The heart and thoughts give rise to each other. (The Finale)
"Everyone, stand back!"
A sudden shout startled everyone. Everyone expected the dark makeup to come out, but no one expected it to come from Zhang Jiao.
His shout elicited a response from quite a few people. Many began exchanging glances, unsure of what to do next.
Watching this scene unfold, her heart suddenly clenched, and she felt even more hatred for the culprit who had come down from the building.
"The imperial guards have long been reassigned for the emperor's private use, and the palace is pitifully short-handed. You should all quickly retreat to the back and prepare to watch a good show."
Zhang Jiao's words were sinister, and to everyone's shock, they actually heard him. Then, one person stepped forward through the crowd and said, "Zhang Jiao, are you planning to usurp the throne of some dynasty?!"
These blunt words and the rough voice made it clear to Chen Zhuangmu that he was the Minister of Justice, but she remained silent after glancing at him.
After exchanging a glance with Zhang Jiao, Chen Zhuangmu felt relieved. Looking at Yu Xingbei, who was now close by, she kicked him hard, and he fell to the ground with a thud.
Watching his falling figure, Chen Zhuangmu suddenly realized that she couldn't let the minister sit there idly. The Qun Dynasty had to continue, and if the Qun Dynasty royal family lost its prestige, it would collapse.
Chen Zhuangmu instructed Zhang Jiao to lead them out of the main hall and have his men surround them.
Watching the surging crowd pushing their way out of the hall, she was filled with mixed emotions. She had never expected things to go so smoothly; she had come prepared to risk her life.
It's truly disheartening. The subjects of Da Qun showed absolutely no intention of resisting.
Looking at the dejected emperor on the ground, Chen Zhuangmu even wondered if an enemy had invaded, and what could have caused the entire capital to be in such a state in just a few months.
Now, only the Emperor and Shen Zhuangmu remain in the hall.
"Tell me, why did you kill my mother?" Chen Zhuangmu stared at him with her eyes half-closed, determined to get an answer from him.
The emperor's expression was calm, even somewhat solemn. After a while, he said, "Why? She's just a target of attention, why blame me?"
"What did you say?" Chen Zhuangmu stubbornly refrained from kicking him again.
"In my entire life, I have gained nothing. Now that I am the emperor, I have endured the ministers' difficulties, I have raised you to be as good as you are now, and I have worked tirelessly day and night to fill in the gaps in Da Qun. And what is the result? Their words about a female general have destroyed everything I have!"
He gritted his teeth, seething with anger, and clenched them tightly, as if he was forcing himself to keep from saying anything more outrageous.
"Have you been holding back all along, or has this just happened?" Shen Zhuangmu suddenly realized that she had been completely unaware. All along, she had thought that this was an emperor who was dutiful, caught in a dilemma, and loved his children. She never knew that this person had so many dirty and filthy thoughts in his heart.
“From the very beginning when I sat on this throne, I thought of returning it to your mother. But this is my fate, this is my position, why should I give it to her?! Besides, it is because I have worked diligently and conscientiously…”
Chen Zhuangmu had no patience to listen to him anymore and interrupted him directly: "Not to mention that my mother dealt with the other princes, my mother never even wanted the throne!"
"Hahahaha!" Yu Xingbei laughed maniacally, bending over and waving his hand, saying, "You're still young and don't know the taste of power. Your mother fought and struggled for the throne back then, how could she not want it? Maybe she still resents me for taking it."
He had barely finished speaking when he received another hard kick. Shen Zhuangmu never expected this man to think this way. But the facts were undeniable; she didn't need to decide what to think.
"Then what about Xiao Zhong? How many people were involved?" Chen Zhuangmu wanted to tear them to pieces one by one.
"You'll know once you bring him here." The emperor's words implied that he wanted to drag others into the mess.
"Lord Zhang," Chen Zhuangmu said calmly, "escort Xiao Zhong."
