Twilight War

05

The astronomical clock in the study made a clicking sound.

The two confront each other in light and shadow.

"I thought you would stay in Xilu forever and would not come back." Emperor Chang Geng spoke first.

"Your Majesty wants me to stay in Westland?" Zichen asked.

"Since I left you a way to survive, you should cherish it." Emperor Chang Geng's voice was a little gloomy.

"My way of living was not given by His Majesty, but earned by myself." Zichen looked at Emperor Changgeng and said.

"Tell me, what do you want to do when you come back." Emperor Chang Geng asked.

"What is Your Majesty worried about? Are you afraid that I will tell the truth about the bloody sand rebellion?" Zichen smiled, "Your Majesty can rest assured that I, Huangxuan Jin, will never mention it again. I just hope that Your Majesty is clear. I was the only one who betrayed in that battle, and nothing about the rest of the Huangxuan family."

"You think you won't mention it now, but it doesn't mean you will never do it in the future." Emperor Chang Geng twitched the corner of his mouth, "One day you will be pushed to a position. At that time, if you don't want to mention it, you can't do it."

"The royal family is the foundation of Donghuang. If I say it, the hearts of the people will be disturbed." Zichen looked at Emperor Changgeng, his dark eyes were like deep pools.

"The people's minds are in turmoil, so they can gain momentum." Emperor Chang Geng said with a suppressed voice.

"What kind of potential?" Zichen asked with a dumb smile.

"The general trend of the world." Emperor Chang Geng spit out these words slowly, he was old, but when he said these words, there seemed to be soldiers and horses hissing between his lips and teeth, and the smoke of wolves broke the army flag.

Zichen almost laughed, "Your Majesty, some people come to this world to become kings, and some people come to live a whole life, but I just want to watch a twilight."

Emperor Chang Geng didn't speak for a long time, and finally asked as if he had raised his strength for a long time, "Then what do you think of the dusk in Chang'an?"

Zichen shook his head, "There is no dusk in Chang'an, only day and night in Chang'an."

Even Emperor Changgeng couldn't help but laugh, he was silent for a long time, and said to Zichen: "Then I don't understand what you are going to do anymore."

"how?"

"I know you live in Xiangziguan today, and you gave Li Xiangfu and the fifth prince each a congratulatory gift. But you didn't do anything else."

"What does His Majesty expect from me?"

"You should know that these sons of mine have been competing with great enthusiasm in the court recently." Emperor Chang Geng smiled and said: "This is your good opportunity."

"I've thought about which one you would choose. King Huai helped Jinling during Daybreak, although he was still defeated, but if you still have some courage, you should choose him."

Emperor Chang Geng got up from his seat, he had already changed into a normal suit, but the deep color was pressing on his body, which still made people feel a little breathless.

"The second prince is currently the most powerful among the courtiers, and his mother is honorable. If you seek stability and victory, you should surrender to the second prince." Emperor Changgeng walked up to the astronomical clock and raised his hand to tease the clock. A metal bird with an open beak.

"I've thought about the rest of the princes too. But I'm a little surprised that you only gave gifts to my five sons. But think about it. He is a fool. To give him a gift, first send a gift to the royal family. It would be better to show your kindness, and then wait until you get familiar with the situation in the court and see the princes, and then slowly make plans."

"Perhaps, you don't want to be the one who usurps the country and seeks the throne, but you don't want to be inferior. So you have to help a fool to be the next emperor and become the regent yourself."

"Your Majesty is considerate of me." Zichen smiled.

"But after all, I don't know what the young master is thinking. Young master Jin, why don't you tell me, so I can know which of my sons can be favored by young master Jin." Emperor Changgeng sat on the chair again and straightened the table Then he looked up at the boy in white clothes.

"Does His Majesty not care about the fighting in the hall like this?" Zichen asked.

Emperor Chang Geng sneered, "It's just kids playing around."

He stared at Zichen and shook his head, "I don't care."

Zichen also smiled, "Your Majesty doesn't care, and neither do I."

"This is a matter related to the future of yourself and the Huangxuan family, can you really not care?" Emperor Chang Geng asked.

"Then why doesn't Your Majesty care?" Zichen asked.

"It's nothing more than a power struggle. Every dynasty and every generation has come here. There are many dragons, but there is only one who can transform a dragon into a dragon. Let them fight. No matter how they fight, my son will win."

