TNIBFT -Chapter 339 The End – Shen Jie’s Dream

“Since you were unaware, His Majesty is merciful and spares your lives!”

After Shangguan Ning finished speaking, the soldiers of Dazhou began shouting “Long live the Emperor!” once more.

The only daughter of the Left Prime Minister—if His Majesty said she must die, then die she would. What chance did these low-ranking soldiers have to resist? Who would dare disobey now?

Looking at Zhu Yingxue on the ground, eyes wide with unfulfilled death, Shen Jie felt a flicker of sorrow in his gaze.

But he knew that clinging to Qin Fengyi, this towering figure, would be the only way to rest easy. Moreover, Qin Fengyi’s beauty was one in ten thousand; any man would desire such a woman.

“Your Majesty!”

Just as everyone was gathering to leave, Shen Jie suddenly shouted loudly.

Qin Fengyi’s eyes showed disgust. She was about to draw her pistol from her waist when Ye Tian stepped forward, stopping her. Seeing Ye Tian shake his head at her, Qin Fengyi’s voice turned icy: “Speak.”

“Your Majesty!”

“I am guilty of misjudging people; I beg Your Majesty to punish me!”

Seeing Shen Jie behave like this, Ye Tian was speechless. Truly, he was a master of theatrics—what else did he even know besides this act?

Shen Jie lowered his head and continued: “I… I actually wish to follow Your Majesty’s side.”

He raised his head, sincerity shining in his eyes, and lifted both hands above his head: “My mother… my mother is Liu Ruyan. She always wanted to return to Dazhou, to serve Your Majesty faithfully. Even until her dying day, she could not rest easy about Your Majesty. She gave me the chance… and I must seize this chance to find Your Majesty.”

His words were heartfelt.

Qin Fengyi’s face twisted with disgust. This Shen Jie, though Liu Ruyan’s son, was utterly repulsive to her.

Shangguan Ning glanced at Qin Fengyi and was about to take the token from Shen Jie’s hand, but Qin Fengyi said: “No need.”

“Liu Ruyan failed in her duties. Five years passed, and her mission was incomplete. Now that she is dead… if she were alive, I would never forgive her!”

What?

Shen Jie’s pupils constricted. He had not expected the Empress to think this way.

He awkwardly knelt on the ground, feeling a sharp pressure on his back. All eyes, filled with ridicule, fell on him.

“Ha!” Ye Tian could not resist and let out a scoffing laugh.

Shen Jie lifted his head slightly and saw Ye Tian and Qin Fengyi side by side. His heart sank further. Why did Ye Tian know the Empress of Dazhou? What was their relationship?

Before Shen Jie could figure it out, Qin Fengyi turned on horseback and rode away.

Shen Jie didn’t know what to do. He was about to chase, but Ye Tian looked at Shangguan Ning and smiled: “Finally caught Shen Jie. Don’t let him escape. How about this—cripple one of his legs and bring him back to Sifang City for me.”

“Yes, sir!”

Shangguan Ning cupped his fists.

Listening to their exchange, Shen Jie’s heart filled with both anger and frustration. Who gave Ye Tian the authority? How could he issue orders to Dazhou’s high officials?

Seeing Shangguan Ning approach step by step, Shen Jie knelt, hands pressing the ground as he tried to crawl backward: “Lord Shangguan… you cannot listen to Ye Tian. I have no grudge with the Empress, and this is all a misunderstanding between us. I am Liu Ruyan’s son!”

Shangguan Ning ignored him entirely, drawing his flexible sword from his waist, the cold steel glinting.

“Ah…” Shen Jie screamed, trembling violently, blood pouring from his right leg.

Clutching his right leg, his face twisted in agony as he lay on the ground, crying out repeatedly.

Shangguan Ning, satisfied, sheathed his sword and looked around: “Don’t bother with him!”

“Just watch him carefully. Don’t let him escape.”

