She will understand what Little Phoenix means.
The little phoenix, which had been nestled in her arms, slowly raised its head and placed one hand across her chest. It could easily pinch her if she pressed her fingers hard enough.
Xie Lanzhi looked at the location of her hand and immediately broke out in a cold sweat: "Let's talk this out."
"Then, for Laneige, shouldn't we reconsider our future?"
She'd like to consider it. But there's so much trouble going on right now.
When Little Phoenix ascends the throne, her status will become awkward. After all, in a feudal dynasty, the emperor is supreme, and she will no longer be the mistress of the Xie family, nor simply his wife.
Historically, her legacy has been extensively documented.
This is another difficult problem.
Seeing that she was becoming more and more like an emperor, Xie Lanzhi swallowed and said, "If you become emperor one day, I will naturally become empress."
Si Xitong was momentarily stunned; clearly, she hadn't expected Xie Lanzhi to answer so quickly.
Even Si Xitong herself struggled with the matter of what would become of her. Even when her ministers subtly offered hints, she pretended not to notice.
Lan Zhi accepts her now because she loves her.
Si Xitong had actually guessed that Xie Lanzhi would make this choice.
Despite her willingness to accommodate herself, Si Xitong ultimately couldn't overcome her own inner conflict.
She felt that the position of empress was beneath her.
"Please allow me to think about it carefully."
Xie Lanzhi didn't expect that Xiao Fenghuang herself hadn't accepted this fact yet.
She said, "You yourself aren't even sure, yet you ask me. Since you're asking me, you should do as I suggest."
“You will surely be the empress of a nation.” Si Xitong’s gaze suddenly sharpened, her expression leaving no room for doubt: “You will be my empress. But you shouldn’t just be an empress.”
Lanzhi did so much for the end of the Jin Dynasty. She refused to allow historians to impose their judgments on her because of her status and the crimes that were not hers to begin with.
She couldn't be so open and honest as to let her husband take the blame.
Xie Ying had always been an obstacle she couldn't overcome. Si Xitong found this very strange; even though Xie Ying was someone she had never met, why did she always feel that Xie Ying was hindering her?
This feeling made her very uncomfortable.
Xie Lanzhi noticed that she suddenly frowned, as if she had walked into a dead end.
She raised her right hand, and Si Xitong let go of it.
Xie Lanzhi placed her right hand on her head and gently rubbed it. She hoped she wouldn't be troubled by anything. In her opinion, there weren't many political matters that could trouble Little Phoenix anymore; if there were, they would definitely be related to herself.
Instead of pointing it out, she subtly hinted, "Sometimes you'll find that a road leads to a dead end. When faced with a dead end, what we need to do is either go around it or forge a completely new path."
"Of course, both exploring new avenues and finding alternative paths are extremely difficult."
Si Xitong pondered her words. She shook her head and said, "What if this happened in the past and won't change?"
“The past cannot be changed. Only the future can be changed.” Xie Lanzhi said, “Are you worried about me?”
Chapter 195 The Hard-Won Mutual Confession
Si Xitong hesitated for a moment before telling Xie Lanzhi what she wanted to do. Unexpectedly, Xie Lanzhi burst out laughing after hearing it.
"Hahahaha! So my little phoenix is troubled by this kind of thing." Xie Lanzhi didn't care about Xie Ying's past at all. She herself had accepted everything about Xie Ying, but that didn't mean her little phoenix had.
Xiao Fenghuang and Xie Ying were natural enemies. She felt that Xie Ying's actions, though heinous, were somewhat forgivable. Not to mention the innocent lives Xie Ying had killed; though erased, they remained in the memories of those who survived. Therefore, Xie Ying's actions could not be simply wiped clean, nor could they be negated by Xie Lanzhi's contributions.
Xie Lanzhi said, "If you're worried about that, I personally think there's no need to worry."
"But I understand how you feel."
After all, they were destined enemies. If she hadn't replaced Xie Ying, her little phoenix might still have suffered at Xie Ying's hands. Thinking of this, she unconsciously felt a bit of resentment towards Xie Ying, projecting her image onto the little phoenix.
However, ever since that incident with the body double, she could vaguely sense Xie Ying's departure. It was as if she had no attachment to her own body and left without hesitation.
If she could, she would like to enter Xie Ying's dream and have a proper talk with her. However, given Xie Ying's personality, if they met in a dream, they would probably end up fighting.
As the saying goes, two tigers cannot share one mountain. Xie Ying left with an open and honest heart.
