Chapter 73: Luo Tian's Calamity 3

  In the palace of the Empress Dowager, a banquet was held in honor of Huangfu Ling. The orchestra played music and the dancing girls began to dance.

  The empress dowager looked very happy. Nangong Jin should have sat with the empress dowager, but she said that since the two families are now related by marriage, Huangfu Ling is her sister's husband and can be considered an older brother, so he should sit together with them.

  Huangfu Ling sat on one side, Nangong Jin sat opposite him, and Nalan Xianyu sat shoulder to shoulder with them on the same seat.

  "Is your mother well?" asked Murong Taohou happily.

  Huangfu Ling nodded his head. "The Empress Dowager is still in good health. She went on a trip to Jiangnan recently."

  The daughter's big wedding is approaching. She didn't even come, let alone go out to have fun.

  The empress dowager looked puzzled. Nalan Xianyu coldly glanced at Huangfu Ling, who hastily continued: "You also know that my mother is quite willful. She usually doesn't interfere with our affairs."

  Murong Taohou chuckled and nodded repeatedly, pretending she really knew what was going on. "That's right. And Xianuo is such an understanding child, making things easier for everyone. Besides, I'm here too, so there's no need to trouble her with running back and forth."

  Huang Pu nodded and smiled lightly. "The Empress Dowager is overpraising her. Xi Nu has been mischievous since she was a child. I'm afraid she'll cause trouble here and anger the Empress Dowager. If Xi Nu does anything wrong in the future, please forgive her, Your Majesty."

  He revealed a doting and loving smile as he looked at Nalan Xixi. Nalan Xixi coldly stared back at him.

  Murong Empress waved her hand. "Ah, Xī Nuò is very sensible, not like what you said. I'm very satisfied that Wang Er can marry her, it's also his good fortune."

  "The Empress Dowager is right." said Nangong Jin in agreement.

  Nalan Xixi inadvertently hooked up the corner of her mouth and was just transferring the dishes from her bowl to Nan Gongyin's bowl.

  At this time, Nangong Yan jumped in and saw that music was being played and people were dancing inside. She slowed down her pace, peeked inside again, and saw that a banquet was being held to entertain the guests.

  She walked in, passing by the dancing girl. The empress dowager saw Nan Gong Yan had arrived and smiled happily. "Yan'er has come. Invite the guest to sit down. Let Yan'er sit opposite Wang'er."

  Nangong Yan took a glance and said, "What about Wang Er's opponent? Isn't it more accurate to say that he is next to Huangfu Ling?"

  Nangong Yan knew her mother's old habit had recurred again and she was about to make another reckless match, so she turned around and wanted to leave.

  However, the Empress Dowager did not intend to let it go. "Yan Er, there are noble guests here. You didn't even greet them and turned around to leave. What kind of manners is this? Is this how I taught you to treat guests?"

  She then apologized and smiled at Huangfu Ling: "Yan'er is still young, doesn't know etiquette, has been rude many times, please forgive her."

  Huang Pu Ling hastily got up and waved his hand. "Your Highness is too polite. So this is the famous Princess Yan Er."

  He walked up to Nan Gongyan and bowed to greet her. "I am Ling Wang, Huangfu Ling. I have met the princess."

  Nangong Yan nodded reluctantly. "Ling Wangye."

  At this time, the eunuchs had already arranged the seats and served the dishes. Under the empress's angry gaze, Nangong Yan walked over with a sullen expression and sat down beside Huangfu Ling.

  The empress smiled and said, "Later, I'll have Yanyan take you on a tour of the palace."

  Huang Pu nodded in agreement. Nan Gong Yan said displeased: "If you want to bring it, bring it yourself. I'm busy."

  Nangong Jin heard this and coldly warned, "Yan Er, don't be rude."

  Nangong Yan can be rude to anyone, but she cannot be impolite to her mother. Nangong Yan also knew that her previous words were somewhat inappropriate. She pouted at Nangong Jin and said in a low voice: "Yan'er knows she was wrong. Later, I'll personally take Ling Wangye to watch the fall leaves."

  Huangfu Ling smiled lightly and didn't speak. The Empress Dowager also didn't bother to say more.

  After dinner, Nalan Xinnuo and Nan Gongjin were kept in the palace by the Empress Dowager to talk. Nan Gongyan took Huangfu Ling out of the Empress Dowager's traveling palace. In the palace, Nan Gongyan still pretended to be decent. As soon as she walked out of the palace gate, she turned around and left.

  Huang Pu Ling caught up with her and smiled lightly: "Princess, where are we going?"

  Nangong Yan was annoyed. "Go wherever you want, I still have things to attend to."

  Huang Pu Ling smiled slightly. "I was thinking of asking Your Highness about someone."

  Nangong Yan's footsteps paused slightly. "Who can I ask about?"

  "Is there a concubine named Nalan Yanran in this palace?" Huangfu Ling changed to a serious expression.

  As soon as he mentioned Nalan Yanran, Nan Gongyan stopped in his tracks. "What are you looking for Sister Nalan for?"

  Huangfu Ling nodded his head. "I have a brother named Nalan Xianuo."

  At the mention of Nalan Xianyu's name, Nan Gongyan widened her eyes and held her breath as Huangfu Ling continued to speak. "He was severely injured and was found by my men. Upon learning that he was the prince of Fengyun Kingdom, I had him rescued. Knowing that I would be coming to Luotian, he entrusted me with a message for his sister. He said that Princess Nalan had married into the royal family of Luotian as a concubine, but whether this is true or not, I do not know."

  "You're saying... you mean he's not dead?" Nangong Yan excitedly grasped his clothes.

  Huang Pu nodded. "Seriously injured, but no danger to his life."

