Chapter 79 79 The Kingdom as Dowry

Upon seeing these eight characters, six of Shen Mi's seven souls were lost.

She knew that swords and spears were indiscriminate on the battlefield, and that accidents were inevitable, but all she could do was stay at Tongguan to stabilize the people's hearts for Gu Zhan and pray for him day and night.

During this period, she lived in constant fear, and every day she hoped that the wooden plaque that had been hung in Kaibao Temple in Bianjing, wishing Gu Zhan all the best, would work its magic. But still, this terrible news came.

Shen Mi opened her lips, but found herself feeling suffocated, unable to utter a single word, not even able to shed a tear.

It turns out that when a person is extremely sad, they cannot shed a single tear.

She clutched her chest, forcibly suppressing the grief and hatred in her heart, and forcing herself to calm down.

Shen Mi's hands, which were resting on the edge of the table, were trembling. It was late April, and summer was just around the corner, but at that moment, she couldn't feel any heat. Only her back was cold, and it felt as if all the blood in her body was flowing backward.

The words on that military report caught her eye again. No, their fate was uncertain, so there was still hope. She couldn't give up so easily, so she had someone bring Meng Tongfang to her.

Meng Tongfang's face showed no less anxiety than hers; he was travel-worn and clearly worried about the contents of the military report.

During the time Shen Mi was waiting for Meng Tongfang to arrive, she considered countless countermeasures and possible outcomes. The worst outcome was that Gu Zhan would actually meet with misfortune. She followed Gu Zhan's instructions before he left and was determined not to let the thousands of soldiers who fought alongside Gu Zhan become "rebels."

Meng Tongfang's face was gloomy. He bowed to Shen Mi and said, "Greetings, Crown Princess."

Shen Mi took a deep breath and gestured to Meng Tongfang not to stand on ceremony, getting straight to the point: "The fact that the military report has reached me means that Commander Meng must know that the best course of action now is to keep the contents of this report firmly in our hands. We must not let anyone else know about it, especially not the families of the soldiers fighting on the front lines. Otherwise, Tongguan will be thrown into chaos, and if the Wei King's faction takes advantage of the situation and undermines our defenses, we will be in a difficult position to deal with."

Meng Tongfang nodded: "Your Majesty understands." He hesitated for a moment, then comforted Shen Mi: "Please don't worry too much, Your Highness is a lucky person and will be blessed by Heaven. Don't grieve too much and harm your health." As he spoke, he looked down at Shen Mi's slightly protruding belly.

Before His Highness the Crown Prince left, he had given him a private instruction: if he were to encounter danger ahead, he must protect the Crown Princess and the child in her womb, ensuring their safe arrival in Bianjing. Once the Crown Princess gave birth to the child, he would enthrone the young emperor, with the Crown Princess ruling from behind the curtain. Therefore, the Crown Princess and the unborn heir could not be harmed in the slightest.

When he heard the news from the Crown Princess, he was worried that she would be heartbroken or fall into grief. However, the Crown Princess was much calmer than he had imagined.

He felt relieved and even more impressed with the Crown Princess.

Shen Mi raised her hand to her lower abdomen and quickly made a decision: "Please ask Commander Meng to prepare a carriage for me. I need to get to the front line in Luoning as soon as possible."

Meng Tongfang looked up in surprise: "Your Majesty, you must not! You are pregnant. The journey from Tongguan to Luoning is arduous, involving crossing mountains and valleys. Your body cannot withstand such a trek!"

Shen Mi slowly shook her head. She took out the seal that Gu Zhan had left her, placed it in her palm, and looked at Meng Tongfang: "This is His Highness's seal. Seeing this seal is like seeing His Highness in person."

Meng Tongfang knew that His Highness trusted the Crown Princess, but he never expected that His Highness would leave such an important thing to her. However, since the Crown Princess now had this seal, what she had just said was the Emperor's order, and the Emperor's order could not be disobeyed. He could only accept the order and leave.

After Meng Tongfang left, Shen Mi sat down, leaning on the edge of the table. It was only then that she realized that her legs had been weak and she didn't know how she had managed to stand.

But even at this critical moment, she was not overwhelmed by panic. Despite knowing she was terrified, she remained calm and focused.

Her departure from Tongguan had to be done in secret. The reason Tongguan had remained unscathed during this time was because everyone knew that the Crown Princess, who was six months pregnant, was staying behind. His Highness the Crown Prince would not abandon them. Once the news of her departure from Tongguan spread, and with Consort Fan not around, I'm afraid Meng Tongfang alone would not be able to stabilize the situation in Tongguan.

After much deliberation, Shen Mi did not tell anyone, including Yang Meiren from the neighboring Lanju.

She only instructed Cuiwei to pack her bags briefly, then boarded the carriage prepared for her by Meng Tongfang. Under the cover of night, when no one was paying attention, she left Tongguan and headed to Luoning, where Gu Zhan had "run into trouble".

Luoning.

Although King Wei said he would consider Chen Jun's request that day, urgent reports kept coming from the front lines from the side on the defensive, so he had no choice but to appoint Chen Jun as the military commander and send him to Luoning in his place.

The reason why King Wei did not immediately agree to this matter was simply because Chen Jun was his confidant and knew too many secrets about him. If Chen Jun went to the front line and then turned against him and joined Gu Zhan, then he would truly have no chance of winning. After all, in King Wei's view, although Chen Jun was capable, he was fickle and indecisive.

After receiving the order, Chen Jun immediately set off from Bianjing to Luoning, traveling day and night.

Although the military commander was not a high-ranking official, he was sent by the King of Wei from Bianjing and represented the King's will. In this dynasty, civil officials govern military generals, so the garrison of Luoning treated Chen Jun with utmost respect.

Chen Jun was sitting in the government office at the moment, listening to the results of his arrangements and deployments over the past period. So far, it sounded like everything was going as he had expected.

