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Chapter 2563 "Chasing the Jade" - The Finale

The news of Zheng Wenchang, the governor of Jizhou, raising an army spread like wildfire throughout the land.

Reactions varied across different regions.

Some prefectures and counties surrendered directly, changed their banners to "Da Yin" (the Great Yin Dynasty), and welcomed Zheng Wenchang's army.

Some prefectures and counties hesitated, wanting to observe the situation before making a decision.

Only a few prefectures and counties put up a firm resistance, but Zheng Wenchang's army swept through the enemy lines, capturing one prefecture and county after another, and beheading the defending generals, whose heads were displayed on the city walls.

Every time Zheng Wenchang conquered a city, the first thing he did was to demolish the temple that enshrined Su Ning's longevity tablet.

Those wooden carvings, clay sculptures, and portraits of Suning were dragged into the street, some were smashed, some were burned, and some were trampled.

The common people stood by and watched; some felt relieved, some felt sorry for them, but most remained expressionless, unsure of what to do.

He Jingyuan was not idle in the capital either.

Using his position as Grand Secretary, he mobilized several armies around the capital, ostensibly to "strengthen the defense of the capital region," but in reality, he was preparing for the rebels to enter the city.

They even sent people to spread rumors in the city, saying that Su Ning was dead, that Wei Qilin was going to usurp the throne, and that Empress Wei was going to rule from behind the curtain. They made it sound so real, as if they had seen it with their own eyes.

The atmosphere in the capital was becoming increasingly tense.

There were many unfamiliar faces on the streets, the checks at the city gates were stricter, and there was a curfew at night. Anyone still walking on the streets after curfew would be arrested.

Although the common people didn't know what was happening, they could sense that something was about to change.

……

Inside the palace, Wei Changyu stayed by Su Ning's bedside, never leaving her side.

The imperial physicians were still investigating what kind of poison Su Ning had been given, but after much investigation, they could only determine that it was a rare poison from the Western Regions. No one was sure about the specific ingredients or the method of detoxification.

Wei Qilin went in and out of the palace every day to report the situation outside to Wei Changyu.

But his expression grew increasingly grim each day, because the situation outside was getting worse.

“Zheng Wenchang’s army has already passed Mingzhou and is advancing towards the capital.” Wei Qilin stood in front of Wei Changyu, his voice low. “Most of the prefectures and counties along the way have surrendered. Those that did not surrender have been taken down. That old bastard He Jingyuan has not been idle in the capital either. He has transferred several armies to the capital, ostensibly to strengthen defenses, but in reality, he is preparing for the rebels.”

Wei Changyu's face turned pale. "Father, can you stop them?"

Wei Qilin was silent for a while. “We have to stop them even if we can’t. I still have tens of thousands of troops, and your mother has tens of thousands as well. But Zheng Wenchang’s rebel army is using the banner of the former imperial family, and those who are dissatisfied with the court are all flocking to him. His forces are growing bigger and bigger as we fight. On our side, people’s hearts are unsettled, and we don’t know how many people are secretly in contact with He Jingyuan.”

Wei Changyu closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

Suddenly, she remembered what Su Ning had taught her, and what Su Ning had said: "Changyu, you are the Empress. No matter what happens, you must not panic."

Wei Changyu opened her eyes, looked at Wei Qilin, and her eyes showed a newfound determination. "Father, you go ahead and do your work! You and Mother can handle things outside. I'll take care of things in the palace. No matter what, we must defend the capital and wait for His Majesty to wake up."

Looking at his daughter, Wei Qilin felt both heartache and relief.

Wei Qilin's daughter has grown up, transforming from a pig-slaughtering girl into an empress capable of holding up the sky.

"Okay." Wei Qilin said, then turned and walked out.

Wei Changyu sat by Su Ning's bedside, holding his hand, and whispered, "Your Majesty, please wake up! If you don't wake up, the world will be in chaos. Didn't you say you would take me and Ying An to see the most beautiful scenery? You can't go back on your word."

