Novel Full Chapter 413: So Elder Sister Can No Longer Cry
Reality.
The Zhou Kingdom imperial palace.
In the imperial study, Xiao Mo suddenly opened his eyes.
The midday sun fell upon Xiao Mo’s body.
Xiao Mo pressed his hand against his chest, gasping for breath in large gulps.
Although due to the Book of a Hundred Lives, Xiao Mo’s memories had been blurred but the extremely realistic feeling at the moment of death still left Xiao Mo with lingering fear.
[Book of a Hundred Lives fifth life experience complete. Book of a Hundred Lives rewards are being calculated. The host may enter the River of Time until the fifth life reward calculation is complete. Does the host wish to enter?]
The voice of the Book of a Hundred Lives rang out once more in Xiao Mo’s mind.
“Enter!”
After calming his mind, Xiao Mo decisively made his choice.
Although regarding the Book of a Hundred Lives’ fifth life, Xiao Mo didn’t have many memories yet Xiao Mo felt in his heart that he couldn’t let it go no matter what.
“The host is about to enter the River of Time. Please prepare yourself.
Three.
Two.
One…”
The Qin Kingdom imperial palace’s imperial study.
Xiahou Nan, Li Jing, Zhao Guang, Fang Weiming, and other generals all came before the emperor to report on their duties.
Although they had won a great battle, and if history recorded it truthfully, their names would surely be immortalized for eternity but on their faces, one couldn’t see much happiness.
After Qin Siyao bestowed rewards, everyone left. Only Xiahou Nan remained in the imperial study, not yet departed.
“Does General Xiahou have other matters?”
Qin Siyao asked with a calm expression. Her voice had not the slightest fluctuation, as if one couldn’t sense any color or emotion from her.
“There are indeed some matters.”
From his storage pouch, Xiahou Nan took out three items.
“This Ten Fierce Spear is the immortal weapon used by the Frost Prince. The mask is the one the Frost Prince wore from the beginning of his campaigns. As for this clay figurine, this subject doesn’t know what it is but even when being struck down by the great formation, the Frost Prince still clung tightly to this thing.
This general feels this object must hold extraordinary significance for the Frost Prince.
Now that the Frost Prince’s bones are gone, aside from the Ten Fierce Spear, this mask and clay figurine should have been buried with the remains but this general feels that compared to burial, these items should be delivered to Your Majesty instead.”
Huasheng, standing to the side, stepped forward and received Xiao Mo’s three relics, placing them before Qin Siyao.
Looking at the mask and small clay figurine on the desk, Qin Siyao’s eyes wavered.
She extended her hand, cradling the small clay figurine in her palm, gently caressing it, her fair fingertips trembling slightly.
“Your Majesty, this clay figurine is…?” Xiahou Nan asked.
Qin Siyao shook her head, “Just an ordinary clay sculpture made by a girl, nothing more.”
Qin Siyao raised her head, looking at Xiahou Nan, “General Xiahou must be tired as well. Return to your manor to rest.”
“Yes, Your Majesty. This subject takes his leave.” Xiahou Nan clasped his fists in salute, said no more, and left the imperial study.
The door closed.
In the imperial study, only the woman remained alone.
Looking at this somewhat ugly little clay figurine, in the woman’s mind, it was as if she saw once again that day several years ago, when a little girl stood before a little boy.
“This is for you.”
“For me?”
“Yes, this clay figurine isn’t of anyone else but myself. It’s my gift to you. When you miss me, look at this clay figurine and silently recite my name. Maybe I’ll know you’re thinking of me, and then I’ll come see you.”
“I see.” The little boy accepted the clay figurine and smiled. “But what if Princess doesn’t come?”
“If I don’t come, you won’t lose out either.”
“Why?”
“Because I’m thinking of you too.”
When the woman came back to her senses, tears had already dripped onto the small clay figurine.
“You big liar, have you been thinking of me?”
The woman gently caressed the clay figurine’s brow, crying and laughing at the same time.
“I miss you so much…”
The next day, Qin Siyao planned to leave the imperial palace and go to the Xiao Manor.
