Chapter 98: Extra Two

The sky darkened like ink, sprinkled with countless silver stars.

Even though Ning Yin no longer resided in the Jing Palace, this mansion still had people bustling day and night, with its terraces and pavilions serene and towering, no different from when he left.

The curtains of the Xiuyun Pavilion gently swayed, exquisite wines displayed on the tables, and the fragrance of fruits wafting in the air.

Under the octagonal palace lanterns, Yu Lingxi knelt beside, warming the wine with graceful and skilled movements.

Ning Yin quietly watched, as if some hazy scenes flashed by, overlapping with the current scenery.

In the flickering candlelight, it seemed there was also someone warming wine and brewing tea for him. But the slender figure knelt very low, the upper body bending forward, revealing a tantalizing waistline.

She presented the tea cup with both hands, lowering her brows and tilting her head, her long eyelashes trembling restlessly, making one unable to resist the desire to touch the softness and fragility at the corner of her eyes.

Ning Yin indeed did so.

As his cool fingertips touched the corner of her eye, Yu Lingxi subconsciously blinked, curious, “What’s wrong?”

With one remark, ripples were stirred. The mottled yellowish scene faded away, and the view became bright and clear again. The beautiful woman in red makeup in front of him was graceful and confident, with no trace of timidity.

Ning Yin casually took the plum wine she had warmed, sniffed it lightly at the tip of his nose, and his slightly lowered lacquered eyes revealed a leisurely and contented demeanor.

“Sui Sui understands me very well, knowing many of my secrets,” he said slowly, “It’s as if many years ago, you and I were already acquainted.”

Upon hearing this, Yu Lingxi’s actions of pouring wine slowed for a moment.

It was only a few months ago that she learned the scent of the Nine Abyss Fragrance was given to Ning Yin by his birth mother, besides her, no one else knew. Ironically, after she was reborn, she met Ning Yin in the Heavenly Realm, holding that same Nine Abyss Fragrance she had just bought…

In any case, she couldn’t offer a reasonable explanation for this.

However, after a long silence, Ning Yin focused on his shallow drinking and did not inquire further.

Instead, it was Yu Lingxi who couldn’t hold back, holding the warm wine cup and asking, “Since I know many of your secrets, have you ever suspected?”

Suspected? Naturally, he did.

He was not a fool who let down his guard. When they first met, he lived in suspicion every moment.

Now it seemed, how those doubts were gradually dispelled, he couldn’t recall.

“Is there anywhere on me that Sui Sui doesn’t know?” Ning Yin glanced at Yu Lingxi, finally seeing the embarrassment on her cheeks as he wished. “Doesn’t matter if there’s few secrets, even if you want me dead, I would die.”

“Saying such things again, it’s scary.” Yu Lingxi took a sip of wine, smiling at him. “They say calamity lasts a thousand years, you should live a long, long life.”

“Why live for so long?” 

Ning Yin sneered, “As long as I live one day longer than Sui Sui, it’s enough.”

At first, Yu Lingxi thought he was challenging her.

It wasn’t until a moment of silence that she realized, when he said “one day longer,” he wasn’t comparing lengths of life, but rather, using that one extra day to arrange things before departing to be with her.

Promising death, full of wild words and actions, but this was Ning Yin’s unique way of confession.

The plum wine in the cup reflected a faint golden light, shimmering in Yu Lingxi’s clear autumn eyes.

Setting down the cup, as if determined, she smiled lightly and asked, “Ning Yin, perhaps we really met in a past life?”

As the words left her lips, even she felt absurd.

Ning Yin rested his head on one hand, looking at her silently for a moment.

Yu Lingxi felt a bit guilty under the gaze of his piercing black eyes and hurriedly said, “I was just kidding, you…”

“In our past life, did we grow old together?” Ning Yin interrupted.

Unexpectedly, he continued this absurd topic, and Yu Lingxi sighed in surprise.

“Perhaps not,” she sighed softly, as if lost in memory. “Because there were regrets in our past life, that’s why we were given the opportunity to make up for it in this life.”

Ning Yin, amused, smiled pleasantly. “The Ning Yin from our past life must have wanted to kill the present me, right?”

A playful remark, but it stirred infinite melancholy in Yu Lingxi’s heart.

She pondered, if the Ning Yin from the previous life knew how fulfilled and happy the present Ning Yin was, perhaps, indeed, he would have been jealous enough to kill.

But that was impossible; everything had started anew, and the world of the past life no longer existed.

It was a beautiful first encounter.

Yu Lingxi didn’t want things to be so sentimental.

“The stars are so bright today.”

