Chapter 378 If You Lose, Then Accept the Defeat
On the third day, the morning mist in Qixing City had not yet dissipated, but the sound of horse hooves could be heard outside the city.
The Apocalypse army led by Xiao Nanyan was like a long black dragon, slowly marching along the official road towards the city gate. The flags fluttered in the wind, and the momentum was awe-inspiring.
Xiyan stood on the top of the city wall, wearing a silver-white soft armor, with her long hair tied up high, which made her look tall and straight and heroic. She looked at the team that was getting closer and closer in the distance, her eyes calm without any fluctuation.
Behind her, someone gently patted her shoulder.
Xiyan turned around and saw Manluo looking at her with her head tilted. She was wearing a purple outfit, which had lost its former beauty and had become more neat.
"Xi Yan, are you sure you want to gamble with Xiao Nanyue and do you really have a chance of winning?" There was a hint of worry in her voice.
Xiyan was a little surprised: "Why are you here too?"
Manluo raised an eyebrow and smiled, "If you're going to the battlefield yourself, how can I stay and enjoy myself in the Nanzhao Palace? You're really not considerate enough to not even greet me when you came. Not only me, but your second brother has also come along, and he's supervising the battle in the city."
Xiyan heard this and a faint smile appeared on her lips:
"How dare you run out? Aren't you afraid that Chu Jin will chase you?"
"he?"
Manluo sneered, with a hint of mischief in her eyes:
"That little clingy guy has him so tightly entangled, how could he still have time to look for me?"
She took a step closer and lowered her voice:
"Honestly, are you sure you can defeat the Demon God? He's the incredibly powerful Regent. Seventy to eighty percent of our abilities were taught by him. Can a disciple truly defeat his master?"
Xi Yan looked at the Apocalypse Array outside the city, which was gradually becoming clearer, and sighed softly:
"There's only one gamble."
Manluo was puzzled: "If you are not sure, why do you want to resort to such a desperate measure?"
"What else?" Xiyan's voice was as light as the wind:
"Let him march straight in and attack all the way to Jiangdu? And leave my father, the emperor, and my mother, the empress, in a dilemma at court, being the subject of gossip among the officials?"
Manluo was speechless for a moment. She opened her mouth but couldn't find the words to refute.
Xiyan's eyes swept across the flags under the city, and she said quietly:
"Nan Zhao has lost five cities in a row, and officials in the court are quite dissatisfied. They believe that the marriage between Tianqi and Nan Zhao is nothing wrong. Xiao Nanyan is of prominent status, second only to the emperor, and above everyone else. How could he not be worthy of our princess? Besides... they all know that Yin'er is Xiao Nanyan's daughter."
Xiyan paused, a hint of bitterness in her voice:
“They felt that my return as a princess exiled abroad had not brought any good fortune to Nan Zhao, but instead sparked war.
Manluo, I don't want to be the eternal sinner of Nanzhao. I don't want my father to make a choice between the country and my daughter for me. I don't want to drag millions of Nanzhao soldiers and civilians to be buried with him."
She looked up at the sky, where the morning light was breaking through the clouds:
"So, I can only gamble. If I win, I can prevent a huge tragedy, right?"
"But what if we lose?" Manluo asked.
The corners of Xiyan's lips curled up in a relieved arc: "I'm willing to accept the loss."
Her gaze, through the layers of clouds and mountains, looked towards the direction of Nanzhao Jiangdu:
"What importance do I have as a woman compared to the beautiful mountains and rivers of Nanzhao? In fact, just being able to spend this year with my family is enough for my whole life."
Manluo looked at her calm profile, then suddenly took a step forward and held her hand tightly:
"Xiyan, don't be afraid, I'll stay and help you."
"Manluo..." Xiyan felt warm in her heart.
Manluo smiled, her eyes curved, just like when she first met her at the Prince Regent's Palace, even with a hint of childishness:
"In this life, wherever you are, there I am. If you stay in Nanzhao, I will stay with you in Nanzhao; if you really return to Tianqi, I will also go back with you. I am determined to rely on you!"
The morning breeze blew over the city walls, lifting the hair of the two people. Xiyan looked at the determination in Manluo's eyes, and her heart was filled with infinite gratitude.
With such a life-and-death friend by my side, perhaps this gamble is not completely hopeless.
At this time, Xiao Nanyue's army was approaching the city like a dark cloud.
The flags of Apocalypse fluttered in the morning breeze of Qixing City. One hundred thousand cavalrymen stood in formation, the cold light of their armor reflected the rising sun. In the midst of the majestic momentum, the bricks and stones on the top of the city seemed to tremble slightly.
Xiyan tightened her hands on the battlement slightly, and her eyes penetrated the fog and fell on the black horse in front of the city.
Xiao Nanyue was still wearing a black robe and no armor, but he sat as steady as a rock among the thousands of soldiers.
Those eyes, still sharp even from a long distance, seemed to have already locked onto her on the top of the city wall, with a burning determination to win.
Xiyan hated the way he was strategizing. She frowned imperceptibly, then looked away, her voice suddenly becoming harsh:
"Lower the drawbridge, open the city gates, and form the battle line!"
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