Su Ning lay there, motionless, her face still so pale, her lips still so purple.

Wei Changyu's tears fell onto the back of his hand, drop by drop, but Su Ning still did not react.

The sky outside the window was overcast, looking like it was about to rain, but it didn't.

In the distance, the faint sound of thunder could be heard, rumbling and growing ever closer.

But that wasn't thunder; it was the sound of the rebels' war drums, coming from afar, one after another, as if tolling the death knell for this nascent dynasty.

……

That day, Wei Changyu sat by the bed as usual, holding Su Ning's hand, his eyes red and swollen from crying, having not slept for several days.

She stayed by Su Ning's side without leaving her side for a moment. When she got tired, she would lie down by the bed and doze off for a while, and then continue to watch over her when she woke up.

The imperial physicians came and went, changing countless prescriptions and administering countless bowls of medicine, but Su Ning remained motionless, his face as white as paper.

Wei Changyu was about to collapse.

With rebel forces pressing in from the outside and He Jingyuan eyeing the capital with hostility, Wei Qilin and Meng Lihua were constantly deploying troops and defenses outside the palace, creating chaos both inside and outside the palace.

She was the Empress, the mistress of the six palaces, and the last pillar of support for everyone.

She must not cry, must not panic, must not collapse.

But she was truly exhausted, so exhausted that she didn't even have the strength to cry.

Wei Changyu lay down beside Su Ning and drifted off to sleep.

After an unknown amount of time, Wei Changyu suddenly felt someone touch his hair.

The hand was warm and gentle, just like when Su Ning used to touch her head.

Wei Changyu thought she was dreaming and didn't open her eyes, but that hand pinched her ear again.

Wei Changyu suddenly opened his eyes, looked up, and saw Su Ning staring at him with her eyes open.

Su Ning's face was still deathly pale, but her eyes were bright, and her smile was still captivating.

"Your Majesty?" Wei Changyu thought she was seeing things, so she rubbed her eyes. When she looked again, Su Ning was still looking at her, with a smile on his lips.

"Changyu, how come you've lost so much weight?"

Wei Changyu's tears immediately streamed down her face.

She suddenly threw herself into Su Ning's arms, crying uncontrollably, sobbing like a child.

I cried for days, holding back my tears, bottling up my grievances, and suppressing my fears.

They thought Su Ning was going to die, that she would never wake up again, and that she would have to face this mess alone.

"Alright, alright, stop crying." Su Ning patted Wei Changyu's back. "I'm fine, I just took a nap."

Wei Changyu cried for a long time before stopping, and then raised his head, sobbing, "Your Majesty, do you know how long you were unconscious? Five days! A full five days! The imperial physician said you were poisoned by a rare poison from the Western Regions, and there was no cure. I was so worried!"

Su Ning paused for a moment, then smiled and reached out to wipe away her tears. "Five days? That's quite a long time. But I'm alright now, aren't I? Don't cry, you won't look pretty if you keep crying."

Wei Changyu burst into laughter through her tears and playfully hit him, "Are you hungry? I'll have someone get you something to eat."

Su Ning shook his head, sat up, and stretched his limbs, which cracked a few times. "No rush. How is it outside while I've been unconscious?"

Wei Changyu's expression changed, and he told Su Ning everything.

Grand Secretary He Jingyuan colluded with Zheng Wenchang, the governor of Jizhou, and launched a rebellion under the banner of the last descendant of the Qi family of the previous dynasty. The rebel army has now reached Mingzhou and is advancing towards the capital.

The capital city was also not peaceful. Grand Secretary He Jingyuan had deployed several armies into the city, ostensibly to strengthen defenses, but in reality, he was preparing for a coordinated attack from within and without.

After listening, Su Ning's face remained expressionless; she simply nodded and said, "Understood."

Wei Changyu grew anxious: "Your Majesty, aren't you worried? The rebels are almost at the capital!"