She cast her gaze towards the sky beyond the tall pavilion, extending her slender white fingers. “Look, it’s like the sky is within reach.”

Ning Yin liked to see her smile.

For some reason, he just wanted to see her smile more.

He finished his drink and chuckled, “If you like it so much every year, I’ll have someone build a Star Pavilion in the palace, and you can enjoy it every night.”

Yu Lingxi inexplicably felt that Ning Yin’s words were somewhat tyrannical.

She was amused and blinked her soft eyelashes. “I don’t want that. The tower is too high, climbing up would break my waist.”

If others were to say that spending manpower and resources to build tall buildings was the behavior of a tyrant, Ning Yin would certainly disdain it.

But when Yu Lingxi said climbing the tower was too tiring, he felt somewhat reluctant.

“Ning Yin.”

Yu Lingxi’s eyes sparkled with joy as she softly called him over, “Come here.”

Ning Yin put down his cup, moved closer, and casually wrapped his arms around Yu Lingxi’s waist, giving it a gentle squeeze.

If the civil and military officials were to see the decisive new emperor being so obedient and docile, they would probably be stunned.

The two of them faced the carved railings of the pavilion, gazing at the boundless moonlight.

“It’s because the beloved one is by my side that I find the stars beautiful.”

Yu Lingxi turned her head slightly and used her finger to outline Ning Yin’s cold and stern brows, smiling as she told him, “With you by my side, I’m happy even without a Star Pavilion. Because the eyes of Wei Qi are more beautiful than the stars.”

Ning Yin liked how she lightly opened her red lips and softly called him “Wei Qi”.

In Ning Yin’s past, there were endless blood feuds and darkness, while Wei Qi was wholeheartedly devoted to the young lady.

A gust of wind passed by, and the gauze curtains of the pavilion fluttered down, blocking the moonlight from all sides.

After a crisp sound of tearing silk, the light flickered, and soon returned to calm.

Ning Yin’s eyes were filled with tender madness as he turned the cup, pouring the warm liquor onto the delicate hollow of her collarbone. Then, he leaned down, devoutly licking the small pool of liquor clean.

…

After the Mid-Autumn Festival, more good news came.

The father and son of the Yu family led two hundred thousand troops with unstoppable momentum, driving the Yan people back north of the Wulan Mountains, forcing their new emperor to send a surrender letter, offering three thousand cattle and sheep for peace negotiations.

Over the years, the grains and forage plundered by the Yan people, large and small, were reclaimed in the form of livestock.

When the military report returned to the court, all the officials celebrated with great joy.

Twenty years had passed since the battle in the northern desert, and finally, under the leadership of Yu Yuan, the Wei Dynasty had once again achieved complete victory.

When the Yu family army returned to the capital, it was the early winter with high skies and light clouds.

The sunlight shone on their armor, reflecting a golden luster like scales, imposing and majestic. Almost all the people of the capital poured out into the streets, cheering along the way.

At the reception banquet, Yu Lingxi, dressed in a golden gown, sat high on the phoenix seat, watching as her father and brother returned the battle flag, stained with the marks of time and blood, her eyes filled with proud smiles.

This war ended half a year earlier than she had expected. Now, with the morale boosted in the court and the border disturbances settled, with trade routes open, the long-awaited era of peace and prosperity might truly come.

The Yu family’s contributions to pacifying the border were significant, so Ning Yin immediately announced the elevation of Yu Yuan to the rank of the first-class Duke, ranking him at the top of the nobility, with the title to be passed down to his descendants.

For this, a few old ministers in the court had some objections.

Although the Yu family had made outstanding military achievements, they were, after all, relatives of the Empress, which could arouse suspicion of their rising power overshadowing the ruler.

Yu Lingxi had anticipated that there would be a few dissatisfied individuals, but out of deference to Ning Yin’s temper, they dared not speak up. Rather than concealing it, it was better to address it directly.

“May father and brother uphold the state and never forget the grace of the sovereign.”

Yu Lingxi smiled at the two men of the Yu family, her voice clear and crisp, “If there is any act of betrayal, they will be stripped of their titles and positions, and I, too, shall share the punishment willingly.”

She made her stance clear, her clear voice echoing in the grand hall, and there were no more objections from the civil and military officials.

Yu Huanchen stepped forward and declared loudly, “I, humbly obey the noble intentions of Her Majesty!”

Ning Yin leaned against the back of the dragon throne, looking at Yu Lingxi beside him, feeling that she was truly dazzling.

Halfway through the banquet, Yu Huanchen hurried back to his mansion to see his wife and daughter.

After more than half a year of being away, when he entered the door, he immediately picked up his wife, who had come out upon hearing the sound, and held her waist as he spun her around before setting her down.

