Zhao Yi’s face looked very unpleasant.
The little monster knelt on the ground, looking up at him, eyes wide open. Her pale yellow eyes were fierce like a wild wolf, but her expression was pitiable, like a puppy trying to please its master.
Zhao Yi became even more annoyed!
What a sin!
In the original novel, all his attention was on the female lead, so much so that he hadn’t noticed the obvious mental flaws of this little monster!
Standing upright like a thousand-ringed mountain, firmness comes from having no desires.
People without desires and pursuits are indeed difficult to deal with.
But all the little monster thought about were those animals in the mountains.
Her desires were so strong, her mind was so simple, she was completely like a domesticated young beast!
Originally, Zhao Yi could easily manipulate her, but she ended up becoming an enemy’s accomplice, even contributing to the downfall of the Great Xia Dynasty!
What disgusted Zhao Yi the most was that the male lead used his money to control the little monster.
No wonder the little monster kept calling him a big fool in her past life!
Thinking about these things, Zhao Yi couldn’t help but want to slap himself!
"You want to follow me?"
Zhao Yi stepped forward, looking down at the little monster, with an expressionless face.
Even though Zhao Yi deeply wanted to take the little monster under his wing right away, there wasn’t the slightest trace of emotion on his face, his cold expression suggesting the little monster was worthless.
In the original story, Zhao Yi spent his life doting on the female lead, with extensive experience as a devoted pursuer.
Now, when it came to training sycophants, he felt quite adept.
"What can you offer me?" he asked coldly.
The little monster thought for a moment and said, "I can bow to you!"
Ha!
Huang Ying couldn’t help but laugh.
Huang Ying saw that her master wanted to tame this little girl with yellow hair.
Although she didn’t understand why her master didn’t directly say it and hadn’t seen what was special about this impolite girl, her loyalty to her master made her expertly play along.
Huang Ying crouched down, keeping neither distant nor overly friendly with the little monster.
Huang Ying, as Zhao Yi’s number one female official, was skilled at handling interpersonal relationships, far beyond the wild child who grew up in the mountains.
Huang Ying said with a smile, "Silly girl, making money isn’t that easy. Do you think you can get gold nuggets just by bowing your head? Is your head made of gold or silver, to be so valuable?"
The little monster touched her head and answered earnestly, "My head isn’t made of gold or silver; it’s made of flesh!"
Huang Ying: "..."
Huang Ying had anticipated various reactions from the little monster, but she hadn’t expected this response, causing her to stumble.
Ahem!
Zhao Yi saw Huang Ying falter and couldn’t help but chuckle lightly.
He looked at the little monster and said calmly, "I understand what you mean. You want to work by my side and earn money to buy food for your family and friends, right?"
The little monster nodded repeatedly: "Yes! That’s exactly what I mean!"
After saying that, she started bowing to Zhao Yi with a "bang bang bang," saying as she bowed, "I’m really good at bowing! Just listen, don’t I bow quickly and loudly?"
Zhao Yi’s expression remained unchanged, his gaze calm as he watched the little monster continue to bow on the ground.
Huang Ying waited beside her until the little monster bowed herself into dizziness. Only then did she show the right amount of distress, stepping forward to support her.
Looking at the little monster’s red and swollen forehead, Huang Ying advised kindly, "Stop bowing! Your head’s all swollen. Keep it up, and you’ll end up hurting yourself."
The little monster stopped, looked up, and stared at Zhao Yi with a face full of hope.
Zhao Yi said coldly, "Not enough!"
Upon hearing this, the little monster’s expression didn’t change. She broke away from Huang Ying’s hand and continued bowing!
Bam~ Bam~ Bam~
The sound of bowing echoed through the large room.
The little monster’s forehead finally broke open, her bright red blood staining the floor.
She continued bowing as if she felt nothing.
Seeing the little monster covered in blood, Huang Ying restrained her again and turned to Zhao Yi to plead, "Master, this little girl is good. I think she’s quite sincere, why not take her in?"
Though the little monster was already weak, after bowing so many times, her consciousness had become blurred. Yet she still remembered she had to keep bowing!
The little monster in her heart had no concept of dignity and didn’t know what bowing meant.
She only knew that bowing would grant her gold nuggets, which could be exchanged for lots of food, ensuring her friends wouldn’t starve!
Moreover, even if she knew what bowing symbolized, she wouldn’t mind.
Compared to survival, dignity was trivial!
"Enough!"
Zhao Yi looked at the little monster and raised his hand: "Stand up!"
The little monster’s eyes lit up, the previously unfocused gaze suddenly becoming sharp.
She looked at Zhao Yi and asked happily, "Are you willing to let me bow to you now?"
Upon hearing this, Huang Ying patted her shoulder and laughed, "Silly girl, how much money can you earn just by bowing! Didn’t you see before? Master gives those golden nuggets to his servants! If you can stay by the master’s side and work, you could earn ten times, a hundred times more?"
Ten times? A hundred times?
The little monster looked at Huang Ying blankly: "How much is that?"
Huang Ying’s facial expression stalled, then she said, "Ten gold nuggets, a hundred gold nuggets!"
The little monster’s eyes immediately widened: "I can earn that much? That much money is enough to feed all my friends!"
After saying this, she looked at Zhao Yi with anticipation: "Big villain... No, wait!
The little monster was very smart, reacting quickly. Realizing her mistake, she promptly corrected herself: "She calls you master, I’ll call you master too! Master, how can I stay by your side and work?"
Hearing this, Zhao Yi nodded at Huang Ying with satisfaction.
Huang Ying deserves to be his chief steward, she’s reliable!
Just as Zhao Yi was about to speak, he suddenly heard an exclamation from downstairs.
"Someone’s poisoned!"
Hmm?
Zhao Yi’s interest was piqued, and he beckoned to the little monster: "Come with me to check it out!"
After speaking, he headed down the stairs.
Huang Ying pulled the little monster up from the ground and jogged after Zhao Yi.
The cry came from the fifth floor.
By the time Zhao Yi reached downstairs, a crowd had already gathered.
Seeing Zhao Yi arrive, the crowd quickly made way, revealing the poisoned person inside.
Oh?
Seeing the person, Zhao Yi gave a light remark.
The poisoned person was none other than the male lead!
Zhao Yi’s gaze swept across the crowd, and sure enough, he spotted Yao Qing hurrying over after hearing the news.
Yao Qing’s face changed dramatically upon seeing Zhao Yi.
Zhao Yi ignored her and turned to look at the little monster beside him.
The little monster also recognized the male lead and said curiously, "Xiao Jing brother? Isn’t he recuperating, how did he end up here and get poisoned?"
Upon hearing that Xiao Jing was indeed the male lead’s alias, Zhao Yi’s lips curled into a cold smile.
Looking at the little monster, Zhao Yi said expressionlessly, "On Huang Ying’s behalf, I’ll give you a chance."
The little monster responded quickly: "Master, do you want me to save Xiao Jing brother?"
Zhao Yi shook his head: "It doesn’t matter if you save him or not, but I want you to catch the person who poisoned him! If you can do it, you can stay by my side and work. If you can’t, go back and wait to die with your friends!"
PS: Please bookmark, follow along!
PPS: I recommend a great historical book "Great Han: From Huang’s Victory to Eternal Emperor." I never liked reading historical texts before, but this book is honestly amazing. The author is a friend of mine at feilu, we’ve topped the charts together for a while, their skills are undoubtedly worthy of praise, definitely worth a read!