Chapter 201: The End

Chapter 201: The End

After the sound of the splash as she fell into the well, Jiang Xueyi stood still for a long time, staring in the direction of the well, unable to regain her composure for a long while.

She had once thought that the strong-willed nature of the deposed empress would never allow her to live out her remaining days in the Autumn Palace in peace. Yet, witnessing her dressed in phoenix robes, smiling as she plunged into the well, ending her own noble yet pitiable life, Jiang Xueyi couldn't help but feel a deep shock and awe.

The instinct to survive often drives people to struggle desperately before death, but the deposed empress fell into the water without a sound, indicating her long-held resolve to die. Dressing up today was her way of sending herself off with dignity.

If it had been Your Majesty who came today instead of Jiang Xueyi, he would have witnessed the woman who had accompanied him for over a decade and bore him two daughters, ending her life before his very eyes.

This would undoubtedly leave Your Majesty deeply unsettled and reflective. No matter how angry or dissatisfied he had been with her malice, death erases all past grievances, leaving only the good memories to be recalled and cherished.

Who could predict whether Your Majesty would feel regret, guilt, lament, or calm? Even the slightest stir in his heart could lead to countless repercussions.

Even in death, the deposed empress sought to create some advantage for the Zhao family and the Second Princess, and to pose the first challenge in the relationship between the emperor and empress.

But today, it was Jiang Xueyi who came, and all her plans fell through, rendering her efforts futile.

Just by observing the deposed empress's expression when she appeared, it was clear that her plans, even if thwarted, didn't matter. She could no longer live as a deposed commoner, her fate sealed by her own hand.

The deposed empress was stripped of her title due to her crimes and reduced to a commoner, her life or death of no concern to anyone in the palace.

Moreover, with the Empress present, who would dare to meddle? Since the deposed empress was determined to die and the Empress made no move to save her, the guards would act as if they knew nothing until Your Majesty's orders were issued.

After a long while, Jiang Xueyi, still holding Duan Yinning's wrist tightly, stepped out of the Autumn Palace, her brows furrowed with lingering fear: "Retrieve her body from the well and place it in the courtyard. I will report to Your Majesty."

"Yes."

Duan Yinning comforted her: "Your Majesty need not take the deposed empress's words to heart. They are merely the despairing words of a defeated person."

Jiang Xueyi sighed softly, looking up at the bright sunlight in the sky: "I know, yet seeing her in her final moments, I can't help but feel a sense of lament. Life is as fragile as grass. So many glorious pasts can vanish in an instant. Though I now hold the position of Empress, seemingly revered, who knows what my future holds?"

"The deposed empress did many wrongs, but on the day she was crowned, she never imagined she would come to this."

"Under imperial power, no one's wealth and honor are permanent. I can only strive to protect myself and those I love."

Duan Yinning carefully helped the Empress onto the phoenix carriage, saying gently: "Your Majesty has just witnessed the deposed empress's self-destruction, and it's natural to feel unsettled. But you and she are fundamentally different."

"You have always known what you want. Moreover, you now have both a son and a daughter, and Your Majesty holds you in such high regard. Who in the court and beyond doesn't know of the harmony between the Emperor and Empress? No one knows what the future holds, but the future is built step by step. Your Majesty has walked steadily for five years and will continue to do so for ten, fifty years to come, building a legacy that will endure."

Jiang Xueyi tightly grasped her hand, saying softly: "Yinning, thank you. You always manage to ease my mind."

Duan Yinning nodded gently and was about to order the carriage to return to the Hall of Diligent Governance when she noticed a quiet figure in green standing in the shade not far away, calmly watching them.

She approached slowly with her maids, bowing respectfully: "This humble concubine greets the Empress. May Your Majesty enjoy eternal happiness."

Jiang Xueyi glanced down at her, speaking warmly: "Why is Ning Wan Yi here? Did you come to visit the deposed empress?"

"Though she has been deposed, she is still your cousin. It's only natural for you to be concerned."

Ning Wan Yi shook her head, speaking calmly: "This humble concubine understands her but does not agree with her. I pity her but do not feel close to her."

"Though we are sisters, our paths diverged, and we were never close since childhood. Yet, we share the same bloodline. Today, I came to see her off."

