I've never felt happy to become an immortal.

Chapter 64 Sunny Flowers and Trees Meet Spring Easily
Central Plains, Northern and Southern Dynasties.

The Northern Dynasties went through hundreds of years of pain and gradually completed the Qinization.

The Southern Dynasty was the orthodox successor of the Qin culture, and its history and traditions were inherited from the same source.

However, the feudal dynasty is a relatively fragile system. The system of inheriting imperial power through bloodline cannot guarantee that every transition of imperial power will be smooth.

Fifteen years ago, the Forbidden City of the Southern Dynasty was a river of blood.

To date, more than one-third of the Forbidden City is still in ruins and has not been repaired... No one knows how many corpses are buried under those damaged buildings. Perhaps those corpses even belong to royal relatives and martial arts masters.

The lack of renovations to the imperial palace proves that the contemporary emperor did not want to engage in large-scale construction;

The fact that there was no overly harsh accountability for many things that happened fifteen years ago also added a lot of points to the new emperor's impression.

When talking about the contemporary emperors of the Southern Dynasties, most people's feeling is not that they are bloody, but only a very simple evaluation.

——Don’t make trouble.

Don't underestimate this precious quality. Being able to avoid or reduce trouble is a way to cultivate and prosper the people.

This is the same reason as being afraid of the rich second generation starting their own business. For an emperor who is ambitious and eager to achieve great things, that may be the beginning of a disaster.

Even a man of great talent and strategy like Emperor Wu of Han could not escape the historical evaluation of being a warmongerer.

The contemporary Emperor of Southern Chu ascended the throne by killing his own relatives in a bloody coup d'état.

But in many ways, she did better than any emperor of the Southern Dynasties.

This is due to two reasons.

One reason is that she is a woman and has no harem, so the palace affairs are extremely simple, with eunuchs and concubines totaling less than a hundred people.

The current emperor of Southern Chu is undoubtedly a female emperor.

This is nothing surprising. As mentioned earlier, thanks to someone's good example, women became emperors in the Qin Dynasty, and it was even less common during the chaotic Southern and Northern Dynasties.

Even though one-third of the imperial harem was destroyed, the remaining space was still mostly vacant. After the old emperor's concubines were dismissed, the imperial treasury was able to save a large amount of gold and silver treasures every year. This exclusive royal fund supported the Southern Dynasty's secret service agency, the "Embroidered Uniform Guard", which directly bypassed the national treasury and became the eyes and ears of the imperial family, avoiding the constraints of the court.

Of course, there must be ministers within the court who are not happy to see the emperor hanging such a sword over their heads.

Therefore, the ministers would choose a roundabout way to save themselves, asking the emperor to take a concubine... Handsome men can also enter the palace, they are all left over from the Qin Dynasty.

The emperor needs to ensure the inheritance of imperial power, so he must have concubines and descendants to ensure the stable inheritance of imperial power. This is a political need.

However, the empress did not take the ministers' advice, which shows her second advantage.

The second reason is that the empress said there was one person, but in fact there were two.

Fifteen years ago, the Emperor of Southern Chu passed away, and the throne was fought over by many people. The palace was in turmoil, and the fate of the entire Southern Chu nation was in jeopardy.

The ones who had the last laugh were a pair of sisters born to maids in the harem.

The emperor of the Southern Dynasty designated his own sister as the crown prince to silence the ministers' gossip.

Even if they wanted to urge the marriage, they could only urge Prince Yun to get married quickly.

This is the current ecology of the highest power in the Southern Dynasty.

The Southern Dynasty's government was controlled by a pair of biological sisters.

Moreover, starting five years ago, the empress stopped attending court and lived in the deep palace, only appearing occasionally.

The person who took over the government on her behalf was Prince Yun, the emperor's younger sister.

……

Inside the palace, the aroma of camphor wafted through the study.

Prince Yun Jiang Lianxing had a mountain of memorials piled up beside her. A report was delivered right under her nose, placed on the table at the heart of power in the Southern Dynasty.

Her slender, fair hands picked up the envelope, cut open the seal, took out the letter, and read silently. After a while, she slightly raised her delicate eyebrows, and her murderous aura was slightly less, and she was full of the graceful aura of a Jiangnan woman.

"There's news from the Embroidered Uniform Guards. Would Granny Yin like to take a look?"

"Have you found any information about the assassin?" A feminine voice rang out, "The Northern Dynasty's probing has become increasingly intense recently, even reaching out to Jiankang."

An old woman stood there holding a silver cane and wearing a silver hairpin, but she had a female voice and a male appearance.

There is always a stereotype that half of the masters in the palace are eunuchs.

You're really stereotypical.

Grandma Yin calls herself Grandma, which in modern times is called gender identity disorder. She is actually a eunuch.

"That's not the case. You'll know after reading it." Jiang Lianxing handed over the letter.

Granny Yin respectfully took the paper and glanced at it before she said, "I'm aware of the news of Ning Jianshuang's departure. She'd go out looking for her relatives every once in a while, and she'd left Jiankang over ten times, always returning empty-handed, like looking for a needle in a haystack... but this is the first time she's returned with a coffin, and with a young man... well, that's also a first."

