Chapter Fifty: Jade Divine Dragon Frame

  In those irretrievable years, he was also a sunny youth. Young and arrogant, with mutual affection, they were brothers who had promised to be together for life, sharing life and death.

  It was the most sincere and passionate promise of that era, and it was buried in the chaos of war and disappeared.

  Dugu Qiu once said that he did not want to be an emperor, nor did he want any of them to be an emperor.

  He said that an emperor, being supreme and above all else, is at the same time a person with nothing.

  In the world of emperors, on the peak of emperors, there is only one person. Most importantly, the emperor's throne cannot accommodate a second person, so those who try to accompany him must all leave.

  It's precisely because of this that he is destined to have nothing.

  "Xianuo." His voice was very low, making it unclear whether he had really called out like that.

  Nalan Xixi turned back, grasping his icy palm tightly. The Qiang troops had retreated, and Dugu Yan led Dugu Qi away. They sat on the mountain peak where they were reunited, gazing at the sunrise that was already high but still distant.

  They sat like this for an entire night, without anyone saying a word.

  "Am I wrong?" Nangong Jin looked at Nalan Xianuo, his face without coldness, without any disguise, only the eternal fatigue and powerlessness that could not be washed away.

  He has the supreme power, yet nobody knows, possessing everything under heaven and guarding it is what makes him feel most powerless. This is much more difficult than protecting one person.

  In the dead of night, he had thought to himself if he had made a mistake back then. But those memories sharp as knives didn't allow him to think further. The helplessness of Nan Gong Yan being bullied, the despair of watching his most beloved person being stripped and humiliated, that feeling, he never wanted to experience again.

  So, it always ends with a thought of "it was meant to be".

  Until Dugu Qiu looked at him with that pair of eyes he was most familiar with and cherished the most, he hesitated.

  Is this really... fate? Maybe there would have been a better choice if he had chosen to tell Dugu Qiu back then.

  "You're not wrong." Narlan Xizuo's tone was very decisive and affirmative. "Nor is there an if."

  She knew what Nangong Jin was thinking, wondering about the initial choice, if a different path had been chosen, what would have been the outcome? However, there were no ifs. Since this choice was made, then it must have been the most desired one at that time.

  What's there to think about? It's what I want most, but if it's like that, then let everything remain as it was before.

  "The person you most want to cherish is Yan Er, what she wants is just your momentary care, and if you give it to her, no matter how much suffering she has, she will be satisfied. The people you least want to kill are them, what they want is just your reluctance to let go of this relationship, and if you don't let go, no matter how much suffering they have, they will still be satisfied."

  As he spoke, Nalan Xiong suddenly stopped.

  What she wants most is to be quietly by his side, guarding him, listening to him, loving him and being loved by him. So even with all the hardships, she's content.

  But this sentence is enough as long as it's hidden in your heart.

  She gently pressed her face against his chest, listening to his calm heartbeat, and slowly closed her eyes. "It's over."

  All hopes and expectations end at the moment of attainment and satisfaction.

  Hate and blame should end now.

  Nangong Jin slightly curled up the corners of her mouth. No more thoughts could compare to these few words she said, she was right, it should end now.

  He stretched out his hand and wrapped her in his own arms."My queen should also enter the palace."

  "No way!" As soon as he heard about entering the palace, Nalan Xinnuo's conditioned reflex was a sudden thrill.

  Nangong Jin saw her reaction was so big, and he also remembered that entering the palace wasn't as easy as it seemed.

  She owes such a huge emotional debt in the palace, and she won't be skinned alive when she goes back? Moreover, Zhao Song is still in the palace, protected by the empress dowager at all costs, and it's really not easy to go back.

  "I don't care, you clean up your own mess, anyway, I'm going to marry you." Nangong Jin hooked the corner of his mouth and smiled with a sly charm, having a certain rascal flair.

  Nalan Xixi's face sank, and with a "whoosh" sound, she drew her short sword from her waist and pressed it against Nangong Jin's neck. "You beast, why didn't you say how this mess came about? I've been busy running around helping you put out the fire, and now you're abandoning me?! You think giving me a fake title of Empress will make me take all the blame?! I'll kill you!"

  Nangong Jin raised his neck, with a fearless expression that seemed to say "do whatever you want" and "you won't dare do it anyway". He was determined to be reckless. "Go ahead, I'll leave Yan'er in your care."

  Nalan Xixi heard this, slightly raised an eyebrow, put away the dagger, and sighed: "Husband, you don't know that your Yan'er is determined to marry me or die trying. Your family's Empress Dowager wants to kill me and will go to great lengths to protect that traitor. How can I enter the palace? Can you bear to see me murdered by them?"

  That one sentence made Nan Gong Jin break out in a cold sweat, and this last bit of pouting and making a face was really unbearable. He dryly laughed twice, nodded his head, and then seriously shook his head under her angry gaze. "Can't bear to part with it! Can't bear to part with it..."

  Luò Tiān, Dì Dū.

