Chapter 2: Epilogue · The Blooming Flowers Along the Path (Part Three)

Epilogue · The Blooming Flowers Along the Path (Part Three)

"Osmanthus candy—honey-sweet osmanthus candy that clings to the tongue—"

"Three-steamed, three-dried fu-ling cakes, covered in gauze baskets—"

On the streets of Yicheng, people came and went, still bustling and lively.

After leaving the Xue household, Xue Shuangtao walked for a long while before finally stopping, feeling a faint unease in her chest; though the spring scenery before her was splendid, the crowds lively, the atmosphere of the mortal world rich and warm, she felt a deep sense of loss.

She now understood even more clearly what Li Guanyi had said.

Many things are neither good nor evil—they simply exist.

The petty calculations swirling in the hearts of the Xue family, though Xue Shuangtao had suspected them before, still struck her with great force when they finally came to pass.

Some things feel entirely different when anticipated versus when they actually occur.

Though she had made her decision, it left her with an indescribable vexation.

"It truly makes the heart feel heavy…"

She lifted her gaze and saw the common folk around her absorbed in their own affairs, each living their own lives.

Today in Yicheng, spring light still shone, even more vibrant due to Qin Huang's betrothal rites; people's faces wore smiles, and their talk centered on the marriage of the founding emperor.

Yet Xue Shuangtao felt utterly out of place.

It was as if the matters they discussed had nothing to do with her.

After today's events, she saw more clearly.

Yes—the common people longed for and hoped for the marriage between the founding emperor of Great Qin and the Xue family's Young Lady of Yicheng, a grand event, and beyond it, they placed their hopes—

Such a grand affair could serve as a 【Symbol】.

A symbol that the chaotic past had ended.

A symbol that a new era of peace had begun.

Like firecrackers lit during the New Year, carrying similar meaning.

A new age had opened.

Let the emperor and empress's union bring joy to all under heaven.

This marriage was no longer merely their personal matter, nor even that of two families—it was the affair of all under heaven, a duty.

"A duty?"

Xue Shuangtao clasped her hands behind her back, her slender fingers lightly tapping against her spine.

Peace under heaven. The emperor and empress betrothed.

It was the duty of the Changfeng Lady and the Qin emperor.

To convey to the realm a sense of 【Stability】; in this age, maintaining public sentiment through such means was in fact a vital state affair.

The Changfeng Lady understood intellectually the magnitude of this matter, yet her heart still felt a hollow loss—what she had longed for for so long now became merely a bureaucratic duty, yet despite this, could she truly not wish for it to happen?

Added to today's drama within the Xue household.

All these matters piled up in her heart, filling it with vexation.

She decided to wander aimlessly, avoiding the bustling crowds, walking wherever her feet took her; gradually, the voices around her faded, and Xue Shuangtao savored this solitude—until suddenly, laughter reached her ears, causing her to pause.

She looked up and saw a tall tree, its trunk straight and sturdy, its leaves rustling.

Some children were playing around it, and one mischievous girl had climbed high up the tree—no small tree—and was loudly boasting to her friends below.

The children below looked either frightened or awed.

Get that child down.

Xue Shuangtao stood nearby, watching this scene, and suddenly felt a pang of nostalgia.

In her youth, Li Guanyi and she had sneaked out; she, too, had wanted to do what the Xue family's Young Lady could not and should not do—she had climbed a tree, but that day a light rain had fallen, her foot slipped, she landed hard, and twisted her ankle.

In the end, that fellow had carried her back to the Xue household.

The expressions on her grandfather's and brother's faces that day, Xue Shuangtao still remembered clearly; recalling them now, she could not help but smile faintly.

"Ah, be careful!!!"

A sharp cry came from over there.

It was the girl who had climbed up—her foot slipped, causing panic among her friends; the child's face turned pale as she fell, having climbed up through childish courage, reckless and heedless, but now descending was entirely different.

Looking down at the distant ground, her vision swam, and fear seized her.

Her foot slipped, her limbs went limp, strength gone.

