, “It is warm water. I haven’t drunk from it yet.”

The Xie family was frugal, and Xie Qianli cherished his possessions. The water skin had been washed clean.

A sore throat required drinking plenty of water.

When Ying Xi took the water skin, the rain droplets were slightly cool, but a warm current flowed through his heart. He opened the skin and took a sip. The temperature was just right.

Ying Xi couldn’t see the smile already playing on his lips.

He had lived most of his life in calculation, including the man outside the carriage, who was also a target of his schemes. Just a few days ago, he had even given Xie Qianli a warning.

But being cared for occasionally made Ying Xi feel as if he had returned to the past.

Back to his childhood, back to when he was trapped in the Fanglan Palace, and even further back to his time as the Prince’s heir, when he was pampered and cherished by everyone.

Ying Xi took a sip and said softly, “Bitter.”

The water skin was made of leather; water stored in it would certainly taste bitter. Usually, he had grown used to it and couldn’t tell. Xie Qianli was momentarily at a loss, having accidentally done something wrong and made Xiao Xi feel wronged.

Xie Qianli: “This subject…”

“Stop. You’re going to say you deserve ten thousand deaths again,” Ying Xi said with a hint of a smile.

The words were cut off at Xie Qianli’s lips, and he fell silent.

He rode his horse while using his peripheral vision to keep an eye on the carriage.

Inside, Ying Xi held the water skin, taking small sips, quiet and serious. At this moment, the Emperor who ruled the world showed a different kind of “obedient” charm.

Xie Qianli was completely unable to withstand it.

Ying Xi had worn his clothes, they had shared a water skin, the warhorse, the falcon, the grapes… every memory-laden fragment pieced Ying Xi together into the shape that was now the most inseparable part of his life.

Xie Qianli closed his eyes. Rain slid down his cheeks.

Ying Xi called to him, “I’ve finished.”

Xie Qianli reached out to take the water skin, which stopped mid-air.

With his arm suspended, he saw Ying Xi lean toward the window.

Those dark gray eyes curved into two crescents.

His tone was slightly different from when he usually issued decrees, as he praised softly, “Good Ju-er.”

“……”

Massive fireworks erupted in Xie Qianli’s heart.

Every spark shimmered, his heart filled with brilliant light.

His breathing became unsteady due to excitement, and his eyes brightened several-fold. Fortunately, the misty rain made things unclear, and it didn’t catch Ying Xi’s attention.

Ying Xi had never said he loved him.

But Ying Xi’s behavior was undoubtedly a charge drum to Xie Qianli.

Xie Qianli was like a man shouting toward a cliff, never daring to hope for an echo, yet a human voice was gradually calling back from the other side.

If it wasn’t unrequited love, then Xiao Xi also liked him.

If so, could the sense of “forbidden” in his heart be lightened a bit?

Was it truly possible to realize this romance between monarch and subject that crossed over a family feud?

Good Ju-er.

Hot blood boiled, making him feel like he was about to explode!

Xie Qianli took the water skin, shook the reins, and quickly moved away from the carriage.

“Jia!”

“General, there are mountain bandits approaching up ahead!!!”

On the wilderness shrouded in rain, Lian Qing let out a loud shout.

Right across from the Emperor’s procession, on the other side of the plain, a group of about a dozen bandits suddenly scrambled out.

The bandits’ horses were very fast, and they were chasing a woman fleeing in distress. On closer inspection, she was a girl dressed in colorful clothes, looking elegant and gentle.

The girl clutched an umbrella, running in panic.

Her hair ornaments fell as she ran, and her embroidered shoes were covered in mud.

As soon as the woman saw people ahead, she shouted:

“Help! Help!”

“I’m being robbed! They want to kill me, help!”

Xie Qianli: “Rescue her. Do not let anyone approach the Imperial procession.”

Lian Qing quickly acknowledged, “Fifth squad, follow me!”

The soldiers of the fifth squad spurred their horses into battle.

Several cavalrymen, led by Lian Qing, engaged the bandits in close combat.

The Longwu Army was well-trained and well-equipped; the bandits were merely a ragtag bunch.

The mountain bandits only fought a few rounds with the Longwu Army.

