Villainess Wants To Turn Over A New Leaf Chapter 42: 411 to 420, a manhua/chinese comics/漫画 fanfic

411

Even though Emperor Lin had now discovered that it was inappropriate to take the pill for an extended amount of time, he would fall into a weaker state once he stopped. It was like opium, as it was not something that one could entirely cut off after having it.

When she entered the palace, Emperor Lin was flipping through the memorial with a sullen face. Still, his expression softened a little when he saw her coming in. Lin Feilu didn't mention the pill as she took out some snacks that she made outside the palace and chatted with him while eating.

The father and daughter duo were having a good time when suddenly, there was a series of hurried footsteps outside the Palace, accompanied by the sound of armour colliding. A soldier trotted in hastily, and said anxiously, "Your Majesty, this spy is here to report urgently!"

The spies were secret agents placed by the Great Lin Empire in various countries. To avoid revealing their identities, they rarely ever needed to give a personal report.

However, should there be a day when a spy revealed himself to report on a matter, it would mean something big had happened.

Emperor Lin put down the snacks in his hand and took the urgent report from the spy with a solemn expression.

As she watched Emperor Lin open the envelope, Lin Feilu was also a little nervous. As his eyes sifted through the handwriting, the irked expressions he already had gradually became more visible. Ultimately, his face then turned pale with anger.

Lin Feilu got close to him and heard Emperor Lin taking two rapid inhales. She was about to ask him what's wrong, but she saw Emperor Lin suddenly covering his chest, eyes closed and falling back.

There was a moment of panic in the palace.

Lin Feilu quickly caught and held onto Emperor Lin's unconscious body and said anxiously, "Summon the imperial doctor!"

Before she could even give the order, Peng Man had already trotted out.

When the imperial doctor rushed over, Emperor Lin had already been supported and laid on the soft bed. Besides not regaining consciousness, his forehead was sweating profusely, and his hands and feet were cold. When the imperial doctor was checking on the Emperor's status, the palace servants quickly notified Lin Qing and the Empress.

Lin Qing had been paying attention to the issues in the Yangxin Palace. As soon as he heard the news, he rushed over and asked the imperial doctor who had withdrawn from the inner room, "How is Father Emperor?"

The imperial doctor said, "Replying to Your Highness, His Majesty fainted due to overwhelming stress and a sudden emotional spike. He will wake up after taking some medicine, but…"

Lin Qing snarled, "Don't hesitate! Just say it!"

The imperial doctor immediately continued, "It's just that His Majesty has been taking pills all year round, and the Cold Poison had already entered the body. This time, the rush of anxiety caused his blood to flow in reverse. Hence, it caused the Cold Poison to invade his limbs, bones, and internal organs. Even if he wakes up, he might not be able to get up once he gets sick… "

Lin Qing shook his body, looking at Lin Feilu, who was holding a letter next to him as she said nothing, "Why did Father Emperor become so anxious?"

Lin Feilu handed over the letter report without saying a word.

Lin Qing took a look at it before his facial expressions suddenly turned gloomy.

In the urgent report sent by the spy, it was stated that the King of the Yong Kingdom personally had their Prince travel to the Song Empire to send a letter to the Song Emperor, proposing to unite with the Song Empire to attack the Great Lin Empire.

This was not the first time the Yong Kingdom had proposed an alliance with the Song Empire. They did this more than ten years ago, but the Song Empire's reaction then was to send Song Jinglan to the Great Lin Empire as a hostage in a hurry to express their attitude towards the matter.

But this time, the person who received the national letter was none other than Song Jinglan.

412

What choice would Emperor Song Jinglan, who was more ferocious than a wolf, make?

It just had to be him, who endured so much pain and humiliation in the Great Lin Empire as a captive Prince.

Emperor Lin had no doubts about his hatred for the Great Lin Empire.

