Chapter 568 Finale

Zong Zheng Changyuan understood what Zhao Yi had been thinking, and the corners of his lips moved, forming a slight arc.

Even if he didn't say anything.

Zhao Yi still guessed it.

“Bang—”

A heavy and loud bell rang from the Meridian Gate Tower.

The new emperor's enthronement ceremony is complete.

Zongzheng Changyuan slowly lowered his head.

Frozen here.

-

After Zhao Yi ascended the throne, he issued a general amnesty, exempted the people from taxes and labor service for one year, and laid off 3,000 palace maids, allowing them to return to their parents.

In addition, he rewarded meritorious officials and granted them official positions and titles.

A few months later, Shen Qingtan gave birth to a son and a daughter.

When the mother of a country gives birth to twins, a boy and a girl, it is an auspicious sign.

Zhao Yi rewarded his ministers and announced it to the world.

In March of the second year of the Qianyuan reign, Emperor Jing'an passed away, and the four-year-old crown prince ascended the throne. He appointed cabinet ministers Lin Ruihao, Zhou Chun, and Minister of Rites Su Zhiqing as regents to assist the new emperor. The new emperor's maternal clan seized the opportunity to interfere in government, exclude dissidents, cultivate their own factions, and seize power.

In the fourth year of Qianyuan, Northern Qi, under the governance of Zhao Yi, prospered, had a strong army and horses, and the people lived and worked in peace and contentment, entering its heyday.

In February of the same year, the ambitious relatives of the Zhou dynasty deposed the emperor and proclaimed themselves king, thus changing the dynasty. The new emperor was arrogant and extravagant, imposed heavy taxes, and implemented harsh laws, causing widespread misery and suffering for the people of the Zhou dynasty.

In June of the same year, Northern Qi launched an uprising against Great Zhou.

In October of the fifth year of Qianyuan, Zhao Yi unified the world.

The cabinet's chief minister, along with the Grand Secretary, the six ministers, and other important civil and military officials, petitioned Zhao Yi, "Your Majesty, since you ascended the throne, you have accomplished great things, bringing prosperity to the country and peace to the people. Now, you have pacified the world, and wherever you go and see, it is now our territory. Such great achievements are unprecedented. We, the ministers, dare to risk our lives to implore Your Majesty to obey the will of heaven, establish a new dynasty, unify the laws, and thus demonstrate your unparalleled achievements."

"My dear ministers, I have followed the late emperor's will and continued the legacy laid by our ancestors. I have devoted my energy and energy day and night, fearing I would ever fail the late emperor's trust. All my achievements today are due to the blessings of my ancestors. How can I so easily establish a new dynasty?" Zhao Yi put the memorial aside and firmly refused, "There is no need to mention this matter again."

The ministers refused to give up and continued to risk their lives to advise him: "Your Majesty, this is the will of heaven and the will of the people. Even if the late emperor were still alive, he would surely allow you to follow the will of heaven and the people and establish a new dynasty."

Zhao Yi refused again without hesitation: "I have inherited the legacy of my ancestors. If I were to establish a new dynasty, it would be a true violation of the will of heaven and the will of the people."

The other civil and military ministers who did not make any requests knew clearly that it was Zhao Yi's intention to establish a new dynasty, and he also intended to move the capital to Yuncheng so that Zhao Yi could better govern the two countries.

These officials who took the lead in making the request were all Zhao Yi's trusted ministers.

Someone has already taken the lead. Even if they do not support Zhao Yi's establishment of a new dynasty, they cannot openly resist.

Or else life is too long.

Finally, all the civil and military officials knelt on the ground and made a joint petition: "Your Majesty, if you do not reform the system and unify the laws, I am afraid that the foundation of the country will be disrupted and the stability of the country will be difficult. Your Majesty, please reconsider."

The officials had already reached this point, and Zhao Yi, feeling forced into a corner, said with a look of resignation, "Since it is fate that cannot be defied... well, I will comply with it." Then, he picked up his pen and wrote two words: "Northern Qi changes its name to Qiyuan and establishes its capital in Yuncheng."

"Your Majesty is wise and mighty." All officials bowed in worship: "Long live our emperor."

