This large family, appearing before the capital's powerful figures, truly bewildered them.
They all speculated whether the Night King and Night Queen would reside in the capital from now on.
If they stayed in the capital, then the capital would truly face winds of change.
Just as everyone was guessing whether Zhan Tianye and his family would settle in the capital, they were already joyfully reunited within the Night King's manor.
Five months prior, shortly after the birthdays of Zhan Xiaoli and his two brothers, they had set out to explore the martial world again.
It was only yesterday that they reunited outside the capital.
Yun Shu and Zhan Tianye listened with gentle smiles as their four children recounted their experiences during this period. Their eyes held a happiness unique to them.
The children who once needed their protection had now grown up.
They all had stories of their own.
Zhan Xiaofeng and Zhan Xiaojun were both fascinated by medicine. When recounting difficult cases they encountered while roaming the jianghu, or when faced with confusion, they would look expectantly at Yun Shu.
Yun Shu patiently shared her experience and methods for dealing with each situation.
The siblings exchanged glances, as if they had found treasures.
Zhan Xiaojun, with a sweet tongue, exclaimed, "Mother is amazing! How could I have such a powerful mother? Mother is my role model."
Fearing that this might make her father feel left out, she quickly added, "Father, you are my role model too! I love Father and Mother the most."
"Don't you love us?" Zhan Xiaoli, like a patriarch, cast a slightly jealous glance at his sister with furrowed brows.
Zhan Xiaojun turned her bright, smiling face towards Zhan Xiaoli. "Of course I love you all, you are my brothers! How many people in the world envy me, envying my parents who are like celestial companions, and my capable brothers. I am the happiest!"
She realized that although she was the youngest in the family, she seemed to be the oldest as well, having to coax each of them, fearing one's jealousy and then another's.
However, she truly felt so happy!
She could roam the jianghu without reservation, doing whatever she pleased.
The next day.
Yun Shu and Zhan Tianye, along with their four children, entered the palace.
When Zhan Tianhong, absentmindedly reviewing memorials in the imperial study, heard the report from the palace attendant outside the door, his brush slipped from his grasp and fell.
He looked outside with a mixture of surprise and shock.
"You say the Night King and Night Queen have entered the palace?"
"Yes, they are on their way to the imperial study. Does Your Majesty wish to see them?" the palace attendant inquired.
After confirming, Zhan Tianhong stood up abruptly. "See them, of course I must see them!"
They had actually entered the palace.
He had been restless all night yesterday.
He had been constantly thinking, would they come to the palace?
Were they still angry?
Would he never be able to reconcile with them, never see them again, until the moment of his death?
Also, would they leave the capital today?
And then, at this very moment, he received the report of their arrival at the palace!
Amidst Zhan Tianhong's anxious anticipation, he saw Zhan Tianye and Yun Shu, whom he had not seen for over a decade.
As their appearances had not aged, possessing the same peerless grace as they did years ago, for a moment, Zhan Tianhong felt as if he were back in time, as if the past ten-plus years had never existed.
Yun Shu smiled, and looking at Zhan Tianhong, whose temples were now showing some gray hair, she felt a pang of emotion.
He was a few years younger than her and Zhan Tianye.
As the emperor, he had to worry about state affairs every day, and had to bear all this from a young age; it truly consumed his energy.
Zhan Tianye's dark eyes were deep, his emotions more restrained and profound than over a decade ago, making it impossible to fathom his thoughts.
"Fifth Brother, Yun... Night Queen." Zhan Tianhong's eyes were red, and he spoke with difficulty.
"Your Majesty, I trust you are well." Zhan Tianye spoke in a deep voice.
"Zhan Xiaoli, Zhan Xiaofeng, Yun Xiaojing, Zhan Xiaojun, pay respects to Your Majesty. May Your Majesty live ten thousand, ten thousand, ten thousand years."
The four children also paid their respects to Zhan Tianhong.
Zhan Tianhong's eyes reddened further. He nodded repeatedly, "No need for such formality, please rise."
"Fifth Brother, I know it was you who arranged for Xiaofeng to come to the capital a few months ago to save me." Zhan Tianhong looked at Zhan Tianye and Yun Shu again, his eyes filled with guilt and remorse.
He had expected to see resentment and dissatisfaction towards him. To his surprise, their eyes held only peace as they looked at him.
Instantly, Zhan Tianhong felt as though he had a thousand words to say to his fifth brother.
Zhan Xiaoli signaled for his younger siblings to go out with him.
The four of them immediately withdrew.
After they had all left and the door to the imperial study was closed, Zhan Tianhong's eyes, red-rimmed, turned to Yun Shu and Zhan Tianye. "That year... that year, it was my fault. I was so blinded by greed then, I..."
Yun Shu spoke softly, "What happened that year is in the past. Let us forget it."
"There is no need to dwell on it," Zhan Tianye said concisely.
Zhan Tianhong's eyes widened. "You do not resent me?"
Every time he thought of what he had done back then, he felt immense regret.
Why had he been so blinded by greed?
Why had he guarded against his fifth brother?
Was the dragon throne he sat upon truly so important?
Upon hearing the two utter the word "no," Zhan Tianhong wept, like a child, "Fifth Brother..."
At this time.
After leaving the imperial study, the four siblings went to the Imperial Garden.
The three elder brothers had visited the Imperial Garden when they were very young.
So this time, they had no sense of novelty. Although more than a decade had passed, and people had changed, the Imperial Garden remained the same, exactly as it was before.
Zhan Xiaojun, however, was curious about every corner.
It was her first time entering the palace, the Imperial Palace.
"I thought the Imperial Garden would be very large. Looking at it now, it's not that big," Zhan Xiaojun said, looking around.
Although the Imperial Garden was not as large as she had imagined, there were many varieties of flowers, and the clusters of blossoms were dazzlingly beautiful.
Palace attendants passing by saw them. Although they did not know their identities, they all stepped forward to bow.
Then, after walking a distance, they began to guess the identities of the four.
Zhan Xiaojun winked at her three elder brothers. "Eldest brother, second brother, third brother, they must be guessing our identities. It won't be long before everyone in the palace knows who we are."
"So what if they know?" Yun Xiaojing said with a smile.
"That's right, so what if they know!"
The four siblings entered a pavilion.
After sitting down, they began to admire the surrounding scenery.
They were accustomed to traveling the jianghu, and wherever they went, they liked to look around, absorbing the sights into their hearts.
Even though the scenery in the Imperial Garden before them was far from what they had seen while traveling the jianghu, there were still beauties to be discovered.
Just as they felt a little thirsty and thought it was about time to get up and return to the imperial study, people approached from outside the pavilion.