Previously, he had found an opportunity to plant spies in Gu Zhan's camp, so he was fully aware of almost all of Gu Zhan's plans and arrangements.

Gu Zhan wanted to lure him out of the city, so he fortified his defenses and cleared the fields. Gu Zhan sent Song Zhaohuai to set up an ambush between Mianchi and Luoning, so he set up an ambush in the opposite direction, crippling Song Zhaohuai in advance. When Fan Nayan returned from Mianchi, he ambushed him on the way. As for Gu Zhan's plan to cut off his supplies in the east, he secretly carried out a preemptive strike, ensuring that Gu Zhan would not return.

Chen Jun admitted that Gu Zhan's arrangement and deployment were indeed ingenious, but he couldn't withstand Gu Zhan's underhanded tactics.

However, he has never been averse to using treacherous and cunning methods. At this point, who is more upright and honest than whom?

He was very familiar with this plan. After all, it was he who had presented the scheme to the Prince of Wei to use Wang Chengxian's matter to attack Gu Zhan before the new year. If Gu Zhan wanted to protect his position and turn around to divorce Shen Mi, he would appear by Shen Mi's side in time and ask to marry her. If Gu Zhan refused to let go of Shen Mi, then after he was crippled and died, Shen Mi would have no choice but to return to his side.

But he hadn't expected that Gu Zhan would be lucky enough to escape with his life, which led to the situation that had developed to this point. Therefore, this time, he had to take Gu Zhan's life.

Back then, he had no one to rely on and was forced to let go of Shen Mi; now, it's absolutely impossible.

He refused to believe that the affection between him and Shen Mi, who had grown up together since childhood and were childhood sweethearts, could be less than the mere two years of "marital affection" between Gu Zhan and Shen Mi.

I heard that Shen Mi stayed behind at Tongguan to keep the people's hearts at ease while Gu Zhan was away. But when news of Gu Zhan's danger reached Tongguan, based on my understanding of Shen Mi, I knew that someone as loyal and righteous as Shen Mi would definitely come to Luoning.

But what good was it then? Gu Zhan was already dead, dying at the moment of failure. He was the ultimate winner, and Shen Mi could only spend the rest of her life bound to him.

Thinking of this, Chen Jun became even more smug.

Shen Mi knew nothing of this and rushed to Luoning under the stars and moon.

On the day the army set off, she stood on the city wall, beating the drum to send off the soldiers as the Crown Princess, so everyone in the army knew her.

Upon arriving at Gu Zhan's camp outside Luoning City, she went straight to Gu Zhan's main camp without any delay.

The soldiers in the camp all looked exhausted, completely lacking the spiritedness and determination they had shown when they set out on the expedition.

Shen Mi saw Su Yuzhao bandaging wounded soldiers; she looked very unwell.

From Su Yuzhao, Shen Mi roughly learned about the current situation in the army.

In the past few days, a series of bad news came from the front—Fan Nayan was unable to capture Mianchi after a prolonged siege, and after Song Zhaohuai was ambushed, he quickly withdrew his troops to defend his own camp. He also sent a message to Fan Nayan, telling him to be careful if he wanted to retreat to Luoning and not fall into a trap. He himself was shot with several arrows while covering the retreat, and although the army doctor removed the arrow that almost killed him, he has been in a coma ever since and has not yet fully woken up, only able to be kept alive by medicine every day. As for Gu Zhan, the most recent news he sent back was that he was besieged in a valley in the Xiaoshan Mountains, and no news has come from him since.

Now, the most prestigious commanders and generals in the army are all missing. On the other hand, the Luoning garrison, taking advantage of the unstable morale, launched another night attack, killing and wounding nearly a thousand people. The army has lost its backbone, and the remaining generals are divided and unwilling to submit to each other, so they can only wait for news.

Shen Mi sighed heavily. She never expected things to escalate to this point. She felt immense pressure on her shoulders, but all she could do, besides wait, was to stabilize morale and implement appeasement measures.

Shen Mi had finally managed to temporarily mediate the differences of opinion among the other generals in the army, instructing them to strengthen patrols and learn from the previous night's sneak attack so as not to give the Luoning garrison another opportunity. However, she received a letter from the Luoning garrison.

Shen Mi was physically exhausted, but she dared not relax her spirit in the slightest. She took the letter from the soldier, thinking it was a declaration of war from the other side, but she never expected that the letter was actually written to her by Chen Jun.

The letter was simple, inviting her to reminisce between the two armies. He suggested that, out of consideration for his past friendship with Shen Mi, he might leave Gu Zhan with a complete corpse.

Shen Mi felt that Chen Jun had disgusted her to a degree she had never known before. She crumpled the paper into a ball and threw it into the campfire.

Su Yuzhao observed her actions and asked, "What did the letter say that made you so angry?"

Shen Mi gritted her teeth: "Shameless words, no need to care."

A river valley in the eastern foothills of the Xiaoshan Mountains.

This is the seventh day that Gu Zhan has been besieged here. His military rations have run out, and the river water in the valley was poisoned yesterday and can no longer be used. If this drags on, he will surely be worn down and die in this valley.

He can lose, but he absolutely cannot lose to such conspiracies and tricks.

Gu Zhan leaned against a tree trunk and took out the sachet that had been with him day and night from his bosom.

On the day he set off from Tongguan, Shen Mi adjusted the breastplate on his armor for him. However, he might not remove his armor, so the next time he put it back on, he deliberately placed the sachet closest to his heart, as if Shen Mi were by his side, accompanying him.

This sachet had accompanied him through countless sleepless nights after Shen Mi left, and he had touched it countless times, until the silk threads on it were worn smooth. Now it was accompanying him again in his desperate situation.

Gu Zhan curled his lips into a smile, unable to suppress it.

