The path to the grand finale is bright and promising...
Fang Mu said nothing more and ordered a carriage to be prepared to escort Huiyin to the Prefectural Governor's residence in the capital. Along the way, he told Huiyin the whole story.
Before entering the palace, King Wu, fearing defeat, left himself a way out. He owned a secluded courtyard in the west of the city, registered under someone else's name, with an underground passage leading directly to a village outside the city.
Before entering the palace, he had his confidant send his beloved concubine Yueyi to wait outside the city. After the palace coup failed, the remaining soldiers protected him and Xie Qinghe as they broke through the encirclement and left the city through a tunnel in the west.
King Wu originally planned to stay overnight outside the city, then leave Chang'an incognito and return to the ancestral homeland of the Zheng family, where he would use the skills the Zheng family had accumulated over the years to start a rebellion.
That night, the group stayed in the village. Yueyi cooked a meal for everyone. They were all wounded soldiers who had fought their way out of the palace, covered in blood and wounds. In their moment of exhaustion, no one noticed anything amiss with the food. After eating and drinking, the poison began to take effect within half an hour.
Afterwards, Yueyi went to the Prefect of Jingzhao to turn herself in.
Fang Mu voiced his doubts: "Young lady, you said she could have easily fled after killing someone, so why did she turn herself in?"
Perhaps, she wanted to be free.
Huiyin thought that she should understand Yueyi's feelings. Just as she had worried, over time, the King of Wu had genuine feelings for her, even taking her with him on his escape and entrusting his future entirely to her. Such was his concern. Yueyi must have been moved as well, but in the face of the hatred for her brother's murder, this slight attraction could not shake the murderous intent in her heart.
She had uncontrollably fallen in love with her enemy, and this contradictory emotion tore at her heart more and more. Now that she had killed the one she loved with her own hands, she probably couldn't go on living. Turning herself in was probably a way for her to find relief.
Before meeting Yueyi, Huiyin thought she would see a lifeless woman, devoid of any vitality. But she realized she was wrong. Yueyi was stronger than she had imagined. Although she was in prison, she was full of energy, with bright eyes and a faint smile on her lips, just like when Huiyin first met her.
Yueyi spoke first to Huiyin: "I heard about your return to Chang'an a while ago, but I haven't had a chance to see you. Now that I see you are safe and sound, I am relieved."
Huiyin had the prison door opened and went inside. The two sat down like old friends and reminisced, without mentioning the King of Wu.
Huiyin held Yueyi's hand tightly, looked up at her, and said, "I can send you away, send you to a quiet place to live a good life."
“Now that things have come to this, you don’t need to persuade me anymore,” Yueyi raised her hand to stop Huiyin from trying to persuade her any further. Her eyes gradually welled up with tears as she spoke of the past. “I have never seen my parents since I was born. My older brother raised me by carrying sandbags of sand on his back. He was reluctant to spend anything on himself, but he saved all his money to buy me cosmetics.”
"Although life was poor, I didn't feel bitter at all because my brother was by my side. When I got older, many people coveted me and wanted to take me back as a concubine. But my brother sternly refused and stayed at my door at night to watch over me. He always said that he would marry me off to a good family and make me his wife."
"Later, he died in front of me, covered in blood, and he wouldn't respond no matter how I called him. After my brother died, I was sold into a brothel and lived a muddled life. Until one day, I saw the King of Wu who came to seek pleasure, and at that moment, I knew my chance had come."
Huiyin looked on with pity and gently wiped away Yueyi's tears, but Yueyi's tears were so numerous that she couldn't wipe them all away. Looking at Yueyi, Huiyin felt as if she were seeing her past self, her throat tightened, and she couldn't help but hug Yueyi, offering silent comfort.
Yueyi cried and then laughed, tears streaming down her upturned lips, and said with crystal clarity, "King Wu, I hate him! From the very beginning, I came to his side with the intention of killing him."
“Over the past few years, I’ve had opportunities to make my move at any time. But I felt that it would be too easy for him to die like that. I knew all his ambitions and thought that when his dreams came true, I would kill him and make him die with regrets and unbearable pain.”
