Chapter 138 End of the Main Text
Galloping through the deep autumn, three military flags slowly unfurled from their horses' backs, messengers calling out desperately along the way. News of the great victory at Longyanpo spread instantly through the streets and alleys, reaching the inner palaces. The entire city was in a state of panic, and every household flung open their doors as people rushed into the streets.
"Your Majesty!" The young eunuch who brought the good news ran all the way from the front court to Yunjin Pavilion. As he stepped through the threshold, his knees gave way and he fell to his knees. His whole body trembled with excitement as he called out, "Your Majesty! Your Majesty! A great victory at Longyanpo! The rebel king is dead!"
The beaded curtain was suddenly drawn aside. Su Yi, who had been sitting stiffly at the table all day, suddenly stood up upon hearing the news and strode out, holding Wang Nu tightly by her hand, followed by Hong Shu. She paused, breathing rapidly, her eyes fixed on the young eunuch, and asked repeatedly, "Is the news accurate? Has anything happened to Master Wen?"
The eunuch kowtowed, "It's absolutely true! It couldn't be more true! Eunuch Song and Master Zhang Yun had just emerged from Chongming Palace when they immediately sent a servant to tell the Empress the good news! Congratulations, Her Majesty! Congratulations, Your Highness!"
"Okay, okay." The shocking good news came so quickly that Su Yi, who had been waiting for Wang Nu for so long, felt it was a little unreal. She breathed a sigh of relief, her head suddenly hot and dizzy. Looking at the sky outside, her eyes suddenly became hot.
Wang Nu looked up at her quietly, a hint of worry in his eyes, and reached out to tug at the corner of her clothes. Su Yi finally came to her senses, turned around, squatted down, and hugged Wang Nu. Her shoulders and arms were trembling, and her breathing was extremely rapid. "Good boy, it's over, it's all over! From now on, no one in this world will be able to bully us mother and son again!"
From the daughter of a minor official whose family was shattered to the position of Concubine Su in the palace, she had lost so much along the way. Looking back now, her only source of gratitude was the courage she had taken upon herself to enter the Jade Tower, where a chivalrous woman in black, a red ribbon, and a hair tie, grabbed her waist and rescued her from the crowd. Without that, she would have long been buried beneath the earth, gnawed by insects and ants, powerless even to redress the grievances of her parents and brothers. How could she be where she is today?
"Hurry! Wangnu, come here. Mother will change your clothes. We're going to see your Aunt Wen!" Su Yi smiled, wiped the tears from her cheeks, and pulled Wangnu up to walk into the house. Her hairpin swayed, and her face was serious, rarely revealing her former liveliness and agility.
By the time Concubine Su had changed her clothes and arrived at Chongming Hall with Wang Nu, the hall was already filled with civil and military officials. Those killed by Zhao Xuanxu had been replaced by new appointees selected by Zhang Yun. Nearly half of the well-established families in the court had been eliminated, and the previous situation of conflict between the two factions no longer existed.
Su Yi straightened her back, holding Wang Nu's hand tightly as she walked out the side door of the main hall. Song Mingde had been standing with his hands behind his back, his eyes fixed on the sky. Upon hearing the noise, he turned and bowed to Su Yi, his tone gentle, "Your Majesty, Fifth Prince, please come this way."
Su Yi had regained her composure. She asked Song Mingde, "Eunuch Song, have Lord Wen and His Royal Highness Prince Yan returned?"
"She has already passed through Fengming Gate with the rebel king's head." Song Mingde lowered his eyes. "Master Zhang is watching over the palace. Everything has been prepared. Your Majesty, there is no need to worry."
Su Yi took a deep breath, nodded, and walked into the hall, hand in hand with Wang Nu. Behind a beaded curtain, Zhang Yun and General Zhongli stood at the head of the ranks of civil and military officials, respectively. She met their gazes, and amid the uproar from the audience, she took Wang Nu and sat on the large pearwood bench behind the curtain.
"This..." Someone, not quite understanding the current situation, whispered, "What does this mean?"
He wasn't the only one who didn't understand. To most, the Prince of Yan had slaughtered countless people, clearly aiming for the throne. Many assumed the next emperor would be half Dali, even planning congratulatory messages and counterpoints to public opinion.
But how could it be that Concubine Su was now sitting in Chongming Palace with the adopted Fifth Prince? Could there be a twist in the story?
Their doubts didn't last long. Soon, the eunuchs' chants of "hello" could be heard from outside the hall, followed by a strong smell of blood drifting in on the night wind. The first to enter the hall was Zhao Xuanxu. As the commander-in-chief, he would not be personally present at the final battle, so he was not wearing armor.
