Chapter 764: Grand Finale

Xiao Yin sat in the Hall of Nurturing Heart reviewing memorials, while Gu Jiu Ling hung on his neck like an ornament.

Xiao Yin couldn't help but twitch the corners of his mouth; over these days he didn't know what this woman had been through, always feeling she was even clingier than his little princess.

Even when exhausted to the extreme, she dared not sleep, struggling to talk to him, even teasing him.

At this moment Gu Jiu Ling was almost too tired to stay awake, yet she forced herself to stay up, even finding two little sticks from somewhere to prop open her eyelids.

Xiao Yin had no choice but to put down the memorial and hold her in his arms.

"Xiao Yin!" Gu Jiu Ling exclaimed in desperation, calling his name directly—this was in the Hall of Nurturing Heart.

The past few days their antics in the Hall of Phoenix Etiquette could be overlooked, but this is the Hall of Nurturing Heart—what if a minister walked in?

Xiao Yin shouted, "Close the hall doors—no matter who comes, drive them away for me!"

Gu Jiu Ling lay in the familiar warm embrace, instantly laughing as she raised her hand to slowly stroke Xiao Yin's sharply defined cheek.

"The emperor really has the potential to be a fatuous ruler!"

Xiao Yin rubbed her bun and laughed softly, "Being muddle‑headed for you alone is not impossible! What does overturning the world matter?"

"Just why won't you dare to sleep?" Xiao Yin gently stroked Gu Jiu Ling's weary face, asking in a low voice, his expression turning solemn.

Others don't understand, thinking the empress is just a lovable, carefree spirit, but he can see the fear and dread hidden in her heart.

Xiao Yin's single question caused Gu Jiu Ling to break down completely.

At first she could still laugh, but gradually she couldn't; then she buried her head in Xiao Yin's chest, pressing hard against his breast, and the words she spoke made one's heart ache.

"Xiao Yin, I'm scared! I'm really scared!"

"I haven't been fearless before—especially when I was alone in Yingzhou, digging tunnels and fighting the eight great clans; back then I was actually quite panicked!"

"But back then, though I was afraid, just thinking of you waiting outside to meet me made me unafraid."

Gu Jiu Ling sobbed softly, "But for over a year now it's just me alone, with no way to reach heaven or earth; I worry that if I close my eyes I won't see you and the child."

"I even feel like everything now is a dream, an illusion—I really don't know what to do."

"Xiao Yin, I dare not sleep… I really dare not sleep!"

Xiao Yin listened, his heart aching badly; he tightly gripped her icy hand, slowly lifted it, let her hand lightly brush his face, then placed it over his heart.

"Can you hear my heartbeat?"

Gu Jiu Ling dazedly nodded.

Xiao Yin lowered his head, forehead touching hers, and said softly, "As long as my heart beats—even for just an instant—you'll hear it, and we'll never part again."

Gu Jiu Ling stared there; Xiao Yin chuckled softly, held her tight, leaned to her ear and whispered, "Sleep, I'm here, forever."

A huge wave of drowsiness struck Gu Jiu Ling; at that moment the tense string inside her finally loosened a little.

Like a newborn baby curled in Xiao Yin's arms, her brows and eyes also relaxed, never having felt such ease before.

Even the fireworks Xiao Yin had specially prepared for Gu Jiu Ling outside failed to wake her from sleep.

Gu Jiu Ling had stayed up too long; nestled in Xiao Yin's arms she felt an unprecedented sense of relief, sleeping so deeply she had no idea of the joy and bustle outside that arose because of her.

Jiu Yue took Gu Er's hand and walked toward the city gate tower of the palace city; she was the little princess of the Li Dynasty, naturally noble.

Tonight is the fireworks display specially designed by the emperor and empress; the little princess must stand on the city gate tower to accompany the imperial couple in receiving the people's homage.

Jiu Yue and Ling Feng guarded the little princess's side; she stumbled slightly and almost fell, so Jiu Yue hurriedly bent to help her.

Unexpectedly, Ling Feng grabbed one with each hand, firmly holding both Jiu Yue and the little princess.

The little princess clapped and laughed happily: "Commander Ling is amazing!"

Ling Feng smiled: "Thank you, Your Highness the Princess, for the praise!"

He turned his head to look at Jiu Yue: "You also need to be careful!"

Jiu Yue's cheeks flushed slightly; she and Ling Feng had only married three days prior, and after the empress woke up she said they had been delayed too long, so she directly held a banquet for them.

Although they were servants, the banquet saw every powerful clan send representatives; as close aides of the emperor and empress, how could they not curry favor?

Walking ahead were Yun Duo and Da Wo, who appeared somewhat restrained in front of the Crown Prince.

Gu Yi had long been made crown prince; now he held his chest high, possessing imperial dignity despite his young age.

