Chapter 103 (End of Main Text)

On the evening of the 30th of the twelfth lunar month, Chu Jiubian and Qin Xiao had dinner with the children and played sand table games with them, while also telling them a lot about military strategies and tactics.

It wasn't until late at night that the child finally yawned.

Chu Jiubian and Qin Xiao coaxed him to sleep before braving the cold wind to return to their bedroom.

After washing up, the snow outside stopped, but the wind picked up.

The "whooshing" sound seemed to be trying to uproot all the trees in the yard.

The room was dark with the lights off, and only vague outlines could be seen.

Chu Jiubian and Qin Xiao lay on the bed, listening to the howling wind outside, but their bodies felt warm.

They lay side by side, covered by the same blanket, but did nothing else, not even touching hands.

"Xiao Yao told you who that person is, right?" Qin Xiao asked softly.

Chu Jiubian looked at the bed frame above her head, and could see the man's blurry outline in her peripheral vision.

He didn't say anything.

Qin Xiao didn't seem to expect him to answer, because although the question was directed at Chu Jiubian, it was actually a statement of certainty.

He understands Chu Jiubian.

If the name Xiao Yao mentioned was too outrageous or questionable, Chu Jiubian would definitely have found an opportunity to tell him in the next couple of days.

But Chu Jiubian never said it, which means that the name Xiao Yao mentioned is very likely true.

It can indeed affect Qin Xiao.

"It's Aunt Wu, isn't it?" Qin Xiao spoke again, his tone calm and still a statement of certainty.

Chu Jiubian turned his head to look at him.

Qin Xiao rested his head on his arm, looking into the void of darkness, and said gently, "Grandfather should have known it was her long ago, but he just didn't tell me."

Although he had no evidence, he was about 80% certain it was Aunt Wu, for many reasons.

One of them is Aunt Wu's identity. She was not born into the Wei family, but was an orphan that Wei Lingyun bought from outside.

However, the other party suited Wei Lingyun's wishes in every way. When they first met, the other party was thin and pitiful. Wei Lingyun was kind and affectionate, and had always wanted a biological sister. Upon seeing her, she naturally felt pity and bought the little girl to raise as her own sister.

Later, this Aunt Wu grew up to be exactly the lively and adorable type that Wei Lingyun liked best, both in appearance and temperament.

But where can you find something so satisfactory?

Upon closer reflection, it's clear that Aunt Wu's first encounter with Wei Lingyun was also full of coincidences.

Qin Xiao remembered that when her mother was alive, she always said that she and Aunt Wu were destined to be together, and that Heaven saw her sincerity and specially sent her a younger sister.

Everything has a traceable pattern.

However, Qin Xiao was not sure if Aunt Wu was the mole. The second reason was that she was indeed loyal to Wei Lingyun.

And the other party almost got married and had children, living a normal life like everyone else.

After Wei Lingyun died, she followed her without hesitation, even neglecting her own child.

Outsiders say she is loyal and has a deep affection for Wei Lingyun.

But now Qin Xiao thinks that, besides the fact that the other party did have a good relationship with Wei Lingyun, perhaps it was because he felt guilty and had no face to live.

Perhaps initially, the Xiao family did not intend to use Aunt Wu as a spy, and she did indeed develop feelings for Wei Lingyun and the other people in the mansion through their daily interactions.

She and that young general from the Qin family secretly pledged their lives to each other, saying that they would return to get married after the battle. She must have also thought about living a peaceful and happy life together.

However, things didn't go as planned, and the Xiao family still came looking for her.

Qin Xiao even suspected that the death of the twins' father was related to the Xiao family's machinations.

They wanted to ensure that Aunt Wu remained loyal to the Xiao family, so they cut off her escape route and removed anything that might hold her back.

However, the only reason why Aunt Wu would actually listen to the Xiao family and kill Wei Lingyun and Qin Jingzhao is that, apart from the possibility that she was originally a daughter of the Xiao family, she must have had other weaknesses that the Xiao family held over her.

“Her parents and brothers are all in the hands of the Xiao family, and she does indeed have the surname Xiao,” Chu Jiubian said.

Aunt Wu was not an orphan. Like all the other daughters of the Xiao family, she was born with the mission of maintaining the family's bloodline network.

