Final Chapter
Upon hearing this, Shen Yao's first reaction was to play dumb. However, after thinking about it, she felt it was unnecessary and agreed with a smile.
The two closed the door and chatted happily inside the hall, losing track of time.
The tranquility was shattered by the clanging of armored vehicles that rushed into Dajue Temple, exuding a murderous aura.
When Lan Yunyi's iron cavalry occupied the square in front of the main hall, Pei Yuan stood in front of the inner hall's gate, blocking the people behind the door by himself.
He loudly and angrily rebuked, "His Majesty has not had any royal guards accompanying him when he worships Buddha, yet Prince Zhao has brought so many troops to Dajue Temple. What is his intention?"
Lan Yunyi's cold laugh came from behind the neatly arranged soldiers. He walked around the crowd and gradually appeared in front of them. His black outer robe swept on the ground and made a pleasant rustling sound.
He said coldly, "I, Lan, do not wish to argue with Marquis Zhennan today. If Marquis Zhennan is sensible, then please step aside."
Pei Yuan stood even more firmly: "With His Majesty here, the Prince of Zhao has nothing to fear from offending His Majesty!"
"I have come to Dajue Temple today to eliminate the traitor Chengxin for Dasheng." Lan Yunyi suddenly drew her sword hilt and pointed it at the Prince of Zhennan. "Get out of the way."
After he finished speaking, there was a moment of silence in the hall, then a calm female voice suddenly rang out.
"Pei Qing, move aside."
Pei Yuan said anxiously, "Your Majesty...!"
"Get out of the way."
Shen Yao reiterated, and Pei Yuan had no choice but to slowly step aside, but his eyes remained fixed on Lan Yunyi.
The inner palace doors suddenly swung open.
A woman dressed in a bright yellow robe was kneeling in front of the Buddha. As the door opened, she slowly turned her head and then slowly straightened up with the help of a monk beside her.
She watched as Lan Yunyi's expression shifted from disdain to stunned silence, finally freezing in place as if struck by lightning.
Little White seemed to realize something and seemed to want to crawl out of her sleeve. But Shen Yao didn't let her, holding the snake tightly in her hand.
Pei Yuan was still standing there. Logically and emotionally, she shouldn't be recognizing Lan Yunyi, the traitor who had been hindering her ascension to the throne, at this time.
More importantly, she also needs to deal with Pei Heng. If Pei Heng realizes that the Empress is the same person as Shen Yao from back then, he will immediately become more vigilant, making it even more difficult for Shen Yao to solve the problem.
Lan Yunyi sheathed her sword, bowed her head and knelt down before Chen Yao, then lost her balance and suddenly fell to the ground.
Shen Yao frowned and looked at Lan Yunyi's left leg, noticing that he seemed to have some difficulty walking.
However, she did not ask any further questions, and only heard Lan Yunyi say softly, "Greetings, Your Majesty."
Pei Yuan frowned, as if wondering what other schemes or tricks he was holding back.
Shen Yao said, "The King of Zhao seems to have a lot of prejudice against me."
Lan Yunyi said, "...A few days ago, I fell ill from missing my deceased wife, which damaged my brain. I hope Your Majesty will forgive me."
Shen Yao said "Oh," and then asked, "Is the Prince of Zhao fully recovered now?"
Lan Yunyi hurriedly said, "Your Majesty is the true Son of Heaven. Upon seeing Your Majesty, all the chronic illnesses and evil spirits in my body naturally dissipated."
After he finished speaking, Pei Yuan couldn't help but say, "You're so glib."
Shen Yao quickly pressed down on the corners of his mouth to avoid being seen as a foolish ruler who liked to listen to slander.
"Get up." She turned her back to him expressionlessly. Chengxin, who was inside the hall, was tilting her head. When she saw her turn around, she put her hands together and closed her eyes again.
"The King of Zhao's blatant disrespect to His Majesty, according to the laws of the Great Sheng Dynasty, is justified..."
Shen Yao suddenly interrupted Pei Yuan, saying, "Tomorrow is my coronation ceremony. I do not wish for any unforeseen complications before then."
Lan Yunyi replied, "Your subject obeys the decree."
Pei Yuan paused for a moment, then cupped his hands to Shen Yao and said, "Your subject understands."
Shen Yao clenched her fists under her sleeves.
She suddenly felt sorry for Pei Yuan. He had always been the only stubborn man loyal to Shen Yao, but to Shen Yao, he was never the only one. Now she was even asking him to coexist peacefully with the enemy.
