805 A Later Story (2/2)
The Eldest Brother held back the Abbey Dean for seven days, seriously injured Master Qi Mei in the Pamir Mountains and the Great Divine Priest of Revelation in the Verdant Canyon. The Second Brother beat Ye Su first, then he hurt Liu Bai, and stopped the West-Hill Divine Palace Army in front of the Verdant Canyon with his companions. And the Third Sister disabled the Hierarch of the West-Hill Divine Palace and fought against the Abbey Dean with the Eldest Brother from earth to heaven.
Besides the God-stunning Array left by the Headmaster and the character written by Ning Que, the Eldest Brother, Second Brother, and Third Sister were the people who had changed the war.
”The Academy really has suffered a great loss, but Haotian Taoism has lost more than we have. I even expected for them to do this a little sooner.”
Ning Que looked at her and said, ”We both need time to heal. So you don't need to worry about the attitude of the Academy. Do what you need to do.”
The Empress said, ”You are right. We have time.”
Ning Que looked at the moon and said, ”Not exactly.”
The room was quiet. The Empress turned to the moon in the sky, looking at it with Ning Que. They both knew that the key to final victory was on that moon.
The Empress retracted her gaze and turned to him. She asked, ”What's the Academy's opinion?”
”My brothers and sisters don't know about political affairs, so they have no opinion to pass on to you. But I do have something I need to remind you about.”
”What is it?”
”If you can, withdraw General Shu Cheng from the Pamir Mountains as soon as possible.”
Upon hearing this, the Empress lifted her eyebrows and said, ”They are going to break through Chaoyang City and subjugate the Yuelun in half a month. Why should I order them to give up?”
”They can't enter Chaoyang City.”
Ning Que thought of the high peak in the Wilderness as well as the yellow temples amid the mountains, and said, ”Both the Academy and Haotian Taoism have suffered a lot, thus, I don't want anyone like the Chief Preaching Monk to come to Chang'an.”
The Empress was a member of the Devil's Doctrine and knew very well about the legendary figures in the cultivation world. As soon as she heard Ning Que, she understood what he was talking about and could not agree more.
She said, ”The Military Ministry had a plan: the Western Army would leave the Yuelun Kingdom aside and enter the Wilderness from the north of the Pamir Mountains. They would then try to locate the Chanyu's position before the main force of the Golden went south.”
Ning Que thought of the swamp called ”Quagmire” and said, ”It's too risky, so you'd better drop it. The best way is to withdraw the Western Army and turn to the Seven Stockaded Villages.”
The Empress said, ”I agree. If we have to negotiate with the Divine Hall, they will request that the Academy participates. Who will be going, you or Mr. First?”
”The Academy can't participate, or at least, I can't.”
Looking at the scattered cups on the desk, he said, ”If the Academy does, we will regret it in the future. And if I were to sign on the paper, how could I kill people after regretting it?”
Chao Xiaoshu had been waiting for Ning Que in the duty room to leave the palace together.
Suddenly, snow began falling from the sky, covering the ground in a short time. It was a little slippery. Chao Xiaoshu said, ”Let's have a drink and wait for the snow to stop.”
Ning Que nodded.
There was a soup shop on the corner, which was full of people. As the war subsided, people's normal lives had recovered. However, they were not as noisy as they had been before.
When the shop owner saw these new customers coming, he set tables outside the building and asked them if they minded.
Chao Xiaoshu and Ning Que did not care about that, so they ate their hot mutton soup in the light snow.
Chao Xiaoshu picked up a cup and asked, ”What are you going to do with Li Yu?”
Ning Que was putting coriander into Chao Xiaoshu's bowl while he heard this. He was stunned. Then he said in his usual tone, ”That's up to the Empress or the imperial court.”
Chao Xiaoshu said, ”But I am asking you.”
Ning Que put down his chopsticks and said while looking at him, ”I don't remember you two being close.”
”She is His Majesty's favorite daughter.”
Then he picked up the dish of condiments and poured all of them into Ning Que's bowl.