The Yong Kingdom was truly stubborn, as they wouldn't relent until they exhausted any possible means to lay havoc on the Great Lin Empire. Should the Song Empire agree to the alliance, the Great Lin Empire would face being attacked from both sides. The state of the Song Empire was no longer the soft bone it was in the past, and if the two countries formed an alliance, the Great Lin Empire would face the disaster of annihilation. No wonder Emperor Lin fainted with anger when he saw this urgent report.

Since the spy had already relayed the news, at this time, the Prince of the Yong Kingdom might have already met Emperor Song. Without further ado, Lin Qing immediately summoned the courtiers to enter the palace. Emperor Lin was still in a coma, so he could only assume the responsibility of being the Crown Prince and discuss how to resolve the matter.

The atmosphere in the palace became tense.

Lin Feilu read the urgent report many times, thinking about the possibility of Song Jinglan agreeing to the Yong Kingdom's proposal.

After thinking about it, she realised that she didn't know what he would do.

He was no longer the harmless little Prince in the Great Lin Empire's Palace back then. Also, she no longer had any idea of her importance in his heart when it was compared to power and triumph.

When Lin Qing had an emergency discussion with the other courtiers, she stayed with him in the Yangxin Palace.

In the end, the courtiers unanimously negotiated a plan to send some envoys to the Song Kingdom immediately. Even if they knew that the Song Emperor might hate the Great Lin Empire, they had to explain the importance of the Song Emperor not forming an alliance with the Yong Kingdom from the perspective of the Three Kingdoms.

At the same time, it was reported that General Xi and the military defences of their various stations were on standby. The army was prepared to go to the frontier at any time should the Song Empire decide to wage war on them.

While the Great Lin Empire was making emergency deployments, on the other hand, the Prince of the Yong Kingdom and his entourage had indeed arrived at the Song Empire.

The citizens of the Yong Kingdom usually live in the grasslands, hence their superb prowess at horse riding and archery. However, because of the two natural moats of Mount Yong and River Huai, they have been unable to conquerkl over the fertile land of the Central Plains. Hence, when the Prince passed by the fertile lands and lush greenery, he felt nothing but jealousy.

It's just that the Yong Kingdom coveted the Great Lin Empire more than they did the Song Empire.

One of the reasons was due to the geographical location. Although they were adjacent to the Great Lin Empire, they were still quite far away from the Song Empire.

The second reason was the accumulation of grudges. The Yong Kingdom was a very vengeful and calculative group. When they were engaged in war with the Great Lin Empire back then, so much blood was shed for three days and it became an eternal source of hatred in their hearts. This hatred would never dissipate unless the Great Lin Empire was destroyed.

The Prince of the Yong Kingdom went to the Song Empire in person this time, so it could be said that the Yong kingdom entourage were very sincere. Based on what they knew about the new Emperor of the Song Empire, there didn't seem to be any reason for him to refuse their proposal of alliance.

413

To them, years of being a royal prisoner amounted to captivity. Now that Emperor Song had the opportunity to wash away his humiliation and break the prison where he was once captive, would he have any reason to even refuse this tempting situation?

The Prince of Yong Kingdom travelled to the Song Empire with such belief and lived happily under the reception of the officials of the Honglu Temple, waiting for Emperor Song to summon him.

Unexpectedly, this stay lasted for seven days. The Song Empire's Emperor seemed to have forgotten about him as there was no response from the palace.

The Prince of the Yong Kingdom couldn't sit still as he conveyed to the officials who welcomed them that he wanted to have an audience with Emperor Song. After another three days, there was a decree from the palace that the Emperor would see the Prince of the Yong Kingdom. However, the coldness during this period of time had already ruined Prince Yong's previously confident mentality.

The Prince had heard that the Emperors of the Song Empire were licentious and that the palace would be very luxurious and beautiful. There would also be too many beauties and concubines, but even the maids were said to be too beautiful. The Prince of the Yong Kingdom did want to see such sights, so he looked around and all over when he made his way to meet the Emperor.

However, even though the palace was as luxurious and grand as the rumours said, the atmosphere was very austere. The palace servants that roamed around lowered their eyes cautiously, rigorously and solemnly as if they didn't even dare to breathe loudly.

