Nangong Lin sped along and soon arrived at the imperial palace. As he entered the imperial study, he saw Nangong Xiao standing by the window with her back facing him.

"Father." Nangong Lin had come straight in, and had not spread the news.

"You're here." Nangong Lin turned around and saw his tall and mighty son.

Over the years, he had had countless children, many of whom had died. The only ones who survived were Nangong Lin and Nangong Zhen. No one knew better than him how the children who were born died.

Even though there were some things that did not need to be discussed, that did not mean that he did not care.

As an overlord, there were many times when he could do nothing about it. Back then, when Nangong Lin's mufei drowned, Nangong Xiao felt guilty for not protecting that gentle and kind woman. Thus, he had to protect the crystal of their love and protect Nangong Lin.

It was precisely because of this that he did not pass the title of emperor to Nangong Lin. It was not because he was unsuited to be an overlord. Rather, it was because he was too suitable.

However, once he was brought to the forefront of the conflict, danger would follow.

As an emperor, the responsibilities he had were too heavy, and many things could not be decided by his heart. From the moment he ascended the throne, his life would change accordingly, and at that time, he would become alone, doing his best to prevent other countries from invading, and would also have to suffer from internal troubles. It would be too exhausting, too exhausting.

Nangong Xiao listened to these words. After considering it over and over again, he changed his mind and conferred the title of Crown Prince to Nangong Zhen.

However, Nangong Zhen's actions had truly disappointed him. As a father, Nangong Zhen truly felt heartache for him.

For the sake of the Southern Water Country, for the sake of realizing his lofty ideals and the wish to unite the four countries, the only person who could lead the Southern Water Country to achieve all of this was Nangong Lin.

Thus, he definitely couldn't have Yan Xiaoxi together with him.

"Father, why have you called this son here?" In Nangong Lin's memory, Nangong Xiao was a citizen. Under his treatment, the country was peaceful and the weather was smooth.

Nangong Lin admired and admired Nangong Xiao for relying on the imperial harem to consolidate their relationship with the imperial court. He did not agree with her.

His mother's wife was one of the many women who wasted their beautiful youth in the bottomless harem.

"Lin'er." Nangong Xiao shouted.

"Father." Nangong Lin agreed. Suddenly, he felt that there was something weighing down his father's mind, and a lot of white hair appeared on both his temples.

Time flew. He had already grown up, and his royal father had aged quite a bit.

The emperor was also a mortal. He would also have the seven emotions and six desires, and he would age with time.

"The entire Southern Water Country will depend on you from now on." Nangong Xiao patted Nangong Lin's shoulder.

Nangong Lin was stunned. He did not understand the meaning behind Nangong Xiao's words. He had not received any news of his father's illness. What did he mean by saying that to him?

"Royal father, if you have something to say, just say it." Nangong Lin realized that something was amiss with Nangong Xiao today.

"Father knows that you are in a difficult situation, but you must promise royal father one thing." As she spoke, Nangong Xiao took three pieces of Xuan paper from the table and handed them to Nangong Lin.

Nangong Lin received the paper with a stiff expression and looked at Nangong Lin with a surprised expression. He lowered his gaze and unfolded the paper. His gaze was probing the man and woman in the painting.

He was able to discern that the woman in these two portraits was the same person.

The man and woman had similar expressions. The weirdest thing was that a face suddenly appeared in his mind. That smiling face belonged to Yan Xiaoxi, the person he had spent the past few months with.

There must be a connection between the three of them, and Nangong Lin was able to guess what it was with a single glance.

"This man's name is Long Chenxuan. He is the founding general of the Southern Water Nation. He is my good brother. In the four nations back then, everyone admired his fame." Nangong Xiao had a deep look in her eyes as she could not help but recall those blissful times.

From generation to generation, the battles for the throne were filled with countless casualties.

Nangong Xiao was able to ascend to the throne due to the help of her benefactor, Long Chenxuan. The two of them were similar in age, and as such, they soon became good brothers.

Unfortunately, good times don't last long.

When the two of them met a lively and adorable lady on Weibo, everything changed. They bumped into her several times, causing them to develop feelings for her.

In the world of love, there was no room for a third person.

Nangong Xiao had lost this battle. She had lost everything. Not only had she lost her love, she had also lost Long Chenxuan, her good brother.

"Right." Nangong Lin slightly frowned. As he looked at his absent-minded Imperial Father, he guessed that there must be a story within.

"The girl beside him is his little sister. I only found out about her long-lost sister now." When she mentioned this matter, Nangong Xiao was filled with regret. If she had investigated Yan Xiaoxi's identity back then, she wouldn't have faced such a crisis.

Nangong Lin wouldn't fall deeply in love with Yan Xiaoxi.

Everything was done by him!

"Is this woman Xi Er's mother?" Nangong Lin quickly guessed the reason.

"That's right."

"This is the reason why royal father has called me here today." Nangong Lin had heard of the matter regarding Long Xuanchen and the royal father.

However, what did their grudge have to do with Yan Xiaoxi? Even if Yan Xiaoxi and she were enemies, it wouldn't be able to stop the two of them from loving each other.

No one could stop her. Of course, that included Nangong Xiao.

"Lin'er, this matter is not as simple as you think." Nangong Xiao understood the meaning in Nangong Lin's eyes. He knew that his son was stubborn.

If it were only the grudges of the previous generation, he could pretend that he didn't know that his son had found happiness. As a father, he was happier than anyone else.

However, this matter was too complicated. It was very possible that it would endanger Nangong Lin's life.

He could not sit back and do nothing, as he was not going to follow in Long Xuanchen's footsteps.

The entire Southern Water Country still needed Nangong Lin to lead them towards prosperity. He absolutely could not let Nangong Lin face any danger.

"Otherwise?" Nangong Lin countered with a question, not understanding what his father was really up to.

"Do you know how Long Xuanchen died?" Nangong Xiao knew that if she did not tell him the entire reason, he would not give up on Yan Xiaoxi.

"Die?" The entire Southern Water Country only knew that Long Xuanchen had gone missing.

Back then, Long Xuanchen, who had accomplished his duty, was bestowed the title of Prince. The only person with another surname, the Prince, had limitless glory. There were many people in the imperial court who fawned over him, gaining the trust of the people.

Long Xuanchen immediately became the most eye-catching person in the entire Southern Water Country.

However, he was a low-profile person. He would often help the common people, but not the imperial court or participate in political affairs. He only appeared when Nangong Xiao needed him. As time passed, fewer people had seen him.

Eventually, it was rumored that he had married a woman who was as beautiful as a fairy, and after that, he completely disappeared.

Some people said that the two of them had already reached the Immortal Realm, which was why they were not able to be seen in the four countries.