Huiyin felt as if a heavy stone was pressing on her heart. Looking at Yueyi's increasingly frantic face, she quickly woke her up, "Don't think about it, Yueyi. King Wu is dead. You have already taken your revenge. Don't let hatred torment you anymore."
Yueyi shook her head painfully, "No, no."
She clutched her chest in Huiyin's arms, sobbing, "He could have killed me before the poison took effect..."
Huiyin was stunned, trying hard to think about what Yueyi had said. Was she saying that King Wu still had the strength to kill her before the poison took effect, but in the end he didn't?
She hugged Yueyi tightly, and neither of them spoke. After a while, Yueyi calmed down and sobbed softly on Huiyin's shoulder, murmuring, "I hate him, don't I?"
"Yes," Huiyin replied softly.
Yueyi closed her eyes, tears streaming silently down her face. She knew she was deceiving herself, and she despised herself, hating herself for not being able to control her heart. She had let her brother down; she didn't deserve to live.
Huiyin looked down at Yueyi's trembling eyelashes and gently stroked the ends of her hair. Huiyin wanted to save Yueyi, just as she had saved herself. Her experiences were very similar to Yueyi's, except that she was a little luckier than Yueyi; Pei Yu was not her enemy.
She looked up at the window, where a beam of light shone through the wooden window into the cell, like the last glimmer of hope in the darkness.
"Do you know that I was once just like you are now, confused, in pain, and at a loss?"
Yueyi slowly raised her eyes, gazing intently at Huiyin's profile.
Huiyin: "I've thought about dying, but then I thought, if I'm gone, who will remember my parents? As long as I live, they will live on in my memories, and I can still offer incense to them during festivals."
"I think your brother also hopes to live happily, just like when he was still alive. Yueyi, life is short, and there are many landscapes worth exploring. During my three years in Dayuan, I traveled to many places and witnessed many customs and people. The desolate desert and the setting sun over the long river are all beautiful landscapes that are worth pursuing."
"Once the regime stabilizes, the Southern Dynasty will establish friendly relations with the surrounding small countries and conduct trade. If you don't want to stay in Chang'an, you can go out and see the scenery you've never seen before."
Yueyi covered her face and cried, "Can I really do it?"
Huiyin: "Of course, I know a caravan that can take you away."
Huiyin noticed Yueyi's wavering and continued, "There are still many places I haven't been to. I probably won't have the chance to go in the next two years. If you can go, remember to write to me."
Yueyi had no more words of refusal. She pressed heavily against Huiyin's shoulder, her body trembling.
Huiyin reached out and hugged her, patting her back. "From today onwards, there is no such person as Yueyi. Why don't you give yourself a new name?"
Yueyi said in a trembling voice, "My nickname is Ayue, and from now on I will be called Song Yue."
"Okay, Song Yue."
——
When Huiyin returned to the manor, Pei Yu had already entered the palace. The King of Wu was dead, and there was still a lot of things to deal with after his death, including the late emperor's funeral and the crown prince's ascension to the throne. He would have no free time for about a month.
He had already informed the Prefect of the Capital about Yueyi's matter, advising him to leave it entirely to Huiyin to handle. Huiyin took Yueyi out of prison and settled her in properly, allowing her to rest and recuperate for a month.
After she and Jingchuan returned, they stayed in Chang'an. Now that the situation in Chang'an was settled, she had nothing to worry about, so she asked Jingchuan and Heshi to pack their things and prepare to set off back to Jingzhou.
Knowing Pei Yu was too busy, Huiyin only had Fang Mu deliver a message to him before leaving Chang'an and heading straight for Jingzhou. Three years had passed; she had finally found Jingchuan and could give her parents an explanation.
As for where Song Jingchuan and Heshi want to live in the future, Huiyin will not interfere. She will let Song Jingchuan inherit the title, and whether he becomes an official or not will be entirely up to him.
However, given Song Jingchuan and He Shi's personalities, both of them loved freedom and would travel all over the country with the caravan. They probably wouldn't be able to stay in Jingzhou or Chang'an.