Zhao Xuanxu's black robe trailed on the ground. His face was pale, his lips red, his features elegant and eerie. In his hand, he held a human head, its eyes wide open. Such imposing presence and aura, he resembled a brutal demon king. His prestige was truly profound. The sheer force with which he had slaughtered the court and the people of Bianliang in a matter of days still haunted many. As soon as he entered the hall, all the small movements ceased. The entire court fell silent, bowed their hands in greeting, and lowered their heads.
Zhao Xuanxu didn't even glance at the others. He walked straight to the front, released his fingers, and threw the head to the ground. The head rolled a few times before coming to a stop on the side.
Su Yi tightened her fingers, stood up and walked to the bead curtain to look at the head.
She - and all the civil and military officials in the court were certain that this was indeed Zhao Xuanshuo's head.
Su Yi's throat rolled over, and her gaze fell through the beaded curtain on Wen Yao, who stood behind Zhao Xuanxu. Wen Yao, with her keen senses, immediately looked back. She held the Xingyi Sword in her arms, feeling quite at ease as she stood under the gaze of the ministers. She raised an eyebrow and smiled at Su Yi.
Su Yi's trembling heart suddenly calmed down.
Zhang Yun, standing to the side, saw that the time was almost right, so he leisurely stepped out, raised his tablet, and said passionately, "Empress Su! The northern border is at peace, and the internal traitors have been eliminated. This is truly a blessing from heaven for our dynasty!"
Several civil officials behind him quickly echoed him, and someone followed and said, "Prince Xiang has signed an alliance with Northern Liao. The two countries will open markets for trade. The fourteen states of Yanyun are no longer in great trouble. This is truly a blessing for the people!"
"Yes, yes, may God have mercy on our Tianshui Dynasty!"
The next moment, Zhang Yun changed the subject and continued, "However, now both parties are imprisoned. Empress Wang and Concubine Feng are guilty of the same crime as their clansmen. Prince Yong is blatantly ambitious. He forged the imperial edict and deceived the court and the people. He is unfit to be the crown prince! The country cannot be without a ruler for a day. In my humble opinion, His Highness the Fifth Prince is intelligent, wise, and kind. He should shoulder the responsibility of the national crisis, ascend the throne, inherit the sacred artifact, and protect the prosperity of Tianshui and the peace of the people!"
He spoke each word with a sonorous and powerful voice, hammering into the ears of the officials, making their skulls buzz. This time, no one responded. The eyes of everyone in Chongming Hall could not help but look at Zhao Xuanxu, switching back and forth between Zhang Yun and Zhao Xuanxu, in confusion.
This...wasn't Zhang Yun the Prince of Yan's favorite minister? Why did he ask in Chongming Hall to let the Fifth Prince succeed to the throne?
It's no wonder everyone was confused. In the eyes of the world, Prince Yan's actions along the way were all clearly motivated by ambition. Prince Yan was in his prime, and with the throne within his grasp, who in the world could refuse?
The vast Chongming Hall fell into utter silence. Zhao Xuanxu washed his hands in a golden basin held by a nearby attendant, glanced up at these fools, and frowned. His voice was like a knife scraping bones, scraping down their spines, sending a chill down their spines. "The Emperor Retired is unconscious. Your Majesty should ascend the throne as soon as possible and announce it to the world. What? Does anyone have any objections?"
Who doesn’t want to live?
He was even more outrageous. He simply changed his address to "Grand Emperor" and "Your Majesty", acknowledging the ownership of the throne.
Those who could still stand in the hall were all smart people. After hearing what Zhao Xuanxu said and looking at Song Mingde and General Zhongli who looked calm at the top, they immediately understood that several powerful people in the court had already arranged the ownership of the throne.
Under Zhao Xuanxu's gaze, they immediately accepted the fact that the Fifth Prince had ascended the throne as emperor.
On second thought, it's a good idea for the Fifth Prince to be the emperor. While the country is in turmoil with a young ruler, at least the child is young and can be slowly taught his character. It's better than welcoming an outright tyrant to the throne.
No one in the court objected. They all saluted Wang Nu and said in unison, "Your Majesty, we implore you to ascend the throne and protect the world!"
At this point, the succession was smoothly settled. The war had just ended, and winning was the most basic thing. There were still many things to deal with later. Wen Yao's legs were numb from standing in the hall, and she finally waited for the discussion of all matters to be concluded. Civil and military officials avoided her and Zhao Xuanxu like the plague, and walked out quickly. Zhang Yun patted Zhongli He and General Zhongli on the shoulders, and walked away leisurely, ready to work overtime to deal with things. Song Mingde was the last to leave. He glanced at Wen Yao, turned and disappeared through the side door.
When everyone had left, the beaded curtain on the golden steps was suddenly torn down. Su Yi walked down from it in a few steps and hugged Wen Yao tightly.
"Thank you!" Su Yi's eyes couldn't help but turn red when she saw Wen Yao, and her voice trembled: "It's been so difficult along the way, I really don't know how to thank you."
