"Zhanlijue" means to execute someone immediately by beheading.

So, after the Grand Eunuch Wen Rang read out Situ Yin's decree, only Ji Xiang, He Lanruo's second uncle, and others were left in the prison for one night. After eating their last meal before being escorted out by fierce-looking jailers, they were taken away.

Even though the male and female prisons were located in two different areas, the prison was only so big, and Ji Muqing and the others could still hear the heart-wrenching cries and pleas coming from the male prison.

When they vaguely heard why these people were begging for mercy, the women in the prison trembled with fear. Ji Muqing, who was already weakened by her previous imprisonment and had not yet recovered, developed a high fever that afternoon.

While she was delirious with fever, she had a dream.

In the dream, Helan Ruo's feelings for Tang Ning were not good; in fact, they were quite bad. So, almost immediately after receiving her letter, Helan Ruo followed her plan without hesitation, smuggling her out and swapping faces with Tang Ning.

From then on, she became the high and mighty Lady of the Duke's Mansion, while Tang Ning quietly took her place as the Consort Chen in the Cold Palace. Not only that, she had no connection with the unpredictable Situ Yin, and not long after, Situ Yin, whom she feared to the core, also died unexpectedly.

Everything went so smoothly, it was unbelievable.

Ji Muqing, on the other hand, lived out the rest of her life happily and contentedly.

Everything was so beautiful, so unreal, so wonderful that she didn't even want to wake up from her dream.

The more beautiful the dream, the crueler the reality.

It was so cruel that Ji Muqing was completely unwilling to accept her current situation.

Because of the high fever and that dream, Ji Muqing was in a daze for the next few days. It wasn't until she was brought out with the other women in the prison and knelt on the ground to hear the imperial decree that she finally realized that her suffering had only just begun.

Exile, especially to be exiled thousands of miles away wearing such heavy shackles, was something her body simply couldn't withstand.

She will die, she will die, or rather, she will die after suffering all kinds of torment.

She didn't want to, she didn't want to! She was still young, she didn't want to die, she wanted to live...

With this strong thought in mind, Ji Muqing, who had been driven out onto the street, suddenly raised her head. To her surprise, this glance revealed a real glimmer of hope for her future.

Helan Ruo!

It's Helan Ruo!

Upon seeing him, Ji Muqing, who had been running a high fever for days and had little strength left in his hands and feet, suddenly found a surge of strength from somewhere and rushed towards He Lanruo by the roadside like a madman.

"Save me, save me, Zichu, save me! Please, please save me! Even if you no longer love me, please save me for the sake of the life I once saved. I don't want to be exiled, I don't want to die. I know, I know Princess Qingping still has an imperial pardon bestowed by the Emperor. I beg you, if you save me, I, Ji Muqing, will repay you for the rest of my life, serving you like a slave. If you tell me to go east, I will never go west..."

After Ji Muqing finished speaking rapidly, the soldiers escorting them rushed up behind her, cursing and swearing, and grabbed her shoulder to pull her back.

Ji Muqing, pinned to the ground, stared intently at Helan Ruo, who was standing not far from her, her eyes bloodshot. She pleaded, panting heavily. Unfortunately, the Helan Ruo from her dream, who would indulge her every unreasonable request, did not appear. Instead, there stood only the young master Helan, who remained unmoved no matter how disheveled she was.

As she watched, Ji Muqing's heart gradually cooled, but she was still unwilling to give up and was about to plead again.

He Lanruo's cold voice suddenly rang softly in her ear.

"I've seen His Majesty's evidence. It says that you overheard Prime Minister Ji and the others' plans on the second day after you returned to the Prime Minister's residence, right? You knew perfectly well that if my second uncle were to take power in the Duke's mansion, my parents and I wouldn't survive long, yet you still didn't let me know a word of it..."

Upon hearing these words, Ji Muqing's violent struggles immediately froze, and she fell silent.

Because she gave up struggling, the soldiers who were holding her down quickly and efficiently threw her back into the ranks.

It was at this moment that Ji Muqing looked directly at Helan Ruo in the crowd, a final hint of madness on his face, and sneered.

