In the dark and damp dungeon, Shen Jinshu lay sprawled on the ground, covered in blood, a far cry from her former glamorous self.

"Song Zhiyu, you've won." Shen Jinshu's voice was dry and hoarse, and her face was frighteningly pale.

Shen Jinshu was extremely unwilling. She was supposed to become empress soon, but now it had all come to nothing.

"I never thought I would lose to you. Why didn't you kill me?"

"Killing you would be too easy for you." Song Zhiyu looked down at her with a calm and indifferent expression, as if he had never cared about her at all.

Shen Jinshu dragged her twisted and weak legs step by step toward Song Zhiyu, hysterically questioning, "Song Zhiyu, kill me! Why don't you kill me? I almost killed you back then. Are you so merciful that you won't kill me even after all this?"

She was deliberately provoking Song Zhiyu, hoping he would give her a final resolution.

But Song Zhiyu did not do as she wished. He merely glanced at her indifferently and left the dungeon without looking back.

*

The next day.

Shen Feng and Shen Rushan were executed by being cut in half at the waist. The rest of the Li Wang faction were either killed or exiled.

After this series of swift and decisive actions, the imperial court suddenly had a number of newly appointed officials, all of whom were young, promising, and talented.

Seeing this, Emperor Yun's gloomy expression finally improved.

Thanks to Wenren Yue providing weapons, morale in Liangzhou soared, and they repelled the northern army, thus defending Liangzhou City.

Finally, taking advantage of the resurgence of the plague in the north, they launched a counterattack, recaptured the three lost cities, and drove them back to their stronghold, whereupon they dared not invade again.

Hearing that Song Zhiyu had also contributed to this, Emperor Yun was overjoyed and immediately bestowed upon her a generous reward, and even arranged a marriage between her and the Crown Prince.

This time, Song Zhiyu didn't refuse.

If you still disagree, someone will start to get anxious.

Although Pei Qingyan and the others were reluctant to part with her, they ultimately respected Song Zhiyu's wishes and prepared countless dowries for her in addition to offering their blessings.

Their sister, of course, deserves the best.

*

On the day of his exile, Shen Yuzhou begged for a favor: he wanted to see Song Zhiyu one more time.

He stood at the entrance of the county magistrate's mansion, gazing at the gate as it prepared to be adorned with celebratory silks, his expression momentarily dazed.

Unfortunately, he will not be able to see his sister get married.

He placed the ungiven jade hairpin at the door and left quietly.

The road to exile is bitter and cold; he might not even make it to Yunzhou.

With tears in her eyes, Shen's mother saw them off. She was too ashamed to see Song Zhiyu again, let alone ask for her forgiveness. She found a manor to live out her days in peace.

She would be content as long as she could catch a glimpse of Song Zhiyu every now and then.

*

Six months later, news of the Crown Prince's marriage to Princess Mingyang spread throughout the capital.

With red walls and golden tiles, the sounds of sheng and xiao (traditional Chinese wind instruments) and gongs and drums filling the air, the entire imperial city was immersed in a festive atmosphere.

The wedding procession stretched like a long dragon, heading straight for the county magistrate's mansion.

The procession carrying the betrothal gifts seemed endless. Boxes of exquisite and precious jewels, finely crafted jewelry, and herbs that were rare even once in a century were all collected by Zhou Xingzhi.

Wherever she went, people flocked to see the magnificent sight of the ten-mile-long red bridal procession.

Amidst the reddened eyes of her brothers, Song Zhiyu smiled and placed her delicate hand in Zhou Xingzhi's large palm.

The two exchanged a smile, their eyes sparkling with affection.

Zhou Xingzhi held Song Zhiyu's hand with great care, his dark eyes filled with deep affection, which anyone could see.

Such a grand display shows how much His Highness the Crown Prince values ​​Song Zhiyu.

Song Zhiyu was surrounded and boarded the bridal sedan chair. The sound of gongs and drums shook the heavens as the wedding procession slowly returned to the palace.

As the bridal sedan chair departed, Su Jinyang felt a pang of sadness; the little girl who had taken him in had also gotten married.

Night falls in the Eastern Palace.

The vast palace was decorated with lanterns and red silk, creating a festive atmosphere.

The flickering candlelight on the enormous dragon and phoenix candlesticks illuminated the two people gradually approaching each other on the wedding bed.

"Yu'er, I am so happy." Zhou Xingzhi was slightly tipsy, but he could not hide the deep affection and passion in his eyes, and he was somewhat infatuated with her.

He finally married the girl he loved most.

Inside the red silk tent, the temperature gradually rose.

How fortunate I am to have met you in this life, and to grow old with you.

(End of article)

...

This concludes my writing.

Thank you all for your support. The series is now complete!