HMAM CH 74 The End
As the wine was served, Jing Ye took a sip and leaned in, pinching the young man's chin closer to him.
The candlelight flickered, casting shadows on long eyelashes that resembled half-closed phoenix eyes, stirring the heart.
Le Zhenghuan gazed in a daze, his face unexpectedly flushing red; he had never seen the emperor like this.
The rich scent of wine filled the air as their soft lips met.
The young man, feeling restless, accidentally knocked over the wine cup, wrapping his arms around Jing Ye’s waist as their lips and teeth intertwined, oblivious to the sleepiness that was creeping up on him.
By the time he realized it, it was already too late. Le Zhenghuan stared wide-eyed, showing his anger: “You…”
Jing Ye waved his hand over his eyes, and Le Zhenghuan leaned against him, dozing off on his shoulder.
When he awakened again, it would likely be on the road from the capital to Pingyue. His loyal subordinates would guard him closely, and without his martial skills, the young city lord Le would be left with no choice but to comply.
Jing Ye helped Le Zhenghuan onto the bed to sleep. Still holding onto his waistband, he murmured with faint traces of wine on his breath, “No, no… don’t…”
Jing Ye held his hand and covered him with a thin blanket. A palace attendant quietly entered, and Jing Ye instructed, “Extinguish two candles.” He took one last glance at the sleeping youth before leaving.
Night had fallen. As the imperial sedan passed the library, Jing Ye lifted his hand. Ye Mao nodded in understanding and shouted, “Stop the sedan!”
Jing Ye got out of the sedan, crossed over the main entrance, and walked along the corridor in front of the library, where many green bamboos were planted, casting dappled shadows in the night.
The door ahead creaked open, and an old inner court eunuch, carrying a lantern with a cloth cover, appeared, narrowing his eyes at the dark crowd and falling to his knees, exclaiming, “Your Majesty! Paying respects to Your Majesty!”
Jing Ye asked with curiosity, “What are you doing here at this hour?”
The old eunuch, who had spent many years in the library, was evidently nervous. He explained, “Lord Feng said that many books in the library are not organized according to regulations, so he stayed overnight in the palace to sort them. This old servant has been here to assist.”
Jing Ye glanced at the dim candlelight inside and said, “You’ve done well. Ye Mao, send some rewards to his residence.”
The old eunuch quickly bowed in gratitude, saying, “Thanking Your Majesty's grace,” before leaving with the palace attendants.
As Jing Ye turned back, he saw Feng Ling standing under the eaves.
A few raindrops fell on the bamboo leaves, and Jing Ye's brow furrowed slightly. Ye Mao quickly said, “Your Majesty, it’s raining; we should go inside.”
Jing Ye nodded and stepped up the porch steps. Feng Ling bowed and began to speak, “This subject…”
Jing Ye interrupted, “Will qing remain this respectful in front of zhen forever?”
Feng Ling paused for a moment and replied, “Etiquette cannot be neglected.”
Jing Ye chuckled lightly, shaking his head and saying, “Oh, you…” and then walked into the room.
The spring rain fell gently, pattering against the bamboo leaves, shimmering softly in the moonlight.
Sensing the coolness in the air, Jing Ye remarked, “After this rain, the weather should warm up. The soldiers heading north can also pace themselves a bit more.”
Feng Ling responded, “As winter transitions to spring, Your Majesty’s health isn’t great; you must take care of yourself.”
Jing Ye turned to look at him, smiling, “Are you not going to argue with zhen?”
Feng Ling blushed slightly and said, “This subject…”
But Jing Ye suddenly commented, “Although this library is secluded, it hasn’t been maintained in a long time. Lord Feng, don't you want to change your residence?”
Feng Ling was taken aback. Jing Ye continued, “You’re on duty every night, taking others’ shifts. It’s unfair to you. If this gets out, it will inevitably make people say zhen is blind to what happens under zhen, unable to govern.”
For a moment, both remained silent as the sounds of rain outside began to lessen.
Jing Ye stood up and declared, “The rain has stopped. Zhen is going back to my palace.”
Feng Ling looked at him and stood to bow respectfully, saying, “This subject wishes you a safe return, Your Majesty.”
Surrounded by rows of books, the flickering candlelight cast an unusual glow. As Jing Ye stepped over the threshold, he glanced back and felt as if the scene had solidified into an ancient ink painting, timeless and unchanging.
Dispatches from the northern border began to arrive one after another. General Li had won another battle. The Wuhuan King had been on the verge of death but somehow was saved. Accompanied by Li Tingqiu’s handwritten note, stating that both this subject and Consort Xiang are safe, urging the emperor to take care of himself.
The Wuhuan King learned a harsh lesson and became more cautious with his strategies. The Xirong were pinned down by troops from both sides and retreated to the farthest desert in the west. Even if the Wuhuan did not pursue them, recovery would take decades.
Meanwhile, in the capital, the flowers had begun to bloom, heralding the arrival of spring.
Ye Mao held the dispatches as he timidly entered the study.
Jing Ye looked up, took the letter, and while opening it, asked, “Ye Mao, how many letters is this?”
