Chapter 79 A Dream: The King
I am the one who should be the king of this world!
While the others were still somewhat confused by these words, the Tang family members' expressions changed.
Tang Yang stepped forward, shielding his sister, and glared fiercely at her, "No wonder Father was puzzled as to why the people of Southern Xinjiang would hunt down other people from Southern Xinjiang back then."
King Xia Nan smiled faintly, put his hands behind his back, looked up at the bright moon, and sighed, "How powerful Nan Yue was back then! Did they ever take Nan Zhao seriously?"
"Relying on their poisonous and secret arts, they exploit and plunder small countries like ours in the South. In order to fight against the Great Xia, they are even more greedy and forcibly conscript soldiers from other countries."
His eyes gradually darkened. "My Nanzhao has a unique geographical location, sandwiched between the Southern Frontier and the Great Xia, and has long been threatened by both sides. For the sake of survival and my people, I had no choice but to submit to the great power. Now that I have made my choice, I will naturally not allow Nanyue any chance to turn the tables."
Tang Yu chuckled softly at that moment, “No wonder you supported Yue Ying in killing ‘Yue Qimeng’. It turns out you never wanted Nan Yue to be overthrown.”
“Of course.” He smiled. “Even if Nan Yue succeeds in overthrowing the kingdom, in the end, it will only mean that we have another ‘Great Xia’ to oppress us. Only by becoming king ourselves can we be the true winners.”
Tang Yu, still curious, asked, "But why do you support Nan Yue and cultivate a new saintess?"
“We have to… give them some hope. After all, they can’t raise a real ‘Moon Dream’.” A sinister glint flashed in King Xia Nan’s eyes.
Why?
"Because the Yuezhi secret techniques they obtained were only incomplete."
A smug look appeared on his face as he slowly said, "The method of cultivating the Holy Maiden is actually divided into two parts. One half is controlled by the Yuezhi, while the other half is treasured by the Southern Yue royal family. What they obtained was only the Yuezhi's part, buried under the flames of war and corpses in the pool of ten thousand Gu blood when the country was destroyed."
"As for the royal family's collection, I have already taken it into my possession. In the end, they should thank me for keeping it safe for them for so many years."
After saying this, King Xia Nan burst into loud laughter, which was extremely jarring in the dead of night.
"Thank you?" Tang Yu frowned slightly. "Thank you for making those innocent girls from southern Xinjiang the subjects of a doomed failure?"
She sneered, "Tell me, if the people of Nanyue knew that you were the one who caused their country's downfall, would they still consider you an ally now?"
King Xia Nan's eyes darkened suddenly, and he coldly snorted, "I harmed Nan Yue?"
Then, he threw his head back and laughed, his laughter filled with the madness that had been suppressed for many years: "My Nanzhao is just a small country, how can it be an ant trying to shake a tree? Even if I don't take action, Nanyue will surely perish under the strong army of Daxia! It is only because of me that Daxia can easily take Nanyue with such low casualties."
He paused, then suddenly turned to Xie Xingzheng, raising an eyebrow and saying, "Speaking of which, General Xie should thank me for making a name for himself in this battle."
Seeing the other party shamelessly claim credit, Wang Shanyue, who had a short temper, was furious. He was about to draw his sword and step forward when Xie Xingzheng stopped him.
His face betrayed no emotion as he recalled, "Back then, the imperial court did indeed send a secret letter, which not only included a detailed drawing of the layout of the Southern Moon Imperial City, but also marked the entrance to the secret passage to the Holy Land. Xie's army did indeed advance smoothly because of this, catching Southern Moon off guard. But I never expected that this person would be you."
“That’s right.” King Xia Nan admitted without any hesitation.
When he admitted it, everyone couldn't help but gasp.
No one expected that the destruction of Nan Yue was actually due to betrayal by their own people in Nanjiang.
King Xia Nan, however, spoke as if it were a trivial matter, saying, "This matter is my pledge of allegiance to the Great Xia Dynasty; it's not a big secret. Otherwise, do you think Emperor Wen of Chu would accept me so easily just because I surrendered? And even grant me a fief and a title?"
He raised his hand and lightly brushed the thin layer of dust off his clothes, then sneered, "All of this is nothing more than the result of my sincere efforts."
