News that General Chu Qiao would be conferred the title of Consort spread throughout the entire Bian Tang territory overnight. Shen Nan, Dian West, Yue Lin, Yun Mo, and other regions collectively opposed it. The southern territories erupted in thunderous opposition, with the Prince of Jing’an, the Prince of Duanqing, and the Grand Duke of Huayang raising troops in succession.

These royal relatives who had remained steadfast during the Luo Prince’s rebellion and kept a low profile when the Zhan siblings usurped power, instantly flew into a rage. Under the banner of “cleansing the court” and “eliminating the evil woman,” they led an army of 180,000 from the southern territories, marching toward the capital. Along the way, every prefecture and county opened their gates to welcome them, with no one daring to stand in their way.

Sun Di had long anticipated this and had previously mobilized 200,000 eastern troops, led by Xu Su, to block them at the Hanshui River. Ten thousand Wolf Army soldiers defended the imperial capital, with all courier routes and checkpoints strictly guarded. The imperial capital was like an iron bucket, gleaming with weapons, quietly awaiting the southern tiger troops.

Everything was ready, waiting only for the consort conferment ceremony three days later.

The autumn wind was harsh. Due to preparations for the ceremony at Fengyou Terrace, the entire Tang capital had been under curfew since two days prior. At this moment, the long streets were deserted, empty. The autumn wind swept fallen leaves across the phoenix trees draped in black cloth, like a group of yellow butterflies fluttering around the night.

In Sun Di’s Minister of Works mansion, a man dressed as a palace eunuch knelt on the ground, speaking in the characteristic high-pitched voice of eunuchs: “Lady Chu argued with Miss Meixiang last night, disturbing His Young Majesty and Princess Xiao. Afterward, this servant personally heard the Lady promise His Young Majesty that she would not leave Great Tang.”

Sun Di raised his eyebrows slightly and asked, “Did you hear clearly?”

“Very clearly. Miss Meixiang was crying loudly, His Young Majesty even drew his sword, and Lady Chu burned the letter from the Sima of Great Xia.”

“What time did Meixiang leave this morning?”

“Before dawn. That young man called Duoji sent her off. Lady Chu said… said she returned to the Academy City.”

Sun Di nodded and after a long while finally said in a deep voice, “It’s good that she left. Staying here would only cause trouble.”

The man stood up, his gaze cold, and placed two gold bars on the table: “Go back and perform your duties well. I won’t treat you unfairly.”

“Thank you, Lord Sun!”

After the eunuch withdrew, Sun Di summoned a trusted aide. After contemplating for a while, he slowly said, “Leave the city immediately and find Lady Chu’s personal maid Meixiang. If she is returning to Academy City, escort her back. If she goes elsewhere, you know what to do.”

The man replied in a low voice, “I obey your command.”

With that, he left the room. Soon after, the neigh of a horse sounded from outside, then disappeared down the long street.

Sun Di pushed open the window to see a crescent moon, like a woman’s delicate eyebrow.

“Hopefully… everything goes smoothly.”

Two days passed calmly. Both civil and military officials at court remained silent. Apart from initial fierce opposition from several scholars of the Hanlin Academy and more than twenty censors from the Censorate, the rest were completely silent. Some submitted to Sun Di’s official authority, while others feared Chu Qiao, who now held military power. Those stubborn old ministers, Sun Di had originally planned to arrest them himself, but the Xiu Li Army beat him to it, imprisoning those people.

When Sun Di learned of this, he was slightly worried. Although these people were stubborn, they were ministers truly loyal to the Great Tang. The Xiu Li Army revered Chu Qiao like a deity, and there was no telling what punishment these people might suffer.

He had privately gone to the palace, hoping to persuade the future Regent Consort, but was turned away. He knew that Chu Qiao might have learned of some of his previous actions, so he dared not be too aggressive, only secretly asking officials from the Ministry of Justice to take care of those old ministers.

