Chapter 69: The Gathering Storm 9

  It's already late at night. The Crystal Palace.

  Nan Gong Jin brought the memorial in the study room for review. Nalan Xianyu didn't want to disturb him, so she went to the front hall to drink tea.

  At this time, Rong Long rushed in from the gate. Nalan Xianyu slightly hooked up the corner of her mouth and put down her teacup.

  "Princess, it's all settled. Everything is fine." Quan Long couldn't help but feel delighted, and even his speech was filled with a smile.

  Nalan Xixi nodded slightly. "How many."

  Speaking of which, Guan Long's heart still had lingering fears. "There were about a hundred people or so. Among them, there were ten who were all top-notch experts."

  Nalan Xixi was also frightened by this number. Adding the more than a hundred experts, and the more than three hundred people arranged in the eunuch team, they had a total of four hundred strong warriors sneaking into the imperial capital.

  Thinking of this, Quan Long couldn't help but secretly sigh in admiration. Indeed, his master was a great strategist and acted swiftly. Otherwise, if they were to collaborate internally and externally, the consequences would be unthinkable.

  And this is just one of the troops. It should be the main force. There are no signs of several other routes.

  "Master, we still haven't figured out that person's identity. And there's no news about those other people or horses either. But... time is running out." There are only three days left until the Enthronement Ceremony. Quan Long was getting worried.

  Nalan Xixi's smile was not quite a smile. "I already know who it is."

  Under the vast sky, how many people can hide their identity so seamlessly? How many people have hundreds or thousands of loyal followers? And how many people can casually bring these followers into Luo Tian without making a sound?

  If it's him, then there's no need to worry anymore.

  His is the main force, as for the other troops, they are probably just there to make up the numbers, when the time comes and the east window event occurs, the first ones to flee will definitely be them, not worth mentioning.

  Wei Long saw that Nalan Xinnuo already had an idea in her mind, so he didn't mention it again. He continued: "Besides, we received news that today Nalan Yanran went to Zhao Song's mansion."

  Nalan Xixi's heart skipped a beat. It was indeed her. Nalan Xixi naturally knew that the people hiding among the palace staff could not be eliminated by the Empress Dowager. She just wanted to propose it this way, to see who would go to stop or respond.

  She thought that the one who could collude with those people should be Zhao Songcai, but Nalan Yanran was also meticulous in her plans, yet she didn't expect it to have such a background.

  She is actually his person. This makes things even more complicated.

  Moreover, I don't know if Zhao Song has ever told her this secret. If she knew that secret...if she knew Jin's true identity, at a critical moment, she would definitely say something to disturb Jin's mind.

  Thinking of this, Nalan Xixi furrowed her brow. "I understand. You can go back first."

  Quan Long left. Nalan Xino raised her head, gazing towards the study room. The door of the study room was wide open. Nan Gong Jin was standing in front of the window, lost in thought. His silhouette was stretched long by the candlelight. It was unclear whether it was due to the weather turning cold. Nalan Xino looked at his back, and suddenly felt a hint of loneliness.

  It's already autumn. The sky is overcast in the north. The autumn wind is rustling. Summer has just passed, and there is already a hint of early winter chill.

  Nangong Jin was gazing out at the pitch-black palace buildings, the cold wind cutting across his face with a few degrees of chill. Suddenly, there was a weight on his shoulder, and Nalan Xianyu had draped a fur coat over him, carefully tucking in the collar to prevent the cold wind from seeping in.

  Nangong Jin smiled at her and took her hand.

  The chill in her touch made him frown involuntarily. He gave her a somewhat reproachful cold glance, opened his arms, pulled her into the wide fur coat, and wrapped it tightly around her.

  "Time flies so fast. It's already autumn." Nalan Xinxiao snuggled greedily into the warm embrace, whispering softly.

  "Is it? But I think it's very slow."

  Nalan Xixi looked up at him with a puzzled expression. He smiled slightly. "What's the point of waiting and waiting, there are still three days."

  Nalan Xixi's face turned slightly red as she looked away. In three days, the grand ceremony would take place. In three days, she would officially become his woman. His only woman.

  Although she doesn't care about fame, she knows that for the people here, reputation is a very important thing.

  If only she could, she would have liked to take him away directly from here, without any so-called ceremony or ritual. But she also knew that in such an era, ceremonies and rituals had always been a sacred process.

  It seems like there's such a ritual. The fate of two people will be tightly bound together by heaven, never to be separated.

  But for them, such a ceremony is not so simple.

  Nalan Xinnuo's concern was evident. Nangong Jin said softly, "For the next few days, just stay in the palace and don't bother with those people anymore. I'm waiting for them to stir up trouble."

  Nalan Xixi's expression solidified. "How did you know."

  Nangong Jin smiled lightly, "How could I not know? From the moment I decided not to kill all the lords of the world, I knew there would be a day like this. They are not willing to be trampled under my feet forever."

  Nalan Xixi didn't understand. "Then why don't you kill them all."

  Nangong Jin still smiled, but his voice was calm and collected. "The world has never been something that someone like me can bear."

  Nalan Xixi understood. She didn't ask anything else.

  He had long told himself that the world was not his to bear. Because he had feelings. Because of these feelings, he could not bring himself to kill off the entire Gu family. Because of these feelings, he could not order the execution of all the kings and nobles in the world.

