Chapter 96: Conclusion (Part 2)

Today, the newly appointed scholars entered the court to fill the vacancies, creating an unprecedented hustle and bustle in the court.

“As the talented enter the hall today, there must be a wise ruler. We beg the Crown Prince Ning Yin to ascend the throne and continue the prosperity of the nation!”

Several civil officials, who observed the situation from all sides, jointly pleaded with Ning Yin to ascend the throne as Emperor. Most of their words were polite and flattering, considering that Ning Yin had always ignored them in the past.

But today, the Crown Prince Ning Yin sat on the only blood sandalwood throne in the Golden Luang Temple, casually sweeping a glance at the kneeling old and new courtiers, and unexpectedly spoke out.

He wasn’t confiscating anyone’s property or dismissing anyone from their positions this time. Instead, he said indifferently, “Why are you still kneeling? The ceremony for the enthronement and the investiture of the Empress must be personally arranged by me.”

The hall instantly quieted down.

Unexpectedly, Ning Yin agreed so readily this time. On the shining floor tiles, various courtiers showed different expressions.

Especially those who secretly wanted to manipulate the court through the young prince, hoping to control the situation, looked quite panicked and complicated.

“The Crown Prince’s acceptance of the urgent task is a blessing for our dynasty!”

The officials from the Imperial Censorate were the first to speak out, controlling the direction of the court.

The Minister of Rites also chimed in, “I will arrange the ceremony for the enthronement immediately!”

General Yu Yuan and his son Yu Huanchen exchanged a glance. In that brief moment, thoughts surged through their minds, but they soon calmed down.

As if making a major decision, the father and son knelt down again and said loudly, “We are willing to follow the Crown Prince and uphold the state!”

The courtiers, as if waking from a dream, echoed one after another, “We are willing to follow the Crown Prince and uphold the state!”

Thus, a major event came to an end amidst the speculations of the courtiers, with no one daring to interject.

Yu Lingxi found some time and went to the Ministry of Justice.

The young official who came to greet her was dressed in a loose green official robe, fair-faced and clear-eyed, exuding an aura of righteousness.

He bowed to Yu Lingxi and said, “The documents have been verified, Your Highness, please wait.”

His words were concise and solemn.

Yu Lingxi recognized the stern but handsome face. She couldn’t help but smile slightly, “It’s you, Zhou Yunqing.”

There was a trace of surprise on Zhou Yunqing’s face, but he nodded, “Your Highness still remembers me.”

“Of course.”

Yu Lingxi’s memory was always good. She had a vivid impression of him since the Qiqiao Festival last year. “Master Zhou, you will become the most outstanding official in the Ministry of Justice in the future.”

Zhou Yunqing was young, and even though he was appreciated by the Crown Prince, he had only just entered the court and held the position of a sixth-ranking deputy. He was still far from the position of subdirector in the Ministry of Justice…

However, who was Yu Lingxi? She was the person whom the Crown Prince cherished in his heart. Initially, she had been held captive by the remnants of the Third Prince’s faction and was suffering in the depths of the prison in the Ministry of Justice.

Her praise was more effective than any imperial decree.

Appreciating her words, Zhou Yunqing showed no trace of conceit. He replied calmly, “Your Highness is too kind.”

“Oh, by the way, although Princess of Qingping is unconventional and careless in some matters, she is extremely loyal and righteous, a rare good person.”

Yu Lingxi stopped short of saying more, “If Deputy Director Zhou doesn’t mind her precarious situation, please remember the favor she showed you initially and treat her kindly.”

Mentioning Tang Buli, Zhou Yunqing’s cold and sparse face showed a hint of respect, “I understand.”

As soon as he finished speaking, two officials personally led in a figure dressed in plain white.

Yu Lingxi raised her head from her seat and saw Xue Cen standing behind the two officials.

Having been detained in the Ministry of Justice for nearly a month, he appeared thinner. His once radiant demeanor had faded into a pale melancholy, like a pearl covered in dust.

But his eyes remained gentle and clean. After gazing at the stunning beauty with unparalleled clouds for a while, his dry lips moved several times before he bowed and said, “The guilty one greets… Princess Consort.”

The address took a detour on his lips, sounding particularly dry.

“Second Young Master Xue, please rise,” Yu Lingxi lifted her arm and helped him up.