So she couldn't escape; her fate was sealed from birth.

Chu Jiubian suddenly thought of Zhao Xi, the young lady from the family of Zhao Qianhe, the former Vice Minister of Rites.

She once put her best friend in danger, and afterwards resolutely went to her death.

In this power struggle, no one can escape unscathed.

Even Qin Xiao lost so many precious family members.

The two remained silent for a long time.

After an unknown amount of time, Qin Xiao finally spoke again, saying, "It's the second year."

There was not a trace of gloom in his tone; on the contrary, there was a sense of relief.

That makes sense.

Qin Xiao wasn't someone who dwelled on the past, but the deaths of his parents were too profound, which is why he was so fixated on finding an answer.

Now that he had found the answer, he felt relieved.

“Yes, it’s been two years,” Chu Jiubian said in a low voice.

Qin Xiao rested his head on his arm, gazing at the blurry outline of the bed frame above him, and said softly, "Time really flies."

Chu Jiubian buried half his face in the blanket, looking at the darkness above him.

Time really flies.

Looking back now, things from his past life seem so distant, so distant that he can hardly remember some of them.

"Have you decided what to do first after the New Year?" Qin Xiao asked.

Chu Jiubian thought for a moment and said, "At the beginning of the year, fill the important positions in the court first, and then hold another imperial examination."

"After the spring, I will send Zhang Er and the others to help the people in various parts of Daning plant sweet potatoes and cotton. In the Northeast, we will continue to cooperate with the Jurchens. As for the King of Pingxi and the King of Nanjiang, we will try to communicate with the neighboring Western Regions tribes. It would be best if they could obediently submit."

When it came to serious matters, Chu Jiubian became very talkative, explaining his plans in detail.

Qin Xiao listened attentively and said, "Once the Western Regions are completely unified, the only thing missing from the map of Da Ning will be the Tatar tribe."

“I’m not worried about the Northern Desert Army,” Chu Jiubian said. “Jiang Shuoye is brave and skilled in battle. Yesterday, I saw that he had already entered the Tatar royal court. I suppose he has returned to the Northern Desert today.”

Moreover, after confirming that it was Aunt Wu who had killed General Qin and his wife, Chu Jiubian was even less worried about the Northern Desert Army.

As long as there aren't any deeply hidden spies, Jiang Shuoye isn't afraid of being betrayed.

Jiang Shuoye had already taken precautions against other, more basic installations. In this battle against the Tatars, he not only wanted to expand the territory of Da Ning further, but also to find opportunities to expose more traitors.

Moreover, Jiang Shuoye had already fought a bloody battle yesterday and stormed into the royal court.

It seems that even if the Tatars have some remnants left, they are not worth fearing.

After hearing Chu Jiubian's confident and certain words, Qin Xiao remained silent for a moment before calmly asking, "Did the High Priest tell you this again?"

Chu Jiubian: "...Hmm."

"Oh, you two are in contact quite frequently then," Qin Xiao said with a smile. "When I was away fighting, did He truthfully relay my messages?"

"What did you say?" Chu Jiubian asked deliberately.

"nothing."

Chu Jiubian turned his head to look at him, paused, and asked, "Are you talking about how my undergarments lost their smell after washing?"

Qin Xiao turned his head, and the two looked at each other in the darkness. They couldn't see each other's faces clearly, but they could feel that they were looking at each other.

"So," Chu Jiubian said with a smirk, "you think my undergarments are dirty?"

Qin Xiao chuckled softly and said, "It is dirty."

Then he suddenly lunged forward, pinning Chu Jiubian beneath him, and skillfully slipped his fingers inside.

He gently kissed the young man's lips and said in a deep voice, "I'm the one who dirtied it."

After resting for a few days, Chu Jiubian was also feeling restless today, but he quickly went limp and let the man thrust into him.

The snow on the roof was blown up by the wind, swirling up and then scattering.

Outside, the wind howled, and inside it was so dark you could barely see your hand in front of your face.

Chu Jiubian looked bewildered, and for a moment he even felt that there were only two people left in the world, him and Qin Xiao, who disregarded everything and only had each other's warmth left.

Qin Xiao gently stroked his lips with his rough fingertips, preventing him from biting them.