"Ha, whether you live or die, what does it matter to me? Why should I tell you? Just because you know about my past schemes, you discarded me without a second thought, letting me be humiliated in the Ji family without offering a helping hand. Why should I take such a big risk to tell you those things? After all, if my grandfather succeeds, I can at least benefit from it. But if I tell you, you'll only be thinking about your Qin Tangning and won't even give me a second glance!"

"Don't you dare tell me that you risked your life to rescue me from the cold palace. That only proves you're stupid, that's why I made you run around in circles, and that's why the Emperor stole your wife from you. Hahahaha, how could there be someone as incredibly stupid as you, Helan Ruo? Hahahaha!"

Ji Muqing, laughing heartily, continued to be pushed forward, never looking back at Helan Ruo behind her.

On the other side, Qin Qianqian, who had no time to pay attention to the crazy Ji Muqing, was anxiously searching among the pedestrians on both sides of the street, her face showing increasing panic.

No, no, not anywhere.

She didn't see a single person from the general's mansion; she had been completely abandoned...

Qin Qianqian's eyes quickly reddened. The thought that the people in the General's Mansion would not stand by and watch her die, and would eventually beg Tang Ning to save her, which she had held for so many days, was completely extinguished at this moment.

At this moment, resentment and hatred completely took over Qin Qianqian's heart.

She never imagined that the General's Mansion, which had raised her like a precious jewel, would be so cruel to her, and would actually turn a blind eye to her tragic end.

She hated it, she hated it so much.

She will get her revenge. One day, if she can return to the capital, she will make sure that these heartless people are utterly disgraced and suffer a terrible death.

Qin Qianqian, who made such a profound vow in her heart, did not know that this trip would mean she would never be able to return to the capital for the rest of her life. In fact, under the harsh winds and frosts of a miserable life, she gradually became numb and unbearable. When she thought back to the more than ten years she had lived in the General's Mansion, she would even feel that it was unreal and wonder if she had really lived such a heavenly life.

After the exiled people left, the capital was quiet for a few days.

Unfortunately, it only lasted a few days.

Three days later, the Xiongnu people in the north somehow learned of the unrest in Dalin and took the opportunity to cause trouble.

Fortunately, Situ Yin knew the nature of these people early on and had already sent people to strengthen the defenses of the northern border. However, the northern border will likely remain chaotic for some time.

Just as the capital was slightly agitated by this news, in the Princess's residence, Princess Qingping looked at Helan Ruo kneeling before her. Despite her heart being filled with worry and reluctance, she tried her best to suppress her emotions and asked in a hoarse voice, "A'Ruo, are you sure?"

Upon hearing Princess Qingping's question, Helan Ruo clenched her fist, nodded vigorously, and then kowtowed loudly on the ground, saying, "Your son is unfilial."

"Unfilial? You want to go to the battlefield to fight the enemy, how can that be considered unfilial? It's just that swords and spears have no eyes on the battlefield. I don't ask for anything else, I only ask that when you are fighting for your life, you remember that your father and mother are still waiting for you to come home, okay?"

Upon hearing her mother's trembling voice pleading like this, Helan Ruo's tears also fell.

"good."

He replied, his voice trembling as well.

A day later, at Princess Qingping's request and with Situ Yin's tacit approval, Tang Ning met Helan Ruo, who was about to leave the capital.

Looking into his resolute eyes, she was momentarily at a loss for words.

In the end, it was Helan Ruo who took the initiative to speak and inquire about Situ Yin's health. After all, Princess Qingping was not an outsider, and she knew many things. Helan Ruo also learned that something was wrong with Situ Yin.

To this, Tang Ning simply replied that it was fine.

"I'm heading to the northern frontier this afternoon, and I'm afraid I won't have time to attend your and His Majesty's wedding. Coming here now is also a way of offering my early congratulations..."

He Lanruo said slowly.

Upon hearing this, Tang Ning was surprised for a moment, then smiled and thanked him, thus accepting his congratulations.

The two people, who were once so close, have somehow ended up in this state of mutual silence.

Thinking of this, a subtle, persistent pain quickly spread through Helan Ruo's heart.

After exchanging a few more dry words, Tang Ning, worried about Situ Yin's health, was about to say goodbye to He Lanruo when she realized that they had been out for a while.

He Lanruo, who immediately sensed what she was thinking, called out to her first, "Tang Ning..."

