As dusk fell, Xue Qinghe finally returned to the palace.
The first thing she saw upon entering the garden was Nan Feihuang sitting in the pavilion, looking utterly defeated.
"Your Highness, you're finally back. Your sister has already gone to bed, but she really wore me out," Nan Feihuang muttered with a low sigh.
"Hehe, Prince Feihuang, there's no need to be so formal. You're my sister's fiancé. If you don't mind, you can call me 'big brother' just like she does," Xue Qinghe said with a smile.
"Alright then, Big Brother Xue!" Nan Feihuang replied without hesitation. Whether it was Xue Qinghe's current persona or her true identity as Qian Renxue, she was older than him, so calling her 'big brother' felt natural enough.
"What happened? Why do you look like you've been completely drained?" Xue Qinghe asked with a half-smile, feigning ignorance.
She was fully aware of how difficult her little sister could be. Though she appeared graceful and well-mannered, once she started talking, it was like a flood that couldn't be stopped—especially when the conversation involved her beloved sister.
"Big Brother Xue, you're just teasing me at this point! I'm begging you, please don't leave your little princess with me again tomorrow while you sneak off. I can't handle it!" Nan Feihuang's tone was almost pleading. He genuinely couldn't keep up with her.
"How are you this worn out already? Don't forget, you're engaged to my sister. You'll be spending the rest of your life with her. Don't tell me… you don't like her?" Xue Qinghe's tone turned serious, her eyes narrowing slightly. "I'm telling you now, if you ever mistreat Keke, I won't let you off easily."
Xue Qinghe didn't care much for the other members of the Tiandou royal family, but her sister, Xue Keke, was an exception. After all, she had raised Keke from infancy.
Though she wasn't heartless, her affection was limited to those she personally nurtured. Xue Keke was one of the few people she genuinely cared about.
"Don't worry, Big Brother Xue. Princess Keke is kind and pure. She may not be exactly what I envisioned at first, but on a scale of 1 to 100, she scores at least an 80. She's quite lovely," Nan Feihuang responded with a smile.
"Oh? So you've developed an eye for beauty, have you? Come on, tell me—what does your idea of a perfect 100 look like?" Xue Qinghe asked, intrigued, as she sat down beside him.
"Well, I've got two types of 'perfect 100s' in mind," Nan Feihuang began. "The first type has short silver hair, a face brimming with determination, and an aura of strength. She'd be as gallant as a battlefield general, with unmatched power."
"Hmm, sounds like a fierce female warrior from the battlefield. I didn't expect you to like that type. What's the second one?" Xue Qinghe inquired, hitting the mark perfectly since Nan Feihuang had based his description on Lü Lingqi.
"The second is more of an enhanced version of Princess Keke—delicate features, an air of elegance and holiness. To match that aura, she'd have long flowing golden hair, and her entire presence would be radiant, like an angel. Oh, and wings—wings are a must. But not just one pair; three pairs would be ideal," Nan Feihuang said with a cheeky grin, his eyes meeting Xue Qinghe's as he spoke.
"Hmm? Why does that description sound oddly familiar?" Xue Qinghe tilted her head in thought. It felt as if she had seen such a person somewhere before, but she couldn't quite place it. Perhaps it had just been too long since she had looked in a mirror in her true form.
"You've seen someone like that? That's great! If you meet her again, make sure to introduce us. I'll definitely take her as my consort," Nan Feihuang joked.
After all, he was going to be a king someday. Even though he already had Princess Keke as his fiancée, joking about such matters in front of Xue Qinghe didn't seem inappropriate. Historically, no emperor had ever been without a harem.
Compared to the extravagances of past emperors, his father, Nantian Chen, having only one wife and two concubines was already considered an anomaly.
As long as he wasn't talking about making someone else queen, it didn't really matter. Everyone knew that position was destined to be Xue Keke's.
Xue Qinghe nodded thoughtfully. "Sure, if I come across someone like that, I'll introduce her to you."
She wasn't joking. If offering up a woman could help solidify her alliance with the Gulei Kingdom, she would gladly do it.
