Novel Full Chapter 412: This Is Good, This Is Good
The Qi Kingdom’s imperial capital.
The Qin Kingdom’s great army had already entered the city.
According to the military laws established by Xiao Mo, the Qin Kingdom’s great army was absolutely forbidden from disturbing the common people, with violators to be severely punished.
After breaking into the imperial palace, the Qin army completely slaughtered all the Qi Kingdom’s royal descendants, leaving not one alive.
At this time, the Qin Kingdom’s great army was managed by Xiahou Nan and Fang Weiming.
Just as Xiao Mo had done before, the two organized the Qi Kingdom’s geographical survey maps, civilian household registers, official records, and other documents into volumes, sending them back to the Qin Kingdom’s imperial palace with haste.
After completing all this, Xiahou Nan and Fang Weiming arranged the city defenses, leaving Ma Jinpeng, Su Lei, and some famous Northern Frontier generals to garrison the Qi Kingdom’s imperial capital.
On the seventh day after the Qi Kingdom’s fall.
Xiahou Nan held a long spear and a clay figurine in his hands, walking step by step out of the Qi Kingdom’s capital.
The long spear was the Ten Fierce Spear.
Because of its master’s passing, the soul imprint on the Ten Fierce Spear had already disappeared but even so, the Ten Fierce Spear still trembled slightly from time to time, as if saddened by the memory of its master’s departure.
As for that small clay figurine, it wasn’t any magical artifact, merely an ordinary clay sculpture yet this very clay sculpture… was the thing the Frost Prince had protected even in the final moments of his life.
Xiahou Nan didn’t know what was special about this small clay figurine, but he knew its significance to the Frost Prince must be extraordinary.
Walking out of the Qi Kingdom’s imperial capital.
Outside the city gates, a million Qin Kingdom soldiers all wore white cloth on their heads, standing in rows on both sides of the city gate.
Every soldier’s eyes were red. They held their heads high, chests out, gripping their weapons tightly.
“General.”
Looking at the relics in his hands, even having experienced numerous separations by life and death, Xiahou Nan’s eyes reddened at this moment.
“The great battle is over. We! Are going home!”
Two months later…
“The Qin army has returned in triumph!”
“Our Great Qin soldiers have come back!”
“Quick, quick, quick! Go look!”
“If we don’t go now, there won’t be any good spots left.”
“The Qin army is back? Wonderful, I can see the Frost Prince again.”
“What’s the use of seeing him? When the Frost Prince returns this time, he’s truly going to marry Her Majesty.”
“So what? I still like the Frost Prince. If you’re so capable, don’t go then.”
“Wait for me, I want to see the Frost Prince too…”
On this day, when the Qin Kingdom’s great army was about to return to the Qin Kingdom’s imperial capital, news spread from one person to ten, from ten to a hundred, and soon reached every corner of the imperial capital.
Just like when the Qin Kingdom’s great army returned to the city in the past, the common people stood on both sides of the city streets, welcoming the army’s triumphant return.
The imperial city gates opened, and the great army returned to the imperial city.
Many women craned their necks expectantly, wanting to catch another glimpse of the Frost Prince’s appearance but these women waited for a long time without success.
What their eyes saw were only Qin Kingdom soldiers all wearing white cloth on their heads, their expressions solemn and the soldiers at the front carried a coffin.
Step by step, they walked forward.
In the rear courtyard of the Xiao Manor, Qin Siyao sat beside her mother-in-law’s bed, holding a medicine bowl in her hands, carefully feeding medicine to her mother-in-law.
This day, as soon as dawn broke, Qin Siyao had come to the Xiao Manor.
Because the imperial physician who had been constantly attending Zhou Ruoxi had Cuicui hurry into the palace to tell Her Majesty that Madam Zhou would very likely not survive the day.
After finishing the feeding, Qin Siyao put down the medicine bowl, picked up a handkerchief, and gently wiped the medicine stains from the corners of her mother-in-law’s mouth.
“Siyao, during this time, you’ve truly worked so hard.”
Zhou Ruoxi smiled as she looked at her daughter-in-law.
