Chapter 501: Chapter 412: This is good, this is good...

The Qi Kingdom City.

The army of the Qin Kingdom had already entered the city.

According to the military laws established by Xiao Mo, the Qin Kingdom’s army was strictly forbidden from disturbing the populace. Violators were to be severely punished.

After breaking into the Imperial Palace, the Qin army executed every last descendant of the Qi Kingdom’s Royal Family, leaving none alive.

At this time, the Qin Kingdom’s army was under the command of Xiahou Nan and Fang Weiming.

Just as Xiao Mo had done before, the two men organized the Qi Kingdom’s topographical maps, Household Registers, official records, and other such documents into volumes and had them sent back to the Qin Kingdom Royal Palace with expediency.

After all this was done, Xiahou Nan and Fang Weiming arranged the city’s defenses, leaving Ma Jinpeng, Su Lei, and several famous generals from the Northern Wilderness to stand guard in the Qi Kingdom City.

On the seventh day after the fall of the Qi Kingdom.

Xiahou Nan cradled a Long Spear and a clay figurine in his hands as he walked, step by step, out of the Qi Kingdom City.

The Long Spear was the Ten Fierce Spear.

Due to its master’s passing, the Soul Mark upon the Ten Fierce Spear had already vanished.

Even so, the Ten Fierce Spear still trembled faintly from time to time, as if grieving the departure of its master.

As for the small clay figurine, it wasn’t some Magical Artifact, just an ordinary sculpture.

But it was this very sculpture.

That the Frost King had protected with his last breath.

Xiahou Nan didn’t know what was so special about this little clay figurine, but he knew its significance to the Frost King must be extraordinary.

He walked out of the Qi Kingdom City.

Outside the city gates, a million soldiers of the Qin Kingdom’s army, all wearing white headbands, were lined up on both sides of the road.

Every soldier’s eyes were red-rimmed. They held their heads high, chests out, and gripped their weapons tightly.

"General."

Xiahou Nan looked at the posthumous relics in his hands. Even after experiencing countless partings by death and distance, his eyes grew red at this moment.

"The great war is over.

We!

Are going home!"

...

「Two months later...」

"The Qin army has returned victorious!"

"Our Great Qin’s soldiers are back!"

"Quick, quick, quick! Let’s go see!"

"If we don’t go now, we won’t get a good spot."

"The Qin army is back? That’s great! I can see the Frost King again."

"What’s the use in seeing him? When the Frost King returns this time, he’s really going to marry Her Majesty."

"So what? I still adore the Frost King. If you’ve got the guts, then you don’t go."

"Wait for me, I want to see the Frost King too..."

On this day, as the Qin Kingdom’s army was about to return to the Imperial City of Qin, the news spread like wildfire, quickly reaching every corner of the capital.

Just as they had whenever the Qin army returned to the city, the common people lined both sides of the streets, welcoming the triumphant army home.

The gates of the Imperial City swung open, and the army returned.

Many young women stood on their tiptoes, eagerly hoping to catch another glimpse of the Frost King’s face.

But the women waited for a long, long time, and still he did not appear.

All they saw were the soldiers of Qin, all wearing white headbands, their expressions solemn.

And at the front of the procession, soldiers carried a coffin on their shoulders.

Step by step, they marched forward.

...

In the rear courtyard of the Xiao Mansion, Qin Siyao sat by her mother-in-law’s bedside. Holding a bowl of medicine, she carefully fed it to the older woman.

Qin Siyao had come to the Xiao Mansion at the crack of dawn.

The Imperial Physician who had been watching over Zhou Ruoxi had sent Cuicui to rush to the palace and inform Her Majesty—that Madam Zhou would likely not survive the day.

After she finished feeding her the medicine, Qin Siyao set down the bowl, picked up a handkerchief, and gently wiped the medicinal stains from the corners of her mother-in-law’s mouth.

"Siyao, you’ve really had to work so hard during this time,"

Zhou Ruoxi said, smiling at her daughter-in-law.

