Young Prime Minister, a Hermit

Chapter 210

I summoned the Five Immortals and, in front of them, asked Qin Gui directly, "Do you want this throne?"

I raised my hand to stop everyone's surprise and questioning, and looked intently at Qin Gui: "You must think this through before you answer me. As emperor, you will be a legendary ruler praised in history books. However, you must also understand that in the eyes of the world, the Fengyin Empire was largely built by Cheng Ziwei and Yi Han, so if you become emperor, you may forever live in the shadow of our glory. Are you willing?"

Qin Gui hesitated, then stared at me blankly for a long time before a firm and profound smile appeared on his still somewhat childlike face. He said, "Young Master, I am willing."

I sighed inwardly. In fact, I could tell from the time Qin Gui took over handling state affairs for Yi Han that he was interested in the throne, and after being tempered, he was indeed capable of taking on the throne.

I then asked the other four for their opinions. Qin Xue replied coldly without hesitation, "I like the darkness. Qin Gui definitely needs close people around him to do things that can't be seen in the light. Young Master, I want to take over the Dark Camp."

I looked at her, smiled, and nodded, saying, "Okay, I promise you."

Qi Luo didn't think for long. Her cheeks flushed slightly as she looked at me, stammering for a while before finally saying, "Young Master, I... I only want to marry Zheng Ge and live a normal life from now on. I..."

Lu Zheng is the second-highest-ranking deputy general in the Li Luo army after Qi Luo. He is not particularly handsome, but he is a steady and responsible good man.

We all burst into laughter, even Qin Xue had a smile on her face. I patted Qi Luo on the shoulder and said, "Lu Zheng is a good man. It's good that he's retiring from officialdom. He can live a good life from now on." Qi Luo blushed and nodded awkwardly, looking extremely strange.

Qin Wu and Qin Li hesitated for a long time, and I just waited quietly for them to make a decision. Qin Wu spoke first, looking at me with pleading eyes: "Young Master, I... can I stay by your and Master's side? I really don't want to be separated from you."

I was stunned; I never expected him to make such a request. If I agreed, it wouldn't be right not to have discussed it with Yihan; if I didn't agree, looking at his pitiful expression, I really couldn't bear to refuse.

In the end, I could only say, "Give me some time to think about it. I will give you an answer after the war is over."

After I finished speaking, I looked at Qin Li, who was also looking at me with a hesitant expression. I sighed and said, "You want to stay in the army, right?"

Qin Li's body trembled slightly, and he finally nodded.

I slightly tightened my lips, glanced at the unpredictable Qin Gui, and wanted to persuade him, but in the end, it turned into a sigh and a soft nod. Expanding territory and establishing merit was his dream; how could I bear to break it?

Modern, June 2009.

I gave birth to a healthy baby boy at the Second People's Hospital of Shanghuai City. My father named him Xu Nuo, and he is my son with Xu Lie.

A month later, my frail body finally recovered. Holding the tiny baby in my arms, I often couldn't help but sigh; Nuo'er's eyebrows and eyes were so much like Xu Lie's. Even when she closed her eyes to sleep peacefully, her brows and forehead were still tense, as if she was sulking with someone. The next time I saw Chi Fei, dressed in fiery red, was a month after giving birth to Nuo'er. He frowned at me and asked why I hadn't chosen a world to stay in permanently.

I could only tell him helplessly that I could not abandon my own child, nor could I abandon the elderly people who had just lost their loved ones.

Chifei, both angry and anxious, berated me, but I could only sincerely apologize. In the end, Chifei helplessly stopped trying to persuade me and asked how many years I planned to go back and forth like this.

I said, let's say twenty years. Twenty years might be enough for this child to grow up and let go of all his burdens.

Chi Fei pondered for a long time, and finally seemed to have made a decision, saying resentfully, "Fine! I'll help you one last time! Twenty years, I'll only give you twenty years."

When Chifei merged with me again, my soul felt an urge to weep. I reached out and hugged him, my hands gently passing through his body. I said, "Chifei, thank you."

Chifei seemed to whisper "fool" in my ear, but I didn't hear it clearly before losing consciousness.

The four elderly people focused entirely on spoiling the child. Xu Tian's stock price finally stabilized, fluctuating up and down, but they paid no attention, spending their days enjoying their grandchildren. This further solidified my resolve that I must raise Nuo'er myself in the future, lest she become a spoiled and willful brat.

With Zi Mo's help, I gradually became familiar with Xu Tian's business practices. After a period of ups and downs, thanks to Ling Yun's support, Xu Tian slowly got back on track.

It was October, the golden autumn month, and I arranged to meet Zimo on the rooftop of the Xutian Building. His footsteps were as light as ever, and I barely noticed him when he came to my side.

He lit a cigarette, gently exhaling smoke as he asked, "Is it alright for you to keep shuttling between these two worlds like this?"

