A strange sensation came from her hand. Empress Wang touched it blankly, and the thing below rolled around with her.

"What's this?"

She lifted the lid and saw, "Dates, peanuts, longans, melon seeds..."

“Yes,” Wei Qin nodded, “dates, peanuts, longans, and melon seeds.”

For a moment, Empress Wang's mind went blank, a blush crept up her elegant face, and then, as if she had thought of something, her body froze on the spot, and the blush gradually faded.

She was a painted skin, infertile, and she and Wei Qin were unable to have a child of their own for the rest of their lives.

Wei Qin noticed something was wrong with her and frowned, asking, "What's wrong?"

Ordinary people value having offspring, so Wei Tan must not know about this.

Empress Wang shook her head, trying her best to compose herself, and revealed a gentle smile that men love most. "It's nothing."

"It's good that you're alright," Wei Qin observed her expression for a moment, then stepped aside and picked up a pot of wine from the table next to him. "I've heard that in folk tradition, married couples need to drink a toast together after they get married. Let me feed you."

Empress Wang gladly accepted the wine cup he offered, saying, "Then I'll feed my husband too."

The candles burning inside the palace gradually shortened in length, and the melted wax rolled downwards due to gravity, gradually solidifying upon touching the cold candlesticks that held the candles.

The medicine powder given by the Taoist priest was indeed effective. The once joyful and cheerful Jingren Palace was now deserted except for Wei Qin, or rather, no demon could make a sound.

As the long night ended and a beam of light pierced the darkness at dawn, the Chu army breached the last and weakest line of defense of the Lan Dynasty.

The female shopkeeper appeared in the early hours of the morning when people were most tired and relaxed. Standing outside the door, her body twisted strangely and disappeared outside the door. The next moment, she appeared in the room where Shu Yun was resting.

"Huh?"

The blanket on the bed was lifted up, and the person who should have been sleeping inside was nowhere to be seen.

The female shopkeeper searched around, but the beautiful woman didn't carry anything that suggested her identity.

She stopped and turned to leave.

A white light suddenly shone into the room, immobilizing her with a powerful and unquestionable force, preventing her from even moving a finger.

Wei Qin led the remaining Imperial Guards in a fierce battle until the very last moment.

For several years before becoming the emperor of the Lan Dynasty, he was timid and resentful. When he began to reclaim power and purge the powerful families, the world was in chaos. His Lan Kingdom was just a small boat in the turbulent currents of the world. It was difficult enough to maintain a balance. Defeat was already inevitable.

This young emperor, described in later historical records with only a few words as "an incompetent ruler" and "a hopeless case," was disheveled, riddled with arrows, and held his sword to protect his country until the very last moment.

Wei Qin used his sword to support his body. Excessive blood loss and physical exhaustion blurred his vision. The spears of the Chu army soldiers were pointed at him and slowly approached.

He was unwilling to die like this. If he had been given more time, he would surely have been able to restore the glory of Lan Dynasty in his lifetime.

In the end, it all boils down to being born at the wrong time.

A beautiful figure appeared in Wei Qin's darkened vision. The figure was so clear, yet only inches away, within his reach.

King Chu, seated atop his tall horse, roared, "Whoever cuts off his head will be rewarded with a hundred taels of gold and granted the title of Marquis of a Hundred Households!"

Wei Qin tried to stand up and draw his longsword, but he had no strength left and could only laugh at himself.

He gave up resistance, letting the thousands of troops rush towards him.

Jiang Yan, you must keep your promise to me.