According to Qin Kingdom customs, Qin Siyao needed to first preside over the funeral of her mother-in-law, Zhou Ruoxi but at this time, some ministers submitted memorials to dissuade her.
Because the Frost Prince had passed away and Qin Siyao had not yet entered the family, according to Qin Kingdom law, the marriage contract was already void.
These ministers believed that Zhou Ruoxi’s funeral and the Frost Prince Xiao Mo’s funeral should rightfully be presided over by the Xiao family’s younger generation.
When Baili Xi, Prime Minister Li, and others learned of these ministers’ memorials, they didn’t say a single word in court, only sighing, “This group of opportunistic wastes.”
As expected, Qin Siyao completely ignored them.
Within two days, evidence of these court officials’ usual corruption and abuse of law was laid out before the court.
The memorializing officials were either dismissed from office or imprisoned.
From then on, not a single court official dared speak another word.
Several days later, Qin Siyao personally presided over her mother-in-law’s funeral.
On the day of burial, even though Cuicui was already sixty years old, she still cried like a young girl.
“Aunt Cui, would you like to live in the imperial palace?”
After the funeral, Qin Siyao asked Cuicui.
Cuicui shook her head, “Thank you for Your Majesty’s kindness, but this old servant is advanced in years and doesn’t wish to trouble Your Majesty. After attending the young master’s funeral, this old servant will build a small courtyard before Madam’s tomb and continue to accompany Madam.”
Hearing Cuicui’s words, Qin Siyao didn’t insist, only nodded silently.
One month after Zhou Ruoxi’s burial came Xiao Mo’s funeral.
The day before Xiao Mo’s funeral, both the Northern Frontier Snow-Treading Dragon Cavalry and the heavy armored infantry all arrived outside the Qin Kingdom’s imperial capital.
This startled many court officials, who feared the Northern Frontier army might do something disloyal but Qin Siyao didn’t care at all.
On the day of the funeral, Xiao Mo’s coffin was transported from the Xiao Manor toward the Xiao family ancestral grounds.
Qin Siyao wore mourning clothes, dressed in hemp and white, holding Xiao Mo’s spirit tablet in her hands as she walked at the very front of the funeral procession.
The city’s common people all saw them off along the road.
Many women cried in anguish looking at the Frost Prince’s coffin, some even fainting from grief.
Upon leaving the city, Xiahou Nan, Lian Li, Li Jing, and other generals, along with the Northern Frontier Snow-Treading Dragon Cavalry and heavy armored infantry, stood in rows on both sides of the city gate, from the gate all the way to the Xiao family ancestral grounds.
“See off the Frost Prince!”
Li Jing shouted loudly.
“Wuu—”
Following Li Jing’s words, the sound of charging horns resounded through the firmament.
“Clang! Clang clang!!!”
A million soldiers all had reddened eyes, striking their armor with their weapons to see the Frost Prince off.
Xiao Mo’s cenotaph was buried beside Zhou Ruoxi.
On Xiao Mo’s tombstone, there were none of the long title prefixes of most nobles, only the words written: “Tomb of Husband Xiao Mo, Tearfully Erected by Wife Qin Siyao.”
After Xiao Mo was buried, everyone dispersed. Only Qin Siyao knelt before the monument.
No one dared disturb Qin Siyao.
Nor did anyone know what Qin Siyao was thinking about.
Half a month later, before her husband’s tombstone, the woman slowly stood up, turned, and walked back to the imperial palace.
The Northern Frontier Huang Tower master came to the imperial palace to meet with Qin Siyao.
Huang Tower Master Qiu Wen brought a letter and the Northern Pacification Prince’s seal.
This letter was written by Xiao Mo’s own hand and stamped with his blood seal.
The letter’s contents were Xiao Mo’s various arrangements regarding the Northern Frontier.
Most critical among them was a request for Her Majesty to revoke the title of Northern Pacification Prince and the military authority, hoping that from then on the Northern Frontier army would be under the Qin Kingdom ruler’s command.