The palace guards led him and the accompanying soldiers out of a palace door and left before a deep voice sounded from inside, "The Prince of the Yong Kingdom is granted an audience."

Prince Yong stepped over the palace gates and walked through a long corridor. He had to pass through another door and bypass the towering ceiling before finally approaching the inner palace, which was where he saw the rumoured Emperor Song.

He was incomparably surprised with just a mere glance.

The Emperor looked too young.

Not only was he young, but he was also good-looking. If it weren't for the stern look that flashed in his gaze when he raised his eyes, anyone would have thought that he was just a handsome young man.

He was dressed in a black outfit, adorned with dragon patterns. They were embroidered with golden threads and his sleeves also bore a hue of dark red. He sat very casually on the couch, but it gave everyone else a sense of suffocating oppression.

The Prince of Yong Kingdom suddenly understood what was going on with the atmosphere in the palace.

He greeted the Emperor with the status of an envoy and explained his purpose, handing over a letter written by King Yong himself. Song Jinglan nonchalantly waved his hand, and Tiandong, waiting beside him, descended the steps from his side to take the letter. Then, he went back and handed the document to him.

Song Jinglan opened the letter, glanced at it twice, and looked at it with a half-smile,"What is the token of sincerity of your alliance with my kingdom?"

Upon hearing this, the Prince of Yong Kingdom thought there was something that he could assure as he replied, "Your Majesty, I have an Imperial Sister who is the pearl of our Yong Kingdom's prairie. We are willing to grant this pearl to Your Majesty and bless that your marriage lasts forever."

414

Song Jinglan raised his eyebrows before he threw the letter on the desk and leaned back, "It's a pity."

The Prince of the Yong Kingdom was a little nervous, "What is so pitiful about this?"

Song Jinglan said, "It's a pity that I'm not that interested in women, and I don't have the blessings to enjoy the beauty of pearls."

The Prince of the Yong Kingdom was stunned for a while, but the cogs in his brains turned quickly as he immediately added, "It is also possible for Your Majesty to grant one of our grassland Princes an Imperial Sister of yours. Our two countries could form an alliance since tokens of sincerity have already been achieved. If Your Majesty is willing to join hands with us to attack the Great Lin Empire, wouldn't it be beautiful to divide the city and rule it together in the future?"

Since he was the representative of the envoy, he naturally prepared a lot of rhetorical reasoning. Emperor Song's attitude seemed to be quite friendly, so the more Prince Yong talked, the more he felt like the alliance was going to succeed.

After talking endlessly for half an hour, he asked expectantly, "What do you think, Your Majesty?"

Song Jinglan propped his head with his hand, closed his eyes slightly, and said in a light manner, "I will think about it."

The Prince of the Yong Kingdom suddenly became a bit anxious, "Your Majesty, do not shy away when opportunity knocks on your door. The Emperor of the Great Lin Empire is suffering from the Cold Poison from the elixir pills and will not live for long. Wasn't there a saying in your Central Plains that went something like, 'take their lives while they are sick'? If not now, when are you going to take advantage of the situation and launch an attack?"

Song Jinglan glanced over at this point and asked with a smile, "The elixir pills inflicted the Cold Poison? How did you know about that?"

The Prince of the Yong Kingdom showed off his pride, "The Taoist priest who made the pills is on my side; how could I not have known about it? Your Majesty, we have arranged this plan for a long time and the way ahead is already paved. Now, we invite Your Majesty to enjoy the fruits of labour with us. This is the true offer of our sincerity."

Song Jinglan raised his eyebrows and picked up the letter. He read it again and finally said in a low voice, "It's about the fate of the country, so do excuse me if I take some time to discuss this with my courtiers before giving the Third Prince an answer."

The Prince of the Yong Kingdom felt that the matter was probably concluded, so he nodded happily, "Okay, I'll wait for Your Majesty's good news!"

