Chapter 354 The Grand Finale

Lin Qiao didn't know how to save the person, but since her brother had said so, she was sure she could save them.

After Lin Qiao left, Yao Qingling was also thinking about how Lin Shiyuan planned to save her.

Could it be...?

She held the steamed bun in her hand, and the corners of her lips gradually turned up.

...

When Yao Qingling walked out of the prison and saw the sun outside, she realized how hot the weather was.

Although she could feel the temperature change in the prison, it was a gloomy place after all. When the sun's power shone on her body, Yao Qingling felt like a ghost in a storybook who never saw the sunlight, and her skin felt hot.

She squinted, took deep, greedy breaths, and her skin turned red from the sun.

Lin Shiyuan held up an umbrella to shield her from the sun.

Qing Ling suddenly frowned slightly: "The smell of blood is so strong."

How could it not be heavy?

A riot broke out in the capital. Lin Shiyuan led his troops and fought for seven days, driving the rioters out of Ji City. Seeing that the situation was not good, some of the rioters retreated to the south to regroup, while others remained in Ji City to tie down the forces in the capital.

But how many people were killed and how much blood was shed during those seven days, only those who witnessed it firsthand know.

Yao Qingling sat on Lin Shiyuan's horse, looking at the devastated streets.

The once bustling streets have become dilapidated.

The people are working hard to rebuild their homes; shops have opened their doors, but there are no enthusiastic clerks, only empty shelves; the gates of the powerful are heavily guarded, with tables set up at the entrances, where stewards sit recruiting servants and slaves, behind which are long queues filled with all sorts of people waiting numbly.

Everyone who stepped forward voluntarily signed a contract of servitude...

Qingling withdrew her gaze, her heart heavy.

Lin Shiyuan said, "Sheng Dahe has been rescued."

"Hmm?" Qingling asked in confusion. The man said, "He traded goods in the south, so he must have made connections with those people long ago. When he was imprisoned, his people must have notified the rioters in the south to rescue him."

Qing Ling said, "Although this person is reckless, he has a strong sense of chivalry and was once a bandit leader with hundreds of men under his command. He is the kind of talent those people want to recruit. It's not surprising that he was able to be rescued."

She asked, "And what about me? How did you convince the Emperor to let me go?"

Sheng Dahe has escaped; it's no wonder the emperor is furious, making her release much more difficult. Even if Lin Shiyuan performs another meritorious service, he still won't agree.

Lin Shiyuan glanced down at her and put his arm around her slender waist: "I told him that if he wants me to lead troops to quell the rebellion, he must agree to two conditions."

"First, I want to marry Yao Qingling. Second, after the rebellion is quelled, I want to garrison the southern border."

Qingling: "Just these two conditions? Can he agree to them?"

That emperor was not one to be threatened.

Lin Shiyuan sneered: "He spared my life so that I could fight for him. Given the current situation, he has no choice but to agree."

Of course, it's possible the emperor might change his mind later, but Lin Shiyuan, having led troops for so many years, had learned to be calculating. Besides, he also had Yao Qingling, a clever woman, who would prevent the emperor from turning against him.

Qingling smiled and said, "Then your desperate advice was well-chosen. You've become a general and now you have a wife."

...

The Marquis of Zhongyong's mansion was brightly decorated with lanterns and colorful streamers. Large red flowers hung at the entrance and circled the walls.

Inside the Mulan Courtyard, Qingling sat on a dressing stool. The nanny, Xishi, took her thick, black hair, combed it all the way down, said a lucky word, combed it again, and said another lucky word.

Several maids stood behind her, smiling, but with tears in their eyes.

The young lady is getting married again.

She married Lin Shiyuan, the current General of Zhennan and Vice Minister of War.

"Miss, you are so beautiful." Lou Yue was sweet-talking, and she was even sweeter at this moment.

Tao Ye then recalled Yao Qingling's appearance on her first wedding day.

