Originated from mountains and seas, life never ends

Chapter 128 What do you think he wants to do?

Nangong Huaxue paused and wanted to refuse, but when she met her father's eyes, she nodded and agreed.

After entering the warm room, the emperor asked Wang Ji to wait outside and took her into the inner room.

"Huaxue, how are your studies going recently?"

As soon as her father sat down, he began to consider her homework.

Nangong Huaxue paused, lowered his head, and told the truth: "I have been cultivating my attributes, so what about governing a country... are you also learning?"

When it came to the second half of the sentence, his voice became noticeably weaker.

As expected, the emperor sighed.

Nangong Huaxue rolled her eyes, laughed, and was about to hug his arm and act coquettishly: "Dad, next time I will definitely--"

"This is the twentieth time you've said this this month." The emperor sighed, his eyes filled with deep disappointment, "It's only been less than 20 days this month."

Nangong Huaxue: ...

Nangong Huaxue met his gaze, paused, obediently retracted her hand and lowered her head.

"Hualuxue, after I die, it will be you who will inherit the throne, do you understand?" the emperor spoke with a slightly heavy tone.

"I know..." Nangong Huaxue said, "But I was thinking that you are still in good health, Dad—"

"No." The emperor closed his eyes. "If I can't get through this, then it will be my death."

“……”Nangong Huaxue fell silent and did not reply.

"Huaxue, I know you are a smart child. You have been hiding it very well." The emperor held her hand, placed it in his palm, and said softly, "You have known how to avoid trouble since you were a child. But you have to know that many things cannot be solved by avoiding them. You still have to face them when the time comes. Do you understand?"

"……clear."

"What do you think of Wang Ji outside?" the emperor suddenly changed the subject and asked her.

"...Very young? Pretty good looking?" Nangong Huaxue didn't understand why he asked this, so she blinked and asked tentatively.

The emperor looked at her with a complicated expression. He didn't know what he was thinking. He shook his head and sighed, "Forget it, go ahead."

Nangong Huaxue didn't understand what was going on, so she nodded and walked outside.

When she walked to the outer hall, Wang Ji was holding a cup of hot tea, sipping the tea. When he saw her come out, he smiled at her and bowed.

Nangong Huaxue looked at him. The young man had immature facial features, but there was a hint of hostility between his brows. His eyes were deep, and he seemed to be always scrutinizing people. He was full of murderous aura, like a sharp blade drawn from its sheath.

In just a moment, Nangong Huaxue suddenly saw the shadow of another person in him.

Although he was thinking a lot, he didn't show it on his face. He nodded in response. Someone called him from behind, so Wang Ji stood up and walked in.

The two of them only had a brief encounter. Nangong Huaxue was almost certain that he was the person that night, so she sent someone to investigate, but everything did not go smoothly.

Nangong Huaxue had a vague feeling that the emperor was deliberately obstructing him, so he did not investigate further. He put the order on hold and began to concentrate on his cultivation.

Gradually, she would receive information about Wang Ji from various channels from time to time. Most of them talked about how cold-blooded he was. It seemed that because her uncle coveted the position of the head of the family, he killed their family and did not allow anyone to oppose it. If there was any resistance, he would also suppress it with force.

When Nangong Huaxue heard the news, the image he saw that day suddenly emerged in his mind. That polite appearance could not be connected with the brutal appearance as rumored.

Although Nangong Huaxue only lived for more than 20 years in her previous life, her age in this life caused her to always unconsciously put herself in the perspective of an elder when looking at Wang Ji.

In fact, Nangong Huaxue did not feel any aversion to this practice. She just sighed that this young man was quite powerful, being able to fight so many people alone...

Part of the reason for her past life also made her not believe all the rumors. She had heard her father mention that the Wang family was the most powerful family in the empire. Whether it was family background or strength, it was considered top-notch, with many talented people. At one point, some people even compared it to other small countries. I don't know if it was a secret reminder to those in power.

But an accident happened when Wang Ji's predecessor was the head of the family. The head of the family was too young when he took the position and was unable to control the members of the side branches. They rebelled several times and wanted to replace him.

Although the head of the Ren family tried his best to keep his position, the family was still split into several small branches. The main branch that stayed in Luoyun was affected by this incident and fell from the clouds to the mud. The families with other surnames took this opportunity to develop rapidly, dividing their status and wealth, and the original one family dominated the top, but now there are several families in a three-way competition.

The impact of this incident on the Wang family was so great that it was almost to the point of losing arms and legs. The subsequent head of the family kept a low profile and gradually recovered. However, this head of the family, Wang Ji, acted arrogantly and recklessly. He was only in his early teens when he took office, but he was ruthless and decisive, and never left himself any leeway.

He even killed all of his father's generation of brothers and sisters just because of some uncertain rumors, and he would not stop until there was no one who could threaten his position as the head of the family.