She accepted it openly and honestly. But Little Phoenix was unaware of it.
Xie Lanzhi didn't know how to tell her for a moment. However, she still told her what had happened. After listening, Si Xitong's displeasure lessened a bit, but she still frowned: "What I'm about to say may be hard for you to believe. Lately, I've been having the same dream repeatedly. I dream that Xie Ying killed you, killed Xie Guang's whole family, and even tried to kill me."
Xie Lanzhi immediately stroked her brow and said gently, "Silly girl, it's normal for you to have this kind of dream since you're natural enemies."
This is normal because it follows the original historical course. Although many things have changed, the main storyline remains the same. Her appearance was an accident, but that doesn't mean everything about Little Phoenix was an accident. Some things she had to go through. And her current hatred for Xie Ying is also part of the historical process.
She just hadn't seen Xie Ying's fate in Aqina's dream. She guessed that Xie Ying's decline began in Niliupei. Perhaps Xie Ying was already half-dead in Niliupei.
Si Xitong brushed her hand away; she suddenly felt a headache coming on. Actually, there was something she hadn't told Lanzhi yet. She had another dream.
I dreamt that I imprisoned Xie Ying in Hanzhang Palace. I imprisoned Xie Ying for three years, and then in the fifth year of the Jin Dynasty, Xie Ying officially died of illness in Hanzhang Palace.
What she feared was that if Lanzhi suffered the consequences of Xie Ying's actions, would Lanzhi also suffer the consequences of Xie Ying's actions? That was what terrified her.
Xie Lanzhi remained silent. She stayed quietly by her wife's side, waiting for her to calm down.
Her little phoenix is so clever, it's impossible for it to be so foolish.
“Don’t go to the back hall anymore,” Si Xitong suddenly said. “I’ll move the hot spring from the back hall to a nearby side hall. We can soak in the hot spring together when we have time.”
Xie Lanzhi sensed that she was avoiding something.
Could it be that the little phoenix sensed something?
That's not impossible. After all, she's the main character.
Xie Lanzhi didn't ask any further questions. She casually suggested, "How about we go soak in the pond now?"
"I don't want to right now." Si Xitong's gaze finally fell on someone's right hand. Xie Lanzhi handed her her right hand without thinking: "From now on, I'll give you the right to use this hand, Little Phoenix."
Si Xitong knew she was just trying to appease her and change the subject, but she still hummed in satisfaction, "Fine. I'll reluctantly accept it."
"Then I thank Your Majesty for your great kindness." Xie Lanzhi brought her face closer and then gave her another kiss. The two instantly clung to each other, whispering secrets.
Granny Xie and Xiao Xiu had been pacing outside the hall for quite some time. Were the dishes going to be served to their masters yet? Otherwise, they'd get too hot and wouldn't taste good. The Marshal was known for his discerning palate.
There were also the fruits and vegetables that His Highness had ordered.
As the two were setting out lunch, Si Xitong made sure to have Zhang Changle relay the order to exempt Xie Ying from labor service and recruit her into the Imperial Guard, starting from the bottom. After that, promotions within the army were no longer Si Xitong's concern.
She specially arranged for Xie Ying to be in Ma Hong's team.
When the news of Xie Ying's exemption from forced labor reached Xie Guang and his wife, Xie Guang was overjoyed. Madam Wang also breathed a sigh of relief. At least their child had reformed. She wouldn't have to suffer with them, those two old folks, anymore.
Xie Ying wanted to see Yelü Qiqi, but the ironclad rules of the Imperial Guard forbade enlistees from leaving the camp without permission. The military camp was her second home. Unless her superior granted her leave to go home, she was not allowed to leave the camp without orders.
She wrote a letter to Qiqi, telling her that she would start from the bottom and wouldn't let her down.
Ma Hong received His Highness's order to personally retrieve Xie Ying, initially intending not to give her special treatment. However, upon hearing that Xie Ying had recovered the entire treasury for His Highness, he decided to grant her some leeway.
There are also promotions that happen to occur in the military camp's dispatch room, which is different from promotions earned through battlefield merit. These are officer promotions selected within the military.
The officers selected by the army were to lead troops on the battlefield. Xie Ying's military skills were already quite high, and her family was a family of generals. Her father was a former general who had been stripped of his rank, and her grandfather had also been a general under the old marshal. It can be said that if Xie Guang hadn't met with misfortune, and barring any unforeseen circumstances, Xie Ying would have been the most promising candidate from the Xie family to become the next general.
