Chapter 548: The Aftermath of the Plot Within a Plot (Part 5)

Chapter 548: Aftermath of Plots Within Plots (Part 5)

When they arrived, Dan Liang was bathed in spring’s warmth, and when they left, it remained as if all four seasons were spring.

Even though it was already midsummer, with the sun blazing brilliantly, Dan Liang’s winds stayed gentle, its sunlight still mild—no scorching heat, no harsh winds or sun.

It wasn’t until the moment they crossed into Dan Liang's borders and reached Yunlang’s Qingyun Pass that they noticed a slight change in climate. By the time they arrived in Yunyang County, the difference was even more pronounced—the sun’s glare turned harsh.

Though Yunyang County, situated along the Qingyun River, enjoyed a pleasant climate due to being a riverside town born of the Qingyun’s waters, the blazing sun high in the sky remained unrelenting in its heat.

After days of travel, their rations ran low, and the horses needed restocking. Upon reaching Yunyang County, Su Rao and Yun Ji decided to rest for the night and set off again early the next morning.

As for the situation in Langjing, with old General Su, Su San, and Su Si there, and Yun Mujing rushing back urgently, they paid it no mind. After all, if Yun Mujing wanted to stabilize the court in the future, she couldn’t always rely on Yun Ji to handle everything for her—she needed to flex her imperial might.

Since she had chosen this path, she’d crawl it if she had to.

With their hearts now free of lingering troubles, Su Rao and Yun Ji took the rare opportunity to while away the day exploring Yunyang County, enjoying an unusual sense of ease.

The memory of the massacre upstream on the Qingyun River had already faded like a bad dream from the minds of the common folk. The clamor of haggling vendors filled the air, and fishermen once again cast their nets on the river, while merchants selling seafood crowded the riverbanks.

Su Rao pulled Yun Ji along to rent a boat, playing at being anglers for once. They caught several plump fish and had the inn’s chef prepare a full fish banquet—charred, steamed, simmered, and fried, leaving no method untried.

Back in Yunlang, the weather was ever-changing, often bringing rain.

One moment, the sky was clear and boundless, but by evening, rain had begun to fall—though not the torrential downpours of Dan Liang, but a steady drizzle, neither too heavy nor too light, pattering steadily against the roof beams and eaves with a gentle sound.

Su Rao and Yun Ji still shared the same quilt, no longer sleeping separately. They insisted on one room, one bed, with Su Rao resting her head in the crook of Yun Ji’s arm, sleeping peacefully.

She slept soundly, the stifling weight in her heart having lifted over these days. With her heart open, she found contentment in each ordinary day spent with Yun Ji, embracing the joy of simple pleasures.

But what she didn’t know was that every night during these days, after she had fallen asleep, the person beside her would open his slender phoenix eyes and fix her with an unblinking stare, his eyes holding something unreadable.

Tonight was no different.

He watched her quietly, unwilling to look away even for a moment. His pale fingers brushed away a stray lock of hair from Su Rao’s cheek, his touch feather-light, careful not to wake her.

He stared for so long that his eyes grew sore, before finally letting out a soft sigh, a sense of loss lingering in the air.

"Rao Rao, I am willing to become the person you desire. If you like someone like Yun Ji, then I will be that person. But I will not become him—he terrifies me."

After all these days, he had come to clearly feel the presence of Yun Ji within his heart—this Yun Muhao who had always shackled him, whom he had feared deep down. It turned out Yun Muhao had been dwelling inside him all along. No wonder he had never been able to see him before, not even in their quarrels—only a faint, blurred shadow.

Now that they had met, even Rao Rao wanted him to become Yun Muhao, to morph into him. But he couldn’t. He was willing to pretend to be the person Rao Rao wanted, to become the one she loved, but he would only ever be Rao Rao’s Ah Xiao.

Yun Muhao—he could delude himself into thinking he could influence or change him, but he would never share Rao Rao with him. Never. He would not fall asleep again. He would never yield Rao Rao to him. He was Rao Rao’s Ah Xiao.

The darkness coiled in his gaze flickered for a moment, but when the woman in his arms let out a faint, unconscious murmur, it vanished instantly, leaving no trace of shadow behind.

