Chapter 39 The Finale 1 "It's good to be dead, is death a relief?... "
After the female physician Chu examined him, she scolded Cui Fuyu, saying that there was nothing seriously wrong with him, but today's travels were not conducive to recovery. The shock and joy had caused him to faint. He needed to rest well, otherwise he would definitely suffer from a long-term illness.
Upon hearing this, Cui Hexuan's face immediately darkened. What had he said? He was determined to have the manor keep a close watch on Cui Fuyu.
It was quite late, and to prevent Cui Fuyu from feeling unwell again, Zhao Hanhong had the empty palace rooms cleaned up so that Cui Fuyu could rest in the palace tonight and return to the Cui residence tomorrow when she felt better.
As for the rest of the people, they went back to where they came from.
Zhao Hanhong felt sorry for Cui Fuyu's injuries, so he specially left a female doctor to wait for Cui Fuyu, in case of any emergency.
Tonight is destined to be a sleepless night.
All the inexplicable things that happened to Ru Niang have now come to light, and the truth has been revealed to everyone.
After returning to the Cui residence, she stayed in her room. She took out the jade pendant she always carried with her from under her pillow, sat on the edge of the bed, and stroked the jade with her fingers. Tears fell silently, and then turned into unrestrained wailing.
She kept muttering to herself, "My child, my poor child—"
Unlike Tong Ru Niang, Chi Yanzhou returned to the Chi family tonight.
The Chi family has completely transformed. The new house is mostly completed; it's a two-story building, even better than the old one. It's a pity his mother will never see him again.
Chi Yanzhou looked somewhat dejected. The emperor was clearly going to thoroughly investigate his family's enemies, and he should be happy that his mother's murder had been avenged.
At this moment, sitting alone in the corner room where he used to live, he felt a deep sadness in his heart.
Chi Yanzhou lost his mother forever.
After a long while, his heart gradually calmed down, and he knew he would definitely go to watch his enemy being executed the next day.
Meanwhile, Wang Fei led the Imperial Guards to surround Prince Gong's mansion. Everyone was still asleep, and some hadn't even dressed properly when they were captured on the spot by the Imperial Guards.
He personally went to arrest Zhao Jinghuan.
When Wang Fei pushed the door open, he stood at the head of Zhao Jinghuan's bed and said sarcastically, "It's time for the young master to wake up from his daydream. Quickly come to prison with me."
After Wang Fei finished speaking, the Imperial Guards behind him couldn't wait any longer and forcibly pulled Zhao Jinghuan up.
Zhao Jinghuan, dressed in a white nightgown, his hair disheveled, glared angrily at Wang Fei: "I am the heir of Prince Gong! Who gave you the audacity to come to Prince Gong's residence to arrest someone, Wang Fei? If you don't give me a reasonable explanation, I will..."
"You're determined to go to the Emperor and accuse me, aren't you!" Wang Fei interrupted him, slapping Zhao Jinghuan's face. "You've already committed treason, what face do you have to go to the Emperor and accuse me? Besides, the Emperor himself issued the decree to arrest the criminal Zhao Jinghuan."
Zhao Jinghuan froze for a moment, but he had expected it. He laughed wildly, "Haha, I was just one step away, but I was defeated by a woman—even the heavens don't favor me, Zhao Jinghuan!"
Wang Fei was the last to escort Zhao Jinghuan to the gate of the Prince's Mansion. At this time, Zhao Jinghuan's father, Zhao Hantian, and mother, Consort Yan Jingshan, were already waiting for his arrival outside the gate.
Both men looked resigned to Zhao Jinghuan's arrest. After Zhao Jinghuan was led out, Zhao Hantian couldn't hold back any longer. Already ill, he couldn't withstand the blow and hurriedly cried out, "Son..."
Before Zhao Hantian could say what he wanted to say, he died at the hands of the Imperial Guards holding him up, his face filled with grief and resentment, his eyes wide open in death.
The Imperial Guards couldn't bear to watch any longer and silently closed their eyes for Zhao Hantian.
Zhao Jinghuan was like a madman at this moment. He laughed and said, "It's good that I'm dead. I'll be free when I'm dead!"
Despite Zhao Jinghuan's treasonous words, Wang Fei merely frowned slightly and coldly ordered, "Take everyone back to the Enforcement Division!"
