The fourteenth day of the twelfth lunar month is Minor Cold. The three pentads of Minor Cold are: first, wild geese fly north; second, magpies begin to build nests; and third, pheasants begin to call.
He'an Hall
"Jieyu" Qianxia walked in from outside, her face beaming with joy. Nan Zhiyun was huddled by the stove reading a book, and looked over when she saw Qianxia enter.
"What's wrong? What happened?" Nan Zhiyun asked. Yu Jingchen had been very busy these past two days and hadn't had much time to stay by her side. Although he spent most of his time at He'an Palace except when he was busy with official business, the two of them rarely spoke. Yu Jingchen knew that Nan Zhiyun was still bothered by what he had said that night, so he gave her plenty of time.
"The general and the others have already arrived in the capital. They should be at the palace in about an hour," Qianxia replied.
"Really?" Nan Zhiyun stood up immediately upon hearing the news.
"This is a message sent by His Majesty, it can't be false. His Majesty is currently dealing with some state affairs, and the General will be coming to the palace to meet him in a little while. His Majesty also specifically sent someone to tell Consort Jieyu to prepare herself well, as he will have the General come to meet her in a little while." Qianxia was also happy for Nan Zhiyun.
"Didn't they say a few days ago that it might be two days later?" Nan Zhiyun asked, but although she was still asking, she had already asked Qianxia to help her to prepare.
"I'm afraid the general also knows that Jieyu is thinking of him, so he rushed back to see her without stopping." Qianxia rarely laughed. These past few days, seeing Nan Zhiyun always looking sullen, she was also anxious. Now that it was not easy to make Nan Zhiyun happy, she was naturally happy to see it happen.
Kyoto's long streets are covered in silver.
Nan Su, clad in silver armor, stood tall and imposing, his body like a pine tree. He wore a lion-headed helmet with a red tassel at the back; a suit of iron-plated armor; a tiger-faced belt; and slanted leather boots. His bottomless black eyes, like a deep pool, seemed to engulf and suffocate. The silver armor appeared exceptionally cold in the icy snow.
Behind the armored knights were squads of infantry, spearmen, swordsmen, and crossbowmen, each in their own ranks, their armor gleaming and their weapons flashing.
Astride their magnificent steeds, the common people, braving the bitter cold, stood on both sides of the long street, looking up at the God of War of the entire Tian Sheng Dynasty with utmost reverence.
"General Nan!" the people around shouted, their voices filled with heartfelt respect.
"Welcome, General Nan!" Everyone was genuinely happy from the bottom of their hearts. Nan Su, a founding hero, had followed the late emperor and General Nan into battle since he was sixteen. He once fought against a hundred enemies single-handedly, leading three thousand soldiers against an enemy force of over ten thousand. He single-handedly carved a bloody path through the enemy ranks. Nan Su was a god of war returned from hell, but he was also the guardian of the people of Tiansheng.
Yu Jingchen's fear of the Nan family was not without reason. Once upon a time, Nan Su's prestige surpassed that of the royal family, simply because the people of Tiansheng admired military generals, especially heroes like Nan Su.
Even now, many people are moved to tears upon seeing Nan Su. If it weren't for Nan Su, how many people in Tiansheng would be displaced? Without Nan Su, they might have already lost their parents, their children, their husbands…
Their current peace is thanks to Nansu, which these soldiers defended with their lives. But in the process, they also realized that these soldiers, this so-called invincible General Nansu, were also flesh-and-blood human beings.
They will get hurt, they will bleed, they will feel pain. They are also someone's father, someone's child, someone's husband. They protect the people of Tiansheng, and the people of Tiansheng will naturally protect them in return. Consider it... their way of repaying us for bearing the burden for them.
This reward may not be substantial, but it is the epitome of kindness and sincerity...
This reward may not be much, but it's everything they have...
This act of gratitude may seem insignificant, but it touched all of them deeply.
You protect my peace, and I repay you... This unspoken support may be cheap, but the petition of the people will protect you for a lifetime.
Someone in the shadows saw this and put down their teacup.
"No wonder His Majesty is wary of this." The man parted his lips slightly, his voice cold.
The person on the other end didn't speak.
"Are you cold?" He looked across the street, then gestured for his men to close the window.
The other person shook their head, then picked up the teacup, brought it to their lips, and took a small sip of tea. Their fingers were long and slender, clearly well-maintained, and they wore lip rouge; they were undoubtedly a woman.
"Do you still like it? This is top-quality Junshan Silver Needle tea, which you used to really like," the man asked the person opposite him.
The person opposite put down their cup: "Yes, I like it very much."
The man lowered his eyes and smiled: "Yin'er, this little shop is simple and doesn't have Junshan Silver Needle tea. I was in such a hurry today that I forgot to ask someone to prepare some."
The woman opposite him paused slightly, then pursed her lips, seemingly unsure how to explain.
The man's gaze gradually darkened, then he smiled nonchalantly, "It's nothing. I should have known, shouldn't I? You didn't need to hide it from me." The man's expression was gentle.
"I'm sorry..." The woman's voice was hoarse, and her tone conveyed a deep sense of helplessness.
"What are you apologizing for? You didn't do anything wrong." The man smiled calmly: "Yin'er, after a while, when everything is done, come with me somewhere."
"Where?" the woman asked.
The man from "Jiangcheng" said.
"Jiangcheng?"
“Yes, Jiangcheng, that’s where I was born. Jiangcheng is beautiful, it’s like spring all year round. There are flowers blooming all over the mountains and fields in all four seasons, peach orchards that never wither in spring, lotus flowers that bloom beautifully all summer, fruit fragrance that never disappears in autumn, and red plum blossoms that stand proudly against the snow and frost all winter.” The man stood up from his seat.
"Didn't you always say you wanted to see the world? This time, you'll come with me to Jiangcheng, and then I'll go with you to see the world, okay?" The man looked at the person opposite him with eyes full of affection.
The woman did not respond for a long time.
"Is it not allowed?" the man asked gently.
“If that’s not possible, then I’ll stay here in the capital with you. The capital is very big, and I’m willing to spend the rest of my life with you amidst the myriad lights of the city. You don’t have to do much; just make room for me by your side.” The man squatted down beside her, his every word filled with sincerity and…carelessness.
"You should know that I..." The woman was interrupted by the man before she could finish speaking.
"I know, that's why I said it, okay?" The man seemed unwilling to hear what she was about to say.
"Do you know why I changed Jue to Yin? Because... Yin is the sound... Gu Yin, Gu Yin..." Who else could the man speaking be but Gu Yin?
The woman opposite... was the Empress Dowager, Nan Yin, the daughter of the Nan family...
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