Top Assassin Retires and Becomes a Farmer After Time Traveling to the Past Chapter 226: To Come but not to Go, not to be polite

Li Yao waited for five whole days without being summoned by the Emperor. Instead of seeing the Emperor, she was asked to et with the Pri Minister.

It turned out the Imperial Secretary's ssage about the Emperor wanting to see her was completely false. The one who really wanted to et her was the Pri Minister Zhu Zilin instead, or perhaps the Crown Prince.

Li Yao didn't know what virtues or talents she possessed that made the current Crown Prince and Pri Minister take notice of her.

"Then I can just go back," Li Yao said. "Since it's not the Emperor seeing , the Pri Minister can't accuse of defying an imperial order."

"Li Yao," Jia Zhanliang said, "things are not that simple. The ssenger said just now that if you don't et the Pri Minister, we won't be able to do any more business in the capital."

A Pri Minister putting on such airs?

Not only making her wait for days, but even daring to threaten her?

"I know what to do. Don't worry, you won't have trouble in the capital," Li Yao said.

Li Yao returned to the inn with a big package of food and slept until midnight before sneaking out the window again.

The Pri Minister's estate was easy to find, standing out conspicuously among the expansive buildings.

As the current Pri Minister, security at Zhu Zilin's estate was tight, but the short walls and buildings were no match for Li Yao. She leapt over them effortlessly.

Based on the layout of the buildings, Li Yao located where Zhu Zilin lived. Security here was even more lax since it was deep inside. She easily slipped into Zhu Zilin's bedroom.

She quietly went to his bedside, lit incense to aid sleep, and after a while, Li Yao took out a small pair of scissors.

Snip snip snip--

Zhu Zilin's long beard and hair were quickly shorn bald, leaving only stubble.

Li Yao had used this trick in the Nanzhao Kingdom forts before, but she didn't mind using it again. She casually trimd Zhu Zilin's wife's hair as well.

Having done this, Li Yao put away the incense and returned to the inn.

...

The next day, the servants at the Pri Minister's estate found things very strange.

Although it wasn't an important court day, the Pri Minister usually rose at dawn.

But today it was already mid-morning and not only had the Pri Minister not woken up, it seed like the Pri Minister's wife was also sleeping very soundly.

Several maidservants holding wash basins of water had been standing at the steps waiting until their feet tingled, changing the water over and over. But as lowly maidservants, they didn't dare knock on the door.

It wasn't until the head steward heard the news and rushed over in a panic with guards.

"Pri Minister Zhu?"

The head steward called out several tis at the door but didn't hear a response. His heart sank.

"Quick, break down the door!"

Two guards clumsily removed the door panel while the pale-faced maidservants rushed inside.

Seeing the Pri Minister and his wife lying perfectly fine in bed, it was like a boulder lifted from their hearts.

"But Pri Minister Zhu's beard and hair...they're gone?"

"And the Pri Minister's wife's hair is gone too!"

"What?"

The head steward turned deathly pale. Forgetting all propriety, he charged inside with the others.

This wasn't just an exaggeration?

The head steward's calves trembled in fear. As head steward of the estate, the guards were under his responsibility. Now the Pri Minister's beard and hair had been shorn by soone, and they were still sleeping unaware while no one knew what had happened...

This was a grave dereliction of duty. When the Pri Minister awoke, would he take his head?

Although worried for his own life, the head steward could only summon the imperial physician. Fortunately the Pri Minister and his wife were unhard, and soon awoke.

Upon finding out his and his wife's hair and beards had been trimd without their knowing, Zhu Zilin imdiately thought of one person.

Li Yao.

"I've heard this woman is audaciously bold, daring to go to the northern border alone. It seems the rumors are true," Zhu Zilin said sternly. "It appears she has no intention of coming to et ."

"Sir," the head steward suggested, hoping to redeem himself, "for a re commoner girl to be so insolent, why don't I take so n and get rid of her directly!"

"Get rid of her?" Zhu Zilin shook his head. "She's soone the Crown Prince explicitly wanted to recruit. Here's what we'll do - since she refuses to co see , I'll go see her."

...

Bang bang bang--

Li Yao was eating candied haws in her room when soone knocked violently on her door.

"Li Yao, the Pri Minister is here. Co out and greet him properly!"

It wasn't even noon yet and Zhu Zilin had lost patience and taken the initiative to co find her? So much for having the patience and wisdom of a pri minister.

Li Yao opened the door, still holding the unfinished candied haws, and followed two guards downstairs.

In a spacious private room, she saw the current Pri Minister, Zhu Zilin.

"You're still eating?" A guard couldn't stand it and shouted, "No greeting for the Pri Minister and you're eating? You-- "

"Let her eat," Zhu Zilin was unexpectedly not angry at all, even smiling. "Let Li Yao finish eating first, then we can talk slowly, it's not urgent."

Li Yao recognized his smile didn't reach his eyes. Zhu Zilin had playing fake sincerity down to an art.

Li Yao finished the last two haws hastily and mumbled unclearly, "Okay, you can talk now."

"All of you, leave us."

Zhu Zilin had the guards exit before smiling and saying, "I've heard of Li Yao's exceptional beauty and seeing you today, the rumors are true..."

"Pri Minister Zhu," Li Yao didn't have ti for pleasantries. "You made wait five, six days. It can't just be to praise ."

"Haha, naturally there are important matters."

"Then speak directly. I still want to go ho for the new year."

"Then I won't beat around the bush," Zhu Zilin said. "Li Yao, have you considered moving your family to the capital? By coincidence, there is an estate near my residence, left behind by a duke. The Crown Prince's intention is to bestow it to you as a gift."

"That place isn't one a re commoner like can live in."

"No matter," Zhu Zilin said. "With Li Yao's contributions at Daling, becoming a first-rank lady within two years isn't out of the question. By then, your status would suffice, no?"

I see, he wants to buy over with fa and status?

Unfortunately, Li Yao wasn't moved by such things at all. A mansion in the capital or becoming a first-rank lady held no appeal compared to her carefree retirent in Riverbend Village.

"I appreciate the Crown Prince and Pri Minister's kind intentions," Li Yao said. "But I have many chickens, ducks, cows and sheep I'd be reluctant to leave behind."

"You...think carefully about this. Once you miss this opportunity, it won't co again."

"I've thought it through clearly," Li Yao said. "If the Pri Minister has no other matters, I'll be on my way ho for the new year."

Zhu Zilin looked at Li Yao for a while. Seeing her attitude was firm and she could not be persuaded, a flash of killing intent appeared in his eyes.

But it quickly disappeared.

He knew that even with a dozen guards, it was very possible Li Yao could escape. If she got away, she would surely retaliate. Just thinking about Li Yao shaving his beard and hair without his knowing made Zhu Zilin's neck feel cold.

"Li Yao, you choose your own path!"

That sounded like a veiled threat, albeit a refined one as expected from a scholar.

As Zhu Zilin prepared to leave, he heard Li Yao say behind him, "Pri Minister Zhu, you also choose your own path."

Tit for tat.