He had long since changed. The hatred that had weighed on his heart for years had dissolved. The bitter, resentful last wishes of his mother, whispered in his ear day after day, had faded away. With Su Rao by his side every day, Han Mochen—the bloodthirsty killer—was long gone.

The next day, the wind and rain had yet to cease, so they stayed another day before setting off again.

All the way to Langjing, just as they arrived at Tianguguan County, news came of the deposed crown prince’s rebellion and its consequences.

As soon as Yun Mujing returned to Langjing, she issued an imperial decree: the deposed crown prince, guilty of treason, was to be executed. All officials involved were stripped of their positions. Those who had incited or conspired with the deposed crown prince were beheaded, their nine generations purged—not a soul spared. Other accomplices faced execution of three generations of their families, while those beyond three generations were exiled from the capital, forbidden from returning, taking imperial examinations, or engaging in trade for ten years.

This series of actions, carried out with the fury of a thunderbolt, was the emperor’s wrath—one person’s involvement bringing ruin to entire families. Yun Ji’s warning slipped her mind entirely.

While other officials faced punishment involving their entire clans, the family of the Deposed Crown Princess Consort, the Yin Marquis's household, naturally could not escape either.

However, upon investigation, it was found that the Yin Marquis's household had not participated in the rebellion. Moreover, old General Su and his grandson had swiftly stabilized Langjing, preventing total chaos in the capital.

Thus, the Yin Marquis title was revoked, and their hereditary privileges were revoked, reducing them to commoner status. However, due to Mu Mingjin's meritorious act of saving the emperor—taking the blow meant for the new emperor during the deposed crown prince's rebellion—his merits offset his faults. Instead of being demoted to commoner status, he was retained by the new emperor's side.

As for the Deposed Crown Princess Consort and her son, the deposed crown prince's legitimate eldest son, the new emperor initially showed leniency out of familial sentiment and Mu Mingjin's service, confining them to the Seventh Prince's former residence and later the deposed crown prince's quarters, confining them for life. However, the Deposed Crown Princess Consort, devoted to the deposed crown prince, chose to end her life and that of her newborn child.

Had Su Rao only read this letter, her view of Yun Mujing's ruthlessness would have deepened further. No matter how pure-hearted a ruler may have been before ascending the throne, power would eventually corrupt their heart.

But this news was personally delivered by Su Si. Upon learning of Su Rao and Yun Ji's return to Langjing, old General Su sent Su Si to meet them.

Su Si arrived delivering this news, along with sensitive details not put in writing, which he relayed verbally.

Yun Murui's rebellion was not a true rebellion—it was a scheme of his own making, designed to flush out the remnants of the former dynasty and disloyal officials hiding in Langjing.

They were all eliminated in one fell swoop.

This matter traced back to Mu Mingyue giving birth to a son. After the birth, certain ambitious officials secretly approached Yun Murui, inciting him to rebel, claiming the new emperor would never allow his son—or himself—to live, leaving potential future threats.

Though these officials urged rebellion, Yun Murui was not one to be easily swayed. His earlier defeat by Prince Yun Ji had been due to Yun Ji's scheme involving Empress Yao and the Yao family poisoning Yun Yu. Under such circumstances, unless he rebelled, he had no choice but to surrender—and so he did.

Yun Murui had his principles. As the Crown Prince personally appointed by his father, the rightful heir of Yun Lang, even in defeat, he would never betray his kingdom.

His initial failure had been due to his own arrogance, underestimating Prince Yun Ji.

Defeat was a matter of skill—he had only himself to blame.

Now, those pushing him to rebel weren't just insulting him, but also sought to bring chaos to Yun Lang.

Thus, Yun Murui secretly sought the aid of those he still trusted—his former mentor, the Crown Prince's tutor—to investigate these officials.

Though deposed, his past influence in the court remained. After Yun Mujing's ascension, he had not purged all of Yun Murui's former supporters, sparing those loyal to the kingdom and its people.

The investigation revealed startling truths. After the Su family's downfall and Su Rao's exposure as a remnant of the former dynasty, Yun Murui himself had led the purge of remaining remnants in Langjing.

Discovering that some still lurked in hiding, seeking to use him to destroy Yun Lang, Yun Murui could not stand idle. He set a trap, using himself as bait, to draw out all remaining remnants and treacherous officials threatening Yun Lang.