NFBE Chapter 112 Someone will be unlucky
Chapter 112 Someone will be unlucky
If Tang Lingruo died, it was entirely possible that Marquis Xun An would send troops to Qi in anger. Even if the Zhou pro-peace faction was unwilling, Your Majesty would give Zhou enough reasons and benefits to add fuel to the fire. After all, the discord between Chen and Qi has been going on for a long time. They dared to cross Fenglin Mountain and enter the border of Dachen to assassinate. How could Your Majesty not return the slap in the face from the Zhanshi Office?
So after interrogating the assassin, Qi Xiao's first guess was that the Tiance Camp was acting on the orders of His Majesty.
But now, after witnessing Chi Yue's skills and abilities, Qi Xiao knew he was wrong. If the Tiance Camp had followed orders, Tang Ling would have been dead. Qi Xiao hadn't understood his father before, but now he seemed to understand him a little better. He was decisive and efficient. He dealt with the Ministry of Revenue as it came. He gave Cao Weishan five days to close Luo Yu's case. If he wanted to destroy the Protectorate, Ni Jue would have to die...
If he killed Tang Ling, Xun Anhou might not necessarily follow his wishes and lead an army to attack Qi. Since that was not a possibility, he would not do it in vain.
Chi Yue's attitude towards Tang Ling was the best proof of this. His Majesty had never truly cared about Tang Ling. Even when he knew Qi Xiao and Tang Ling were together, he just let it go and didn't care.
Tang Ling looked at Qi Xiao, stunned and speechless for a moment. What Qi Xiao had just said was extremely disrespectful and could not be said to anyone, especially to him.
Tang Ling leaned over and kissed Qi Xiao, silently covering his mouth. Qi Xiao didn't need to say those words, and he didn't need to hear them. No matter how many impossibilities stood between them, as long as he could hug and kiss him at this moment, Tang Ling could ignore everything else.
"Didn't you say you didn't want it just now?" Qi Xiao entangled Tang Ling's kisses for a long time, until he became limp and powerless. He let Qi Xiao nibble on his earlobe with his hands on his waist. Tang Ling wanted to push him away or escape, but it was too late.
Tang Ling panted rapidly and moved even closer to Qi Xiao. After all, he was the one who started it, and he just liked Qi Xiao and was willing to do it.
Qi Xiao turned over and pressed Tang Ling down, lowering his head to kiss his throat, as if biting him and causing him to whimper and swallow. After a moment's pause, he reached out to pull up the corner of the quilt, tucked Tang Ling in, and pecked him lightly on the lips again. He rested his head on his shoulder and whispered, "If you don't want to tell me, I won't force you."
Tang Ling turned her head and met Qi Xiao's gaze, speechless. At Lanquan, Tang Ling had said she knew the assassin wasn't from the Office of the Occupational Secretary. This wasn't just a test of Qi Xiao; he genuinely had his suspicions. Qi Xiao had assumed their suspicions were similar, but they weren't. Even now, Tang Ling wouldn't elaborate.
Maybe it's impossible, maybe it's not right. Qi Xiao could understand Tang Ling's concerns, but he couldn't help but feel a sense of loss in his heart.
Qi Xiao raised his hand to ruffle the scattered hair on Tang Ling's cheeks and sighed softly: "No matter what, at least with me, you don't have to weigh the pros and cons, or feel wronged or force yourself."
"...Yeah." Tang Ling nodded. He understood Qi Xiao's intentions.
"Tang Ling, I love you."
Tang Ling was startled, almost thinking she'd misheard. Qi Xiao had said, "Tang Ling, don't leave," "Tang Ling, I want you," "Tang Ling, give yourself to me," but he had never once said he liked him or loved him. Tang Ling knew exactly how Qi Xiao felt about her, but hearing him say it himself still made her heart race and her mind race.
