Chapter 33: A Small Ripple on Her Birthday

  Huang Fu Song was completely surprised. Nalan Xianyu didn't say much, but with just two sentences, he won the battle single-handedly against a hundred opponents.

  Huang Pu Song no longer took it lightly, but instead grasped the time to observe the soldiers' reaction status in that short period of time.

  Every soldier's move is quite strong, but facing Nalan Xiong makes it seem like they're not worth fighting. Huangfu Song couldn't help but think that if the soldiers' abilities were raised a bit higher and Nalan Xiong could stay in Lianxiang Country, dedicating himself to it, then Lianxiang Country's future would be bright indeed.

  "Alright." Huang Fu Song turned his head and said to the person beside him.

  "Inspection halt." The guard shouted in a loud voice.

  Nalan Xixi returned to the stage and waited for Huangfu Song to speak.

  "Love is indeed a true talent, a rare gem of a person! I haven't misjudged you. So, from now on, I'll be counting on you." Huang Fu Song said with a relieved smile, preparing to bestow some silver coins upon him.

  "May I have an audience with Your Majesty? I have a matter of importance to discuss." Nalan Xiong said.

  "Huang Pu Song's current mood is straight up."

  "Can the twenty elite soldiers selected along with General Mo be handed over to him for training?" Nalan Xianyu didn't want to train such a large group of people. They were relatively inexperienced, and it would take more effort to teach them. Another reason was that she couldn't afford to nurture so many useful enemies. Twenty of them, plus the ones she kept in reserve, would be enough for the Silver Armor Knights of the Luotian Kingdom to handle if they were to go to war in the future.

  "This...” Huang Fu Song hesitated for a moment. These twenty elite soldiers were the cream of the crop in the national army. If he were to hand them over, but if they could be trained to approach Nalan Xian's level, that would be a good thing too. "Alright, I'll entrust them to you. I hope you won't disappoint me."

  "Yes. Thank you, Your Majesty."

  Time flies. Half a year has passed in the blink of an eye.

  In the same way she had trained the Silver Armor Knights before, Nalan Xinnuo was teaching them in a seemingly true yet false manner. There was no longer the strictness and high elimination rate of the past. After all, there were only twenty people this time. If they were eliminated, Hu Fangsong might not trust her anymore. Therefore, Nalan Xinnuo turned a blind eye to some people with slightly inferior qualifications.

  Bai Zhi and Chen Yu also followed them in training, but they also played a leading role. To put it simply, they were like the class monitor and deputy class monitor of a class.

  Add Bai Zhi and Chen Yu, the trained personnel totaled twenty-one people. Nalan Xinnuo not only taught them skills but also the concept of unity and collective. Huangfu Ling occasionally came to see that the soldiers' abilities were rapidly improving and couldn't help but feel relieved. Nalan Xinnuo might have really lost his memory, but in case he still had to do a test, a relatively cruel test. After this, he would completely trust her and take her as his own.

  Nalan Xinnuo was counting down the days, getting more and more anxious by the day. She wanted to hear news about Nan Gongyin so badly. It had been a year since Officer Guo Hongye said that Gongyin needed a year's worth of treatment. Did that mean she would see him soon?

  She has almost completely gained Lenovo's trust now. She wants to empty out Lenovo but still needs some time.

  "Leave it to you on Father Emperor's birthday that day, the guard." said Huangfu Ling and Nalan Xianuo as they strolled in the school field.

  "Hmm." Nalan Xixi replied softly. She had been missing Nan Gongyin a lot lately and was somewhat distracted.

  "You just need to deploy your subordinates well, no need to guard personally. As our country's outstanding general, of course, you will attend as a guest." Huangfu Ling smiled brightly, but in his heart, he was praying that on that day, Nalan Xian could not let him down and would give her a beautiful future.

  "Yes." Nalan Xino nodded. In the past six months, Huangfu Ling had almost always been in this harmless and sunny state of mind. She was starting to get the illusion that they were really good friends. If it weren't for the fact that he had ruthlessly hurt her and Nan Gongyin in the past, Nalan Xino might have actually thought that being friends with him wasn't so bad after all.

  "That day's security issue was a heavy responsibility. Lu Tian Guo temporarily managed the country's princess, Nan Gong Yan, who would also come to wish her father a long life." Huang Fu Ling threw out this bombshell with a nonchalant tone, leaving Na Lan Xi Nuo at a loss.

  Nalan Xixi was grateful that he was wearing a human skin mask, which could slightly conceal his astonishment. He was also glad that the two of them were walking side by side, so he couldn't see his own eyes.

  Walking calmly as if nothing had happened.

  "Hmm, this defense must be strengthened." Nalan Xino's surface was calm, but her heart had already begun to worry. If Nan Gongyan saw herself here and found out that she had lost her memory, would she be very sad? But for the sake of a greater cause, she had no choice but to choose to hurt Nan Gongyan...

  Nalan Xixi was preparing to force herself up. Anyway, she had lost her memory and didn't know anything.

  Nalan Xinnuo didn't know that their encounter that day wasn't so simple after all.

  "Princess, I've always felt that Lenovo's invitation to us is a bit strange. Could there be some kind of conspiracy?" He Xian said on the way to Lenovo.