“Yes, sir!” Several soldiers cupped their fists and roughly dragged Shen Jie to follow the troop. Shen Jie, barely clinging to life, did not understand why things had turned this way—why Ye Tian had become the Empress’s man.

If this continued, how could he ever take revenge?

The snow-covered plain was pitch black, and the bitter wind howled like a feral beast.

Qin Fengyi and Ye Tian led their troops, intending to return to Sifang City. But the strong wind mixed with heavy snow, and the biting cold made continuing impossible, so they had no choice but to find a place to camp.

It wasn’t until the third watch of the night that the tents were finally set up.

Inside Qin Fengyi’s tent, a charcoal fire was already burning. There were still many military matters to handle, and with Zhu Minshan’s rebellion and Shangguan Ning bringing the latest news from the capital, Ye Tian hadn’t had a moment to see Qin Fengyi until now.

Staring at the flickering candlelight on the desk, Ye Tian frowned.

Why is she the Empress now?

Wasn’t it said that the Empress of Dazhou was black, fat, strong as a bear, and could eat a child in one bite?

“Ah!” Ye Tian sighed helplessly.

How is he supposed to explain this to the children?

If Xiao Jiang were to find out that his biological mother was the Empress of Dazhou, he would probably be so thrilled he’d go crazy.

As for the second child, it probably wouldn’t affect her much.

The eldest would study even harder.

And himself… Ye Tian felt even more troubled. Now that his wife was the supreme ruler, did he still need to work hard? How could he possibly live off this “soft rice” forever?

Just as Ye Tian was brooding, Qin Fengyi lifted the tent flap and immediately saw him sitting at the desk, looking troubled.

Lowering her head, Qin Fengyi thought: maybe Ye Tian was upset because she had hidden her identity?

After all, Ye Tian had never kept anything from her.

Feeling guilty, Qin Fengyi pressed her lips together. Her phoenix-like eyes glimmered as she quietly walked to his side.

Startled by the sudden movement, Ye Tian jumped up from his chair.

Qin Fengyi’s cheeks flushed pink. She stepped forward and wrapped her arms around Ye Tian, saying, “I know it was wrong of me. I shouldn’t have hidden my identity. I don’t ask for forgiveness from you or the children right now—I just hope you’ll give me a chance.”

Huh?

Looking at the delicate Qin Fengyi in his arms, Ye Tian’s eyes darted around.

Angry?

Clinging to such a powerful man, who would be angry? Anyone who was angry would probably be out of their mind.

Besides, whether Qin Fengyi had revealed her identity or not didn’t affect him in the slightest. Why should he be upset? If she went around bragging about this identity, that would probably be a bit insane.

“I…” Ye Tian started to speak.

Qin Fengyi looked up, her eyes filled with affection, shining like autumn water. Her pink lips were delicate and tempting.

Ye Tian’s heart raced as he swallowed. In a low voice, he said, “Then… I’ll give you a chance.”

“No resisting!”

Resist?

Qin Fengyi blinked—and the next moment, Ye Tian scooped her up around the waist. Their breaths mingled, and the tent was filled with the heat of passion, their hearts beating faster.

The candlelight flickered, blurring who affected whose heart.

…

Meanwhile, Shen Jie dragged his broken leg, curling up in the horse pen.

Snow swirled around him, and the cold made his whole body stiff. He hugged himself tightly, shivering in the hay.

He had a dream—a very long dream. In it, everyone surrounded him. He killed Ye Tian’s three little ones one by one, stepping over their bodies to climb upward. The Empress of Dazhou? She was easily deceived by a few words. With the jade pendant given by Liu Ruyan, he successfully entered the city lord’s mansion.

Xiao Haoyang doted on him, the princess adored him, and later, he encountered the Empress first.

The Empress couldn’t find her children, so she poured all her grief into him. He used her information to simultaneously hunt Ye Tian’s three bastards while spreading rumors, making mother and children see each other as mortal enemies, never to meet again in this life.

“Ha ha ha…”