Chapter 25

The two servants belonged to Zhao Kai’s household.

And the old man was Lin Sanren.

With both witnesses and evidence before him, Lin Sanren confessed that two of the three letters were forgeries.

Zhao Kai had no way to deny it.

He sank to the floor, his face ashen.

At last, the truth was clear.

Zhao Kai had orchestrated the entire conspiracy. He had deliberately put the letters into my hands, intending to use me to bring down Zhao Yi. But presenting the two forged letters would also make me guilty of framing an imperial prince—a charge grave enough to destroy the Qin family forever.

He had plotted against us all.

Against Zhao Yi.

Against me. Against my family.

He wanted Zhao Yi disgraced and ruined. He wanted the Qin family condemned for conspiring to frame a prince, leaving Zhao Heng without either me or my family to support him.

Then he would climb over our bodies to reach the pinnacle of power.

Such cruelty. Such cunning.

The emperor looked at the three sons kneeling before him.

One a traitor.

One vicious and treacherous.

One disabled.

The light faded from his eyes, little by little. In that single moment, he seemed to age twenty years.

“Guards.”

His voice was hoarse with exhaustion.

“Strip Crown Prince Zhao Yi of his title. Reduce him to a commoner and imprison him for life.”

“Third Prince Zhao Kai has shown a heart as cruel as a wolf’s, plotting against his own brothers. Grant him… a cup of poisoned wine.”

“The empress has failed to guide her sons and conspired to foment disorder. Confine her to the Cold Palace.”

“Qin Wanrou has aided Zhao Kai, heedless of right and wrong, and brought chaos to the court. Sentence her to death by flogging.”

One cold decree followed another.

Merciless. Final.

With those few words, the fates of so many people in the hall were sealed.

Zhao Yi and Zhao Kai collapsed on the floor, gray-faced.

Qin Wanrou fainted outright.

I watched the guards drag her away without a ripple of feeling.

In my previous life, she had stood by and watched me beaten to death.

In this life, I had merely returned that fate to her.

Nothing more.

When all was settled, the emperor’s gaze slowly came to rest on Zhao Heng.

For a long time, he looked at the son he had once neglected, even despised.

There was guilt in his eyes now, but also relief and hope.

“Heng’er,” he said slowly. “From this day forward, you are the crown prince of Great Zhou.”

The words seemed to drain the last of his strength.

His body tilted.

He fell from the dragon throne.

* * *

Three months later, the old emperor died.

Crown Prince Zhao Heng ascended the throne without opposition and proclaimed the new era Yong’an.

I, Qin Yue, was invested as empress and took my place in the Central Palace.

My first act was to issue a decree clearing General Wang’s household of the false accusations against them. Every injustice from those years was set right, and those who had framed loyal officials were brought to justice, one by one.

My second was to find the physician who had healed Zhao Heng’s legs in my previous life. Because I had intervened early this time, his legs had already received careful treatment and attention.

After six months of painstaking care, on a warm spring afternoon, he finally left the wheelchair that had been his companion for ten years.

Slowly, he stood.

He stood before me, tall and straight as a pine, as green bamboo, his eyes bright.

Taking my hand, he drew me into his arms.

“Yue’er.” His low voice sounded beside my ear. “Thank you. You gave me a new life.”

I leaned against his chest and listened to the steady strength of his heartbeat.

My heart was at peace.

“No.” I shook my head gently. “We gave each other a new life.”

The bloodshed and hatred of my previous life had been washed away.

The injustices suffered by the Qin family had been redressed.

Everyone who had harmed me had paid the price.

And I had finally found peace and happiness of my own.

I lifted my head to look at Zhao Heng. He was looking down at me, his gaze tender.

Sunlight fell over us, warm and radiant.

I knew that a bright new future lay ahead.

A happy ending that belonged to us alone.

**The End**

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