[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-the-peace-decree":3,"chapter-the-peace-decree-the-peace-decree-chapter-581":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","The Peace Decree",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2328756,4553,"Chapter 581: Epilogue · The Blossoms on the Path (I)","the-peace-decree-chapter-581",581,"\u003Cp>Epilogue · The Blossoms on the Path (I)\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Spring’s chill lingered, the cold unbanished.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When the north wind howled, it roared like a furious dragon.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Several battles had already been fought along the path of withered tung tree mountain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The ground was littered with corpses; blood flowed across the earth, soaking into the soil, leaving fewer than one in ten of the surviving soldiers alive.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A refined young man shouted in fury: “Damn Qin soldiers! You’ve already shattered our thousand-year lineage—do you truly intend to exterminate us for the sake of those lowly peasants?!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“For generations, our ancestors have been your household slaves.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The contracts are all here! Does the Emperor of Qin deny them?!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The general of the Qilin Army laughed: “You fool! Do you think you can bind our founding Emperor of Qin with Chen State’s outdated contracts?!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“His Majesty swept the realm with martial prowess, securing peace across all four directions within a decade.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This was both heavenly mandate and human effort—who are you to demand that His Majesty’s laws yield to your so-called contracts? Have you drunk so much horse urine you still haven’t sobered up?!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This general’s tongue was sharper than blades.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The young man across from him could not match him; his face flushed crimson, his fingers trembling:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“History will forever record you as favoring the vile and shunning the virtuous!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before he finished speaking, an arrow streaked in, glowing faintly, piercing through his mouth, driving straight through his skull, and embedding itself into the mountain behind, eliciting a horrific scream.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A junior officer lowered his battle bow, his voice cool: “I’m too lazy to argue with you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What dog is barking so loudly, disturbing the peace?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You trade in human flesh—and dare speak like this?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Damn it! Doesn’t he know the Qilin Army’s archery is peerless?!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>An elderly man with a kind face shouted in anger:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That was the past! We’ve long since abandoned such trade—can’t you just let it go? We’ve repented, severed all ties with our former ways!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The general paused, then smiled lazily:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“My past mistakes are not my present self’s burden.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ah, I see. I accept that.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The old man, still startled and delighted, suddenly heard the twang of a bowstring—then his daughter screamed, following her brother’s fate, pierced through the heart, dead instantly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The general shrugged, feigning innocence:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That was the me of a moment ago who killed her—unrelated to the me now.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The old man clutched his children on either side, frozen, then grief surged—his face streaked with tears, voice choked with rage: “Why won’t you give us even one path to live? We’ve abandoned every family legacy, every ounce of gold and silver—isn’t that enough?! Isn’t it enough?!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Isn’t it said that laying down the butcher’s knife brings instant enlightenment?!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The general replied, puzzled: “Aren’t I helping you achieve enlightenment?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You’re a strange man.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You keep saying ‘lay down the butcher’s knife, attain Buddhahood.’”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But when you actually become a Buddha, you’re not happy.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The old man’s fury surged so violently he nearly spat blood—he only thought: this general’s voice was young, yet his tongue… where had he learned such words?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His tongue was like a blade dipped in poison.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The old man, supporting his children, weeping, suddenly roared: “If you insist on wiping us out, then don’t blame us! Men, draw your weapons! Even if we die, we’ll fight you to the last!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Around them, chaos erupted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A troop of riders surged forth—those in front wore armor, wielding crossbows. The general’s brows lowered; he had already charged forward, snatching a heavy, hundred-fold forged steel battle halberd from the air.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’ve had enough of these empty formalities.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Qilin Army, form ranks!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The Emperor’s decree: those who kidnap and mutilate the living—kill without mercy!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Riding the momentum of their horses, he swung the halberd forward—his aura exploded, and behind him, a thousand elite soldiers’ martial force converged; the air surged like a tidal wave, and with both hands gripping the halberd, he swept it violently.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>ZOOM!!!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The tidal wave spun, forming countless tiny vortices.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The incoming crossbow bolts were flung away by the swirling current.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The next instant, the general had already plunged into the ranks of the broken troops and once-noble families; as his halberd reached its peak, faint roars of beasts echoed—after several brutal charges, the ground was littered with corpses.