Consort Xiao perished in the Cold Palace, leaving nothing behind.

In the end, her body was cremated, and her ashes were scattered into the dried well behind Zhangzhi Hall, dispersing with the wind.

All the glory of her life became passing clouds.

Fighting and scheming—in the end, one brings nothing at birth and takes nothing at death.

After that day, the Emperor closed his chambers, refusing to see anyone, until the day before Ji Li’s execution, when news came from outside the capital: Ji Huan, who had been ordered to lead troops against the barbarians, had achieved a great victory several days ago. The barbarians had surrendered and retreated several li.

At the same moment, the Emperor also issued an edict.

“The Emperor decrees: The Ji family’s crime of treason is established. However, in consideration of General Changlin Ji Huan’s meritorious service in defeating the barbarians this time, the death penalty may be waived. It is ordered that his title be revoked and military authority rescinded. So decreed.”

That very day, as soon as the capital’s city gates opened, a swift horse charged in from outside the city.

Dust flew everywhere.

The surrounding common people were greatly alarmed, nearly becoming lost souls beneath those horse’s hooves.

They cursed one after another.

“Which blind bastard is this?”

“Just because you’re wearing armor, you think you’re the supreme ruler?”

“Damn it.”

…

They say people in the capital have fierce tempers—clearly the rumors were true.

Ji Huan came from the border, riding at breakneck speed. His armor still on, he headed straight for the palace. Just as he reached outside Fuyang Hall, with a “thud” he knelt down.

His body prostrated heavily on the ground.

“This guilty subject Ji Huan requests an audience with the Emperor.”

His voice was solemn yet choked with emotion.

In less than a month’s time, the Ji family had fallen to such a state—how could his heart not ache?

Zhang Quan, who had previously been dismissed by Consort Xiao but had now returned to the Emperor’s side, emerged from the hall. Seeing Ji Huan kneeling on the ground, his entire body trembling, he sighed and said, “General Ji, you should return. The Emperor refuses to see anyone.”

He wouldn’t leave!

“This guilty subject knows that Ji Li committed heinous crimes deserving death, but over the years, he has devoted himself wholeheartedly to Great Lin and made great contributions. I beseech the Emperor to consider this and spare his life.” He pleaded desperately with all his might.

His voice rang out.

“General Ji, why do you persist in this? This time you led troops to defeat the barbarians and achieved great merit—it’s only because of this that the Emperor ordered you not be implicated in the same crime. You should return quickly.”

“If the Emperor refuses to show mercy, this guilty subject will kneel here and never rise.”

“This…”

Once Ji Huan became stubborn, ten oxen couldn’t pull him away.

Zhang Quan had no choice but to go inside and report.

Emperor Qizhen had kept his doors closed these past two days, refusing visitors, sitting in that chair carved with golden dragons in silence.

No one could read his thoughts.

Zhang Quan walked to the center of the hall and reported, “Your Majesty, General Ji refuses to leave.”

Emperor Qizhen’s eyes narrowed. His palm clenched. He glanced toward the outside, took a heavy breath, and said in a cold, stern tone, “Go tell him: In consideration of the Ji family’s generations of loyal service to the court, I can spare the people in the manor. Without sentencing, all may be pardoned and released from prison. However, within ten days, they must all leave the capital without exception. For the rest of their lives, they may not return to the capital. But the criminal Ji Li must be executed. If Ji Huan remains stubbornly obstinate, I will order the execution of all members of the Ji family.”

Eh!

It sounded both like great mercy and great cruelty.

Zhang Quan acknowledged the order and hurried outside.

He conveyed every word of what had just been said.

“General Ji, with the crime Judicial Commissioner Ji has committed, no one can save him. The Emperor is merciful and has pardoned the dozens of people in your Ji family household. If you truly want your Ji family to remain safe and sound, return quickly and do not anger the Emperor further.”

Ji Huan was shocked, weighing his options.

On one hand was his elder brother; on the other, the lives of dozens of people in the Ji family household.