But she was, after all, an empress. She could live without a harem, but she needed loyal ministers. The more, the better.
Perhaps the original owner had considered recruiting a consort, but if she did, her previous dynasty would lose a loyal minister. This is why Pei Yuan could never become a consort, and Pei Yuan must understand this point.
So he kept testing the waters, but never overstepped the bounds; he was very sensible.
He didn't know the art of seduction, nor could he use his looks to please others. He could only rely on his loyalty to ensure that Shen Yao wouldn't abandon him as time passed.
Shen Yao closed his eyes briefly and said, "I'm tired."
Pei Yuan: "Your Majesty, I will escort you back to the palace."
Lan Yunyi raised her head and glared at Pei Yuan with a deep look in her eyes.
Chengxin said softly, "Your Majesty, please take care. I won't see you off."
Shen Yao: "I will come another day."
...
After returning home, Shen Yao made up an excuse to send Pei Yuan away, and then spent the night reviewing memorials alone.
The old eunuch disturbed her twice. Once, Pei Yuan sent someone to deliver a message saying that evidence of Pei Heng's factionalism had been found, and he had been imprisoned and demoted to a commoner that very day.
Shen Yao nodded and said she understood, then had someone inform Shen Zan, who was staying in the outer residence, about the matter. After the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, the old eunuch entered the study again and told her that Prince Zhao had arrived.
Shen Yao did not want to see him for the time being, so Lan Yunyi asked the old eunuch to send Shen Yue to Shen Yao's side first.
It was still the dead of winter outside, and Shen Yao couldn't bear to let a child freeze in the snow, so she quickly led the child into the study.
Shen Yue's appearance is quite similar to that of the Lan family, with a pair of large, bright eyes that are very lively, like stars scattered in the night sky.
He obediently bowed to Shen Yao and then said, "Lord Zhao was injured on the battlefield a few years ago and is now an ugly cripple. His presence would only offend His Majesty's eyes, so he shall not be allowed to enter."
Shen Yao raised an eyebrow and then said, "Who taught you to say that?"
Shen Yue shrank back slightly and said, "...Lord Zhao instructed me to say this."
Shen Yao pursed her lips, wanting to criticize Shen Yue, but she couldn't bear to because he was so cute. In addition, Lan Yunyi seemed to have been injured on the battlefield. If she let him suffer further damage in the freezing cold, it would really be a loss.
Shen Yao sighed helplessly: "Fine, let King Zhao come in."
The old eunuch nodded, turned around and went back to invite Prince Zhao in. After seeing Shen Yao's gaze, he tactfully went downstairs.
Lan Yunyi was dressed in all white, yet his pale face and bluish-purple lips were still noticeable. A Yuan helped him limp into the house, then knelt with difficulty before Shen Yao…
Shen Yao waved her hand: "Never mind, if you have trouble walking, just sit down."
“No,” he took the cane from A Yuan’s hand and then let A Yuan leave. He walked slowly to Shen Yao’s side and said as he walked, “I came only to ask if Your Majesty remembers that pear blossoms once bloomed in Xiliang City.”
Shen Yao said, "...Save your breath, Prince Consort."
Lan Yunyi reached out and grabbed the hem of her skirt, her eyelashes trembling, and finally couldn't help but burst into tears.
...
The dungeon was dark and damp, with only the flickering light and shadows cast by torches on the walls.
Pei Heng was chained to the rack, his once luxurious clothes now soaked in blood from his struggles. Exhausted from his struggles, he lowered his head, but the flame in his eyes still burned as he considered his next move.
With no one around, he secretly opened the system panel to confirm that as long as he wasn't killed by Shen Zan and Shen Yao, he could continue to survive.
And Shen Zan...
Ha, she's just a woman who can't even kill a chicken, and besides, he's already sent her to a rural village where he rarely sees her. What good is it if she hates him? In the end, she still can't bring herself to hurt him after every argument.
Just like how he sometimes felt a little sorry for her.
He knew Shen Zan might plead for him everywhere, but ultimately he didn't want Shen Zan to do those things. After all, in his eyes, Shen Zan was the most obedient sheep in his pen. There was no reason for a sheep to plead for a wolf.
The heavy footsteps approached from afar, echoing in the empty cell, and finally stopped in front of him.
Pei Heng hurriedly closed the panel. He raised his head with difficulty, and when he saw that the person who came was Shen Zan, his lips curled into an uncontrollable smile.