Just yesterday, after he discovered that the river had been poisoned, the soldiers surrounding the area conveyed Chen Jun's message to him.

Chen Jun said that if he could surrender and take the initiative to surrender, Chen Jun would not do anything to Shen Mi; otherwise, Chen Jun would bring Shen Mi to him.

At this point, all his doubts were dispelled. It turned out to be Chen Jun. Only Chen Jun would resort to such despicable methods.

But he could not surrender, much less surrender to a despicable person like Chen Jun.

Gu Zhan stroked the patterns on the sachet one last time, carefully put it away, and buried it under the breastplate again. Recalling Shen Mi's actions of tidying up the breastplate for him that day, he straightened his armor, picked up the heavy longsword beside him, and stood up from the tree trunk he was leaning against.

No matter what, he was determined to fight his way back.

Although he had paved the way for Shen Mi's escape, she was surrounded by wolves and tigers. She was still so young. If he really died here, how difficult would Shen Mi's situation be for them, a widow and her child? He dared not think about it.

He would never leave Shen Mi alone in this world.

When Shen Mi first arrived at the military camp, although she had Gu Zhan's seal of office, everyone thought she was just a woman and not many people respected her. She also had a hard time in the army, but she did not give up.

Having learned from her father and brothers in the past, she understood that calming people's hearts was the most important thing at present. She even personally bandaged the wounded and sick, without any airs of a crown princess. Even though she was pregnant, she did not make exceptions and insisted on eating and drinking with all the soldiers. The voices in the army about her gradually subsided, and if they were mentioned, they were all words of respect and praise.

Her composure and calmness were something that even some battle-hardened generals admired.

Su Yuzhao watched her drink the bitter medicine for preventing miscarriage in one gulp and said, "I really didn't expect Sister Chen to have this side to her."

Shen Mi smiled and said, "My father and brothers were loyal martyrs who sacrificed their lives for the Great Qi. How could I disgrace the Shen family's reputation?" She then changed the subject and asked Su Yuzhao, "By the way, how is Zhao Huai doing lately?"

Speaking of Song Zhaohuai, Su Yuzhao sighed, "He woke up once the night before last. His fever had subsided, and the military doctor came to see him and said that his life was saved and it was only a matter of time before he woke up again. But he only woke up once."

Shen Mi gently held Su Yuzhao's hand and said softly, "Don't worry too much. As long as your life is safe, that's all that matters."

Su Yuzhao nodded, but the melancholy between her brows was still undisguised.

As they were discussing this, a commotion suddenly broke out outside.

Shen Mi subconsciously picked up a sword from the sword rack beside her, stepped out of the commander's tent, and shouted, "What happened!"

However, upon seeing the person walking towards her step by step, the sword in Shen Mi's hand clattered to the ground.

Gu Zhan was covered in blood. His face, silver armor, and the long sword he was holding were all stained with blood. The bloody tip of the sword slid a long bloody trail on the ground, making him look exactly like Yama, the King of Hell, who had walked out of hell.

She moved her lips, but couldn't utter a word, because tears welled up in her eyes long before she could speak.

Shen Mi disregarded her pregnancy, the presence of others, and Gu Zhan's hard armor, and ran into his arms.

The moment Wen Ruan threw herself into his arms, Gu Zhan was stunned for a moment, and then he dropped the sword in his hand.

The sword that accompanied him as he broke through the encirclement, the sword that killed the traitor in the army, the sword that beheaded the general who blocked his way, the sword that gave the order to burn the grain depot of the Luoning garrison—he just threw it on the ground like that.

But his hand froze in mid-air, about to touch Shen Mi's back, because his hand was covered in blood.

He remembered that Shen Mi hated the smell of blood.

Shen Mi buried her face in his chest, her forehead pressed against the breastplate on his chest, and sobbed softly.

None of the soldiers or generals around dared to speak.

He thought that when he saw Shen Mi again, he would be unable to resist holding her tightly in his arms, but he did not do so.

His throat tightened, and after a long while, he pulled Shen Mi away from his embrace, wanting to wipe away the tears on her face. But when he saw that there wasn't a clean spot on his hands, he gave up the idea and only said, "Don't rub, I'm dirty."

Shen Mi's eyes were filled with tears, blurring her vision and making it difficult for her to see Gu Zhan's face clearly.

But even without seeing it, that face was already etched in her heart.

She took a clean handkerchief from her sleeve, stood on tiptoe, and gently wiped the blood off Gu Zhan's face with the handkerchief, from his brow bone to the bridge of his nose, to his thin cheeks, and then to his lips, until the clean handkerchief was covered in blood, which she then tossed aside.

She thought that when she saw Gu Zhan again, she would have so much to say, she would cry her heart out, she would curse him for being such a bastard, and she would tell him how much pressure she had been under. But when all the words came to her lips, she couldn't utter a single one.

All she could do seemed to be wipe the blood off Gu Zhan's face with a handkerchief.

Looking into those tearful eyes, Gu Zhan finally couldn't resist and gently kissed her forehead, but it was very brief, almost instantaneous.

He said gently to Shen Mi, "Don't be afraid, that's not my blood, it's someone else's." He paused, then said, "I'm fine."

Shen Mi didn't say a word and silently entered the commander's tent with Gu Zhan. She instructed Cuiwei to prepare hot water and found clean clothes and handkerchiefs for her to change into. However, when the hot water was brought up, Gu Zhan sent her away.

Gu Zhan was afraid she would misunderstand, so he explained to her again, "I'm covered in blood and I'm too dirty. I'll call you in after I've cleaned myself up."

Shen Mi hadn't recovered from her emotions and stood still.

Gu Zhan first washed the blood off his hands, took off his armor, walked up to Shen Mi, gently held her hand, and said, "Be good, listen to me, it's really okay."

