Yun Chu Ling

Chapter 472: Extra - The End

Chu Changsheng leaned on Chu Hongyu's shoulder.

She recalled her childhood, when she couldn't speak and her solitary world contained only her elder brother.

Her brother would accompany her every day, telling her stories and striving to guide her out of her isolated world.

How grateful she was to have a twin brother. They could feel each other's pain and joy—two distinct individuals sharing double the emotions.

"Brother, no matter what happens in the future, let's never change."

Chu Changsheng extended her pinky finger.

Chu Hongyu brought one hand forward, hooking her finger with his: "In our next life, let's still be siblings."

"I'm jealous, hmph!" Chu Hongyu, who was holding the train of the wedding dress from behind, complained loudly, "You two are too much, always whispering secrets and leaving me out. Next life, I don't want to be the younger brother anymore—I want to be the elder brother!"

Chu Changsheng turned back, extending her finger toward him: "Alright then, next life I'll have two elder brothers!"

Chu Hongyu beamed with satisfaction as he linked pinkies with Chu Changsheng.

Yun Chu shook her head with an amused smile.

Together with Chu Yi, she escorted Chu Changsheng to the main gate of Taihe Palace.

The Murong family's grand wedding sedan was already waiting there. Chu Hongyu and Chu Hongyu together helped Chu Changsheng into the sedan.

As the sedan curtain fell, a sudden pang of sadness struck Chu Changsheng's heart.

Though her new home was just next to the palace, being married would ultimately be different from before. She couldn't help but feel like crying.

Seeing her parents, brothers, and younger brother all smiling, she let her tears flow freely—before her family, she never needed to hide her emotions.

The wedding sedan gradually moved away.

Yun Chu's eyes reddened slightly.

Their precious daughter, once cradled in their palms, was now married—an indescribable melancholy filled her heart.

"Mother, it's my turn now." Chu Hongyu grinned widely, "Please ask Father Emperor and Mother Empress to preside over my coronation ceremony!"

Chu Yi reached out, straightening his son's crimson robes: "Starting today, you officially become an adult. Your father hopes you will accomplish every task with a warrior's courage, a scholar's wisdom, and a leader's action. Both family and nation are responsibilities upon your shoulders. Your father believes the future Great Jin will become even more prosperous and powerful than it is today."

Chu Hongyu straightened his back: "Yes, Father Emperor!"

"Must one marry to become an adult?" Chu Hongyu asked, "If I never marry, can I remain a child forever?"

"Cut that out!" Chu Hongyu curled his lips, "I've heard you're quite popular with many noble young ladies in the capital—many have given you scented sachets."

The next moment, Chu Yi's cold gaze swept over.

Chu Hongyu shrunk his neck: "Elder brother, don't ruin my reputation—I'm still just a child..."

Chu Yi grabbed the boy's ear, speaking coldly: "If you dare mess around like this again, I'll strip you of your Prince Yan title immediately."

"I was wrong, Father Emperor!" Chu Hongyu quickly freed himself from the grip, "The coronation ceremony is about to begin—we mustn't miss the auspicious time. Let's go, hurry!"

At the entrance of Taihe Palace, He Jingru, dressed in the grand crimson empress ceremonial robes, approached Chu Hongyu step by step under the guidance of Ministry of Rites officials and palace matrons.

As the auspicious hour arrived, the Emperor and Empress completed their rites, and Great Jin welcomed its new mother of the nation.

On this day of royal celebration, the Ministry of Revenue issued a decree: all farming households in Great Jin would be exempt from taxes for the year, earning cheers from countless common people."Our young emperor has a heart full of benevolence—even his grand wedding hasn’t made him forget us hardworking farmers."

"It seems we won’t have to tighten our belts this year. How wonderful! We must thank the Emperor and Empress—they truly are our blessings."

"Old Lady Xie, you needn’t worry anymore. This year, we won’t go hungry."

The elderly woman addressed as Old Lady Xie, her hair entirely white and her back hunched, was toiling in the fields. Wiping sweat from her brow, she glanced toward the direction of the imperial palace.