The deposed empress's suicide had just occurred, and Jiang Xueyi had not informed Ning Wan Yi, yet she spoke as if she had guessed what had happened.

After all, they were sisters. Even if they were not close, Ning Wanyi understood the character of her cousin, which is why she specifically chose this time to wait outside Muqiu Palace.

Although she could not enter, it was good to show some concern. On the journey to the afterlife, she would not be entirely forgotten.

Jiang Xueyi said softly, "If you wish to go in and see, I can have them let you in."

"She left quietly and decisively, and by now she must have been retrieved."

Ning Wanyi shook her head again and bowed, "I thank Your Majesty for your kindness."

"But though Your Majesty is generous, I cannot be inconsiderate. Since she is gone, there is no need to see her again."

"Your Majesty and the Emperor have been kind to the Zhao family, and I am deeply grateful. After today, the only Zhao woman left in the palace will be me. I will fulfill my duties as a concubine, respect Your Majesty, and obey Your Majesty."

Jiang Xueyi raised her hand, signaling Duan Yinning to support her, and glanced at Ning Wanyi, "I understand your intentions. There is no need for such formalities."

"I am not a harsh person, and I know your nature. As long as the harem remains peaceful and harmonious, without any disturbances, there is no need for the sisters of the harem to compete against each other."

"Living in the harem, being able to coexist peacefully and live a stable life is already a blessing. Scheming and plotting is too exhausting, isn't it? You are someone who enjoys peace and self-sufficiency, and I have always understood that."

Hearing this, Ning Wanyi realized that the Empress had not implicated her in any way because she was the cousin of the deposed Empress. Instead, she was extremely benevolent, and Ning Wanyi felt deeply grateful. She bowed again and said softly, "I deeply thank Your Majesty for your grace and will never forget it day or night."

Jiang Xueyi smiled faintly and looked forward again. The golden phoenix-headed palanquin slowly lifted, and the Empress's procession gradually moved away from the palace road in front of Muqiu Palace until it disappeared from sight.

Ning Wanyi knelt and watched until the Empress was out of sight, then stood up and couldn't help but look towards Muqiu Palace. After a long silence, she finally turned and left.

The next day, His Majesty issued an edict announcing that the commoner Zhao had died suddenly in Muqiu Palace. His Majesty specially allowed her body to be returned to her family.

-

Time flew by, and three months later, on the fifteenth day of the eighth month of the ninth year of Chengzuo, coinciding with the Mid-Autumn Festival, it was also the grand coronation ceremony of the new Empress of Great Ling.

To bring joy to the Empress Dowager and to stabilize the people's hearts, this coronation ceremony was exceptionally grand.

In the morning, they offered sacrifices to the ancestors and announced to the gods of all directions. Dressed in the phoenix robe, the Empress, together with His Majesty, held the coronation ceremony under the guidance of the ritual officer. Then, the Emperor and Empress stood side by side to receive congratulations from all sides, the court officials, and the common people. His Majesty personally crowned the Empress to show his love and care, followed by a grand celebration that lasted until night.

To demonstrate the new Empress's benevolence and generosity, His Majesty, because of her, granted amnesty to the world and reduced the common people's taxes by half for three years, winning the hearts of the people.

The court and the common people all praised the virtues of the new Empress.

Under the management of the new Empress and Yang Xiuyuan, the harem remained peaceful and harmonious, with few disturbances. The royal family was peaceful, and the heirs were healthy, setting an example for women across the land.

By winter, the Empress Dowager's illness ultimately could not withstand the cold, and she passed away.

His Majesty was deeply grieved and wore mourning clothes for seven days to guard the Empress Dowager's spirit, and the entire nation was in mourning.

However, the Empress Dowager had ordered before her death that her funeral should not be extravagant, so the state funeral was not grandly conducted. The Empress also, to pray for the Empress Dowager, ordered the harem to practice frugality, and the saved funds were allocated to the frontier warfare. Until the three-year mourning period ended, the Empress Dowager and the Empress's frugality were even more praised.

At the same time, the war between Great Ling and the Wei state was raging and had already lasted for a year.

However, the Wei state was poor in water and resources, and its provisions were insufficient. Although its cavalry was strong, it could not withstand the toll of year after year.

After three years of stalemate, it finally ended with Great Ling completely annexing the Wei state.