When he left, Song Jinglan leaned back in the chair. Seeing him close his eyes, the hall became more silent, for fear that everyone else's breathing would be too loud and in turn, disturb His Majesty.

After a pretty long while, Song Jinglan suddenly asked, "How is the situation in the Great Lin Empire?"

Tiandong said, "Emperor Lin is seriously ill and the Crown Prince is now in charge of the country. The envoys of the Great Lin Empire have already crossed the River Huai and have just entered the country."

Song Jinglan opened his eyes, lowered his head and straightened his dark red cuffs, "Summon uncle and the Mighty General to enter the palace."

Tiandong immediately relayed the decree and after delivering the order, he swallowed a mouthful of spit again and said, "Your Majesty, are you going to go right now?"

415

Song Jinglan squinted slightly, "Even Prince Yong knows how to take advantage of one's weakness to kill…"

He paused, placing his fingers together at the end of his eyes and smiled, "Besides, it's not his life that I want.

Emperor Lin woke up three days later. Unfortunately, it was all he could do to remain conscious, let alone get up from bed.

The imperial doctor was right— the Cold Poison accumulated over the years had invaded his internal organs, which was exchanged with the impressive vitality he had over the years. Up till now, there was no cure known to be effective against it. After taking some medicine that the imperial doctor prescribed, Emperor Lin vomited a lot. Even though the palace was burning with a strong stove and the servants who cared for him were sweating profusely from the heat, he still cried out for being cold.

Preparations for the national funeral have well been underway in the palace.

Lin Qing didn't have the time to care about his Father Emperor's illness, nor did he have the leisure to feel saddened by it. The spies planted in the Song Empire wrote again, stating that the Prince of the Yong Kingdom had already met Emperor Song. Although the spy didn't know what the two had agreed on, the Prince seemed to be happy on his return. The Mighty General had also entered the palace, so it could be said that something was about to happen.

The Great Lin Empire's envoys were still rushing to Lincheng, the capital of the Song Empire. According to this situation, the Song and the Yong army would join forces to suppress the border before the envoys from the Great Lin Empire would arrive.

The Great Lin Empire was momentarily in a state of panic and Xi Xingjiang, who was performing military affairs abroad, also received an order to rush back to the capital. He then led 30,000 soldiers and horses to the frontier to wait for further orders.

While the Yong Kingdom was waiting for the reply regarding the alliance whereas the Great Lin Empire was ushering the full force of their military power, Song Jinglan personally led 100,000 soldiers and horses to march to the junction of the River Huai between the Song and Great Lin Empires.

Prince Yong, who was still at the embassy waiting for Emperor Song's reply, was stunned when he heard the news.

I'm still waiting here, and you've set off already? So does that mean that we're forming an alliance or not?

Song Jinglan personally headed out whilst the Empire was temporarily supervised by his Imperial Uncle, Rong Yan. The Prince of the Yong Kingdom didn't wait for the officials of the Honglu Temple to pass the news as he directly led his men towards the Imperial Uncle's Residence to ask for an explanation.

As soon as Rong Yan came out of the palace, he saw the enraged Prince Yong when he got off the carriage.

The Rong family had good genes all along and the bloodline was full of beauties. Although Rong Yan was past adult age, he couldn't hide his flirtatious attitude. He had a pair of beautiful fox eyes that looked a little frivolous when he was gazing at others. Besides, when he squinted and smiled, he seemed to be hiding a myriad of evil thoughts.

He was not annoyed when the impolite Prince Yong blocked him as he just asked with a graceful smile, "Third Prince, what made you so angry?"

The Prince of the Yong Kingdom was furious, "You still have the nerve to ask me that? What does your Emperor mean?"

Rong Yan was very sincere, "You have also seen it, haven't you? Whatever the situation has become, it is what it is. Hence, I believe you can figure it out for yourself, Third Prince."

Prince Yong, "???"

416

Before coming here, Prince Yong heard that people from the Central Plains liked to play 'charades'—they didn't speak bluntly and especially liked beating around the bush. Truly, they have lived up to their reputation with what he had heard just now!