Before leaving Jingzhou, Huiyin encountered Su Jinghao again on the street. She was out shopping with Heshi and Haoling to buy things for the journey when they happened to witness officials raiding the Xie family mansion. After Xie Qinghe was executed, the Xie family mansion was searched, and all the women in the mansion were imprisoned.
Xu Lingyi and her youngest son should have been unable to escape either, but on that day in Changxin Palace, Marquis Xu resolutely defended the Empress and the Crown Prince, and was willing to hand over his title and all his family property, just to save his daughter and grandson.
Empress Pei—no, the Crown Prince has already ascended the throne; she is now the Empress Dowager. Empress Dowager Pei, mindful of Marquis Xu's deep love for his daughter and his past service as a meritorious official during the late Emperor's reign, and considering her young son's inexperience, granted the request. She only revoked Marquis Xu's title and did not confiscate his property.
The other women in the Xie family were not so lucky. At that time, Huiyin was sitting on the second floor of the teahouse, looking down at Su Jinghao, who was being shouted at by everyone on the street.
Xie Qinghe's crime was not treason, but according to the law, his entire family should be exterminated. Su Jinghao was his concubine, whom he had officially acknowledged, so she naturally could not escape the fate of death as well.
Huiyin watched as her enemy was whipped by soldiers downstairs, her body covered in wounds, her steps faltering. She felt no pleasure at seeing her enemy's humiliation. She sat in the teahouse for a long time, lost in thought.
Finally, Huiyin went to the Prefect of Jingzhao and had Su Jinghao's sentence changed, thus absolving her of guilt. She did not appear in person, but only sent someone to deliver some money to Su Jinghao and then arranged for Su Jinghao to return to her mother's hometown.
The person sent to her returned with a message, saying that Su Jinghao had asked him to pass on a message before she left, and she said: I'm sorry.
Huiyin finally received this belated apology, but things had changed, and everything was no longer the same as before. Her saving Su Jinghao was not an act of forgiveness.
She simply felt that death was not the end of atonement.
——
It was springtime, and the journey was filled with frequent stops and starts. The closer they got to Jingzhou, the more lakes they encountered, and everywhere was a picturesque landscape of green mountains and clear waters. He Shi and Hao Ling, who had grown up in Dayuan, were incredibly excited. The mother and daughter couldn't even stay in the carriage; they insisted on riding horses to see the scenery.
The two left Haoling with Huiyin and rode off ahead on a horse. Huiyin stared at Haoling in her arms, and coaxed, "It's nice in the carriage too. Shall we stay in the carriage?"
Haoling shook her head, her big, bright eyes looking at Huiyin as she acted coquettishly, tugging at Huiyin's clothes and pulling her away, "Auntie, I want to ride a horse."
Huiyin sighed helplessly. She did like Haoling very much, but children this age had so much energy, and she kept making a fuss the whole way. She didn't cry or fuss, but just looked at you with pitiful eyes and acted coquettishly in a childish voice.
Huiyin couldn't resist and carried Haoling onto the horse. Her body had become much stronger in the past three years, and Haoling knew the danger after mounting the horse, so she sat obediently without moving. Huiyin wasn't worried about her falling.
She tied Haoling around her waist with a strap, then lifted the hood to cover her forehead. "Sit still."
Haoling nodded excitedly, her little hands tightly gripping Huiyin's sleeve.
Huiyin didn't ride too fast, but leisurely followed behind the unscrupulous couple. Not long after, Huiyin heard the clatter of hooves coming up behind her. Thinking it was just passersby, she moved her horse to the side of the road to make way and continued on her way at a leisurely pace.
The clattering of hooves grew closer and closer, then faded as they drew nearer. Huiyin steered the horse, and Haoling, nestled in her arms, popped out to look back, exclaiming, "Auntie, it's that uncle!"
"Which uncle?" Huiyin didn't hear clearly and asked again.
She didn't hear Haoling's reply, but someone behind her said, "It's me."
Huiyin turned around in surprise, and there was the busy man who should have been sitting in Chang'an, looking at her with a smile.
What brings you here?
"You've already left, what am I still doing staying in Chang'an?"
Pei Yu rode forward, side by side with Huiyin, and tapped Haoling's nose with his finger, saying with a smile, "Call me Uncle-in-law, not Uncle, remember that?"