-

After Zhao Yi discussed various matters concerning the capital's establishment with the officials, he also discussed how to relocate the former officials of the Great Zhou Dynasty. By the time everything was settled, it was already dark. Zhao Yi bathed and changed his clothes in the Yangxin Palace before heading to the Xining Palace.

The palace maids all bowed to Zhao Yi and reported, "Your Majesty, the Queen is in the inner hall."

Zhao Yi nodded slightly and stepped into the inner hall.

Shen Qingtan was seen wearing a light and soft nightgown, sitting on the bed and mending a little skirt.

Zhao Yi walked to the bedside and asked gently, "Where are Sui Sui and Zhao Zhao?"

These are their two children.

Suisui is my younger sister.

Zhaozhao is the older brother.

The nicknames of these two children are taken from Zhao Zhao Ru Yuan and Sui Sui An Lan.

"These two little ones, don't come to Xining Palace to sleep today." Shen Qingtan sewed the last stitch, took a pair of scissors, cut the thread, folded the little skirt, and placed it on the cabinet beside him: "Are you done with the government affairs?"

"I'm done."

Zhao Yi felt somewhat helpless. The two children were particularly clingy to Shen Qingtan, unwilling to sleep with their wet nurse and preferring to sleep with their mother most of the time. The two of them didn't care about the rules, and in this respect, they indulged the children.

Because Shen Qingtan said that children change every day, so while they are young and like to stick to their parents, they should spend more time with them. When they grow up a little, their parents want to spend more time with them, but the children are not happy.

There is another reason. Shen Qingtan was separated from his parents since childhood, so he is more tolerant towards children.

"Now that the world is unified, I will transfer my father and brother to the capital so that we can spend the New Year together." Zhao Yi took off his clothes and lay on the bed with Shen Qingtan. "I calculated the time and it will be the end of December when we arrive in the capital."

Shen Qingtan felt a pang of sadness. They had not seen their relatives for five years.

Finally, they can be reunited again.

Zhao Yi stretched out his arms, pulled Shen Qingtan into his embrace, and looked down at her. Her watery eyes shone with a captivating charm. He couldn't help but peck the corner of her lips, gently holding a soft lip in his mouth, nibbling and sucking gently.

Shen Qingtan's breathing became disordered, and she hugged his neck and responded to him enthusiastically.

Since having a child, the two of them have had very little time to spend together in such a tender way.

The two people just got close to each other, and desire surged from deep within their hearts.

Zhao Yi reached into her clothes, tore off a thin piece of cloth, threw it casually on the side of the bed, and was about to lower the curtain.

Suddenly, I met four round eyes.

Zhao Yi was frightened and subconsciously pulled the quilt to wrap Shen Qingtan.

Shen Qingtan was also shocked.

The two little guys half popped their heads out from the edge of the bed, revealing only a pair of watery eyes, blinking at them, full of curiosity.

"Mommy, are you and Daddy having a baby?" The little girl climbed onto the bed with her butt raised high, chose a spot on the inside of the bed to lie down, and patted the spot next to her: "Brother, come here quickly, the baby will be born soon."

The little boy frowned, feeling speechless towards his silly sister. "Silly Sui Sui, when mother gives birth to a baby, we children are not allowed to see it." Then, he said to Shen Qingtan with a very serious expression, "Mother, can you give birth to me again?"

Shen Qingtan: “…”

Zhao Yi: “…”

The little boy wrinkled his face and was about to say that he had a very clever idea, but the next moment his feet were lifted off the air and Zhao Yi picked him up and threw him out like a chick.

With two dull thuds, the two little guys fell to the ground and rolled over.

Inside the hall, Zhao Yi and Shen Qingtan were lying on the bed, shoulder to shoulder.

The two men looked at the ceiling of the tent with bitter and resentful expressions.

Having said that.

How could they have given birth to two such stupid kids?

-

On the first New Year's Eve of the unification of Northern Qi and Great Zhou and the establishment of Qiyuan State, a grand banquet was held in the imperial palace.

At the banquet, Mr. Zhao and Mrs. Zhao sat next to each other, frequently looking towards the hall entrance.