Xue Cen turned his head and coughed lightly, a hint of shallow red appeared on his cheeks, indicating the lingering poison in his body.

Yu Lingxi turned her head and ordered the attendant to present the prepared package.

Seeing the valuable items packed tightly in the package, Xue Cen was stunned for a moment, then shook his head, “A dying man dares not accept Your Highness’s favor.”

He dared not look in Yu Lingxi’s direction.

Clearly, she was so gentle and radiant that just a glance from afar could bring tears to his eyes.

“I also owe you a favor,” Yu Lingxi stood up and began to unpack the items in the package one by one for him to see, “These are detoxification pills I had made, enough for a year, to temporarily suppress the toxicity in your body. This is a travel permit, along with a letter of recommendation written by me. Follow the address on the letter to find the alchemist on your way from the capital to Yan City. He will help you…”

Hearing this, Xue Cen finally understood Yu Lingxi’s intention.

“Is Your Highness… letting me go?” Xue Cen’s chest heaved, his voice bitter, “I have committed grave sins, only death can atone for them, how can Your Highness…”

“It’s the intention of His Highness,” Yu Lingxi deliberately brought up Ning Yin.

Xue Cen was stunned, feeling a long-lasting bitterness in his heart.

“Moreover, those who have committed grave sins have already received the punishment they deserve. If Second Young Master Xue passively seeks death, it would be as insignificant as a floating feather, truly beneath contempt.”

Yu Lingxi smiled lightly and said in a warm voice, “Consider it a general amnesty before the enthronement ceremony. Go. Everyone should live for themselves once. The mountains are high and the seas are wide, roam as you wish.”

A person must live for themselves at least once.

Gentle words carry profound power.

Xue Cen reminisced about his mere twenty-one years of life, living under the shelter of his elders, always being passively carried forward by the family. When the family’s dirty darkness beneath its glamorous facade was revealed, and faith collapsed, he seemed to lose the direction to continue living in an instant.

Drinking the poison was not only to atone for the Yu family, but also to save the endangered Xue family.

He had never thought about solving problems while alive, using righteous actions to conceal the cowardice of escaping death in his heart, how laughable!

As the haze in his heart dispersed, Xue Cen’s eyes became moist.

He had yet to collect Xue Song’s bones, had yet to see his grandfather, who had been dismissed and was critically ill. There were still many things he could do…

Xue Cen raised his eyes, looking at her as gently as he did when he was young, and bowed slowly, saying, “Xue Cen thanks you, Your Majesty!”

“Well then, farewell.”

Yu Lingxi nodded, and with him passing each other, they left the main hall and entered the setting sun, her figure coated in golden powder, standing tall and slender, vaguely exuding a dazzling majesty.

Outside the Dali Temple, they saw a carriage parked in front of the steps.

With the curtain half open, a handsome young man in a deep purple royal robe lazily leaned inside, supporting his head and looking at her.

Yu Lingxi’s eyes lit up, she let go of the handrail she was holding, smiled and lifted her skirt onto the carriage, saying, “Why are you here?”

“To pick someone up.” Ning Yin moved his finger, pointing to the seat beside him.

So Yu Lingxi sat next to him, intentionally or unintentionally brushing her knee against his thigh through the fabric, smiling flawlessly, “Husband is busy with state affairs, yet still finds time to pick up his consort, truly considerate.”

As the words fell, she was already in Ning Yin’s embrace.

“Yu Lingxi, meeting unpleasant people.” His eyes deep, he leaned down and pecked her eyelashes.

“There’s the smell of someone I hate on you.” Moving down, he bit her delicate collarbone.

Yu Lingxi felt Ning Yin was particularly interesting.

When he played crazy, he was extremely ruthless to his own body, cutting his hair, getting tattoos, and even cutting his palms to bleed, without blinking an eye. However, when it came to her, even if his words were harsh, he only dared to punish her with his mouth.

Because she knew his unusual way of cherishing her, Yu Lingxi felt especially cherished.

“Some things start because of me, so naturally, they should end because of me.”

Yu Lingxi twitched, stopping Ning Yin’s mouth from going further down, “Besides, didn’t you promise last night to release Xue Cen?”

Ning Yin raised an eyebrow, “When did I say that last night?”