Had Yun Chu been there, she would have recognized this woman as the Lady of the Xie household, Yuan Shi.

One blow after another, compounded by the pressures of life, had gradually bent her back until she resembled the most common old woman found in the countryside.

"Oh, Old Lady Xie, your eldest grandson is causing trouble again!" A neighbor kindly came to the field to inform her of the situation at home.

Yuan Shi shouldered her hoe and hurried home with quick steps.

Now living with her two grandsons, Xie Shiwei and Xie Shikang—the elder and younger grandsons—no one here knew that her true eldest grandson was named Xie Shi’an, nor did they know she had another grandson named Xie Shiyun, or that she had two granddaughters, one called Xie Ping and the other Xie Xian.

Once, she had accidentally mentioned to others that she had once shared a meal with the current Empress Dowager, only to be ridiculed for a long time, accused of suffering from delusions.

Initially, under Yun Chu’s protection, she had returned to the Xie family’s ancestral home in Jizhou with her two grandsons and inherited all of the Xie family’s farmland.

Thanks to Yun Chu’s overt and covert support, the Xie clansmen dared not entertain any ill intentions.

But she never expected that Wei Ge’er would fall into gambling, squandering the family’s land and assets until nothing remained.

She became the laughingstock of the entire Xie clan.

In the end, she had no choice but to sell the residence and move to a new home with Wei Ge’er, locking him inside to prevent him from gambling again.

Even though Wei Ge’er had reached marriageable age, she dared not seek a matchmaker, fearing she would bring misfortune to some good family’s daughter.

When Yuan Shi arrived home, Xie Shikang was waiting at the door: "Grandma, Second Brother has... hit his head until it’s bleeding."

Yuan Shi hurried to the sealed-off room, its walls reinforced with wooden planks. Inside, Xie Shiwei was thrashing about like a wild animal, roaring, "Let me out! I want to go out!"

"Wei Ge’er, please be good. Our family can’t take any more turmoil." Yuan Shi wiped her tears continuously. "Grandma will go cook some noodles for you. Eat something, and we can talk slowly afterward."

She went to the kitchen to prepare the noodles, adding a packet of medicinal powder to the pot. Once cooked, she passed the bowl through a small window into the room.

Xie Shiwei, ravenous, devoured the noodles eagerly. As soon as he finished eating, he collapsed unconscious.

Only then did Yuan Shi unlock the wooden door. She carefully cleaned up the filth inside, covered Xie Shiwei with a quilt, then stepped out and locked the door once more.

She looked at Xie Shikang, who stood nearby, and said softly, "Kang Ge’er, see what has become of your brother? You must never follow in his footsteps. His entire life will be spent in this sunless room, but you are different. Our family has five mu of land. With a good harvest, we can save some money. After a few years, we’ll have enough for your betrothal gifts."

Xie Shikang asked innocently, "What are betrothal gifts?"

"They’re what you need to marry a wife." Yuan Shi patted his head. "Come, Grandma will teach you how to farm."

It didn’t matter that Kang Ge’er was slow-witted. As long as he was obedient and knew how to farm, he could always make a living.

The hardships of the past were behind them.

One must always look forward.The two of them went to the fields, where golden wheat ears swayed in the gentle breeze of the countryside.

Countless farmers toiled along the ridges.

Waves of wheat were carried by the wind into the distance.

There was the spring breeze, the summer rain.

There was the autumn frost, the winter snow.

What a bountiful year, what a splendid era of prosperity.

—The End—

Final Words:

Yun Chu's story has come to an end. Thank you to those who accompanied Yun Chu from the beginning to the end, and to all the friends who encouraged the author to persist in telling the story to its conclusion. As for Chu Yi, there are actually many stories about him, but after much thought, since this is a tale of a woman's rebirth and transformation, everything was simplified, with the focus shifting to the growth of the children in the later parts.

A thousand readers have a thousand Hamlets. Although the story has many imperfections, it represents the author's best efforts. It has been a joy to journey with you all through these eight months of rainy and snowy seasons. The author is currently contemplating the next book's story and hopes we can meet again on a new journey.