Su Ning looked at her and smiled, "What's the rush? Now that I'm awake, they can't cause any more trouble."

……

Qi Shu was completely stunned when she heard the news that Su Ning had woken up.

They thought Su Ning would die, that he would remain unconscious until his internal organs failed and he died on the dragon bed.

But Su Ning woke up, Su Ning actually woke up.

The strange poison from the Western Regions, the one He Jingyuan said had no cure, yet Su Ning woke up on her own.

"Impossible...impossible..." Qi Shu murmured to herself.

She stood up and paced around the room like a wild beast trapped in a cage.

She remembered the way Su Ning drank the ginseng soup, Su Ning smiled and praised her cooking skills, and Su Ning kept her up for most of the night.

It turns out Suning knows everything; he must know everything.

Su Ning knew the soup was poisoned, but he still drank it.

"He did it on purpose... he did it on purpose!" Qi Shu suddenly realized.

Su Ning knew she was going to poison him, knew she hated him, and knew she was going to kill him.

But Su Ning pretended not to know anything, pretended to have been deceived, and pretended to be poisoned and unconscious.

Su Ning wasn't waiting to die; he was waiting for himself to make a move, for He Jingyuan to make a move, and for all the people hiding in the shadows to jump out.

Suning aims to wipe them all out, leaving no one alive.

Qi Shu laughed, and tears streamed down her face.

Qi Shu lost, and lost completely.

She thought she was playing a grand game, but from beginning to end, she was just a pawn on Suning's chessboard.

……

When Su Ning came to see Qi Shu, Qi Shu was sitting on the ground, surrounded by broken porcelain shards.

Qi Shu looked up and saw Su Ning walk in. Her eyes were red and her face was covered in tears.

Qi Shu didn't stand up or bow; she just sat on the ground, looking up at the man. "Are you here to kill me?"

Su Ning walked up to Qi Shu, looked down at her, and said, "I will not kill you."

Qi Shu was stunned for a moment, then gave a bitter smile. "Not going to kill me? Then what are you doing here? To laugh at me?"

Su Ning shook his head, reached out and touched Qi Shu's head as if touching a child, "I have come to give you a clean life."

Before Qi Shu could react, Su Ning's hand was already on her forehead.

A soft golden light shone forth, seeping from Su Ning's palm and into Qi Shu's brow.

Qi Shu felt as if something was being erased from her mind little by little. Those painful, bloody, and sleepless memories were slowly receding like the receding tide.

Qi Shu saw the tranquility of the palace, the butterflies in the imperial garden, and the smile of her mother, Consort An…

The images grew farther and farther away, becoming increasingly blurry, as if seen through a layer of fog, impossible to discern clearly.

Then those images disappeared, and new images appeared in their place.

She saw herself growing up in a small town, her parents were ordinary businessmen who ran a small shop, and their lives were neither good nor bad.

She saw herself participate in the selection of imperial concubines, be chosen to enter the palace, be favored by the emperor, and give birth to the eldest prince.

She saw herself sitting in her bedchamber, holding her child, with sunlight streaming in through the window, warm and cozy.

Her name is Su Wanqing! She is Consort Su of the Dayong Dynasty.

These are all fake, yet they seem more real than the real thing.

The golden light faded, and Suning withdrew his hand.

Su Wanqing's eyes gradually became clear, like a lake washed by rain.

Looking at Su Ning, there was no hatred or fear in his eyes, only tenderness and affection.

"Your Majesty, what brings you here?" Su Wanqing smiled. "I think I just had a dream. I dreamt of many strange things, but I forgot about it as soon as I woke up."

Su Ning smiled and helped Su Wanqing up from the ground. "It's okay, it was just a dream. Live your life well from now on and don't think about those things."

Su Wanqing nodded and leaned against Su Ning's chest, like a docile cat.

Su Wanqing didn't know what hatred was, what enmity was, what Qijia was, or what Da Yin was.

All that is known is that she is Su Wanqing, the emperor's concubine, and the biological mother of the eldest prince, Su Yingyuan.

