Chapter 355: The dust has cleared and the light has emerged, and the swallows return to their warm nests
Deep within the clan prison, sunlight never sees the sun year-round. Only the dim yellow light of the oil lamps on the walls barely dispels the thick darkness and biting cold. The air is thick with the stench of decay, mold, and a faint hint of blood, chilling the lungs with every breath. Water droplets seep from the cracks in the stone, hitting the cold ground with a monotonous, heart-wrenching "tick...tick..." sound, like the death knell of life's countdown.
The grating of heavy iron chains echoed as a dark figure, like a judge condensed from the deepest night, silently appeared outside the narrow prison door. Yongqi was dressed in his official prince's uniform. The dark fabric blended seamlessly into the background under the dim light, with only the four-clawed dragon embroidered in dark gold thread on the lapels and cuffs occasionally reflecting a cold and noble gleam in the dim light. His face was expressionless, his eyes as deep as a cold pond, almost cold. Only the heavy, imposing pressure and chilling murderous intent emanating from him chilled the temperature of the silent prison.
Inside the cell, curled up on a pile of straw in the corner, a figure in a filthy white prison uniform lay. His once meticulously groomed black hair was tangled like dry grass, covering most of his face. His ornate cheongsam and exquisite jewelry had long since been stripped away, leaving only his bony outline trembling slightly beneath the uniform. At the sound of footsteps, the figure shuddered, like a frightened animal, and slowly raised his head.
It was Zhihua. Or rather, it was Chen Zhihua.
The face once praised for its "talent and beauty," meticulously painted to convey a gentle and serene grace, now shrouded in a deadening despair and a distortion bordering on madness. Eye sockets sunken, cheekbones prominent, the once radiant eyes now murky, bloodshot with a terrifying redness, burning with resentment, malice, and a deep-seated fear. Upon seeing Yongqi, a last flicker of light flickered from her cloudy eyes. Like a drowning man grasping for driftwood, she struggled to the cold iron bars, her bony fingers gripping the bars tightly, her nails cracking and bleeding from the strain.
"Prince! Prince, you are here! You are here to save me, right?" Her voice was hoarse and sharp, like sandpaper rubbing against each other, full of unrealistic hopes and dying madness. "I know I was wrong! I really know I was wrong! It was all E Min! My father forced me to do it! I did it for Mian Yi! Prince! For Mian Yi's sake, for the sake of me giving birth to your eldest son! Please! Please plead with the emperor! Let me out! I don't want to stay here! This place will drive people crazy!" She was incoherent, tears streaming down her face. The dirty tears washed away the dirt on her face, leaving traces of disgrace.
Yongqi stood quietly outside the iron bars, looking down at her from above. His eyes were pure, without any ripples, neither anger nor pity, only an icy indifference. Colder than the sharpest blade, deeper than the despair of this dark prison, they instantly froze Zhihua's cries and pleas.
"For Mian Yi?" Yong Qi finally spoke. His voice was low and gentle, but it was like ice-hardened needles, piercing Zhihua's eardrums and heart one by one. "Chen Zhihua, at this moment, are you still using Mian Yi as a shield?"
He took a step forward, and the figure in black clothes almost completely covered the thin prisoner in the iron bars, bringing a suffocating feeling of oppression.
"When you bribed the wet nurse to mistreat Rui'er and Xin'er, did you ever consider that they were my own flesh and blood? When you spread rumors to slander Xiaoyanzi and defamed Ziwei, did you ever consider that they were Mian Yi's biological mother and aunt? When you colluded with Emin and set fire to the west courtyard, intending to burn Xiaoyanzi and my child in her womb, did you ever consider that they were Mian Yi's biological mother and younger sister-in-law? When you aided and abetted the evil and participated in the shocking conspiracy to poison the Emperor, did you ever consider that when the nest is overturned, how can the eggs remain intact? Mian Yi, and even the entire palace, may be ruined because of you!"