Hao Ling turned and hid in Hui Yin's arms, making a face at Pei Yu.
"Alright," Huiyin interrupted Pei Yu's childish arguing with the child, and said seriously, "Be serious and answer honestly."
Hao Ling in her arms also put her hands on her hips and shouted, mimicking the shout perfectly: "Alright, be serious and answer honestly!"
Her sweet, childlike voice paired with her proud little expression was absolutely hilarious.
Huiyin: "..."
Pei Yu laughed heartily beside him, "Tell me the truth, she's really not your biological daughter?"
That proud little expression was exactly like Huiyin's, making Pei Yu's heart and hands itch with desire, wishing he could hug her and kiss her.
Huiyin covered Haoling's eyes, glared at Pei Yu, her eyes full of threat.
Pei Yu straightened his expression and cleared his throat, saying, "I want to go back to Jingzhou with you."
He knew that Huiyin had been bullied by the elders who relied on their age when she first returned to Jingzhou. He had made a mistake the first time and didn't want to miss the second. This time, he was going to stand up for her.
Huiyin frowned, not understanding what he meant. "Chang'an is busy with affairs. If you leave with me at this time, what will happen to Chang'an?"
Pei Yu raised an eyebrow indifferently, "If I have to do everything, what's the point of having those officials? He fought for the throne, so he can't expect me to sit on it for him, can he?"
Huiyin still disagreed somewhat.
Pei Yu added, “Over the years, I have reflected on this and realized that the reason why the Crown Prince is unable to take responsibility is entirely because Empress Pei and I have done everything for him, allowing him to rest easy.”
Huiyin: "What you said makes sense, but isn't it a bit inappropriate for you to completely divest yourself?"
Pei Yu said with some resentment, "You feel sorry for him, but why don't you feel sorry for me?"
Huiyin quickly moved her hand away from Haoling's eyes and covered her ears instead, gritting her teeth as she said, "...What nonsense are you spouting in front of the child?"
Pei Yu snorted, picked up Xiao Haoling from Huiyin's arms, patted her little head, and asked, "Want to ride a fast horse?"
Hao Ling guiltily looked away from her aunt, nodding her little head like a drumbeat, her voice clear and crisp: "Yes!"
Pei Yu raised an eyebrow at Huiyin, picked up Haoling, and rode away. They quickly overtook the unscrupulous couple ahead, and Haoling's happy voice echoed along the road.
Huiyin felt somewhat helpless. Where did Pei Yu get the idea that she cared about the Crown Prince? The Crown Prince wasn't even a member of her family. If it weren't for Pei Yu, she wouldn't bother with him at all.
She angrily returned to the carriage, and suddenly remembered that she and the Crown Prince had almost become engaged. Pei Yu had even suspected her and the Crown Prince. Could it be that he was jealous again?
Huiyin didn't arrive, which was a bit funny. She lifted the carriage curtain and looked out the window. Pei Yu had already driven Haoling back. Haoling was riding on horseback, waving excitedly at her, her eyes and brows full of joy.
The road we have traveled has been bright and promising, and the road ahead is full of hope.
The End.
-----------------------
Author's Note: This story officially concludes here. After three months of serialization, thank you to all the readers who followed along. This is my second completed novel, and it ended around 500,000 words as expected. I never imagined I could maintain a daily reading schedule until the end.
I haven't planned on writing any side stories yet, but feel free to leave a comment if you have any suggestions. [rose]
Overall, it's a significant improvement over the first book, although the profits are still abysmal. But that's okay; if I lack talent, I'll make up for it with hard work. Soon I'll finish the third, fourth, fifth, and endless books...
My third book, "The Empress Has Returned to the Palace," is now available. If you're interested, please bookmark my author page for pre-orders. Finally, thank you all for your continued support, and see you next time!
PS: Regarding my goal of planting three trees this year, which I set for this column, there will be a slight delay. I should be able to finish the drafts this year, but I need to climb the charts and accumulate readership. It won't be as quick as this book, which finished on 6 daily updates. Therefore, the update speed is expected to be around January next year. (Completed)
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