"Now that the money has been paid, let General Shen go home," the Emperor said in a deep voice.

"Thank you, Your Majesty," Qu Jingyun said softly.

But the thank you sounded particularly ironic.

"You may all leave, I am tired," the Emperor said weakly, waving his hand.

Once they left the Imperial Study, all the ministers' eyes fell on Qu Jingyun, looking as if they wanted to say something but hesitated.

Qu Jingyun didn't give them a chance to speak at all and quickly left.

She also needed to bring Shen Yunting and the others home as soon as possible with the Emperor's decree.

I don't have time to get entangled with these people.

Seeing her cold expression, everyone knew that she had offended someone badly.

But this is the only choice they have.

We can't risk our own lives and fortunes for the sake of the Shen family.

Since Shen Yunting can never regain its former glory, there's no need for them to lower themselves to curry favor with them.

Stepping out of the prison cell again and feeling the long-lost sunshine, Shen Yunting still felt somewhat uneasy.

He looked down at Qu Jingyun and said, "Thank you for your hard work."

Just by looking at Qu Jingyun's dark circles, he knew without a doubt that Qu Jingyun must have suffered a lot these past few days.

"It's nothing," Qu Jingyun shook her head.

"It's better for all of you to be well than anything else."

When they arrived at the entrance of the General's Mansion, the old lady had already prepared a brazier and willow branches to ward off evil spirits for them.

His eyes were red and his face was streaked with tears.

He kept repeating, "It's alright, it's alright."

Shen Yue and the others watched from the side, their expressions equally excited.

Tears streamed down my face uncontrollably.

Qu Jingyun, fighting back tears, quickly said, "Let's go inside first."

The old lady's emotions only calmed down after they walked into the house.

Grateful gazes fell upon Qu Jingyun.

"I've heard about your fundraising efforts. You've really gone to a lot of trouble. How can the General's Mansion ever repay you?"

"We're all family, there's no need to say such things," Qu Jingyun said with a smile.

He then said, "Moreover, these matters were initiated by Qi Yun'er, so I owe you all this."

"That's not how it works. Anyone can see that this was done deliberately by His Majesty." A mocking smile appeared on Shen Yunting's lips.

Without the Emperor's secret support, neither Zhang Zhou nor Qi Yun'er would dare to do such a thing.

Upon hearing this, Qu Jingyun also gave a wry smile.

"I never expected the Emperor to act so recklessly. I thought..."

"That's enough," Shen Yunting said, stopping them.

"It's good as it is now. I'm retired and at home, which is perfect for enjoying some peace and quiet."

“But…” Shen Yunting turned to look at Shen Song beside him.

"After this incident, it will be difficult for you to stay in the Shenji Battalion any longer."

"It's alright, I've already made plans."

After taking a deep look at his parents, Shen Song suddenly knelt down.

He solemnly declared, "Father, Mother, I want to change my name and join the army at the border to hone my skills, starting as a lowly soldier."

Upon hearing this, everyone present changed their expressions.

"This is not an impulsive decision, but a decision I have thought about for a long time. If I stay by your side, I will never be able to truly grow up. Not to mention that the Emperor is wary of me now, I am afraid that I will never have a chance to rise in the world. It is better to fight for my own future and also to see what the frontier that my father once guarded looks like."

Chen Song's expression was resolute, with a hint of longing in his eyes.

“This is my good son.” Shen Yunting suddenly spoke, slapping Shen Song hard on the shoulder.

“Then go ahead, I trust my son.”

Qu Jingyun echoed, "You can do whatever you want."

The old lady's face showed a hint of disapproval.

But seeing that Qu Jingyun and Shen Yunting had both agreed, he could only nod in agreement.

"Your son will never let you down." Shen Song bowed and kowtowed deeply.

"Pack your things properly and leave after the New Year," Qu Jingyun said after thinking for a moment.

Chen Song gave a soft "hmm," stood up, and glanced at Yin Xue out of the corner of his eye, his expression hesitant to speak.

Finally mustering her courage, she asked, "Xue'er, can you come out with me for a moment?"

Yin Xue hesitated for a moment, but finally nodded.

The two walked to the outdoor corridor, the atmosphere heavy.

After a long while, Chen Song spoke up, saying, "I wronged you before, and I now know my mistake. The promise I made to you back then still stands."

"But are you willing to wait for me to come back?"

Yin Xue's feelings were somewhat complicated at this moment.

She had seen how good Chen Song had been to her during this time.

No matter how busy he was, he would always bring her favorite pastries to the Qu residence.

He would also occasionally appear where she watched plays or listened to music, trying to cheer her up from afar.

She could tell that Shen Song was genuinely remorseful and truly wanted to live a good life with her.

But the past wounds are just too painful!

Yin Xue still remembers that day when she excitedly went to the door to greet her husband.

The result was that Shen Song carefully carried another woman off the carriage.

She watched helplessly as Shen Song gave the tenderness that belonged to her to Lin Qingping.

He completely forgot his promise to her.

Not to mention that later he almost made Lin Qingping a concubine, which was a foolish thing.

If Qu Jingyun hadn't returned to stop all of this, she didn't even dare to imagine what awaited her.

Yin Xue is also a human being; she naturally feels pain and understands the importance of self-preservation.

After experiencing that pain once, how could one easily fall into it again?

Upon realizing this, Yin Xue's expression immediately turned cold.

Then she said, "I will not divorce you, and I will always be your wife, Mrs. Shen."

“But not for you, but for my mother. She has been very good to me, and I am willing to serve her forever.”

"As for you, we can just be a couple in name only, as we are now. If you take a fancy to any girl in the future, you can marry her as a concubine. I will do whatever you want."

Her tone was filled with a deep sense of helplessness.

Hearing this, Chen Song felt a pang of heartache.

He still remembered how fierce Yin Xue's attitude was when he first brought Lin Qingping back to the General's Mansion.

Especially when he wanted to marry Lin Qingping as his concubine, Yin Xue was so angry that she slapped him across the face.

At that time, Yin Xue was still alive.

But now...

Shen Song knew he could only blame himself for these things, and shook his head helplessly.

He then said, "I know I've disappointed you, but time will prove my sincerity to you."

He took a deep look at Yin Xue, and only one thought remained in his mind.

As long as she is still by my side, as long as she is still Madam Shen, that's enough.

Nothing else matters!

"If you have nothing else to say, let's go back." Yin Xue's lips parted slightly.

Seeing that the other person nodded, he turned and left without looking back.