Ye Mao bent slightly and replied, “Reporting to Your Majesty, this is the sixth letter.”
Jing Ye mused, “The sixth letter… they should be returning any time now.”
As he unfolded the thin letter, he read a few brief sentences and immediately spotted the word “return.”
Twenty days later, the army returned to the capital.
For Jing Yun, this day was significant.
He woke up early, with the palace maid dressing him in layer after layer of clothing, fastening jade pendants and putting on a longevity lock. They proceeded to the main hall, where the emperor, adorned in a black-and-red dragon robe, picked him up.
Jing Yun wrapped his arms around his uncle’s neck and asked, “Uncle, where are we going?”
Jing Ye lifted him up, chuckling, “Your uncle is taking you to see something.”
Jing Yun anxiously nibbled on his fingers, somewhat bewildered as he was carried to the carriage. Surrounded by a grand procession, they left the palace.
They arrived at the north city gate, where Jing Ye held his hand and led him up the steps to the city wall, revealing countless soldiers in formation, stretching as far as the eye could see.
The inner court eunuch flicked his whisk and called out loudly, “Kneel—”
The sound of clashing armor echoed, as tens of thousands of soldiers knelt on one knee.
“Rise—”
Jing Yun, confused, didn’t understand what it meant. Seeing his uncle silent and solemn, without a smile, he also wore a small frown, staring at the soldiers below.
At that moment, two figures approached. Jing Yun blinked; the first person was extraordinarily handsome, and the second—Jing Yun recognized—was the long-time absent “Consort Xiang.”
Jing Ye bent down, holding his small chubby hand gently, and said, “Yun'er, follow zhen.”
Li Tingqiu drew closer, kneeling and presenting his sword with both hands.
Jing Ye held Jing Yun’s hand, placing it on the cold blade of the sword.
Jing Yun flinched but did not pull away, hearing his uncle’s low, soft voice in his ear.
“From today on, you will be the crown prince of this nation.”
The sky was high and the clouds were vast, and wild geese were flying northward.
In Xiaoyi Pavilion, Jing Le ran into the room with a wooden sword on his back and stood at attention: “Teacher, I’ve completed today’s morning lesson.”
Lin Hangyu glanced at him; the young boy still had a sheen of sweat on his forehead.
He reached out, resting his fingertip on the long sword on the table, and said, “This is the first sword forged for me by my sect when I was ten.”
Jing Le’s eyes widened, his face lighting up with excitement: “Teacher…”
Outside Pingyue City, Le Zhenghuan patted his fine steed, keenly listening to the wind, frowning, “Tch, they’re on our tail again.”
With that, he tightened the reins, and the horse let out a neigh, galloping southward.
At the Gu family residence in the capital, the old prime minister, usually stable and drowsy, angrily flicked his beard and roared, “You must marry! Whether you want to or not, you have to!”
Gu Mei retorted, “Why don’t you force Fourth Brother to marry instead?”
Gu Hong, holding a teacup, paused and raised an eyebrow: “If you wish to marry into the palace, I can arrange it for you.”
“I…” Gu Mei, outraged, exclaimed, “I simply won’t marry!” and stormed out.
Inside the palace, Lin Xiaosheng held a tender little hand and wrote the character “Lin.”
Lin Xiao Dun was restless in his arms, reaching for the crystal mirror in front of him, only to be caught by Lin Xiaosheng.
Lu Baizang, fanning himself with a gilded folding fan, sighed and said, “I never thought I, Lu, would become a settled man one day…”
Zhao Yue, sitting on the soft couch beside him, just got up only to be pressed back down by Villa Master Lu with a smile.
The bustling streets of the capital thrived day after day. In a teahouse, a storyteller with glazed eyes paused at his tea cup and declared, “That’s it.”
The audience called, “Is that the end?”
“What about whether the general is alive or dead?”
“What about the Zhang family’s daughter? Did she marry into the Li family?”
“No way! That’s not possible! Keep telling the story!”
“Not at all, not at all.” The storyteller stroked his goatee, shaking his head. “The father talks about his son, the son talks about his grandson. Generations upon generations, endless and unbroken. An old man like me can’t distinguish between two families’ matters, and the day is getting late, so everyone, please enjoy tea and return to your own homes—it’s the sensible thing to do.”
Before he finished, someone angrily slammed the table, “What a shabby ending, quit the trickery!”
“I’ve never seen such shamelessness!”
“Arrest this man! Don’t let him go until he tells the full story!”
Seeing the crowd becoming increasingly agitated, the storyteller dashed into the back room, escaping through the rear exit, muttering “So sinful, so sinful.”
Birds chirped among the green branches, and the peonies bloomed brilliantly.
In this era of peace and prosperity, nothing could be better.
The end
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TN: After some starts and stops, this little webnovel is finally finished! And just in time for Christmas, too, coincidentally. Though it is short and imperfect with a lot of loose ends, it will always hold a special place in this translator's heart so here's hoping you all will enjoy this short but sweet read with its completion! 😊🎄🎁