  The Qiang people and the eight tribes of Man barbarians retreated in defeat, and Emperor Luo Tian returned triumphantly. The whole nation celebrated together. In the capital city of Emperor Luo Tian, lanterns were hung everywhere, and the country was filled with joy, beating gongs and drums, what a lively scene.

  The city gate is wide open, and all pedestrians are crowded on both sides of the street, wanting to catch a glimpse of Luotian Dadi's demeanor.

  Outside the city gate, a black horse was slowly advancing with its head held high and chest out. On the horse's back, a man of robust build wore a black brocade robe, his skin as white as jade. With the sunlight behind him, he looked like a divine being descending into the world.

  Inside the city gate, from top to bottom, men and women, old and young, guards and soldiers, all knelt down, their faces filled with suppressed admiration and reverence, they piously and ceaselessly kowtowed, their mouths shouting in unison for their king.

  Sitting on top of the world, the only king of the thirteen countries, the guardian deity of the mainland, Luo Tian Da Di, their king, Nan Gong Jin.

  Behind Nangong Jin, two rows of iron cavalry wearing silver armor closely followed, their uniform silver armor reflecting the sunlight, dazzling to the extreme. They rode black horses with a rhythmic and loud pace.

  Just as they entered the city gate, the people in the city all let out a cry of surprise!

  What made them cheer was the chariot 'Jade Dragon Frame' in the middle of the silver armor iron cavalry's square formation!

  They had all heard of the 'Jade Divine Dragon Frame', but none of them had ever seen it. This 'Jade Divine Dragon Frame' was created after Luo Tian Da Di unified the thirteen countries, and the monarchs of each country joined forces to express their sincerity, uniting the eighty-year-old craftsmen from all over the world, taking three years to meticulously carve and refine every detail.

  Rumor has it that the 'Jade Dragon Rack' is made of crystal and top-grade white jade from various countries in the East China Sea, with a crystal-clear body and eighty-eight carvings of phoenixes playing in the sun. There are also ninety-nine dragons hiding in the clouds, each with different expressions, exquisitely crafted and vividly depicted. In sunlight, it is as if surrounded by a halo, like a real-life divine throne!

  It's really exciting to see it now!

  The common people suddenly boiled over, crowding together to catch a glimpse of the 'Jade Dragon Frame'.

  After a burst of excitement, it was another heated discussion. How did they win the war and return triumphantly? Even the queen was married off in the process!

  Everyone knows that when Emperor Luo Tian marries his queen, there will be a grand welcoming ceremony. The scale of this welcoming ceremony also reflects the status and position of the queen herself, as well as her position after entering the palace.

  In the Luotian Palace, the wedding ceremony had strict hierarchy, and before entering the palace, the most important ceremony for the imperial concubines was only "Jin Wu Cang Jiao". Although Nan Gong Jin had many wives through proper marriage arrangements, the Jin Wu Cang Jiao ceremony was used only once.

  It was used when welcoming the princess of Nalan's family from the country of Lingyun.

  And this 'Jade Dragon Frame', is the top-level welcoming ceremony of Luo Tian, used to welcome the Empress!

  They had never heard of Nan Gong Jin taking a liking to any woman, on the contrary, it was well-known throughout the world that Nan Gong Jin was extremely tyrannical in matters of men and women, and he only doted on Nan Gong Yan with all his heart.

  So everyone thought that they would never see the 'Jade Dragon Frame' in this life, but unexpectedly it came so suddenly. The 'Jade Dragon Frame' quickly drove through the streets and headed towards the imperial palace.

  People looked at the back of the 'Jade Dragon Frame' and marveled, but also couldn't help guessing the identity of the empress.

  A white-faced scholar fanned himself, thinking he was right: "I guess it's the princess of Yuanping or Tu'an country. You've forgotten that in this big battle with the Qiang people, at a critical moment, it was these two countries who sent troops to rescue us! It must be them blackmailing our king at a critical moment, wanting him to marry their princess as empress before sending troops!"

  Everyone nodded in agreement, thinking it made sense.

  "Impossible! Impossible!" At this time, another person spoke up. "Would the king be threatened by them? Moreover, you all know that the king is extremely cruel in matters of men and women, no one can survive a night, now all countries dare not send princesses again, why would they let their own daughters come to die? To take a step back, although it was their reinforcements that helped us break through at the critical moment of this great war, but after all, these two countries are small border states, what qualifications do they have to use such a lineup?"

  As he spoke, he had a look of certainty. "I think this queen must be the princess of Sheng Jin country, able to mobilize the 'Yu Shen Long Jia' formation, that identity is certainly not low! Under the heavens, apart from Sheng Jin country, who can make the king use such a formation?!"

  "Hmph, you know what!" Another person said disdainfully: "The king and the Holy Golden Prince have never gotten along. It's said that when the two great alliances clashed and the king emerged victorious, he killed many people from the Dugu family. That's why all these years, every country has been offering princesses in tribute, except for the Holy Golden Kingdom! Besides, even if she were a princess of the Holy Golden Kingdom, how would the king give her such treatment just because of her status? I think the woman in that sedan chair is definitely someone the king truly likes!"

  This time, everyone nodded in agreement, it must be so!