With the fall of the Wei state, subduing the border tribes was like snapping dry twigs. In the fifteenth year of Chengzuo, the world was unified.

From then on, there was only the Great Ling dynasty in the world, and no more division.

On the fifteenth day of the first month in the fifteenth year of Chengzuo, His Majesty appointed the third prince, Shen Jiachen, as the Crown Prince, and the entire nation rejoiced. The Emperor and Empress rode together in a flower-decked carriage.

That night, fireworks filled the sky, as dazzling as the sunset clouds.

The Emperor and Empress ascended the Star-Gazing Tower side by side, holding hands at the highest point to gaze at the myriad lights of countless homes, the bustling crowds weaving through the streets, everything as beautiful and dreamlike as a fantasy come to life.

Looking at the gentle and serene Jiang Xueyi by his side, and then at the peaceful and prosperous lives of the common folk below, Shen Zhanghan leaned close to her ear, brushing aside the stray hair by her temple gently: "Lianlian, I have prepared a gift for you."

But the constant bursts of fireworks in the distance made it hard for her to hear what Your Majesty was saying. She could only smile and lean closer to his ear, asking loudly, "What did Your Majesty say? Lianlian couldn't hear."

Shen Zhanghan smiled without answering, instead taking her hand and pointing towards the most bustling shop in the western district.

Following his direction, she saw a clean, empty shop, quite spacious, as if it had just been acquired.

In such a lively and prosperous district, finding an empty shop was no easy feat. Had Your Majesty acquired it for her?

Jiang Xueyi was puzzled but smiled as she turned to look at him: "Does Your Majesty also envy the merchant ways of the common people? Could it be that if Lianlian were not the Empress, she would go incognito and try her hand at being a shopkeeper, perhaps?"

Shen Zhanghan led her down from the Star-Gazing Tower, and they changed into plain clothes and headed out, heading to the newly acquired shop under the cover of night.

The noise around them seemed to fade away at this moment, leaving only the quiet, solitary shop standing apart from the world.

He led her inside, introducing the layout of the place with a deep, contented smile: "Do you remember our trip to Wuzhou all those years ago, when we entered a fruit shop just like this?"

"You got along well with the shopkeeper and had a talent for making fruit preserves. Seeing the look in your eyes back then, I thought, if you had not entered the palace, with your skills, you might have opened a shop just like this."

"Not for profit, but for the sheer elegance of it. If I passed by, I would surely stop to taste such exquisite delicacies."

"Now that Chen'er and Lingqin are older, and the world is at peace, with Consort Yang managing the palace, if you wish, you could also try your hand at running this shop."

"Life in the palace can often be dull. I hope you find being by my side interesting, not a tedious burden."

Listening to Your Majesty's words, Jiang Xueyi couldn't help but wander around the shop, her eyes growing brighter.

"Your Majesty's gift has truly delighted Lianlian beyond words."

"Here we can brew wine, and over there, we can build a terrace... and decorate it with seasonal flowers. The furniture and decor should be as natural as possible, creating a place for the soul to rest."

"If commoners come to taste, we'll sell at a low price; if nobles come, we'll sell at a high price. We gather all the income and set up soup kitchens during festivals and cold winters, thus accumulating virtue and doing good."

She looked up with a soft smile, her eyes sparkling like stars: "But Lianlian has never been in business before, and I fear it might go bankrupt in just a couple of years."

"However, after Yin Ning left the palace, she and her husband opened a shop in Chang'an, and it's thriving. If we consult her for advice and let her mediate, we might slowly make it work."

Seeing her expression, Shen Zhanghan knew she genuinely loved this gift.

He gently embraced her: "I have only one request."

Jiang Xueyi looked up, puzzled: "If Your Majesty wants money, Lianlian won't give a single penny."

"I just want to be the first to taste every new creation you develop."

Hearing this, Jiang Xueyi smiled with curved eyes: "Your Majesty is the patron, so naturally, everything will be for you to enjoy first."

Her cheek resting against Your Majesty's chest, the grand fireworks outside blooming in her beautiful eyes, Jiang Xueyi spoke softly: "Spring flowers, summer dew, autumn frost, winter snow."

"The scenery of the four seasons, to be enjoyed together with you."