Li Jiubao exposed Noble Consort Zheng’s intentions: “She’s scheming for the crown prince position, wanting to push the third prince forward. According to ancestral rules, when there’s a legitimate heir, establish the legitimate; when there’s no legitimate heir, establish the eldest. Empress Wang is still alive – even if some ‘Illustrated Guide to Women’s Conduct’ needs to be compiled, it should be Empress Wang who steps forward. Does she want the Emperor to favor concubines and destroy his wife? With the eldest prince present, it’s not the third prince’s turn.”

Emperor Wanli said: “But the eldest prince is a lowly palace maid’s son – how can he inherit the throne?”

Li Jiubao replied: “The Emperor is also a palace maid’s son.”

Emperor Wanli immediately knelt to beg forgiveness and dared not argue further.

Having taken a scolding on behalf of his beloved consort, Emperor Wanli returned dejectedly and ordered that the “Illustrated Guide to Women’s Conduct” no longer be pursued. The Demonic Book Case thus concluded.

Noble Consort Zheng had wanted to use this book to gild herself for future succession as empress, but unfortunately she had plagiarized someone else’s work, was merely a concubine, and had Empress Dowager Li watching. Noble Consort Zheng had to give up, whispering pillow talk to Emperor Wanli every night about how wronged she and Prince Fu Zhu Changxun were.

Emperor Wanli had ascended the throne at ten, waking every day before dawn when his mother splashed cold water on his face to rouse him for court, busy with government affairs and studies. His childhood and youth were extremely oppressive. His rebellion began when he personally took control, settling accounts with teacher Zhang Juzheng and eunuch Feng Bao. The more Empress Dowager Li wanted him to do something, the more he refused, deliberately opposing his mother. The more Empress Dowager Li disliked Noble Consort Zheng and Prince Fu, the more he favored this mother and son, stubbornly refusing to establish bastard eldest son Zhu Changlo as crown prince.

Chen Jingji was ordered to suppress the Demonic Book Case to avoid implicating too many innocent people. Despite controlling the Eastern Depot, he was surprisingly compassionate, earning the nickname “Buddha” – the only Buddhist-minded depot director in Eastern Depot history. Whether in the Forbidden City or court, he enjoyed considerable prestige, even earning the trust of the middle-aged rebellious Emperor Wanli.

After handling the Demonic Book Case, Chen Jingji went to report to Li Jiubao at Cining Palace. Li Jiubao said flatly: “Understood.”

Chen Jingji couldn’t help advising: “Empress Dowager, don’t let one woman whose heart reaches higher than heaven damage the mother-son relationship between the Empress Dowager and His Majesty. Regardless, ancestral laws won’t change. His Majesty won’t act against heaven – he’s just stubborn about this matter. Being controlled too strictly as a child inevitably breeds resentment.”

Li Jiubao still said: “Understood.”

Li Jiubao understood all the reasoning, but under political circumstances where the ruler was young and the state uncertain, if she hadn’t strictly required the young emperor, how many would have harbored disloyal thoughts? She could only mold the young emperor according to the pattern of enlightened rulers, hoping he’d become an exemplary ruler. The emperor had always been obedient and sensible, but everything changed after she returned power to him.

It turned out the emperor’s greatest skill was endurance and pretense.

The emperor increasingly resembled his grandfather Emperor Jiajing, favoritism taken to extremes, always wanting to depose the eldest and establish the younger. The imperial family went in circles, beginning new cycles again…

Chen Jingji coughed twice: “Empress Dowager, this servant’s health has been poor lately. After the Demonic Book Case, this servant will retire due to illness. This servant can no longer accompany the Empress Dowager – please take care of yourself. Regarding establishing the eldest prince as crown prince, don’t be too hasty. The Empress Dowager should be at ease – everything will go as wished.”

Li Jiubao suddenly looked up, her lips trembling slightly. Through years of vigil, she had grown accustomed to it, thinking it would continue for life, but everyone’s lifespan is heaven-determined and beyond control.

Li Jiubao gently grasped Chen Jingji’s hand: “What shall I do without you?”

Chen Jingji held Li Jiubao’s hand in return: “Death is a beginning – life after life, reincarnation and rebirth. Though we lack affinity in this life, this servant will wait for the Empress Dowager in the next.”

Thinking this way, separation wasn’t so painful after all.

