Chapter 261 Traitors in Chaotic Times (The End) How to Become a Super Strategist...

Outside the courtyard, Shi Dashan smiled憨厚ly and led Song Ce forward, saying, "Thanks to Brother Song for saving me today, otherwise I'm afraid I would have lost my life in the mountains!"

Song Ce shook his head, "It was nothing, Brother Shi, you don't need to worry about it. If I hadn't met you today, I'm afraid I would have gotten lost on the mountain and never been able to return."

"Alright! Let's not waste time with these formalities between brothers! Brother Song, please come in and sit down!"

Song Ce responded and followed Shi Dashan into the courtyard. His clear gaze immediately fell on Wenxiu under the eaves. After many years, she had lost some of her youthful naiveté and gained more of the gentleness and tenderness of a married woman.

Wenxiu held Xue'er in her arms, her fingertips unconsciously tightening around the child's clothes. She gazed at Song Ce, her heart pounding faster and faster, her mind churning with countless fragments of thoughts. For some reason, those blurry memories suddenly became shrouded in a thick fog, making her feel dizzy.

“Who is this…” she composed herself and asked softly.

Shi Dashan stepped forward and took Xue'er from Wenxiu's arms, introducing her with a smile: "Wife, Second Sister, this is Brother Song. Today I accidentally encountered some poisonous snakes in the mountains, and it was thanks to Brother Song's help that I was able to save my life."

After saying that, he turned to Song Ce and said, "Brother Song, this is my wife, A Xiu, and our daughter, Xue'er. The maid next to her is my younger sister, Er Mei."

Song Ce smiled faintly, his voice even gentler than usual: "Madam Shi, Sister Shi, I apologize for disturbing you by coming here today."

Wenxiu nodded slightly in response, but when she looked up again, she felt an inexplicable sense of familiarity with this young master Song. However, the more she thought about it, the more blank her mind became, and she couldn't remember where she had seen him before.

"Young Master Song, please come in and sit down. I'll go make some ginger soup to warm you up," she said softly, then turned and walked towards the kitchen. Shi Ermei, who was standing nearby, noticed her sister-in-law's unusual behavior but didn't think much of it, assuming that the presence of guests had made her a little nervous.

Having experienced multiple worlds, Song Ce's mind and perspective were naturally different from ordinary people. He realized almost instantly that the confusion and unfamiliarity in Wen Xiu's eyes when she looked at him were not fake.

It seems that she must have encountered something on her journey to find herself, which caused her to forget everything from the past.

"Brother Song, look, this is my daughter Xue'er. Doesn't she look just like her father?" Shi Dashan gently rocked his daughter in his arms, occasionally bending down to tease her.

Song Ce smiled and pinched Xue'er's chubby arm. "How old is this child?"

Shi Dashan coaxed him twice, "He just turned one year old!"

"He looks stronger than the average child."

"Of course! Everyone in the village who sees my Xue'er praises how well my wife has raised her!"

Song Ce's mind raced, and he took out a bluish-white jade pendant from his sleeve and handed it to Shi Dashan: "Brother Shi, I am grateful for your guidance and your kind invitation today. I would like to give this pendant to Xue'er, hoping that she will grow up safely and peacefully."

The jade pendant was finely carved and had a warm, smooth feel. Even an ordinary farming family like the Shi family could tell at a glance that it was not a cheap item.

Shi Dashan was startled and quickly waved his hand, "Brother Song, this is unacceptable! You saved my life, and I haven't properly thanked you yet. How can I take your jade pendant? Please take it back!"

“Brother Shi, there’s no need to be so polite.” Song Ce placed the jade pendant beside Xue’er and said seriously, “It’s just a lucky charm for the child’s safety. If you don’t accept it, it will make us seem distant.”

Shi Ermei looked at Song Ce from the side, her eyes sparkling, "Brother, Song... Brother Song's kindness is so kind, please accept it on behalf of the child! Look how beautiful this jade pendant is! Xue'er will look absolutely gorgeous wearing it!"