She tumbled downward.

The other children instinctively rushed forward, but they were too late—just as the girl thought she would crash terribly, she suddenly felt a gentle breeze brush past.

Then a soft hand caught her.

Her fall halted instantly.

She opened her eyes to see a stunningly beautiful older sister supporting her, descending like a bamboo leaf through the air, landing steadily; the child was still dazed when Xue Shuangtao released her and smiled: "Are you unharmed?"

The little girl finally came to her senses: "N-no harm!"

Then her eyes sparkled as she said:

"Big sister, are you a fairy?!"

Xue Shuangtao replied: "I've merely practiced martial arts a little. But don't do such dangerous things again—today I was here, but if I hadn't been, that fall would have broken bones."

Her tone grew stern.

The little girl's face flushed with shame.

The other children also nodded apologetically; Xue Shuangtao's expression softened: "Good. Remember not to do this again. Go home—your parents will be worried."

"Yes yes, thank you, Lady Heroine!"

The children scattered, but the little ringleader, though brave and stubborn enough to climb up, was now trembling with weakness from the fright and could barely walk.

"I really can't do anything about you."

A boy, seemingly her own age, scratched his head, his face tense, then crouched down, letting the little girl climb onto his back, and with a burst of effort, staggered to his feet.

The little girl frowned suspiciously: "You won't collapse under me, will you?"

The boy's face flushed red: "Wh-what?!"

"Don't even say I can't carry you!"

"I—I can even run with you!"

He summoned his meager inner Qi, gritted his teeth; the boy's flushed face proved it all. The little girl turned around and waved to the young woman in blue: "We're off!"

The Changfeng Lady blinked, momentarily dazed.

It seemed she saw the young Miss Xue being carried by that little alchemist, waving goodbye to her.

She instinctively took half a step forward, then stopped herself.

She smiled faintly and raised her hand, giving a small wave.

"Don't do that again next time."

………………

Xue Shuangtao watched the children fade into the distance, gazing at the tree, her expression gradually calming—as if she had finally understood something. She exhaled slowly and murmured: "Emperor and Empress, huh…"

She turned and walked away with steady, swift steps.

In the Great Qin Palace.

The so-called imperial palace owed its existence to Jiang Yuan.

During those five years, Jiang Yuan had massively expanded the palaces; though the Houying state had fallen, those palaces still stood idle. By the Qin Huang's decree, Master Pan Wanshou of the Mo Sect, along with the Mo Juzi and others, dismantled Jiang Yuan's palaces scale-for-scale, transported them via Jiang Yuan's waterways to Jiangnan, and rebuilt them anew.

They completed the new imperial palace at an extremely low cost.

A civil minister submitted a memorial, arguing this was too shabby: how could the new emperor, ascending the throne and founding a new dynasty, simply reuse the palaces of a fallen monarch? Not to mention, using the palaces of a dead king was an ill omen.

May Your Majesty ponder this carefully!

The Qin Huang swept his brush and replied with only two characters.

【Save Money】.

The civil minister choked on a mouthful of old blood.

Then the Left Chancellor, still in excellent spirits, personally came to calculate the cost issue with this official.

The Qin Huang's wedding was of immense scale.

The Qin Huang seemed to intend this event to also serve as the official reporting duty for all ministers; thus, every official took it seriously—even the Governor-General Ashina now on the steppe, Khan Qibili guarding the Western Regions, and Duan Qingyu in the southwest—all planned to come.

Though they avoided extravagance, the sheer scale of mobilization carried an indescribable grandeur.

Even if they saved every coin.

This 【Great Wedding】 itself was almost a political mission; even Master Yan Daiqing's entire faction collectively protested any proposal to cut costs, insisting this matter could not be neglected.

The day before the wedding.

All of Jiangnan had already become wildly festive.

The Left Chancellor successfully leveraged this event to once again stimulate Jiangnan's economy and consumption.

According to unofficial histories, the boost to food and consumer spending was so great that the Left Chancellor's smile stretched nearly to his ears, and he sighed, wishing the emperor would marry every year—then the Great Qin's economy would flourish.

