Chapter 939: The Young Empress (76)

In truth, Jing Cheng had only said it casually and didn't genuinely believe Tang Guo remembered a previous life.

To his surprise, Tang Guo nodded seriously.

"That's right. The moment I realized you were rather adorable, I greeted you."

Jing Cheng caught the implication hidden in her words and smiled. "So if Guo'er had disliked me, you wouldn't have smiled at me that day?"

Tang Guo answered matter-of-factly, "Naturally. If I found you displeasing, or if you had done something to wrong me, no matter what happened in a previous life, I wouldn't pay any attention to you."

And perhaps, she would even take revenge.

Jing Cheng laughed instead.

"Then Guo'er can rest assured. I would never do anything to betray you. Not in the past, not in the present, not in the future, and not even in our next life."

Somewhere deep inside, he vaguely felt that she wasn't joking.

If they truly had another life together, then that would be wonderful.

Their time together in this life was simply too short.

Only a little more than ten years remained.

It wasn't enough.

From that day onward, whenever Tang Guo wasn't attending court, wherever she went, Jing Cheng would follow.

Through that conversation, he had more or less understood her intentions.

Whatever she wished to do, he would support her.

Of course, in the depths of his heart, he still held onto a trace of hope.

Perhaps when she spoke of only ten years remaining, some miracle would still occur.

Time passed swiftly, and another five years slipped away.

Tang Nuoyue had spent nearly a decade traveling throughout Western Saint Kingdom. Wherever corrupt officials existed, there she would appear. As long as there was something she could intervene in, she would.

With the Empress supporting her from behind, she had nothing to fear.

Without realizing it, Tang Nuoyue had gained a reputation across the kingdom. People called her the prince who loved meddling in other people's affairs.

Officials feared and despised her.

The common people, however, were the complete opposite. They practically prayed for Tang Nuoyue to come visit their hometowns.

Any place she had visited remained peaceful for at least three years, with no one daring to commit any underhanded acts.

After so many years, Tang Nuoyue even had children.

Yet the Empress still had only Jing Cheng by her side, and there was still no sign of pregnancy.

This time, the ministers once again began worrying about the succession to the throne. Memorials flooded in, urging the Empress to accept more consorts. They argued that she couldn't allow the imperial line to end for the sake of a single Imperial Consort.

Over these years, Western Saint Kingdom had enjoyed exceptional stability.

With Tang Nuoyue inspecting the various regions, few people dared stir up trouble.

Aside from natural disasters, which were beyond prediction, everything was peaceful.

Even when disasters struck, with these two "fake" sisters—the Empress and Prince Yue—working together, problems were resolved with ease. Some calamities could even be anticipated and prevented in advance.

Compared to other nations, the people of Western Saint Kingdom truly lived in peace and prosperity.

Meanwhile, Su Qing, who had departed with Xiao Jin's token, had faced difficulties at every step in the beginning.

Originally, he had intended to rely upon his own abilities and Xiao Jin's remaining forces to raise an army somewhere.

But after personally investigating the situation, he discovered that although Qi Kingdom wasn't as stable as Western Saint Kingdom, its people still had enough food and clothing.

There were simply no conditions suitable for rebellion.

After much consideration, he abandoned that idea.

He thought of countless alternatives and eventually decided to secretly develop his own forces while simultaneously entering officialdom in Qi Kingdom.

By steadily climbing the ranks and gaining access to more of Qi Kingdom's upper circles, infiltrating the nation's core would become easier.

Then, one day, an opportunity finally presented itself.

The most favored princess of Qi Kingdom seemed to have taken a liking to him and wished to make him her Prince Consort.

He pondered over it for a long time.

In the end, he agreed.

Because becoming the princess's consort would bring him one step closer to the Emperor of Qi.