This is who she is, and this is the kind of life she has lived her whole life.

It's good that everything is peaceful and safe.

……

After dealing with Qi Shu, the only remaining issue is Gongsun Jin.

At this moment, Gongsun Jin knelt in front of Su Ning, head bowed, trembling all over.

Su Ning woke up, and Qi Shu's memories had been altered by Su Ning, so she knew nothing.

But Gongsun Jin remembered everything.

He thought Su Ning would kill him, drag him out and behead him, or lock him up in jail and let him die there.

“Gongsun Jin, the headmaster of Hejian Academy, castrated himself for Qi Shu and infiltrated the palace for many years.” Su Ning’s voice was calm, as if reading a resume. “I know everything you have done.” Gongsun Jin lay on the ground, his forehead pressed against the ground, his voice trembling: “This sinful slave deserves to die ten thousand times.”

Su Ning was silent for a moment, then asked, "Gongsun Jin, do you hate me?"

Gongsun Jin was stunned for a moment, then looked up at Su Ning.

There was no hatred in his eyes, only something indescribable, like relief or gratitude.

In fact, whether or not the Qi clan of the Dayin royal family was destroyed was none of his business, since he was only doing it for Qi Shu.

“This humble servant does not hate Your Majesty. This humble servant only hates that I am powerless to protect the person I wanted to protect.” Gongsun Jin’s voice was hoarse. “This humble servant is sincerely convinced of Your Majesty’s handling of Consort Su. For her, forgetting those things is a relief. Her life has been too bitter; she deserves a few days of peace.”

Su Ning looked at Gongsun Jin for a long while, then smiled, "You seem to have a very open mind."

Gongsun Jin smiled bitterly: "What can I do if I can't let go? This servant is now a cripple and can't do anything."

Su Ning stood up, walked to Gongsun Jin, and looked down at him. "Then I will give you another chance."

"..." Gongsun Jin raised his head and was stunned.

"The Grand Eunuch Liu Jin of the Directorate of Ceremonial is getting old, and given that he is a remnant of the previous dynasty, it is indeed time for him to retire. I have seen that you have been diligent and capable in the Directorate of Ceremonial over the years, so starting tomorrow, the Directorate of Ceremonial will be handed over to you. I don't care who you are or what you have done in the past. I only care about your present and future. If you can manage the Directorate of Ceremonial well, I will use you. If you can't, I will replace you."

Gongsun Jin's tears fell.

He prostrated himself on the ground and kowtowed three times, his forehead hitting the floor tiles with a thud. "This servant thanks Your Majesty for your great kindness. This servant will do his utmost, even unto death."

When Gongsun Jin came out of the imperial study, it was already dark.

He stood on the steps, looked at the stars in the sky, took a deep breath, and slowly exhaled.

He had been hiding in this palace for many years, like a rat in the sewers.

From today onwards, I no longer need to hide myself.

He was now the Grand Eunuch of the Directorate of Ceremonial, a trusted person of the Emperor, and one of the most powerful people in the palace.

Qi Shu has now forgotten herself, forgotten everything, and is living a peaceful life.

I don't want to bother Qi Shu anymore, nor do I want to think about the past.

I must live well, and live for Qi Shu.

……

Now, the rebels have reached the outskirts of the capital.

Zheng Wenchang led an army of 100,000 and besieged the capital city completely.

He Jingyuan was also prepared in the capital, just waiting for the rebel army to attack the city so that he could open the city gates and coordinate an attack from the inside.

But what they didn't know was that Su Ning had already woken up, and that this was actually a setup by Su Ning.

That night, the people of the capital heard a strange noise coming from outside the city.

It wasn't war drums or bugles, but the sound of horses' hooves.

Not dozens or hundreds, but tens of thousands.

The thunderous sound of horses' hooves came from outside the city, growing closer and louder, shaking the windows.

Someone outside the city secretly opened a window and looked out, and saw a dark shadow rising on the horizon.