"Alright, enough about me. Big Brother Xue, did you learn anything from your trip to Gulei today?" Nan Feihuang asked directly. He knew full well what Xue Qinghe had been up to all day. "Our kingdom may be a vassal state, but we could become a valuable agricultural base for your future plans."
"You figured out what I was up to today?" Xue Qinghe's brow furrowed slightly. If this kid was merely precocious, it wouldn't be an issue, but for him to be able to guess her intentions so accurately was a bit too clever.
"Of course. I've told you before—I greatly admire your wisdom, Your Highness. Ever since you took power, you've made strides in both governance and military affairs, caring for the people as if they were your own children. Word of your benevolence has spread far and wide. But you're not just benevolent. You even proposed laws to rein in the nobility—though they were unfortunately rejected by Emperor Xue Ye," Nan Feihuang said with a knowing smile. "With ambitions like yours, Your Highness, I would never believe that you don't have grander plans."
Leaning in slightly, Nan Feihuang asked, "Big Brother Xue, do you have dreams of uniting the continent? I would love to hear your thoughts."
"And why would you think that I harbor such ambitions?" Xue Qinghe asked in a low voice.
Because you're from the Angel Clan, Nan Feihuang thought to himself. As inheritors of the Angel God, the Angel Clan relied heavily on the power of faith. Since commoners far outnumbered nobles and soul masters, the Spirit Hall's initiative to offer free spirit awakenings to the people was clearly designed to win their favor. Xue Qinghe's push to curb the nobility aligned with this goal as well. When the day came for her to reveal her true identity, the masses would already revere her. It was all about gathering the hearts of the people.
But it wasn't time to expose her just yet. For now, his goal was to make Xue Qinghe believe he was her ally, someone who shared her vision.
"Because, Your Highness, you are a person of great ambition. In today's world, the northern and southern empires of Tiandou and Xingluo stand divided. While the Spirit Hall has kept large-scale conflicts at bay for now, smaller skirmishes constantly break out along the borders.
"This continent will inevitably descend into the same chaos as before. When that time comes, all life under heaven and across the earth will be caught in the flames of war. Therefore, those born into this world must fight. Only by unifying the land can we bring about an era of lasting peace for Douluo."
Every word Nan Feihuang spoke struck a chord with Xue Qinghe.
"Born into this world, we must fight, mustn't we?" Xue Qinghe murmured, lost in thought. Yes, wasn't that exactly how it was?
To her surprise, the boy sitting beside her was truly a kindred spirit, someone who shared her exact ideals.
She had infiltrated the Tiandou Empire with two goals in mind: to distance herself from her mother, Bibi Dong, with whom she could no longer bear to live, and to take the empire without bloodshed.
If the Spirit Hall were to declare open war on Tiandou, they would surely win, but at the cost of countless lives. Such slaughter went against the ways of the Angel Clan. They would eliminate any threat to their mission, but they never needlessly killed innocents.
For two hours, Xue Qinghe and Nan Feihuang talked. Xue Qinghe was astonished to discover that when it came to policies on curbing the nobility and improving the lives of the people, the two of them were perfectly aligned. She couldn't help but feel a sense of camaraderie.
"Yes, Feihuang, that's exactly my dream. One day, I will unite this continent! It's been my ambition for years, but no one has ever seen through me like you have. I'm truly glad to have met you today. I want to invite you—will you stand with me in the future, help me achieve this goal?" Xue Qinghe's tone shifted, becoming more direct. She no longer called him her brother-in-law, instead addressing him by name.
"Big Brother Xue, if that's the case, then I, Nan Feihuang, will stand by your side and give you my all!" Nan Feihuang responded without hesitation.
"No matter what my identity may be, I need to be upfront with you. My position as crown prince is not as secure as it seems. Many of the nobles dislike my policies, and sometimes they even prefer my fourth brother, Xue Beng, over me." Xue Qinghe spoke cautiously, testing the waters. Her real intention was to see if Nan Feihuang would still be willing to stand by her side, even if one day, she no longer held the title of Tiandou's crown prince, but something else entirely.
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