Tonight was destined to be a sleepless night because tomorrow would be Chu Qiao’s consort conferment ceremony, the first posthumous royal marriage in Great Tang’s history. The Ministry of Rites worked through the night, still striving to perfect the construction of Fengyou Terrace. Meanwhile, other officials sat at home with their thoughts. No one knew what direction the Great Tang would take after tomorrow, where this woman with close ties to various foreign powers would lead the Great Tang, whether she was a loyal minister or a thief stealing the country, whether she would maintain the existing social system or establish a new Great Unity regime as she did in Yan Bei.

After tomorrow, would Great Tang still bear the Li surname?

Countless people pondered this question that night.

The Xiu Li Army camp was quiet. The soldiers showed no doubt or wavering despite the various voices from outside. The clear moonlight shone upon the vast military camp, with the usually busy training grounds now silent.

The curtain of General He Xiao’s tent moved slightly, and a figure wearing a black cloak with the hood completely covering the head entered.

He Xiao was drinking at his desk, wearing ordinary brown clothes, his hair loose, his collar slightly open, revealing half of his bronze-colored skin, displaying a rare casualness and ruggedness. Seeing the visitor, he frowned slightly but didn’t speak.

The visitor pulled off the hood, revealing a beautiful face, smiled slightly, and said, “Drinking in the military camp late at night? I remember that violates military law.”

Seeing her, He Xiao still didn’t speak, only lowering his head to continue drinking.

Chu Qiao approached and sat cross-legged opposite him, looking up slightly and saying, “Won’t you offer me a drink?”

With a clang, He Xiao casually tossed over a wine bowl without pouring it for her. Chu Qiao wasn’t offended and calmly poured herself a bowl, drinking it down. She felt the burning sensation in her throat, like a pool of hot coals.

She frowned slightly and said, “Strong wine.”

Seeing He Xiao still not speaking, she became slightly more serious and said, “If I hadn’t come to see you, would you never have come to see me again?”

He Xiao raised his eyebrows slightly, his gaze circling her face before suddenly saying in a low voice, “I wonder how you can still smile now?”

“Why not? Compared to when we were defending North Shuo, isn’t the current situation much better?”

He Xiao stared at her steadily, suddenly sneering and turning his head away, saying, “Yes, much better. Great power in hand, elevated to a high position, indeed much better.”

Chu Qiao leaned forward slightly, her eyes like dark stars, coldly saying, “He Xiao, do you think of me this way too?”

Although he knew the truth in his heart, that fire could not be extinguished. He Xiao met her gaze directly, his expression very cold, carrying some anger, yet also some heartache for her stubbornness.

Chu Qiao half-knelt leaned across the small table and whispered something in his ear.

He Xiao initially didn’t pay much attention, but in an instant, his expression changed dramatically. He suddenly raised his head, looking at this audacious woman in shock.

“He Xiao,” Chu Qiao smiled faintly at him, her voice unprecedentedly solemn and calm.

“Will you help me?”

The young general was silent for a long time, finally revealing a smile. He extended his hand, and just like many times over the years, they clapped hands together, then tightly formed a fist.

The night was cold. On a desolate road outside the Tang capital, a group of riders was galloping quickly. Suddenly, a lone rider appeared ahead, racing toward them.

The purple-robed man in front immediately reined in his horse. The approaching horse came at full speed; its rider had been galloping wildly, but upon seeing him, suddenly changed expression—surprise, joy, disbelief all flashed across his face. Finally, with a thud, he jumped from the horse, knelt on the ground, and cried out, “Fourth Young Master!”

…

This night was destined to be unsuitable for sleep. Countless schemes and gambits pushed and pulled in the darkness, quietly awaiting tomorrow’s grand ceremony.

The night was so long.

The rooster crowed at dawn, and a red sun rose high in the sky, illuminating the world.

