She was quick-witted and intelligent, and quietly pondered in her heart.
Since the current emperor is a woman, Ye Yu can obviously be excluded from this group, and Chao Yuan has already voluntarily withdrawn. At this moment, only Chen Xiao and Yin Yuyao remain.
Based on this reasoning, one of these two must be the emperor.
For some reason, she always felt that Yin Yuyao did not have the majestic demeanor of an emperor, but she was by no means comparable to an ordinary woman.
Yin Yuyao exuded an aura that was like the most brilliant yet not dazzling star in the night sky—a unique charm that was both restrained and profound, and impossible to conceal.
Furthermore, she inexplicably felt a sense of familiarity towards Yin Yuyao.
This sense of familiarity is like a faint shadow deep in the heart, appearing and disappearing in the mind from time to time, yet difficult to truly grasp.
Thinking about it this way, could this emperor be... the woman who just stood by her side in that black vortex fighting against the powerful enemy?
Thinking of this, a different expression first appeared on the woman's face.
As soon as Yin Yuyao reached Chen Xiao's side, she saw the woman bow respectfully to Chen Xiao and say, "Greetings, Your Majesty."
Chen Xiao couldn't help but feel a little surprised, thinking to himself that this woman was indeed a descendant of Ning Ci, as she was able to so keenly perceive his identity.
Before she could respond, the woman paused slightly, then asked Yin Yuyao with a hint of doubt, "Are you... Empress Xuzhen?"
Upon hearing these four words, Chen Xiao froze instantly, his face filled with confusion. He wondered to himself, who exactly is Xu Zhen?
She followed the woman's gaze to Yin Yuyao, secretly wondering if this was a title bestowed upon Yin Yuyao by Ni Chengli.
Unlike Chen Xiao, who was filled with doubt, Yin Yuyao's heart was already in turmoil.
Xu Zhen was indeed her title.
After she announced her "death," Ni Chengli gave her a "grand funeral" with deep affection and bestowed upon her the title of Empress Xuzhen.
Dynasties have changed, and the Night Dynasty has seen three emperors ascend the throne. This matter has been over for a very long time. How could this young man know about it?
She stood there, speechless for a moment.
Seeing Yin Yuyao's appearance, the woman knew that her guess was correct.
She suppressed her astonishment and explained to Yin Yuyao, "Grandmother has a portrait in her room, and the person in the painting is you. The portrait is inscribed with the three characters 'Nian Xu Zhen.' I asked Grandmother about this and learned that the painting was done by her mother. Grandmother said that she and you were once close friends, but you were separated for some reason. Because of her deep longing for you, she painted this picture to express her feelings of longing."
Upon hearing these words, Yin Yuyao's heart was filled with turmoil, her eyes reddened slightly, and her hoarse voice softly rang out: "The years have passed, how can you be so sure that I am Xu Zhen?"
The woman smiled gently and said, “You probably already have the answer in your heart. That’s right, Grandmother once told us about you, so we know about your situation. Grandmother said that you would definitely come to find us. Later, Father waited for a long time but to no avail, and passed away first. A few years later, Mother also passed away one after another, leaving me alone here to wait.”
At this point, the woman sighed softly before continuing, "But time has been far too long. I thought it was just my grandmother's obsession and a figment of her imagination, but I never imagined it would actually be true. There really are fairies in this world..."
Upon hearing this, Yin Yuyao paused slightly, sighing inwardly. She had never expected Ning Ci to inform his juniors in this way.
Chen Xiao stood aside, watching Yin Yuyao stand there stunned by the woman's words, his heart filled with curiosity and surprise.
What kind of past do Ning Ci and Yin Yuyao have?
Seeing that Yin Yuyao seemed to be deep in thought and unable to respond to the woman's words for the time being, Chen Xiao coughed lightly and asked, "May I ask your name, young lady?"
The woman turned her gaze to Chen Xiao, her eyes showing a hint of respect, and replied, "My name is Ning Yuyuan."
Chen Xiao understood immediately; Ning Yuyuan had indeed followed Ning's surname.
"I wish, I wish," Chen Xiao thought to himself. This name sounded so full of endless longing and fervent hope.
Yin Yuyao then came to her senses, remained silent for a moment, and then looked at Ning Yuyuan with a complicated expression.
Seeing this, Chen Xiao asked again, "Miss Ning, you just mentioned your grandmother. What else did your grandmother say at the time?"
Ning Yuyuan lowered her head slightly, pondered for a moment, and then said, "Grandmother often said that Empress Xuzhen was an extremely special person in this world. She and Grandmother had gone through many things together. Although they were separated later, their affection never faded. Grandmother also said that if she could see the Empress again one day, she would definitely tell her all the longing and waiting she had endured over the years."
At this point, she sighed softly again, "It's just a pity that Grandmother didn't live to see the day of their reunion, and neither did Father."
Chen Xiao nodded thoughtfully and looked at Yin Yuyao, noticing that there seemed to be tears glistening in her eyes.
Chen Xiao immediately understood that the emotional entanglement between them must be extremely complex and profound.
After thinking for a while, Chen Xiao asked Ning Yuyuan, "Do you know if your grandmother foresaw this situation?"
Ning Yuyuan gently shook her head: "Grandmother only said that no matter how the world changes, she firmly believes that those who are meant to be reunited will eventually be reunited, but the process may be long and difficult."
Chen Xiao nodded slightly, a hint of contemplation in his eyes. Just as he was about to ask another question, Yin Yuyao spoke first in a soft voice: "Ning Ci and I supported each other in the palace. Those past events are like paintings, still vivid in my heart. But later, fate played a cruel trick on us."
Ning Yu listened intently, her eyes filled with curiosity and respect.
Yin Yuyao continued, "The separation back then was not what I wanted, but I was powerless to change it. I thought that those people and things would gradually be buried by time, but I never expected that Ning Ci would always remember them and even pass them on to future generations."
Chen Xiao gently patted Yin Yuyao's shoulder, as if to comfort her.
Yin Yuyao looked at her gratefully, then said to Ning Yuyuan, "I will remember your kindness in staying here and waiting for a reunion that may never come. Although the Night Dynasty has changed, some feelings will never be forgotten."
Ning Yuyuan curtsied slightly: "Your Majesty, my grandmother once said that if she had the honor of meeting you, she would definitely ask you to tell her about what happened after she left the palace. We, the descendants, yearn to know those long-forgotten histories."
Yin Yuyao smiled wryly: "The Rong Dynasty has fallen, so there is no longer an Empress Xuzhen in this world. My name is Yin Yuyao, you can call me whatever you like, there's no need for such formality. As for the past, let's find a quiet place to talk about it."
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