novelhk Chapter 1143 The Night of Decisive Battle
Chapter 1143 The Night of Decisive Battle
Inside Qifeng Pavilion, Murong Yan did not sleep all night.
She was still wearing the Phoenix Descent Dress, her only nightgown, and sat quietly by the window, waiting from moonset until the stars faded.
She neither reviewed memorials nor read books.
She just stared blankly in the direction of Xuanwu Gate.
Those phoenix eyes, usually filled with wisdom and majesty, were now brimming with undisguised anxiety and worry.
The extremely dark Suzhou brocade base, in the deepest darkness before dawn, seemed to blend into the night. Only when the halo of palace lanterns occasionally swept by would the towering phoenix embroidered with real gold thread faintly reflect a weak yet persistent light, as if silently accompanying its preoccupied owner.
This cotton nightgown, woven with the light and breathable Suzhou brocade technique, was enormous in size with a train that stretched for five zhang (approximately 10 meters). However, because she had maintained one posture for a long time, the soft fabric quietly clung to her slender figure, perfectly outlining her silhouette, which appeared exceptionally thin due to worry.
The long, dark gold silk train stretched from her feet all the way to the depths of her bedchamber, like a silent sea of clouds shrouded in boundless darkness.
She knew tonight was the night of the decisive battle.
If successful, Chang'an will be safe and sound, and the Great Qian Dynasty will be worry-free.
Defeat would mean utter destruction, with everything reduced to ashes.
She believed in Lin Zhen.
She believed in the man she loved to the core more than anyone else in the world.
But having faith doesn't mean not being worried.
The thought of him being in that dark, damp underground, facing the deadliest trap left by that madman, is unbearable.
The thought that his life might be in danger at any moment was unbearable.
Her heart ached terribly.
She even felt a little regretful.
I regret agreeing to let him go alone.
She should stay with him.
Even if there's nothing she can do.
At least she can be there for him and face it together.
Whether in life or in death.
"Squeak-"
Just as she was lost in thought and her mind was in turmoil.
The door to the sleeping quarters was gently pushed open.
Murong Yan's heart skipped a beat!
She suddenly turned her head!
A figure all too familiar was bathed in the first rays of morning light, slowly walking towards her.
It is Lin Zhen.
He is back.
He returned safely.
In that instant, Murong Yan felt as if her heart, which had been hanging in suspense all night, finally settled back into place with a "thud".
An immense, indescribable joy and peace of mind overwhelmed her instantly, like a flood bursting its banks.
She didn't care about anything else.
Lifting her elaborate skirt and barefoot, she ran towards him like a fledgling swallow that had finally found its way home!
Because of her reckless running, the five-zhang-long dark gold brocade train was whipped up into a huge and chaotic wave behind her!
As the train billowed up, it revealed the intricately woven gold-threaded lining underneath!
Bathed in the soft golden light of dawn, that golden light was no longer the anxiety and worry of before, but burst forth with a kind of light that was like the sun after the rain, full of endless joy and peace of mind, and incredibly warm and dazzling!
The phoenix burst forth with an immense joy and elation, as if it had finally witnessed the triumphant return of its hero!
The light was filled with the joy of reunion, the ease of being relieved of burdens, and the warmth and tranquility of home that keeps all storms out.
The hem of her skirt fell, obscuring the warm, joyful golden light.
She had already buried her face in his arms.
"Husband!"
She hugged him tightly, burying her face deeply into his chest, which reeked of the sewers and smelled of earth, as if she wanted to meld her whole being into his body.
She could feel that his body was cold and stiff.
She could smell the faint yet unmistakable scent of blood on him.
She could no longer hold back her tears.
Large drops rolled down, instantly soaking the front of his shirt.
"I'm back, Yan'er."
Lin Zhen hugged her back tightly.
He felt the trembling and tears of the person in his arms.
Feel her unconditional dependence and love.
All the fatigue, danger, and pressure I had endured that night vanished in that instant.
It's all worth it.
"You bastard..."
Murong Yan sobbed silently in his arms, her small fists pounding his firm chest again and again.
"Do you know... how worried I was about you..."
"Do you know... I haven't slept a wink all night..."
"Why did you only come back now..."
She was like a little girl who had suffered a great injustice, accusing and venting all the fear and anxiety she had accumulated throughout the night.
Lin Zhen did not speak.
He just let her hit and curse him.
But his face held a doting, gentle smile.
After a long time, she had cried and made a scene.
He then lowered his head and gently kissed the tear stains on her face.
"Okay, don't cry anymore."
His voice was hoarse, yet so gentle it could melt your heart.
"If you keep crying, your eyes will swell up like walnuts. How will you go to court tomorrow?"
"I don't care!" Murong Yan sniffled, her voice thick with nasal tone. "I'm not going anywhere today! I just want you to stay with me!"
"Alright, alright," Lin Zhen replied with a smile. "I'll do whatever you say. Nothing, no matter how big, can separate us today."
He took her hand and pulled her to sit down on the soft couch beside him.
Then he told her everything that had happened at Xuanwu Gate that night, in detail.
When Murong Yan heard this, she was surprised to learn that Kong Zhiqian was still alive.
He even used his own heartbeat as a final threat.
That pretty face, which had just been cleared up by the rain, turned deathly pale in an instant!
Her hand instinctively gripped Lin Zhen's sleeve.
"And...and then what happened?"
Her voice was trembling.
When she heard that Lin Zhen had single-handedly broken the seemingly unsolvable deadlock at the last minute, she was deeply moved.
Instantly, an incomparably dazzling light burst forth from those beautiful phoenix eyes!
The light was filled with the relief of surviving a catastrophe.
It was filled with unparalleled adoration for him!
And a pride that runs deep in our bones!
This is her man!
This is the husband she, Murong Yan, chose!
He is a one-of-a-kind, peerless hero in this world!
"Husband..."
She looked at his face, which was exceptionally pale from exhaustion and blood loss.
Looking at his bloodshot eyes.
I felt both heartache and pride.
She leaned forward and planted a hot, passionate kiss on his lips.