Tang Ling had never told Qi Xiao that she liked him or loved him. He had originally thought that they were so connected that they didn't need to say it out loud, but such a straightforward confession, such affectionate words, were so touching to his ears, and suddenly his heart was filled with joy.
Tang Ling quietly snuggled into Qi Xiao's arms and said, "Me too, I love you, Qi Xiao... I love you very much."
The kisses were not enough, the lingering was not enough, not even a lifetime was enough. Endless greed had almost driven Qi Xiao crazy. He hugged Tang Ling very tightly, so tightly that it hurt, but Qi Xiao could no longer let go.
"Tang Ling, I love you and want to protect you, but I'm afraid I can't do it..."
Qi Xiao was terrified, trembling with fear. It was like the helplessness he felt watching Concubine Lin lingering on her sickbed, barely breathing. He was filled with hatred and anger, yet he could do nothing. He would never allow himself to be powerless against Tang Ling.
"...I'm sorry, I didn't tell you those things just..."
"Because I can't do anything? It's the Metropolitan Affairs Office, right?"
Tang Ling was stunned and remained silent until Qi Xiao continued, "If we can kill you, it will be a fatal blow to Xun Anhou. If he even thinks of raising an army to attack Qi, he will be cursed as a sinner for all eternity. And if something happens to you within the borders of Dachen, Dachen will be inextricably linked to it. If we negotiate peace, Zhou will be in an unbeatable position and can demand countless benefits from Dachen. Even if you survive, the Dushifu can't be blamed, right?"
“…Yes, that’s what I guessed.”
"Have you checked?"
Tang Ling did not respond.
"Why don't you investigate?" Qi Xiao was so angry that his heart ached. And Tang Ling was just going to endure it?!
"You saved me, so I'm fine, right? Qi Xiao, this isn't just about me, Tang Ling, or the Tang family. It's a matter of great importance to the Three Kingdoms. The Zhou Kingdom's political situation is relatively stable right now, and the Chen-Zhou war has just ended. Are you going to destroy everything just for me?"
"The Three Kingdoms' affairs are too important for you to shoulder alone. Even if you and your father, Marquis Xun An, were not there, would they not have fought? How many people have died since the Eight Kingdoms Rebellion? Wasn't your father's advocacy of war precisely to end it?"
Tang Ling understood the truth, but it was extremely difficult to achieve peace in the world. Regardless of what was happening between the Three Kingdoms, one had to stabilize the country before fighting against foreign enemies. Chen, Qi, and Zhou each had their own chaos. Now Chen was the strongest among the three kingdoms, but the capital of Yuan was still in a mess.
"If you don't investigate, I don't believe your father won't either. Even if your father doesn't, then I will. It's not easy for the Xingluo Guard to act in Dachen, so how could it be easier for the Dushifu? Just two men dared to act under the heavy protection of the Huwei Army. Who gave them such an easy way? Even if I don't investigate, His Majesty will not let them go."
Now that we have figured out that it was not the Tiance Camp, then His Majesty's statement of investigating the assassination of Tang Ling is no longer just a perfunctory statement.
Tang Ling suddenly burst out laughing. Qi Xiao was still angry and was confused by Tang Ling's laughter: "What's so funny?"
Tang Ling smiled, her shoulders trembling slightly. "I'm so happy to be held in your hands and protected in your heart like this."
"..." Qi Xiao hugged Tang Ling and sighed helplessly, "So I was just coaxing you?"
Tang Ling shook her head and chuckled, "No, I know Your Majesty will investigate, but he won't actually do anything. But if you investigate, someone will suffer for it, so I'm very happy."
Qi Xiao watched Tang Ling beam with joy, and suddenly an idea struck him. He asked in surprise, "You didn't check, you did, and you found out, but you couldn't touch him, right?"
Tang Ling gently poked Qi Xiao's forehead, scratching his straight nose with her fingers, teasing him lightly, as if deliberately playing tricks on him: "If I tell you, won't that just sow discord between you two brothers? Will you fall for such a divisive plot?"