At that time, in order to save face, Madam Ma gave Yao Qingling a beautiful dowry on the surface, but the gold ornaments were thin and light, and some of them were even gold-plated silver. The styles were not fashionable either, and Yao Qingling was still young at the time, with a childlike appearance, and wearing those ornaments made her look several years older.

Now, the jewels truly shone, making Yao Qingling look radiant, beautiful, and dazzling.

Yao Qingling looked at herself in the mirror and was satisfied with her appearance.

At this moment, she felt no fear of the unknown, only joy and happiness at the prospect of marrying her beloved.

"They're here! They're here! The groom is here to fetch the bride!"

Lin Qiao's loud voice rang out from outside the courtyard.

Yao Qingling put on a red veil and was helped out by her maids.

The door opened, and before she could even take a step out, she felt someone standing in front of her.

The figure was tall, and his intense gaze looked at her through the red veil.

Qingling pursed her lips, lowered her head shyly, and gently pushed him with her small hand: "Don't stand there like a block of wood."

The next moment, she was picked up.

"Oh!" she exclaimed, raising her hand to press down her red veil. "Why are you breaking the rules?"

The matchmaker behind them also repeatedly advised against it, saying that there was no such procedure.

Lin Shiyuan ignored them and looked down at Qingling: "This general only listens to his wife and will not stand there like a block of wood."

"Wife, shall we go to my house?" His voice was loud enough for everyone in the courtyard to hear.

Yao Qingling was speechless. How could she not know that Lin Shiyuan was so shameless?

She wanted to punch him again.

In the end, she just tugged at his clothes and told him not to talk nonsense.

Lin Shiyuan grinned and strode forward.

There was a bright red bridal sedan chair, and it was the most beautiful bridal sedan chair in the capital.

But Lin Shiyuan didn't let her ride in the bridal sedan chair. Instead, he carried her onto his horse and rode with her through the streets, treating her as his equal.

Not only that, he also lifted her veil.

He wanted everyone to see that Yao Qingling was his wife.

Lin Shiyuan's wife is so beautiful.

We walked along the long street until we reached the entrance of the Vice Minister's residence.

The firecrackers crackled and popped for a while, and stopped just as the horse came to a stop.

Lin Shiyuan then helped Yao Qingling off the horse, and the couple bowed to the guests who had come to witness the ceremony to express their gratitude.

This unusual marriage left everyone stunned.

Lin Shiyuan said earnestly to Yao Qingling, "The Emperor has ordered me to go to the Southern Border immediately after the wedding. The matter is urgent, and I cannot attend to everything. I apologize for this inconvenience. But I want you to know that I value you very much, extremely much."

He cherished it and took Yao Qingling's hand.

In the crowd, Zhan Xingzhuo watched them stand hand in hand, his eyes red.

That red wedding robe was so festive, yet so jarring to his eyes.

Although he knew she would be happy in the future, that was in the Southern Territory.

He knew better than anyone else what was happening there.

Lin Shiyuan went to quell the rebellion, but Yao Qingling was colluding with bandits. How should the rebels view her?

She shouldn't have gone...

Zhan Xingzhuo couldn't help himself. He stepped forward, walked up to Yao Qingling, and opened his mouth.

He didn't make a sound, but Yao Qingling understood. He said, "I won't marry you, okay?"

He slowly raised his hand, trying to hold her hand.

Lin Shiyuan scooped Yao Qingling up in his arms, spun her around, and kicked his hand away, looking down at her with disdain: "Mine!"

Yao Qingling looked up at the petty man and couldn't help but laugh: "What are you doing? He's here to deliver my wedding gift."

She turned to look at Zhan Xingzhuo and smiled slightly.

That smile says it all.

No matter how high the mountains or how far the roads, how difficult the journey, or how life goes, she will only ever want Lin Shiyuan.

"Shiyuan, we're inside." she said softly.

Lin Shiyuan held Yao Qingling in his arms, glanced at Zhan Xingzhuo indifferently, and turned back to Qingling with a groom's smile.

"Let's go, let's go inside!"

Behind them, Lin Qiao and several other maids scattered flower petals, announcing, "Come in—"

—The End.