Tang Ning looked up at him, and then heard the man in white, his eyes red, ask softly, "Are you happy now?"

Upon hearing this question, Tang Ning was taken aback for a moment, then smiled and said, "I'm happy, really happy. Since Father passed away, no one has ever pampered me, indulged me, or followed my wishes like His Majesty has. Everything he does is based on my happiness. Perhaps in other people's eyes, he's not so good. But to me, he's the one I want to spend my whole life with..."

Before Tang Ning could finish speaking, He Lanruo impulsively blurted out, "But he has been suffering from a rare poison since childhood, and may... die at any moment..."

Upon hearing this, Tang Ning's face turned pale, and her eyes began to glaze over.

Apart from the gentle breeze, the surroundings were eerily quiet.

After an unknown amount of time, Tang Ning's eyes finally regained focus, and she chuckled softly.

"I'll stay with him as long as he can live. If he doesn't have much time left, I should cherish every moment I spend with him even more. I've really been out here for a long time, it's time to go back. Helan Ruo, have a safe journey."

As she spoke, Tang Ning, her face showing a hint of anxiety, turned around without hesitation.

But as soon as she turned around, she saw Situ Yin, pale-faced, standing not far behind them, leaning against a pillar, smiling as he looked at her.

Caught off guard, Tang Ning was taken aback when she saw Situ Yin. She then hurriedly ran to the man's side, tugging at the silver cloak he was wearing, and said anxiously, "It's windy outside, why did you come out? What's going on with Chunmian, Chuntan, and Fangyuanling? They didn't even watch over you and just let you come out like that. What if you catch a cold from the wind? And you, you never give me a moment's peace!"

Tang Ning's reproachful voice was carried by the wind to He Lanruo's ears. Then he saw her hurriedly grab Situ Yin's arm and walk towards the palace.

Watching Tang Ning's figure recede into the distance, a bitter smile crept onto He Lanruo's lips. He didn't know how much time had passed before he finally staggered away.

The night was very dark, perhaps because the next day was cloudy, and not a single star could be found in the pitch-black night sky.

Because the lamps were lit, and the Weiyang Palace was bathed in a warm yellow light, Tang Ning, who hadn't been able to get a good night's sleep for several days, finally couldn't hold on any longer that night. After taking care of Situ Yin for a short while, she fell into a deep sleep.

She could fall asleep, but Situ Yin couldn't sleep at all.

This was because at that moment, it felt as if a million poisonous insects were constantly gnawing at his brain, and these insects were increasing every moment, as was the pain.

Just then, the suggestion from the White House Chief once again echoed in his ears.

If Tang Ning's blood were given to him, he could be completely freed from this profound suffering immediately...

Thinking of this, Situ Yin raised his trembling hand and gently stroked Tang Ning's face, again and again, as if it were never enough.

But because his fingers sometimes don't obey him, he accidentally hit one of them a little too hard.

Tang Ning's eyelashes trembled slightly, and she quickly woke up from her dream.

Looking at Situ Yin, who was lying beside her with a deathly pale face, a flash of annoyance crossed her eyes.

How could she fall asleep?

"How are you? Are you feeling unwell anywhere? Should I call Fang Yuanling and the others over?" Before Situ Yin could answer, Tang Ning's gaze fell on his lips.

"Your lips are so dry and chapped, you must be thirsty. Why didn't you tell me you were thirsty?"

As she spoke, Tang Ning hurriedly got out of bed, poured a glass of warm water, and handed it to Situ Yin's lips.

As soon as he took a sip of water, Situ Yin immediately felt a metallic sweetness well up in his throat. After a slight pause, he subconsciously lifted Tang Ning's hand and, with the warm water in the cup, forced himself to swallow all the blood in his mouth, so that Tang Ning wouldn't notice anything amiss.

After finishing the water, Situ Yin reached out and pulled Tang Ning into his arms.

"If only I could hold you like this forever..."

Hearing his sigh, Tang Ning immediately hugged him tightly, pressing her cheek against his chest. She took a breath, making sure he didn't notice anything amiss, and said casually, "Yes, we will. As long as we're healed, you can hug me for as long as you want, okay?"

“Okay,” Situ Yin replied softly.

Despite saying "okay," Situ Yin's body weakened at a visible rate.

