Boom——!
The stone door of the Demon Suppression Tower made a heavy noise, and a ray of skylight was like a sharp sword, tearing open the ten years of endless darkness behind the door.
Ye Cheng instinctively raised his hand to cover himself.
The long-lost sunshine made his eyes feel hot and sour.
Ye Cheng, as long as you are willing to guard the Demon Tower for ten years, I will never treat you badly."
"Ten years later, on the day you leave the border, I will marry Changle to you."
Princess Changle.
The girl who always followed him and shouted "Brother Yecheng" in the sweetest voice.
When he thought of that smiling face, the corners of Ye Cheng's mouth raised uncontrollably, and the fatigue and pain of the past ten years faded away a bit.
He strode out of the Demon Suppression Tower.
Outside the tower, the commander of the imperial army who came to greet him knelt on one knee.
"Congratulations to General Zhenguo for his departure!"
Ye Cheng looked around, and the capital was more prosperous than ten years ago, with vitality everywhere.
"The country is prosperous, my ten years... have been worth it!"
He was in a good mood and asked casually: "Is your Majesty still in good health?"
The commander of the imperial army buried his head lower, and there was a suppressed heaviness in his voice: "Returning to the general, the late emperor... passed away eight years ago. The eldest princess was ordered to ascend the throne as emperor in danger, and her reign was named Wu Zhao."
Hearing this, Ye Cheng froze on the spot.
After a moment, he smiled with relief.
It’s her, it’s her indeed.
That seemingly weak girl hides in her bones a perseverance and wisdom that is equal to that of any man.
He was happy for her and proud of her from the bottom of his heart.
…
Jinluan Palace.
The cold gold bricks reflected the dragon carving on the dome. Civil and military officials were lined up on both sides. There was silence, and the atmosphere was so oppressive that it made people breathless.
Ye Cheng stood alone in the center of the hall, wearing a worn-out battle armor covered in dried blood, which was incompatible with the splendid attire of the dynasty.
His gaze looked across the crowd to the dragon chair hanging on the ninth floor.
She was dressed in a black dragon robe and wore a twelve-pointed crown on her head. The hanging bead curtain covered her familiar and unfamiliar face, leaving only the majesty and alienation of an emperor.
Ye Cheng retracted his gaze, knelt on one knee, his voice was as steady as a mountain.
"I, Ye Cheng, fortunately have fulfilled my mission. The ten years of the Demon Suppression Tower have expired, and I have come back to resume my life."
On the dragon chair, there was no emotion in the voice of the empress, and it was as cold as the cold wind outside the palace.
"The great general of the country has worked hard and is safe."
"Thank you, Your Majesty."
Ye Cheng stood up, with a smile on his lips again.
For ten years, he fought bloody battles in the Demon Suppression Tower and had countless brushes with death. If he hadn't been thinking about her in his heart, he wouldn't have been able to survive.
Now, he is back.
The little girl in the past has become an empress in her own right.
He was sincerely happy for her!
The empress' cold will fell on him, only staying for a moment, and then moved away.
"Eunuch Hong, convey my decree."
The chamberlain on the side immediately unfolded the Minghuang imperial edict and read it loudly in a high-pitched voice:
"By God's blessing, the emperor issued an edict: Ye Cheng, the great general of the Zhenguo, guarded the Demon Zhen Tower for ten years. He has worked hard and made great achievements in protecting the country. I am very pleased. I specially grant the marriage general and the second princess peace, and the wedding is scheduled for tomorrow. I admire this!"
Every word in the imperial edict was like a thunder, exploding in Ye Cheng's mind.
It is not Changle.
It is peace!
Moreover, it’s the wedding tomorrow!
The whispers of the surrounding officials became blurred, and the smile on Ye Cheng's face instantly faded completely.
He raised his head suddenly and looked straight at the tall figure, his voice filled with uncontrollable confusion.
“Why?”
The voice was very soft, but it plunged the entire Jinluan Palace into deathly silence.
』
With a loud shout, a young general wearing silver armor and an arrogant face stepped out from the queue of military generals and pointed at Ye Cheng angrily: "Your Majesty has done so much to grant you a marriage. Not only are you ungrateful, but you dare to question His Majesty in front of the court?!"
Ye Cheng slowly turned his head, looked at the man, and asked calmly:
"Who are you?"
The young general's heart skipped a beat when he saw him, but he still frowned and proudly announced:
"General, Xiao Tian!"
"Xiao Tian?"
Ye Cheng frowned slightly, he had never heard of this name.