Shen Mi already disliked the fishy smell of blood, and now that she was pregnant, she was even more sensitive to smells. She hadn't calmed down yet, so she didn't feel much. But as she gradually turned around, a fishy sweetness rose in her throat as soon as Gu Zhan approached her, forcing her to nod and agree to leave first.

Even after Gu Zhan had changed his clothes, finished discussing matters with all the generals in the army and learned about all the recent events in the army, and returned to their tents, she was still a little dazed and hadn't come to her senses.

When Gu Zhan learned that Shen Mi had done so much despite her illness, he felt extremely guilty towards her. When he saw her lonely figure sitting under the lamp in the tent, lost in thought, his heart ached as if it were bleeding.

He slowly walked to Shen Mi's side, reached out his arm, pulled her into his embrace, and whispered in her ear, "It's alright, it's alright, I'm back."

Shen Mi simply responded with a "Mm".

She remained silent, so Gu Zhan stayed silent as well, letting her lean against him. His emotions were complex, a mixture of heartache and guilt, along with a sense of relief at surviving a disaster.

Shen Mi closed her eyes and moved her lips, "Gu Zhan, I'm so tired. I've been so tired lately. I don't know how to handle all this..."

Gu Zhan coaxed her, "Zhi Niang has done very well. If it were me at this age, I might not have done as well as you."

Shen Mi knew that Gu Zhan was trying to coax her, but she couldn't say a word. She felt that all the effort she had put in these past few days could finally end, and all her strength seemed to have been drained away. For some reason, she leaned against Gu Zhan's chest and fell asleep.

Whether by coincidence or not, the next day, Song Zhaohuai, who had been in a coma for a long time, also woke up completely. The military doctor said that Song Zhaohuai was young and in good health, and that he would be fine once the fever subsided. Su Yuzhao was also very excited.

Gu Zhan has returned and is now restoring military discipline and order, thoroughly eliminating the spies Chen Jun had planted. He has also consulted with the army's commanders to discuss countermeasures against the enemy. Upon his return, he burned the military rations destined for Luoning, meaning Luoning is currently facing a food shortage. Even if Chen Jun were to request more supplies, it would take considerable time, presenting them with their best opportunity.

After careful planning, Gu Zhan and the commander-in-chief finalized their individual tasks, such as besieging the city, attacking the city, and rushing to the aid of Fan Nayan, who was trapped between Mianchi and Luoning. After rewarding the soldiers, they prepared to launch a general offensive against Luoning, which had been under siege for a long time, in three days and were determined to take it down.

Luoning has a treacherous terrain, and even with sufficient suppression, the siege continued from dawn until nightfall. In the end, Luoning could not hold out and the city gates were breached.

After Gu Zhan led his troops into the city, he ordered that they were not allowed to burn, kill, loot, or mistreat the people in the city, nor were they allowed to collect a single coin or a single bushel of rice from the people in the city.

However, when he arrived at the government office, he learned that Chen Jun had already led the city's elite troops out before the city fell. Seeing that the city was about to collapse, the defending soldiers had no choice but to open the city gates and surrender.

Although this grudge cannot be avenged immediately, once we reach Bianjing, we will eventually capture Chen Jun alive.

With the help of others, Fan Nayan successfully captured Mianchi. The day after the fall of Luoning, he led his troops back to Luoning from Mianchi.

After settling everything, Gu Zhan allowed the soldiers, who had been fighting for a long time, to rest in Luoning for two days before continuing to regroup and set off eastward towards Luoyang. After passing Luoyang and then Yique, they would arrive at Bianjing.

The night before leaving Luoning was the Dragon Boat Festival on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month. Gu Zhan rewarded the soldiers again and also celebrated with the people of Luoning.

After a few days of recuperation, Song Zhaohuai had almost fully recovered. On the occasion of the Dragon Boat Festival, Song Zhaohuai asked Gu Zhan if he could spend the festival alone with Su Yuzhao. Gu Zhan and Shen Mi exchanged a smile and readily agreed.

The soldiers were singing and dancing, playing drinking games, and laughing and making merry while eating meat. It was a peaceful scene until the incident happened.

Dozens of arrows suddenly flew down from the hillside high above, their target clearly Gu Zhan and Shen Mi.

Upon seeing this, the soldiers who were sitting together quickly sobered up from their drinking and merrymaking and picked up their weapons.

"Assassins! Protect Your Highness! Protect the Crown Princess!"

"Assassins! Form ranks immediately!"

Since Luoning had been recovered and pacified, and the city was full of his own people, and he was with Shen Mi tonight, Gu Zhan did not carry his sword.

In such a critical situation, Gu Zhan only had time to hurriedly draw a sword from the waist of the soldier beside him. While raising the sword to block the flying arrows, he protected Shen Mi in his arms and retreated to the safety of the tent.

The enemy was in the shadows, while we were in the open. We were caught off guard and the scene immediately descended into chaos.

Even though Gu Zhan wanted to protect her, he couldn't block all the arrows with his sword. Seeing an arrow about to fly towards Shen Mi, he didn't think twice and shielded Shen Mi behind him, taking the arrow himself. That arrow also hit him right in the heart.

Shen Mi was so frightened that she lost her voice: "Gu Zhan!"

Gu Zhan held her hand tightly, shook his head at her, and, enduring the pain, broke the arrow shaft in half with his bare hands. He used the broken part to brace himself against the wall, preventing himself from falling towards Chen Mi.

By this time, everyone had realized what was happening and shouted "Protect the Emperor!" while simultaneously chasing and intercepting the assassin.

Looking at the seriously injured Gu Zhan, Shen Mi had no interest in the aftermath. She wanted Gu Zhan to share some of his strength with her, but Gu Zhan refused. He insisted on leading her to a safe place before closing his eyes.

Cuiwei had been sent away by Shen Mi to do other things, which saved her from disaster. When she returned and saw the scene before her, she was shocked.