As time went by, the Wang family became more and more famous, and there was even hope that they would return to their heyday. But at this moment, Wang Ji suddenly became silent, with no intention of moving forward.

Rumors about Wang Ji continued to reach her ears. Nangong Huaxue certainly would not think that it was just a coincidence, especially since most of the news were negative.

Nangong Huaxue vaguely knew who had deliberately released the news, and she could also understand the emperor's purpose - he was trying to deceive her, telling her that Wang Ji was not a good person, or even a good person.

However, Nangong Huaxue did not understand the reason. She vaguely realized that Wang Ji seemed to be making some kind of deal with the emperor. Some families wanted to impeach Wang Ji, but were persuaded by the emperor with a few words. The Wang family, which was in the limelight, had no intention of taking any further steps.

Finally one day, the order that had been put aside for a long time was brought up again - that night, the person in the back garden was Wang Ji.

Nangong Huaxue didn't react much to this guess which she had known for a long time, but not long after, her father fell ill.

The doctor said that her father was seriously injured in a fight when he was young, which left him with a chronic illness. He failed to overcome this obstacle this time and has reached his limit.

Looking at his father lying on the bed, Nangong Huaxue always had a feeling of unreality.

Is he going to die?

It was only a blink of an eye...

It seemed as if I had just opened my eyes and saw my father in this life...

In this life, everything that happened seems like yesterday.

In just a few days, the father who was once full of energy and vigor became like a dry old tree. He stretched out his thin fingers and gently held her hand, as if trying to find some comfort.

Nangong Huaxue sat beside the bed, held his hand, and looked at him quietly.

"I know... I have neglected you over the years." The old emperor spoke, his eyes seemed to have lost focus, staring straight at the ceiling, his thumb stroking the back of her hand.

"It is my fault that I did not train you to be a qualified emperor."

Hearing this, Nangong Huaxue felt very complicated.

According to common sense, she should have gone to those top Qi cultivation academies to practice when she was 12 years old. She would have had the opportunity to come into contact with a wider network of people, make friends with people from more places, and meet more powerful people.

She could have had a richer youth than other people of her age.

But because of the old emperor's poor health and some neglect, she had been hiding in the deep palace. She had never had any friends or companions since she was a child and had always been alone.

After she awakened, apart from practicing, she was also learning how to govern the country, and the emperor's increasingly serious illness was always bothering her... For a long time, she lived a busy and painful life. She was annoyed when she saw those things. She felt that she was not cut out to be an emperor and even wanted to escape at one point.

But in the end she still persevered, using an extremely mediocre performance. Looking at her disappointed father and teacher, Nangong Huaxue felt a little sad.

But she knew that she had nothing to be sad about. What should be sad was the emperor who was worried that he would have no successor, and the teacher who could not teach outstanding students.

Nangong Huaxue looked at her father's aging face, pursed her lips, and did not respond.

In fact, she had advised him to give up on her and have another child or find another talented child from the side branch, but the royal bloodline was already thin, and her father had only one brother who had been missing for decades. The others were all people who were not related at all, and there was really no one better than her, so she had to give up.

Nangong Huaxue fell silent. The emperor seemed very tired and closed his eyes, as if he was resting.

There was silence all around, the bedroom was empty and quiet, and you could hear a pin drop.

Listening to the breathing sound that couldn't be any softer, Nangong Huaxue suspected that the person in front of him might pass away at any time.

"Melting snow."

Suddenly, the emperor spoke, as if he had finally made a decision, and opened his eyes.

"You say." Nangong Huaxue had a premonition that this would be their last conversation.

The emperor suddenly exerted force and tightened his grip on her hand. His eyes could no longer focus and no expression could be seen in them: "...I'm sorry."

Nangong Huaxue was stunned and looked at him intently, not understanding why he said this.

Before she could figure it out, she heard the sound of a door opening behind her. She turned around, but before she could see who was coming, she heard his voice.

"I'm sorry, Your Majesty. Something delayed me."

The young man's voice was a little low. He walked to the bed and seemed to have just seen her. He nodded slightly and greeted her.

"...Huaxue, go out." The emperor said. Nangong Huaxue looked at him, then at Wang Ji, and said nothing. Like usual, she walked out of the palace obediently.

Looking at the buds around, although they have not yet bloomed, the pleasant fragrance has already emanated. Looking at the pleasant scene in front of you and smelling the light fragrance of flowers, people will unconsciously feel better.

But Nangong Huaxue did not. As the breeze blew, she felt a little cold.

She stood outside the bedroom, glanced at the guards around her without emotion, and did not leave. Instead, she waited quietly, waiting for the moment when the door would open.

I don’t know how long it took, maybe a few minutes, or maybe a few hours, but the door finally opened.

"...Your Highness?" Wang Ji walked out of the door and was a little surprised when he saw her.

Nangong Huaxue turned around, looked at him, and said nothing.

Wang Ji met her gaze, understood something, nodded, and confirmed her idea: "Now, perhaps I should call you His Majesty."

