Ming Yan’an stared at the continuously convulsing body in the flames, feeling as if the fire in his heart was also burning wildly, burning away all the suppression, uneasiness, tension, and bitter suffering of these many days, burning out a vast sky and brilliant sunny day.

He couldn’t help but burst into wild laughter, shouting loudly: “You have this day too!”

But Chai Yu beside him was coughing, covering his throat, stroking his chest, saying in a low voice: “It’s really… hard to swallow…”

Ming Yan’an said breathlessly: “My dear… why did you swallow it? Actually, you didn’t need to swallow it, that wasn’t the key at all.”

Chai Yu’s eyes widened in astonishment.

“But you were right to swallow it, letting me see my most loyal princess consort.” Ming Yan’an’s face showed a trace of cunning smile, “The real key isn’t those few small golden keys, it’s hidden in the interlayer of the brocade pouch. This king was prepared… now you’ve swallowed it too. Look, these chains are intact, Jing Hengbo has indeed been burned to death.”

He turned back to gaze at Chai Yu, and only at this moment did his eyes finally show true tranquility and trust.

“The chief culprit is dead, this war is over. Let them surrender. I want to, at this moment of complete victory, before all the people, formally invest you as my princess consort.”

General Huang Gang, leading a team of soldiers, pushed the charred prisoner cart racing across the battlefield.

“The female king has been burned to death, Horizontal Halberd Army surrender quickly!”

The shouting grew louder and louder, converging into a wave of sound that surged toward the Horizontal Halberd Army. The Horizontal Halberd Army turned pale and began retreating.

Ming Yan’an laughed heartily, dismounted and stepped onto the red carpet. When he dismounted, his body swayed unsteadily, and Chai Yu supported him. He himself was too excited to notice, casually holding onto Chai Yu’s arm, saying graciously: “Princess consort, today is the day when all the subjects of Daimao bow down and worship you.”

“It’s also the day when the great king’s might intimidates Daimao, formally unifying all of Daimao.” Chai Yu smiled gently.

Ming Yan’an’s laughter was bright and open. After more than ten years of frustrated and cowering life, only today could he see the vast expanse of land under Daimao’s sky.

He and Chai Yu walked hand in hand along the red carpet toward the high platform. After just a few steps, he suddenly felt his heart beating violently, sweating profusely, his temples and eardrums pounding, while his entire skeleton and flesh seemed to begin a strange itching sensation. He knew something was wrong – after being repeatedly overstimulated, both his addiction and illness had flared up together.

His legs began to tremble. Looking at the high platform so close at hand, he worried he couldn’t make it up, and even if he did, he feared making a fool of himself at such an important moment.

“Quick… quick… medicine… medicine…” His trembling fingers clutched tightly at Chai Yu’s sleeve.

Chai Yu hurriedly took out a small bottle. He snatched it away, using the gesture as cover to swallow it, then said: “More… more…”

Chai Yu felt around on her body, saying in alarm: “The handkerchief with golden powder I had hidden is gone, probably lost during the struggle and fighting just now.”

“Then give me the bottle… the bottle…”

“No! The physician said you cannot take excessive golden powder!”

“Stop talking nonsense! Hurry up!” He reached into her bosom to search, feeling as if ants were drilling through his bone marrow. His legs trembled, feeling as if all the fluids in his body were about to gush out.

“No!” Chai Yu twisted away, her attitude resolute. “This concerns your life, please forgive me for not complying!”

“Ah!” Ming Yan’an was both pained and anxious, irritated in his heart, yet also uneasy, knowing she was right, but unable to control his craving.

He had been taking golden silk and longevity pills from a small foreign country for some time and had gradually become addicted. Later he discovered these things weren’t good, but he could no longer quit. After his female scholar arrived, she also loyally advised against this. Under her suggestion, the Imperial Medical Academy developed golden powder, which processed golden silk together with other medicines. It could satisfy his craving when needed, but the portion of golden silk would gradually decrease while the medicine portion would gradually increase, hoping to help him gradually break free from his dependence on golden silk.

This method seemed quite effective. For better control, these things were all kept with her, and she provided them according to proper portions. She would dust the golden powder on handkerchiefs, and each time she wiped his face was his moment of enjoyment.

She was very measured and had never delayed his medication. Over time, he had relaxed his guard.

He also knew that swallowing whole pills might not be appropriate, but now without the handkerchief, he felt he would die without this medicine.

Feeling irritated in his heart, he also knew she was acting for his good. Thinking about how he had always been cautious step by step with this future princess consort, now it seemed she truly was wholeheartedly devoted to him. Otherwise, just now in the prisoner cart, swallowing the brocade pouch regardless of her own safety, seeking only to perish together with the female king – truly willing to sacrifice her life for him.

