The King of Huyi had died, and both the Second Prince and Third Prince were also already dead.

Marquis Pingyang and all the other conspirators involved in the rebellion were completely imprisoned.

And the final victor of this battle for the palace was Marquis Nanguo!

He publicly declared that Marquis Pingyang had plotted rebellion and engaged in mass slaughter, and that he had arrived in time with the late king’s surviving son, immediately mobilizing the army to rescue the sovereign.

Ultimately gaining control of the overall situation.

Those court ministers who had been imprisoned by Li Qiao were rescued one after another, each one grateful and indebted.

All submitted.

Immediately supporting Bai Yin as king.

However, with the national mourning period of half a month, the enthronement ceremony had to be postponed.

Gong Chi had finally avenged his great grievance. He also fulfilled his promise, taking his son’s ashes and returning to his hometown.

From this point forward, he would no longer interfere in court affairs.

Retiring into seclusion.

The Gong Manor’s carriage left Gaoding City and soon reached the official road.

The heavy snow on the third day of the first month was still falling urgently.

Snowflakes fell densely, nearly obscuring people’s vision.

Because it was during the New Year period, only a few people could be seen bustling about on the official road.

Inside the carriage, Gong Chi wrapped himself in a heavy coat, holding an urn in his hands.

At this moment, the knot in his heart had finally been untied!

He took a deep breath!

“Shilin, Father is taking you back to our hometown. We’ll never come back again.”

He had never imagined that such a decision would make him feel so relaxed!

Because for him now, there were no more attachments. He only wanted to spend the rest of his life living while guarding his son’s ashes.

This would be the greatest comfort.

Outside, cold wind howled past, causing the curtain to billow up and down…

“Selling hot plum blossom congee!”

“Selling hot plum blossom congee!”

A vendor was calling out on the official road.

Hearing this, Gong Chi lifted the curtain to look outside.

He saw a stall by the roadside with white steam rising from it, with two tables placed under the canopy.

An elderly boss near sixty years old was selling plum blossom congee.

That was Gong Shilin’s favorite during his lifetime!

“Stop!”

The coachman pulled the reins, bringing the carriage to a halt.

“Master?”

Gong Chi got down from the carriage holding the urn and said to the coachman: “Let’s rest here for a bit.”

“Alright!” The coachman quickly led the carriage to one side.

The boss warmly welcomed them.

He served two bowls of plum blossom congee.

Gong Chi took a taste—the flavor was just right.

The boss asked: “Guest, do you like it?”

He nodded.

And smiled.

“Guest, where are you headed?”

“Going home.”

“Where is home?”

“A small town in the south.” Gong Chi was quite talkative and said more about his hometown.

It was a very beautiful place.

After listening, the boss smiled and served him another bowl of plum blossom congee.

“My plum blossom congee is the very best. If you like it, guest, have a couple more bowls.”

Having said that, he went about his business.

Gong Chi gazed at the white expanse of forest before him, feeling very content in his heart.

For these past several decades, he had maneuvered within official circles, every day filled with deception and scheming. He had long since stopped taking the time to properly appreciate these mountains and rivers.

Actually, shedding his official robes might not be such a bad thing after all.

He finally understood the sentiments possessed by those carefree poets!

He couldn’t help but utter: “Truly beautiful!” The boss happened to hear this and added a remark, saying: “It’s rare for Huyi to have such prolonged heavy snow this year, which is why we have such beautiful scenery. But ah, beautiful scenery is beautiful scenery, yet there are also downsides! A few days ago I saw a deer frantically running around the forest looking for food. In winter with snow, there’s not a scrap of food in the forest—who knows how many animals have starved to death! But we can’t blame Heaven for this. Knowing full well that winter was coming, they should have stored up food early. If they starved to death, that’s their own fault! As the saying goes, you reap what you sow! Don’t you agree, guest?”

After hearing these words, Gong Chi became thoughtful.

He silently put down the plum blossom congee in his hand!

He didn’t respond.

Seeing that it was getting late, the coachman reminded him: “Master, we should hurry on our way, otherwise we won’t make it before dark.”

“Mm.”

Gong Chi took out an ingot of silver and placed it on the table.

After the coachman brought the carriage around, he boarded and departed.

The boss picked up the silver from the table, watching the direction the carriage departed with a cold smile.

Sitting inside the carriage, Gong Chi only felt his entire body growing cold…

He leaned his head against the carriage wall, tightly clutching Gong Shilin’s urn.

At the corners of his mouth, dark purple blood gradually seeped out.

He didn’t cry out, just sat there quietly. In his mind, the words the boss had just spoken echoed: “It’s rare for Huyi to have such prolonged heavy snow this year, which is why we have such beautiful scenery. But ah, beautiful scenery is beautiful scenery, yet there are also downsides! A few days ago I saw a deer frantically running around the forest looking for food. In winter with snow, there’s not a scrap of food in the forest—who knows how many animals have starved to death! But we can’t blame Heaven for this. Knowing full well that winter was coming, they should have stored up food early. If they starved to death, that’s their own fault! As the saying goes, you reap what you sow! Don’t you agree, guest?”

As the saying goes, you reap what you sow!

This was the seed he had planted!

In the end, he still couldn’t escape it.

The curtain was occasionally lifted by the wind, and his eyes, brimming with tears, looked outside.

It was truly beautiful outside!

The forest was truly beautiful!

A few snowflakes blew in with the cold wind.

Landing on him and on the urn.

He said: “Shilin, Father will definitely… definitely take you home.”

Slowly he closed his eyes…

When a person plants a cause, they must bear its effect.

Everyone is the same!

No one can escape.

…

Marquis Nanguo’s Manor.

In a room with tightly closed windows and doors, the candlelight was dim.

A woman with loose flowing hair, dressed entirely in black, sat by the bed with a vacant gaze, her face deathly pale and haggard.

Her eyes were deeply sunken, filled with bloodshot vessels.

In just three days’ time, she had become so emaciated as to be barely recognizable as human.

In her hands, she clutched a damaged suit of armor.

The armor was covered in bloodstains.

She sat there dully, motionless.

Those cold scales lay quietly beneath her fingertips.

Three days ago, Lang Bo had personally placed this armor into her hands.

And told her: “His Highness was trapped in the fire, the beam… crashed down. It was my incompetence—I couldn’t save His Highness.”

At that time, she didn’t cry, didn’t scream.

She only held that armor and locked herself in this room.

Three days and three nights, not saying a word.

No matter who knocked on the door, she wouldn’t listen!

After an unknown amount of time had passed, she slowly rose, dragging her exhausted body step by step to the door and opened it.

Light shot in from outside, piercingly bright.

She squinted her eyes, and it took quite a while before her vision recovered.

At this moment, Marquis Nanguo’s Manor was filled with hanging white silk everywhere.

White lanterns hung everywhere.

The signs of mourning were evident!

Marquis Nanguo, Third Master, Lang Bo and the others were all outside.

Seeing that she had finally emerged from her room, Marquis Nanguo was concerned and stepped forward to check on her.

“Yunshu?”

She only asked calmly: “The person? Has he been found?”

The person?

For a moment, Marquis Nanguo didn’t know what to say in response.

Ji Yunshu’s gaze swept over everyone, her tone extremely weak: “These three days, I’ve been waiting—waiting for you to find him.” As she spoke, tears welled up in her eyes.