Your Majesty is truly worth every coin!

Another unofficial history records that one day, the Left Chancellor stepped out with his left foot first—and was beaten black and blue by a white-haired fisherman, remaining swollen for three days.

On this day, all of Jiangnan glowed with lanterns: veterans from the Western campaign, returning Captains, common folk from nearby villages granted the chance to come…

And old comrades-in-arms who had scattered after the peace.

Now reunited, they were nearly overcome with joy.

Even the usually stern General Fan Qing refused to refuse wine.

So General Fan Qing was drunk under the table by countless veterans before the wedding even began.

Yue Qianfeng roared with laughter: "Hahahaha, Fan Qing, you're no match! Come on, Ling Pingyang, over here!"

"Carry Fan Qing!"

So Ling Pingyang and Yue Qianfeng flanked Fan Qing on either side, dragging him off to drink with his brothers-in-arms. Yue Qianfeng laughed loudly, his voice like an ancient dragon's roar—he had spat blood countless times over his decade on the battlefield.

Yet now he was vigorous, his drinking capacity and physique unmatched by all.

Yue Pengwu's expression was solemn, yet a faint smile touched his face. At the open-air banquet outside the city, his gaze lifted slightly, passing over the Changfeng Lady, gazing at the city's bustling, radiant world, then drank with Xiao Wuliang beside him.

Xiao Wuliang said: "The emperor's wedding is tomorrow."

"Have the rites been finalized?"

Yue Pengwu replied: "Master Nan Hanwen is in charge. Tomorrow, the emperor's aunt will personally welcome the Lady, with golden scrolls, jade tablets, and numerous ceremonial vessels—then the wedding wine, ancestral rites, and offerings to the land and grain gods will complete the ceremony."

"But since His Majesty is the founding emperor, the rites need not be overly elaborate."

Xiao Wuliang nodded.

Yue Pengwu asked: "Has Chen Wenmian still no plans to marry?"

Xiao Wuliang merely said: "Given the Young Master's experiences, it's unlikely any woman will ever enter his heart."

He added: "Now that the world is at peace, the Young Master intends to resign his post and become a wandering swordsman, traveling the four seas."

Yue Pengwu nodded. The two raised their cups, the clink of their goblets clear, as if old friends were present. All of Jiangnan glowed with lanterns; over these past dozen years or more, veterans, heroes, warriors, and renowned scholars were all here.

They used this moment to reminisce, to chat, to tell their fallen comrades of their present lives, of this peaceful age.

The best way to honor the dead is to live better, to strive harder.

They replaced fireworks with wine, and long wails with songs.

We, of this generation, must be so.

The mortal world burned brightly—today was truly the most lively day in over a decade. Yet Li Guanyi remained "captured" in the palace, sorting through Juan Sect documents, having barely finished one batch.

Yan Daiqing, Wen Qingyu, and others withdrew.

Li Guanyi sat alone on a chair, a Yijuanjuan spread open on his knees, reading its text, which recorded how remnants from earlier eras had been purged—mostly human traffickers, and some similar to loan sharks.

And new unstable elements in this era, seeking to exploit loopholes for personal gain.

Qin Huang picked up his brush and sketched characters.

At his Wu Gong legend realm, he could easily hear the entire city's revelry, louder and livelier than New Year's, yet before his grand wedding, he still had to attend to state affairs.

These matters are harder to settle than that old man Jiang Su!

What kind of matter is this?

Qin Huang sighed.

Suddenly, he heard a crisp sound.

Li Guanyi slightly lifted his head and saw, beneath the night sky on the palace steps, a golden bean slowly rolling forward, emitting a faint luminescence—he froze.

Qin Huang rose and walked over, reaching out to pick up the golden bean.

As he stepped out, he saw by the doorway a woman in a blue robe, her hair bound with a wooden hairpin, smiling as she prepared to toss another golden bean.