"Alright, alright." Seeing Zhao Xuanxu's face starting to turn sour, Wen Yao patted Su Yi's shoulder and pushed her away, saying soothingly, "You can't relax just yet. You'll have a lot to do in the next few days. It's getting late, and Wang Nu is tired too. Take him downstairs to have a good rest."
"Okay." Su Yi nodded and walked a few steps away with Wang Nu. Suddenly, she turned back and looked deeply at Wen Yao, saying, "I know what you're thinking. I won't touch Prince Yong and Consort Xu. As long as they behave themselves, Consort Xu and her unborn child will naturally live in peace. As long as I'm here, their royal family's dignity will not be diminished."
After saying that, she picked up Wang Nu and went out.
Wen Yao followed Zhao Xuanxu out of Chongming Hall and watched as Su Yi, followed by a group of palace maids, marched towards the harem. With her head held high, her back was already majestic. Wen Yao couldn't connect this Empress Dowager Su with the orphan girl of the past.
Sure enough, the world is developing and people are changing.
The rain stopped, and the night wind began to rise, bringing a pleasant breeze to Wen Yao's ears. Her thoughts couldn't help but become somewhat scattered, her head full of random thoughts. Her hair was scattered and blown back by the wind. She let Zhao Xuanxu take her hand and stood with him on the high platform of Chongming Palace.
Perhaps because everything is coming to an end, my mood has changed. The palace that was once tall and majestic like a giant beast on the edge of the abyss seems nothing special today.
Wen Yao closed her eyes, her whole body suddenly relaxed. She sighed deeply, looked up at Zhao Xuanxu, and then she looked into a pair of pure black eyes, as quiet as deep water.
Zhao Xuanxu stood tall and slender beside her, looking down at her all the time.
"What are you looking at me for?" Wen Yao said, unable to help but smile slightly.
I'm afraid no one will believe it, but Zhao Xuanxu, who they think is unscrupulous and violent, is actually sensible and well-behaved in front of her from beginning to end, and he can calm down with just a stroke when he gets angry occasionally.
Wen Yao likes it very much.
She likes Prince Yan, Zhao Xuanxu, and her Miss Zhao.
The world was a thriving, bustling sea of people. She had entered this world, hesitantly walking alone through the seasons of spring, summer, autumn, and winter for over twenty years, those who had accompanied her and those she respected leaving her one after another. Yue Chang Tuan feared she would walk alone, without light, while Hao Chunhe worried about her unsettled mind and her fleeting presence. She had indeed been like a weed, like a floating duckweed. The world was treacherous, and while she wasn't afraid of it, she had no attachment to it either. She knew full well that all good things must come to an end, and as for her friends and confidants, she could choose not to contact them, simply knowing they were alive and well.
Now she thought about it herself, and realized that in a way, she was actually being indifferent.
Zhao Xuanxu stared at Wen Yao for a while, then reached out and touched Wen Yao's eyes, saying, "Ayao, when are we getting married?"
He started the topic abruptly and then veered off topic. Wen Yao tilted her head and smiled at Zhao Xuanxu, her dark hair flowing down behind her, the red string between them as bright as her pupils. "Get married, let me think... well, we'd better get married right away."
"Ayao is right!" Zhao Xuanxu's eyebrows lit up immediately. He pulled Wenyao out, rubbing Wenyao's hand in his own out of habit, even thinking of the promise of applause from the audience after drinking. The King of Yan, who had just threatened the ministers, now said seriously, "I promised Ayao's friends a grand banquet. Rituals and music are important, and Ayao has many friends, so why not prepare the invitations starting tomorrow? Ayao, go back and give me a list, and I'll write it."
Hey, you are far from being so active when attending court meetings or leading troops in battle.
"Alright!" Wen Yao laughed, unceremoniously putting her arm around Zhao Xuanxu's neck and forcing him to bend down. She walked out, full of energy and determination, "Then I'm telling you, those drunkards could empty the entire Yanwang Mansion's wine cellar. So, tomorrow we'll write three invitations and burn them for Chunyanzi, Ning'er, and Yan Cang, and leave them a few jars of good wine in advance. Hey! We'll have to hold two wedding banquets, one in Bianliang City, and one in Heichengzi to find Yue Changtuan—"
Zhao Xuanxu responded seriously, bent his back and followed Wen Yao step by step.
A crisp, sharp autumn wind swirled up and down, sweeping past the two of them as they rushed toward the myriad palaces and deep, secluded corridors. Moonlight filled Bianliang. Outside Fengming Gate, a crowd of people gathered, the lights ablaze. Flowers and fruits thrown by the people filled the streets, and cheers shook the heavens.
The chaotic times have finally come to an end. From now on, heaven and earth will be one, and the world will be peaceful and tranquil.
The full text is over.
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