“You’ve worked hard, A’guan.”

He raised his eyebrows, smiling, and kissed Su Guan’s forehead.

Yu Huanchen never displayed affection in front of others, so this act of affection was quite rare.

With restraint, Su Guan blushed.

“I’m fine. It’s you who are truly working hard marching out there,” Su Guan’s voice was soft and gentle, her big eyes filled with joyful moisture.

After a while, as if remembering something, she hurriedly wiped her eyes and said, “Oh, come and see your daughter quickly.”

Su Guan led Yu Huanchen into the inner room. In the cradle, a delicate little baby with big eyes was kicking her legs and cooing.

“Her eyes are so big, just like yours.”

Yu Huanchen, tall and with long legs, squatted by the cradle, cautiously reaching out a finger to his daughter, who immediately grasped his slightly rough finger.

Yu Huanchen smiled, full of affection.

As the couple was bonding with their daughter, they noticed a small figure stumbling in from outside.

Yu Jin was already a year and five months old, the age for practicing walking independently. Occasionally, the wet nurse would let him walk around the corridor by himself.

Seeing this graceful and quiet child, Yu Huanchen quickly turned his attention and asked, “Who is… that child?”

“It’s him,” Su Guan felt quite pity for this child and explained, “He’s very obedient, just a bit weak. Probably because he lost his mother at a young age.”

She covered her mouth in regret, “I misspoke. Now, I’m his mother.”

Yu Huanchen made a sound of acknowledgment, calming his expression, and waved to the timid child at the door, “Yu Jin, come here.”

Yu Jin didn’t recognize him and didn’t move, shrinking behind the door.

Yu Huanchen stood up and walked over quickly, squatting in front of him to meet his eyes, “Yu Jin, do you recognize me?”

Yu Jin took two steps back.

“Could this child be mute?” Yu Huanchen felt quite hurt and asked his wife.

“Don’t be silly, he can say many things now,” Su Guan said, “It’s probably because you’re too intimidating, you scared him.”

Yu Huanchen touched his own face, young and handsome, not scary at all.

But children are sensitive, especially this child who has been engulfed in turmoil since birth, never experiencing a moment of peace. Or perhaps it’s because he just returned from the battlefield, and his aura is overwhelming Yu Jin.

Yu Huanchen nodded, intending to step back and slowly build a relationship. As he was about to rise, he felt a slight resistance on his sleeve. Looking down, he saw that Yu Jin had mustered the courage to hold onto him.

The child’s hand was so small, so soft, looking up at him with eager eyes.

Yu Huanchen’s heart suddenly softened. He raised his hand and gently touched Yu Jin’s head, saying softly, “Don’t be afraid, from now on, I’m your father.”

Towards the end of the year, Yu Lingxi carried a hand warmer and went to the Floating Light Palace to find Ning Yin.

As soon as she arrived at the palace gate, she saw a eunuch approaching with a distressed expression, “Your Highness, you’ve finally come!”

“What’s wrong?” Yu Lingxi glanced inside and saw three or four courtiers kneeling, the atmosphere quiet to the point of being eerie.

Among them, the leader, with white hair, was trembling and prostrating, “It has been nearly a year since the late Emperor ascended to heaven. I, daring to die, dare to remonstrate…”

Ning Yin lifted her eyes lazily from the memorials, “Alright, then let Sun Yushi go die.”

Lord Sun: “…”

Yu Lingxi: “…”

“What, lost your words?” Ning Yin scoffed lightly.

This tone…

There was no need to ask. It must be these idle court officials who had provoked Ning Yin.

In the depths of winter, Lord Sun was already sweating profusely, trembling and unable to speak.

Yu Lingxi stepped forward at the right moment, smiled slightly at Ning Yin, then turned back and said, “Lord Sun, His Majesty is just joking with you. Please withdraw.”

Lord Sun and the others were relieved as if granted amnesty, hurriedly kowtowing before retreating. As the palace doors closed behind them, they could hear the Empress’s pleading voice being muffled.

Lord Sun’s legs went weak, almost falling to the ground.

The two subordinates beside him hurriedly supported him, still trembling, one of them said, “Lord Sun, you remonstrated as you should, but you shouldn’t have resorted to threatening death. His Majesty’s temperament… sigh, fortunately, the Empress has come.”

“Yes, although His Majesty has tyrannical methods, his temperament is truly stubborn and indulgent.”

Another person looked around cautiously and sighed softly, “Neither any good nor any evil, only the Empress can restrain him.”

The group exchanged glances and sighed deeply, “Goddess, save us.”

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