Shen Mi looked after Gu Zhan and told Cuiwei to quickly find the army doctor.

Upon hearing that His Highness the Crown Prince had been assassinated, the military doctor did not dare to delay for a moment and came over here.

Shen Mi had helped out in the army for a while and had taken some emergency measures, but she was ultimately not skilled in medicine and dared not make any rash moves.

The military doctor examined Gu Zhan's injuries and his expression turned serious.

He first took Gu Zhan's pulse, then examined the area around Gu Zhan's wound. He wiped the sweat from his brow and looked at Shen Mi: "Your Highness, there are old wounds that haven't healed next to His Highness's injury, and the new wound is only half an inch away from his heart. If we forcibly pull it out, I'm afraid his life will be in danger..."

Shen Mi's heart skipped a beat.

But if he doesn't pull it out, Gu Zhan might truly be worn down to death by this arrow.

She forced herself to calm down and asked the military doctor, "If we pull it out, what are the chances of success?"

The military doctor lowered his head and replied, "Less than 30%."

A buzzing sound filled Shen Mi's ears. She was afraid and worried, but Gu Zhan's injury left her no time to hesitate. She had no choice but to take a gamble.

She composed herself and said to the army doctor, "If His Highness survives, there will be a great reward. If anything unexpected happens, it will also be my decision."

The military doctor took a breath and looked at Shen Mi: "The situation may be difficult to control, Your Highness, please leave."

Shen Mi didn't leave. Gu Zhan took that arrow to save her, how could she leave at this time?

She told the army doctor, "No need."

The military doctor dared not disobey orders. He ordered his men to prepare all the necessary wound-stopping medicine, hot water, lamps, and handkerchiefs that might be needed later. He then gripped the arrow that Gu Zhan had cut, swiftly pulled it out of Gu Zhan's chest, and quickly tossed it aside. He then quickly sprinkled wound-stopping medicine on the wound and pressed it with the handkerchief to prevent the blood from continuing to splatter.

The whole thing happened in the blink of an eye, but the moment the arrow was released, warm blood still splattered onto Shen Mi's face, who was sitting to the side.

She clutched her chest tightly, trying to stop herself from vomiting from the smell of blood, and watched intently as the military doctor treated her wounds.

The military doctor methodically removed the arrow from Gu Zhan, applied medicine, and bandaged his wound. Only after finishing did he breathe a sigh of relief.

As the military doctor washed his hands in the copper basin, he said to Shen Mi, "Your Highness may develop a fever in another hour or two. I will have someone bring over some fever-reducing medicine shortly. If Your Highness is still conscious and can drink the medicine, he will be fine once the fever subsides. If not..."

"I understand, thank you." Shen Mi didn't want to hear another possibility, so she interrupted the general doctor directly.

The commotion outside gradually subsided. Shen Mi watched Gu Zhan lying unconscious on the couch with his eyes closed, her heart pounding anxiously. But she quickly pulled herself out of this panic.

Many people witnessed Gu Zhan being shot with an arrow. At the moment, the priority is to maintain morale and not let it affect future events.

Shen Mi picked up a handkerchief and wiped the blood off her face, which she hadn't had time to clean, before leaving the tent clutching Gu Zhan's seal.

There was indeed a sense of unease outside. Shen Mi's hands were still weak, but she still picked up the drumsticks with both hands and struck the war drum outside the tent three times to quiet everyone down.

Then, she threw the drumsticks on the ground, placed one hand on her abdomen, and with the other hand publicly displayed Gu Zhan's seal, proclaiming loudly, "Your Highness is unharmed! Your Highness's seal is here, and I, the Crown Prince, am here with you all, sharing life and death!"

Upon hearing this, Song Zhaohuai and Su Yuzhao also hurriedly returned from the city.

Upon hearing this, Song Zhaohuai immediately responded, "I swear to live and die with Your Highness and Her Majesty!"

Several generals joined in the shouts, and the eyes of the soldiers present regained their luster.

Fan Nayan bowed to Shen Mi: "Your Majesty, the assassin has been found. He is a remnant who escaped from Luoning City earlier. What do you think we should do with him?"

Having experienced so much in one night, Shen Mi simply didn't have the energy to do these things. Also, to confirm what she had just said, she deliberately raised her voice and said, "Isolate him for now and keep him under strict guard. We will deal with him after His Highness wakes up."

Fan Nayan understood her unspoken meaning, clasped his hands in a military salute with her, and then stepped aside.

When Shen Mi dragged herself back to the tent, the army doctor brought over the medicine that had been prepared.

With trembling fingertips, she took the medicine bowl from the military doctor and carefully placed it to Gu Zhan's lips, hoping he would drink it.

Once the fever subsides after taking this medicine, everything will be fine.

Gu Zhan was initially very resistant to the medicine, but fortunately, after a while, he seemed to regain some consciousness and slowly swallowed the medicine, but he vomited up half of it after drinking it.

Seeing that he had drunk some of it, Shen Mi gradually felt relieved.

After the military doctor left, the composure she had managed to maintain crumbled instantly.

She sat blankly by the bed, unaware of when her consciousness faded away.

When she opened her eyes again, she was lying on the couch, with Gu Zhan by her side.

Shen Mi asked in a hoarse voice, "Gu Zhan?"

Gu Zhan handed her a glass of warm water and watched her sip it before telling her to relax, "It's just a minor injury. I woke up when you fell asleep from exhaustion. The army doctor came to check on you. Once the fever goes down, you'll be fine, but you'll need to rest for a while."

Shen Mi breathed a sigh of relief, but when she recalled the horrific scene of the military doctor treating her wounds, she felt that Gu Zhan was lying. She was both angry and worried. "If that arrow had hit me, it would have only injured my shoulder at most, not killed me. Why did you risk your life to protect me?"

Gu Zhan chuckled: "Zhi Niang, are you stupid? You are my wife, carrying our child. Even if I die, I will never let you suffer the slightest accident."