Lian Qing struck one of the bandits with his blade, knocking him off his horse. The bandit rolled on the ground several times.

The bandit cried out in pain, “Official… it’s the official army!”

As the name of the official army was invoked, several more bandits were defeated, and the dozen or so men were reduced to a handful.

The leader, seeing he couldn’t win and noticing the long line extending across the fields, immediately made a decision and shouted, “This point is too sharp, the wind is tight, let’s go!”

The surviving bandits had long since recognized the situation and turned their horses to flee, each running faster than the last.

In the wilderness, only the girl in colorful clothes remained, slumped on the ground. Her spread-out skirt made her look like a bright, large flower.

The girl had just taken a fall and was sitting paralyzed in the mud.

She lowered her head, the muddy water soaking into her skirt. The woman was covered in mud, and her embroidered shoes had completely changed color.

The girl had just escaped death, and only now did she dare to lower her head and sob.

Lian Qing and the others had come to rescue her. The person was saved, but he hadn’t expected the girl to cry.

When Jiangnan women cried, even their voices were soft, sweet, and timid.

How could the men of the Longwu Army withstand that?

So Lian Qing dismounted, lowered his head, and rubbed his hands. He adjusted his expression and cleared his throat. “Ahem, Miss, everything is fine now. The mountain bandits have all been driven away by us. Why don’t you get up?”

The woman in colorful clothes cried for a while, seemingly finally sensing she was safe before she slowly stopped her tears.

She wanted to get out of the mud pit but couldn’t.

She had fallen hard just now and felt that both her legs had become very weak.

In a soft, sweet voice, she called out “Officer.” Lian Qing handed over his blade hilt, helping the girl up.

The girl lightly lifted her eyes, and in that moment, all was silent.

The woman’s appearance caused a hush to fall over the Longwu Army.

Her face was snow-white, and when she fell, a bit of mud had stained it.

That bit of mud didn’t taint her beauty; instead, it made the girl look even more pitiable and endearing.

She gazed at Lian Qing with her large, fluttering eyes and softly said, “Thank you, Officer.”

She stood up with some difficulty and bowed to Lian Qing. It seemed a full fragrance spread out from her.

The girl said:

“This little woman comes from Xindu.”

“The Lord of the State has failed in the overall battle against the Jiangbei Army. The people of the capital are anxious. The Lord bestowed punishment, killing my family. I had no choice but to flee south. Once I escape the Lord’s domain, I will be safe…”

“Please save me, Officer. This is my first time leaving home. Please find a way for me to live!”

The woman bowed down again as soon as she stood up.

Lian Qing heard the gist of it. He gripped the hilt in his hand tightly, his palm already sweating. Several small deer seemed to be crashing around in his chest. It turned out beauty truly could make one’s breathing unstable.

Using his last shred of logic, Lian Qing forced his head to turn away, no longer looking at the woman. He silently compared her to his benchmark.

Not as good-looking as the Emperor!!!

But how should he deal with this girl?

Lian Qing looked closely.

If he left her in the wild like this, it was very likely that within half an hour, it wouldn’t be mountain bandits chasing her, but wolves, wild boars… or she might just fall into another mud pit for no reason.

How could he have the heart to do that?

When in doubt, report it. Lian Qing was speechless.

The group had no choice but to take this seventeen- or eighteen-year-old girl back to the procession.

They drew closer and closer to General Xie’s white horse and His Majesty’s Imperial carriage.

The woman was beautiful; as they passed along the way, she attracted many gazes. She kept her head down, looking obedient and timid.

However, she was a stranger after all.

The Longwu Army bore a heavy responsibility for guarding the Emperor. Thus, as soon as this woman entered Xie Qianli’s sight, his brow furrowed.

The Longwu Army had strict discipline; seizing commoner women was a capital offense.

Although he knew Lian Qing had long wanted to marry and had recently admired Jiangnan women, he wouldn’t go so far as to violate the law for this.

“Release her,” Xie Qianli said coldly.

Lian Qing knew he would be wrongly accused and said aggrievedly:

“I didn’t capture her.”

“This girl is an official’s daughter from the Jiangnan rebels, who fled from Xindu. I thought her identity was special and she had no one to rely on outside, so I brought her back for you and His Majesty to decide.”

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