735 Seven Days (2/2)
The Twenty-Three-year Cicada Cultivator took a few disciples, who were older than him when he was in the Devil's Doctrine. One of them was the last Saintess of Diabolism, Xia Tian.
She had become the Empress of Tang.
The Empress was very surprised since she didn't know her teacher had been living in the Academy for so many years until now.
”His Majesty was very close with the Academy, but he told me nothing about this.”
”No one knows my real identity but the Headmaster, Eldest Brother, and Jun Mo. Your man didn't know, either... Speaking of whom, he was a good man and it was good for you to marry him.”
”Teacher, what if he was not a good man?”
”If he wasn't, even if I could do nothing, I would ask the Headmaster to do something.”
”When I married to the Emperor, did you speak for me to get the consent of the Academy?”
”The Academy never cares about this and I didn't need to speak for you. I would not oppose your marriage.”
They had not seen each other for a long time, so the Empress stood by Yu Lian's side and served her tea and fruit, which looked very weird because Yu Lian looked like a young girl at this moment.
Therefore, when Tang Xiaotang came into the palace with the Sixth Prince, they were shocked.
Yu Lian looked at her and said, ”Believe it. It's me.”
Tang Xiaotang exclaimed, ”What happened to you, teacher?”
The Empress smiled and said, ”No wonder Xiaotang has been staying with us, since Ning Que entered Chang'an. Thank you for doing this.”
Yu Lian said, ”This is the first time for you to see each other as sisters, so greet each other properly.”
Tang Xiaotang came forward to salute and the Queen saluted back.
The Empress kept silent for a long time until she could not help asking. ”Teacher, why...”
”I thought you would never ask.”
”This is nothing special. I have to go.”
The Empress was speechless and thought, ”How could I not ask since you have changed your gender.”
She stood up to see Yu Lian off.
With many bags in hand, Yu Lian said, ”Stop here. It's not convenient for you to leave the palace.”
The Empress thought, ”I indeed can't send you off since the palace is different from a normal family.”
She smiled and asked with concern, ”Teacher, how have you been these years?”
”I was in peace, which was good. Nothing too special, but I still remember, once the Headmaster explained the Twenty-three-year Cicada Cultivation to the students with praise and appreciation, I was enjoying it.”
Yu Lian paused for a while and added with a smile, ”I made a bowl of noodles with vegetables for him that night.”
Ning Que was heading to the Chao's Mansion in the Spring Breeze Pavilion Street.
Since he had killed Li Huiyuan, it was not appropriate for him to go to court or sit behind the bead curtain like the Empress. Therefore, he had to contact the court in the Chao Mansion.
He had received a message from a guy of the Fish-dragon Gang that the court had ordered the Southern Army, who was heading north, to turn southeast passing by the Xiao Mountain to Qinghe County. As for the last part of the Yulin Royal Guards, they were prepared to go south overnight.
According to this, he could confirm that the Empress already knew that the Academy had taken actions and the court began to make relevant cooperations, which he thought was appropriate.
The greatest dangers the Tang Empire faced at present came from three places.
The Golden Palace from the Wilderness; the Divine Hall Coalition Army of the West-Hill and the South Jin Kingdom; the Abbey Dean of the Zhishou Abbey who was considered as the strongest man in the world after the Headmaster left.
Although the Golden Palace was strong, the Northern Army had been supplemented by people who came back with Ning Que and the Empress from Helan City. The situation looked difficult and the recent wars seemed bloody and cruel, but this was in Tang territory. Under the Great General Xu Chi's control, as long as they could get through the tough beginning, they could make it to the end. When the tension declined, they might counterattack.
Ning Que was worrying about the Abbey Dean of the Zhishou Abbey and the situation in the south.
What a strong man the Abbey Dean of the Zhishou Abbey was! The West-Hill Divine Palace Coalition Army was overly powerful, with more than a thousand cultivators while the Tang Empire had no army in the south.
In the past few years, he had blind faith in his Eldest Brother and his Second Brother. However, in this situation, he had lost it.
Especially for the south.
Facing the mighty army of the West-Hill Divine Palace, Second Brother had to stall for seven days.
As the Southern Army and the Yulin Royal Guards needed seven days to reach the south.
Eldest Brother could only stall for seven days, so he must finish repairing the big tactical array of Chang'an in seven days.
The end would come in seven days.