Chapter 136: General Amnesty, Six Years

Song Fuyao stared at Lu Yang’s receding back.

For a long time, she remained seated inside her cell, her fingers resting on the half empty food container.

Ultimately, she snorted softly.

"What does a dog official know?"

Nevertheless, she did not immediately resume eating.

She lowered her head and stared at the remaining chicken, her thoughts drifting towards memories she had spent years trying to bury.

Song Fuyao clenched her fingers, Lu Yang’s final words flashing through his mind.

"...Annoying dog official."

She muttered under her breath before finally picking up the remaining food.

Outside the cell, Lu Yang continued with his duties as usual.

...

Two months passed quickly.

The enthronement ceremony of the new Emperor arrived amidst considerable celebration.

The Imperial Capital was decorated with lanterns and banners, while officials from across Great Qian gathered to witness the Crown Prince ascend the throne.

Sacrifices were offered to heaven and earth, and the necessary rites were conducted according to ancient tradition.

The new Emperor formally assumed control of the dynasty, and with his ascension came several imperial decrees.

Among them was a general amnesty covering a broad range of crimes, alongside a three year tax exemption for the common populace.

The announcement caused great excitement throughout Great Qian.

For ordinary families, three years without the usual tax burden represented a substantial relief.

Those living in poorer places would have more money to spend on food, clothing, and other necessities, while merchants anticipated that the resulting increase in consumption might create new opportunities.

Naturally, not everyone benefited equally.

Powerful clans and wealthy merchants had different concerns, while certain officials were already considering how the new policies would affect their responsibilities.

Nevertheless, the decree was widely welcomed.

As for the general amnesty, countless prisoners across the dynasty awaited its implementation.

Song Fuyao was also among them.

Her case had been postponed indefinitely for years. With no new evidence or intervention, she had remained in the Imperial Prison, her future dependent on circumstances beyond her control.

Now, that uncertainty finally coming to an end.

When the order for her release arrived, Lu Yang personally accompanied the officials responsible for completing the necessary procedures.

After years of confinement, Song Fuyao was finally free.

...

The day she left, the weather was clear.

Song Fuyao stood outside the entrance of the Imperial Prison, carrying no belongings and looking towards the streets beyond the gates.

The Imperial Capital was as bustling as ever.

Carriages moved along the roads, merchants called out to passing customers, and cultivators walked among ordinary people without attracting much attention.

Nothing had changed, at least not in any way she could immediately perceive.

For several moments, she just stood there quietly.

Lu Yang watched her from beside the entrance.

"Why are you standing there? You wanted to leave this place, didn’t you?"

Song Fuyao turned towards him.

"Dog official, can’t you allow me to enjoy my freedom for a moment?"

"Of course, just don’t enjoy it so much that you forget how you ended up here in the first place." Lu Yang retorted.

Song Fuyao’s expression darkened, "Are you cursing me?"

"I’m reminding you."

"Who needs your reminder?"

Lu Yang shrugged at these words.

"Then consider it a farewell gift."

Song Fuyao glared at him.

For a moment, Lu Yang thought she might launch into one of her familiar streams of insults.

Instead, she turned her head and looked towards the road.

"I won’t come back here."

"Good."

"And I won’t suddenly become a good citizen just because the Emperor has granted an amnesty."

"I never expected you to."

Lu Yang nodded seriously.

Song Fuyao clicked her tongue.

"You’re really an unpleasant person, dog official."

Lu Yang smiled faintly.

"Compared to someone who spent years interfering with government affairs across several counties, I think I’m quite reasonable."

"Shameless!" Song Fuyao finally turned away and began walking.

After taking several steps, she stopped briefly but did not look back.

"...Take care of yourself, dog official."

Her voice was so quiet that an ordinary person might have missed it, but Lu Yang heard her clearly.

"You too."

Song Fuyao resumed walking. Her figure gradually disappeared into the crowd, leaving only the sound of her footsteps before even that faded into the distance.

Lu Yang stood at the entrance for a while longer before he turned around and returned to the Imperial Prison.

"Brother Lu, what happened? Did the troublesome woman finally leave?"

Zhao Ming was waiting inside when Lu Yang returned.

He looked at Lu Yang’s expression, then glanced towards the entrance.

"She did." Lu Yang answered calmly.

Zhao Ming nodded before suddenly smiling.

"Why do you look like you’ve lost something very important, though?"

Lu Yang stopped walking, glancing at him.

"What nonsense are you talking about?"

"Nothing, nothing."

Zhao Ming raised both hands, though the smile on his face did not disappear.

"I just thought that someone who spent years visiting a certain prisoner’s cell might feel a little lonely after she left."

Lu Yang stared at him, his gaze turning sharp.

"Do you have too much free time?"

"Not at all. I have several records to review."

Zhao Ming laughed and hurried away before Lu Yang could assign him additional work.

Lu Yang watched him disappear around the corner, shaking his head.

What an irritating fellow.

Nevertheless, when he resumed walking, he found himself glancing towards the corridor leading to Song Fuyao’s former cell, which was empty now.

Surprisingly, he had gradually become accustomed to her presence, and now that presence was gone, it left a peculiar feeling in him.

Lu Yang stood quietly for a moment before shaking his head and returning to his duties.

However, over the following days, he occasionally found himself wondering whether Song Fuyao would finally find something worthwhile to pursue outside the prison.

...

Six years passed.

Time flowed quietly through the Imperial Capital.

The new Emperor gradually established his authority, and the initial excitement surrounding his enthronement eventually subsided.

The Imperial Court continued functioning normally, officials came and went, and the countless affairs of Great Qian proceeded as they always had.

The three year tax exemption brought relief to many ordinary families, although its effects varied across different regions.

Noble families and aristocratic clans adapted to the changing political circumstances, while cultivators pursued their own interests regardless of who occupied the throne.

Great Qian was still prosperous, but the signs of decline had not vanished, only growing more and more visible with the passing years.

For Lu Yang, however, these years passed relatively peacefully.

He continued serving in the Imperial Prison as a Guard Leader, regarded as a capable and reliable official who never caused unnecessary trouble.

He had little interest in competing for higher positions.

As long as his current position provided sufficient income, freedom to cultivate, and a stable environment, he saw little reason to change it.

On the surface, Lu Yang was a talented young cultivator who had reached the Eighth Stage of Body Tempering Realm at the age of twenty-four and wasn’t far from the Ninth Stage of Body Tempering Realm now at twenty-six.

In reality, Lu Yang had already reached the Fifth Stage of Spirit Awakening Realm this year.