That night, Chen Jingji passed away while meditating in the Eastern Depot duty room, dying in sitting position. He was finally buried in an upright coffin in sitting posture, with a stone pagoda erected at his grave.

Imperial affairs are endless, but gatherings have times of parting. After attending Chen Jingji’s funeral, it was time for the two families to bid farewell and arrange another ten-year pact.

Ding Weiguo invited Xia Qiwu to open shops at frontier trading posts: “…Since you’ve opened a shop in the capital anyway, why not visit the eleven trading posts? Everyone has a love of beauty – grassland girls love beauty too. There’s no worry about lack of business.”

Xia Qiwu was tempted but still refused: “You and Uncle and Aunt go to the frontier to reopen the passes first. I need to escort my parents back to Nanjing – they’re getting older and need my care on the road.”

The two families each returned home. Half a year later, Xia Qiwu went to the frontier, opening rouge and cosmetics shop branches in Datong, Xuanfu, Bansheng City, Hohhot and other places. Including Beijing, there were ten branches total.

Five years later, Xia Qiwu and Ding Weiguo married. The two families became doubly related as in-laws.

Ten years later, Xia Qiwu was pregnant. Wei Caiwei and Wang Daxia rushed from Nanjing to the capital to care for their precious daughter.

At this time, Third Madam and Empress Dowager Li had successively passed away, marking the end of the era of women’s rule. Lu Ying and Ding Wu also withdrew from the frontier due to age and injuries, returning to the capital to retire.

Lu Ying and Ding Wu went to Tongzhou Port to meet their in-laws. When they arrived in the capital, the entire city was under martial law, requiring household registration documents to pass through gates – the atmosphere was tense.

“What happened?” Wang Daxia and Wei Caiwei asked.

Lu Ying said: “Someone broke directly into the Crown Prince’s Eastern Palace. The Crown Prince was never favored and only had two useless old eunuchs guarding the entrance. The madman beat people with clubs and nearly killed the Crown Prince. After the Palace Assault Case, court and country were shocked, and they’re catching the mastermind behind it.”

Wei Caiwei said: “Either Noble Consort Zheng acted desperately, or the Crown Prince staged a ruse to gain sympathy. It’s just that the Great Ming imperial family’s power struggle methods are increasingly unseemly – they can even think up such crude tricks.”

Wang Daxia snorted coldly: “Each generation worse than the last.”

Under Wei Caiwei’s careful care, Xia Qiwu smoothly gave birth to a daughter. Since she was born on Qixi night in summer, all six unanimously agreed to name her Xia Qixi.

Half a month after Xia Qixi’s birth, Emperor Wanli died and the Crown Prince ascended the throne with the reign name Taichang.

When Xia Qixi had her full-month celebration, Emperor Taichang, who had only been on the throne ten days, fell seriously ill. No one knew what he was thinking – being so sick yet choosing to use the potent aphrodisiac “Red Pills” for treatment, just like his grandfather Emperor Longqing.

On the day of Xia Qixi’s first haircut, Emperor Taichang, who had reigned for one month, died from drug overdose. This became the Red Pills Case, which together with the Demonic Book Case and Palace Assault Case formed the Great Ming’s three inexplicable major cases – truly an era of endless oddities.

Two emperors died in one month. Wang Daxia immediately felt the Great Ming Dynasty was unreliable and called a family meeting: “We’re all old, but the children’s futures are long. The capital is a place of trouble, and Nanjing isn’t peaceful either. I’ve long bought property in Yunnan – let’s all migrate there together to retire and raise the next generation. How about it?”

Wei Caiwei agreed. Having lived two lives, Wang Daxia’s judgments had always accidentally avoided disasters through his intuition – she trusted him.

Ding Wu said to Lu Ying: “Yunnan has spring-like weather year-round. The warm climate will benefit your injuries.”

Lu Ying nodded: “Having spent most of my life in military campaigns, I have no regrets. Retiring to the countryside in old age is a good destination.”

After Xia Qixi’s hundredth day, having grown plump and sturdy, everyone set out to leave the capital.

As Wei Caiwei carried her granddaughter out through Zhengyang Gate, she looked back once at the magnificent city gate.

Sixty years ago, when she came to the capital from Tieling, she had entered through this same Zhengyang Gate.

When she entered, she was alone, lonely and desolate, full of anger and unwillingness.

Sixty years later, when she left the capital, six relatives accompanied her, her heart peaceful and happy.

In this life, there were ultimately no regrets, no remaining grievances.

The End.