Chapter 234: Return To The Capital City
This war between them and the Western Rong People lasted nearly three years.
During this time, Lin Xin cooperated with Mo Ziyuan to silently eliminate nearly fifty thousand Western Rong soldiers, in that “no body seen alive, no corpse seen dead” manner.
Although the number was considerable, she carried it out in many batches, so despite the astonishing quantity, it didn’t arouse any suspicion—at least not on the surface.
In the year the war officially broke out, the Western Rong Khan was beheaded by one of his many sons.
That son was also a ruthless man; not only did he kill his own father the Khan, but he also didn’t let a single one of the Khan’s more than a dozen wives and concubines escape, along with the children they bore.
In the end, of the Western Rong Khan’s sixteen sons and nine daughters, only two sons remained, and not a single daughter survived.
The new Western Rong Khan was a young man who wouldn’t tolerate sand in his eyes, liked to do things his own way, and had extremely fierce combat skills. At the beginning of his chaotic ascension to the throne, he surprisingly subdued the left and right generals with his own pair of fists, and also got the newly appointed High Priest to “completely” stand on his side.
He indeed had real skills; in a very short time, he firmly grasped the entire Western Rong in his hands, reorganized the officials, killed a batch who opposed him, promoted many who supported him, and issued a series of policies beneficial to the people, gaining great acclaim and unprecedented support among the common folk.
However, no matter how fierce his combat skills, he still couldn’t escape the limitations of mortal body tissue, and against a top-level Supernatural Ability User like Lin Xin, he was still somewhat lacking.
Of course, the two didn’t have many chances for direct confrontation, after all, Lin Xin’s main focus was “assassination.”
In the few clashes they had, the new Khan was defeated every time, and the last time, Lin Xin’s water blade pierced through the gap in his armor, slicing a deep wound in his waist and abdomen. If the water blade she condensed that time hadn’t been too short, this strike probably could have cut the new Khan in half at the waist.
After that, the new Khan became extremely wary of the disguised Lin Xin, and the two never formally faced off again.
By the end of this war, even with Lin Xin’s secret help, the soldier casualties were still a terrifying number, so much so that even Lin Xin, who had “seen the world” in the Apocalypse, couldn’t help but be amazed.
Fortunately, all the sacrifices had their rewards; the defeated new Western Rong Khan finally had no choice but to order the raising of the white flag of surrender, sign a humiliating ceasefire agreement, and retreat to the depths of the Grassland with his defeated remnants.
Everyone knew this was only temporary, and once the Western Rong People recovered and multiplied, they would come back stronger, but at this moment when everyone was immersed in the joy of victory and celebrating the arrival of triumph, no one would pour cold water on it.
In the Imperial Palace, the Emperor looked at the battle report urgently delivered from eight hundred li away, feeling greatly reassured, and with a wave of his large hand, ordered the expeditionary troops to return to the Capital City together with the Western Rong People coming to present the surrender document—nominally, to escort them!
After receiving the Imperial Decree, Lin Xin felt a mix of emotions in her heart. This battle was finally over, and after not seeing those people in the Capital City for so long, she really missed them a bit. She wondered how Nan Nan was doing following the old man, whether he had grown taller, and how his homework was going?
In short, all sorts of thoughts flashed through her mind at once, making her feel both unfamiliar and a bit strange.
She had gone out on missions outside in the Apocalypse before, but first, transportation was advanced and didn’t take this long, and second, she had few attachments in her heart back then, so she truly hadn’t experienced this feeling yet.
Mo Ziyuan noticed her emotional fluctuations right away. After sending off the eunuch who delivered the decree, he took her back to the tent and looked at her with concern, asking, “Xin’er, what’s wrong?”
“Nothing,” Lin Xin smiled at him, “I just feel like it’s been so long since I saw Nan Nan, and I want to know what he looks like now.”
Mo Ziyuan nodded understandingly. He had felt this way too during his first expedition. Although his familial ties were shallow back then, there were still people he cared about, and he was all too familiar with that feeling of wanting to see them yet being uncertain.
“They must all be expecting our triumphant return. Nan Nan has probably grown into a handsome young man by now.”
“Mm, I know.” Lin Xin was never one to be sentimental; after a moment of entanglement, she let it go.
This return to the Capital City was together with the Western Rong emissaries, and the journey took quite a bit more time than the way there. Mo Ziyuan understood the Emperor’s intention clearly: it was called escorting, but really it was surveillance, to ensure the Western Rong People caused no trouble from departing the Western Rong until signing the surrender document and returning.
Therefore, even though Mo Ziyuan, eager to return to the Capital City and get married, was burning with impatience, he had to patiently travel slowly, though the resentment in his heart had almost materialized, giving everyone around him a collective taste of a cold wave.
Finally seeing the tall and majestic city walls of the Capital City, not only did Mo Ziyuan’s stern face, which had been set for days, finally soften a bit, but even the soldiers breathed a sigh of relief, all exclaiming that the Capital City was still the best—at least it wasn’t cold.
The Western Rong emissaries were received by officials from the Ministry of Rites. After the tedious ceremonies ended, Mo Ziyuan entered the palace at once.
Seeing his figure in the Imperial Study, the Emperor teased him with a smile, “I heard someone kept a straight face the whole way back to the Capital City. What’s this, does my dear subject have something upsetting him?”
Mo Ziyuan pretended not to hear the implication in his words and said earnestly, “Your Majesty, now that this battle is won, can you grant your humble subject some leave next to settle his lifelong matter?”
“Pfft~” The Emperor couldn’t help but burst out laughing. After laughing, he sighed inwardly: pretty good, this childhood Reading Companion had finally found his own happiness, and he had indeed waited quite a while.
“Your Majesty?”
“I approve.” The Emperor agreed straightforwardly.
Although he didn’t understand why the Emperor was so straightforward this time, Mo Ziyuan didn’t want to argue with his good fortune, so he also thanked him graciously, received the rewards, and hurried home as if his butt was on fire—now the wedding preparations could begin!
The first thing Lin Xin did after returning to the Capital City was to go to Cui Shi’s home to pick up Lin Nan.
When she saw Lin Nan, who had grown into a straight little white poplar standing before her, she had a moment of daze. The shadow of that skinny, dirty little kid with a big head and thin body from when she first arrived was completely gone now!
“Older Sister, you’re finally back! Master and I have been waiting so long.” As soon as he opened his mouth, he was still that clingy little kid, shattering the emotions that had just welled up in Lin Xin’s heart.
“Mm, I’m back. How have you been? How’s Old Cui’s body? How’s your homework with Mister?” Lin Xin ruffled his head vigorously, mischievously asking about his homework.
“I’m doing great, Master’s body is also very sturdy, and as for homework, Mister says I can take the exam this year. He can’t guarantee I’ll top the list, but passing for sure is no problem.” Lin Nan answered proudly; he had seen through the teasing in his sister’s eyes.
“Really? That’s impressive! If you really pass, Older Sister will give you a reward!” Lin Xin was a bit surprised; after all, Lin Nan was only about ten years old at most, and in her previous life, he’d still be a third-grade elementary student!