The cunning Song Emperor did not wait for anyone to try and sign an agreement with himself, so he brought his soldiers and horses to fight in the war, making it clear that he wanted to seize the opportunity to annex the Great Lin Empire and rob the Yong Kingdom of the fruits of victory they had been planning to harvest for many years! How could the Prince of Yong Kingdom dare to wait any longer? It was no surprise when he left Lincheng with his entourage directly after leaving the Imperial Uncle's Residence, hurrying back to the Yong Kingdom to fight for the glorious opportunity.

A few days later, Song Jinglan led his troops to march in person. The news that they had arrived at the south bank of the River Huai was sent back to the capital of the Great Lin Empire.

By then, everyone had realized that war would be unavoidable.

During this tumultuous period, Lin Qing was dealing with a pile of political matters every day. Not only did he not dare to relax even in the slightest, he no longer had a good night's rest due to the stress.

In the middle of the night, Lin Qing suddenly heard hurried footsteps echo outside the palace. Before the palace servants addressed the issue, he had already woken up instantly. He turned over and sat up suddenly, asking the palace servants in a deep voice, "Did the Song Empire march their troops?"

The palace servant knelt in front of Lin Qing's bed with a plop as he sobbed in a low voice, "Your Highness the Crown Prince, His Majesty, has passed away."

Right then, seven death knells sounded from the palace.

Emperor Lin, who had sustained himself with elixir decoctions for a long time, finally passed in the middle of the night.

Lin Qing's eyes saw nothing but a blur.

The late Emperor Lin had to pass away at this time.

Despite the preparations, Emperor Lin's death still brought a heavy gloom to the panic-stricken capital. Many people have already started packing up, preparing to flee the capital city. But where could they go? Once the Yong Kingdom and the Song Empire joined forces to attack, every inch of land in the Great Lin Empire would be devoured and engulfed in the flames of war.

Early the following day, every court official dressed and lined up as Lin Qing ascended the throne.

The Lin Empire officials carried out the funeral of the former Emperor in an orderly manner, but no one had the time to grieve. After all, judging from the current situation, the Song Empire and the Yong Kingdom were about to declare war on the Lin Empire's soil very soon. The most urgent task that had to be done was to figure out a way to mobilise the Great Lin Empire's troops and stop the two outside forces from encroaching on the land.

This battle would determine whether Lin Qing could keep on to the Great Lin Empire's centuries worth of foundation.

…

To the north of the River Huai, Xi Xun, the General of Zhenguo, led 70,000 soldiers and horses, and stationed themselves on the river bank as they faced the 100,000 men of the Song Empire that were across the river. The two armies confronted each other for many days, but no one made any major movements. On the other hand, as the Song Emperor was personally present, the Song army troops' morale was high, and the Lin Empire soldiers could hear the charismatic shouts of the soldiers practising every day from afar.

However, when it came to the army of the Great Lin Empire, due to the former Emperor's passing, the new Emperor's ascension, and the fact that the Yong Kingdom was going to attack them, the soldiers knew that they were about to make a last stand. Hence, the atmosphere was rather tense but dignified. Everyone squeezed the weapons in their hands, ever ready to fight to the last man standing.

On this day, the Great Lin Empire's troops were waiting for the commencement of the impending battle when they suddenly saw the Song troops on the other side raising a blue flag.

(Editor's note: Old chinese wars in mainland china, when it came to full frontal head on war, is really a show of force and grind, with a lot of emphasis to terrify the opposition before actually doing a full frontal assault. Even then, there are lots of 'rituals' and 'rites' as well, like how medieval European wars are conducted, just on a much bigger scale)

417

Here, the act of raising a blue flag meant the other side wanted to negotiate or to parley.

The messenger immediately told the news to Xi Xun, who was studying the locale map with his officers in the tents.

"Negotiation?" The middle-aged man who had been on the battlefield for many years had a dignified appearance, but his voice revealed the dullness of years of military training, "Are you sure the news is correct?"

