Chapter 611: First Volume_Chapter 611: The Cold Father-Daughter Bond

First Volume_Chapter 611: The Cold Father-Daughter Bond

A strong, sour feeling spread through the air near the city gate.

The young masters and noble sons of Jingzhong wished they could sentence Qin Feng to death right now.

Why should all the good things under heaven fall to Qin Feng? It wasn't fair!

Just being fated to spend his life with Xie Yun'er was enough to make others green with envy.

Now they learned that this fellow Qin Feng, with the closest seat to the water, had quietly won over the Shedynasty's only princess as well.

Even those who bore Qin Feng no old grudge, and some who even admired him, couldn't help clenching their back teeth in secret, wishing they could devour him alive.

Qin Feng had become the public enemy of Jingdu's young masters.

But, angry as they were, the crowd could do nothing about it.

The Tianji Camp Guards alone at Qin Feng's side were chilling enough, and now another five hundred Black Cavalry were marching on Jingdu.

Even Jingdu's most elite Imperial Guard and Palace Guards had been beaten to a pulp by Qin Feng, forcing even the current Sage to dodge his attacks.

For ordinary young masters to pick a fight with Qin Feng was no different from lighting a lantern in a latrine—looking for shit.

Li Xiaolan rode a white horse, treading on the stunned, burning gazes of the surrounding crowd, advancing slowly toward the Imperial Palace.

The Princess of Qiyang Commandery led over a hundred Imperial Guard soldiers to welcome her in person.

The moment she saw Li Xiaolan, the Princess of Qiyang Commandery couldn't help a flash of amazement in her heart, and quickly bowed in greeting.

"Qiyang respectfully welcomes the Princess back to Beijing."

"Please dismount, Princess, and transfer to the Imperial Road Carriage; the Imperial Guard will escort you into the palace."

Li Xiaolan sat high on her horse, looking down at the Princess of Qiyang Commandery, radiating an unquestionable authority.

"There's no need to change carriages; I'm used to keeping company with Beixi Soldiers. Switching to strangers would be hard to get used to."

Li Xiaolan made no attempt to hide her distrust of the Imperial Guard.

Right off the bat, Li Xiaolan gave the Princess of Qiyang Commandery a Downward Warning, but the latter didn't feel any aversion in her heart.

After all, Li Xiaolan had been lost among the Folk, suffered every grievance, and now that she'd finally returned to Beijing, it was understandable that she'd be averse to matters in the capital.

The Princess of Qiyang Commandery didn't press the matter, ordered the Imperial Guard to escort her on both sides, and led the way herself up front.

Li Xiaolan had little interest in the Princess of Qiyang Commandery; her gaze, however, kept falling on the Imperial Guard.

Casually, she asked Zhao Yuxiong beside her: "I heard the Jingdu Imperial Guard is the most elite unit among the Jingji Garrison."

"They specialize in defending Jingdu and the Imperial Palace; they are the Shedynasty's last DefensiveLine."

"How then were they routed by Feng'er, losing their helmets and armor, utterly defeated?"

At these words, the surrounding Imperial Guard all flushed scarlet, heads pressed extremely low, wishing they could find a crack in the ground to crawl into.

How could Zhao Yuxiong not know Li Xiaolan's character—she was clearly mocking the Imperial Guard on purpose, shielding Qin Feng's shortcomings.

After all, among the four young misses of the Qin Family, Li Xiaolan was the scheming one.

When she didn't speak, fine; but once she opened her mouth, it killed the heart outright, stabbing straight into people's soft spot.

"To answer the Princess, it's not that the Imperial Guard is too weak, but that Brother Qin is too strong."

"After all, Brother Qin fought bloody battles on the Northern Border—how could his real combat experience be matched by these pampered garrison troops?"

Zhao Yuxiong answered lightly, but his heart was in turmoil.

After all, the Imperial Guard represented the Shedynasty's face; facing Qin Feng, they were so utterly helpless—it couldn't help but damage the nation's prestige.

But...

The moment he thought of how Qin Feng had led just a few hundred men to fight back and forth across Jingdu, even completely annihilating the Imperial Guard defending the Execution Ground...