“…”

Yu Lingxi’s mind was filled with the urgent ringing of golden bells and the vivid red tattoo on Ning Yin’s chest, her cheeks involuntarily heating up as she gave him a soft glare.

Ning Yin smiled pleasantly, letting her look at him, just like last night.

“How about helping this Emperor remember tonight?”

The carriage swayed, his deep and melodious voice steady, “Do you want the bell or the seal to shake tonight?”

Yu Lingxi didn’t want to pay attention to him.

At night, in the sleeping chamber, the lamp cast a beautiful shadow, the beauty sitting on the bed with her black hair cascading down to her waist, leaning against it.

Her posture resembled the one on the imperial seal, but she exuded a warm fragrance and softness, dazzlingly white.

“Doesn’t a jade seal lack the liveliness of a real person?”

Yu Lingxi yawned, enduring the late spring chill, looking at Ning Yin who came in with a cool mist, “Do I look like it?”

Ning Yin paused in front of the bed.”

Because he was accustomed to controlling everything, accustomed to Yu Lingxi’s gentle indulgence, he forgot that she was the one who was best at teasing in the beginning.

Ning Yin’s lips lifted slightly, leaning in to appreciate.

But Yu Lingxi pressed him down, saying, “This seal, naturally, will be stamped by me on you.”

She deliberately emphasized the “me”, with ambitions of taming the dragon.

Ning Yin narrowed his eyes, feeling the encroaching pressure. Yu Lingxi bit her lip, boldly stamping the seal, but lacking the experience of dominating from top to bottom, it was done clumsily.

After a while, Ning Yin let out a low, hoarse chuckle, and said calmly, “How about I kneel to you?”

There was no room for refusal, her gaze abruptly shifting. The mad Crown Prince, who didn’t show respect to gods or emperors, knelt for her for half the night.

…

In early summer, the coronation ceremony proceeded as scheduled.

The sky was high, the clouds were light, the imperial flag fluttered, and the officials and palace attendants stood solemnly, respectfully welcoming the ceremony to worship the heavens, earth, and ancestral spirits.

Yu Lingxi, with her black hair coiled high and adorned with phoenix crown and flower hairpins, her makeup exquisite and dignified, wore a phoenix robe embroidered with gold, trailing behind her. In front of her, Ning Yin, in a black crown robe, stood tall and handsome, his indifferent profile exuding an air of disdain for the world.

According to etiquette, the Empress should follow behind the Emperor.

However, as they stepped onto the long white jade steps, Ning Yin stopped in his tracks. In front of the officials and guards, he took Yu Lingxi’s hand and ascended the stairs side by side with her.

Yu Lingxi tightened her grip for a moment, then smiled brightly, clasping his sturdy and slender fingers tightly.

As they reached the last step, they turned around, gazing at the vastness of heaven and earth, the mountains, rivers, palaces, and buildings all within their sight.

The majestic horns sounded, the officials kowtowed, shouting long live to the Emperor and long life to the Empress.

The cheers echoed in the palace, deafening, and Yu Lingxi glanced at Ning Yin beside her from the corner of her eye, her gaze shining brighter than ever before.

The madman of the past life finally stood in the sunlight, stood at the peak, and accepted the worship of the officials uprightly.

After the lengthy ritual, they were to enter the Golden Luang Palace to receive the courtiers’ homage.

The towering hall had vermilion lacquered pillars, with golden dragons spiraling upwards. The frontmost dragon throne had been replaced with a brand new one because Ning Yin found it dirty.

Anything used by the old Emperor, any object touched by him, he found dirty.

Yu Lingxi sat beside the dragon throne, the courtiers entered the hall in order, kneeling and kowtowing. At such a close distance, Yu Lingxi saw her father, who was in the front row, looking at her with such loving and powerful eyes.

On the day of the new Emperor’s enthronement, it was customary to issue a decree to win the hearts of the people, such as granting a general amnesty or reducing taxes for three years.

Even the Minister of Revenue suggested, “Now that the people of Yan have repeatedly violated our borders, causing panic among the people and skyrocketing food prices. If Your Majesty could reduce taxes, it would be a blessing to the people and the welfare of the country!”

Some nodded in agreement, all waiting as the seemingly casual but actually extremely oppressive young new Emperor spoke up.