Each question was like a heavy hammer, hammering down on Zhihua's shaky nerves. Her face turned from ashen to pale, her lips trembling, but she could no longer utter a single word. Only the glimmer of madness in her eyes faded slowly under Yongqi's cold gaze, eventually fading into a hollow, dead silence.
"You keep saying you're doing this for Mian Yi, but in reality, you're using him as a tool to vie for favor, power, and satisfy your own selfish desires!" Yong Qi's voice suddenly hardened, filled with thunderous rage. "You're selfish, greedy, and vicious! Have you ever truly cared for your child, apart from yourself?!"
Zhihua felt as if every bone in her body had been pulled out. She slid softly down the cold iron bars and collapsed onto the dirty straw. Her body convulsed violently, and a hoarse, desperate sound like a broken bellows escaped her throat. All the excuses and disguises she had carefully constructed were completely ripped to shreds by Yongqi's cold and merciless judgment, leaving only the naked, ugly truth.
Yongqi watched her limp, the last trace of emotion that belonged to "Chen Zhihua" vanished from his eyes. He stopped looking at her, as if she were just a pile of filth about to be completely eliminated. He turned around, his dark robe drawing a resolute arc under the dim light. His voice was cold, pronouncing the final verdict, like a decree from a god that could not be changed:
"The Emperor has issued an oral decree: The commoner Chen is deposed. Her crimes are extremely heinous and she must be imprisoned for life. She cannot be released unless she dies. I have come here today only to tell you—"
He tilted his head slightly, his peripheral vision sweeping across the desperate shadow on the ground. Every word he spoke was like an icicle, nailing down all her possible delusions:
"From now on, Mian Yi will be raised and taught by the princess herself. He will forget you, your viciousness, and all the shame and harm you have brought upon him. He will grow up healthy and upright, becoming the true eldest son of Prince Rong's mansion, with a bright future. And you..."
Yongqi's voice was filled with a completely cold and ruthless tone:
"In this dark prison, spend the rest of your life repenting for your sins, until... your bones are reduced to dust!"
The four words "crush bones and scatter ashes" rang out in the dead silent cell like the final death knell!
"Nooo ...
Yongqi, however, did not look back. He strode out of this suffocating prison with great strides, the desperate cries and crashing sounds behind him like the background music from hell, which he resolutely left behind, along with a past filled with calculations, conspiracies, and venomous resentment, which was completely buried.
---
When Yongqi returned to the East Courtyard, still reeking of night dew and the chill of a dark cell, the sky was already turning pale. He deliberately stood in the corridor for a moment, letting the cool morning breeze dispel the chill, before gently pushing open the door to the warm room.
Inside, the dim morning light gently filtered through the crimson screens of the window lattice. The soothing incense had burned out, leaving only the fresh air and the long, steady breathing of his young child. The little one in the cradle slept soundly, his mouth slightly pouting. And Little Swallow, not lying down as he had left her, sat in a soft, goose-yellow nightgown, her long hair loose, leaning against the window seat.
She leaned slightly to one side, the morning light framing the soft lines of her face. One hand gently stroked her still-flat belly, while the other held a rattle, smiling as she teased her newly awakened, still slightly dazed, young son, held in her nurse's arms. The gentle "dong dong" of the rattle drew the little one in, and he stretched out his chubby little hand to reach for it, uttering soft, gurgling sounds.
Mianrui and Mianxin were also brought in by the wet nurse, neatly dressed. Like a little adult, Mianrui curiously approached his mother, carefully placing his ear against her belly and asking in a baby voice, "Mommy, are my little brother and sister in there?" Mianxin, on the other hand, was attracted by the little brother held by the wet nurse, giggling as she touched his face.
Xiaoyanzi looked up and happened to see Yongqi standing at the doorway, bathed in the morning light. Her face still held a hint of postpartum paleness, but her eyes were clear and bright, filled with a gentle smile and peaceful happiness, like stars washed by morning dew, free of any cloud. She smiled at him, a smile that instantly dispelled all darkness, like the warmest and brightest spring light.