Both moved and anxious, he gripped Chai Yu’s hand tightly: “Give it to me! I’ve given you everything, and you won’t even give me this?”

Chai Yu turned her head to look at him, her gaze resolute, with a trace of confusion. Ming Yan’an’s face reddened slightly, feeling his words were somewhat thick-skinned. All along, though he trusted her, used her, and listened to her, he actually never got close to her. In eating, living, sleeping, and all other miscellaneous matters, he always kept far away from her. At any time, he and she had never been alone together.

It wasn’t that he doubted her, but such prudence had long flowed in his blood – this was royal blood, trusting only oneself under heaven.

But at this moment, with his whole body feeling like ants gnawing, all his meridians seeming to convulse and tighten, his mind in complete chaos, he had never truly quit golden silk and never imagined this feeling would be so unbearable – making one want to bang against walls, go mad, tear off one’s own flesh piece by piece, kneel and beg anyone who could give him medicine, even trading his life for it.

Just like now, he only wanted to please her. He frantically searched his body, somehow producing a thick bracelet of lapis lazuli from somewhere, saying: “This king’s everything is shared with you! This is the most important thing in Shangyuan Palace! This king trusts you, so you must obey!”

Chai Yu’s gaze slowly fell on that bracelet.

Having waited so long, guessed so long, searched so long, finally waiting for this moment.

She smiled slightly. Her gaze didn’t linger on the bracelet too long. She shook her head with a gentle sigh, pushing the bracelet away. Taking out a golden bottle from her bosom, she said tenderly: “You really can’t eat too much.”

Ming Yan’an nodded eagerly: “One pill.”

Chai Yu looked into the bottle and smiled: “There really is just one pill.”

Ming Yan’an relaxed, took the bottle, and poured it into his mouth. Indeed there was only one pill, emanating the familiar special fragrance he recognized clearly – no one could deceive him with this medicine.

Only when this medicine entered his throat, somehow it felt a bit wrong, seeming particularly difficult to swallow?

Perhaps his throat was somewhat swollen and painful.

He swallowed the pill with some difficulty, making a “gulp” sound, satisfaction gleaming in his eyes.

All his blood slowly calmed down, the ant-gnawing sensation receded like a tide, replaced by comfort and clarity throughout his body. Even his bones seemed much lighter, ready to fly away with the wind. He inexplicably felt elated, wanting to sing loudly from a high place.

“Come,” he energetically beckoned to his ministers, supporting Chai Yu as they walked up the high platform, “all come pay respects to your new princess consort!”

As they walked, he heard Chai Yu counting beside him: “Nine, eight, seven…”

“What are you doing, my princess consort?” he asked with a smile.

“I’m counting the steps to the high platform,” Chai Yu smiled. “Can we reach it within ten steps?”

“About right,” he estimated.

By now they had taken ten steps, with flowers clustering at the base of the high platform.

“Then,” Chai Yu said leisurely, “can triple the dose of medicine let you reach death within ten steps?”

“…”

The afternoon sunlight swayed over Shen Tie Pass, making Tie Xingze’s bright face shine.

He rested both hands on the city wall, watching the Mo army recede like a tide.

Killing the leader had actually freed them from this bone-deep parasite, which was an unexpected pleasant surprise for him. He immediately ordered the soldiers in the pass to reward the army at noon and hold a banquet to invite Murong Zhen and others who had abandoned darkness for light.

The banquet was held in the pass commander’s residence. Gong Yin naturally wouldn’t participate in such a banquet; he meditated in his room. The soldiers in Shen Tie Pass still remembered his terrifying deeds of killing the deputy general, burning corpses, shooting arrows, and destroying the city below the pass. No one dared approach, leaving his courtyard completely empty.

The clamorous sounds from the distant main hall carried over. Where soldiers gathered, it was always particularly lively with a rough atmosphere.

Many people were drunk, staggering out and wandering around the courtyard. Tie Xingze was also drunk. Murong Zhen and others’ alcohol tolerance was truly impressive – while the whole hall was drunk, their eyes grew brighter with each drink. This made Tie Xingze ask in surprise whether even the Mo army’s people had specially trained their alcohol tolerance.

Murong Zhen smiled without speaking, only saying: “Let me escort the great king back to his room to sober up.”

Tie Xingze readily waved his agreement. Some soldiers were uneasy and followed along into the back courtyard. Tie Xingze’s quarters were naturally close to Gong Yin’s room.

Murong Zhen helped him into the room, stood briefly, then left.

Tie Xingze’s snoring soon arose. Gong Yin was silently meditating. He opened his eyes to look, but didn’t get up.

