Chapter 48 Forming an Alliance with You, You Stinky Outsider
The residence of the Grand General of the State was far more spacious and imposing than that of the Northern Protectorate, yet it also resembled a more magnificent prison. Bai Lian's daily life was exactly what those "heavenly beings" of Phoenix Dance City desired—a typical portrayal of a disgraced general, idling away his time.
However, she did not truly sit idly all day. Having received the Emperor's decree to "familiarize herself with the defenses," she would ride her horse slowly along the outer city wall of Luoyang every morning, her sharp eyes scanning the city walls, watchtowers, and water gates.
What she envisioned in her mind was not the current prosperity, but rather, should things change, where could she defend herself, where could she attack, and where could she find a way to survive.
The old files from the Ministry of War piled up in a corner of her study. She would occasionally flip through them, putting on a show of professionalism, but her mind was more focused on gleaning carefully chosen, deliberately concealed information from the families of her former subordinates who came to visit. For example, the sudden transfer of a certain general, the subtle changes in the supply routes…
All of this was observed by several pairs of hidden eyes and converged on the Eastern Palace.
As Crown Prince Jialuolin listened to Han Luliu's report, there was no anxiety on his face, only a deep, calm gaze.
"Yuyu Tower has been in frequent contact with merchant caravans from the north lately. My father... Minister Han secretly visited Jia Xuanyu's villa in the suburbs of the capital three times last month." At this point, Han Luliu's face grew even paler. Now that her father and sister were both under close surveillance, what about her family...?
Galo Rin looked at him silently, signaling him to continue.
He knew Han Luliu's upright and unyielding nature very well, and he also knew that the intelligent Han Luliu had already chosen his side in his heart. That is why Jialuolin never hid anything from Han Luliu, and even let him handle things personally, just to see how Han Luliu would decide between his closest relatives and the greater good.
Even though it was an extremely cruel thing, Galorin's lips curled into a cold, sharp smile, just like the secret confrontation between him and his father. The struggle and resistance behind the so-called "family affection" was a kind of profound helplessness.
“You need to do one more thing for me. Make arrangements so I can meet with Lian’er as soon as possible,” Galo Lin said.
Right now, he needs an opportunity, a chance to break the current deadlock and rebuild absolute trust with Bai Lian. Bai Lian is the key to turning things around for him, and a meticulous plan is taking shape in his mind.
The timing was chosen to be the Shangsi Festival, a day when the city of Luoyang was deserted and filled with various events. People flocked to the banks of the Luo River, making it the perfect time when the crowds were most diverse and everyone's attention was most easily diverted. This also gave Jialuolin the opportunity to evade the spies from Fengwu City.
An invitation, unsigned and bearing only a unique lotus emblem, was ultimately delivered to Bai Lian through Bai Ziyuan's hands. It was an old mark that belonged only to the two of them, a mark that should have been sealed away long ago. Bai Lian's fingertips traced the emblem, overwhelmed with mixed emotions.
That day, she changed into an ordinary lake-blue ruqun (a type of traditional Chinese dress), simply tied her hair up, put on a veil, and quietly left through a side door. At the bustling Jinshui Bridge where they had agreed to meet, she saw Jialuolin, who was also disguised. He wore a blue brocade robe, held a folding fan, and looked like a wealthy young master. His expression was calm and composed, but his eyes, which looked at her, remained deep and unfathomable, carrying a familiar sharpness that seemed to see through people's hearts.
"Is Miss waiting for someone?" He stepped forward, his voice low and polite.
Bai Lian nodded slightly: "I made an appointment with my family, but perhaps we got separated due to the large number of people."
"In that case, why don't you join me for a while? The winding stream ahead is quite lively." He gestured invitingly, his eyes full of smiles.
They walked one after the other, merging into the crowd like two drops of water flowing into a river. At first, they were somewhat silent, as if the intimacy of the past and the gap of reality still stood between them.
Galorin coughed twice, breaking the silence first, and began to introduce the shops on the street in a seemingly familiar manner:
"The tea drinks at this shop are absolutely amazing."
"If you want to buy clothes and other miscellaneous items, this is the place to go. Their products are all made of the finest silks from Jiangnan."
"You've definitely never seen this in the Northern Frontier. This fruit shop is arguably the best in Luoyang. Do you remember...?"
“Young master, I am also a native of Luoyang.” Bai Lian interrupted his rambling, looking at him helplessly, as if to say, “There’s no need to make conversation like this. Who is the ‘outsider’ here anyway?”
Galorin quickly shut her mouth.
The two walked to a stall selling Western Region curved swords, where the stall owner was demonstrating his swordsmanship with great skill. Galo Lin stopped and watched for a while, then suddenly turned to Bai Lian and whispered, "This swordsmanship seems fierce, but it has too many feints. It's far inferior to yours. When you sparred with me back then, your swordsmanship was much more concise and efficient, without any unnecessary frills."
Beneath her white lotus veil, her lips pursed slightly. Her gaze swept calmly over the stall as she said indifferently, "Young master is too kind. Street performers are always more entertaining the more lively they are."