Unfortunately, the Xie family ruined Xie Ying themselves, pushing such a talented commander into someone else's camp.
Ma Hong wanted to test her skills, so he sent Captain Ma Hu to the arena. Ma Hu was his cousin, and his martial arts skills were among the best in the entire army. He was also one of the most outstanding commanders.
Ma Hong is very proud of his cousin.
When he arranged a contest between Xie Ying and Ma Hu to test Xie Ying, Ma Hu was not optimistic about women joining the army, especially women from the Xie family. Ma Hu felt that Xie Ying, who appeared only once in a thousand years, was already the pinnacle. Whether another female leader like Xie Ying would appear in the future was hard to say.
Not to mention a female soldier who imitates Xie Zhu.
Ma Hu clasped his hands in a fist salute to Xie Ying: "If there was anything wrong during the fight, please forgive me."
“No need. Captain Ma, you are my superior. Please don’t stand on ceremony.” Xie Ying immediately bowed respectfully to him, showing great humility.
Ma Hu was somewhat surprised. The scions of generals' families were indeed different. No wonder his elder brother thought she had potential. Unfortunately, she was, after all, a woman; no matter how much strength she trained, it wouldn't amount to much. Once on the battlefield, she would be nothing.
Just as Ma Hu was still thinking this, the two stepped onto the ring. Xie Ying, with lightning speed, knocked Ma Hu over.
Upon seeing this, Ma Hong raised an eyebrow; she had actually noticed that Ma Hu's stance was unstable. He was quite a talent.
Then, with the second move, Ma Hu was flipped to the ground again, unable to even stand up. Ma Hu finally realized that he couldn't underestimate women; at least, the woman in front of him was not someone to be underestimated.
Ma Hu stood up and took the fight seriously. This time, Xie Ying charged at him like a wolf, just like before, repeatedly tumbling and throwing him. When they were fighting with spears, her marksmanship was outstanding, causing Ma Hu to drop his spear and almost knocking him off the stage.
As more and more people gathered to watch the spectacle, Xie Ying knew she couldn't afford to embarrass the general in front of the soldiers.
She didn't hold back either, dropping her rifle and exchanging blows with Ma Hu. Ma Hu had been almost completely exhausted by her, but Xie Ying kept going, as if she had taken a powerful drug.
Ma Hu had once had the privilege of witnessing Marshal Xie's heroic bearing in Huayin Kingdom, and he admired him from the bottom of his heart. Now, looking at Xie Ying, his expression became increasingly solemn.
Xie Ying seemed to possess a resemblance to the marshal. He abandoned his contempt and engaged Xie Ying in a serious contest, ultimately throwing her off the platform. Ma Hu, panting heavily, had nearly been defeated in front of the soldiers.
Thank goodness. Ma Hu thought to himself with relief.
In truth, Ma Hong was already too ashamed to look. With his cousin's performance on the battlefield, he would have been killed by Xie Ying three times over. And yet he felt fortunate.
Finally, in front of everyone, Ma Hong made an exception and promoted Xie Ying to the rank of centurion to lead the new recruits. He had recently gathered a group of scattered soldiers and was worried about finding someone to take over their command.
It's perfect to give it to Xie Ying now.
Xie Ying got up from the ground and gratefully clasped her hands in a fist and bow to Ma Hong: "Thank you for your appreciation, General!"
"Get up." Ma Hong pointed to the military camp on the right: "That will be your private room from now on."
"yes!"
News of Xie Ying's excellent performance and her exceptional admission by Ma Hong reached the palace. Qi Qi carried Qian Qian and spun her around several times. Qian Qian covered her mouth, afraid that she would vomit up the pastries she had just secretly eaten behind her mother's back.
The news reached Lanzhang Palace.
It seemed to be exactly what Xie Lanzhi had anticipated. She had met Ma Hong, and Ma Hong himself seemed quite reliable. He wasn't the kind of person who would cheat or slack off. This was one reason why both the Beijing Guard and Xie's army obeyed him.
With Ma Hong's guarantee, Xie Ying is sure to rise quickly in the military. Furthermore, the Northern Xiongnu have recently become increasingly aggressive.
The North and South will inevitably meet on the battlefield sooner or later, and Xie Ying will surely shine brightly then. I believe she will be promoted very quickly.
I realized it was because of Qiqi.
Xie Lanzhi decided to sound out Li Li on Xie Ying's behalf.