In the Grand Hall of the Imperial Academy, the white-haired Prince of Runan read the late emperor’s edict with a trembling voice, then knelt shakily on the jade steps of the great hall.

Chu Qiao wore golden pomegranate nine-colored cloud brocade auspicious robes with sea patterns and flying phoenixes, her head adorned with eighteen pure gold and jade hairpins, and a gold chapter purple ribbon jade belt around her waist. Because it was a posthumous marriage, the auspicious robes were predominantly black, with the nine colors being dark blue, dark purple, dark green, iron red, raven gold, sandalwood gray, deep blue, cold orange, and silver as embroidery threads. The robe was embroidered with ink-colored phoenixes and covered with small golden cloud sea patterns. The ornaments were mainly ink stones, sapphires, moonstones, and Hetian jade. She looked dignified and ancient, with a sense of heaviness and oppression that made people afraid to look directly at her.

The phoenix carriage departed from the Grand Hall of the Imperial Academy, passing through the Zhangyu Square, Bishou Terrace, Rose Main Road, Anhua Gate, Qionghua Gate, Taiqing Gate, Tai’an Gate, out of the Jinwu Palace, into the Qingyun Road of the inner city noble district, then onto Tianqi Street surrounding Tang capital, heading toward Fengyou Terrace in front of the Imperial Ancestral Temple.

Along the way, commoners knelt on the ground, shouting “Long live!” when they saw the carriage, their foreheads buried deep in the earth, dust rising like a gray-yellow storm.

Autumn leaves fell silently. Black cloth wrapped the entire Tang capital. The sky was high and blue, the sun pale and distant. Everything seemed like a rich ink landscape painting. The prosperous world appeared like dusty soil, layer upon layer covering the past bloodshed.

The carriage stopped. Fengyou Terrace was built with three hundred and sixty-six white jade steps, nearly a hundred zhang high. Standing atop it, one could overlook the entire Tang capital, even the majestic Jinwu Palace seemed to be under one’s feet.

“We hereby inform you, Lady Chu, born of a distinguished family, blessed with virtue, knowledgeable and reasonable, respectful and modest. Possessing virtue and modesty, knowing ancient and modern ways and favoring goodness, gentle and kind, advancing with principles. We especially issue this edict, conferring the honorable title of Imperial Noble Consort, assisting in governance and serving as regent, with eternal blessings.”

The solemn voice echoed under the blue sky. A pure gold phoenix crown rested squarely on the platform of the ancestral temple ahead. The phoenix seal, vermilion brush, and jade seal were all placed upon it—these were the gold and jade symbols of power that people looked up to. If she stepped forward and grasped them, no one in the world could easily harm her again.

She stood atop the high Fengyou Terrace, below were countless kneeling figures. Among those gazing upward were jealousy, hatred, fear, terror, hesitation, confusion, and a hint of eager expectation, but there was nothing that made her feel warm.

The jade steps beneath her feet were so cold, and the sunlight from the sky was also icy.

The Minister of Rites knelt before her, holding the golden seal and ribbon in his hands. The seventy-year-old minister lowered his head, his aged knees trembling slightly.

A strong wind blew past, eagles flew across the sky in flocks. She raised her head and saw Tang capital’s magnificent gate, the vermilion iron walls, and the towering gate towers. The ancient city that had weathered thousands of years of storms seemed to be watching her, waiting for this historic moment.

She only needed to accept it. Once accepted, a quarter of the world would be in her hands.

At that moment, she suddenly saw those eyes again, cold yet burning. His handwriting was elegant but carried a sharp radiance, flying across the page: “You must wait for me!”

You must! Wait for me!

Suddenly, the conferment music sounded together, like thousands of rhinoceroses bellowing simultaneously.

Outside the northern gate of the Tang capital, a lone warhorse stood at the bridge. Withered yellow autumn grass swayed in the wind. The rising sun cast thousands of golden rays upon the wilderness.

He wore purple robes, his hair bound with green jade, his features elegant, his eyes like deep lakes, without a hint of waves or ripples.