On the dragon throne, the empress's voice sounded again, with a hint of undisguised approval: "General Xiao is young and promising. In the past ten years, he has fought in the north and south, and has made great achievements for the Great Zhou Dynasty. I am about to make him the new general of the country."
The conversation changed, and the unquestionable monarch's power was directed towards Ye Cheng.
"Now that you are back, it's time to hand over the general's order from the general of the country."
Ye Cheng's heart sank into the ice cellar inch by inch.
He made his last effort, not for power, but for duty: "Your Majesty, the general of the country is not a position of power, but a duty! Guarding the Demon Suppression Tower protects the people of the Great Zhou Dynasty. If the entrustment is not human, and the demons in the tower make mistakes, the consequences..."
There was no threat in his words, only cold facts.
But in the ears of the empress, it became a naked provocation.
"You want to resist the decree?!"
At this moment, Ye Cheng completely understood.
All affection and all promises were crushed to pieces in the face of these ten years and the supreme imperial power.
What she wanted was never him as a person, but the authority in his hands.
He suddenly laughed, with indescribable sadness and relief in his laughter.
He said nothing more.
Under the shocked gazes of the civil and military officials of the Manchu Dynasty, he reached out and took off the Xuantie General Order from his waist, which symbolized the highest power of the Zhou military.
"I obey the order."
Xiao Tian's eyes flashed with ecstasy, and he rushed forward impatiently and snatched the general's order from Ye Cheng, for fear that he would regret it.
The empress's cold voice immediately resounded throughout the Golden Palace without any pause.
"Consecrate Xiao Tian as the new general of the country, effective immediately!"
"He is in charge of the order of the general of the country and command the three armies!"
The moment the words fell, the dead court hall exploded.
The astonishment and wait-and-see on the faces of the civil and military officials were instantly replaced by eager smiles.
"Congratulations, General Xiao!"
“Congratulations to General Xiao!”
“General Xiao is young and accomplished, and he is well-deserved!”
Congratulations poured in from all directions to the newly promoted center of power.
The generals who had glared at Ye Cheng just now had put on flattering faces and surrounded Xiao Tian.
The civil servants were not to be left behind, and they all handed over their hands, and their words of praise became more and more gorgeous.
"General Xiao's achievements in this world are really a blessing for our great Zhou Dynasty!"
"With General Xiao here, our great Zhou Dynasty Zuo will be strong for thousands of years!"
They touted his so-called illustrious military exploits and praised his strength that was personally certified by the empress.
The entire Jinluan Palace was immersed in this carnival feast.
Only Yecheng.
He stood quietly, his old armor covered in blood drawing a clear line with the splendid official robes around him.
The crowd surrounded the new hero, but they tacitly understood each other, leaving a vacuum around him.
He became the only outsider in this court.
Unfathomable?
He looked at the high-spirited Xiao Tian who was surrounded by everyone, and there was a hint of sarcasm at the corner of his mouth that no one noticed.
It’s just the Linghai realm!
Even worse than the ordinary infantry who followed him into the Demon Suppression Tower.
In the Jinluan Hall, congratulations came one after another.
Ye Cheng turned around and walked out of the hall without looking back.
Outside the palace gate, the autumn wind blew, and the broken armor stained with dried demon blood on his body seemed to be much lighter.
Ten years.
What he is guarding is not a tower, and what he is killing is not a monster.
It is for a promise.
A little girl who would tug at the corner of his clothes and call him "Brother Ye Cheng".
But now, she is Your Majesty.
If you regret your marriage, just regret it, he doesn't care.
Ke An Ning...that timid little girl who always hides behind Chang Le.
What did she do wrong?
Want to be gifted to a deposed minister at will by your own sister, just like a thing?
This is the price of sitting on the throne?
Ye Cheng looked up at the sky. It was very high and boring.
When Ye Cheng stood in front of this mansion that had been vacant for ten years, his footsteps stopped.
The red-lacquered door was so rotten that the core of the wood was visible, and the gold-lettered plaque on the door that read "Zhenguo General's Mansion" was covered with thick dust, as if covered with a layer of frost.
He stretched out his hand and pushed.
"Creak..."
The door shaft groaned under the load, and in the yard, waist-high grass swayed in the wind.
"Dad, Mom, I'm back."
Two figures rushed out from the inner hall. After seeing the person at the door clearly, they froze instantly.
Mother's bun was completely white. She rushed forward, touching his cold armor with trembling hands, and tears instantly flowed down.
Ye Cheng was about to comfort his parents when a bitter voice interrupted.
"Hey, the great hero of the Ye family is back?"