"He was taken out of prison a long time ago!" It was Zhao Yi's voice that rang out. He pulled out a man from the side, still wearing the same armor, and strode over to throw Xiao Zhong to the ground.
But Xiao Zhong was still laughing, his gaze sweeping over the three of them and over the empty scene, and his laughter grew even louder.
"What do you mean?" Yu Xingbei asked, narrowing his eyes.
"The Qun Dynasty is doomed, hahaha!" He laughed, slapping the ground, completely losing any semblance of the noble demeanor of a first-rank official. "If Yu Hongqi fails in leading the troops, the Qun Dynasty will only last a few decades in the blink of an eye!"
As he spoke, he rubbed his knee against Yu Xingbei's position and said, "My position in the Great Yin Dynasty isn't easy to hold, is it?"
For some reason, the scene became increasingly chaotic. This was no longer just Shen Zhuangmu's personal vendetta; this was no longer just her personal matter.
"You're not going to care about Xiao Hanfeng anymore? You're being so ruthless." Zhao Yi narrowed his eyes.
Unexpectedly, Xiao Zhong raised his head and stared at him, his eyes filled with unwavering resolve and utter honesty.
"What's wrong with my Empress of Great Yin dying for the integrity of Great Yin?!" He said, ignoring the astonishment of the others, and groped his way to a west-facing spot, bowing three times while muttering, "Your Majesty, it is truly my fault that the Princess has called me father for so many years!"
What on earth are these people doing? Chen Zhuangmu felt like her brain had completely exploded.
Zhao Yi was also stunned. He had only thought that Xiao Hanfeng was not Xiao Zhong's daughter, but he really did not expect that she would be the last member of the Yin family's royal bloodline.
"Four years ago, you conspired with the emperor to frame my mother. What tricks did you use?" Chen Zhuangmu asked, suppressing the throbbing pain in her heart, word by word.
"It was a trap I set outside the city. I never expected it would benefit Yu Xingbei."
The matter seems quite clear now.
The emperor harbored resentment and harbored ill intentions towards General Xingyun, while Xiao Zhong constantly sought to undermine the spirit of Da Qun. Xiao Zhong laid a trap but did not intervene, while the emperor watched his mother die before his very eyes.
Chen Zhuangmu sneered and said, "Was the cook in Xiyao County also arranged by you?"
The emperor's face was ashen as he said, "This is what I regret most. I sent people to search all over the country for years, but I couldn't find Xiyao! It was only after you went that I found it. It's too late. This is the only thing I regret in my life."
"Yu Xingbei!" Chen Zhuangmu shouted, then suddenly didn't know what to say. Should she defend her mother, saying that her mother always valued family ties and fulfilled her public duties, or should she uphold her mother's dignity? Should she remain silent?
Where in this world is there true righteousness, and where is there true injustice? Chen Zhuangmu suddenly felt utterly absurd. Facing this vast palace, she felt as if she were merely taking a cursory glance. Where should she extend her gaze?
"Report!" Chen Zhuangmu did not turn around, but upon closer inspection, it was the voice of Eunuch Fu.
"A few days ago, the Crown Prince sent word of a great victory, and the army returned to the capital in triumph. Now, it seems they have already arrived."
The makeup curtain seemed not to hear.
“My mother has never harbored any ill intentions towards you.” Thinking of her mother, Chen Zhuangmu seemed to muster a bit of strength. She walked out of the palace, drew a sword from a guard’s scabbard, and strode towards the emperor, ignoring the uproar behind her.
Yu Xingbei looked at him with admiration.
“You are someone I taught. Now that you have uncovered the truth, it is because of my guidance.”
Chen Zhuangmu, sword in hand, stood only a foot away from Yu Xingbei, and closed her eyes briefly. "What if I haven't uncovered the truth and you've blinded me?"
"Your mother is not as good as me."
With just one sentence, the venomous woman placed a sword against his neck.
"this……"
"You dare to lay your face behind the curtain, you dare..."