A breeze blew by, gently rustling the small bells hanging around his neck, making a soft, melodious sound.

“Remember, I’m waiting for you.”

I’m waiting for you… I’m waiting for you…

The sun broke through the clouds, thousands of rays of light suddenly arrived, everything renewed, a splendid scene!

“Boom!”

A sudden thunderous sound came from the southern gate, even shaking the ancestral temple.

A vast expanse of yellowish dust surged from the southern horizon, almost covering the rising sun. The warning bells rang throughout the royal army. Messenger horses galloped to the ancestral temple platform, the soldier on horseback shouting in panic: “The Prince of Jing’an’s army is at the city gates! General Xu Su has defected to the enemy! The Prince of Jing’an’s army is at the city gates! General Xu Su has defected to the enemy!”

In an instant, the entire city was in panic, everyone’s face ashen. Sun Di stood below the platform, his face suddenly turning pale.

The Minister of Rites fell to the ground with a thud, the phoenix seal in his hand dropping onto the white marble steps, emitting a dazzling golden glow.

Chu Qiao walked down step by step, standing before Sun Di. Sun Di looked up, staring at her, his gaze like a deep cold pond, carrying an indescribable coldness, yet also an inexplicable fear.

“Lord Sun,” Chu Qiao took out a letter, densely written with the names of court officials.

“This is a list of capital officials who have secretly communicated with the Prince of Jing’an and other rebels during this period. Please deal with it immediately.”

As soon as Chu Qiao finished speaking, several officials in the crowd turned ashen. Sun Di accepted the list in a daze, looking at her puzzledly, as if only now did he truly see the woman before him.

“I am about to lead troops to meet the Prince of Jing’an in battle. The safety of the city and the Emperor is entrusted to you.”

“The capital garrison has only 150,000 troops, but the enemy’s numbers…”

Chu Qiao interrupted him: “We still have General Xu.”

“Didn’t General Xu…”

“This isn’t the first time General Xu has done such a thing.”

Sun Di was stunned. He watched in astonishment as Chu Qiao tore off her magnificent ceremonial robes, revealing a silver-white armor underneath. She removed all the jewels from her head, wrapping her hair with a green cloth, then mounted a warhorse brought by He Xiao, leaving with the Xiu Li Army soldiers.

The 150,000 garrison troops inside and outside the imperial city were already in battle formation. The young woman in military attire no longer bore that quiet coldness, but instead radiated a brilliant light like a phoenix reborn from fire. She held her sword, standing proudly beneath the city gates, coldly commanding: “Open the gates!”

In that instant, it was as if the first ray of light at the creation of the world, so beautiful it made one want to cry.

Sun Di watched as the magnificent city gate slowly opened. Thousands of hooves raised countless clouds of yellow dust, thundering toward the battlefield ten miles away.

Heaven and earth formed the furnace, all things were the fuel, chaotic times forged great leaders, and she was the sharp sword everyone coveted.

The cold wind continuously whistled past her ears, and she once again recalled what Li Ce had said in her ear before his death:

“After my death, the court will certainly be in chaos. The Zhan siblings are only paper tigers; the royal relatives are the real wolves. Sun Di is extreme, if there’s unusual movement, don’t listen to him. Take the ring I gave you to Hanshui, and Xu Su will obey your command when he sees it. Tie You’s Wolf Army will also follow your orders.”

“Qiaoqiao, you’ve been bound by too many constraints in your life. If my death restrains your steps once more, I cannot rest peacefully in the underworld.”

“You must not disappoint me.”

With stinging eyes, Chu Qiao pressed her lips tight and struck her horse’s flank. Looking at the battlefield, the two armies had already engaged. Xu Su led from the front, his armor making him appear like a war god of a prosperous age, wielding a large blade, with a great banner behind him: “Kill the rebels, execute the traitors.”

“Kill!”