Upon hearing the word "death," Shen Mi raised her hand to cover Gu Zhan's lips, saying, "Don't talk nonsense about death; it's very unlucky."

"Alright, I won't say," Gu Zhan said with a smile. "Then tell me, Zhi Niang, have you ever worried about me at all?"

She's worried sick about the slightest thing.

Shen Mi wanted to blurt it out, but remembering Gu Zhan's reckless impulsiveness at the time, she kept quiet.

Gu Zhan smiled and shook his head, "Zhi Niang, is it so hard for you to admit that you worry about me and care about me?"

Although Shen Mi was in his arms, she avoided his gaze.

Seeing her like this, Gu Zhan's smile deepened: "Okay, it's because I'm worried about you and care about you, is that alright?"

Shen Mi's voice was very soft, "Stop being so cheeky."

Seeing that she had relaxed, Gu Zhan said, "I heard about your efforts to calm the troops. Do you want to know who did it?"

Shen Mi turned her head to look at him and asked, "Is it Chen Jun?"

Gu Zhan brushed a strand of hair behind her ear. "As expected of Zhi Niang, you guessed it right away."

"Everyone thought that after Chen Jun's defeat, he would lead his remaining troops to retreat to Bianjing, but he actually pulled off a 'Qin King circling the pillar' stunt, hiding in Luoning City all along. Taking advantage of the large crowds during the Dragon Boat Festival yesterday, he sneaked out of the city and set up an ambush on the mountain to carry out the assassination."

Shen Mi was not surprised by this. "It was expected. I know Chen Jun very well. He came to Luoning because he made a military pledge with the King of Wei and was after your life, but he ended up with the fall of Luoning. After returning, he will find it difficult to report back to the King of Wei. Going back means death. He might as well hide in Luoning and fight to the death. Based on my understanding of him, he is the only one who can do such a heinous thing."

She analyzed the situation calmly, unaware of Gu Zhan's gradually darkening gaze.

After she finished speaking, Gu Zhan whispered in her ear, "Zhi Niang knows him so well?"

Shen Mi blurted out, "Well, after all, we've been childhood sweethearts for over ten years..." She stopped mid-sentence, then suddenly realized something was off. She looked up at Gu Zhan, and sure enough, there was a hint of jealousy in his eyes. She smiled and asked, "What's wrong? Are you jealous?"

She didn't expect Gu Zhan to nod and admit it so readily, "Yes, I'm jealous."

This left her momentarily at a loss for words.

Gu Zhan patted her shoulder, "I'm not like some people who are so stubborn."

Shen Mi knew he was talking about her, but she had indeed spoken without thinking, so she didn't refute him.

After all, Gu Zhan gets jealous even when Su Xingjian tells her he's safe. Besides, there's nothing between her and Su Xingjian, not to mention that she and Chen Jun had been childhood sweethearts for over ten years.

The next moment, Gu Zhan probed her again: "According to what Zhi Niang said, he is indeed someone you have a past relationship with. Now that he is under our control, do you want to go and see him?"

Regardless of the reason, Shen Mi was unwilling. She pursed her lips and said, "There's no need to see him anymore. Ever since that winter when he refused to let me in the snow in order to marry Li Xiang's youngest daughter, I have had no further connection with him."

Gu Zhan was taken aback. A thought suddenly popped into his mind—if he could return to the year Shen Mi returned to the capital with his current memories, perhaps there wouldn't have been so many hardships between him and Shen Mi, and he wouldn't have let Shen Mi be turned away by someone like Chen Jun in the snow.

He paused for a moment and asked Shen Mi, "Then what do you think we should do to appease him?"

Shen Mi replied calmly, "He has committed numerous evils and aided and abetted the wicked; he should be killed."

Gu Zhan responded with an "Mm," and didn't ask any more questions, only showing concern for Shen Mi's health.

Chen Jun had thought that since he had fallen to such a state and was now under Shen Mi's command, Shen Mi would at least come to see him. However, he did not see her.

He said to the soldiers who came to take his life, "I want to see the Crown Princess! I have all the information about the King of Wei."

The soldier was Gu Zhan's personal guard. He relayed Shen Mi's words to Chen Jun, and then stabbed him through the neck with a sword.

Before Chen Jun died, he looked up and questioned, "Why? Why did he...?"

After Chen Jun died, he was torn apart by five horses and his body was left to rot in the wilderness.

Shen Mi didn't ask any questions, and when she overheard it from Su Yuzhao, she didn't react.

This incident was quickly forgotten. After two days of recuperation, Gu Zhan led his troops eastward as planned.

During this period of stalemate, everyone saw the signs that the King of Wei was bound to be defeated. Therefore, after capturing Luoning and Mianchi, they advanced eastward without encountering any obstacles, advancing straight in. Every city they passed was greeted with its gates wide open. By late May, their army had reached the gates of Bianjing.

Many people in Bianjing could not stand the fickle nature of the Prince of Wei. Upon hearing that Crown Prince Gu Zhan had returned to Bianjing with his troops, the generals of the Imperial Guards guarding the city did not want to become rebels, nor did they want Gu Zhan to lose his head after ascending the throne and suffer the same fate as Chen Jun. So they opened the city gates without much resistance.

Five months later, Gu Zhan returned to Bianjing.

When the people of Bianjing learned that Gu Zhan was returning to the capital, they eagerly awaited his return, lining the streets to welcome him with joyful expressions.

Although the King of Wei knew that the situation was hopeless, he was still unwilling to surrender easily and guarded the palace gates, fighting to the death.

However, he didn't have many supporters left, so he was quickly taken down.

When Gu Zhan arrived at Funing Palace, he learned that the Emperor had passed away several days earlier. The Prince of Wei originally intended to ascend the throne in front of the coffin as was customary, but was opposed by the court officials. Helpless, he could only delay the time and placed the Emperor in an ice coffin.

