15 Next Step

Ji Ran ran in and stiffened when he saw Si Ning that was swinging his hair back and forth. "General.."

"Ji Ran..." Ah Dai cried sounding worried.

"General." Ji Ran tried to call Si Ning. "General Si Ning..."

Si Ning couldn't blame them for being worried. He was also worried about the headache that was building up. "Ji Ran stay outside." He ordered gesturing for Ji Ran to leave as he poured himself a cup of tea, drowning the semi-cold tea at a time before gesturing for Ah Dai to stand up and take his seat.

"Young master please forgive me...."

"Tell me Ah Dai, what do you want? a shop, a house to live with your mother, learn a trade, learn medicine, work with me or live beautifully with your mother and get married." Si Ning took his seat, his eyes pleading for Ah Dai to be reasonable.

Please be reasonable. Please be reasonable.

"Ah Dai only wants the quarters me and my mother stays to be renovated with few added furniture and I want to continue serving you and about a wife..." Ah Dai said slowly as his face turned to a lighter shade of red. "I have never thought about it."

Si Ning sighed relieved. "Are you happy serving me?"

"Yes, Ah Dai is very happy and grateful."

"I will get you the best prosthetic for your arm, I will renovate your house if you find a person you want to marry bring them to me and you will continue working for me, and I will be your master and also your friend." He concluded in one breath.

"Friend?" Ah Dai's eyes widen in shock.

"Yes, if you need anything do not hesitate to tell me." Si Ning added feeling quite good for someone to rely on him. It was finally time for him to be a responsible adult.

"Young master, thank you." Ah Dai almost flew out of his chair to kowtow as tears flowed freely from his eyes. "Thank you.."

"Only on one condition, you will rest while Xiao Pei will take over till you are better and no question." To help Ah Dai, Si Ning decided to accept Xiao Pei.

"Yes, young master." Ah Dai stood up. " I will make tea and snacks."

"No need, go and have a rest." Si Ning watched as Ah Dai saluted him and left and he was glad he didn't have to throw Ah Dai out.

Si Ning took a deep breath feeling like he just made a good mark and he concluded he wasn't about to celebrate his mood of dealing with Ah Dai successfully with more paperwork. The best thing he decided to do was to use the rest of his time before daybreak to finally take a nice cold bath and have his beauty sleep.

"General." The three Commanders stepped into the room.

"Chen An, Su Heng, Ji Ran take the paperwork outside and finish all the preparations also do not let anybody come in unless I call for you and let Xiao Pei stay outside the tent." Si Ning took his essential oil list and took his seat on the bed to watch them clear the table.

Since Xiu TianZhao told him he trusts Xiao Pei and Xiao Pei looked strong. It was a better choice to station him outside his tent.

"General about the carriage, Second Prince insisted in you riding with him in his carriage but I told Second Prince that you like riding your horse." Chen An said.

"I will ride the carriage." Why would Si Ning choose to ride a horse over a carriage and risk getting an additional backache to his body pains he was sure to wake up to.

"General, you do not like how the carriage sways what can Ah Dai prepare for you to make the journey easy?" Ji Ran asked.

"Xiao Pei will take over Ah Dai's work for the main time, tell him to prepare anything that helps."

"General about.."

"Ask Chen An." Si Ning interrupted Su Heng. "I have things to do and since the table is cleared, you can all go and work and do not disturb me and no one should step in since I will need to be fully concentrated on the things I want to do." He lied smoothly staring at Chen An in the eye. leaving no room for them to doubt him.

"Yes General."

Si Ning watched them leave, he took a deep breath and quickly discarded his clothes, removed his hair ribbon letting his hair loose and flowed down his back before he took a step in the tub, getting used to the cold water before finally settling in. The water was so cold but strangely comfortable. He used both hands to scoop water and splashed it on his face making him shivered as the cold water glided down his neck.

It would be a lie to say he didn't miss his bathtub in the modern world making him have a feeling of homesickness. First, there was no phone, no gun to replace a sword and to make things worst he was a General that his Commanders relied on to make a decision and not a wealthy Merchant or perhaps the son of a wealthy Merchant.

Si Ning had seen a lot of historical dramas to know the people that always had it easy were the Merchants. They would have guards working for them.

If he had woken up as a wealthy Merchant maybe he would be bathing in a bathtub with flower petals on it, scented candles in the room and using the necessary essential oil to make his skin smooth like a baby and these callused hands was already irritating him but he was glad to still have his pretty face. With this kind of face he would not hesitate to grab a golden thigh but thinking about a golden thigh, wasn't he a golden thigh too.

Si Ning could feel something hot on his cheek and he raised his hand to touch it only to see he was crying, he knew why he was crying but he didn't want to admit he was afraid of what awaits him in Xiu capital. What if his family were different or if he had no family. He doesn't want to ask Ah Dai about his family since it would make him look a little out of it and he doesn't want Ah Dai to worry about him.

One thing he should be worried about most was the Emperor, Empress and to sum it all, he should be worried about the royal family. In those dramas, the Emperor's subjects would have to kowtow and be trembling in front of him since the Emperor could order a person's life to be taken from them because of a single misstep.

As the General, he would meet the Emperor to report but he wasn't ready. First, he had to gather information on him and this Xiu nation and the capital. Gather information on the harem and know the next step he would take.

For one reason Si Ning wasn't enthusiastic to go home or meet the Emperor. The Royal family were always dangerous consisting of selfish people that wouldn't hesitate to use a person till they die and he wondered how he would survive when they reach the Capital and deep inside he wanted things to be different than what he had seen in those dramas.

Si Ning cried himself to sleep and the next time he slightly opened his eyes was to see a person dressed in black clothing picked him up gently from the bathtub. He was so weak and tired and couldn't see their face but he felt safe and could hear them whispered something to him as they gave him something to drink then he felt something soft touch his lips but he was too weak to open his eyes and only allowed himself to sleep soundly in their arms.