Zhao Yuxiong couldn't help a surge of excitement, even feeling an unprecedented pride.

To follow at the side of such a leader was Zhao Yuxiong's honor.

Li Xiaolan and Zhao Yuxiong, one line from each, paid no heed whatsoever to the Imperial Guard's face.

The Princess of Qiyang Commandery listened, and glanced at the Imperial Guard beside her who couldn't lift their heads, and couldn't help a secret sigh.

After this battle, she didn't know how many years it would take for the Imperial Guard to regain its dignity.

Zhao Yuxiong led the Black Cavalry, escorting Li Xiaolan all the way to the Palace Gate, where he handed her over to the Imperial Guard and watched her enter the palace.

This move undoubtedly showed the outside world that Li Xiaolan was not merely a lost princess, but a Powerful Clan backed by the entire Northern Border.

No matter who in Gong Zhong wished to harm Li Xiaolan, they had to weigh the consequences carefully first.

The ceremony to welcome Li Xiaolan back into the Beixi County War Hero was set for the fifteenth of next month, a Yellow Calendar Day.

The ceremony was merely a formality.

Li Xiaolan had just entered the palace when she was taken to the Imperial Study to be reunited with the Liang Emperor as father and daughter.

The touching scene of a father and daughter reunion, brimming with tears, did not appear.

On the contrary, both the Liang Emperor and Li Xiaolan appeared remarkably calm—calm to the point of coldness.

If Li Xiaolan were merely a pure lost princess, the Liang Emperor would naturally treat her as the pearl in his palm; unfortunately, this girl had "gone astray" and become Qin Feng's kin.

That alone was enough to make the Liang Emperor fly into a rage.

But for now, anger was clearly meaningless.

The Liang Emperor glanced at Zhang Xiuye; Zhang Xiuye immediately understood, hurriedly brought a chair, and respectfully invited Li Xiaolan to sit.

"Lan'er, these years drifting outside, you've suffered."

"Whatever request you have, speak freely; I will grant it all."

"I owe you that much."

These words carried almost no feeling whatsoever—purely cold, high-sounding platitudes.

Faced with such a heartless father, Li Xiaolan showed not a trace of sorrow.

In Li Xiaolan's heart, she had only ever had one father—Qin Tianhu.

As for the man before her, he was at most a stranger called father.

Li Xiaolan did not hesitate, blurting out: "My only request is that the Sage reexamine the Traitor Case involving Xie Bi."

The Liang Emperor let out a soft "Oh."

He was not the least surprised by Li Xiaolan's request—or rather, this was part of the procedure.

The Liang Emperor handed the already prepared Royal Edict to Zhang Xiuye, signaling him to notify Dali Temple to reopen Xie Bi's case.

At the same time, he took out another Royal Edict.

"My daughter has suffered. To make up for the shortfall in my heart."

"Tomorrow, in the Grand Hall during the court assembly, I shall bestow upon Lan'er the title of Mingyue Princess and grant her Changning Gong."

"As Princess of Liang, I hope you shall shine like the bright moon, illuminating the lands of Liang, and live a life of peace and well-being."

Li Xiaolan rose and bowed slightly.

"Mingyue, thanks to ImperialGrace."

The Liang Emperor stared at Li Xiaolan, watching this daughter before him—calm, reserved, even unnervingly composed.

For some reason, he involuntarily drew a deep breath, and a faint ripple stirred within him.

Before the ripple could spread, the Liang Emperor waved his hand.

"You must be tired. Return and rest. There will be plenty of time in the future for us father and daughter to meet."

"The affection we've lost these years can be slowly made up."

Li Xiaolan bowed, then slowly withdrew from the Imperial Study, showing no trace of hesitation.

The Liang Emperor stared blankly at the Door for a while, only withdrawing his gaze when the Eunuch closed it, then returning to his endless sea of state affairs.

The Qiyang Commandery Lady had been waiting a long time; seeing Li Xiaolan emerge, she immediately led her toward Hou Gong.

"Your Highness Mingyue, you don't know the way—I'll take you to Changning Gong."