“…Zan’er,” his voice was terribly hoarse, with a barely perceptible tremor, “you’ve come…”
Shen Zan was dressed in a dark black overcoat, carrying a food box in her hand. She stood in the dim light, her face expressionless.
"The Empress ordered me to come see you." Shen Zan said indifferently. After the jailer opened the door, she placed the food box in front of Pei Heng and took out the dishes one by one.
These words instantly stirred up some complex emotions in Pei Heng's heart. He chuckled and asked, "Then, can I eat the food you brought?"
"Why don't you try it and you'll see?"
"Ha...good..." He gasped for breath, his laughter tinged with a manic, desolate sorrow. "Chen Zan! I've never fucking abandoned you! Not before, not now! Tell me, where have I wronged you? What else are you dissatisfied with?!"
He practically screamed the last sentence, the chains rattling as he struggled violently.
"Was it you? Was it you who tipped off Pei Yuan and the others?!"
Shen Zan sneered as if he had heard the most ridiculous joke in the world: "If I said no, would you believe me?"
Pei Heng gritted his teeth: "How could I forget? You were also born into the imperial family... You are all the same kind of people, greedy, disregarding human life, and committing all kinds of evil!"
"Put away with that act." Shen Zan's voice suddenly turned sharp, each word as if pulled from an ice cellar. "You're humble, you're kind, you're infinitely loving. Is that why you can't refuse Bao Yin Tu?"
Pei Heng: "Here you go again. Why are you so insensible? This happened so long ago. I'm your husband, can't you let it go..."
Shen Zan ignored his words and continued, "...So you acted intimately with her, making her think she had an opportunity to take advantage of you!"
Old wounds were reopened, bloodied and raw, and Chen Zan's breathing became heavy. That unbearable memory gnawed at her heart like a venomous snake.
“She originally wanted to get rid of me and take my place,” Shen Zan’s eyes reddened, “but because you once swore an oath in public, she gave up.”
"...She abandoned you, but didn't let me go." Her voice suddenly fell, and tears slid down her cheeks as gently as a leaf falling on water. She reached for Da Mao and slowly drew the short sword from her waist.
Pei Heng was stunned for a moment, and in that instant, the short sword pierced Pei Heng's heart with precision.
Pei Heng's body stiffened abruptly. He stared at Shen Zan in disbelief, opened his mouth, and blood slid down from the corner of his lips.
"Why should I bear those responsibilities?" Shen Zan looked at him and asked, "It's clearly all your fault."
Her knuckles turned white from gripping the sword hilt so tightly.
"Zan'er, I'm sorry, I..."
He wasn't surprised at all when Shen Zan suddenly called out his name.
They should have spoken up long ago, but they kept everything to themselves. Perhaps it was because he focused all his energy on others, thus neglecting Shen Zan...
But the fact that the two of them had ended up in this situation was something he had never imagined.
He felt that even if he died, Shen Zan would love him for a lifetime.
How could this happen?
“…Even though I took the blame for you, I still wanted to be a good wife,” Shen Zan said. “But suddenly one day, I felt it wasn’t worth it. Why did I do that?”
Shen Zan's eyes cleared considerably. She frowned, looked at Pei Heng with a puzzled expression, and asked, "Did you ever love me?"
Pei Heng opened his mouth, as if he wanted to say something, but life slipped away faster than he thought. The last glimmer of light in his eyes went out, his head lolled to the side, and he collapsed.
Only the crackling sound of burning torches remained in the dungeon.
Shen Zan loosened his grip on the sword hilt, stood up, dusted himself off, and said softly, "It doesn't matter anymore. Who but a fool would care about the love of an ant?"
She pushed open the cell door and walked out of the prison.
The snow that had blanketed the capital for days had finally stopped, and the streets were bathed in sunlight. Today, the Empress ascended the throne; even the heavens had granted her an auspicious day.
Shen Zan thought that if she hadn't wasted her energy on Pei Heng back then, with her efforts, she might already be a Lady of the Imperial Decree, able to attend the Empress's coronation ceremony. But there are no "what ifs" in this world.
She could never be a titled lady again.
Perhaps this is fate; she agonized over issues that others never agonized over, and step by step, she retreated into the abyss.
She looked up at the light of others from the abyss, filled with resentment, struggle, and desperate efforts, but she could never climb out.
But it doesn't matter, her day has already dawned.
The snow will melt soon, and her flowerbeds will need to be renovated.
Even if everything in the past was not worth it, it doesn't matter anymore.
No matter how cold the winters come, she will be able to get through them all by herself.
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