After a while, Tie Xingze seemed to sleep uncomfortably and stumbled up to go outside for fresh air. Gong Yin opened his eyes again but still didn’t get up.

Not far outside was a pond. This being a military city without proper construction, even the commander’s residence was temporary quarters without many servants. The courtyard decorations were also plain, with the pond surrounded by wild grass, no artificial hills or paved paths, the ground muddy and very slippery.

Gong Yin heard Tie Xingze going toward the pond, probably feeling severely dizzy and wanting to get some fresh air.

After another while, suddenly there was a “splash.”

This sound was very clear in the quiet afternoon. Gong Yin’s eyes flew open.

The courtyard was empty. The officers in the main hall were either drunk or drinking. The few old servants had been driven away by the intoxicated Tie Xingze.

All around was quiet, with no sounds of struggle. That “splash” seemed like just an illusion.

After pausing again, Gong Yin got up and swept outside.

The pond’s surface was smooth as a mirror, with no one visible. Only some indistinct bubbles floated up. The water was very clear, nearly transparent to the bottom, so the underwater scene was visible.

Tie Xingze had already sunk down. Too deeply intoxicated, after accidentally falling into the water, he hadn’t struggled or called for help. Now he lay quietly at the bottom, tangled in water grass.

Gong Yin stared at the water surface for a while, then silently stepped into the water. His body slowly sank, settling beside Tie Xingze.

…

The moment Chai Yu spoke those words, Ming Yan’an discovered his body had suddenly gone limp.

He wanted to speak but couldn’t, wanted to push Chai Yu away but couldn’t move. His heart, which had just calmed down, suddenly began racing again like galloping horses, and sweat poured out all over his body.

He could no longer lift his legs – not just legs, now even lifting a finger was extremely difficult. His consciousness was clear, but his body was in chaos. Like a puddle of dead meat, he trembled slightly in Chai Yu’s arms.

And that detestable woman was still smiling, even exerting force with her arms, lifting his legs to step up the high platform, still counting: “Three, two, one…”

When the last number was counted, he was already standing on the platform. Ministers and people below the platform bowed down with a thunderous roar, the dark mass of people prostrate like grass, shouting loudly: “Great king! Princess consort!”

That shout cut through his chest like a blade, and suddenly he couldn’t breathe.

Beside him, Chai Yu linked her arm with his, saying softly: “Great king, do you still remember Yu Cai?”

This once very familiar name, now sounding somewhat strange, entered his ears. His muddled mind paused, then was struck as if by lightning.

The former princess consort!

Unbelievable. He struggled to turn his head, wanting to see clearly the person beside him. How could it be her?

How could it be her, who had become fat as a pig after childbirth?

Unable to move his body, his eyes could only glimpse her lower half – slender waist and straight long legs, her long dress flowing like water in graceful elegance. She had the most refined features and most beautiful figure. He truly couldn’t overlap her with the clumsy form in his memory.

“No…”

“No your ass.” Suddenly there was an outcry from below the platform, but he could no longer see clearly. He only heard someone beside his ear speaking with a smile, slender fingers tapping his forehead in mock reproach.

“Look at you,” suddenly appearing was Jing Hengbo, pointing at Ming Yan’an, laughing delicately as if joking, “you don’t even recognize the wife you drove to death yourself, yet want to remarry her. Ming Yan’an, you’re so confused – how can these beautiful mountains and rivers of Daimao be entrusted to an idiot like you?”

…

Tie Xingze’s face was pale, sinking at the bottom of the water. Underwater was clear as a mirror, with fine sand on the bottom and occasional fish swimming leisurely by.

Gong Yin slowly approached and bent down to embrace him.

Water grass entangled Tie Xingze’s legs. Gong Yin exerted slight force, and Tie Xingze’s body left the bottom.

At the same time, several threads invisible to the naked eye were pulled up, and blue light flashed at the ends of the threads.

Gong Yin suddenly let go and shot upward.

Above his head, the wind suddenly turned fierce. Human shadows seemed to flicker.

“Crack.” Gong Yin’s head actually hit ice.

This was spring – though the pond water was cold, it definitely wouldn’t freeze. Just moments ago there had been rippling waves.

But now Gong Yin had struck ice, ice blocks actually a foot thick that his upward momentum couldn’t continue to shatter.

In just this moment’s delay, those points of blue light had already wound around him.

Through the ice, several human figures could be vaguely seen sitting on the shore, spitting blood onto the ice surface. The ice continuously solidified, finally becoming dark blue.

The entire pond had become a dark blue ice lake. The clear underwater world therefore flickered with ghostly blue light, eerie as a poisonous lake.