Those were cavalrymen, black cavalrymen, wearing black armor and black visors, riding tall black horses.

Their armor gleamed coldly in the moonlight, and their sabers shone like silver snakes in the night.

They appeared on the battlefield silently, like demon soldiers who had been killed in hell.

The 200,000 black cavalry were released by Suning from the spatial world.

He used this army when he destroyed King Changxin.

Today, he will use it again.

We must use this army to crush all the rebels without leaving a single one alive.

Zheng Wenchang stood in the camp outside the city, looking at the dark mass of cavalry in the distance, his face turned pale.

His hands were trembling, his legs were trembling, and his voice was trembling. "What...what is this? Where did all these cavalry come from?"

No one could answer Zheng Wenchang; everyone was stunned and even forgot to run away.

The Black Cavalry, like a black sword, pierced straight into the heart of the rebels.

There were no shouts of battle, no bugle calls, only the sound of horses' hooves and the drawing of sabers.

Before the rebels could even form ranks, they were routed.

The black cavalry charged and slaughtered among the rebels as if they were nothing, killing them one by one with each strike. The rebel corpses littered the ground, and blood flowed like a river.

Zheng Wenchang tried to escape on horseback, but was caught up by a black-clad cavalryman who beheaded him with a single stroke.

His head flew far away, and his body fell off the horse, where it was trampled into a bloody pulp by the horse's hooves.

The rebel army was leaderless; some died, some surrendered, and some fled. The 100,000-strong army was wiped out in less than two hours.

He Jingyuan waited for news from Zheng Wenchang in the capital, but instead received news of black cavalry entering the city.

Standing in the courtyard of the Cabinet Office, hearing the sound of horses' hooves and screams outside, his expression was complex, containing fear, resentment, anger, and a hint of relief.

Li Huai'an rushed in, covered in blood and with tears streaming down his face: "Master! Hurry! His Majesty's black cavalry has entered the city! If we don't leave now, it will be too late!"

He Jingyuan shook his head and gave a bitter smile. "Leave? Where to go? The whole world belongs to him, where can I possibly go?"

Li Huai'an tugged at his sleeve: "Master!"

He Jingyuan pushed Li Huai'an's hand away, straightened his clothes, walked into the room, and sat down in the armchair.

He sat in that chair for five years.

Today is the last day.

The sound of horses' hooves outside grew closer, and He Jingyuan closed his eyes.

Su Ning did not kill He Jingyuan; He Jingyuan committed suicide.

He Jingyuan sat in the armchair and plunged a dagger into his heart.

When Li Huai'an rushed in, He Jingyuan had already died, but there was a smile on his face. It was hard to tell whether he was laughing at himself or at the world.

……

The rebellion was quelled.

From the start of the uprising to its demise, it lasted less than ten days.

All members of He Jingyuan's lineage who participated in the rebellion were executed.

As for those officials and generals who betrayed Dayong and joined the rebels, they were all purged by Suning.

As for the gentry and merchants who supported the rebels, they were not spared either; now no one would resist the court's new policies.

Some were beheaded, some were exiled, and some had their homes confiscated.

Every day, heads rolled off at Caishikou in Beijing, and the blood flowed so much that it stained the ground red, and it was impossible to wash it clean.

……

On the third day after the rebellion was quelled, Wei Qilin and Meng Lihua went to the palace to request an audience with Su Ning.

Wei Qilin knelt before Su Ning and presented a memorial requesting his resignation. "Your Majesty, this old minister is getting old and his health is not what it used to be. I wish to take Lihua back to Lin'an Town and live a few days of peace and quiet. Slaughtering pigs and selling meat is much more comfortable than the intrigues in the court."

Meng Lihua knelt beside him without saying a word, but her eyes, like Wei Qilin's, showed that she was determined to leave.

Su Ning looked at them and remained silent for a long time.

He knew why they were leaving.

It's not that I'm afraid, it's not that I'm tired, it's that I don't want to be wiped out by Suning one day.