Tang Yu, however, already understood and commented: "It sounds grand and dignified, but it's nothing more than your selfishness and cowardice."
The smile on King Xia Nan's face froze slightly, and his eyes turned icy cold.
"It seems that using underhanded tactics is one of your usual methods." Tang Yu walked slowly, but approached step by step.
"Back then, to save yourself, you clearly betrayed Nan Yue, yet you pretended to be forced to seek peace. Although you profited from Da Xia, after submitting, you resented your lack of power and influence, wanting to make a comeback but not daring to act on your own. So, you secretly helped Nan Yue and instigated the southern border states to launch a rebellion, didn't you?"
Tang Yu looked up and pointed out without any mercy, "And what about you? You've always been in the safest position."
"If things don't go well in the Southern Frontier, you can still be the King of Xia Nan who worries about the people and longs for his ruler. But if things go well in the Southern Frontier, as the person behind the scenes, you can easily take back the power and even show some kindness during the war, making the people grateful to you."
"At that time, they will naturally vie for your throne. And you will eventually become the oriole that devours the mantis."
Unlike Nan Yue, whose wolfish ambitions and vicious methods are out in the open, Xia Nan Wang is a cowardly yet insidious manipulator.
Without bloodshed, without knives, without taking responsibility, they reap the greatest benefits.
He was silent for a moment, then chuckled softly.
Even if Tang Yu's words completely stripped away his years of pretense, so what?
The people of Xia Nan and the rebels in Nanjiang were still kept in the dark. What he had to do was ensure that Tang Yu and his group left the truth here, and could not take it anywhere else.
He grinned maliciously and raised his hand, "Do it!"
Suddenly, a group of soldiers carrying torches appeared outside the Xia Nan Prince's Mansion, blocking everyone's retreat.
Ahead lay the entire mansion of Gu practitioners.
Dozens of fully drawn bows appeared on the surrounding walls, their arrows gleaming coldly, all aimed at them.
Although most of the troops had been sent to the south of the city, they were still more than enough to deal with Tang Yu and his group.
"Release the arrows!"
With a command given, a dense barrage of arrows tore through the air like a torrential downpour.
Tang Yiqing immediately unfolded her silver umbrella, and Wang Shanyue and Xie Xingzheng also brandished their swords to block the rain of arrows, while the rest of the group temporarily hid within the three's protective circle.
But then came the fierce attack of the fearless Gu people and the menacing government troops.
The group immediately rushed forward to meet the enemy. After dozens of close-quarters battles, and with the threat of hidden arrows, they were simply outnumbered and all sustained injuries.
Despite the unfavorable situation, no one gave up.
Just as Tang Yu repelled the attacker on the left, another person attacked from the front. She took two steps back and raised her hand to strike.
Unexpectedly, although he avoided this place, a chill ran down his spine.
A sharp sword came slashing down at her!
"puff--!"
Xie Xingzheng reacted quickly, shielding her with his own body, instantly creating a long gash in his chest from which blood splattered.
Tang Yu's face turned deathly pale instantly, and she turned her head in a panic, "Xie Xingzheng!"
In her panic, she lunged forward to protect him, but in doing so, she inadvertently created an opening behind her.
The arrow pierced through the air and sank deep into Tang Yu's body without any deviation, instantly staining his clothes with blood.
Crimson blood gushed from Tang Yu's mouth, and she lost all strength to support herself, collapsing straight forward.
She almost managed to grab Xie Xingzheng's clothes.
In late autumn in Xia Nan, the ground is damp and cold.
Tang Yu and Xie Xingzheng lay on the ground, dying silently.
As the two fell to the ground, the rest were quickly killed as well, and the stench of blood filled the courtyard of the Xia Nan Prince's Mansion.
King Xia Nan strolled leisurely to the corpses scattered on the ground, admiring the blood of his opponents seeping out and eventually forming a small lake.
He smiled.
He laughed maniacally, looking up at the sky.
He was neither a conqueror who had won the world nor a madman. Rather, he was a coward who had suppressed his resentment and lurked in the shadows for many years, finally able to tear off his disguise without any restraint, experiencing a twisted pleasure.