The most painful punishment in the world is not being torn to pieces, but being deprived of sleep.

If Situ Yin could still manage to get a nap for an hour or two a few days ago, as his headaches worsened, even that became a luxury for him.

He used to be able to restrain himself in front of Tang Ning, but later on, every night he could only hold Tang Ning, sweating profusely and trembling.

When Tang Ning asked him with concern, he was still able to laugh and joke with her, saying that he was just feeling a little cold because he was weak, and that Tang Ning should hug him tighter and tighter to warm him up.

Unfortunately, no matter how long Tang Ning held him, he couldn't stop trembling.

The headaches were getting worse and worse, and Situ Yin's mind was becoming increasingly confused.

Under such torment, even someone as resilient as Situ Yin had doubted more than once what he was persisting in, and why he didn't just die, so he wouldn't have to suffer such torment that was worse than death.

But every day, as soon as such a thought arose in his mind, it would completely disappear upon seeing Tang Ning's small face.

He couldn't bear to part with it, he really couldn't bear to.

If it were the old him, he would have simply died, but now, what would Tang Ning do if he died?

What if she cries or feels upset?

As for Fang Yuanling, he had privately tried to persuade him to accept his blood transfusion treatment more than once, but unfortunately, every time he tried, Situ Yin turned a deaf ear.

Finally, when he pleaded desperately, Situ Yin answered softly, "She's afraid of pain..."

Even if the Imperial Physician didn't explain, Situ Yin knew that switching their blood must have been very painful.

Tang Ning is so afraid of pain, she'll definitely cry.

Situ Yin thought this subconsciously.

As the days went by, Fang Yuanling grew more and more anxious.

That day, before going to sleep, Tang Ning suddenly received a small token from Situ Yin, which he pulled out from under his pillow and casually tossed into her arms.

Before Tang Ning could even ask what it was, Situ Yin casually told her that he had found this little thing in his treasure box today, and since it looked quite exquisite, he had tossed it to Tang Ning to play with.

Because Situ Yin had given her quite a few things these days, including all sorts of strange and unusual items, it was normal for him to suddenly give her such a small token today.

If it were anyone else here, seeing Situ Yin's casual attitude, they might really think it was some insignificant trinket.

But sitting in front of Situ Yin at this moment was none other than Tang Ning, a strategist who had already thoroughly read the original plot.

How could she not recognize that the token Situ Yin had casually tossed to her was none other than the token that allowed him to freely command all the guards he had painstakingly trained?

What is he doing?

Are you making arrangements for your funeral?

Was it because he was worried that Tang Ning wouldn't be able to protect herself after he died that he gave this thing to her?

Needless to say, Situ Yin must have already made arrangements for the Dog Guards.

Tang Ning, her fingers caressing the token in her hand, slowly lay down in Situ Yin's arms, her fingers gently sliding down his nose.

"fool……"

This soft murmur was completely inaudible to Situ Yin, whose mind was in utter chaos at the moment.

After that night, because Situ Yin often couldn't eat, Tang Ning specially moved the small kitchen into her palace, preparing to personally cook dumplings for Situ Yin.

Seeing Tang Ning making dumplings, Situ Yin, for some reason, became interested and started making them with her.

Tang Ning, who had just finished wrapping a few and was smiling, turned her head and saw bright, glaring blood flowing down the mouth and nose of the man in black.

He swayed slightly, then collapsed onto the chair behind him, sliding down to the floor.

"Situ Yin!"

Tang Ning called out to him in a panic.

However, at this moment, apart from seeing Tang Ning's lips moving, Situ Yin could not hear a sound at all. He had never felt his world was so quiet.

He watched as Tang Ning lunged at him in terror, her lips moving constantly, but unfortunately he couldn't hear a single word she said.

The feeling of helplessness he had felt the night his mother died returned to him, and his increasingly heavy eyelids made Situ Yin realize that he would soon fall into a coma again.

According to the abbot, this coma is his death sentence.

As Situ Yin's breathing grew weaker and weaker, looking at Tang Ning, whose face was pale and who was crying and shouting in front of him, an inexplicable selfishness suddenly spread from his heart.

He wanted to... take Tang Ning with him; he wanted her to leave with him.

