The Emperor returned to court safely and securely. Not a single soldier from General Zheng’s army was needed. By the time they leisurely returned to the capital, there wasn’t even any cleanup work left for them to do.
Zheng Qianye joked that it was about time for him to retire from military service and return to farming.
The Emperor, gratified by the promise of decades of peace ahead, refused to admit that all his elaborate plans amounted to nothing more than leftovers, not even a taste of the hot dish. Instead, he changed the topic, claiming he had taken the opportunity to inspect the arrangements of the imperial mausoleum to see if they suited his preferences.
Meng Zhaoyi was sentenced to death by poison in prison.
The entire Kong Shishu family was imprisoned. Just as in the previous life, there was insufficient evidence to convict Kong Shishu of many crimes. While even one charge was enough to warrant the death penalty, it wouldn’t sufficiently demonstrate the fairness of the heavens without making it public. It was Kong Rangchen who collected all of his father’s evidence of wrongdoing and presented it to the Emperor.
Kong Shishu was executed by beheading.
Kong Rangchen, having rendered great merit in managing flood control, was considered a pillar of the nation. Innocent members of the Kong family were spared from implication and placed under Kong Rangchen’s care.
Although Gao Yuexing deeply hated Kong Shishu, her relationship with Kong Rangchen remained amicable.
On the day of Kong Shishu’s execution, Xu Xiude oversaw the proceedings.
Gao Yuexing was present, and so was Kong Rangchen. Gao Yuexing spotted him in the crowd and was surprised that he would come to witness his father’s execution. After the onlookers dispersed, Kong Rangchen dragged a coffin from his carriage. Only then did Gao Yuexing realize that he had come to collect his father’s remains.
Prince Xin petitioned the Emperor for permission to travel to the six cities of Jiangnan to assist in rebuilding homes for the people.
The Emperor approved.
However, Princess Xin, Lu Weixiao, submitted a letter requesting a divorce.
Such news inevitably harmed her reputation, but the Emperor knew full well what Prince Xin had done. He ordered Gao Yuexing to visit Lu Weixiao.
When Gao Yuexing arrived to request an audience, Lu Weixiao hid in her room, sluggish and dazed, her health in poor condition.
Gao Yuexing first checked her pulse, her expression grave. She said, “No matter what happens, you must take care of yourself. Your brother is still waiting for you at home.”
Lu Weixiao’s decision to request a divorce was partly influenced by her brother.
Their marriage had been a mistake from the start.
Her brother hoped she could cut her losses early.
Lu Weixiao said, “My body is already ruined. In this lifetime, I no longer dare to hope for any happiness in marriage. Perhaps, without him, I might find some peace.”
Gao Yuexing nodded. “You are right.”
No one could easily let go of the past. Lu Weixiao, with her gentle nature, had already shown remarkable restraint. If it had been Gao Yuexing in her place, she would have pursued justice relentlessly, refusing to rest until it was achieved.
Prince Xin said nothing.
He had no face to say anything.
That night, Gao Yuexing returned to the prince’s residence. The room was dimly lit. She lifted the curtain and saw Li Fuxiang seemingly asleep. He lay on the inside of the bed, just as he had in the past, leaving half of the space outside for her.
Hearing his steady breathing, Gao Yuexing felt at ease. Afraid of disturbing his rest, she quietly went to the guest room to bathe. After drying her hair, she wrapped herself in a cloak and tiptoed back to her room.
She lay down on the pillow, reaching out to tuck the corner of the quilt over Li Fuxiang, and blew out the last lamp by the bedside.
Half of Gao Yuexing’s shoulder was exposed, her head resting on her folded arms. She lay there with her eyes open, unable to sleep.
All her worries were resolved, as if she had walked through the human world, endured countless tribulations, and now only had to happily spend the rest of her days with her beloved. That, surely, was the happiest thing in the world.
Yet everything felt like a dream, elusive and intangible.
Even she couldn’t explain why.
Her emotions swayed back and forth, until in an abrupt moment, she sensed something amiss at her side.
Just as she was about to turn her head, Li Fuxiang, without so much as a word, suddenly pressed heavily against her.
“You again!” Gao Yuexing tried to push him away but couldn’t.
Li Fuxiang, far from sleepy, was brimming with energy. He leaned close, inhaling the scent in her hair. “You smell so nice. What is it?”
Gao Yuexing grabbed his pristine collar. “Get off.”
But Li Fuxiang refused to let go of the topic. “Tell me, what is it?”
Left with no choice, Gao Yuexing replied, “Lychee.”
Lychees dried in the summer sun were turned into perfume. Few young women in the capital used it, making the fragrance uniquely hers.
The subtle and elegant scent of lychee lingered in her hair, drifting into Li Fuxiang’s, until it entwined them both.
Li Fuxiang’s face pressed against her collarbone, radiating a heat so intense it seemed ready to ignite.
Winter was approaching.
Both of them were naturally sensitive to the cold, yet that night, a thin layer of sweat covered them.
Gao Yuexing’s hair was damp again.
It tangled not only with someone else but also with herself.
Her once restless heart finally settled, like a feather adrift in the wind, finding solid ground in his palm, where he held it gently and tenderly.
In the twenty-fifth year of Jingle’s reign, Prince Xiang ascended as heir to the Eastern Palace.
His wife, Lady Gao, was conferred the title of Crown Princess.
The late Noble Consort Zheng was posthumously honored as Empress Chongying Zhao.
From then on, Li Fuxiang could properly call her “Mother Empress.”
“Your Highness, let’s have a child,” Gao Yuexing suggested.
“No.”
“Just one.”
“No.”
“I insist.”
“With him, there’s no me. With me, there’s no him. Just try having one and see.”
— “I can’t stand staying in this Eastern Palace for even one more day as the Crown Princess!”
—
There’s still extra chapters and I had to get them in the author’s Weibo. The main story is finished and THEY HAVEN’T EVEN HAD A KISS!!! The author really don’t want to play with jjwxc’s censorship b*llshit.