He Jingyuan's incident served as a wake-up call for them. They didn't want to become the second He Jingyuan, nor did they want to put Su Ning and Wei Changyu in a difficult position.

Rather than harboring suspicions against each other in the imperial court, it would be better for them to step down, retire to the mountains, and live as an ordinary couple.

Whether Suning will appoint their grandson Su Ying'an as crown prince is no longer important.

"I grant your permission."

Wei Qilin kowtowed, and Meng Lihua also kowtowed.

Wei Changyu stood to the side, tears streaming down her face.

Although she knew her parents would leave sooner or later, she still felt a little reluctant when the day actually came.

She immediately knelt down and kowtowed to Wei Qilin and Meng Lihua, saying, "Father, Mother, your daughter is unfilial and cannot serve you in your old age."

Meng Lihua helped Wei Changyu up, wiped away her tears, and said with a smile, "Silly child, you and Ying'an doing well in the palace is the greatest filial piety you can show us. Don't cry, you won't be pretty if you cry your face."

Wei Qilin looked at Su Ning, wanting to say something, but then closed his mouth again.

I really want to pat Suning on the shoulder again, just like I did back in Lin'an Town.

But now it's no longer appropriate, after all, Su Ning is not only his son-in-law, but also the emperor of this Great Yong Dynasty.

Meng Lihua followed behind Wei Qilin. When she reached the door, she looked back at Wei Changyu, Su Ning, and the empire they had fought so hard to build. Then she turned and left.

Wei Qilin and Meng Lihua returned to Lin'an Town and reopened the Fan family's butcher shop.

Every morning before dawn, I get up to sharpen my knife, slaughter pigs, and sell the meat, just like before.

Because Su Ning altered the memories of everyone in Lin'an Town, no one knows about their past anymore.

The neighbors still call them Fan Erniu and Meng Lihua, and no one knows that they were once the Privy Council Deputy Envoy and Protector General of the Great Yong Dynasty.

Of course, the couple didn't care. As long as they lived comfortably, that was better than anything else.

Su Ning stood on the city wall of the palace, looking down at the magnificent landscape.

Wei Changyu stood beside Su Ning, leaning on his shoulder, without saying a word.

After a long while, Wei Changyu asked softly, "Your Majesty, will there be any more rebellions in the future?"

Su Ning thought for a moment, "Yes. As long as there are people, there will be struggle, ambition, and betrayal. It's human nature, and it can't be changed."

Wei Changyu looked up at him and asked, "Aren't you afraid?"

Su Ning laughed and hugged her tighter. "What's there to be afraid of? Kill one if one comes, kill two if two come. I can conquer this world, and I can protect it."

Wei Changyu smiled, leaned back on his shoulder, and looked at the distant horizon.

As the sun sets, the clouds on the horizon are dyed golden-red, which is very beautiful.

Thinking back to those days in Lin'an Town, to that snowy evening, to the first time Su Ning came to Lin'an Town...

Those days seem like they were just yesterday.

"Your Majesty, let's go home," Wei Changyu said.

Su Ning paused for a moment, then smiled, "Okay, let's go home."

He took Wei Changyu's hand, walked down the city wall, and entered the magnificent palace.

That was their home, and the center of the world.

From today onwards, a new chapter begins for the Great Yong Dynasty.

Nobody knows what will be written on this page.

But one thing is certain—the person who wrote this page is Su Ning, Wei Changyu, and the people of Dayong.

The sun sets, and the moon rises.

One by one, the lights of every household in the capital were lit up, like stars falling from the sky to the ground.

This ancient city, having endured too much war and slaughter, has finally found peace today.

The sound of children's laughter drifted from afar. I don't know whose child it was, but they were running around in the alley, having a great time.

That child didn't know that this world was bought with the lives of countless people.

All I know is that the moon is very round tonight, the dinner is delicious, and my dreams tonight will be beautiful.

...(End of this chapter)