Looking at this letter, this last will, Qin Siyao pondered for a long time.
“Your Majesty need not worry.”
Qiu Wen thought Qin Siyao was worried that doing this would cause dissatisfaction in the Northern Frontier army and trigger internal chaos in the Qin Kingdom, so she explained.
“At this time, military affairs are managed by Li Jing, Zhao Guang, Fang Weiming, and others. They have no rebellious intentions and are all loyal to the Frost Prince.
Now that the Frost Prince has passed, they are all loyal to Your Majesty.
What they least wish to see is the realm dividing again, letting the efforts and blood of the Northern Pacification Prince, the Frost Prince, and millions of soldiers flow in vain.
So regarding the Frost Prince’s wishes, they have no objections whatsoever.
As for the Xiao Manor’s current descendants, the only accomplished ones are Xiao Yang, Xiao Gui, and a few others who followed the Frost Prince through campaigns north and south.
They only wish to guard this realm the Frost Prince created in his final days.”
Qin Siyao shook her head, “I’m not worried about that. I’ve never worried about that…”
“Your Majesty’s meaning is…?” Qiu Wen didn’t understand.
“No matter when, no matter what happens, he always thinks of me first.” Qin Siyao raised her head, looking at Qiu Wen. “Miss Qiu, when my husband spent time with you, were there any matters, any private affairs he asked you to do?”
Qiu Wen thought seriously for a moment, then shook her head.
“As expected…”
Qin Siyao lowered her head, looking at that Northern Pacification Prince’s seal.
“He’s always like this.”
“He’s always like this…”
Three days later, Qin Siyao publicly announced the last will Xiao Mo had written while alive, revoked the title of Northern Pacification Prince, and placed the Northern Frontier army under court management, answerable only to the Qin Kingdom ruler.
Many people thought Her Majesty’s action would cause dissatisfaction among the Northern Frontier generals, even though this was the Frost Prince’s dying wish but unexpectedly, all the Northern Frontier generals accepted the order and surrendered their military authority.
Some generals, weary of a life of constant campaigns, resigned from office and retreated to the mountains and forests, becoming leisurely hermits.
Some generals entered the Qin Kingdom’s imperial capital to serve in the court.
In any case, the transfer of Northern Frontier military authority occurred without a single incident and half a year after the Qi Kingdom’s fall, the new King of Zhao personally entered the capital to request surrender to the Qin Kingdom.
Qin Siyao accepted the surrender, enfeoffing the King of Zhao as Duke of Peaceful Happiness, granting him no position of real power, but allowing him to receive an annual stipend until his death.
From this point, the Zhao Kingdom fell and the Ten Thousand Laws Realm was unified.
The following spring,Qin Siyao promulgated the “Qin Code.”
From this day forth, the Ten Thousand Laws Realm would no longer have feudal kingdoms. The original Qi, Zhao, Chu, Yan, Wei, and Jin seven great kingdoms, as well as all the large and small former kingdoms’ territories, were all reorganized into provinces, with prefectures under provinces and counties under prefectures.
The realm’s written characters would be based on Qin script.
The realm’s language would follow Qin pronunciation.
The realm’s carriages and horses would follow Qin Kingdom standards.
From this point, unified writing, unified wheel gauge, unified language.
The realm’s common people had no distinction of separate kingdoms, all were Qin citizens.
From this point, aristocratic family titles could not be inherited without the emperor’s permission.
All officials would be selected with recommendation as auxiliary and civil examinations as primary.
The civil examination system was implemented throughout the realm, with the six schools of Confucianism, Daoism, Legalism, Military Strategy, Agriculture, and Mohism as orthodox.
From this point, under the Qin Kingdom’s prosperous age.
The elderly had care in their final years, the able-bodied had employment, the young had upbringing, and widowers, widows, orphans, the childless, and the disabled all had support.
The realm was greatly settled.
In the blink of an eye, twenty years passed.
After the Qin Kingdom had time to rest and recuperate, Qin Siyao personally led troops to attack the Demon Realm.