Shi Dashan hesitated for a moment, but seeing that Song Ce's attitude was also firm, he finally scratched his head and said somewhat embarrassedly, "Then I will thank Brother Song on behalf of Xue'er!"

Song Ce smiled and nodded, then took the opportunity to ask a few questions about the Shi family's current situation. Learning that they were now well-off and living comfortably, his tense nerves relaxed slightly.

Before long, Wenxiu placed the cooked ginger soup on the table in front of Song Ce and said with a smile, "The tableware is simple, please enjoy your meal, Young Master Song."

Song Ce nodded slightly, "Thank you, Madam Shi."

Seeing that the man in front of her drank the ginger soup in the bowl without hesitation, Wenxiu felt a little relieved for some reason.

"By the way, Brother Song, where are you headed? Why are you up the mountain all by yourself?"

Song Ce put down his bowl, a look of emotion on his face, and sighed, "To be honest, Brother Shi, I came here to search for someone."

Shi Dashan was taken aback. "Looking for someone? I wonder what the name of the person Brother Song is looking for is? How old is he? Maybe we know each other?"

Song Ce looked at Wen Xiu and smiled slowly, "No need, I already know where she is."

Shi Dashan didn't understand the deeper meaning in Song Ce's words, assuming he was unwilling to elaborate, and simply nodded with a simple smile: "That's wonderful! Brother Song, let me congratulate you in advance!"

Song Ce smiled and softened his voice: "Brother Shi just said that you and Madam Shi have been married for almost two years?"

Shi Dashan scratched his head, looking slightly embarrassed. "Yes, if you count the days, it will be two years in a month."

Hearing this, Shi Ermei chimed in with a grin, "Brother Song, you don't know, my brother was able to marry such a wonderful sister-in-law thanks to me!"

"Oh? I'd like to hear more about it."

“Three years ago, my sister-in-law fainted by the roadside after being bitten by a poisonous snake. I was the first to find her and brought her home! But after she woke up, she forgot everything that had happened before, and she didn’t even remember her own name. Later, when I was changing her dressing, I vaguely heard her call herself Xiuxiu, so my brother and I just started calling her Axiu.”

"And then?" Song Ce pressed.

“At first, my brother and I thought about helping my sister-in-law find her family, but she forgot everything, so we gave up on that idea. Later, my brother and sister-in-law got married after spending a lot of time together, and then they had Xue’er, which made many people in the village extremely envious. They said that my brother’s marriage was a match made in heaven!”

Upon hearing this, Shi Dashan's face instantly turned red. He tugged at his sister's sleeve, his voice dry and strained, "Alright, Second Sister, stop talking..."

Shi Ermei disagreed, pouting, "That's right! My sister-in-law is gentle and capable, and she manages the household perfectly. Brother, you're so lucky to have married such a wonderful wife!"

Wenxiu stood to the side, listening to Shi Ermei's words, her cheeks flushing slightly. She unconsciously glanced at Shi Dashan, and after a brief exchange of glances, she quickly lowered her head, a sweet feeling welling up in her heart.

Song Ce observed the interaction between the two and smiled gently.

Now Wenxiu lives a peaceful life in the Shi family, with a loving husband, a lovely daughter, and a kind sister-in-law. Perhaps this is the best place for her.

So Song Ce didn't linger. He secretly left the Shi family a sum of money that would last them a lifetime, then smiled and took his leave.

...

Since Song Ce came into this world, nearly eight years have passed, and he has finally brought an end to war and peace, bringing about the current era of prosperity.

Emperor Wei Shaosu of the Dali Emperor, deeply grateful for Song Ce's unparalleled achievements, bestowed upon him the title of Duke Zhenguo, a first-rank official, making him incredibly prestigious. As a result, the Song family's status rose dramatically along with this imperial decree, and for a time, guests flocked to their door, making it a bustling place, with visitors practically wearing down the threshold.