“The Yan people are coming south to kill and plunder. Instead of thinking about how to reclaim what’s ours, you want Us to reduce taxes.”

Ning Yin chuckled, “You all seem quite savvy in the art of soothing troubles and pretending everything is peaceful.”

With these words, the Minister of Revenue knelt down in panic, “Your Majesty, this old minister is dull-witted, please enlighten me!”

Ning Yin tapped the armrest of the dragon chair and raised his gaze, “Fight back.”

With this statement, the whole hall was shocked.

The first thing the new Emperor did upon ascending the throne was to expel external threats, a first since the founding of the dynasty! Any slight carelessness would lead to being labeled as “militaristic and fond of war.”

This… this was truly a bold decision.

Only Yu Lingxi knew that Ning Yin intended to establish his authority with the blood of the Yan people.

Reducing taxes would only slightly alleviate the people’s suffering for three years. Three years of avoiding war would allow the recently risen Yan people to grow even stronger and more difficult to deal with. Winning this battle, on the other hand, would deter everyone, inspiring morale and providing a lasting solution.

The war must be fought, but not in the same way as in the past.

“The Yan people are plundering today, and tomorrow they will attack our cities and kill our people. They will continuously encroach, never satisfied.”

Yu Lingxi sat on the phoenix throne, her words clear and resonant, “If they want war, we will give them war. There are no cowards in the Wei Dynasty!”

Ning Yin glanced over, a hint of indulgent smile in his eyes.

She said she would stand by his side, not behind him.

It turns out, it wasn’t just empty words.

In the hall, General Yu Yuan took the initiative to step forward, his voice resounding, “I am willing to lead the battle for the sake of the people!”

Immediately after, his son, Yu Huanchen, stepped forward, “I request to accompany my father in the expedition to expel the Yan people!”

The voices echoed in the hall, deafening.

Ning Yin calmly said, “It’s rare to have such wise generals as General Yu.”

With this decisive statement, many onlookers in the court immediately kneeled and exclaimed in unison, “Long live the wise Emperor! Long live the wise Empress!”

The following days were busy and fulfilling.

When Yu Lingxi was the quiet princess, her days were almost boring, spent either walking or reading.

But now, as the newly crowned Empress, there was so much to learn and so much to do. Busy to the point where she barely had time to sit down and enjoy a cup of tea, let alone brew one herself.

Yet, Yu Lingxi didn’t regret it. Every word she spoke, every decision she made, carried great significance.

With the need to fund the upcoming war, the military expenses were enormous. Yu Lingxi began by reducing the number of palace attendants by half and dismissing the concubines of the late Emperor who had not borne children, aiming to cut expenses and alleviate the pressure on Ning Yin.

As she was instructing the palace maids to carry out these tasks, a figure entered the hall.

Ning Yin didn’t often wear dragon robes when not attending court. He entered wearing his usual crimson attire, hands behind his back, his demeanor cold and elegant, his features sharp and beautiful.

“You’re here. Have you finished reviewing the memorials?” Yu Lingxi personally poured him tea, her smile radiant.

Ning Yin clicked his tongue, sitting down with a flick of his robes. “Yu Lingxi, you don’t care about me, only about memorials?”

Yu Lingxi hid her face behind the memorial list, revealing only her almond-shaped eyes. “Who says that?”

Ning Yin was indeed crazy and intelligent. The pile of memorials in front of him seemed as light as mud, and even the most difficult problems could be solved after staying up half the night.

Although he often threw the memorials halfway through reading, calculating how to punish disobedient ministers, or threatening to execute them, scaring those around him.

But it couldn’t be denied that Yu Lingxi admired his methods to the point of almost jealousy.

She prided herself on not being foolish, but in front of Ning Yin, she lacked a certain finesse.

If only she had half of his decisiveness, she wouldn’t have been busy for nearly ten days just by cutting down palace attendants.

Seeing Ning Yin looking at her, Yu Lingxi quickly reported on the tasks at hand, “Regarding the expedition to Northern Yan, with Father and Brother there, you don’t need to worry.”

In his previous life, Ning Yin lacked outstanding military commanders who could lead troops effectively, resulting in a war that dragged on for two years, exhausting manpower and resources, and inviting numerous criticisms.

This lifetime, with his father and brother present, and the removal of corrupt officials in the court, they would not repeat the mistakes of the past.