Li Guanyi seized Xue Shuangtao's wrist, unmoved, and shoved her palm into his pocket: "If you're going to throw golden beans, just toss them straight into my pocket."

Xue Shuangtao laughed aloud: "You're so lazy."

Li Guanyi smiled: "Better to save the trouble."

"Young Lady, why are you here today? By protocol, you should be at the Xue family."

Xue Shuangtao's eyes flickered slightly. "Waiting there is utterly dull."

Li Guanyi raised an eyebrow. "Young Lady, what are you thinking?"

Xue Shuangtao touched her eyes and smiled. "So obvious?"

Li Guanyi said: "How long do you think we've known each other?"

Xue Shuangtao burst into a light laugh. "True."

Leaning against the palace pavilion, her hand still held by Qin Huang, she did not withdraw it, only gently clasped back, gazing at the distant sky: "For over a decade. Tomorrow is the wedding—I still feel unaccustomed. I just keep sensing that tomorrow, my identity will change…"

Memories of past feelings, the Xue family's changes, flashed through her mind.

Xue Shuangtao fell silent, then smiled slyly:

"So, my guest minister, would you care to do something different with me?"

Li Guanyi blinked slightly. "What?"

Xue Shuangtao pulled Qin Huang and suddenly tugged hard—he offered no resistance, only stepped forward, watching as her hair fluttered slightly, her almond-shaped eyes clear and bright.

Master Wen Qingyu had come to find Li Guanyi, to urge Qin Huang to attend the next small meeting with civil officials, but he saw the Changfeng Lady dragging Qin Huang away—he froze.

Li Guanyi said: "Master Wen Qingyu."

The Changfeng Lady exhaled, as if making up her mind, and said:

"Master Wen Qingyu."

"Your Majesty, I beg you to lend him to me for half a day."

Master Wen Qingyu took less than a third of a breath to assess the situation, then without hesitation betrayed Yan Daiqing's faction and declared:

"Your Ladyship, go ahead."

"As for the rest, I shall handle them."

Li Guanyi was pulled forward, looking at Xue Shuangtao in confusion:

"Young Lady?"

The Changfeng Lady, with her back to him, said: "Tomorrow, we shall be Emperor and Empress. But today, can we just be Xue Shuangtao and Li Guanyi?"

She turned back, the Changfeng Lady who had overseen the empire's intelligence Juan Sect, now lowered her gaze, her expression once again the quiet tenderness and resolve of a young girl.

She pulled hard, dragging Qin Huang forward—the mighty Wu Gong legend who could conquer heaven and earth seemed powerless against her pull, as if replaying the scene from over a decade ago, when she had pulled him away from the literati gatherings of noble families.

Before, it was he who pulled her away from the noble ladies' literary gatherings.

Now, it was she who pulled him out of the palace, out of his imperial identity.

Master Wen Qingyu watched the woman drag Qin Huang away from the palace.

It was a celebration for all under heaven; heroes from all corners had gathered again, just as in the days of conquering the realm, lanterns blazing across Jiangnan till dawn. Retired soldiers clutched wine jugs and sang "The Victory March," while common folk chatted merrily.

Bronze bells on the eaves tinkled.

Tomorrow is the wedding.

Qin Huang had been dragged away by the Changfeng Lady—"escaped the palace."

Renouncing worldly status, temporarily stepping away from the glory of history, all awaited a grand ceremony, yet in the gap between these monumental records of the ages, in places unknown to the annals, the little girl pulled the little apothecary.

On this final day, they would have a grand, romantic "escape."

Before becoming Emperor and Empress of the realm.

It should be Xue Shuangtao and Li Guanyi's wedding.

Master Wen Qingyu stroked his chin, unconsciously smiling:

"Elopement? Another kind of elopement."

"How exquisite."

At that moment, a clear voice rang out.

Yan Daiqing, Baozhujuan in hand, approached:

"Where is His Majesty?"

Master Wen Qingyu's smile froze.

Trouble.

?? Keep writing~

? If possible, I hope to have this last little side dish ready for everyone by Spring Festival (rolls up sleeves)