"Nian'er..."
Gu Zhan's unease grew stronger and stronger, and it hadn't stopped since he returned from the battlefield. He always felt that what Xu Nian wanted to say wasn't what he wanted to hear.
But things had already dragged on for so long, and Xu Nian herself couldn't wait any longer. "Don't speak yet, let me finish. Actually, I'm not from your era..."
Marshal Gu had no idea what he was feeling as he listened to all of this.
According to Xu Nian, she only came to this era by accident because of a tribulation.
She comes from the 21st century, many years in the future, an era without dynasties or nobles, where all people are equal, and where even women can achieve great things.
In that era, the experience of Taoist priests descending the mountain to undergo tribulations was not much different from that of enjoying blessings.
So, to enhance their cultivation, her master sent them to other dimensions to temper their character. Xu Nian was the youngest of the many disciples; many others had already undergone tribulations before her.
Her mission was to bring the villagers who had fled famine to the capital and ensure that they could live and work in peace.
Now, the mission is almost complete. Most of the villagers have moved out of the courtyard and are living comfortably in the capital.
Xu Nian will eventually leave this land and return to her own place.
"I know this might be hard to understand. But Gu Zhan, my time is really running out." Xu Nian forced herself to finish speaking, tears welling up in her eyes.
She looked at Gu Zhan, whose face had been blank from the very beginning.
With a blank expression, it was unclear whether she had taken her words to heart. She didn't mention that these many days had been the result of her painstaking efforts.
Otherwise, I should have died from exhaustion, just as those military doctors said, and then returned to the modern world.
Gu Zhan took a deep breath. Everything Xu Nian said was too unbelievable, but only by saying it this way could her unfathomable magic and the novel ideas that often popped into her head be explained.
No, none of that is the most important thing. The important thing is that he is about to really part ways with Xu Nian.
"How much longer?" His voice was hoarse.
"What?"
"How much longer until you leave me?"
It's said that men don't easily shed tears, but Xu Nian could hear the sob in Gu Zhan's voice. Finally, she couldn't hold back her tears and they streamed down her face.
She raised her hand, but no matter how she wiped, it wouldn't get clean. "Four more days... I thought... I thought you..."
"Did you think I would beg you to stay?" Gu Zhan knew what she was going to say, and reached out to pull her into his arms. "Nian'er, I love you. I know that's your hometown. Your master, brothers, and friends are all there. I can't be so selfish as to leave you here. I have no right to stop you from going home, I'm just unwilling to give up. I've been so busy fighting the war that I haven't had time to spend with you properly..."
As he finished speaking, his voice grew softer and softer.
Hot tears, mixed with hot drops, fell intermittently onto Xu Nian's neck, burning her heart with pain.
The man's embrace was tight, so tight it was almost suffocating. But she didn't say a word; she didn't know what to say. Xu Nian had been devoted to the Dao since childhood.
I feel that many emotions in the world, especially love, are ephemeral and don't need to be taken seriously.
It wasn't until she met Gu Zhan that she understood why so many people, knowing the road ahead would be arduous, would still jump without hesitation. It's because, in this world...
What a blissful thing it is to have someone who wholeheartedly cherishes you, only looks at you, thinks what you think, and worries about what you worry about.
She even wished that Gu Zhan could be a little selfish and let her stay. But Xu Nian also knew that it was impossible for her to stay, the longer she stayed here.
The more she missed the world she lived in, the more she wanted to return to it.
Gu Zhan understood this, which is why he couldn't bring himself to say the words he wanted her to stay.
The two embraced each other, as if this would allow the other's presence to linger on them forever, and time to stand still at this moment.
However, time always moves forward unnoticed.
Gu Zhan had won the battle, but there were still many things in the army that needed his attention. The new emperor's enthronement ceremony was also imminent, and the security work fell entirely on his shoulders.
They were busy every day, unable to make excuses or simply refuse to go, so there was no time for them to spend together in the end.
Until the coronation ceremony, according to the rules, Xu Nian, being a woman, could not appear in a place where everyone was a man.
However, because she had once saved Jiang Yuanqing's life, and because she also had a good relationship with Fukang, Jiang Yuanqing granted special permission for the court ladies to attend his enthronement ceremony.
Outside the Xuanzheng Hall, Jiang Yuanqing sat on the dragon throne on the high platform.
Clad in a bright yellow dragon robe, his expression was indifferent and aloof. The crowd below shouted "Long live the Emperor!" as Prime Minister Su slowly walked in, holding the imperial seal, and steadily ascended the Nine Dragon Steps.
Upon arriving before Jiang Yuanqing, he respectfully knelt down and presented the imperial seal.
Then, horns sounded throughout the palace. Cannons and fireworks blazed brightly in the clear blue sky.
Xu Nian looked up, and the complex emotions and reluctance in her eyes were perhaps only understood by herself.
For a long time after the coronation ceremony, the emperor had no time to see anyone. It wasn't until the afternoon that he finally had a chance to catch his breath and meet Xu Nian, who had been waiting for him for a long time, at Panlong Palace.
"Why aren't you going to the front to drink with everyone? Why are you waiting for me here?"
Jiang Yuanqing knew she loved being in a lively atmosphere, so he was suspicious that she was dressed in ordinary clothes. "You've even changed your clothes, is it because you have something to do and need to leave early?"
Xu Nian nodded, walked up to Jiang Yuanqing, and bowed respectfully. "Your Majesty promised to do me a favor when I cured your illness. Do you remember?"
"Of course I remember." Jiang Yuanqing felt that Xu Nian was acting a bit strange, so he gave up his teasing.
Xu Nian: "I hope Your Majesty will continue to value Gu Zhan. If one day he does something wrong, please spare his life for my sake and let him go elsewhere to live a wealthy and leisurely life."
"I agree."
Jiang Yuanqing ordered someone to bring the imperial edict, wrote it down in his own hand, and handed it to Xu Nian.
"Qingming, I don't have time to see Fukang." Holding the imperial edict, Xu Nian's smile seemed relieved to Jiang Yuanqing. "Treat her well. I wish you two a long and happy marriage. May the Xuan Dynasty last forever and enjoy peace."
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