I smiled and shook my head gently: "I'm used to it. Chifei said he would guarantee my safety."

I think I've really gotten used to this kind of time travel, this back and forth. In the past, I would have mental breakdowns and feel exhausted, but now I can adjust my mindset well and control the time ratio between ancient and modern times so that I can better adapt to life in both worlds.

Zi nodded silently and said, "Galan, now that I think about it, guiding you to grow, waiting for you to grow, and watching you grow is like watching a life choice and breakthrough. This life is yours, and it is mine."

I turned to look at him: "Zimo, I've made up my mind. I'll travel back and forth between the two worlds for another twenty years until I raise Nuo'er to adulthood. What about you? What have you decided to do?"

Zi Mo blurted out, "Of course I'll stay by your side..."

"Zimo!" I interrupted him, looking at him seriously and asking, "Do you really want to stay in Xutian? Are you really willing to stay by my side for twenty years just to help me grow?"

Zi Mo was taken aback, and his fingers holding the cigarette loosened slightly, causing the cigarette to drift down from the rooftop.

Zi Mo watched the smoke gradually disappear into the distance, remaining silent for a long time.

I rested my hands on the railing, my chin gently on them, and watched the smoke fall. I whispered, "Zimo, do you know why you were able to reincarnate into Yufei's body?"

Zi Mo turned to look at me. I smiled and said, "It was Yu Fei. He used half of his soul to condense your shattered true essence, giving you a chance to be reborn. You have no idea how heartbroken I am by the sacrifices he has made for me time and time again. You also have no idea how grateful I am to him for not letting your soul be scattered and for giving you this chance to be reborn."

I looked up at him, stunned, and said softly, "Zimo, you can't let Yufei down, and none of us can let him down." I reached out and pointed my index finger at his left chest, saying each word clearly, "Zimo, stop putting me at the center. Ask your heart what you really want to do. What kind of ideal do you want to achieve so that you won't have let this life down?"

“Zi Mo, I have grown up. Your Lin Jialan and your Lin Yu have grown into strong and resilient people. They will be happy, they definitely will be happy.”

Zi Mo stared at me blankly, a thousand tender feelings and ten thousand longings flashing through his brown eyes, ultimately turning into a silent, hidden pain. He reached out and suddenly pulled me into his arms, holding me tightly so I could hear his pounding heartbeat.

Three days later, I watched Zimo walk into the boarding gate at the airport. Only when that familiar figure disappeared from sight did tears silently stream down my face. Zimo was going to New York to create his own world. Yes! This kind of life, carrying on the legacy and forging a new path, was his, destined for greatness.

*Beep beep*—My phone beeped with a text message. I unlocked my phone and read the message: "Galan, the plane is about to take off. Why haven't I seen you yet? Wei Ye."

I chuckled softly, locked my phone, and thought to myself: I wonder how these two will react when they find out they've been tricked?

August of the 775th year of the Wanli reign.

During the sweltering summer of Jinyao, a persistent drought struck, but thanks to the timely relief efforts I dispatched from Fengyin, the people did not suffer too much. On the contrary, after nearly a year of rest and recuperation, coupled with the support of the Han Jueyi Cultivation Association, Jinyao has slowly begun to recover.

Just then, shocking news spread throughout the Fire Feather Kingdom: Jun Wuhen was dead. His seven-year-old son, Jun Qinnian, ascended the throne, with Grand General Meng Zhao, Grand Tutor Liu Cenfeng, and Empress Dowager Jianing jointly ruling the kingdom. Fire Feather was thrown into chaos.

This news really shocked me. I always believed that Yi Han had his reasons for asking us to wait, but I never expected that what I would receive was news of Jun Wuhen's death.

With the Fire Feather in disarray, I must accelerate the pace of unification. But for me, the most pressing matter now is consolidating Qin Gui's position. Several months ago, I began teaching him, using modern knowledge, the art of recognizing, employing, and governing people—the ways of an emperor. Qin Gui possesses exceptional talent in this area, and coupled with his innate ability to conceal his true nature, his cunning surpasses even my own. Thus, in just five months, he has undergone a complete transformation, shedding his naiveté and acquiring the dignified and resolute presence of a monarch.

Next came the takeover of the overt and covert forces within the court. I had gradually handed over the control of the covert camp to Qin Xue; as long as she acknowledged Qin Gui as her master, there would be no problem. As for the court officials, newly appointed talents usually only wanted to showcase their abilities; they didn't care who they were loyal to. Although the old ministers of Fengyin had already submitted to Yi Han, firstly, in the eyes of the traditional Fengyin court officials, they preferred that a direct descendant of the Zhuo family, the Fengyin King, succeed to the throne. Although Qin Gui's surname wasn't Zhuo, everyone in the court knew that he was the Fengyin King's illegitimate son. Therefore, having Qin Gui replace Yi Han to unify the world was indeed the best choice.