Master Zhao stroked his hair with both hands and said, "Wife, when we meet Yi'er later, if he calls me dad, should I answer him?"

The couple hadn't seen Zhao Yi and Shen Qingtan for six years. They exchanged many letters every year, but without seeing them, they missed them terribly. Last night, they hadn't slept a wink.

Mrs. Zhao looked at the old man who was pulling at his official robe, adjusting his hat, and stroking his beautiful beard. It was obvious that he was nervous.

Six years ago, when they parted, they were father and son.

Six years later, when they met again, they were king and subject.

Mrs. Zhao rolled her eyes and said, "Yier called, and you responded faster than anyone else."

Master Zhao was unsure: "That's not necessarily true."

"Dad, Mom."

Zhao Yi's voice sounded above his head.

Mr. Zhao let out an "Eh" sound, and his eyes instantly turned red.

Mrs. Zhao's tears also fell.

Yi'er is still their son and still recognizes them as his parents.

That’s great, that’s great.

Mrs. Zhao wiped away her tears.

"Mom and Dad, this is Sui Sui, and this is Zhao Zhao." Shen Qingtan pushed the two babies in front of the elders and introduced them to them: "This is Grandpa, and this is Grandma."

The two little kids called out sweetly, "Grandpa, Grandma."

Mr. Zhao and Mrs. Zhao looked at the two babies in front of them. The girl looked like Zhao Yi, and the boy looked like Shen Qingtan. They were both very cute and fair.

Mrs. Zhao hugged the two babies, who were so sweet and soft that she couldn't help but give them a kiss.

Suisui nestled in Mrs. Zhao's arms, pouting her little lips and giving her a kiss on the face.

Mrs. Zhao's heart was about to melt. She touched Sui Sui's little head lovingly and wished she could give her all the family wealth.

The Prince of Zhenbei and Princess Zhenbei stared at the two little babies intently. They seemed to see the shadow of Shen Qingtan's childhood in this pair of siblings. It turned out that they planned to return to Liangzhou after the fifteenth day of the lunar year, and now they were reluctant to leave.

After Zhao Yi ascended the throne of Northern Qi, the Prince of Zhenbei resigned from Emperor Jing'an and voluntarily handed over his military power. His sons also held sinecure positions. It was precisely because of this that the usurpation of the throne by the foreign relatives did not affect them.

Now that Zhao Yi had unified the two countries, he and his sons had been reinstated to their original positions and regained control of the military power.

Seeing that his father and mother were looking forward to it, Shen Qingtan brought the two little kids over.

The two little kids called out sweetly, "Grandpa, grandma." They threw themselves into the arms of the elders without any shyness.

The King of Zhenbei, such a tough guy, was holding the little Zhaozhao in his arms. The child looked almost exactly like Shen Qingtan when he was a child, as if they were carved from the same mold.

His hands, which were holding the child, were shaking slightly.

I guess he is too old to lift the knife.

Now, I can only stay in the capital and enjoy my grandchildren.

"Jiang Shanshan."

Suddenly, Shen Du's cold and slightly warning voice came from the side.

Shen Qingtan turned around and saw his elder brother and sister-in-law playing together.

Chen Du looked down at his arm. A slender hand was placed on his arm, wrinkling his sleeve into a ball.

"General, I feel dizzy." Jiang Shanshan had an oval face and bright eyes that were misty. She leaned delicately against Chen Du and said softly, "I'm afraid my body can't take it if I sit any longer. I need to get closer to you. This way, if I lean against you, others won't notice."

As she spoke, Jiang Shanshan grabbed Shen Du's robe with her other hand and pulled it down as if pleading, making the robe even more wrinkled.

Chen Du's heart skipped a beat, but he finally endured it and didn't throw Jiang Shanshan away.

Jiang Shanshan succeeded. She twisted the handkerchief against the tip of her nose to hide the smile on her lips.

Shen Qingtan caught the cunning in Jiang Shanshan's eyes and knew that Jiang Shanshan was deliberately wrinkling Shen Du's robe to cure Shen Du's obsessive-compulsive disorder.

