In the 185th year of the Northern Yin Dynasty, in the cold winter of the twelfth lunar month, the emperor personally led a victorious expedition, and the Western Ling and Southern Li were destroyed.

When they returned to Kyoto, there were only two days left until the new year. As expected, since the day Helian Si left,

With the combined efforts of Helian Ci, Helian You, and Wenren Yu, the turbulent court situation was completely quelled in just three days.

On the same day, Crown Prince Helian Yi, having conspired with the Nan family to rebel, was temporarily imprisoned in the imperial prison by Helian Ci and Helian You, along with other court officials, pending the Emperor's return and further action.

As for the strange changes in Helian Si's behavior in Prince Yi's mansion, Helian Ci and Helian You naturally suppressed the news.

However, with no news of the emperor arriving from the frontier, some officials were still filled with unease. Fortunately, there were Helian Ci and Wenren Yu present.

Together they suppressed the officials in the court, so for the time being no one in the court was shouting that the country could not be without a ruler for a day.

Finally, news arrived from the frontier that the emperor was unharmed and the battle had been won. Everyone's hearts, which had been pounding with anxiety, finally settled down.

When Wenren Yu spread the news, the people of Beiyin cheered throughout the country.

Of course, the news from the frontier also included reports that Helian Si was safe and sound and was with Helian Nie. It was Helian Si who had these reports added so that his brothers wouldn't worry.

…

At that time, large, fluffy snowflakes were falling gently from the gates of Kyoto.

The group of people who had come to welcome the emperor's triumphant return, having received the news, seemed oblivious to the biting wind and heavy snow; their hearts were filled with fervent excitement.

The emperor's triumphant return signifies the achievement of their grand ambition to unify the world in Northern Yin, which fills them with boundless excitement!

Helian Ci, draped in a cloak, sat astride his steed, holding the reins. His handsome face, with its exceptionally red lips pressed into a straight line, remained silent, his dark eyes, like a deep pool, fixed intently on the distance.

Helian You was the same, but compared to Helian Ci's composure, Helian You was more impatient.

His handsome face was deeply furrowed, his starry eyes fixed on the distance. He couldn't see the victorious army he so desperately longed for; instead, he saw only the gently falling snow.

The reins were pulled from time to time, and the horse's hooves pounded back and forth, leaving hoofprints on the snow.

Wenren Yu sat astride his horse, and perhaps because it was so cold, he unusually refrained from brandishing his ever-present ink-painted fan.

Looking at Helian Ci and Helian You, he secretly compared them in his mind, finally shook his head, and a smile appeared on his handsome face, like a painter's brush.

The saying "you can tell what a person will be like at three years old" is true. The eldest prince was gentle and refined, but beneath that gentle exterior lay a deep and cunning mind. The second prince was no less treacherous and ruthless than the emperor. This was true then, and it is true now.

As for her own little You'er, thinking of this, Wenren Yu couldn't bear to look at him anymore. She sighed, and even the striking beauty mark at the corner of her eye seemed to reflect her own melancholy.

My little You'er really is cut out to be a carefree prince!

It can only be said that the little princess is a unique exception. Who would have thought that this princess, who has always been a spoiled, cute, and handsome boy-loving child, would...

Before Wenren Yu could finish her sigh, the army that everyone had been eagerly anticipating—the emperor's triumphant army—appeared in view, even amidst the heavy snowfall.

But the vast army and the Northern Yin banners fluttering in the biting wind were still extremely conspicuous against the white snow.

A look of joy spread across everyone's faces, and someone exclaimed in surprise, "They're back! They're back! The Emperor and the others are back!"

Before the man could finish speaking, Helian Ci and Helian You had already pulled on the reins and headed towards the vast army.