The Wolf Army let out a deafening war cry. The first upheaval since Emperor Yongjun’s ascension to the throne had finally fully erupted.

“On the eighth day of the tenth month in the first year of Yongjun, the Princess cleverly took the position, luring the Prince of Jing’an, the Prince of Duanqing, the Grand Duke of Huayang, and others to raise troops, sending 180,000 soldiers to Hanshui Pass. Forces gathered along the way, with Shen Nan Jinjí Camp Deputy General Fang Huaihai, Dian West Army General Tian Rujia, Xizhao Deputy Commander Liu Mubai, Huai City Lieutenant General Zhu Jiong, and Hanshui General Xu Su successively joining their ranks. Their forces expanded to over 400,000, advancing unstoppably toward the capital. Upon hearing the news, the Princess removed her ceremonial robes, donned armor, opened the Nanchang Gate, and led troops to meet the enemy.

When Fang Huaihai, Tian Rujia, Liu Mubai, Zhu Jiong, Xu Su and others saw the Princess’s banner, they immediately raised their ‘Execute the Traitors’ banner and turned against the rebels. The Princess drew her bow and wielded her sword, leading the army in fierce battle, slaying over 30,000 enemies, with the rest surrendering. The Prince of Jing’an, Zhou Yun, died under General Xu’s sword at the age of fifty-seven.

Two days later, the Princess hung the phoenix seal on the palace gate, kneeling before the Imperial Ancestral Temple, requesting the late Emperor to withdraw his edict, claiming she dared not wield power as a woman. The next day, Emperor Yongjun arrived, moved by the Princess’s loyalty to the Li Tang dynasty, and granted her request, removing the title of Imperial Noble Consort, instead bestowing upon her the hereditary first-rank princedom, with jade tablets, golden treasures, and first-rank robes, giving her the title of Princess Xiuli.”

— From “Tang Book, Biography of Princess Xiuli, Volume 127”

Before the palace gates, Chu Qiao stood quietly in a white cloak, beneath the shadow of the gate. Twilight approached, birds flying in the dusk. She was bathed in a faint red glow, appearing calm and peaceful, without any of the sharpness and edge she displayed on the battlefield.

Sun Di’s carriage had just left the palace when he spotted Chu Qiao and stopped. He slowly descended from the carriage and found himself at a loss for words. After contemplating how to address her for a long time, seeing her calm smile, he finally bowed his head and said, “Lady Chu.”

“The Xiuli Army has all settled down in Bian Tang, establishing homes and raising families. They are no longer my private army. I’ve entrusted them to you, Lord Sun, and I am no longer the commander of the Xiuli Army. The title of ‘Lady’ should no longer be used.”

Chu Qiao spoke gently, her voice mild, but Sun Di, having witnessed her capabilities, no longer dared to treat her with the disrespect he once had. He nodded and said, “You are right.”

Chu Qiao said with a faint smile, “Those officials who openly opposed my conferment should be released now. His Majesty ascended the throne at a young age, and this was a good opportunity to win people’s hearts. I will not issue this decree on behalf of His Majesty. After I leave, Lord Sun, do not forget those loyal ministers in the Ministry of Justice prison.”

Sun Di replied, “I will remember Your Ladyship’s teachings.”

“Lord Sun, what I just said was as Princess Xiuli of Great Tang. Now, I, Chu Qiao, have a few more words for you.”

Sun Di was stunned, slowly raising his head. He saw the young woman’s beautiful face showing traces of indescribable radiance. He nodded involuntarily: “Please speak.”

“You know that the path of emperors can never accommodate womanly compassion. Whether I am Great Tang’s Consort or Great Tang’s Princess, it won’t affect the political inclinations of Yan Bei and Great Xia. Once the time is ripe, war will be inevitable, and the process of unification won’t be stopped by anyone’s relationships. Although all rebel forces within Bian Tang have been eliminated, you must not be careless. The war between Great Xia and Yan Bei is inevitable. No one can predict the future direction of the world; we can only do our best to turn the tide, protect Li Ce’s child and bloodline, and the millennial foundation of Great Tang.”