"The rest of you stay behind and thoroughly search the Prince's residence."
——
The next day at dusk, at the heavily guarded gates of the imperial palace.
The Cui family's carriage was waiting for the palace procession to escort Cui Fuyu out, while Chi Yanzhou anxiously watched the palace gate.
Cui Hexuan, who was standing nearby, laughed and said, "She'll be out soon. By the way, once she returns to the Cui residence, we must keep a close eye on her and make sure she doesn't cause any more trouble."
Chi Yanzhou turned around and nodded with a smile, "Yes, I will make sure she recovers well and lives up to Brother Hexuan's expectations."
The procession accompanying Cui Fuyu soon appeared around the corner and walked towards them. Cui Fuyu, who was sitting on the procession, was holding food in her hand, smiling happily, and slowly putting it into her mouth. When she got closer, she saw Chi Yanzhou and Cui Hexuan and waved to them from a distance.
She arrived at the palace gate in no time.
Chi Yanzhou hurriedly stepped forward to greet her: "Ayu, are you feeling better?"
Just as Cui Hexuan said, she should stay at home and not be allowed to run around anywhere.
Cui Fuyu took his hand, casually handed the food to the palace servants, slowly dismounted from the ceremonial procession, and said with a smile, "Well, it's nothing serious."
Despite her words, Chi Yanzhou still carefully helped her into the carriage. Cui Hexuan, who was watching from the side, shook his head in disgust and then got into the carriage as well.
Cui Hexuan's leave from the academy is almost over, and he will soon return to the academy to focus on the spring imperial examination next year.
Before leaving, Cui Hexuan hoped to hear good news from the two of them.
So he looked at Chi Yanzhou with a serious expression.
"I'll be leaving in a few days, brother. When will Chi Yanzhou come to my house to propose marriage?"
Chi Yanzhou was taken aback, then turned to look at Cui Fuyu, as if to say, "Give me an answer."
Cui Fuyu looked at her brother awkwardly, "Brother, why are you suddenly asking this?"
"Besides, Chi Yanzhou is going to be a live-in son-in-law, so if anyone is going to propose marriage, it should be our family proposing to the Chi family."
Cui Hexuan stared in surprise at the two people sitting opposite him, leaning against each other, and asked, "Is that so?"
He added, "Then we need to make sure my parents are well prepared, so people don't think our family doesn't value this."
With just a few words, Cui Hexuan accepted the offer to let Chi Yanzhou become his son-in-law. His sister wouldn't suffer any loss by staying at home, and besides, she was the kind of person who could accept losses.
Cui Hexuan chuckled and joked, "Yanzhou, you'd better prepare yourself to be a live-in son-in-law of the Cui family!"
However, what he meant was that he had high hopes for Cui Fuyu.
That night, Cui Shihai and Zhao Ying looked at several auspicious days to choose as the date for their engagement.
The couple sat around the table looking at one thing after another, eager to settle the matter and hoping to have someone keep Cui Fuyu in check.
Since Cui Fuyu and Chi Yanzhou of the Chi family were mutually in love, they decided to settle down. The Cui family didn't care about social status; it was just a matter of having one more person to eat at their home.
However, since the matter was of great importance, they had to ask her opinion. At the breakfast table that morning, Zhao Ying told them about the date they had chosen overnight. After discussing it, the three dates were sent to the Imperial Observatory in the palace for calculation. Finally, they chose the tenth day of the tenth month as the auspicious date to propose marriage to the Chi family.
——
In mid-August, the Enforcement Department finally collected all the evidence related to Zhao Jinghuan's treason. At the same time, a large number of officials in the court were dismissed, imprisoned, or exiled.
That day, as Zhao Hanhong looked at the pile of evidence against Zhao Jinghuan on his desk, he silently picked up his pen and wrote his verdict on the matter.
Five days later, Prince Gong's son, along with the main criminals, were beheaded in the west of the city. The other accomplices were either exiled or sent to the military camp as slaves.
On the day Zhao Jinghuan was beheaded, Chi Yanzhou and Ru Niang went to see it in person.
It was a very, very hot day.
After all that was over, everything settled down.
Days passed, sun rose and set, and the pink lotus flowers in the Cui family's back garden bloomed and withered, until now only a patch of withered lotus remained in the entire pond.