……

Nangong Huaxue was a little confused at first as to why Wang Ji would help her, but she soon understood.

"Your Majesty, it is normal to seek help when you are not yet able to stand on your own." The man smiled and gently reached out to help her lift the hair that fell from her face.

The cold fingers stroked across the cheek in an ambiguous manner, and the man's eyes were dark, speaking slowly.

"But I need to be paid..."

Nangong Huaxue looked at the man in front of her who lowered his head slightly. This time he lowered his head not out of courtesy, but out of a condescending attitude, staring at her.

Nangong Huaxue then broke away from the elder's perspective and looked carefully at the man who was full of aggressiveness.

I had always heard it from other people before, but now it was my turn to experience it personally. When I heard his words, I had an indescribable feeling.

Perhaps because she had been silent for a long time, Wang Ji became impatient and lifted her chin slightly, looking at her: "Wasn't what I said clear enough?"

To be honest, Wang Ji's appearance can be said to be not bad, it can even be said to be perfect, and his figure is also very good. Although his cultivation level is unknown, it can be inferred from the rumors that it is definitely not weak.

Moreover, he has indeed helped me a lot since my father passed away, and his abilities are worthy of recognition.

Nangong Huaxue was thinking about it, but suddenly an idea popped up in his mind.

Is it possible that he is helping me partly because of the emperor’s reasons?

She had investigated before, and the body that night was not from the palace, but an elder from the Wang family's side branch. She didn't think the emperor would not know who did it after investigating to this extent, and then let the Wang family develop, and let her deliberately hear about Wang Ji and meet him...

Could this be the deal between her father and Wang Ji?

Nangong Huaxue suddenly felt as if everything was enlightened.

If that's the case, then it seems to make sense why Wang Ji has so much royal power in his hands.

"Of course, it's normal for Your Majesty to feel offended." Seeing that she hadn't spoken for a long time, Wang Ji took a step back and said with a smile, "Your Majesty can of course decide whether to accept my assistance. If you can't stand it, then -"

"...I understand." Before Wang Ji finished speaking, Nangong Huaxue spoke and nodded.

Although she didn't know the truth, she didn't have any good choices now. Although her cultivation was okay, she couldn't stand the pressure from all sides.

Not to mention that she knew nothing about the pull of power.

In this case, finding someone who is capable of holding the line is the best option.

"Then help me." Nangong Huaxue said and turned his head.

At this time, Nangong Huaxue thought of the last "sorry" his father said before he died, and he understood a little.

In fact, even if the emperor really wanted to exchange her for Wang Ji's support after his death, she could accept it. After all, no emperor could tolerate the disintegration of his empire that had lasted for a thousand years after his death.

So she agreed to Wang Ji's request and also agreed to let him live in the palace with her. She watched him toiling all day long to maintain his regime. After he moved in, she was often awakened in the middle of the night by his murderous aura. From his close proximity, she could smell a faint smell of blood that could never be washed away.

When the matter was over, Nangong Huaxue breathed a sigh of relief. At the same time, she also felt that the old emperor had a keen eye for talent. This man was really good at doing things, making her feel ashamed of herself.

After her observation, she found that Wang Ji did not like being questioned, nor did he like strong people. So she followed his preferences, doing nothing all day, and did not dare to let him find out when she was practicing. She hid it and played the role of an incompetent but unwilling puppet emperor - although the reality might be true.

She thought that after the matter was over, he would force her to collect the so-called "remuneration", but she didn't expect that he seemed to have some obsession with this kind of thing. He really wouldn't force her if she didn't want to, and they rarely even kissed over the years.

She would also tentatively say some sour words that sounded sarcastic but were within his tolerance range, making him feel that he was still unwilling to give up his power but was powerless to do anything about it, thus reassuring him.

But somehow, he suddenly changed this year and began to let her get involved in government affairs, letting her learn to review documents from various places and families, understand her cultivation progress, and discuss with her from time to time.

She felt horrified by Wang Ji's actions. She didn't know if he was testing her or if he really wanted to give up power, but she really didn't want to get involved in this. But thinking about the power-hungry roles she had played before, she could only bite the bullet and learn step by step.

She felt that Wang Ji didn't like people who were stronger than him. Although she was indeed not as strong as him, she felt that exposing her skills would still lead to troublesome suspicions, so she always acted during the competition, showing that she was trying hard but making no progress.

When Wang Ji saw her like this, he didn't feel relieved at all, but rather felt a little disappointed in her.

"What on earth do you think he wants to do?!"

Nangong Huaxue covered her head and spoke with a bit of collapse, staring at the tea tray: "I really don't want to see those Qi guides anymore. My dear mother, those people wrote everything, some even wrote how many peaches they ate today, and what kind of fights their neighbors had. Do you think they have some kind of mental illness? Or are there some secret codes? Then Wang Ji didn't say anything after I made the changes?"

Qin Xiao: ...