Yet he could only choose one.

His entire body tensed, as if he had walked through a field of blades and swords.

Finally—

He made his decision.

He prostrated himself and knocked his forehead heavily against the ground.

“Thank… Your Majesty.”

He slowly rose, glanced once at the inner hall, then turned to leave. His feet felt as if they were bound with iron weights, heavy as a thousand catties.

Not long after leaving the palace, the Emperor indeed issued an edict, releasing the dozens of people from the Ji family prison.

Including Prince Yi’s Consort Ji Muqing.

However—

Ji Muqing had already gone mad. After returning to the General’s Manor, she kept singing that nursery rhyme, running around the courtyard with a smile on her lips—sometimes her smile was unsettling, sometimes it bloomed brilliantly like flowers, carefree and without worries.

Ji Wanxin had spent two days in prison, caught dampness, and was bedridden with illness, unable to wake clearly.

That same day, the Shen family’s letter breaking off the engagement also arrived.

Now that the Ji family was nothing like before, the Shen family had long wanted to break off this betrothal. Now they had finally gotten their wish.

Ji Huan knelt before the mourning hall, looking at the coffin in front of him.

Inside lay the body of his father, Ji Shuhan.

He didn’t cry, nor did he shout excitedly. He simply knelt silently through the entire night, motionless.

Until the third quarter of the wu hour the next day, a young servant from the manor came hurrying to report, his voice choked with tears, saying, “Second Young Master, First Young Master… has already been executed.”

Eh!

At that moment, Ji Huan’s upright kneeling posture trembled violently, his eyes reddening.

“Thud!”

A sound came from the doorway.

Looking up at the sound, he saw Ji Wanxin, her body weak, having heard this news, her body heavily crashing against the doorframe of the mourning hall.

“Second Miss.” A maid supported her.

Ji Wanxin walked inside, dissolved in tears, her body sinking down as she knelt before the coffin.

Looking at the memorial tablet before her, she said, “Father… it’s all my fault, all my fault…”

She repeated it over and over.

Ji Huan grasped her ice-cold hand.

But she only cried harder. “Second Brother, it’s my fault, all my fault. I knew First Brother was going to rebel, yet I couldn’t stop him. If I had risked my life to stop him then, our Ji family wouldn’t have fallen to this state.”

“This matter has nothing to do with you.”

She continued crying.

Ji Huan sighed. After a while, he ordered someone, “Go collect First Young Master’s body. The day after tomorrow, bring it back to Jinjiang together with the master’s remains.”

The young servant said, “Yes, this servant will go immediately.”

And throughout the entire mourning hall, Ji Wanxin’s crying continued to echo.

…

Not long after, the Emperor ordered that Jing Yi, imprisoned in the palace’s inner dungeon, be brought to Fuyang Hall.

He also summoned Jingrong and a group of court officials to wait outside, ordering that without command, they were not permitted to enter.

Inside the hall, Jing Yi was utterly wretched. His hair was disheveled, his gaze vacant, his robes filthy beyond measure. His entire face was deathly pale without a trace of blood. Although his sword and arrow wounds had been bandaged, blood still stained the white bandages red.

He knelt on the ground, his body slightly hunched.

Emperor Qizhen sat behind the dragon desk, wearing a cloak, one hand propped on his thigh. After a long while, he finally said in a heavy voice, “Now, your mother consort has died in the Cold Palace, your secondary consort has also perished in the flames, the entire Prince Yi Manor—those who fled have fled, those who died have died, and all the court officials who followed you have been imprisoned. Is this what you wanted?”

“…”

“I gave you chances, countless chances.”

Jing Yi laughed coldly, slowly raising his head to meet Emperor Qizhen’s tear-filled eyes, and said, “If Father Emperor had truly given your son a chance, you wouldn’t have issued a secret edict urgently summoning Jingrong back to the capital. If it weren’t for this, your son wouldn’t have resorted to such desperate measures. In the end, it was you, Father Emperor, who forced your son into this!”