newbobooks Chapter 315 You're a good person after all.
Chapter 315 You're a good person after all.
"Hmm, I wonder which is stronger, your Great Zhou army or Ge Su's army?"
A hint of anticipation flickered in Sikong Jin's eyes. Remembering that her father, Sikong Qin, had perished at the hands of Ge Su, she naturally hoped to have the opportunity to personally kill Ge Su and avenge Sikong Qi!
"When it comes to large-scale military operations, the commander-in-chief leading the army is the most important factor."
Di Beizun uttered these words softly, then put down his chopsticks, picked up his wine cup, and took a small sip.
Sikong Jin raised an eyebrow, swallowed the food in her mouth, and replied, "Don't worry, once your army is in my hands, I will definitely not let them be wasted. Hmm? Why aren't you eating? The imperial chefs in your palace are quite skilled; have them prepare a few more of these Golden Jade Chickens tomorrow. I want to take them with me!"
Not only did they eat and drink for free, but they also wanted to take things away – a classic case of pushing their luck.
Di Beizun ignored her and continued drinking his wine. After a moment of silence, he said quietly, "I'll rest tomorrow and leave the day after. There's enough time."
His tone was filled with an irresistible determination. When Sikong Jin looked up in surprise, she met his unpredictable eyes, in which a black vortex was gathering deep within, making it impossible to see through, as if it had gathered countless stars, its brightness flickering uncertainly.
After thinking for a moment, she still didn't respond, but her relaxed shoulders showed her compromise.
"Wing King and his men will treat your army well, so don't worry. Xi Fenglie is still recovering from the blow you dealt him, so even if he wanted to launch a quick attack, he probably wouldn't be able to."
Emperor Beizun moved the still-full plate of food in front of him to her and said calmly, "From now on, don't forget your promise to me. A wise person knows how to protect themselves. In my eyes, they are nothing. You've made me unhappy, aren't you worried that I'll take back my words?"
Upon hearing this, Sikong Jin frowned and quickly glanced at him. "You don't seem like such a tasteless person, and a ruler's word is law!"
The Northern Emperor's indifferent lips curled into a cold, dismissive smile. "I have never considered myself a gentleman, nor do I care what they say. If they displease me, I wouldn't mind becoming a tyrant."
Hearing this, Sikong Jin could only roll her eyes and couldn't help but say, "You're practically invulnerable, Your Majesty. Sometimes I find it quite strange that you, who are so aloof, have any weakness."
Emperor Beizun's gaze darkened slightly. He leisurely raised his head, looking at her calmly, his voice very composed, "I am waiting for you to discover this."
Sikong Jin raised her eyebrows, blinked her dry and tired eyes, downed another cup, and then spoke in a slightly hoarse voice, "To be honest, I can't see through you either. Sitting with you, I often feel a kind of inexplicable pressure. Di Beizun, you are actually the most profound person I have ever met. Your schemes are unpredictable, and if you are not careful, you may end up being crushed to pieces."
At this point, Sikong Jin suddenly paused, took a breath, and gently pressed her fingertips against her heavy, dizzy head. She shook her head vigorously, trying to dispel the drowsy fatigue. After a while, she continued, "It's alright this way, at least you can protect what you care about. Unlike me... Ever since my father left, I've inexplicably come to this ghostly world and haven't had a single peaceful night's sleep. I wake up in the middle of the night from nightmares of fighting and being pierced through the heart by an enemy arrow. I don't know why I'm like this. Ever since I was old enough to understand, my mother has always told me never to let anyone find out that I, Sikong Jin, am actually a woman..."
"Even now, things have come to this point, and it's not what I wanted. I originally just wanted to focus on my business, bring my mother and Mo'er out of the Sikong Mansion, and get rid of these official and江湖 (jianghu) conflicts. Tell me, why is such a simple request harder than climbing to heaven? Later, I cared about more and more things, and I became unable to control my own destiny..."
Sikong Jin sighed deeply, propped one hand on the table, and, feeling troubled and dizzy, drank several more cups—the thoughts she had never confided before were now spoken out.
To put it simply, she often feels afraid, afraid that she won't be able to hold on to anything, afraid that she will watch helplessly as the things she cares about are destroyed right before her eyes.
She had already received a secret letter from Tang Jingyao in the capital of Dayong. The Dayong court would certainly agree to lend troops and passage. However, at the same time that the court's secret letter was sent to Da Zhou, Su Yue was invited by the Emperor of Dayong from the Sikong Mansion to the palace as a guest. Ostensibly, it was to make it easier to take care of Su Yue and to allow Commander Sikong Jin to have no worries, but in reality, it was to place Su Yue under house arrest.
This shows that Emperor Dayong was not stupid. He was always wary of Sikong Jin and was determined to find Sikong Jin's weakness in order to control this pawn.
"What the hell? Why am I telling you all this?"
Quickly recognizing her loss of control, Sikong Jin couldn't help but curse. As she spoke, she raised the chicken leg in her hand, instantly concealing all the gloom on her face. She smiled at Di Beizun and said, "This time, thanks to you, you granted my request and treated me to good wine and food. Your Majesty, you are actually a good person."
"Good guy?"
Hearing her words, Di Beizun suddenly smiled incredulously, looked down into her eyes, and said calmly, "When Tuoba Yu refused your request, were you very disappointed?"
"Tuoba Yu? Disappointed?"
Sikong Jin was taken aback by his question and paused for a moment before recovering. "Actually, I knew he wouldn't agree. I must say, Xifeng Lie's Eagle Masters are indeed formidable; even I had to avoid them. But I didn't expect Tuoba Yu to have such a backup plan. He's quite shrewd..."
"You admire him?"
Before Sikong Jin's voice had even finished, Di Beizun's calm voice, tinged with a hint of coldness, drifted over.
"Hmm, this person is quite capable, a good person, and it would be good to get to know him better."
Sikong Jin, without any suspicion, gave a very polite answer. As she spoke, she seemed to suddenly think of something, and her delicate eyebrows furrowed. She asked with some doubt, "By the way, Your Majesty, you said that Tuoba Kang's death was so bizarre. Is it possible that Tuoba Yu was behind it? I heard that Emperor Tiansheng is planning to appoint a crown prince on the occasion of Empress Tiansheng's birthday, and Tuoba Yu and Tuoba Kang are the most likely candidates to become crown prince... But it doesn't seem to make sense. Based on my understanding of Tuoba Yu, he shouldn't be the kind of person who would do such a thing."