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even those on the other side who wore armor and carried crossbows were utterly powerless against him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These hidden human traffickers had once lived only in the shadows of the realm; even if they’d spent fortunes during the chaos to buy crossbows and armor, how could they stand against the Qilin Army, which had swept the realm with imperial might?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Most were cut down on the spot.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The rest were rendered helpless, bound, and awaiting a harsher judgment—execution alone was not enough; they must be publicly condemned and punished by law to soothe the people’s hearts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Death?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Far too lenient. Far too easy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Qilin Army possessed methods left by Master Hou Zhongyu.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The ability to make men beg for death but be denied it was not rare.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The old man was crippled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He tried to kill himself—but both hands were pierced through with nails.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He could only lie there, no longer the kind-faced, benevolent elder—he now looked venomous, shrieking in agony: “Emperor Qin! Emperor Qin is unjust!!!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You spurn noble lineages, favor the vile, and consort with those mud-stained peasants!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It won’t last! It won’t last!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The young general kicked out:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Fuck your mother!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The general kicked the old man onto his back, stomping his boot firmly on his spine, then pulled a scroll from his waist, unrolling it casually: “Zhong Lingyi, of the Qianli Clan. Your family gained entry into court centuries ago through filial piety recommendations, bribed extensively, then left officialdom after the Regent Shengwu Wang took power.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Publicly, you were a landowner with ten thousand mu of fields; secretly, you trafficked humans, poisoning the land. Every deed, every act of yours, has been recorded by Master Xiao Zhi.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Per Qilin Army protocol, we must first verify your identity and explain why you’re arrested.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Upon hearing “Xiao Zhi,” the old man’s face twisted through several shades before turning ashen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hooves clattered—someone arrived, laughing: “Xue Captain, impressive work.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The general was merely a captain; he removed his helmet, revealing a face around twenty, a scar across his cheek, fierce brows radiating the brutality forged on the battlefield. He raised his brows: “Right Chancellor had already given us the list.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Right Chancellor has lashed the noble clans, but even with his schemes, he could only restrain them temporarily—there are still people like this.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“They commit crimes, refuse to surrender, and dare strike back at us.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The newcomer was Shi Yunzhou, dressed as a strategist, but with a sword at his waist—the new Qilin Army structure required one such officer per thousand-man unit, personally trained by the late General Wu Su Bo, Fan Qing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His role: reform the minds of ordinary captives and ensure no corruption within the ranks. Of course, the captains must keep them tightly supervised—these strategists were resolute, but influenced by a certain purple-eyed strategist whose name was never spoken.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though their martial skill was mediocre, they often charged the fiercest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shi Yunzhou said: “We tracked these men for months—finally, the truth is out. But, Captain Xue, why suddenly request leave?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This Captain Xue, twenty years old, held the rank of Zhechong Captain—above Commandant, below General—commanding three thousand troops. Rumor said he came from a merchant family and earned immense battlefield merit during the unification wars.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He personally fought in the battle with highest casualties against Yuwen Lie.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Crawled out of a mountain of corpses.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A military officer who rose solely by merit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Aside from his venomous tongue, he had no flaws whatsoever.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Captain Xue touched his cheek scar, a soft smile appearing: “My she-tiger… no, I mean, my sister.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“She’s finally getting married.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“After completing this campaign, I’m taking leave to return home and visit my sister’s husband—this is my gift.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The officers were baffled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What kind of woman would receive the extermination of human traffickers as a wedding gift?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>………………\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Xue family of Guanyicheng was bustling.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Or rather, the entire city of Guanyicheng was alive with activity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The old shopkeeper of Huichun Hall couldn’t help glancing twice—the road teemed with processions, ceremonial banners solemnly raised, Minister Nan Hanwen himself arriving to deliver gifts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ordinary families would never have such a level of protocol.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now, the founding Emperor was taking a bride.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was merely the first step; the ancient Six Rites still awaited.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Nan Hanwen arrived at the Xue residence; Xue Daoyong was in excellent spirits, dressed in ceremonial robes, waiting outside—only a few knew that upon learning the Emperor’s process had begun, the old man hadn’t slept for days.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Muffled laughter often echoed from Tingfeng Pavilion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Rumor had it the old man now claimed himself the greatest gambler in the realm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even now, dressed in flawless ceremonial robes, his lips kept twitching upward, suppressing, then rising again—repeatedly, uncontrollably.