Today the Crown Prince was in a good mood; watching the fireworks bloom in mid‑air, he suddenly stopped, turned, and looked toward Yun Duo.

"Aunt Yun Duo, when are you planning to marry?"

Yun Duo froze on the spot—was this the Crown Prince urging her to marry?

She stared fixedly at the tiny person; being urged to marry by this little fellow made her inexplicably embarrassed.

"Your Highness, this servant is not in a hurry!"

Gu Yi glanced at Da Wo standing nearby and smiled faintly: "You two have both been hurt—how pitiful!"

Having said that, the Crown Prince turned and walked away.

Da Wo and Yun Duo both stood there stunned—what did that mean?

They looked at the Crown Prince standing on the city gate tower and found this youngster had the makings of an emperor, unfathomably deep.

At the palace city gate this time, carriages of the various great clans gradually pulled up at the East Sima Gate.

Soon a grand palace banquet will be held.

The Pillar of State General's family arrived first; Zhao Lang got out of the carriage and helped Jinzhi down, while Madam Zhao and Old Master Zhao took the hands of a pair of grandchildren and walked in laughing.

Seeing the Zhao family, the other clans all made way; nowadays the Zhao family, thanks to Long Yougong, is the foremost military‑merit clan of Southern Qi.

Jinzhi also transformed from an orphan girl into a First‑Rank Noble Lady, holding absolute status and influence among the noble ladies of Jing Cheng.

The Lin family matriarch also returned to the capital; although she still felt a bit uneasy, as the saying goes "one emperor, one minister," she had to consider her little grandsons, and the imperial family still needed to maintain good relations.

Cheng Ming rode his own son on his shoulders, while the Cheng family's young master wore a full set of red silk brocade, his brows and eyes flashing with pride just like his father's.

Cheng Ming had been afflicted with a strange illness from birth, growing up in endless darkness; now that he had a son, he doted on him excessively.

If it weren't for Lin Ru Jun's firm suppression, they really could have raised a little demon king.

One after another, other great clans arrived at the city gate; it was said the empress had specially commissioned craftsmen to design a fireworks‑launching mechanism, even setting a specific time.

Seeing that the time had come, yet there was no sign of the emperor and empress, everyone stood there stunned.

Cheng Ming couldn't help shouting, "Where is His Majesty? Where is the Empress?"

Isn't tonight's banquet celebrating the great joy of the Empress finally waking up?

Lin Ru Jun secretly tugged at his sleeve, telling him not to speak so loudly, after all, now that ruler and subject are distinct, it's better to be discreet.

Jinzhi worriedly looked at Zhao Lang: "Husband, nothing else could have happened, right? Why not take the token and go have a look?"

Zhao Lang gently squeezed Jinzhi's hand and smiled softly: "Madam, rest assured, even if heaven and earth were overturned and the seas flowed backward, nothing would happen to those two, after all, wicked people live for a thousand years!"

"Husband!" Jinzhi glared at Zhao Lang.

Just as everyone was discussing noisily, an edict came from inside the palace: the Empress and the Emperor have retired; officials and ladies may enjoy themselves as they wish.

"What?" Cheng Ming couldn't help shouting.

Zhao Lang laughed: "That's fine; tonight no one is restraining us, let's raise our cups and drink freely!"

"Come, come! Let's all drink together!"

The banquet was set up in the colorful canopy erected before the palace city, for convenient viewing of the fireworks display.

Zhao Lang raised his wine cup, and everyone else rose to their feet, instantly making the atmosphere lively.

With a bang, a cluster of gold fireworks shot up instantly, exploded, and cheers rose from all around.

Zhao Lang led the crowd to lower their cups, then hurriedly bowed to the Crown Prince on the city gate tower; the Crown Prince spoke a few words of blessing, personally came down holding goat milk to feast with the officials, and even the little children showed no panic.

The surrounding guests, seeing this, felt much more at ease.

In an instant, fireworks blazed, cups crossed, presenting a scene of prosperous peace.

Outside Jing Cheng, an inconspicuous carriage was parked; from this angle one could see the fireworks of Shang Jing.

Tuo Ba Yu lifted the carriage curtain to look at the fireworks, his voice hoarse and slow: "Has she awakened?"

"In reply to Your Majesty, today all of Southern Qi is holding celebrations, celebrating the rebirth and awakening of the Southern Qi Empress!" Gu Lv said carefully.

Tuo Ba Yu lowered the curtain and smiled softly: "She has awakened; that's good."

The sound of exploding fireworks intertwined with the people's cheers into a single tapestry.

The Hall of Nurturing Heart in the palace city fell into silence.

One could even hear the Southern Qi Empress's faint, shallow breathing, and the Southern Qi Emperor's low murmurs.

"Jiu Ling, thank you for choosing me among tens of thousands; we will never be parted again."

(End)