The messenger replied, "It is indeed a blue flag!"

The surrounding soldiers immediately looked at each other, and the Lieutenant beside Xi Xun murmured, "We have already arrived up to this point, so why would they want to have a parley now?"

Xi Xun pondered for a while before he strode out immediately, "We'll find out more when we talk with them."

When he got to the bank of the River Huai, Xi Xun saw a boat anchored in the middle of the river.

Standing on the boat was a tall man that was adorned in a set of black armour. Due to the far distance, Xi Xun couldn't see his appearance clearly— the river breeze blew up only the scarlet cloak on his shoulders as the sound of laughter echoed towards the bank of the river,"General Xi, I have admired you for a long time. I consider myself very honoured and lucky to be able to meet you today. Your reputation is well-deserved, indeed."

It was the Song Emperor himself on the boat!

Even though they were rather far from each other, his voice was extremely clear, and echoed across the river towards the troops on the bank. The Lieutenant next to General Xi remarked in a low voice, "I heard that Emperor Song has high martial skills and an exceptional command over his internal energy. It seems like the rumours were true, after all."

Xi Xun looked intensely at the figure on the boat in the middle of the river as the Song army crowded behind the boat and on the other side of the riverbank. He raised his internal energy and said in a deep voice, "If Emperor Song has anything to say, please speak directly without euphemism."

Song Jinglan pointed behind him with his hand and asked with a smile, "General Xi, can you see the 100,000-man army behind me?"

Xi Xun replied, "This General is indeed old, but not to the point of being blind. However, I assure you that I still have the strength to fight!"

Song Jinglan continued to speak leisurely, "General Xi, you've sorely misunderstood. The fact is, I'm leading 100,000 men in person not to fight with you," He paused before his smiling voice drifted into the ears of every soldier of the Great Lin Empire on the riverbank, "This Emperor here merely has a marriage proposal."

For a moment, Xi Xun thought that he was truly getting old and may have misheard.

He turned his head and glanced at the soldiers around him, but everyone looked equally confused and shocked. Only Xi Xingjiang, who was beside him, suddenly widened his eyes and had a look of disbelief on his face.

There was an eerie silence on both sides of the river.

It took Xi Xun a long time to regain his internal energy before he asked in a deep voice, "What do you mean, Emperor Song?"

The man on the boat smiled and cupped his hands from a distance, "General Xi, go back and inform Your Majesty that Princess Yong An is the one I want."

The wind blew the reeds on both sides of the River Huai as the white reed flowers fluttered throughout the skies and scattered all over the water.

Before Xi Xun could react, Xi Xingjiang growled and murmured a slur of profanities before he drew his sword and rushed out.

Xi Xun was taken aback as he immediately shouted, "Xingjiang! Stop!"

And why would Xi Xingjiang ever listen?

He was about to advance toward the centre of the river when Xi Xun shouted, "Stop him!"

418

A few secret sentries on the river bank immediately flew forward and restrained Xi Xingjiang down. Seeing that he was still trying to struggle, Xi Xun strode over and grabbed the sword in the struggling man's hand with two moves. He angrily rebuked the young Xinjiang, "Nonsense!"

Xi Xingjiang's gaze crackled with hatred, and his eyes were blood red. He roared, "I'm going to kill him!!!"

Xi Xun's face was dark and angry, "Take him away and keep an eye on him!"

Xi Xingjiang gritted his teeth tightly. His eyes were so red that they were almost bleeding, but he couldn't say a word after seeing his father's heavy expression.

After resolving the small ruckus on his side, Xi Xun took a deep breath and looked at the young man on the boat again. How could the Emperor of an empire make a joke like this— he waved the blue flag to demand negotiations and even boarded a boat alone toward enemy territory. Emperor Song's acts would be too ridiculous if he made so many preparations just to joke around.

Xi Xun was already wondering why the Song army wasn't advancing despite their advantage, but now, he gradually figured out the Song Empire army's real intention.