"Me too." Zichen said.

"What's the same? I'm the banker, and I'm fine no matter how you fight, but you are the bettor. You have to fight, you have to guess. This is trickery, and Donghuang has been here for thousands of years. It will continue to be like this in the future, no end..."

"The reason why your majesty thinks that I will do what you think is because your majesty came here in the same way." Zichen asked.

"Of course, otherwise, do you think that my emperor gave me the throne? When I close my eyes, I can still see my emperor brother screaming and grinning and asking me to give him the throne. But how could I give it to him? It's the one who wins."

In the shadows, the emperor, who was holding the armrest tightly to prop up his upper body, had stern eyes and a nervous smile.

Zichen frowned.

The young man lowered his eyes, ignoring the sudden madness of the aging emperor, and just fiddled with the folding fan in his hand.

Emperor Chang Geng slowly let go of the armrest and fell into the chair again.

In an instant, he returned to that somewhat powerless look, as if the madness just now had never appeared.

"Then what do you care about?" Emperor Chang Geng raised his head and asked the young man.

"Xilu." Zichen said.

"Donghuang has already negotiated peace with Xilu." Emperor Changgeng asked.

"Your Majesty, that's not a peace talk, it's the butcher letting go of the sheep waiting to be slaughtered."

the boy said.

"Donghuang doesn't need any more tricks." Zichen looked at Emperor Changgeng.

This Donghuang has accumulated too much dust.

For a hundred years, all the figures are like shadow puppets in a box, performing excerpts over and over again in this dim light and shadow.

Rotten and dilapidated.

"What Donghuang really needs is change."

The young man slowly pushed a small box in front of Emperor Chang Geng.

Emperor Chang Geng opened the box.

Inside is a bullet.

The inverse double sword emblem of the Huangxuan family is branded on the cartridge case.

Someone is always going to set the rotten pile of threads on fire.

He will mention what no one dares to mention.

All the painted lanterns and shadows retreated in panic in the face of the light that broke the curtain, and the young man in white clothes should light the sky himself.

"The Huangxuan family should regard themselves as soldiers."

Zichen said word for word.

"Changed? How did it change? Donghuang has been like this for hundreds of years! It's all taught by the ancestors! It's all the calendar of the sages!... How did it change?" Emperor Changgeng stood up suddenly and shouted with a flick of his sleeves.

"I, Huangxuanjin, am already a traitor, so I don't care about the ancestors' training and the calendar of the sages." Sitting on a chair, Zichen looked up at Emperor Changgeng with cold eyes.

"... Seriously?" Emperor Chang Geng asked in a concentrated voice.

"Anyway, in His Majesty's eyes, it's best for me, Jiangnan Huangxuan, to die. Why don't I take Jiangnan Huangxuan as a soldier and try for Donghuang. If it succeeds, it will be His Majesty's century-old achievement. If it doesn't, it's nothing I just thank you with my own death." Zichen said with a light smile.

"But this matter is not so easy to try." Emperor Chang Geng said.

"This bullet was made by Jie Niao, the lord of Yuyuan City, according to my picture album." Zichen said.

"You have invited the city lord of Yuyuan City?" Emperor Chang Geng was taken aback.

Emperor Chang Geng picked up the black iron bullet, and the back was indeed branded with the bronze mask coat of arms of Yuyuan City.

From the branded coat of arms, he seemed to be able to see the legendary huge city with bronze hanging dragons, and the ingenious artifacts made by Yanshi in the past dynasties were sealed in the five-story Shenmu building.

The wind blows through the Shenmu Building, and there are bronze bells making simple and ethereal sounds.

"Since Emperor Kaiyang punished Yanshi in the world 300 years ago, the Lord of Yuyuan City has never left Shu." Emperor Changgeng put down the bullet and said.

"With the guarantee of my Huangxuan family and Yu Yuancheng, can Your Majesty trust me?" Zichen asked.

"Are you willing to sacrifice your life for Donghuang?" Emperor Changgeng asked.

"I only have one request." Zichen said.

"tell me the story."

"I hope Your Majesty will betroth Princess Yingluo to me." Zichen said.

"The most ruthless emperor's family, even if you marry Yingluo, I still won't trust you because of it." Emperor Chang Geng shook his head and said.

"I know, I am willing to do everything in order to marry Princess Yingluo."

