The Finale

A few days later, Zhou Yanqing resolved the matters in Nandu and returned to Qin. However, he did not rush to prepare for the coronation ceremony. Instead, he went to a residence.

The place looks even better than the Qin Prince's Mansion, and the flowers and plants in the courtyard are well taken care of.

The man sat listlessly in the pavilion, and did not get up when he saw the two approaching.

"Your Majesty," Zhou Yanqing said calmly. This was the first time in many years that he hadn't called this woman "Mother."

Seeing his conflicted emotions, Consort Qin asked, "You won?"

"I'm still alive, isn't that obvious?"

The mother and son chatted back and forth, but their conversation was devoid of emotion, until she finally asked, "And what about His Majesty?"

She still cared about that man, ignoring her completely but showing great concern for his safety.

Zhou Yanqing no longer felt heartache; all she felt was sarcasm.

"The tyrannical ruler Zhou Xu hanged himself in front of the statue of Emperor Gu. I will bury him in the imperial mausoleum."

He spoke, trying to see that same indifference on his mother's face. Perhaps then he could believe that she was just tired, not that she didn't love him.

Unfortunately, things don't always go as planned.

Upon hearing of the Southern Emperor's death, a tear rolled down Consort Qin's serene face, revealing a狰狞 (zhengning - fierce/hateful) hatred.

She stepped forward, grabbed Zhou Yanqing's collar tightly, and demanded, "He's your father! How could you do this?"

“But I’m still your son! How could you bear to poison me?” Zhou Yanqing said, his voice choking with emotion. “Mother, no, Consort Qin, you still refuse to believe that he doesn’t love you at all. He’s just using you, making you his hostage…”

"Shut up!" Consort Qin angrily cut him off. "You don't know, he said he loved me. He said he had no choice..."

She gradually lost the strength to hold onto Zhou Yanqing's collar, tears streaming down her face, yet she refused to believe Zhou Yanqing's words.

Zhou Yanqing couldn't help but feel angry, "Stop deceiving yourself!"

"I didn't!" she shouted, then suddenly looked at the pillar behind Zhou Yanqing and rushed towards it at a speed that no one could react to.

With a loud thud, the woman's body collapsed, blood streaming down her forehead and staining her face.

Si Yanmo was startled and hurriedly called for help. When the witch doctor arrived, he took their pulses and they both shook their heads.

Zhou Yanqing stood there, stunned, her eyes stinging as if from the bright red stain or from realizing the truth that her mother didn't love her.

He cried, holding Si Yanmo in his arms, burying his head in her shoulder and neck, sobbing silently.

Si Yanmo patted his back tenderly, "I'm here, I'm here."

She knew in her heart that Zhou Yanqing's feelings for this mother were complex, a mixture of love and hate, and a sense of helplessness.

She instructed her servants, "Give Consort Qin a proper burial."

"Wait," the person in his arms suddenly spoke, "bury him in the Southern Emperor's Mausoleum."

He looked at his wife and said, "Consider this my last act of filial piety. She is no longer my mother."

She was merely a concubine of Qin...

Si Yanmo raised her hand to wipe away his tears. From this moment on, her lover truly had no family left.

But he still has her.

"Let's go home."

"Yes, let's go home."

...

In 1014 of the Southern Calendar, King Zhou Yanqing of Qin overthrew the tyrannical ruler, ascended the throne, changed the country's name to Qin, moved the capital to Qin'an, and renamed the Qin region Qindu.

The capital was renamed Nanwu, and the former third prince, Zhou Junsong, ascended the throne as the King of Nan and paid tribute to the Qin capital.

On the day Qin Shi Huang ascended the throne, the sky was filled with extraordinary light, and auspicious crows circled above the palace.

There was no divination by throwing divination blocks or human sacrifices. Instead, a general amnesty was granted, and even the enthronement ceremony was held in an exceptionally simple manner, without consuming too much manpower and resources.

but……

Perhaps tired from flying in the sky, a little Jiwu took advantage of its parents' inattention and landed on the eaves to slack off.

It peered curiously at the crowd below carrying all sorts of jewelry into the house. Attracted by the glittering crown, it flew to the windowsill and saw the owner of the house.

The woman was dressed in a long red and black dress, the patterns of which were embroidered with gold thread and shimmered in the sunlight.

She looked at the crown that the palace envoy brought over.

This crown was more than twice the size of her head, and it was inlaid with coastal pearls, Qigu agate and jade. The overall style was still that of Lanyu, but the silver was replaced with gold, making it more luxurious and gorgeous.

Si Yanmo sighed with a headache, "What was he thinking? Is he trying to break my head with such a huge crown?"

Apart from her, who else would dare to complain about the newly enthroned Emperor Qin?

The palace officials could only smirk, not daring to say anything else.

Si Yanmo certainly wasn't trying to get others to join her in complaining.

She glanced at the headdress, thinking that she would have to wear it for a while and could only take it off at night, and with a look of resignation, she said, "Take me with you."