Ning Yin seemed indifferent to the matter, still gazing at her.

Yu Lingxi continued, “I have reduced the number of palace attendants by half, saving at least seventy thousand taels of silver annually. There were a few old consorts who were unwilling to leave the palace, causing a small disturbance, but it has been resolved.”

Seeing Ning Yin still looking at her, Yu Lingxi felt a bit uneasy and reflected for a moment before pulling his sleeve, “What’s wrong, Ning Yin?”

Had some minister made a mistake in their duties and angered him?

Just as she was thinking, a shadow fell over them.

Ning Yin pointedly touched the faint fatigue in her eyes, then snatched the memorial list from her hand and threw it aside with a light thud, startling the palace maids standing nearby.

Yu Lingxi blinked, “What’s…?”

Before she could finish her sentence, Ning Yin had grabbed her wrist and pulled her out of the hall.

Outside, the sunlight was just right, the breeze gentle.

The air was filled with the fragrance of late spring, lacking the biting cold but not feeling overly hot. Yu Lingxi was led by Ning Yin along the long palace path, her pale golden dress fluttering, until the sea of begonias in the imperial garden stretched out before them. It was then that she realized Ning Yin had brought her out here to relax.

Yu Lingxi didn’t particularly like begonias; there were vast fields of them in the Zhao Mansion in her previous life.

“Don’t like them?”

Ning Yin noticed her momentary hesitation and then understood, “They’ll be cut down.”

The attendants acted swiftly, starting to cut down the trees and dig up the flowers.

Watching the begonias about to meet a tragic end, Yu Lingxi couldn’t help but laugh and cry, “Wait! Instead of cutting them down, let’s replant them. It would cost thousands of taels of silver to replant them.”

She had saved that money so hard!

Afraid that Ning Yin would truly raze the begonia garden to the ground, Yu Lingxi had no choice but to pull him along and continue forward.

Ahead was a grove of camellias, with large, beautiful flowers blooming layer upon layer.

Walking along the flower garden for about two quarters of an hour, a dilapidated and gloomy palace came into view, surrounded by high walls, with no gaps for wind to pass through.

Beside him, Ning Yin’s eyes paused, slowing his pace.

Yu Lingxi, unaware, raised her hand to shield her eyes and asked, “What palace is ahead? Why is it so desolate?”

“The Morning Dew Palace,” Ning Yin said.

“What?” Yu Lingxi felt the name sounded familiar.

“The Morning Dew Palace.”

Ning Yin repeated softly, “It also has another name, the Cold Palace.”

Yu Lingxi remembered: this was the place where the former emperor imprisoned Ning Yin’s mother. Ning Yin had spent twelve years of purgatory-like life here, only to escape from one hell and fall into another.

Yu Lingxi couldn’t understand the darkness in Ning Yin’s eyes for a moment; she only felt a dense sense of pain.

“Let’s take another path.”

She gently held Ning Yin’s fingers and smiled lightly at him.

Light returned to Ning Yin’s eyes, teasingly he said, “Do you want to go in and take a look?”

Yu Lingxi shook her head, “No.”

“Liar.” Ning Yin pinched her pinky.

Yu Lingxi did want to, she wanted to know everything about Ning Yin.

But she knew these were painful memories for Ning Yin, ones he didn’t want to revisit. She didn’t want him to be hurt. She could come back later alone to take a look, feel sorry for him for a while, and then go back and hug him tightly.

However, Yu Lingxi underestimated Ning Yin’s almost self-destructive ruthlessness.

When he decided to let down his guard, he was willing to tear open the wounds in his heart and present them to her, bloody and raw.

“This is the little room where that woman imprisoned me.”

Ning Yin pointed to a side chamber, “Every time I misbehaved, I would be locked in here for a night.”

Of course, if the old beast came to spend the night with her, he would also be locked in here, listening to the intermittent cries outside, despairingly covering his ears.

“One time, that woman fell ill from being overworked and forgot I was still in the dark room. I was in there for two days and one night before someone found me.”

Ning Yin spoke nonchalantly, saying chilling words, and pushed the decaying door, causing a cloud of dust to rise.