Sun Di looked at Chu Qiao, his brow slightly furrowed with guilt, and asked in a deep voice, “Lady Chu, after I schemed against you so, why do you still entrust the regency to me?”

Chu Qiao smiled slightly and calmly said, “There are three reasons: First, Tie You commands the Wolf Army and the capital garrison, and General Xu Su commands the troops outside the capital. They are both unwaveringly loyal ministers. You are merely a civil official; although you have regency power, you cannot command troops, nor are you a royal relative. If you wanted to rebel, you lack both legitimate claim and military power, so you could not succeed.”

The sunset shone on Chu Qiao’s face like a layer of red silk and golden sand. She continued, “Second, the Tang capital has just experienced several major battles, and the people need to recover. With the Prince of Luo and the Prince of Jing’an both fallen, the royal family’s prestige is high. You don’t have the people’s support and cannot incite a civilian uprising. You lack both the opportunity and public opinion for usurpation.”

“As for the third,” Chu Qiao smiled slightly, her eyes as cunning as a fox, brilliant with light, and said with a smile, “I trust you.”

Sun Di’s heart stopped abruptly. He looked at Chu Qiao, seeming not to believe his ears.

“I trust you, and Li Ce trusted you too. Although you act in isolation and are extreme, you are the most loyal minister to Great Tang and the Li family. Li Ce said before his death that you were the first choice for regent, and I deeply agree.”

She took out two letters from her bosom and handed them to Sun Di, saying, “These are personal letters from the Seventh Prince of Great Xia, Zhao Che, and the Prince of Qinghai, Zhuge Yue, expressing their willingness to ally with Great Tang. Your political position will receive absolute support from both powers. You need not worry about domestic public opinion threatening you. I will also fully support you. I believe you will be able to raise the Emperor well until he comes of age.”

Sun Di’s fingers trembled slightly as he slowly took the two letters, feeling them as heavy as mountains. He suddenly knelt before Chu Qiao and said in a deep voice, “Rest assured, I, Sun Di, will swear loyalty to the Li Tang dynasty until death. If Great Tang suffers any mishap, I am willing to die in atonement.”

“Lord Sun, please don’t do this.”

Chu Qiao helped him up, looking at him sincerely, and said quietly, “You are Li Ce’s friend, so you are my friend. He trusted you, so I trust you.”

The sunset was like blood, the wilderness like iron. Sun Di stood on the towering city wall, watching Chu Qiao leave the city escorted by He Xiao, Ping’an, and others. A long shadow stretched across the golden wilderness. The graceful young woman rode her horse with whip raised, like an eagle breaking free from its cage, her white cloak fluttering like a pair of giant wings.

She was an eagle, and no one could cut off her wings. Except for herself, no one could force her to stay.

At this moment, Sun Di suddenly understood his friend’s years of stubbornness. With such a person in the world, the heavens and earth were indeed more colorful.

He raised his head, took a deep breath, and seemed to see his friend’s playful smile again, leaning close to his ear with a mischievous grin, snickering as he said, “Guess if Minister Hu’s third daughter’s skin is as white as her face?”

The autumn wind rustled, all things withering. It was a harsh season, but also a season of harvest.

At the bridge, Zhuge Yue sat high on his horse, dressed in brocade robes.

Fang Chu said in a deep voice, “Master, Miss Chu is coming.”

As soon as he finished speaking, a group of riders suddenly appeared on the horizon. Leading them was a young woman in a white cloak, smiling, riding toward them against the wind.

“Miss!”

Meixiang, who had been sitting on a rock, immediately jumped up with joy upon seeing Chu Qiao. Duoji also happily stepped forward. Chu Qiao and her group arrived in an instant. She jumped off her horse and embraced Meixiang, who cried while saying, “Miss, I thought you were deceiving me. I thought you weren’t coming.”