  "No matter what conspiracy, they invited us so we should go. In the current situation of three kingdoms competing with each other, no one can afford to offend anyone. We should maintain a good relationship with them. Maybe they think so too."

  The face of Nangong Yan no longer has the confusion and arrogance of before. This year, she had to learn to grow up. With Wang brother not around and her mother not around, she had to hold up a country by herself. For a daughter, for the previously carefree little princess Nangong Yan, this is what kind of test.

  "Alright. Since it's already been decided, let's not talk about it anymore. Besides, you didn't say anything earlier. Now that we've rushed halfway, you suddenly remembered." Huo Zhi said somewhat speechlessly.

  "Hey, you bastard... I mentioned it before..."

  "Alright, don't make a fuss. It seems like there's a small town up ahead. Let's find an inn to rest first." After traveling by boat and carriage for so long, Nan Gong Yan was feeling somewhat tired.

  "Yes, Princess." Huo Zhe replied and gave He Xian a white eye.

  This time, coming to the Lenovo country, only He Xian and Huo Zhi, two senior ministers, followed Nangong Yan, protecting her, then there was a guard, Quan Long stayed in Luo Tian to handle some necessary court affairs, it's an extraordinary period, can't help but do so, fortunately these three ministers are all very trustworthy.

  "When will Brother Wang finally come back? Has Xi Nu found Brother Wang yet? Has she handed over the important thing to him?" The three of them were eating in the elegant room, Nan Gong Yan murmured, this was her constant worry and also her pillar. One day, these two most important people in her life would return. That's why she could hold on, making herself work hard to manage Luo Tian well. But why was there still no news until now? She really... was about to lose strength...

  "Princess, don't worry, I believe Master and Nalan will be back soon." Huo Zhi comforted her, because he didn't know when those two would return either. But he knew they definitely would come back.

  "That guy is right." He Xian was tongue-tied and couldn't comfort him, so he could only echo in agreement.

  The birthday of the Emperor of Lenovo. The entire imperial palace is filled with joy. Huangfu Chen was mainly in charge of internal etiquette, that is, the arrangement of the birthday banquet and the preparation of food and drink for the banquet. And Huangfu Ling was mainly responsible for receiving foreign guests and the safety issues of the birthday banquet.

  In an ordinary citizen's home, it is just a matter of course for the son to do this. But in the imperial family, this is when one shows oneself off. Every small thing must be done well.

  "How's it going? Have all the guards been arranged?" Huangfu Ling found Nalan Xianuo, who was talking to Chen Yu, and said with a smile.

  "Alright." Nalan Xixi gave Chen Yu a nod to leave. Chen Yu bowed to Huangfu Ling and then retreated.

  "Now there's nothing to do." Huang Pu Ling still had a warm and gentle smile on his face.

  "Alright then." Nalan Xixi had originally wanted to check again, but this was something Chen Yubai could also do.

  "Why don't you go with me to welcome the visiting guests? The princess of Rakshasa and the crown prince of Shengjin have both arrived." Huangfu Ling said lightly, but it struck a chord in Nalan Xianyu's heart. Dugu Han, he had also come.

  "My identity... can I go too?" Nalan Xixi asked with her last bit of hope.

  "What's wrong with your identity? Of course, you can go. You are my bosom friend and also a great general of our country. If I went to welcome him alone, wouldn't it be too impolite?" Huangfu Ling's reason seemed quite sufficient.

  "Did they arrive at the same time?" If they went to greet them together, it would definitely be a mess. Not only would they have to deal with Nan Gong Yan, but also face the pressure of Du Gu Han. In that situation, even as Nalan Xianuo, she would feel powerless.

  "No, the Crown Prince of Sheng Jin Guo has arrived first. He will probably bring her in. The Princess of Luo Tian Guo has also arrived." Huang Fu Ling said. "But what does this have to do with anything?" This sentence was a clear probe. Huang Fu Ling really hoped that Nalan Xian Nu had truly lost her memory and would wholeheartedly stay by his side. So he hoped everything would go smoothly today.

  "Is that so." Nalan Xino whispered. "Then let's go." Luckily, the pale face of Huangfu Ling couldn't be seen. Nalan Xino steeled herself. What if she just pretended to have amnesia all the way? Anyway, she was really suffering from memory loss and didn't know anything...

  He and Huangfu Ling arrived at the palace gate, waiting for Dugu Han's arrival. Not even a moment had passed when Dugu Han's troops appeared.

  Eight extraordinary generals rode eight fine horses to lead the way, followed by Dugu Xian's jade sedan chair inlaid with various precious stones, and then came the infantrymen on foot. That jade sedan chair was absolutely one-of-a-kind in the world. However, today's procession was much more low-key compared to his previous trip to Luotian.

  "Lenovo's second prince, Huangfu Ling, once again welcomes the distant arrival of the Crown Prince of Shengjin." Huangfu Ling's calm and gentle voice echoed at the slightly noisy palace gate. Dugu Han should be able to hear it clearly.

  These two people also fought on the battlefield before, and now they are so polite to each other, it's really a bit strange. But that's just how countries interact with each other, when fighting, they don't tolerate each other, but in peacetime, they exchange courtesy after courtesy.