Zhao Wan, who was standing to the side, picked up the headdress and gently placed it on her finished hair bun. The maid next to her also helped to insert the hairpins.

It was lighter than she had imagined.

Si Yanmo breathed a sigh of relief; it seemed her neck was saved.

She allowed her maids and palace maids to dress her up like a clay doll, and only after she finished dressing up was she helped to the main hall.

I don't know what Zhou Yanqing was thinking. The coronation ceremony was kept simple, but when he said he would give her a wedding ceremony, it was extremely grand, as if he wanted to pile up everything he had.

It was only after she repeatedly advised him against wasting money and resources that he finally agreed to only be more elaborate on the wedding attire, and to follow the proper customs for the rest.

She arrived at the gate of the main hall, where a group of palace officials stood by, fiddling with things left and right, as if afraid of something going wrong.

She was quite casual, only staring at the end of the palace road.

Her lover was there.

Zhou Yanqing initially intended to go with her, but she rejected the offer.

"I have a surprise for you."

Her alluring peach blossom eyes curved into crescents, making Zhou Yanqing feel that he would agree to anything she said.

She walked alone along the long palace road, secretly clutching what she was holding, thinking about the expression on that person's face when they saw her. Despite being covered in heavy clothes and jewelry, she didn't feel tired.

Surrounded by musicians playing music, Zhou Yanqing chose a few of her favorite tunes instead of the solemn and elegant music used at the weddings of emperors and empresses in the past. She walked briskly along the way, as if it were not an imperial wedding, but a young girl who had just come of age going to see her childhood sweetheart.

Oh, we can't say childhood sweethearts!

She pursed her lips and smiled secretly; the little dog couldn't stand the thought of childhood sweethearts.

However, she thought that if she and Zhou Yanqing were truly childhood sweethearts, perhaps it would be a different story.

Thinking this, the road to the palace didn't seem so long. She approached step by step, and her appearance became clearer and clearer in Zhou Yanqing's eyes.

His Ah Mo rarely wore red, but today's red and black wedding dress suited her beauty perfectly.

The beaded curtain beneath her crown subtly obscured her eyes and brows, just as it had been when they first met, and in that fleeting glance, his gaze once again fell upon that pulsating beauty mark.

He couldn't wait any longer, and disregarding the elders and the ministers who were obediently waiting, he quickly went to greet them.

A gentle breeze, seemingly from nowhere, carried a few flower petals that followed him as he jogged.

As he approached, he suddenly stopped.

Si Yanmo seemed to have truly come to life as a deity in a temple, her hair gleaming with golden light.

She laughed, laughing at the person in front of her who, despite being the Qin Emperor, still looked so dull and dazed.

"Your Majesty has come all this way, why don't you come and help me?"

Zhou Yanqing seemed to wake from a dream, raised her hand and grasped the soft hand, noticing that the other hand seemed to be wrapped with something as well. "Is it the surprise you mentioned?"

Si Yanmo remained noncommittal, saying, "Your Majesty, it's time for the wedding ceremony."

He raised an eyebrow: Okay, if Amo doesn't want to talk, there will be plenty of ways to get her to talk later.

Seeing the newly enthroned Qin Emperor carefully supporting the Qin Empress, everyone had a new way to protect themselves—the Qin Empress in the palace was someone they absolutely could not offend.

The two arrived at the main hall together, where the statue of Emperor Gu was no longer standing in the middle, but the memorial tablets of the successive Qin kings.

When they got married last time, none of Zhou Yanqing's relatives were present. This time, Mo Wenzhong and Lin Niang were there, and of course, his "master," who was more like a father to him than his own father, was also present.

On the high hall, to the left are Mo Wenzhong and Qin Zixiu, and to the right are Si Jianwen and Zhao Shuyun.

"The fragrance of peaches and plums fills the air, the newlyweds are now a couple, let's toast!"

Lin Niang smiled as she looked at the two children in front of her. Holding three feather fans, she swept the two children's faces with her hands. The palace servants placed two wine cups on the ground, and the two children offered them to heaven and earth.

"With deep affection, we exchange tokens of friendship, wishing..."

Another scan.

"Why did you change it?" Si Yanmo was prepared to have that old scar reopened.

Zhou Yanqing ordered someone to bring up a wooden box and gestured for her to open it.

Si Yanmo was puzzled, but she did as she was told. She opened the wooden box and saw a hairpin made of fresh peony. Upon closer inspection, it seemed that it was not a fresh flower.

She was even more confused.

Zhou Yanqing slowly picked up the hairpin and inserted it into her hair bun, as if it had been designed, and it looked very harmonious with the crown.

He explained, "I remember you said you liked flowers, but I haven't had time to give you any. You said you wanted to prepare a surprise for me, and I couldn't just leave empty-handed."

“I thought jade carvings would look too fake, and real flowers would wither too easily.” The man gently twirled the petals with his fingertips, his affectionate gaze fixed on his wife’s face. “I consulted many people and tried many methods before finally making this one using polymer clay and cloth. Do you like it?”

Si Yanmo hadn't expected him to put in so much effort, which made her surprise seem less like a surprise.

