Chapter 307 Returning Home (The End)

In the autumn of the third year of Dan Fengyuan, at the royal palace of Moyang City.

Inside the imperial study, candlelight shone brightly, and memorials piled high on the imperial desk.

Mu Xi rested her forehead on her hand, so tired that she was in a daze.

Three years into her reign, with the assistance of Shen Lun, Yan Shu, and others, she swiftly purged the remaining forces of Mu Heng and eradicated those who colluded with pirates. She also generously rewarded former officials of the Yan dynasty and generals of the Han Navy, and, against all opposition, promoted Bai Su to the position of Zhu Mingjun, effectively giving him control of the military and political power in the southern border.

She also fulfilled her promise to Qi Yingyu by enacting a new system that allowed women to establish their own households and inherit family businesses. Although there were numerous obstacles, like a boulder thrown into a pond, she eventually achieved a preliminary agreement by adopting the "demolition effect" and making concessions and negotiating step by step. By the time she completed all of this, Qi Yingyu's daughter had just come of age and was just old enough to inherit the family business.

As for Bao Fan, Qi Yingyu was content with having a daughter and entrusted Bao Fan completely to Mu Xi.

Mu Xi would certainly not mistreat this foodie who had saved her life several times and whose "one urination could save the world." On the one hand, she allowed him to continue learning the art of identifying herbs from Doctor Luo, and on the other hand, she allowed him to freely enter and leave the palace to eat and drink to his heart's content.

Furthermore, as a woman who ascended the throne, Mu Xi needed to promote a group of women with real talent and ability to become pillars of the state.

The first to be affected was Cao Pan'er, who followed in her father's footsteps and was promoted to Junior Supervisor of the Directorate of Works.

Cao Pan'er lived up to expectations, determined to rectify the various problems left behind by the former Grand Minister of Works, Tao Jin. She uncovered seven or eight cases of embezzlement and misappropriation in the project funds over the years, which terrified all the officials involved, earning her the nickname "The Beauty and the Devil." She also gained a deeper understanding of reforming the artisan registration system, personally taking charge of the work, and her abilities and methods were astonishing.

Under Cao Pan'er, girls' schools were further promoted and female subjects were established. Although they could not be directly appointed to important positions in the court, women who passed the examinations were allowed to work in professional and technical government offices such as the Directorate of Works, the Imperial Medical Bureau, and the Ministry of Agriculture, or become local female officials to manage women and children's affairs.

Mu Xi felt that she had fulfilled all her vows and reclaimed everything that belonged to her identity. However, the daily struggles, calculations, and compromises she had faced over the past three years were completely different from the "glorious life of an empress" she had imagined.

This is nothing more than a "high-class worker" in fancy packaging, surrounded by "musical noise and paperwork" all day long, which is meaningless.

This palace, this throne, is a magnificent golden cage. Before, I couldn't get in and wanted to get out. Now that I'm trapped inside, all I want to do is fly out.

Mu Xi often told herself that she already had the best of everything a woman could have in the world, and she should be content.

But the word "should" implies that we are not yet truly satisfied.

Without freedom, how can there be happiness?

During these three years, the only thing that brought her comfort was the deep affection she maintained with Mu Xun.

With that thought in mind, Mu Xi abandoned the trivial reports and headed towards the inner palace.

No matter how late it was, Mu Xun would always keep a bowl of soup warm under the lamp, waiting for her to come home.

"You're back?" Mu Xun's eyes, reflecting the moon reflected in the calm lake, always held tenderness for her.

When they first became husband and wife, Mu Xi always wondered to herself why her eyes were so clear and obvious, yet she couldn't see it at all back then.

"Mmm." Mu Xi would often just give a soft reply and then snuggle into Mu Xun's arms.

Mu Xun let her "hang" on his body, and groped to help her remove her headdress and outer clothes, his fingertips skillfully massaging her tense temples.

Because of the checks and balances between the two sides, if former officials of the Yan dynasty and the Hanhai Army want to obtain the same power and position as before, then Mu Xun, as a former grandson of the Yan dynasty, cannot participate in politics.

Fortunately, Mu Xun never had any ambition. During the day, he would drink tea and practice swordsmanship in the palace. Occasionally, when he was bored, he would go out for horseback riding and hunting. At night, he would wait for Mu Xi to return, and the two would be tender and affectionate.

Mu Xi was decisive and efficient in the previous dynasty, making crucial decisions, but in front of Mu Xun, she would naturally become as gentle as a needle.

Between them, few words were needed. One was a woman who had endured two lifetimes of hardship and finally took control of her own destiny; the other was a gentle man who had seen through the chaos of the world and only wished to protect one person.

"Are you happy now?" Mu Xi's dark hair cascaded down Mu Xun's chest. She would always ask this question before going to sleep.

Each time, Mu Xun turned to look at her, his fingertips lightly brushing across her brow, and smiled gently: "With you here, I am content."

Upon hearing this answer, Mu Xi would wrap her arms around his neck. She knew that what she had now was simply not enough, but after the past three years, she could not make any promises.

Tonight, she gently kissed his forehead, nose, and cheeks: "Xun... let's have a child... a child with the blood of the Mu and Xi families, whether it's a boy or a girl, so that they can't say anything anymore."

"What happened in the court today?" Mu Xun's hand slowly moved across her back, the force just right, both irresistible and tenderly caring.

"It's nothing, I just want freedom," Mu Xi said, her breath sweet as orchids.

Light silk curtains, shimmering light and shadows.

Spring of the fifth year of Dan Fengyuan, in the royal palace of Moyang City.

Mu Xi gave birth to a daughter, who was then made Crown Princess.

In the autumn of the sixth year of Dan Fengyuan, at the royal palace of Moyang City.

On a clear autumn night, a fire suddenly broke out in Mu Xi's palace. Although the fire was quickly extinguished, he was reportedly severely frightened, and his condition deteriorated rapidly. At dawn the next day, he collapsed and died on his bed.

The whole nation mourns, and the death knell tolls forever.

Three days later, the king followed the empress in death, leaving behind only a will, instructing Shen Lun to assist the crown princess in ascending the throne.

Six months later, at a bustling port on the eastern coast of the Nine Realms Continent.

A huge ship was slowly sailing away from the dock, with several people standing at its bow.

A tall woman dressed in neat men's clothing is facing the slightly salty sea breeze, spreading her arms and taking a deep breath.

The imposing and somber air of court life was gone from her face; instead, her brows held a clear and open expression, like the sky after a storm. Sunlight bathed her face, casting a warm golden hue.

Beside her stood a handsome, gentle man with a refined demeanor, looking at her with a smile, his eyes filled with undisguised tenderness and doting affection.

An elderly man in a blue robe stroked his beard, gazing at the boundless blue sea and sky before him: "The scenery here is more than ten times that of Yansheng. The world is vast, and one could never fully explore it in a lifetime."

A tall, innocent-looking young man was squatting nearby, curiously watching the crabs crawling across the deck, smacking his lips: "These are delicious..."

I once thought that opening my eyes from the coffin was rebirth. Now I realize it was merely the beginning of another long imprisonment. All desires are shackles that bind us; to break free, what's needed is never the means, but the courage of the heart.

Mu Xi's eyes sparkled with a long-lost, lively and dazzling light, a radiance that truly belonged to her: "The sea is wide enough for fish to leap, the sky is high enough for birds to fly, having sailed through a thousand waves, my heart is warm and I return home."

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