"Are you back?" Her voice was soft, with the laziness and warmth of waking up in the morning.
Yongqi took in the scene before him—his wife gently caressing her belly, his young son babbling, the twins curiously surrounding him, the morning light serene and beautiful—and the last trace of the coldness and hostility from the dark prison in his heart was instantly washed away by this warm torrent. He strode over, first leaning over to kiss Xiaoyanzi's forehead, then patting Mianrui and Mianxin's little heads. Finally, he took the babbling child from the nurse's hands and carefully cradled him in his arms.
"Yeah, I'm back," he whispered, his voice more peaceful and content than ever before. He sat beside Xiaoyanzi, his broad shoulders naturally allowing her to lean on them. The family snuggled together in the morning light, a warm and complete feeling.
Xiaoyanzi rested her head gently on his shoulder, her eyes gently sweeping over each child around her, finally landing on her hand caressing her belly, the smile on her lips deepening. Suddenly, she frowned slightly, hummed softly, and pressed her hand to her chest.
"What's wrong? Are you feeling unwell again?" Yongqi immediately became nervous, put his young son down and went to call the imperial physician.
Xiaoyanzi smiled and held him close, a faint blush spreading across her face, a touch of resentment and sweet shyness. "It's okay... it's just... the little one doesn't seem to like the taste of this ginseng soup. It's a bit... nauseous." She was referring to the bowl of soup Yongqi had fed her last night. This early pregnancy reaction felt so real and full of life, completely different from the toxic pain that had eaten away at her bones and burned her heart in her previous life.
Yongqi was stunned at first, but then a huge sense of joy and peace of mind surged in his heart! He understood that this was a healthy and hopeful reaction! He couldn't help but laugh out loud, a hearty and joyful laugh filled with the endless joy of surviving a disaster, the dust settling, and the sprouting of new buds. He hugged Xiaoyanzi tightly again and whispered in her ear with a smile: "Okay, okay! If you don't like ginseng soup, we won't drink it! What do you want to eat? Sour plums? Preserved fruit? I'll ask the kitchen to make it right away!"
The sunlight outside the window completely leaped over the horizon, its golden glow filling the entire courtyard, shrouding the east side of the building in a warm and luminous golden hue. The charred ruins of the west side were exposed in the sunlight, yet they could no longer taint the warmth that filled the courtyard. The bronze bells on the eaves tinkled melodiously in the morning breeze, as if singing a song of joy for new life and peace.
Deep within the imperial palace, in the Hall of Mental Cultivation, Emperor Qianlong stood at the window, gazing towards Prince Rong's residence. The commander of the Sticking Rod Office had just silently retreated, reporting the final scene in the clan prison and the current tranquility of the East Courtyard. A faint yet deeply relieved smile crossed Emperor Qianlong's dignified face. He stood with his hands behind his back, his gaze faraway, as if piercing time and space. He saw the "Little Swallow," who had laughed and cursed in the courtyard, only to wither away in the palace, and then saw "Fang Ci," now gently caressing her belly in the morning light, enveloped in love. He breathed a sigh of relief, as if a heavy burden had been lifted from him.
The past is over, the old grudges are gone. All the conspiracies, schemes, betrayals, and resentments have been shattered in the reckoning of blood and fire, buried deep in the darkness. And where the calamity ends, the sunlight shines brightly, and the ordinary yet inestimably precious happiness finally grasped after enduring two lifetimes of vicissitudes is within her grasp. Little Yanzi nestled in Yongqi's warm embrace, feeling the throbbing of the new life in her belly, watching her children surround her, listening to Yongqi's hearty laughter, she slowly closed her eyes, a satisfied and peaceful smile curling her lips.
The swallows have returned to their nests, the wind has died down, and the dust has settled. In this life, the warm nest is forever secure, and the years are long and peaceful.
(End of full text)
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