"I think she found Jiang Baichuan, but what she brought back was a corpse, not a living person."

"The Juyi Pavilion isn't having a good time these days. Ning Jianshuang's plan has failed." Granny Yin sighed, "She lacks the prestige and strength to lead the Juyi Pavilion, and the person behind her alone isn't enough to silence the gossip."

Jiang Lianxing drummed her fingers on the table. "With Jiang Baichuan's death, everything that happened fifteen years ago has become a mess... It's a good thing for him."

"Is what happened back then just like that?" asked Granny Yin.

"How is that possible? Jiang Baichuan is dead, but the Fourth Chengfeng hasn't been found yet. This was originally a palace treasure of our Nanchu... In fact, I feel sorry for Jiang Baichuan. He hid for fifteen years just for such an item, and in the end, he lost his life and got nothing." Jiang Lianxing whispered, "But even Jiang Baichuan couldn't comprehend the secret of the Sword Immortal's remains. It seems that it will be very difficult for him to break through to the Heavenly Rank with this."

Granny Yin said, "Maybe there just aren't enough of them."

"Maybe. No matter what, the Fourth Chengfeng must be taken back."

"What if Ning Jianshuang doesn't know, or insists to death that she doesn't know?"

"The Embroidered Uniform Guard has sent me information that the Jiang family is holding a funeral." Jiang Lianxing pondered, "Perhaps I need to go to Chenlong Town in person."

Granny Yin quickly said, "Your Highness is a precious young lady, how can you go there in person?"

"We are all lowly and insignificant beings, as fragile as paper. How can we be so valuable?" Jiang Lianxing made a decision. "I've made up my mind. No need to persuade me. We're near Jiankang anyway. I'll intervene as an Embroidered Uniform Guard. It won't be dangerous."

Granny Yin knew she couldn't persuade him, so she could only retreat and say, "I will go with His Highness."

"Grandma Yin is too famous. I'd better let Hu Xianfeng come with me. He's smart and can cover for me." Jiang Lianxing said, "I haven't been out in public for a while."

After saying that, Jiang Lianxing thought for a while, bit the pen gently, then picked up the pen and paper, dipped it in ink, and drew a circle on the paper.

"The Embroidered Uniform Guard's intelligence highlighted this young man named Bai Xuan, and a portrait was also sent along. It's quite interesting... Ning Jianshuang cherishes this man so much, so I think he's very likely to be the heir to this generation of the Jiang family."

"Your Highness, do you want to?"

"Try to win him over and get him into the Embroidered Uniform Guard."

Granny Yin hesitated to speak, and after a moment's silence, she asked, "Aren't Your Highness and the Princess of Ningguo close friends?"

“Because we are friends, we must know how to share…”

"Yes."

"besides……"

As they were talking, they suddenly heard the sound of rapid footsteps outside the door. Outside, a little girl, seemingly a little over ten years old, was running around barefoot, swinging a broken wave drum in her hand. Her steps were so fast that she even stepped on the flowers without shaking off the petals. Behind her, several palace maids were chasing after her, their skirts lifted, sweating profusely. The whole courtyard was filled with the girl's cheerful laughter, as cheerful as silver bells.

Soon, the little girl rushed into the imperial study, her big eyes met with the Cloud King in front of the desk, and she smiled: "Come and catch me, hehe~"

Jiang Lianxing reluctantly dropped the paper and pen and gently advised, "Play in moderation. Run slower, sister..."

Outside the door, Granny Yin looked at this scene in silence for a long time, her expression sad, and all her emotions turned into a sigh.

The position of the supreme ruler is not easy to sit on.

Especially for this half of the country, maintaining a business is more difficult than starting a business.

……

The carriage was shaking.

"We'll be arriving in Jiankang soon."

After several days of traveling, they finally arrived in Jiankang before Bai Xuan's butt was shaken into an American-style perky butt.

Ning Jianshuang lifted the curtain of the car and looked at the towering city in the morning light, a hint of homesickness flashing in her eyes.

She grew up in Jiankang, and this trip to Yunzhou might be the longest journey in her life.

Before I went there, I never thought it would be so complicated.

Fortunately, after going through so much, I still returned here safely.

My mood also became much more relaxed.

Ning Jianshuang looked at a carriage behind him and thought to himself... Dad, we are almost home.

After straightening up, she noticed that Bai Xuan had sat down near her at some point.

The distance was so close that a few strands of the boy's white hair touched her cheek.

Ning Jianshuang gently lifted her hair behind her ears: "What's wrong?"

"It's very lively." Bai Xuan said, "There are a lot of merchants and travelers on the official road, and it's too dusty, so we sit a little further inside."

"If you're tired, you can lean on my shoulder and rest for a while." Ning Jianshuang showed a gentle smile: "Your body has not fully recovered yet."

"It's probably recovered to about 80% or 90%." Bai Xuan said casually: "Tell me about Chenlong Town."

"Hmm..." Ning Jianshuang thought for a moment: "When it comes to Chenlong Town, the most famous ones are definitely the local Dragon Beard Noodles and Tenglong Wall."