Cui Fuyu stayed cooped up in the mansion all day, idly feeding the koi. She had been punished by Cui Shihai, Zhao Ying, and Chi Yanzhou and was not allowed to go anywhere but could only recuperate in the mansion.
She often cursed Cui Hexuan in her heart because of this.
Today is the tenth day of the tenth lunar month, the day Cui Fuyu and Chi Yanzhou are engaged. The Cui mansion is decorated with lanterns and colorful ribbons, and the servants are dressed up in bright colors to celebrate that their young lady has found a husband.
The cheerful matchmaker, accompanied by a branch of the Cui family and a row of betrothal geese and gifts, walked happily toward the Chi family.
Juning and Zhujin scattered wedding candies and money to the onlookers, and the candies and money were snatched up before they even hit the ground.
Cui Fuyu, who had been staying at home for three months to recuperate, was now happily watching the people who were congratulating her.
The joyful sounds of gongs and drums reached the Chi family.
Chi Yanzhou greeted Cui Fuyu at the door with great anticipation, while his friend Liang Xiaoyun and his entourage warmed up the atmosphere for him, and his wife Su Zhiyao was busy making arrangements inside.
The couple leading the engagement procession were Mr. and Mrs. Cui, followed by their children, Cui Hexuan and Cui Fuyu, and then their relatives.
Cui Fuyu wore a red dress today, and her headdress was much more elaborate than usual.
At this moment, she looked at Chi Yanzhou from afar, and the two smiled at each other across the distance. They were happier than anyone else.
To show their respect, the Cui family invited a large group of people to the Chi family's residence, making it quite a lively occasion.
When the engagement party arrived, Chi Yanzhou hurriedly welcomed them into his home.
In the newly renovated Chi family courtyard, boxes of betrothal gifts were placed. Cui Hexuan held up the betrothal gift list and solemnly said with a smile, "Brother-in-law, this is the betrothal gift list. From now on, we are family."
He whispered in Chi Yanzhou's ear, "If Cui Fuyu bullies you in the future, I can help you beat her up."
Chi Yanzhou chuckled: "Ayu wouldn't do that."
Inside the main hall, witnessed by a group of elders, Cui Fuyu and Chi Yanzhou exchanged birth charts and engagement tokens.
Sunlight streamed through the carved windows, casting dappled shadows and adding a unique touch to the lively yet solemn engagement ceremony.
After that, Chi Yanzhou was officially considered a member of the Cui family.
After welcoming Chi Yanzhou, everyone returned to the Cui residence for the engagement banquet.
With only Chi Yanzhou remaining in the Chi family, it was inevitably quiet and lonely.
Cui Shihai waved his hand and told Chi Yanzhou to stay at the Cui residence with peace of mind. Before the wedding, he and Cui Fuyu would live separately, and the Cui residence specially prepared a courtyard for him.
The weather gradually turned cold.
Chi Yanzhou travels between his home and the academy every day. Tomorrow is New Year's Day, and the academy has given everyone a day off.
On his way back in the carriage, he saw stalls selling their wares everywhere. Because tomorrow was New Year's Day, the streets were bustling with activity in recent days.
Lantern stands were erected everywhere on the streets, and the shops on both sides were also decorated in a festive red, with some selling lanterns and others selling firecrackers and fireworks to celebrate.
Larger shops even hired dragon dance performances on the street... the whole capital was bustling with activity.
There are also peddlers who go from street to street, selling a batch of new things, and when the weather gets cold, some people even make candied hawthorns to sell.
Strings of bright red hawthorns, coated in sweet sugar, are carefully tucked onto sticks made of straw.
When Chi Yanzhou saw the candied hawthorns, he thought that his Ayu would definitely love to eat them, so he immediately stopped the carriage and personally picked out a large and sweet candied hawthorn for her.
The Cui family had also tidied up their residence early on, and it looked brand new.
Cui Fuyu and Zhu Jin were playing with incense sticks and firecrackers, completely unaware that Chi Yanzhou had returned, carrying dried fruit, candied fruit, and candied hawthorns.
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Author's Note: Not finished yet. One more update is expected tonight, and there might be three extra chapters (not sure yet). What I do know is there will be two bonus extra chapters. [starry-eyed]
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