"like."

Just as she was about to open her arms to show him her surprise, she heard him say, "I haven't finished yet. A flower is nothing, not worthy of my Amo, nor enough to prove that I'm willing to be with you forever. I asked the Gu Master of Lanyu to hide something for me in this hairpin..."

Upon hearing him mention Gu Master, Si Yanmo had a bad feeling. "You wouldn't..."

"Hmm." He nodded calmly. "Lanyu's love potions are quite famous, so it's appropriate for me to make this promise to you."

Once the love potion of Lanyu is placed, it can never be removed in this lifetime. The traitor who has been poisoned with the child potion will be tortured to death.

"Crazy." Si Yanmo was both touched and angry, her eyes red, not knowing what to say.

Zhou Yanqing gently touched her cheek, "Don't cry, so many people are watching. Besides, I have confidence in myself."

"You're making my gift seem really boring!"

Hearing Si Yanmo's slightly tearful and coquettish voice, his heart melted. "Whatever Amo gives me will be a surprise, and I'll never be bored."

He gently pried open her clasped hands and discovered that inside lay his finger bone, with a pair of eyes carved on it.

Although they are said to be a pair, it's quite obvious that the two eyes don't belong to the same person. One has a peach blossom eye full of affection, while the other has a phoenix eye that is sharp and cold.

It's clear that the sculptor's skill wasn't top-notch, but he still managed to capture the emotions in the eyes and brows.

"You carved it?"

He picked up the finger bone and carefully felt it, then discovered that the red string on it was special, woven with the black silk to form a safety buckle.

"Yes, you said you would make me a pendant. How can you make a pendant for your wife with your own bones? I studied for a while and returned it to you along with my hair as a testament to our past joys and sorrows."

Hearing her say that, Zhou Yanqing couldn't help but hug her. "Madam, you still say it's not a surprise enough?"

Si Yanmo's ears turned red. "There are so many people! Your Majesty, please be careful!"

He then remembered the guests, reluctantly let go of their hands, and completed the rest of the ceremony.

When the banquet started, Zhou Yanqing couldn't contain herself any longer. In front of everyone, she picked up the person next to her and waved her hand, saying, "Please make yourselves at home."

Si Yanmo was startled by him. "Zhou Yanqing, put me down! Everyone's watching!"

"So what?" he said childishly. "We're married now. You're my wife. I'm holding my wife. Who dares to say anything?"

No one dared to say anything. The ministers all lowered their heads and only dared to secretly watch the King of Qin carrying the Queen away before they dared to talk.

Someone said, "From now on, you'd better curry favor with the Empress."

The young couple, who were "married" before, did not hear any of this. Zhou Yanqing carried the person all the way back to the palace and chased away the maids who were still cleaning. "Go out, all of you. You don't need to serve me tonight."

He gently placed her on the bed, buried his head in the crook of her neck, and said contentedly, "Amo, I'm so happy."

Si Yanmo was used to his behavior and patted his head. "Your Majesty has done everything you wanted to do, how could you not be happy?"

"And what about you?" He looked up, his eyes full of love.

“Of course I’m happy.” Si Yanmo brushed aside his stray hairs. “Sometimes I think, if you hadn’t come to Hechunlou that day, and we hadn’t met like in my past life, my life might have been very peaceful, but I would never have met my lover.”

"Can I take that to mean you're saying you'll only love me?" Zhou Yanqing took her hand and rubbed it against her face.

How come you always manage to twist the meaning of what people say?

That's exactly what you meant.

Si Yanmo chuckled, "Alright, alright, that's exactly what I meant."

The two nestled together, and Zhou Yanqing gently removed her hairpins and crown, finally allowing her to relax.

Looking at his loose, long hair, he seemed to have found what was missing. He gripped her hand tighter and hugged her from behind. "Amo, I've always had a question for you. If I really died back then, would you have been buried with me?"

Of course not!

He felt a pang of loss, but deep down he hoped she could live. She had already died once; how could he bear to let her die again for him?

Unexpectedly, Si Yanmo added, "That's called dying for love."

Zhou Yanqing froze, her eyes filled with disbelief. "But didn't you say... you didn't want to..."

"Humans are supposed to live that long. I've lived two lifetimes because of God's mercy. Meeting you is God's blessing," she said, cupping his face in her hands. Her affectionate peach blossom eyes conveyed her love for her master. "If you are with me on the road to the underworld, I don't think I'll be afraid."

“Amo…”

Outside, a pair of geese briefly landed on the roof, snuggling together.

Inside the house, the two completed the unfinished consummation of their marriage.

Si Yanmo thought that in this life, she did many things she hadn't done in her previous life; she became a fortune teller, a sorcerer, and a physiognomist...

More importantly, she became herself, met Zhou Yanqing, and learned what love is.

As Zhou Yanqing gently kissed her, exhaustion washed over her. She let him do as he pleased and closed her eyes.

In a daze, she seemed to see that battlefield again.

This time, she went over and took the man's hand in her pleading gesture...

【over】