He was lost in thought for a while before he ordered, "Get me a boat, I want to get on it and have a detailed talk with him."

The Deputy General was worried, "General, this might be a trap."

Xi Xun said in a deep voice, "He's not afraid, so why should I be afraid?"

Soon, a soldier roved over in a small boat, and Xi Xun boarded the boat alone. When the General got close to the boat in the middle of the river, he flew onto the other boat in a flash.

It was also the first time for him to see the Song Emperor, who was said to be more ferocious than a wolf, so he couldn't help but be as surprised just like how Prince Yong was when he met the Song Emperor for the first time. The only difference he had with the Yong Kingdom's Prince was that he didn't show it on his face as he still wore a majestic look. He then asked in a deep voice, "This General heard that Emperor Song has signed an alliance with the Yong Kingdom, so what do you mean by today's words?"

Song Jinglan smiled and moved his hand backward. The guards who were waiting in a separate boat behind him placed an Imperial decree into his hands.

He handed the Imperial decree to Xi Xun and said with a smile, "This is a covenant that I wrote, conveying my intentions to nurture a good relationship with the Great Lin Empire. As long as I am the one reigning in my land, the Song Empire and the Great Lin Empire shall be friendly to each other. We are to defend against foreign forces together, but never draw swords against one another."

Xi Xun's pupils dilated slightly as he reached for the covenant to read through the document. Sure enough, he clearly wrote all the proposals and stipulations on it, and the Emperor himself stamped the jade seal of the Song Empire next to it.

Xi Xun had been in and out of the battlefield for a long time and had seen a lot, so at this moment, he still couldn't help but feel shocked in his heart. He slowly rolled up the Imperial decree, and gave an intense look at the young Emperor in front of him before saying, "General Xi will report this matter to His Majesty."

Song Jinglan smiled slightly, "I will await for good news."

Xi Xun cupped his fists slightly before he turned around and flew off the boat.

419

A few days later, the situation at the frontier spread to the capital along with this covenant.

Lin Qing was both physically and mentally exhausted during this time. Hearing that there was an update from the frontier, he was inevitably nervous and worried that there would be further bad news.

It wasn't until he saw Xi Xun's letter and the covenant that all the worries in his heart turned into shock as he sat in his high and mighty position, rendered speechless for a long time. The guards who served him thought it was about the army's defeat, and they were frightened, but they heard him slowly say, "Summon Princess Yong An."

Lin Feilu had been in mourning during this time, kneeling until she couldn't even feel her legs anymore. Hearing Lin Qing suddenly summoning her, she vaguely felt that something important might have happened.

Was it their defeat?

Was it to have her escape with the Empress, who was about to give birth?

She walked into the palace with a very conflicted mood, and Lin Feilu didn't react until she read the letter and the covenant that Lin Qing handed her.

After a long time, she slowly raised her eyes to look at the dignified Lin Qing, pointing at herself suspiciously, "Princess Yong An?"

Lin Qing nodded heavily.

Lin Feilu, "…"

Hold on, what happened to the script that had my stand-in? Why did the plot take a sharp turn to a stupid Emperor that yearns for beauties and not an entire empire?!

Lin Feilu recovered from the shock and was silent for a while before she opened her mouth to speak.

However, she was cut off when Lin Qing frowned, exclaiming loudly, "You can rest assured, Little Lu— even if I die defending the gates of this empire, I will never hand you over!"

Lin Feilu, "…"

She was silent as she looked down at the covenant in her hand. It was written word for word— a treaty that would benefit the Great Lin Empire and its citizens to escape this situation without suffering any harm nor losses. She looked up at Lin Qing, "Imperial Brother, you do know the significance of this covenant to you, the entire empire, and its people, don't you?"

How could Lin Qing not know the weight of the proposed covenant?

The agreed time of peace was enough for him to secure the throne and even reinforce the Great Lin Empire. At present, if he were to accept it, that treatise alone would have solved all the difficulties and troubles as the Yong Kingdom would be the one vulnerable towards the cooperation of the Great Lin Empire and the Song Empire.

