Chapter 170 Departure, the Marquis's Great Victory

Black grapes have large, dark pupils that are big, bright, and clear enough to reflect her image.

Ji Shu's heart skipped a beat; she almost melted in that gaze.

But the next moment, she suddenly closed her eyes and said cruelly, "Fine, take him away. I don't want to see him in the days to come."

Chunzhi was horrified: "Madam!"

She understood that the lady would eventually leave with her, but there was no rush.

The young man is so adorable, it would be nice if he could stay by my side for even a few days.

Ji Shu's face was pale as she held the child high in the air, her lips moving weakly: "Why aren't you taking him away!"

Although the wet nurse didn't know why, she hurriedly stepped forward to take the child. In a short while, the cradle, baby clothes, and all kinds of children's items in the room were moved out.

The room suddenly emptied, but the silence was unsettling.

As the crying gradually subsided, Ji Shu slowly leaned down against the pillow and said to Chunzhi, "You should go out too."

Seeing the slightly raised back on the bed, Chunzhi knew that the lady must also be feeling unwell. She quietly wiped away the tears on her cheeks before getting up, closing the door, and leaving.

When the old lady received the news at the Pei residence, she sighed deeply, and her eyelids twitched incessantly throughout the night.

"Tell me, is this heartlessness, or are you afraid you won't be able to bear to part with your child when the time comes?"

Granny Chang couldn't help but sigh, "I suppose so. What mother in this world doesn't love her own child? Perhaps she's afraid that the longer they spend together, the harder it will be to part when they have to."

Thinking of the poor child, Madam Pei suddenly said bitterly, "What deep-seated hatred could these two have that has driven them to this point! Now they've even abandoned their own flesh and blood..."

Granny Chang sighed again, thinking of Marquis Yan, who was thousands of miles away.

After that night, Ji Shu was able to get out of bed the next day, but she still couldn't be exposed to the wind. Chunzhi brought her a nourishing soup every day and insisted on watching her drink it.

Under Chunzhi's watchful eye, Ji Shu could only reluctantly drink it.

Seven days later, she set off for Lingnan.

At first, Chunzhi repeatedly tried to stop her, saying that she hadn't finished her postpartum confinement period yet, so how could she travel such a long distance?

In addition, Ji Shu's health was not good to begin with, so what if she developed a chronic illness?

Ji Shu looked at the falling leaves outside the window and said calmly, "I heard that Ding Wei suffered a great defeat. I suppose it won't be long before Hanzhong becomes his territory."

"If I don't leave now, am I supposed to wait for him to come back? By then, I won't be able to leave even if I want to."

"I cannot go there myself. Why don't you go to the manor and tell the old lady whether the promise made that day still stands?"

Chunzhi bit her lip, feeling both angry and anxious, but knowing she couldn't stop the madam, she had no choice but to go to the Pei residence.

...

In late August, Ji Shu stood at the city gate of Yang County. Madam Pei, holding a child, saw her off. Ji Shu looked at the child in Madam Pei's arms and said softly, "Madam, please go back. The wind is too strong."

Seeing that her face was pale, clearly she had not yet recovered, and that she was looking down at the child in her arms, Madam Pei was at a loss for words.

Ji Shu took two steps forward. This was the second time she had seen the child she had given birth to with great difficulty. The little face had long since lost the wrinkles of newborn and had become fair, plump, and handsome.

Upon closer inspection, one could see soft baby hair between the eyebrows and eyes, and pink lips that were blowing bubbles.

A pair of bright black eyes were wide open, staring at the woman in front of him, as if to say, "Who are you?"

Ji Shu reached out and gently squeezed his small hand, smiled at him, and finally looked away.

She said to Madam Pei, "Mother, this is the last time I will call you that. After this parting, I don't know when we will meet again."

"I entrust this child to you!" With that, he knelt down, stirring up dust, and bowed deeply.

Before Madam Pei could react, she had already stood up, looked deeply at the small figure in her arms, and then turned and walked towards the carriage.

Perhaps sensing something, the baby, who had been quietly staying in the wet nurse's arms, suddenly burst into loud crying.

The wet nurse quickly began to soothe her gently.

Madam Pei swayed slightly only when the carriage became a small black dot and finally disappeared from sight.

If it weren't for Granny Chang being there, she might have collapsed.

"What a tragedy... what a tragedy!"

Twenty days after Ji Shu and the others left, news came from Hanzhong that Ding Wei had suffered a great defeat and died in the palace, while Empress Dowager Song was starving and on the verge of death.

That night, countless people died in the Hanzhong palace, and countless drops of blood seeped into the floor tiles.

The once glorious Hanzhong Palace has been reduced to a living hell.

Ding Wei never imagined that, in just one year, his dream of becoming emperor would be shattered tonight.

He was dressed in a hastily sewn dragon robe, his hair was disheveled, and he held a long spear in his hand.

The blood of his soldiers and his son still lingered beneath his feet. The ambition and arrogance that once filled his eyes were now replaced by fear and resentment.

The roars of the Yanzhou army mingled with the painful groans of the Ding family army in his ears; the power he had built was crumbling before his eyes.

He was forced step by step into the depths of the main hall, where he saw Pei Yanzhi holding a bow and arrow, pointing it straight in his direction.

Ding Wei roared, "Quickly, quickly, protect the Emperor! Protect the Emperor—"

Before he could finish speaking, with a "whoosh," an arrow pierced through the dragon robe and embedded itself in his chest, sending waves of excruciating pain through his entire body.

He looked down at the arrow that had shot into his chest, blood gushing from his mouth uncontrollably, and tried to struggle back.

When Ding's army saw their commander hit by an arrow, they panicked. Some wanted to fight to the death, while others wanted to escape. Just then...

Pei Yanzhi said, "I can guarantee that as long as you put down your knives, I will not take your lives."

"I will never kill surrendered prisoners!"

Upon hearing this, Ding Wei seemed to want to say something, but the gushing blood blocked his throat, leaving only a hoarse sound.

Finally... he breathed his last and died, his body falling heavily to the ground.

The year-long war has finally been quelled.

When the news spread, the people of Hanzhong took to the streets; some wept bitterly, while others knelt down to pray for blessings.

The ruined city gradually began to recover after several days.

In the Hanzhong palace, the only survivor was Empress Dowager Song, whom Pei Yanzhi rescued using some unknown method.

At that time, Empress Dowager Song was huddled in the cold palace, her appearance withered and her cheekbones high.

The head that was once held high no longer has the courage to even lift itself.

After Pei Yanzhi rescued her, he had the imperial physicians treat her carefully, but she suffered inhuman torture every day.

He was barely clinging to life, and due to his advanced age, he passed away on the fifth day after being rescued.

The Xie family's imperial relatives had already been slaughtered by Ding Wei, leaving only Empress Dowager Song alive.

Now even Empress Dowager Song is dead, but fortunately she left behind a handwritten letter, the gist of which is: Pei Yanzhi has the world in his heart and has quelled the war. Now that the Xie family has no one left, he should inherit the throne.

Not long after, Pei Yanzhi issued a proclamation widely, announcing that the traitorous minister Ding Wei had been executed. He ascended the throne the following year and changed the era name to "Chengping".

Pei Yanzhi was overjoyed when he learned that Ji Shu had given birth to a boy, but he had never liked Hanzhong and decided to move the capital to Luoyang and hold the enthronement ceremony there.