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was as if the upward curve of his lips defied even the hundred-year-old warlord tiger, the seventh-tier master’s strength.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Impossible to suppress. Completely impossible.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Master Nan Hanwen, a man of refined tastes, pretended to see nothing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Proper formalities observed, the letter of gift delivered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After prolonged polite exchanges, the imperial gifts were finally accepted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These gifts were not the official betrothal presents.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Xue Shuangtao didn’t care about these things.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Inside the Xue family’s inner courtyard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xue Shuangtao wore a simple green robe, a bamboo flute tied at her waist, her hair pinned with a wooden hairpin, her eyes still clear as apricot pupils, her bearing gentle yet resolute.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Madam Qu was measuring the woman for a gown, and the woman, who still bore traces of her youthful charm, smiled with a touch of nostalgia: “More than ten years ago, when His Majesty came to our Xue family as a guest minister, his robes were made by me.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I never imagined I’d be making your wedding attire too.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Madam Qu paused, then couldn’t help smiling:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’s rather amusing, isn’t it?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xue Shuangtao gazed at her reflection in the mirror, reached out to brush her temple hairs, and smiled: “It was his idea—he said our first meeting, the one tied to clothing, was with Madam Qu, so your hands must make our wedding robes.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Even as an emperor who has founded a nation, he still carries the spirit of a wandering swordsman, saying this is how one sees things through to the end, how one meets an old friend again.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I only wonder if it might be too much trouble for you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Madam Qu grew slightly uneasy, yet still smiled: “How could it be?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“To have this chance is something I’ll be able to tell my children about when I’m old—seeing things through from start to finish, I’ve indirectly taken part in this great tide of history.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She whispered:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Though His Majesty often says the grand tide of the world is made up of countless people like us.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But I’m dull-witted—only now do I feel even a whisper of that truth.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xue Shuangtao’s fingers lightly brushed the wedding gown—crimson as its base, embroidered with phoenixes in gold thread. The robes of emperors and empresses throughout history had always been woven with real gold thread, extravagantly lavish. Xue Shuangtao had wanted to decline, but the Qin Emperor had insisted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Qin Emperor said matter-of-factly: “I have gold!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then he clanged down a jar.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Inside were countless golden beads.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This time, the gold thread on Xue Shuangtao and Li Guanyi’s wedding robes was special.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was spun from the golden beads Xue Shuangtao had given Li Guanyi over the past decade, melted by the Crimson Dragon’s flame and drawn into thread.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xue Shuangtao’s fingertip gently traced the gold thread.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the candlelight, the golden threads shimmered, and memories flooded back—these golden beads were the first traces of their story.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They met in Yicheng, she a sheltered young lady, he a poor, money-hungry herbalist, and from there, their paths spread—suddenly, it seemed as if, beneath the flickering flames, the young lady and the guest minister had walked separate roads through the chaos of war.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A teenage leader of a wandering band.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The heiress managing the Xue merchant guild.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Qin Wu Hou, whose martial prowess swept the land, famed at fourteen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A girl with a pure heart, traveling with merchant caravans to rally the Peace Army.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The qilin who shattered the chaos with her own body.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The ever-present Changfeng by the qilin’s side for over a decade.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Where the qilin roared, Changfeng followed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now, after these years of emotion, their bond had melted into golden threads, winding around them both.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just as these golden beads had become golden thread.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A faint smile lingered on Xue Shuangtao’s face.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Madam Qu’s eyes held admiration.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Childhood friends, innocent and pure, supporting each other through life, yet still holding fast to their love—it was truly enviable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just then, a commotion erupted outside.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A maid rushed in, face pale with alarm: “Bad news, Young Lady!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Something’s happened outside!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xue Shuangtao’s voice was calm: “What happened? Don’t rush—tell me slowly.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The maid spoke rapidly, recounting everything.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xue Shuangtao raised her fingers, and in her brow appeared the stern aura of the leader of the empire’s foremost intelligence tower.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The imposing presence of the leader of the First Intelligence Tower in turbulent times emerged.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>?? Epilogue arrives (peacefully)\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Side story arrives (in peace)\u003C\u002Fp>",2254,"2026-06-20T19:20:36.387Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","0908259f3e784201365045a040901daecc86b0dcc60bd1fbc97926c5b34ac2cb","the-peace-decree-chapter-582","the-peace-decree-chapter-580",593,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-peace-decree-cover.jpg"]