Because he was afraid. He was afraid that if he died, he would go to the underworld first, but what would he do if he couldn't wait for Tang Ning?

They've only spent so little time together. What if she forgets him already? What if she finds another man who loves her and completely forgets about him, who is already dead?

As he was thinking this, Situ Yin suddenly raised his finger and grabbed Tang Ning's finger. He strained his eyes and stared intently at her face, and a tear rolled down his dry eye socket.

With a final, all-out pull, he dragged the weeping Tang Ning onto his body, opened his mouth and bit her lip hard, so hard that he even broke the corner of Tang Ning's lower lip, and the taste of blood immediately filled the air between their lips and teeth.

Amid Tang Ning's astonished gaze, Situ Yin subtly tugged at the corners of his mouth.

Never mind, just live well, Tang Ning.

But while living happily, could you please not forget him? Could you please always remember him?

Can I...?

Situ Yin gradually loosened his grip on Tang Ning's hand, and his eyes closed weakly as well.

"Situ Yin!"

Tang Ning stared in disbelief at his face, so thin that his cheekbones were clearly visible.

Just then, the Imperial Physician Fang, who had rushed over, also saw Situ Yin, who had completely lost consciousness.

It can be said that Situ Yin could take his last breath at any moment.

Upon seeing this, the white-haired and white-bearded Imperial Physician Fang knelt down before Tang Ning with a thud. "Your Majesty, I beg you..."

Tang Ning subconsciously looked at him.

——

With a slight tremor in his eyes, Situ Yin opened them, utterly exhausted. Looking at the patterns above his head, he wondered for a moment if he had truly entered the underworld.

So it turns out there really is an underworld after death.

Thinking this, Situ Yin soon realized something was wrong, because he saw Fang Yuanling's face suddenly appear in his line of sight.

He still couldn't hear anything, and not only his ears, but also his hands and feet had absolutely no strength.

But his headache was gradually lessening, lessening...

This feeling immediately gave him a sense of foreboding.

Following the direction Fang Yuanling left in, he turned his head slightly with all his might and saw Tang Ning lying only a meter away from him, her face pale, like a snow doll that could disappear at any moment, and thin tubes of indistinguishable material connected to their arms, with a glaring red color inside the tubes.

With just one glance, Situ Yin's eyes widened to their maximum size.

Tang Ning, Tang Ning, Tang Ning...

He tried desperately to open his mouth, but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't make a sound.

Perhaps sensing his movement, Tang Ning, who had been keeping her eyes closed, suddenly opened them. Upon seeing the bloodshot in his eyes, her own eyes also reddened slightly.

At that moment, no one knows how Situ Yin managed to utter a muffled "ah" from his throat.

Having learned from this experience, he seemed to have figured out the pattern of vocalization and spoke to Tang Ning.

"ah!"

"ah……"

"ah!!"

He shouted again and again, over and over, as if he were shouting with all his might, as if he were using his own life to shout.

With each cry of "Ah!", Situ Yin's tears fell incessantly, as if he wanted to shed all the tears he had in his life at this moment.

Seeing him like this, Tang Ning's tears also fell one by one.

"Enough, enough, Situ Yin..."

She choked up as she spoke.

No matter how she tried to dissuade him, the man opposite her, who had been tormented for twenty days and was already frighteningly thin, showed no sign of stopping.

No one could understand what he was saying.

Only Tang Ning kept staring into his eyes, as a chilling cold enveloped her entire body, and her eyelids began to grow heavy.

Seeing that she looked unwell, Situ Yin's reaction became even more intense. He screamed desperately, and soon blood began to flow continuously from the corner of his mouth.

Seeing that glaring red, Tang Ning really wanted to say something, but unfortunately she was also out of strength. In the end, she could only force a final smile at Situ Yin, who was so close to her.

"Even without me... please take good care of yourself."

Situ Yin, who had deciphered Tang Ning's words from lip reading, watched as Tang Ning continued to smile, and his hand slowly fell down...

Situ Yin's current favorability rating: 100.

Author's Note: There will be an extra chapter tomorrow, introducing the ending of Helan Ruo and Situ Yin.

P.S.: All my endings end with the target's affection level reaching 100. Don't feel like I haven't finished writing them, because the end of the romance ends the short story, and the rest are in the side stories.