Chapter 326: Chapter 269: The Grand Finale

In the Imperial Study Room, only the Emperor and Prince Zhan sat facing each other.

For the entire afternoon, the door to the study remained tightly shut, and no one knew what they discussed.

It wasn’t until the setting sun that Prince Zhan slowly emerged from the study.

Afterward, Prince Zhan, Jun Moling, went straight to Xu Ci’s quarters and took Shen Ruoxi out.

Xu Ci was full of shock, with countless questions swirling in her mind, but she forced herself to hold back and respectfully saw Shen Ruoxi off from her chambers.

Climbing onto her carriage, Shen Ruoxi couldn’t help but laugh, "My husband, how much gunpowder did Ning Zhen’er use?"

Jun Moling held her tightly, feeling at ease as if truly at peace for the first time, "We don’t quite understand either, nor could we imagine the immense power of the explosives. After the detonation, everyone was truly terrified."

"As long as no one was hurt, that’s good." Shen Ruoxi let out a sigh of relief.

Jun Moling smiled faintly, "Rest assured, no one was injured. But having gone through this, we have a rough idea of how much to use next time."

Shen Ruoxi couldn’t help but laugh, "With this experience, I guess we won’t need to use it again in the future. Husband, let’s go home, these past two days have exhausted me."

Jun Moling held her tighter, full of tenderness, "Sleep, when we get home I’ll carry you inside."

Shen Ruoxi relaxed, leaning her entire weight against Jun Moling, and soon fell into a deep, restful sleep.

Thinking about how she couldn’t eat or sleep well in the Imperial Palace, Jun Moling felt a pang of heartache, carefully adjusting his position to make her more comfortable, then gently pressed a tender kiss on her forehead.

Shen Ruoxi was carried into the Prince Mansion in Jun Moling’s warm embrace, sleeping until the evening lights sparkled when she finally woke up.

The two had dinner together, and at night, lying in bed, they exchanged many sweet words.

Eventually, Shen Ruoxi curiously asked Jun Moling, "What did you talk about with the Emperor?"

Jun Moling paused slightly with his hand around her slender waist, then said in a low voice, "Is there even need to say? The Emperor understands that he cannot counter me, so he settled down."

Shen Ruoxi nodded thoughtfully, after all, who wouldn’t be intimidated by such a powerful weapon?

Yet, in truth, Jun Moling hadn’t spoken entirely truthfully.

The Emperor ended up weeping bitterly.

He cried out, "It was clearly me who first had eyes on Shen Ruoxi, it was me who first proposed, so why in the end can’t I marry the woman I love?"

Jun Moling took a sip of wine, slowly saying, "I liked her since she was six; I can live my entire life without marrying another woman for her, can you?"

The Emperor was astounded but resolutely said, "For her, I can give you the throne, I can also forsake all other women, let’s exchange roles! This position was originally yours."

Jun Moling laughed, with a smile tinged with the weight of years, "Emperor, even if you give me mountains of gold and silver, I would never leave my wife; she is my lifeblood, without her, I have no desire to live."

He recalled how the Shen Family Army was defeated under his command, the guilt toward Shen Ruoxi, and the once had thought of ending his life after the war, tears flowed uncontrollably.

"Your Majesty, she is my redemption, without her, I could never emerge from the darkness of my life.

Never mind the throne, even if you let me become immortal, I wouldn’t do it. In this lifetime, I want nothing but to stay beside my wife and spend the rest of my days with her."

That afternoon, they were no longer ruler and subject, nor cousins, just two men tormented by emotions, revealing themselves without reservation, releasing all their inner vulnerabilities and pains, expressing every emotion from within.

In the end, Jun Moling took a deep breath and said, "Your Majesty, focus on being a good emperor, as for the Dayi Kingdom’s territory, I have let go. I have waged war for over six years, now I just want to live a peaceful life." The Emperor remained silent for a long time before finally uttering a difficult "Okay."

The profound words shared that afternoon were destined to be buried deep within their hearts, never to be known by a third person.

The next day, Jun Moling surprisingly gathered all the relatives, filling three large tables.

Shen Ruoxi was deeply concerned about her sister-in-law, seeing her and Yan Zhen in harmonious unity, she was deeply comforted.

Meanwhile, Xu Ji seemed to have something on his mind, perhaps fallen for a girl from a certain family, usually the most boisterous, he was exceptionally quiet at that moment.

The scene was both lively and warm, as though in this clamor, everyone found their own sense of peace and happiness.

Pei Xuan and Yun Jiangxue finally became a pair, about to enter the matrimonial bond.

Though they had faced many twists and turns along the way, the ultimate fulfilling outcome brought Shen Ruoxi genuine joy.

Duke Xu and the Duchess had uncontainable joy on their faces; it was the most lively and complete moment since the Shen Family’s trouble.

The family gathered in unity to enjoy the reunion dinner, with laughter and joy resounding through the house.

Time flies, swift as a fleeting horse, and in a blink of an eye, five years had passed. Shen Ruoxi, adhering to her initial promise, went with Jun Moling and their four-year-old son, Jun Shenyao, to Beichang Country to visit her sister-in-law.

From birth, Jun Shenyao exhibited extraordinary talent, exceedingly intelligent, much like a little adult.

Everyone saw them off onto the carriage, turning countless words into earnest instructions, wishing them a safe journey.

In Beichang Country, upon receiving the message, Chunyu Che personally led the group early to greet them.

Because Lin was pregnant, she couldn’t join them, but she awaited their arrival eagerly at the palace gates.

At the moment of reunion, tears of excitement burst forth.

Seeing Lin, fair-skinned and beautiful before her, without the previous dull lifelessness when with the Shen Family, Shen Ruoxi’s heart was full of joy, finally affirming that she had made the right choice then.

The men were heartily drinking in the hall while Lin took Shen Ruoxi to recount their experiences apart. 𝕗𝗿𝕖𝐞𝐰𝗲𝕓𝐧𝕠𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝐨𝚖

Shen Ruoxi learned that not only had Chunyu Che crowned Lin as his Empress, but no other women resided in the harem, which deeply comforted her.

Curiously, she asked Lin, didn’t the court ministers want their Monarch to take concubines?

Lin shyly explained. Since Lin arrived in Beichang, Chunyu Che deliberately let the State Preceptor proclaim her as Beichang’s lucky star, stating she must be the Empress for Beichang to prosper, and no concubines should be taken.

All for the country’s prosperity; who would dare object?

Moreover, since Lin’s arrival, Beichang Country indeed prospered, making the ministers more convinced of the claim, naturally stopping any suggestions of the King taking concubines.

Lin’s womb too desired a son and a daughter, and now she was pregnant again.

With such royal offspring burgeoning, who would seek trouble?

Upon hearing this, Shen Ruoxi’s joy increased, realizing that their gamble had paid off.

After leaving Beichang Country, Jun Moling took his wife and son on a leisurely journey around the world...

Epilogue:

Ning Zhen’er became the wealthiest person in Dayi Country and married Xing Yuan in the tenth year of Shunchang; the two remained lovingly together until old age.

Xiao Chengyi’s wife, He Hongying, died in childbirth, leaving a frail baby boy, and Xiao Chengyi never remarried in his lifetime.

The son of the Xu Family, Xu Ji, finally had his joyous day, but he was the one who married.

When his husband, Guan Qizhe, gently lifted his veil, both were instantly overwhelmed with tears.

Nobody could imagine how arduous the path they traveled was, but at this moment, the hands intertwined were destined to be together for a lifetime, unwavering and inseparable.