Just then, a patrol of city guards shouted and parted the crowd, seemingly searching for some suspect, and headed straight for them. The atmosphere instantly tensed. Almost instinctively, Bai Lian shifted her stance slightly, adjusting her position to the optimal angle for both exertion and concealment. Her sharp eyes scanned the surroundings, searching for an escape route. Her hand silently slipped into her sleeve.
Galorin, however, was a step ahead of her. He naturally reached out and gently grasped her wrist, pulling her a step closer, just as they disappeared into the shadows of a mask stall. His action seemed like a common gesture to protect his female companion, but the force and angle precisely blocked any possible reactive reactions she might have, while perfectly avoiding the direct line of sight of the patrolling guards.
"Don't be afraid, it's just a routine procedure," he whispered in her ear, his warm breath brushing against her earlobe.
The guards walked past them without stopping.
With the crisis averted, Galorin released her hand at the opportune moment, and the two remained locked in a silent gaze.
Bai Lian looked into Jia Luolin's eyes, which were filled with her own image, and felt somewhat dazed. Jia Luolin pursed her lips, adjusted her breathing, and the two abruptly separated, continuing on their way.
After this incident, the invisible barrier between the two seemed to have thinned a bit.
They watched the winding stream performance and even had some snacks at a time-honored restaurant. They chatted casually the whole way, the air filled with a relaxed atmosphere, like a couple who had just met.
As the sun began to set, he led her through several quiet alleys and into a bookstore with an inconspicuous storefront. Behind the bookstore lay a secluded and elegantly furnished, soundproofed room.
The tea on the stove was just beginning to boil, steam rising in wisps. The door closed behind me, completely shutting out the noise from the outside world.
The relaxed smile on Galorin's face gradually faded. He turned around, his gaze falling on Bai Lian as if it were a physical object, no longer the gentle young master he had been before.
“Lian’er,” he said bluntly, his voice low and steady, “you are aware of the situation in the capital. Jia Xuanyu is not dead. He is colluding with the Han family. ‘Yuyu Tower’ is their money bag and intelligence station for dealing with the Northern Di. Father is kept in the dark, or rather, he prefers to believe what he wants to believe.”
He walked up to her, his gaze intense: "Our time is running out. If they're going to remove an obstacle, it will have to be you and me."
Bai Lian looked at him with an expression of complete understanding. She nodded and said, "What do you need me to do?"
"I need to know, who exactly are you?" Galorin gazed at Bai Lian, just as he had when he first met her, his eyes filled with admiration and inquiry.
Yes, whether they were husband and wife in the past or comrades-in-arms today, to form an alliance, they must reveal their true colors.
Bai Lian raised her head and slowly said, "I am someone who should not belong here. I come from a world you cannot understand. There, there is no imperial power, no noble families, but only the law of the jungle."
“The abilities I possess now were determined before I was born.” Her gaze became distant, as if piercing through time and space. “And my identity is that of someone who walks in the shadows, whose profession is to end the lives of others.” She saw Galorin’s pupils contract almost imperceptibly, but she did not stop.
She gazed at him, her eyes filled with complex and unreadable emotions. "In that world, I had a boss who was also my mentor... He was very much like you."
The only sound in the quiet room was the bubbling of boiling tea.
Galorin remained silent for a long time, his handsome face displaying a complex mix of shock, realization, and an indescribable sense of destiny.
“Assassin…boss…” he repeated in a low voice, his fingers unconsciously pressing against his temples, his brows furrowing slightly, “…I always have some strange dreams, bizarre and fantastical dreams, with roaring steel behemoths, some strange costumes…and…a deep sea.”
He raised his head, his gaze sharpening once more, but this time, the sharpness carried a sense of relief, as if he had found a crucial piece of the puzzle. "So, you possess 'our' past, the knowledge and abilities of another world. This won't be a burden, Lian'er."
He didn't press for details, nor did he show fear or rejection of her "assassin" identity. He reached out his hand to her, this time with an air of complete trust, his eyes solemn and resolute: "No matter what entanglements we had in our past lives, we are destined to be husband and wife in this life, so Heaven doesn't want us to be separated. General Bai Lian, let's join forces to break this deadlock, shall we?"
Bai Lian abruptly looked up at Jia Luolin. This promise, almost a confession, seemed to span a thousand years, rippling through the deepest recesses of her heart with complex and indescribable emotions, slowly and stubbornly spreading until it overwhelmed all her senses. She carried the memories of two lifetimes alone, walking anxiously in this unfamiliar time and space. He, however, accepted this unbelievable truth and attempted to transform it into power.
This feeling of being "seen" and "accepted" was like a ray of bright light, suddenly shining into Bai Lian's deep and closed heart, stinging her eyes and almost bringing tears to her eyes. She forcibly suppressed the sob in her throat, but the bitterness surged wildly in her chest.
Bai Lian looked at his outstretched hand, then at the tenderness in his eyes, a mixture of ambition and honesty. The heavy boulder in her heart seemed to finally slowly fall away.
She raised her hand, just as she had done the day she came to the secret door, placing her hand in his palm and entrusting her hopes to him.
"good."
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