"You sound like an emotionless tour guide."

"I can't help it. I don't know much about Chenlong Town." Ning Jianshuang took out a handkerchief, dipped it in some water, and naturally reached out to wipe Bai Xuan's face. The boy leaned back slightly and was grabbed by the elbow: "Don't hide, there's dust on your face... Be good."

Bai Xuan: “…”

When he was with Lin Jiaolu, he felt like both a brother and a father.

When I'm with Ning Jianshuang, her elder sister-like maternal love is so abundant that it's about to overflow... Even beautiful mothers don't have such a strong maternal charm.

"I grew up in Jiankang and rarely come to Chenlong Town. My sister is twenty-two years old this year, and my father has been away from home for fifteen years. He ran away when I was seven..." Ning Jianshuang recalled, "I haven't been to the Jiang family ancestral home many times. Only the old servants of the Jiang family live here. They have no relatives anymore, so they don't come back on weekdays. After all, my last name is Ning, and according to the rules, I can't even enter the Jiang family's ancestral hall."

"There's almost no one left, and you're still sticking to this rule?"

"Well, that can be considered an excuse." Ning Jianshuang said with an empty look in her eyes, "These past fifteen years haven't been easy for me. At one point, I really wanted to escape from everything related to my father, so I avoided the Jiang family as much as possible."

This is the emotion a normal person should have.

After being separated from my father for fifteen years, even the deepest feelings between us would have faded.

Ning Jianshuang is already considered a filial daughter, but that doesn't mean she can really understand and agree with everything Jiang Baichuan does.

Without the pillar of the family, Ning Jianshuang, as the only daughter of the Jiangning family, has not had an easy day in the past fifteen years.

"What about now?" Bai Xuan observed her micro-expressions.

"Now, I've learned to accept it." Ning Jianshuang exhaled slowly and smiled at Bai Xuan: "If I were alone, it might really be scary, but now you are here. As long as you are here... I can do anything! So, there is nothing to worry about."

Bai Xuan nodded slowly: "As long as you figure it out."

Ning Jianshuang tilted her head to the side: "I didn't expect you to care about me so much?"

He had intended to tease his younger brother, but Bai Xuan unexpectedly responded seriously, "I rarely heard you mention your own affairs in the past. Now, I want to hear more."

Ning Jianshuang's smile faded slightly, and his expression became slightly unnatural: "Why? My affairs are all boring little things, there's nothing much to say."

"We'll be spending a lot of time together in the foreseeable future, so I want to get to know you better."

Bai Xuan looked directly at Miss Ning and said frankly, "You can tell me about your past, your life, your dreams, and even your thoughts and feelings at this moment... I am willing to be a listener. I am also good at listening and keeping secrets."

The young man spoke in a very calm tone the love words that would have sounded very exciting to women in ancient times.

A line from a song's lyrics can be used to translate the above words faithfully, accurately and elegantly.

——The most romantic thing I can think of is to grow old with you.

Although Bai Xuan didn't mean that.

He just thought that Miss Ning was a good girl with a good personality and was reliable and easy to get along with!

Since we are destined to work in the same workplace in the future, it is necessary to get to know each other better to facilitate subsequent work coordination.

Modern pragmatists are often very direct in these aspects, without being pretentious or too lazy to be subtle. Sincerity is the ultimate weapon.

But the speaker may not have intended it, but the listener may have taken it to heart... Even though Bai Xuan felt that this sentence was not ambiguous at all, it was at most a signal of goodwill.

But it's still too straightforward.

If these words were said to Xiaolu, she might have even thought of what to name her granddaughter.

Although Ning Jianshuang hadn't decided what to name her granddaughter, this picture flashed through her mind.

As the sun sets, the two white-haired old ladies and old men sit together just like they do now, surrounded by their children and grandchildren.

Although it was only a moment, she had indeed made up her mind that if it was a daughter, she would take her surname...呸呸呸!

Ning Jianshuang suddenly woke up with a start, her cheeks immediately burning, and she repeatedly evaded the question, "I'm just an ordinary young lady from a noble family. I used to stay at home studying and doing business at most... If you want to know about the relationship between my parents, I can tell you a lot!"

Without waiting for Bai Xuan to speak, she abruptly changed the subject, holding the boy's neck and pointing at the mountain wall more than ten miles away: "No, let's not talk about this... Look, we're about to reach Chenlong Town. That's Tenglong Cliff in the distance. There's a very famous legend about it. Let me tell you."

Bai Xuan was speechless, thinking that it was indeed difficult to get her to open her heart to him directly. Ning Jianshuang was not as easy to deal with as Lin Jiaolu and Xiao Luluo.

He looked at the mountain wall in the distance and said readily, "Alright."

Outside the frame.

The owner of Yanbo Tower couldn't help but smile like an aunt.

It seems that I was right to come out and ride horses and make room for myself.

If this young couple can be together, it would be a win-win situation.

As for that Miss Lin, let her cry. It would be best if she could just do the same as Jiang Baichuan’s fiancée and join the Baimei Sect, which is full of cuckolds!
(End of this chapter)