Zichen looked at Emperor Changgeng and said word by word.

How could that girl be the price? She is a snowfall in early winter, which makes people afraid to melt at a glance. She is a butterfly born of clouds, clean and light.

When she came to Weichen Temple for the first time, a hundred tigers would disperse, revealing the girl standing sideways among them.

Like snow falling from a snow-falling pine tree.

He didn't know who she was until the end, and that night he ate two extra white steamed buns just thinking about who she was.

She should be the girl he wanted with all his heart...

"You go back first." Emperor Chang Geng said slowly.His eyes were a little cloudy, and for a moment it was hard to tell whether he was an emperor who planned the world or a father who loved his daughter dearly.

The boy bowed and retreated.

"Zichen, are you still loyal to Donghuang?" Emperor Changgeng asked suddenly, his voice was very soft, like an old man on crutches at the entrance of a village.

"I am still loyal to Donghuang, but I know that every loyalty I have now has its price." The young man said with his back to Emperor Changgeng.

White robes flit across the high threshold.

Outside the palace city, the four fields hang low.

Some people come to this world to become kings, some people come to live a whole life, but he just wants to watch a dusk.

It's just that if he wants to watch the dusk, then he should light the sky by himself...

The next day, Emperor Changgeng issued a decree to marry his beloved daughter, Princess Yingluo, to Huangxuan Jin, the head of the Jiangnan Huangxuan Patriarch.

In Xiangziguan, the young man in white knelt before the desk and slowly drank a cup of tea.

06

Zichen was still asleep on the bed and went back to the cage, when he heard someone knocking on the door and shouting.

"Si Tianming! You have no conscience! Leave me alone in the land of Sichuan to eat bamboo every day! Si Tianming, you have a short lifespan!"

"My god, you are a fairy! You open the door! Can you open the door!"

Zichen climbed up helplessly, opened the door and saw a young man in green standing under Longzhaohuai in the courtyard.

The dark green hair band tied up the long hair, and the skin was so white that it was almost transparent.

His uncle Si Tianming was standing next to that young master with a listless look.

"Jie Niao, the city lord of Yuyuan City in Xiashu, and Young Master Jin can call me City Lord Crane." The young master in Tsing Yi turned to salute Zichen.

A pair of willow leaf eyes, clean and moist.

"Little Crane, trust me in that, I really have too many things to do." Si Tianming said beside the Crane City Lord.

"I believe you are a shovel!" City Master Crane turned around and cursed.

"Listen to me, I'll go back and feed the iron beast with you after I'm done."

"You're talking, you're using a hammer! How many times have you been feeding the iron beast with me! If I believe you again, I'll be a ghost!"

After finishing speaking, City Master Crane turned and continued to look at Zichen, with a smile, "Did Young Master Jhin receive the black iron bullet I tied to the red bird?"

Zichen nodded, "I have received it, please trouble City Master Crane."

"It doesn't matter, it's a blessing in my life to be able to make this thing myself. For hundreds of years, Yuyuan City has been safe and secure. I thought Yuyuan City was ingenious and invincible in the world. Now it seems that after all, I still cherish my broom and stand still." City Master Crane shook his head. Sighing, there was a kind of modest and warm smile on the corner of his lips.

"Little Crane, you are tired after traveling all the way, why don't you go to rest first." Si Tianming persuaded from the side.

"Get away! I'm very energetic, you're making my head hurt." said Crane City Lord.

"All right, all right, whatever you say is right." Si Tianming said helplessly.

"City Master Crane, please sit inside." Zichen bowed and asked.

"No, no, this place is huge." City Lord Crane smiled and waved behind him, "Bring everything in!"

"This magical machine gun, I fell in love with it as soon as the design was delivered!" City Master Crane dragged it out of the machine that was full of cars and couldn't tell what it was. , if someone comes, I'll chop him up and feed the fish!"

"And this, this firecracker is powerful! Killing a row of people is not a big deal!"

Next, the Crane City Lord gave the two people a serious and detailed introduction to the various objects on the car. Zichen discovered that the gentle man of the Crane City Master was hiding the heart of a violent craftsman and war madman under the surface.

After trying to persuade City Lord Crane to go in and rest, Zichen and Si Tianming shook their heads facing the mess.

"How long is he going to live here?" Zichen asked.

"I don't know." Si Tianming said.