"Can't you see what's happening in the palace? There are enough of us to control you. Many of the imperial guards in the city have been secretly transferred away by the emperor." This was Zhao Yi's voice.
"Yu Xingbei, just how far do you intend to go?" Chen Zhuangmu asked.
He smiled faintly and said, "What extent? I don't think I should have shown you mercy."
"Why can't you just be a proper princess? Why are you so clear-headed?"
"Justice is the faith I was born with! I am absolutely different from you!" She spoke each word with unwavering resolve, chipping away at the defenses he had painstakingly built up against himself.
"I learned in Miao territory that you poisoned me?"
"Yes, it is. It's just a small amount of poison, used to control you and keep your mother in check."
"Yu Xingbei, you deserve to die!" She angrily moved her sword forward an inch, and everyone was on tenterhooks at this moment. Zhao Yi hurriedly walked over, but then heard a long sob.
"Head north!"
Looking in the direction of the sound, they saw the Empress, dressed simply with her hair tied up, followed by Xiao Hanfeng, who was equally anxious, but Li Chu was nowhere to be seen.
The Empress ran towards them from the back of the main hall, crying and muttering to herself. When she reached Yu Xingbei and Shen Zhuangmu, she immediately knelt down before Shen Zhuangmu.
"Zhuangmu, it's your uncle who wronged you! But look at all these years, you've been doing quite well, haven't you? Look how much better your aunt treats you than she treats Hongning. Please, spare your uncle's life!"
The Empress knelt before Chen Zhuangmu, but Yu Xingbei pulled her back just as she was about to touch Chen Zhuangmu's clothes. "No need to beg her. This is my fate. I failed to plan properly and transferred most of the people out of the city, otherwise..."
Chen Zhuangmu suddenly laughed again, which was utterly absurd.
Instead of obsessively seeking answers from Yu Xingbei, she turned to the Empress beside her, who was sobbing as she spoke, and said, "So, all along, I've believed that my gentlest aunt knew that he poisoned me, killed my mother, and used a curse on me, wanting to kill me?"
The Empress simply looked at her and shook her head, her words unclear but barely discernible: "Zhuangmu, he's confused! Your uncle is very, very good to you, his heart is with you..."
"Trying to be nice to me and then poisoning me? Trying to be nice to me and then using a curse on me?" She suddenly grinned and said, "He really is nice to me... Even if he really is nice to me, I will still kill him."
"Dressing curtain!" The Empress shielded Yu Xingbei with her hand. "Don't you remember Hong Ning? This is her father! How are you going to face each other?!"
"Your Majesty, do you still remember Hongning?" Chen Zhuangmu crouched down closer to them and said, "Does Hongning know how worried you are about her yet you can't find her? She has no heart to think about these things anymore. She only knows that the people around her father actually tried to kill her! Yu Xingbei, you killed your own child, you are worse than an animal!"
These words shocked the Empress, dealing her another heavy blow.
"You...you, didn't you say that you sent Hong Ning out of the city?"
"Aqin," the emperor said, placing his hands on the empress's shoulders, "that is indeed our daughter, but secrets can only be revealed by the dead."
"Ah—!" The Empress pushed him away abruptly. "What did you say? What did you do to Hongning? You're her father! How could you..."
“Hong Ning is not dead. I met him when I came here. He was fine.” Chen Zhuangmu said calmly.
"That's good...that's good..."
"Your Majesty, Your Majesty, did Yu Xingbei tell you about this secret passage leading directly to the main hall?" Chen Zhuangmu suddenly asked.
The empress seemed unwilling to speak and nodded her head.
"I remember that you were unable to meet the Emperor before his death. How do you know the location of this secret passage?" Chen Zhuangmu asked him.
These words made him frown, and after thinking for a while, he suddenly realized, "This is what your mother told me. She said that if anyone bullies me, follow this secret passage, one leads to the outside of the palace, and the other leads to the main hall." After saying this, he turned around to look at the direction of the secret passage, then turned back to look at the red wall above, and then the threshold.