Previously, because Zhao Yi proclaimed himself emperor of Northern Qi, the Zhenbei Palace fell into silence, and the men in the palace did not choose women from prominent families to marry.

Jiang Shanshan is the eldest daughter of the centurion of Liangzhou. She is beautiful but frail. She always has to hold Chen Du's arm when going out. Since then, Chen Du's clothes have never been neat.

Now it seems that it is a pleasure between them as a couple.

On the other side, Shen Lue drank bowl after bowl of wine, the smell of alcohol rushed to his head, and his face turned dark red.

He put the wine bowl on the table with a "bang" and glared at the woman beside him.

Qi Chuyin raised her eyebrows: "Want to fight?"

Shen Lue said firmly: "I'll give you another chance."

This boy actually dared to provoke her?

Qi Chuyin crossed her arms across her chest, and before she could speak, she heard Shen Lue continue, "I'll give you another chance to coax me."

She was slightly startled, and saw that the corners of Shen Lue's eyes drooped, making him look like a big yellow dog with a wronged look.

Qi Chuyin rubbed his head helplessly: "Okay, I'll coax you, don't be angry anymore."

The more perfunctory you want to be, the more perfunctory it is.

Shen Lue was very pleased with it and hummed: "Next time, don't leave me at home and go out alone first."

Qi Chuyin took a deep breath and missed the Chen Lue who looked down on her.

At least he's a man.

Shen Qingtan couldn't help laughing when he heard the conversation between his third brother and sister-in-law.

There is only the second son of the Shen family, who has been a bachelor for thousands of years.

Shen Qingtan looked at the old bachelor in her family, and saw that Chen Zhuo had pulled out Sui Sui's pigtails and was carefully braiding Sui Sui's hair.

Although there was impatience in Shen Zhuo's eyes, his hands were very gentle, for fear of hurting Sui Sui.

Shen Qingtan couldn't help but smile as she watched everyone in pairs living happily and contentedly. She was genuinely happy for them. The only drawback was that Qin Yao had encountered a difficult business situation and couldn't attend the palace banquet.

My uncle and cousin went to Nanlingzhou.

Fourth Aunt Su Rao is about to give birth and cannot come to the capital with Zhao Qiyuan.

Princess Guangning did not need to marry into another clan and chose to stay in the Great Zhou. It is said that one time when she went out, she picked up a fox and raised it.

As for Shen Shaobai at the border, he relied on his own abilities to climb to the position of a thousand-man captain.

After Shen Shaoheng was able to leave the border, he disappeared.

She thought, maybe he went to find Mei Ruoxue?

The time for the banquet was about to begin. Zhao Yi took Shen Qingtan's hand and returned to the high seat together.

Zhao Yi poured three cups of wine on the ground.

Shen Qingtan was slightly stunned, and immediately understood Zhao Yi's intention. This was a toast to the imperial teacher.

After the coronation ceremony, Yan Yi brought the remains of Princess Yizhen.

Zhao Yi arranged for his closest and most trusted relatives to escort Princess Yizhen's remains back to Da Zhou and bury her in the cenotaph that Emperor Jing'an had prepared for Princess Yizhen.

Before Emperor Jing'an passed away, he sent them a letter saying that a new tomb had been built next to Princess Yizhen's.

At this time, all the officials congratulated the new year: "Your Majesty, your humble servant, congratulates the Empress: the sun and the moon shine together, the heaven and earth are in harmony. The new year ends and the beginning begins, and we celebrate the long spring. I only wish that the Emperor and Empress will live in harmony, and the mountains and rivers will live long. Long live our Emperor."

"My dear ministers, please stand up." Zhao Yi raised his hand.

All officials stood up and took their seats.

There was singing and dancing in the hall, and all the officials were toasting each other in a joyful atmosphere.

From then on, palace banquets also became their family banquets.

Shen Qingtan felt an unprecedented peace in her heart. She turned to look at the man beside her, but saw that the man was staring at her without blinking.

His clear eyes were now tinged with a hint of drunkenness.

She leaned in closer and asked, "What's your New Year's resolution?"

Zhao Yi covered his face with his wide sleeves and kissed her on the lips.

May you be safe and secure every year and live in peace and prosperity.

-End of full text-

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