Although Zhou Ruoxi was old and her hair was completely white, the madam seemed to have always been just this gentle.

"Mother, it’s what I should be doing. It’s no trouble at all."

Sensing her mother-in-law’s Life Fire, Qin Siyao couldn’t help but lower her head, her small hands clenched tight.

Zhou Ruoxi reached out, gently stroking Qin Siyao’s hair, and smiled.

"Silly child, don’t walk around with such a long face all day. Everyone has their own fate; you can’t force it.

Besides, I’ve already lived a very, very good life.

The two happiest things in my life were, one, having a child like Mo’er, and two, having a daughter-in-law like you.

After I’m gone, the two of you must live well together.

I know that couples are bound to argue. What couple in the world doesn’t fight?

But you make up as quickly as you quarrel. And you, don’t hold things against that blockhead Mo’er.

Just give him the cold shoulder for a couple of days, and he’ll know he was wrong."

"Mother, I know..." Qin Siyao said, her eyes red as she forced a smile. "Don’t worry, I will be good to my husband. I won’t let you worry."

"Mmm... that’s good... that’s good... As long as the two of you are happy together, that’s better than anything..."

As she spoke, Zhou Ruoxi felt her eyelids growing heavier and her breath becoming weaker.

Zhou Ruoxi desperately wanted to sleep, but she also knew that if she fell asleep this time, she would never wake up again.

"Siyao... I seem to hear a lot of noise outside. Is something happening?"

Zhou Ruoxi asked Siyao, trying to rally her spirits.

Qin Siyao looked through the window toward the street, just a wall away. Listening to the faint clamor, she replied in a choked voice, "Mother, my husband... he’s... back."

"Mo’er is back? That’s wonderful..."

Zhou Ruoxi’s consciousness was fading, her tone ethereal, as if she were talking in her sleep.

"After this great war, Mo’er... he won’t have to go out and fight anymore, right? He should be able to stay in the Imperial City for a while longer..."

"Yes... Mother, after my husband comes back... after he comes back, he won’t have to leave again. There won’t be any more wars. Everything is over..."

As Qin Siyao spoke, tears streamed uncontrollably down her face.

"From now on, my husband and I can always be here with you.

We’re getting married soon, and my husband said he wants to have three or four children. When they grow up, they’ll all call you ’Grandma’."

"How lovely... how truly lovely..."

The corners of Zhou Ruoxi’s mouth curved slightly upward as her pupils gradually dilated.

Her gaze shifted from Qin Siyao to the space behind her. "Eh? Siyao, look, is that Mo’er coming to see me...? My eyes... I can’t see clearly..."

Qin Siyao turned her head. Behind her was an empty courtyard, with no one in sight.

"Yes, Mother," Qin Siyao said, hastily wiping the tears from her eyes and forcing a smile through them. "My husband has come to see you... My husband is back..."

"As long as he’s back... as long as he’s back..."

Zhou Ruoxi slowly closed her eyes.

In the darkness, Zhou Ruoxi’s vision seemed to gradually clear.

Zhou Ruoxi returned once more to that winter night.

The day her child came into this world.

The day her life was filled with color, painted stroke by stroke by her child’s small hand.

Her child’s first cry, her own helplessness.

Her child’s first smile, her own joy.

Her child’s first babbling words, her own delight.

Her child’s first steps, her own worry.

Her child’s first walk in the snow, her own heartache.

His first birthday... her own anticipation...

"Mo’er, this is Mother’s gift for your first birthday."

Zhou Ruoxi hung a Peace Jade Token around the child’s neck.

"Mother doesn’t care what you achieve in the future.

Mother only hopes that from now on, Mo’er will be..."

...

"Mother, what are you saying?"

Seeing Zhou Ruoxi’s lips tremble slightly, Qin Siyao quickly leaned in closer.

"Year after year, every year..."

"Every year..."

"Safe..."

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