Chen Zhuangmu followed the gaze and realized that he wasn't looking at the threshold, but rather at the steps behind it.
Beneath the calm surface of the lake lies a surging torrent.
Everyone understands that nothing is going well for anyone today.
"Zhuangmu, your mother actually wrote you letters, but I hid them all." His eyes held no remorse, only an unfathomable complexity. However, Shen Zhuangmu believed it was because he only knew evil, evil as justifiable, evil as naive, so she couldn't decipher that it was acceptable.
“Zhuangmu, I’m your uncle. I raised you from scratch.” As he spoke, he actually smiled, a faint smile. “I’m more capable than your mother.”
"Your mother isn't a good person!"
Yu Xingbei was clearly provoking Chen Zhuangmu on purpose. Although everyone was puzzled as to why he kept courting death, their attention was focused on this. No one noticed the fully armored figure staggering out of the secret passage on the east side of the main hall.
"Yu Xingbei—!" Chen Zhuangmu gripped the sword in her hand tightly, the sword that had been resting on the side of Yu Xingbei's neck.
Before she could react, Zhao Yi gently supported her wrist with his hand and slid it to the left with her force.
Blood gushed out from Yu Xingbei's neck, flowing out in a gurgling stream.
"Xingbei!" The Empress was mesmerized by the vast expanse of blood and hugged him tightly.
His gaze drifted to the eaves above, and before him appeared the image of General Xingyun. With tears in his eyes, he smiled with his last strength and said to the Empress, "My elder sister came last time to perform my coming-of-age ceremony under the swords. Now, knowing that our country is in trouble... she has come to take me away."
After saying this, he glanced at the Empress twice with his smoke-filled eyes, and then breathed his last.
Chen Zhuangmu's tears flowed one after another, all because she felt her mother was not worth it, and she hated Yu Xingbei even on his deathbed for calling her mother a few more times, which was extremely disgusting.
She looked at the blood gushing from Yu Xingbei's neck, flowing down his clothes and onto the ground, so much so that it reached the soles of her shoes, forming a pool. She suddenly took a step back, and the blood splattered onto her shoes from her sudden movement.
She couldn't seem to get rid of the bloodstain no matter what she did.
But there had never been a more peaceful moment. Just now, when she swung her sword at the emperor, Zhao Yi stood behind her. From the perspective of those officials, it was Zhao Yi, with Chen Zhuangmu's hand, who killed the emperor.
However, Chen Zhuangmu herself, Zhao Yi, and the Empress all knew who had done it.
No, there's one more person.
Yu Hongqi.
The rain lasted for days and nights, and when it stopped, spring arrived. In the past, spring in Huijing was like a special festival, almost as grand as the Lantern Festival. Recently, a major event occurred in Huijing, which storytellers said was bad, but the people said was good.
Now there are no exorbitant taxes, no soldiers swaggering around all day, and no absurd incidents of innocent people being arrested. The streets are bustling with activity.
But the storytellers who gathered together all said that the heavens were unlucky, that a new emperor had been appointed, and that it was still the same Crown Prince as before. Even if he had won the battle, what kind of achievements could such a refined and gentle person accomplish?
In fact, while the palace and its officials were not invincible, they were not a disorganized mess either.
Yu Hongqi didn't remain in a stalemate for long that day. Seeing that something was wrong in the palace, he led his guards deep into the palace. Unexpectedly, the first thing they saw was Shen Zhuangmu killing his father with her own hands.
Hearing the minister's rambling excuses, he asked Zhao Yi, the minister in the bridal chamber, again.
Subsequently, Zhao Yi, who had been imprisoned, was arrested.
Two months later, rumors circulated that Zhao Yi, the head of the Shenzhuang Bureau, had escaped from prison. The next day, it was announced that the two had been brought to justice in prison and that the rumors should not be spread.
Later, Yu Hongning founded a girls' school, and Xiao Hanfeng left Huijing early.
The once vast Huijing has returned to its former peaceful state.
—The End
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