He covered Yu Lingxi’s nose and mouth with his sleeve, pulling her into his arms, and glanced into the cramped dark room, unexpectedly saying, “It’s so small? When I was a child, I always felt it was dark and empty.”

“Children are small, so the room seems empty,” Yu Lingxi said, imagining how young Ning Yin must have curled up in a dark corner, trembling.

Her breath hitched, and she pulled Ning Yin out.

But the memories in the courtyard weren’t pleasant either.

“I fell from that tree when I was seven, trying to retrieve a discarded kite for someone else.”

He looked at the dead and crooked locust tree in the courtyard, squinting, “Really foolish.”

Further ahead were the stone steps covered in dust and dead leaves.

“Here is where that woman made me kneel as punishment.”

Ning Yin pointed to a tile in front of the steps embedded with sharp fragments, smiling as he introduced, “Roll up your pants, kneel for half an hour, and your knees will be swollen. Kneel for an hour, and your skin will crack open; kneel for a day, and you’ll lose consciousness.”

“Stop, Ning Yin,” Yu Lingxi couldn’t listen anymore, suppressing her voice.

But memories were like torture, and the pain inflicted on Ning Yin was only worse than hers.

Ning Yin wiped away the tears from her eyes and, after a long time, leaned over and said softly, “That woman must have envied me.”

His voice was light, with a hint of pride.

“Yes, she envied you.”

Yu Lingxi hugged Ning Yin, burying her face in his chest, “Because you’re happier than her, because… I love you.”

The words were whispered softly, but Ning Yin heard them.

He squinted his bright eyes, as if he had won over an invisible enemy, as if he had defeated the helpless version of himself in the dark room.

There was a splash of red on the wall. Upon closer inspection, it was a weak oleander flower.

The stem was thin, the leaves wilted, frail as if it would collapse with a gust of wind. Yet it still survived in the crevice of the stone, blooming a bright red flower.

“There’s a flower,” Yu Lingxi smiled.

In this oppressive cage, there was life struggling to survive, bursting into fervent bloom.

“Do you know, oleander flowers have nectar?”

She carefully plucked the withering flower and handed it to Ning Yin, “Try it if you don’t believe me.”

Ning Yin looked down at the flower, which couldn’t be considered beautiful, for a moment, then leaned over and gently took the flower from her hand, holding it delicately in his mouth.

The bright red bloomed between his thin lips, cool and slightly bitter.

Yu Lingxi smiled lightly, tugging at his collar, tiptoed, and kissed the flower on his lips.

The wind rose, the shadows of the trees swayed. Fragrance wafted, the pale red nectar dripped down his lips and was quickly licked clean.

The wind subsided, sunlight spilled over the high wall into his eyes.

Ning Yin wiped away the red nectar from her lips, leaned in and whispered, “This nectar is not as sweet as your own sweetness.”

Yu Lingxi’s eyes shimmered, breathless, “Your Majesty, mind your words and actions.”

Ning Yin smiled with great pleasure.

After all the commotion, Yu Lingxi was tired, so she pulled Ning Yin to find a clean stone step and sat down, leaning her head on his broad shoulder.

For a moment, only the rustle of the cool wind stirring the fallen leaves was heard.

Ning Yin looked down, the beautiful empress who leaned on his shoulder had fallen into a light sleep. The sunlight spilled over the high wall onto the upper half of her face, her eyelashes and strands of hair were glowing.

In Ning Yin’s memory, the Cold Palace was only endless darkness and coldness.

But now, there was light.

Sleeping here would catch a cold, so Ning Yin simply held her knees, lifted her up, and walked towards the direction of the Palace.

Red walls, golden tiles, palace attendants bowed and saluted, a young emperor in crimson robes carrying his empress stepped over the prostrated palace attendants, as if no one else existed, steadily crossing the long palace road.

The breeze brushed their faces, the golden drapes hung long, like golden mist dispersing. The dragon-patterned jade pendant around Yu Lingxi’s waist collided with the auspicious rabbit sachet hanging from Ning Yin’s belt, intertwining and rubbing against each other.

In the slight bumpiness, Yu Lingxi hummed drowsily.

“Ning Yin.”

“Mmm.”

“Don’t be afraid.”

“…Mmm.”

The setting sun cast their intertwined shadows, graceful as a painting.

Everything went as wished, peace every year.

Days passed, years repeated, until eternity.

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