"Hahaha!"
He laughed until tears streamed down his face, completely immersed in the joy of his victory.
Even if Tang Yu guessed it, so what?
So what if Xie's army is incredibly brave?
So what if he lost a move or two?
In the end, he still won!
Finally, they were no longer subject to the oppression of the Great Xia, nor would they become anyone's vassal.
Starting with Xia Nan's victory, let him gradually and slowly devour the Great Xia. Then, he will become the true king!
"I am the one who should be the king of this world!"
The King of Xia Nan's maniacal laughter echoed for a long time in the empty courtyard of the palace.
But no one responded.
...
With the help of Tang Clan's hidden weapons, the archers on the wall were all wiped out by the crowd.
Only now did Tang Yu have a chance, amidst the chaos of the battle between the Gu people and the government soldiers, to look at Xia Nan Wang, who was lying on a mahogany carved chair, smugly in his dream, thinking that victory was in his grasp.
He was caught in the most beautiful dream.
She smiled, a slight curve to her lips.
The laugh was very soft, very faint, with a hint of irony.
The remaining golden light in her eyes gradually faded, and everyone around her was unharmed. She had even managed to bring the situation under control with little effort.
She turned her head and looked at Yueying, who was slumped on the ground. Whether from anger or fear, she looked distraught and was trembling all over.
"Your eye for talent," Tang Yu said calmly, tucking a strand of wind-blown hair behind her ear. "It's really not very good."
This seemingly insignificant comment brought tears streaming down Yueying's face.
She was completely devastated, muttering, "Why..."
"Why is it that no matter what I choose, it's wrong? But for you... no matter what you choose, it's right?"
Tang Yu looked at her, her gaze containing neither contempt nor pity. It was as if, through her, she saw another fate—the same starting point, but with a completely different process and outcome.
"Have you ever thought about why he didn't run away, but instead waited for us to come to the palace?" Tang Yu turned her head to look at Xia Nan Wang, who was still immersed in the illusion, and asked softly.
"Why?" Yueying's eyes showed confusion.
“Because he still thinks he has the victory in his grasp.” Tang Yu looked down at her and chuckled. “He doesn’t trust everyone, so he plans for your failure and finds a way out for himself. But he forgets that he might lose.”
Yueying was stunned.
Tang Yu continued, "And when did you ever believe him? After all, if you had told him about Yue Qimeng's true abilities, instead of the superficial 'controlling a hundred poisons, making her immune to all poisons,' he wouldn't have foolishly waited here to watch us die. However..."
She paused, then asked seriously, "Even if he knew, do you think someone as cowardly and timid as him could wake up from his dream?"
Yueying opened her mouth, but didn't know how to answer.
Tang Yu's gaze fell back to Xia Nan Wang, who was smiling intoxicatedly with his eyes closed.
"Even if such a person knows the dream is false, he will still become completely lost in the illusion woven for him by the dream in order to avoid facing the cruel failure of reality."
As Yueying listened, her shoulders trembled even more violently, tears streaming down her cheeks before finally falling helplessly to the ground.
“This world… is really unfair,” she said, her voice trembling.
"I just want to be valued and needed. I've tried so hard to live, and I've done everything I could for Nanyue, but why? No matter what I do, it's wrong, and I always lose to you..."
She cried so hard she could barely breathe.
Tang Yu crouched down to meet her gaze.
Her tone suddenly became very serious, yet also very gentle: "Yueying, do you really... have to choose the wrong thing no matter what you do?"
Yueying looked up, her eyes filled with despair.
Tang Yu asked softly, "I remember that whether in Zhongjing or in the Holy Land, wasn't that blind old man always by your side, protecting you?"
Yueying shuddered.
"If you were truly unfortunate, how did you survive in the Pool of Ten Thousand Gu Blood? How did you happen to be discovered and rescued? And why did you have the opportunity to live with a new skin?"
Tang Yu's emotionless eyes stared unblinkingly at her. "Is it really good to become like me, with all your emotions stolen away by Qi Meng?"
Yueying couldn't answer.
Tang Yu didn't mind, got up and left with her last words.
"You simply lost to your own obsession."
[Author's Note]
Next comes the final chapter.
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