Murong Zhen’s figure roamed on the ice surface.

This had indeed become a poisonous lake.

Gong Yin could either stay underwater and be poisoned to death, or break through the ice to emerge. But if he shot upward, then…

Murong Zhen’s lips curved slightly, three parts triumphant, seven parts certain.

…

“Bang.” Jing Hengbo lightly and delicately knocked Ming Yan’an over with one finger.

The ministers and people kneeling below the platform stared up in stupefaction, not understanding why the female king who had been burned to death wasn’t dead, why she had suddenly appeared, not understanding why the great king, who had been spirited just moments ago, was toppled by the female king’s single finger.

Was this the legendary divine power of the female king?

After falling, Ming Yan’an suddenly began screaming and writhing. He seemed unable to speak complete sentences anymore, only making shrill sounds like sawing wood, as if wanting to howl out all the blood in his chest, howl out all that inexpressible hatred, regret, and deep unwillingness.

Unwilling that his grand plans were destroyed in an instant, unwilling that his beautiful dreams were thus extinguished, unwilling that he had been played by two women, deceived into leaving Shangyuan City which could have protected him, at this moment closest to victory, enduring the most shameful and desperate ending.

The brilliant afternoon sunlight suddenly retreated, and a large mass of thick black haze silently approached. Between the black tile-like clouds, purple lightning flashed.

People watched wide-eyed as the howling Ming Yan’an’s robes suddenly became wet, a large patch of dark yellow stains silently soaking through. Where he had rolled, deep yellow matter was left behind. Those nearby caught the intense stench and looked at each other in horror – the great king had lost control of his bowels.

At the end of the red carpet, above the flowers, on the high platform, before the eyes of the ministers, people, and subjects he had specially summoned, Ming Yan’an, who had once been most particular about demeanor and cared most about face, had soiled himself.

The screaming continued, but the voice grew lower and lower, finally becoming whimpering. People heard the desolate meaning, like a mournful dirge played for the end of a dynasty.

Chai Yu remained expressionless throughout, toying with the bracelet, not even deigning to glance – from the moment she returned, she had regarded him as a dead man, the only difference being when she was willing to let him die.

Jing Hengbo smiled and covered her nose, dodging those disgusting remnants. But Ming Yan’an rolled toward her feet anyway. At this moment his eyes were blood red and his teeth ghastly white – he viciously opened his mouth wide, wanting to bite her even unto death.

Jing Hengbo smiled as she watched him roll close. Just before he could bite her boot, she lifted her foot.

“Bang.”

Ming Yan’an flew into mid-air, along with half a mouthful of teeth.

He could no longer make screaming sounds, rolling down into the crowd.

No one caught him. The ministers shifted their knees to avoid him, letting him crash miserably into the dust, splashing dirt and blood all over his face.

Then they bowed deeply toward the high platform.

The victorious king, the defeated bandit – victory and defeat were clear. Whoever stood high on the platform, whoever rolled into the dust, whoever mastered victory, whoever endured defeat.

In the distance, war horns sounded bright, weapons clashed, soldiers roared – the Horizontal Halberd Army began their counterattack.

…

“Crash!” Ice fragments flew as a white shadow shot up. Gong Yin burst from underwater, and at the same time, several rays of light flashed around him, with blue glimmers at the ends of the rays.

“Crack.” A sound like something shattering came from his heart.

…

The moment the Horizontal Halberd Army began their counterattack, the Shangyuan army was still fighting, and fifteen gangs unwilling to accept defeat wanted to join the battle.

Before formations were deployed, suddenly horn sounds rang out. Everyone looked back in panic to see a dark mass of troops pressing close from the horizon.

Banner-bearing cavalry came racing, holding red banners fluttering in the wind. Soldiers on both sides could see clearly the large character “Pei” emblazoned on them.

The Shangyuan army and the fifteen gangs looked at each other in dismay, while the Shangyuan civil officials below the high platform trembled.

At this moment under the setting sun, Jing Hengbo stood on the high platform, watching the Shangyuan ministers prostrate like grass, watching her two armies surround the Shangyuan forces, watching Ming Yan’an die wretchedly in the dust, watching those who had schemed and calculated everything finally fall into her hands.

Her chest seemed to break open, letting in the most open and abundant sunlight of dusk.

She threw back her head and laughed heartily with joy.

…

At this moment under the setting sun, a white shadow like a dragon burst through water and ice, with cracking sounds from his heart.

The open and abundant sunlight of dusk illuminated hair like satin. In an instant, the jet black suddenly changed – crystalline silver-white flashed in mid-air.

…

She laughed triumphantly as she conquered the world at this moment.

His black hair turned white at this moment.

…