Gu Zhan knelt before the ice coffin, kowtowed three times to the Emperor, and after expressing his deep sorrow, began to handle the follow-up matters and prepare for his ascension to the throne.

Gu Zhan entered the capital under the banner of "purging the court of corrupt officials." As for the Prince of Wei, he deposed him from his position as a prince, summarized his various crimes, and had him executed by being cut in half at the waist. His maternal grandfather's family, Prime Minister Li, was dismissed from his post and imprisoned, and was executed in the autumn. Upon hearing the news, Consort Li hanged herself in her own palace.

However, Gu Zhan did not imprison the other supporters of the King of Wei in the court. Instead, he treated them leniently, with demotion being the most common punishment. This was because he still wanted the title of a wise and benevolent ruler, and he would need to use these people to govern the country in the future, so there was no need to kill them all.

The difficult situation involves Princess Zhou Fanyin of Wei.

Although the King of Wei and his family members should be executed for treason, Zhou Fanyin is now nearly eight months pregnant. If Gu Zhanru does not want to become a tyrant, he cannot lay a hand on unarmed women and children.

However, he couldn't forgive Zhou Fanyin for pushing Mi into the water years ago, and he was in a dilemma.

Shen Mi is currently pregnant. Although she hates Zhou Fanyin so much that she wants to tear her to pieces, she eventually felt a pang of pity. Therefore, she suggested to Gu Zhan that she give birth to the child and be confined to the palace for the rest of her life.

She now has neither a husband's family nor a mother's family, and cannot stir up any trouble.

Gu Zhan agreed.

When the King of Wei finally fell from power, the Empress, who had been tightly controlled by him in the Kunning Palace, rushed to the Funing Palace upon hearing the news, only to find that the Emperor, with whom she had once stayed, was nowhere to be seen, but instead an ice coffin.

Overwhelmed with grief, the Empress immediately attempted to commit suicide by striking her head against the coffin in loyalty to the Emperor, but Gu Zhan stopped her.

Regardless of how the Empress treated him in the past, he ultimately gained the status of the eldest son of the legitimate wife because he grew up under her care, and was thus successfully established as the crown prince. Now that the Empress has died by throwing herself into her coffin, he will be criticized by future generations as unfilial.

It would be better to honor her as Empress Dowager, provide for her meticulously in the palace, and let her die peacefully in her old age.

The Empress told Gu Zhan to let go. She looked at Gu Zhan and said, "I have been with the Emperor for many years, and our love is still as strong as ever. Now that he has left us in such a shameful way, how can I live on in this world?"

Shen Mi advised the Empress from the side, "Empress Mother, even though the Emperor has passed away, he must still want you to live well in this world. Don't be so pessimistic."

The Empress looked at Shen Mi and laughed, a laugh filled with deep sorrow. "Little Mi, I thought you understood me."

Shen Mi moved her lips, but didn't speak.

The Empress turned to look at the Emperor lying in the ice coffin, reaching out to touch his face. So many years had passed, and she could feel the years slipping away, but in her memory, the Emperor was still the handsome young emperor she had met when she was a teenager.

At that time, she was just an ordinary peasant woman who happened to meet the emperor on the street. She did not know that he was the emperor, and the emperor did not know that she was married. But when their eyes met, her heart began to pound wildly.

She initially thought it was a tragic fate, since her husband treated her very well. However, she never expected that the emperor would find out where she lived and come to her husband with a large sum of money to "marry" her and bring her into the palace.

Her husband dared not disobey the reigning emperor and could only agree.

She initially thought it was a shameful affair of forced marriage, but unexpectedly, the emperor changed her identity, turning her relationship with her former husband into that of brother and sister. After bringing her into the palace, he even bestowed upon her "brother" a sinecure, making him the "Imperial Brother-in-Law."

At first, she thought it was just the emperor's lustful desire, a fleeting infatuation. She felt that when she grew old and faded, or even earlier, when the emperor lost interest in her, she would become just another pitiful woman in the deep palace, a casual stroke in the history books. Therefore, she was always cautious around the emperor, hoping that this favor, which seemed to come from nowhere, could last a little longer.

But she never expected that the emperor would be so infatuated with her, so infatuated that he would promote her step by step from the lowest-ranking imperial maid to a beauty, from a beauty to a county princess, from a county princess to a consort. He originally wanted to make her empress, but she could not be made empress because she had no children. At that time, she was also in poor health and could not give birth to any children for the emperor. The emperor's extraordinary promotion of her had long been the subject of dissatisfaction among the ministers in the court, who repeatedly submitted memorials.

She thought the emperor would grow tired of her because of this, but he did not.

The emperor favored a palace maid who was Gu Zhan's birth mother, Lady Yang. After Lady Yang gave birth to the child, he raised the child under her care, publicly claiming that the third prince, Zhan, was born to her. With this prince, she was eventually made empress by the emperor, and thereafter enjoyed his exclusive favor for decades.

She gradually let go of her fear of the emperor and began to truly treat him as her husband.

Memories flashed before her eyes like a revolving lantern, but now, her husband lay in this ice coffin, how could she not grieve?

Shen Mi didn't know how to persuade the Empress, so she could only signal the palace servants to send the Empress back to Kunning Palace.

However, that very evening, news came from the palace that the Empress had died by swallowing gold.

Although Gu Zhan and Shen Mi were surprised, the deed was done and there was no turning back. So, Gu Zhan ordered that the Empress and the Emperor be buried together in the Imperial Mausoleum, and instructed the Ministry of Rites to give the Emperor and Empress posthumous titles and to hold a national mourning ceremony.

After Gu Zhan quelled the internal strife, he temporarily ascended the throne. According to the rules, the enthronement ceremony was not held immediately, but the Ministry of Rites would choose an auspicious day to hold it.