Jingping, Ping’an, and others also happily ran to Duoji, inquiring about recent experiences. Ping’an vividly described the great battle that day with pride. He Xiao had no family and was unwilling to stay in Bian Tang, so he also came with Chu Qiao. Although he and Yue Qi had never met, they had long heard of each other’s names, so they became familiar in no time.

Only Zhuge Yue stood in place with an ashen face, coldly watching Chu Qiao reunite warmly with Meixiang, nearly grinding his teeth to pieces.

Finally, that inhuman gaze shattered someone’s reunion, and she smiled as she walked forward. As soon as Zhuge Yue moved, she immediately raised both hands obediently, shouting, “I surrender! Last time! I promise!”

Zhuge Yue reached out to give her a lesson, but after gesturing for a while, he didn’t know where to strike. Seeing her drawing in her neck and closing her eyes, he awkwardly asked angrily, “Why don’t you fight back?”

Chu Qiao opened her eyes, pouting, looking quite pitiful: “I’m admitting my mistake.”

“So you know you were wrong?” Zhuge Yue looked at her sideways, ignoring the onlooking subordinates, and quite inhumanely pinched Chu Qiao’s already thin cheek, saying in a deep voice, “Daring not to reply to my letters, getting too full of yourself, aren’t you?”

“I had no time!” Chu Qiao defended herself with a bitter face.

“No time to reply but time to burn my letters?”

Chu Qiao tilted her head up and continued to defend herself: “If I didn’t appear deeply conflicted, Sun Di wouldn’t have believed it. If he didn’t believe it, the Prince of Jing’an and the others would have believed it even less.”

“So you deceived Meixiang too?” Zhuge Yue glared at her, continuing to question sharply: “Are you sure that wasn’t what you were thinking? Are you sure you didn’t have a change of heart at the last moment?”

“How could that be?”

Chu Qiao cried out indignantly: “Am I a person with such unstable convictions?”

After speaking, she turned to look around, only to find that her subordinates had all betrayed her like sycophants, nodding hastily, meaning: Don’t doubt it, you are!

Chu Qiao looked at them with disdain, quickly turned her head, and appealed to her future provider of food tickets, car tickets, housing tickets, money tickets, and all other tickets: “Don’t believe them, my revolutionary will be the most resolute in the army back then.”

Zhuge Yue looked at her with contempt, his eyes flashing proudly, saying, “You’re sensible. Otherwise, I would have brought troops to raid Li Ce’s nest. Let’s see whose consort you would become then.”

Just keep boasting.

Chu Qiao said quietly in her heart, but on the surface, she still wisely said, “Of course, how could I? I keep my word, never going back on it.”

Zhuge Yue raised his head very arrogantly, his male pride greatly satisfied.

“Waaaah!”

A child’s loud cry suddenly came from a carriage that had arrived with Chu Qiao. Zhuge Yue and others were startled. Chu Qiao quickly ran over and lifted the carriage curtain. Two wet nurses were holding a four or five-month-old infant. The child had just woken up and was engaged in his daily required course: crying.

Chu Qiao quickly took the child in her arms and skillfully began to comfort him.

“What is this?”

Zhuge Yue asked coldly, his face gloomy.

Chu Qiao looked at him with surprise and answered honestly: “A child.”

“I know,” Zhuge Yue’s temper grew increasingly unpleasant, and he asked angrily, “Whose child is this?”

Chu Qiao realized she hadn’t explained to everyone yet and said, “This is Li Ce’s third son, named Li Qingrong, though we might need to change his name later. His mother is Zhan Ziming. Before Li Ce passed away, he entrusted him to me, fearing the child might suffer persecution in the palace in the future, so he asked me to take him out of the palace.”

“Li Ce’s son?”

