bookrebus Chapter 88 8 Mile Expedited
Chapter 88 8 Mile Expedited
Emperor Da Yong followed Sikong Jin's gaze and indeed saw Crown Prince Di Bei calmly drinking, seemingly tacitly acknowledging the matter.
Emperor Da Yong's face immediately turned ugly. He gave a look to the Left Prime Minister Yang Hong below, whose expression also became slightly grave. He slowly stood up and was about to speak.
'Whoosh! '
At this moment, Lord Xingqi Tian beside him also stood up instantly. His face still wore a gentle smile, and his voice was calm and composed, "Hua'er, Ajin, why don't you hurry up and thank His Majesty for his great favor? His Majesty has ordered the Left Prime Minister to draft an imperial decree to grant you marriage. Our Second Army of Hangu Wangzhou has been waiting for this day for far too long. Some time ago, Generals Dehu and Tenglong even asked me when I would be able to drink your wedding wine..."
"Haha, sir, now we have a plan, don't we?"
As soon as Lord Yukichi Ten's voice fell, two burly and imposing men in the hall immediately stood up and congratulated him with loud laughter, "Congratulations, my lord! We've practically watched the Ninth Princess grow up. It's such a good thing for that brat Sikong Jin!"
The two generals laughed heartily and offered their congratulations, completely ignoring the somber expressions on the faces of the Left Chancellor and the Emperor above.
"Alright, since His Majesty is about to issue the decree, I, the Pavilion Master, would like to offer my congratulations in advance. Commander-in-Chief Sikong Qi has finally achieved his wish. Today is truly a day of double joy. Doesn't everyone also approve of our handsome young man marrying our Ninth Princess?"
Without saying a word, Lord Ji Jiucheng, the Grand Commander of the Military Intelligence Department of the Central State Association, immediately stood up and congratulated Sikong Jin and Xing Fuhua. Following him, Lord Meng Yi, the Grand Commander of the General Affairs Department of the Central State Association, and Tang Jingyao, the Acting Grand Commander of the Judicial Department of the Central State Association, also stood up to offer their blessings. Soon, more than two-thirds of the people in the hall stood up to express their congratulations.
Xing Fuhua was somewhat emotional. She held tightly to Sikong Jin's arm, her beautiful starry eyes already glistening with tears. Looking up at Sikong Jin, she said with a choked voice, "Brother Jin, can you see? No matter how difficult things get, I will stand by your side. No matter how tough the situation, as long as we are brave, we will definitely be able to overcome it..."
Sikong Jin smiled bitterly to herself. If that were truly the case, then she would have no choice but to marry Xing Fuhua, but...
For the first time, Lord Sikong wanted to curse the heavens for not simply making her a man.
If her identity is ever revealed, given the way things are going today, she'll be torn to pieces!
Thinking of this, a cold sweat broke out on her back. She rubbed her forehead, forced a stiff smile, and nodded repeatedly to thank those who congratulated her. At the same time, she said to the Ninth Princess with a bitter expression, "Your Highness, your kindness... I truly have no way to repay you..."
The Ninth Princess was an extremely intelligent woman. If she hadn't boldly made such a decision, she would certainly be a princess sent to marry into the Great Zhou or Tian Sheng today. She had always been in love with Sikong Jin, and she would rather die than go to marry into the Great Zhou.
She analyzed it this way—
First, once her relationship with Sikong Jin was established, her father had a reason to transfer him to the Second Army Corps of Wangzhou in Hangu Pass, and promote him rapidly. In that way, it wouldn't be long before he could regain control of the Four Banners Army from Sikong Rui.
Secondly, the Sikong family will definitely re-evaluate Sikong Jin's position within the family, and she will also have an excuse to frequently visit Su Yue and Sikong Mo, and find an opportunity to rescue them when the time is right.
Third, she doesn't have to worry every day that Sikong Jin will take a fancy to other girls.
Xing Fuhua raised a faint smile on her face and whispered in Sikong Jin's ear, "Brother Jin, I don't want anything in return. I just want you to fill your heart with me and never look at any other girl again."
Sikong Jin was startled, and silently cried out in her heart—
No, I prefer men...
Faced with such a dramatic change in the situation, Emperor Yong, sitting on the dragon throne, gripped the armrests tightly, forcing himself to calm down. He thought about it carefully and concluded that the matter was not as simple as it seemed; perhaps someone was directing things from behind the scenes.
His eyes darkened, and his sharp gaze swept across the room, landing on Prince Duan, Lord Xingqi Tian. Xingqi Tian was also smiling at him, his gentle gaze seemingly calm, yet concealing a murderous intent—he had just reminded him that he still had the Second Legion of Hangu Wangzhou under his command!
But how could a plan that had been meticulously planned for so long be reduced to ashes?
He remained silent for a long while, then a ruthless glint flashed in his eyes. His gloomy face was somewhat pale, but he forced himself to stand up and laughed loudly, "As expected of the good son of Commander-in-Chief Sikong! Commander Sikong's outstanding command in the battle of Malan City led to the great victory at Malanpo. I specially summoned him back to the capital to reward and promote him. Today, on the occasion of my birthday, I will grant your marriage. Sikong Jin, listen to my decree!"
Sikong Jin raised an eyebrow, looking at Emperor Dayong with some surprise, before kneeling down on one knee, "This humble official receives the decree!"
"Sikong Jin's outstanding command and excellent performance in the battles against the Liao Dynasty and the Hangu Wangzhou military region have brought glory to our Great Yong Dynasty. I have decided to reward you and hereby bestow upon you the title of Marquis of Dingbei. I will also betroth you to the Ninth Princess, Xing Fuhua, with the wedding to take place in three years. Furthermore, to foster a more harmonious relationship between the Sikong family and the Liu family, I hereby bestow upon you the title of Liu Xianxian, the daughter of the Liu family..."
As Emperor Dayong spoke, Sikong Jin's expression suddenly changed, and even Lord Xingqi Tian frowned for a moment...
Tuoba Yu's gaze darkened. He glanced thoughtfully at Sikong Jin, whose expression had changed slightly. Then, he looked at Di Beizun beside him and found him with one hand slightly clenched, looking down at the wine cup in front of him, his expression serene.
"Report——"
An anxious announcement suddenly came from outside the hall, cutting off Emperor Dayong's next words!
Everyone was startled and quickly turned to look in the direction of the sound. They saw a strongman hurriedly walking in, carrying a report in a panic. The Emperor of Dayong had an unusually gloomy expression.
"Your Majesty, an urgent dispatch from Lanzhou is needed!"
Emperor Da Yong was taken aback and gave a wink to the eunuch beside him. The eunuch immediately went over and took the report.
Emperor Yong casually opened the book and was immediately stunned. His whole body stiffened, and he slumped back into his dragon throne with a very strange expression. The officials below also fell silent, cautiously watching the emperor. They clearly sensed that something was wrong and looked at each other in bewilderment.
"emperor?"
The Empress, who was standing to the side, tentatively called out.
After a long while, Emperor Dayong finally recovered, took a deep breath, and slowly stood up. "I am feeling unwell. My esteemed envoys and all of you may enjoy yourselves. Prince Lie, please entertain the distinguished guests from Da Zhou and Tian Sheng on my behalf."
After saying that, he retreated with heavy steps.