Song Ce did not enter the court to serve as an official as everyone had hoped, nor did he even take a sinecure. He only submitted a memorial to Wei Shaosu, saying that now that the world was at peace and the four seas were united, he wanted to go and see the famous mountains and rivers and beautiful scenery of the Dali Dynasty, and enjoy life to the fullest, so that he would not have lived in vain.

Wei Shaosu tried to persuade him to stay, but to no avail. He could only tearfully write his approval in red ink on the memorial.

In the first year of Song Ce's travels in Dali, he sent sweet potatoes and potatoes to Wei Shaosu.

In the third year of Song Ce's travels in Dali, he opened up trade routes between the Dali Dynasty and the mountainous barbarian tribes, ensuring that the border cities of Dali were no longer disturbed by foreign tribes.

In the ninth year of Song Ce's travels in Dali, his business grew bigger and bigger, with countless merchant houses and banks all over the country. Whenever Dali and neighboring small countries that were on good terms were troubled by natural disasters, he would always take out tens of thousands of coins and grains to provide disaster relief and help them overcome the difficulties.

...

"Your Majesty, this is a calming soup that Her Majesty the Empress personally prepared for you. Cuiyu was sent to deliver it by hand." Deng Ping, whose body was already slightly hunched, stood respectfully to one side, holding the soup bowl with both hands, and said in a respectful voice.

"Let's put it aside for now, I'll drink it later."

"yes."

Wei Shaosu stopped looking at him, only gently stroking the letter that had just been delivered, lost in thought. Unbeknownst to her, twenty-seven years had passed since Song Ce led the Dali army to end the centuries-long conflicts in various regions.

He considered himself a diligent and progressive emperor, but whenever he saw the memorials concerning people's livelihood, military defense, and suggestions for reform, he would inadvertently think of Song Ce. For more than thirty years, that man had been like a gentle breeze, slowly blowing across every inch of the Dali land, leaving behind countless admirers and a reputation, yet he had never stopped moving forward.

From beginning to end, I walked alone.

Seeing that Wei Shaosu remained motionless for a long time, staring intently at the letter in his hand, Deng Ping couldn't help but whisper a reminder: "Your Majesty, you have been staring at Lord Song's letter for half an hour."

Wei Shaosu came to his senses, took the calming soup offered by Deng Ping, drank a sip, and sighed, "If we were in each other's shoes, I... I'm afraid I would be far inferior to Song Ce."

"Your Majesty's reign will last for ten thousand generations, comparable to the First Emperor of Qin. No matter how great Lord Song's achievements are, they are far inferior to Your Majesty's!"

Wei Shaosu laughed heartily, “My wife praises me because she loves me; my concubine praises me because she fears me; my guest praises me because he wants something from me. Deng Ping, do you love me because you love me, or do you fear me, or do you want something from me?”

Deng Ping was shocked and hurriedly knelt down, crying out, "This servant dares not, absolutely dares not!"

Wei Shaosu put down the calming soup and laughed, "Look at you, old man, you get so scared just from a few words. Get up!"

"Your Majesty, this servant is terrified..."

"Get up when I tell you to!"

"yes."

Looking at the flickering candlelight in the hall, Wei Shaosu said with a sigh, "In his life, except for his youth when he was confined to a mountain village and unable to leave, Song Ce has hardly lived for himself. Look at him, in his youth he implemented reforms, in his prime he fought on the battlefield, pacifying the world for me. After the dust settled, he resigned from his official post and traveled around, visiting mountains and rivers. Yet during this time, he also searched for food and provided disaster relief for the people of Dali, and opened up markets. Now he is so old, and he is still working hard for a small country called Yize... He carries too much in his heart, too much."

Deng Ping stood to the side and softly echoed, "Your Majesty is right."

Wei Shaosu stood up, his hands behind his back, the candlelight flickering in the hall, just like the eyes of an old friend.

"Let's go to the Queen's palace."

"yes."

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Author's Note: [Covering face and peeking] Sliding to his knees