Zhuge Yue frowned and stepped forward to look. The child had red lips and white teeth, with pitch-black eyes, pouting very pitifully while playing with the tassel on Chu Qiao’s cloak, his small eyes wandering around. He did indeed resemble his late father.

A sense of desolation grew in his heart. Just as he was about to speak, the child suddenly saw him. His pitch-black eyes turned once, and he immediately opened his mouth and cried loudly, kicking his limbs, clearly displeased to the extreme.

“What’s wrong? Why are you crying?”

Chu Qiao asked, puzzled. Meixiang also ran forward and asked the wet nurse, “Is the child hungry?”

The wet nurse shook her head, saying he had eaten not long ago. Meixiang checked the child’s swaddling clothes and didn’t find them wet. Suddenly, Chu Qiao had an inspiration and turned to Zhuge Yue, saying, “The child may dislike you.”

Zhuge Yue’s face turned ashen with anger: “Why would he dislike me?”

“Try stepping away, maybe that’s it.”

Someone truly couldn’t accept this. He frowned with his sword-like eyebrows and said, “Why? I didn’t hit him?”

“Some people just have a very poor rapport with others; perhaps you’re like that.”

“Yes, brother-in-law, just step away. Perhaps Rong’er is afraid of you,” Jingqing added oil to the fire.

“Why?” Yue Qi protested very softly and weakly, most loyally supporting his master: “Actually, young master looks quite approachable and kind…”

Unfortunately, his voice lacked conviction and grew quieter as he spoke.

Finally, under everyone’s exclusion, Zhuge Yue walked far away, and Li Qingrong indeed suddenly stopped crying. Although he had cried too violently and still had some lingering sobs, faint smile lines had already appeared.

Soon, the group suddenly burst into laughter. It turned out the little one had bumped his head on Yue Qi’s sword hilt while playing and was now vengefully biting Yue Qi’s shoulder with all his might.

Zhuge Yue sat on a large rock in the distance, watching the crowd from afar, inwardly grumbling: Little brat, just like your father.

Chu Qiao ran over at some point, sitting close beside him.

Yue Qi and a group of people whose footsteps could make the world tremble were still bustling about for an infant. Soon, Meixiang was heard pointing at the usually wooden Fang Chu, saying, “Oh my, the child has soiled himself. Hold him for now. When I tell you to hold him, just hold him!”

Chu Qiao held Zhuge Yue’s arm, resting her face on his shoulder, leaning her head against him, and sighed, “It’s finally over.”

“Are you tired?”

“Not too bad.” Chu Qiao closed her eyes, the golden-red light spilling onto her face, giving her a brilliant glow: “I was just afraid you’d worry, constantly pushing myself to hurry, to be even faster.”

Zhuge Yue was still resentful and continued to ask, “Why didn’t you read my letters?”

“I didn’t know if I could succeed,” she raised her head slightly, smiling at Zhuge Yue, “I didn’t have confidence then. I was afraid I would fail, would die, afraid that if I read your letters, I wouldn’t have the courage to continue persevering.”

Chu Qiao’s smile was like flowers. She seemed to rarely smile like this in her life, without any worries, without any burdens. She smiled and said, “You are my weakness, you make me unwilling to be strong.”

Zhuge Yue looked at her, his expression gradually softening. He reached out and embraced her waist, his voice deep, saying softly, “By my side, you don’t need to be strong.”

After speaking, he lowered his head and kissed her lips.

“Oh my! How embarrassing!”

Jingqing’s shrill cry suddenly rang out.

The world was so vast. In the deep autumn season, a bright yellow tapestry.

The wind blew from the distance, passing through the bells, and a small voice murmured: Remember, I’m waiting for you.

I’m waiting for you, I’m waiting for you, I will always be waiting for you…

“Zhuge Yue, why didn’t you come into the city? The outfit I wore as a consort was extremely beautiful!”

“Wait, I’ll give you something even more beautiful in the future.”

“Promise?”

“Promise.”

“Hooray!”

…