But this was the Imperial Sister he watched grow up, the one he loved and cherished so deeply.

Lin Qing clenched his fists tightly, and his voice came out from between his gritted teeth, "It's not that the empire is incapable of fighting…"

Lin Feilu shook her head, "If there's a choice not to fight, why should we fight?"

Lin Qing looked at her steadily.

She unconsciously rubbed the covenant with her fingers and sighed, "With the flames of war, lives will be destroyed, and the people will suffer. When the corpses pile up in this burning wasteland, whose life isn't going to be considered a life?"

For those who grew up in a society that was ruled by law, the bottom line that could never be crossed was the price of a human life.

Lin Feilu suddenly remembered something from a few years ago, when the Empress Dowager was still alive.

That year was the last year she and Lin Ting had spent with their Imperial Grandmother. At that time, she made a wish on Mount Wutai, hoping for peace in the world.

It never occurred to Lin Feilu that this wish she made would ever come true.

420

These days, Lin Feilu often knelt before Emperor Lin's coffin and remained immersed in her thoughts. She was even thinking about writing a letter to Little Pretty Boy and requesting him not to join forces with the Yong Kingdom. However, under what capacity of hers could the request be made? He was now the Emperor of an entire empire, so how much weight could their illusory 'friendship' have on him?

Truth be told, she was actually slightly happy when she saw the covenant offer.

She was glad that she still mattered that much in his heart— at least enough to stand a chance to extinguish the flames of war.

Besides, there was also her selfishness at play.

Song Jinglan, the current Emperor of the Song Empire, was someone she liked, the only person she had ever adored in the span of both her lifetimes.

Lin Feilu didn't know when the feeling of attraction planted a firm seed inside her heart, but it stayed rooted and sprouted little by little. Over the years, it grew up silently, and by the time she realized it, the sapling had become a flower that coursed through her blood.

Since she could have both, what other reason did she not have to agree to the marriage? In this era, many people didn't have the right to choose, so she was considered very fortunate.

Lin Feilu pursed her lower lip and handed the covenant to Lin Qing with both hands, "Brother Emperor, let me go."

Lin Qing's body was tense and straight. His thin lips were tightly pressed as he looked at her motionlessly.

She smiled sweetly, revealing the two dimples on her cheeks "Take it as Little Lu's enthronement gift to Brother Emperor."

Lin Qing's eyes gradually turned red before he turned around with a swipe of his sleeves. He then spoke with an awkward stiffness in his voice, "Let me think about it for a few more days."

Nevertheless, with the current state of affairs, the people were in a state of panic, and the Yong Kingdom was about to make a move, so there was not much time left for him to think.

Lin Feilu repeatedly stated that her agreement was voluntary as she liked the young Emperor of the Song Empire. Although Lin Qing ultimately regarded that his younger sister was bluffing, the end result was him stamping the Great Lin Empire's jade seal on the covenant.

Five days later, both empires announced to the world at the same time that Emperor Song had proposed to marry Princess Yong An of the Great Lin Empire. With the marriage in place, the two empires would form an alliance.

At the same time as the edict was issued, the 100,000 soldiers of the Song army and the 70,000 soldiers of the Great Lin's army that stood confronting each other on both opposites of River Huai withdrew simultaneously. Xi Xun led their troops to Mount Yong to prevent the Yong army from launching an attack. Then, half of the Song troops marched north along River Huai, blocking some of the Yong Kingdom's troops who were preparing to ambush the Great Lin Empire.

The Yong Kingdom, which was about to annex the Great Lin Empire, went "???"

What the f*ck?!

When Emperor Yong heard about this, he threw the battle report on the Third Prince's head, "This is what you meant when you said that he wasn't interested in women?!"

The Third Prince, who was sent to the Song Empire, "…"

How could he know what was going on???

Those idiots from the Central Plains were simply outrageous!!!

It was not until the edict was issued that the people in the palace knew about the agreement between the two empires.