Although Zhou Ruoxi was advanced in years and already had a head full of white hair, this madam seemed to have always been so gentle from beginning to end.
“Mother, this is all what I should be doing. I’m not working hard at all.”
Sensing her mother-in-law’s life flame, Qin Siyao couldn’t help but lower her head, clenching her small hands tightly.
Zhou Ruoxi extended her hand, gently stroking Qin Siyao’s hair, and said with a smile,”Silly child, don’t always look so worried and sad. Everyone has their own fate, there’s no need to force things.
Moreover, I’ve already lived a very, very good life.
The two happiest things in Mother’s life were, first, having a child like Mo’er, and second, having a daughter-in-law like you.
After Mother passes, you two must be good to each other.
Mother knows that married couples inevitably argue. Where in the world is there a married couple that doesn’t argue?
But quarrels at the head of the bed are resolved at the foot of the bed. Don’t hold it against Mo’er, that blockhead.
Give him the cold shoulder for two days, and he’ll know he was wrong.”
“Mother, I know…” Qin Siyao said with reddened eyes and a smile, “Please rest assured, I will definitely be good with my husband and definitely won’t make you worry.”
“Mm… this is good, this is good. As long as you two are good to each other, that’s better than anything…”
As she spoke, Zhou Ruoxi felt her eyelids growing heavier and heavier, her breathing becoming weaker and weaker.
Zhou Ruoxi really wanted to sleep, but she also knew that once she fell asleep this time, she would never wake up again.
“Siyao… Mother seems to hear it’s very lively outside. Has something happened?”
Zhou Ruoxi tried to force herself to rally her spirits, asking Siyao.
Through the window, Qin Siyao looked toward the street separated only by a wall, listening to the faint clamor coming through, her tone choked with emotion, “Mother, my husband has returned.”
“Mo’er has come back, that’s wonderful…”
Zhou Ruoxi’s consciousness grew more and more hazy, her tone light and floating, as if talking in her sleep.
“After this great battle, Mo’er shouldn’t have to go out to fight anymore, right? He should be able to stay in the imperial capital longer, right…”
“Mm… Mother, after my husband returns… after he returns, he won’t need to go out again. The realm won’t need to fight anymore either. Everything has ended…”
As Qin Siyao spoke, tears couldn’t stop falling.
“From now on, my husband and I can always accompany you. We’re about to get married soon. My husband said he wants to have three or four children. When they grow up, they’ll all call you Grandmother.”
“How wonderful… how wonderful…”
Zhou Ruoxi’s lips curved up slightly, her pupils gradually dilating.
Her gaze shifted away from Qin Siyao, looking behind Qin Siyao as she asked, “Eh? Siyao, look, is Mo’er coming to see me? My eyes are a bit… I can’t see clearly…”
Qin Siyao turned to look. Behind her was the empty courtyard, with no one’s figure in it.
“Yes, Mother.” Qin Siyao hastily wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes and broke into a tearful smile. “My husband has come to see you. My husband has returned…”
“It’s good he’s back, it’s good he’s back…”
Zhou Ruoxi slowly closed her eyes.
In the darkness, Zhou Ruoxi’s vision seemed to gradually clear again.
Zhou Ruoxi returned once more to that winter night.
That day, her child came into the world.
That day, in her life, her child’s small hand filled it stroke by stroke with color.
The child’s first cry, her own helplessness.
The child’s first smile, her own happiness.
The child’s first babbling words, her own joy.
The child’s first steps, her own worry.
The child’s first walk in the snow, her own heartache.
The first birthday, her own anticipation…
“Mo’er, this is Mother’s first birthday gift to you.”
Zhou Ruoxi hung a peace jade pendant around the child’s neck.
“Mother doesn’t care what achievements you accomplish in the future. Mother only hopes that in the future, Mo’er will…”
“Mother, what are you saying?”
Seeing Zhou Ruoxi’s lips trembling slightly, Qin Siyao quickly leaned forward.
“Year after year, age after age…”
“Age after age…”
“Be safe…”