  The kings and nobles of the world will never die. Luoyang will forever be unable to unify. Everyone is eager to move.

  So he decided to hand over sovereignty to Dugu Han in this grand ceremony.

  He had known it all along. This grand ceremony was bound to have a great war. He did nothing because he was waiting for them to come, and then let the Emperor of Luotian, Nan Gong Jin, die in this battle. From then on, there would be no more Emperor of Luotian under heaven.

  The rest is just him, Nangong Jin.

  "But this way you'll have nothing. These are all the things you've fought for with your life. Do you really want to give up like this?"

  Nalan Xixi doesn't understand. Even if it's her, she finds it hard to give up the things she has fought for with her life. Unless... it's for him.

  Nangong Jin smiled. "Dugu Qiu once told me that the emperor, who is supreme and has nothing at all, said that he didn't want to be an emperor, nor did he want any of us to be one. Because he didn't want us to lose each other someday. Even if we were together, it would never be like before."

  He said, a hint of desolation flashing across Nangong Jin's face. "Later on, I became the Emperor of Luotian. And only then did I understand what he meant by 'nothing at all'. Because I truly had nothing at all."

  "But suddenly one day, a person appeared in front of me. This person's appearance was ordinary to the point of being infuriating. Their body was so slender it seemed like they could be blown down by the wind. Yet, they were extremely overbearing. Their eyes were full of arrogant pride. So unremarkable, yet captivating. I couldn't bear to part with them, couldn't let go."

  He said, Nangong Jin smiled and looked at Nalan Xianyu. "That arrogant and invincible Emperor Luo Tian can only be led by the nose by her. To say that she is indeed a demon, I don't know what kind of magic spell she has cast. Later on, Emperor Luo Tian was already tormented to the point where he had no dignity left. In his heart, he just wanted to be able to hold her like this and feel that heaven was not treating him badly. As long as it's her, he won't have nothing."

  Nalan Xixi listened quietly, even her breathing was cautious.

  "I don't want wealth and power. I don't want beautiful women. I only want you."

  Luò Tiān Dì Dū Jiāo Wài

  It's already late at night. In a mountain village on the outskirts, a wooden house is still lit up. In the yard, several expensive fine horses are heard. A black-clothed man with a knife is patrolling back and forth, guarding the courtyard.

  In the house, a man in white clothes is sitting in front of the stove, adding charcoal to burn wine himself. Although his nose is blue and his face is swollen, he has a smile on his face.

  At this time, a sudden horseshoe sound rushed into the courtyard, and several people jumped off their horses and quickly walked towards the house.

  The leader kicked the door open without any courtesy, bringing in a gust of cold wind that blew the smoke from the stove into a frenzy. The man in white looked up and smiled, nodding at him. "Please, everyone, take a seat."

  The bearded man let out a cold hum and walked towards the seat on one side. "Ling Wangye, in just a few more days it will be the ceremony of enthronement. What do you mean by saying that we should send more troops now?"

  Another red-clad man, who seemed more scholarly in temperament, did not rush to interrogate him. He looked at Ling Wang's bruised face and felt suspicious in his heart. "Ling Wang, how did you get beaten up like this? Who did it? Did something happen?"

  Ling Wang smiled calmly and took a flask of hot wine from the stove, personally pouring it for them. "No harm done. I met a rascal a few days ago."

  "Oh, scoundrel. Which scoundrel dares to disturb the earth on your Majesty's head?" The big-bearded man sneered.

  Ling Wang sat back in his seat and took a sip of hot wine. "Nalan Xixi."

  "What...!" Big Beard slammed his hand on the table. "Nalan Xianyin... you... how did you offend her..."

  They knew the reputation of Nalan Xinxin, who had helped Nan Gongyin to quell internal strife. Even when Nan Gongyin was in a life-or-death situation, she solved the problem of reinforcements with just one sentence.

  At this critical moment, I've offended her. The situation is now looking grim.

  Ling Wang let out a sigh, but his face still maintained a smile. "Unexpectedly encountered her, and as a result, she saw through me. I was too careless. Didn't think she'd be so formidable. And also ruthless enough. Knew I didn't dare to fight back, so couldn't counterattack. So she sent someone to make a vicious move. Already hit me twice."

  The man in red nodded. "It's good that you didn't fight back. That way, she won't think of your head. After all, it was just a stranger she had never seen before."

  At this time, Ling Wang smiled lightly. "My main force has been killed by her for half, and the plan has also been disrupted by her."

  He spoke in a light and airy tone, without any hint of anger. On the contrary, he seemed to be enjoying being outsmarted by her.

  "What...!" The big bearded man almost fainted. The red-clothed person also gasped. "What are we going to do?"

  Ling Wang's smile faded away. He said calmly: "Send more troops, concentrate our forces, and kill her."

  "Kill her." The big bearded man was puzzled. "What's the use of killing her?"

  Ling Wang smiled lightly. "As long as she dies in this chaos, we don't need to lift a finger. Nan Gong Jin will voluntarily hand over Luo Tian."

  "She's so fierce." The red-clad man doubted.

  Ling Wang fell silent. She was indeed formidable. Because... she was Nangong Jin's weakness. The only one, and also the most fatal weakness.