Shen Mi also moved from the Qingluan Hall in the East Palace to the Kunning Hall in the Imperial Palace, where the Empress resided.

In this campaign to "purge the court of corrupt officials," Song Zhaohuai made great contributions in the Battle of Luoning. Gu Zhan wanted to reward him for his merits, but Song Zhaohuai politely declined all the high-ranking official positions and generous salaries.

Song Zhaohuai knelt before Gu Zhan in front of the Funing Palace, even ignoring the presence of Prime Minister Su, and said to Gu Zhan, "Your Majesty, I am willing to exchange all my merits for a marriage."

Gu Zhan knew he was referring to the marriage between him and Su Yuzhao, but with Prime Minister Su still present, he had to maintain appearances, so he said, "Zhaohuai, speak frankly."

Song Zhaohuai knelt and kowtowed, saying, "I have long admired the only daughter of Prime Minister Su, and I will marry no one but her in this life. I beseech Your Majesty to grant me this marriage."

Gu Zhan glanced at Su Xiang, seeking his opinion.

Su Xiang initially disapproved of the marriage because he felt that Song Zhaohuai was younger than Yu Zhao and feared that he would not be able to protect her in the future. However, after experiencing so many things, he saw Song Zhaohuai's sincere intentions. Moreover, Song Zhaohuai had made contributions to the rise of the new emperor and was now a rising star in the court. Yu Zhao would not suffer if she married him, so he nodded in agreement.

This was within Gu Zhan's expectations. He granted Song Zhaohuai's request, but he did not reduce the rewards he was entitled to, and he also asked the Ministry of Rites to set a wedding date for the two of them.

Shen Mi never expected that she would see Su Xingjian again, this time with Gu Zhan in the Funing Palace.

Su Xingjian was holding a snow-white kitten in his arms; it was Xiao Man.

Xiao Man was well cared for by Su Xingjian. Although she still lay quietly in Su Xingjian's arms, she was not as shy as before. She even curiously peeked out from Su Xingjian's arms and looked around the Funing Palace.

Now that their statuses are different, Su Xingjian did not overstep any bounds. He simply handed the little steamed bun to Cuiwei, who then gave it to Shen Mi.

After delivering the small steamed buns to the palace, Su Xingjian took his leave from the Funing Palace.

Shen Mi glanced at Gu Zhan, signaling him to let go of her.

Xiao Man snuggled from Cui Wei's arms into Shen Mi's, rubbing against him affectionately. But when she saw Gu Zhan, she shrank back into Shen Mi's arms, refusing to look at him.

Shen Mi smiled, her eyes crinkling, "You're always so fierce, even Xiao Man is afraid of you."

Gu Zhan chuckled softly upon hearing Shen Mi's slightly reproachful tone.

Shen Mi didn't want him to do anything improper in the Funing Palace, so she picked up Xiao Man and stood up, saying, "I've been separated from Xiao Man for a long time. It's afraid of you, so I'll spend some time alone with it first."

Gu Zhan did not force her and allowed her to go.

As soon as Shen Mi stepped out of the palace gate, she encountered Su Xingjian after only a few steps.

The two were speechless for a moment.

In the end, Shen Mi took the initiative to start a conversation, "How are Yu Zhao and Zhao Huai doing now? Is Zhao Huai still living at the Su family's house?"

Su Xingjian, with a gentle tone, said, "Zhao Huai now holds an official position and has her own residence outside, all arranged according to Yu Zhao's preferences."

Shen Mi stroked the soft down on Xiao Man's back and said to Su Xingjian, "Brother Ziyou, you're over thirty-two now, aren't you?"

Su Xingjian sensed what she was about to say, and a hint of melancholy appeared in his eyes, but he quickly composed himself and simply replied, "Your Majesty, you have a good memory."

Shen Mi casually mentioned, "It's time for him to get married. Besides Yu Zhao, Prime Minister Su only has Brother Zi You. Even Yu Zhao is married now."

Su Xingjian took a deep breath and looked intently at Shen Mi: "Do you want me to marry someone else?"

Shen Mi smiled and said, "I hope you have a fulfilling life."

Su Xingjian smiled back at her, "Okay, I understand your feelings."

Gu Zhan scheduled the coronation ceremony and the empress's investiture ceremony for the same day.

According to custom, the empress should serve the emperor by wearing the crown, but Gu Zhan did the opposite.

He personally placed the Empress's phoenix crown on Shen Mi's head and draped her in a pearl-embroidered shawl. Faced with Shen Mi's surprise, he simply held her waist familiarly and said, "Zhi Niang, I am your husband."

Shen Mi gently bit her lip and lowered her head.

Gu Zhan grasped her shoulders with both hands, "We are one, Emperor and Empress, do not bow your head."

He gazed intently into Shen Mi's eyes and said, "Seeing you is like a withered tree blossoming in spring, or a lamp appearing on a dark night. In the annals of history, you will be my empress, and also my, Gu Zhan's, most cherished wife."

Then Gu Zhan and she respectfully reported to the ancestral temple, comforted the ancestors, and worshipped heaven and earth. Afterwards, they went to the Taiji Hall to receive the worship of the court officials.

The courtiers knelt down and shouted, "Long live the Emperor! Long live the Empress! Long live the Empress!"

Gu Zhan gently took her hand and asked, "Zhi Niang, with the empire as your betrothal gift, are you willing?"

-----------------------

Author's note: Let's congratulate this young couple!!!

Thank you all for your support over the past three months. Without your continued support, I would have had a hard time persevering. (bows)

There's so much more I want to say, but I don't know where to begin. I just feel that finishing this story means I've come to the end of their lives, and I'm overwhelmed with emotions.

I'll take a few days off, and start updating the extra chapters again on Thursday. If you have any requests for extra chapters, please leave a comment below the pinned post; I'll read them all!

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