  "I knew it, I knew it...I knew he wouldn't die." Nangong Yan was excited and wanted to scream. She cried happily and jumped up and down. "Take me to see him, okay?"

  "This..." Huangfu Ling pretended to be hesitant. "It's not quite right, I should tell the Empress Dowager about it first. Besides, the enthronement ceremony is approaching, if the Princess leaves like this, the Emperor will definitely send someone to look for her, and she won't be able to go far."

  Nangong Yan's expression gradually dimmed. Huangfu Ling continued: "It doesn't matter, I'll let you know when the time comes. However, we have to wait until the end of the enthronement ceremony. The princess will prepare for a few days and go outside the city on the day of the enthronement ceremony to meet me. My people will take the princess directly to Lianxiang Country."

  Nangong Yan was overjoyed upon hearing this and nodded repeatedly. "Thank you..."

  Late at night. Suburbs of the city. Wooden house.

  The red-clothed man and the big-bearded man were anxiously pacing back and forth. They heard that Huangfu Lingfei not only didn't expose Nalan Xixue's identity, but also helped her get away with it.

  Right anxious. Outside came the sound of horseshoes.

  Big Beard rushed into the yard, only to see Huangfu Ling getting off his horse and carrying a woman down. The woman was unconscious. Upon closer inspection, it turned out to be Yuan Xiang, the number one killer of Lianxiang.

  Huang Pu Ling placed the moon on the bed, locked the big beard and red-clothed man outside the door, personally changed her clothes, checked if there were any wounds on her body, only then did he put his mind at ease and change her into new clothes, fed her the dan medicine, covered her with a quilt, and only then did he go out.

  Big Beard saw him come out and angrily said: "What are you doing? Didn't you say today that you would expose Nalan Xixi? How could you not expose her but instead help her? Helping her is one thing, but why did things turn out like this with Wanyue?"

  They agreed to cooperate with Huangfu Ling. It was also because Yuanyue was secretly hidden in the palace, responding from inside and outside. Now that Yuanyue has become like this, Huangfu Ling helped Nalan Xianuo again. They had no reason to continue cooperating anymore.

  Huang Pu Ling patted his shoulder lightly, indicating that he shouldn't be in a hurry. Smiling, he said: "How can one know whether the loss of a horse is not a blessing?"

  The man in red snorted. "Oh. What's next then."

  Huang Pu Lingdao said: "According to the original plan, we will go all out against Nalan Xizheno, and now I have an extra trump card in my hand. At that time, Nan Gong Jin will surely surrender."

  "What's the trump card." Both of them asked in unison.

  Nangong Yan

  "What...!" The big beard was shocked.

  The man in red was also startled. "You're crazy..."

  Huang Pu Ling sneered at their reaction. "What's wrong? Scared?"

  They are naturally afraid. Who doesn't know that Nan Gong Jin has risen with his army? However, the reason why he unified the thirteen countries in just a few years is because of what happened outside. To outsiders, the unification war of the thirteen countries seemed to be a natural process. But they didn't know about the humiliation that Du Gu Yan suffered at the hands of Nan Gong Yan. If not for the humiliation that Nan Gong Yan suffered, today's Nan Gong Jin would not have been possible.

  Nangong Yan was like a fuse, while Huangfu Ling had a big appetite and dared to play with fire.

  "No way. Absolutely cannot be done." The red-clad person vetoed it outright.

  Huang Pu Ling said disdainfully: "Do you know who a person's greatest enemy is?"

  The two looked at him. Huangfu Ling's unusual warmth for a day turned cold and said, "It's fear."

  The two of them snorted in disdain, clearly not buying his words. Huangfu Ling continued, "In that one battle, the number of dead and wounded was as many as a million people. Nan Gong Jin fought from north to south, leaving a trail of blood wherever he went, until finally, he didn't need to fight anymore. As long as someone heard that Nan Gong Jin had arrived, they would immediately lose their courage and even some people would be scared to death."

  "But he is just Nangong Jin, after all. Just a person. He has weaknesses. And his weaknesses are obvious. Yet, to this day, no one dares to expose them. No one dares to strike that sword against him." Huangfu Ling looked at them with an unprecedented sorrow and pity on his face. He pitied these people who were willing to crawl under Nangong Jin's feet.

  The big-bearded man didn't open his mouth. The red-clothed man was silent for a moment, then opened his mouth. "What you said is right. However, we are not like you. Behind your back is the Lenovo Kingdom. You have millions of brave soldiers supporting you. Even if Nan Gong Jin knew you were going to rebel, he would still have to weigh his options carefully. Even if he wanted to attack your Lenovo Kingdom, it's unlikely he could take it down in a year or two."

  He put on his own cloak beside him. "As for us, there are only 100,000 remaining soldiers in the country. In that great war, he did not leave us any room to resist. We dare not take risks. Perhaps we will fail this time. But if you lose, it's just a wound. If we lose, it's death."

  Huang Pu's expression gradually became solemn. The red-clothed man and the big-bearded man turned to leave. This was an expected outcome. However, without their support, he had already suffered some losses and lost his internal response. This time, it would be difficult to succeed.

  However, even so, he still wants to take the opportunity to get rid of Nalan Xianuo. With a Nan Gongjin already striking fear into people's hearts, having another Nalan Xianuo would truly make them invincible in the world.

  Whenever he thought of Nalan Xinnuo's smile, Huangfu Ling felt both angry and amused at the same time. How could there be such a shameless woman in this world? She was like a mischievous child who dared to do evil right in front of him with her head held high and chest out, yet he couldn't do anything about it.

  Just then, a sudden flurry of footsteps came from inside the house. I looked up to see the door open, and Yuan Yue's face was pale. She saw Huang Fu Ling, and she hesitated for a moment before falling to her knees with a thud. "Yuan Yue deserves to die."