"Chu Jiubian." The man gently kissed his lips, calling his name again and again.

Chu Jiubian's heart was beating incredibly fast.

He closed his eyes, feeling the man's hot breath on his lips.

Qin Xiao held him tightly, his voice low, like a murmur.

“I love you, Chu Jiubian,” he said.

Chu Jiubian gently stroked the strands of hair that fell behind his ear and gave a very soft "hmm".

The cold wind carried away all the sounds inside the house.

Unaware that the tables and chairs were swaying and groaning, and unaware that the white, supple blue paper on the table was soaked through, like large, blooming flowers.

==

On the 31st day of the twelfth lunar month, the sky was clear and the air was crisp.

The palace and its surroundings were decorated with lanterns and colorful streamers early on, and the streets, which had been quiet for a few days, became lively again, even more so than before.

The people were all smiles, no longer filled with the fear of war.

The children laughed and played, singing nursery rhymes about cats and dogs, holding bright red candied hawthorns in their hands, sharing one with each other.

The girls, dressed in brand-new ruqun (traditional Chinese dresses), strolled through the jewelry shops in groups, picking up bright red and festive pearl flowers to wear on their heads, laughing and joking together.

As evening fell, the emperor hosted a banquet in the palace, and all his officials were present.

The palace was filled with singing and dancing, and dazzling fireworks lit up the sky. Everyone inside and outside the palace watched the wondrous sight.

Someone clasped their hands together and muttered, "May there be no more war in the world, and may the Great Ning Dynasty prosper."

Soon more people began making wishes while watching the fireworks.

"May I become incredibly rich! May I am rolling in wealth!"

"May I pass the imperial examination with flying colors and finally be able to hold my head high."

May my parents and family live long and healthy lives, and enjoy peace and prosperity year after year.

"willing......"

Wang Qichen stood in the courtyard, while behind him, inside the main hall, his family members were toasting and laughing together in a harmonious atmosphere.

Wang Pengyi stood beside him, smiling, and said, "A new year, how wonderful!"

“Yes.” Wang Qichen’s gaze turned toward the palace, his eyes gleaming.

The new Daning.

very nice.

Inside the palace.

Baili Hong gazed at the fireworks, his small fists clenched together, and said, "I hope Mother, Grandparents, Great-Grandparents can rest assured and stop worrying about Miaomiao. I wish Uncle and Teacher a peaceful New Year and less toil. I wish..."

The child had many wishes, and he whispered them for a long, long time, every word and every sentence sincere and heartfelt.

Chu Jiubian and Qin Xiao stood behind him.

The flickering, brilliant firelight reflected on the young man's flawless face. Qin Xiao stared at him intently, simply smiling.

Chu Jiubian rarely makes wishes; that's too abstract.

But today he was thinking that if his wish could come true, he hoped that he could realize all his dreams for Daning as soon as possible.

Then......

He turned his head, his gaze meeting the man's deep, unfathomable eyes.

Then, he wanted to do more things with Qin Xiao that he had never done before, and see more scenery that he had never seen before.

“Okay,” Qin Xiao suddenly said.

Chu Jiubian raised an eyebrow: "What's good?"

Qin Xiao smiled and said, "I feel like you have something to tell me. Whatever you want to say is fine."

Chu Jiubian laughed and said in a very soft voice, "Is it alright if you have to abstain from sex for half a year?"

"Half a day is fine," Qin Xiao said without changing his expression.

"..." Chu Jiubian turned his head to continue watching the fireworks.

Qin Xiao glanced at the people around him, then reached out and, under the cover of his cloak, quietly intertwined his fingers with Chu Jiubian's.

[End of text]

Author's Note:

The main story is finished! [Sprinkling flowers]

[Dog head carrying a rose] Thank you all for your continued support, my little angels! Two hundred red envelopes will be given away in this chapter~

==

[Let me see] It's not time to say goodbye yet, the extra chapters will continue to be updated daily!

The bonus chapter titles will indicate the content; you can order as needed without affecting your subscription rate. [Hugs] Love you all!

[Cat's Paw] [Preview] The next chapter will be a side story about the Northern Desert Army, and Xiao Jiu will "appear" again.