“This Empress has come to demand an explanation from the Flowing Fire Kingdom and Valley Kingdom. If any dare to obstruct, you may try.”
Qin Siyao’s words spread throughout the entire Demon Realm.
Subsequently, Qin Siyao led troops to level the Flowing Fire Kingdom and Valley Kingdom, the two demon kingdoms.
From beginning to end, the Qin army was never defeated.
From beginning to end, among the demon race’s hundred kingdoms, all stood by with folded arms, not one person daring to obstruct.
The following year, Qin Siyao led the army on flying boats across the sea to enter the Myriad Islands Nation.
The Myriad Islands Nation ruler requested surrender.
Qin Siyao refused surrender, exterminated the entire Myriad Islands Nation royal family, incorporated the Myriad Islands Nation into Qin Kingdom territory, established provincial administration, and placed it under Qin Kingdom jurisdiction.
Another fifteen years passed, since Qin Siyao destroyed the Valley, Flowing Fire, and Myriad Islands three kingdoms, the realm had long been without warfare.
Hundreds of millions of common people all called Empress Qin a sage ruler but there was one matter that court officials constantly worried about.
This was Her Majesty’s marriage.
During these years, in the imperial palace, from beginning to end there was only Her Majesty alone.
Since Xiao Mo’s passing, Her Majesty had remained a widow but how could this be acceptable?
Even though Her Majesty was now a Jade Simplicity realm cultivator with a thousand-year lifespan but the crown prince was the foundation of the nation, how could it be absent?
Thus, some ministers boldly submitted memorials, hoping Her Majesty would consider marriage but these memorials without exception received no response from Qin Siyao.
Finally, these censors could only give up, hoping only that Her Majesty might change her mind in time.
Another six years passed, on this day, Qin Siyao suddenly announced she would adopt children to inherit the throne, requiring imperial relatives to send children between three and eight years old.
Hearing this news, those imperial relatives were naturally willing.
Children of various Qin Kingdom imperial collateral branches were sent to the imperial palace but Qin Siyao was satisfied with none of them.
Until one day, an imperial collateral branch sent ten more children. As before, Qin Siyao called these children to the imperial study to personally meet them.
After these children saw Qin Siyao, they were all nervous and fearful, lowering their heads, not daring to look directly at her.
Only a six-year-old little girl raised her head, her bright, lively eyes blinking as she looked at this extremely beautiful elder sister, Her Majesty.
Qin Siyao noticed this little girl, crouched down before her, and smiled, “What’s your name?”
“Elder Sister Your Majesty, I… I’m called Qin Lan’er.”
“Lan’er, a very pleasant name.” Qin Siyao nodded. “Who are your parents?”
“I… my parents passed away when I was young.” Qin Lan’er lowered her head. “I’ve always lived at my uncle’s house…”
“I see.” Qin Siyao patted the girl’s head. “You’re not afraid of me?”
The little girl nodded, then shook her head.
Qin Siyao said with a smile, “Are you afraid or not afraid?”
“Not afraid.” The little girl said.
“Why?” Qin Siyao asked.
“Because Lan’er can see that Elder Sister Your Majesty is a good person.”
“Lan’er can see this? Then what else has Lan’er seen about elder sister?” Qin Siyao asked.
“Lan’er also sees… sees that Elder Sister Your Majesty seems very sad…” Qin Lan’er said in a childish voice.
Hearing Qin Lan’er’s words, Qin Siyao was slightly startled and smiled, “Why does Lan’er think so?”
“Don’t know…” The little girl shook her head. “Lan’er just feels Elder Sister Your Majesty seems very sad.”
Speaking, the little girl raised her head, “Elder Sister Your Majesty, if you’re sad, you can cry. It’ll feel better if you cry.”
“Elder sister can’t cry…” Qin Siyao smiled.
“Why can’t elder sister cry?” The little girl tilted her head.
“Because elder sister’s mother once said that we women’s tears can only be cried for our beloved to see, to let our beloved feel distressed.”
Qin Siyao stroked the little girl’s hair.
“So elder sister…”
“Can no longer cry…”