TNIBFT -Chapter 342 The End – The Death of Shen Jie

He moved swiftly, his strikes sharp and fierce.

Qin Fengyi’s eyes were disdainful as she slightly turned her head toward the charging Li Gao, expressionless.

“Looking for death!”

Nanfeng could no longer restrain himself. With a cold shout, he drew his long sword and clashed with Li Gao.

Blades collided, sparks flying, the sound of metal striking metal cold and clear. Both moved with lightning speed, leaving the onlookers dazzled.

Shen Jie lay in Princess Leyang’s arms, his face soaked in blood, his body convulsing uncontrollably, blood constantly spilling from his mouth. His unwilling eyes were fixed on Qin Fengyi; he refused to believe that everything had been a dream.

If it were a dream, why did it feel so real?

He had been with Qin Fengyi for eight years. All of her longing for the child was poured onto him. This woman was like a bowl of poison—approaching her was terrifying, and the longer one stayed, the harder it became to leave. She was unique in this world.

“You…”

“That’s not… it’s not a dream, right?” Shen Jie reached out, trying to touch the hem of Qin Fengyi’s clothes.

Qin Fengyi’s face was icy as frost, her eyes full of disgust. She didn’t even want to glance at Shen Jie.

“Pfft…” Shen Jie coughed up a mouthful of flesh, his chest stained with blood. Princess Leyang held his hand, shaking her head as she cried: “Lord Shen… Lord Shen, don’t die… please don’t die…”

Her icy tears fell onto Shen Jie’s face. He slowly turned his head, eyes hollow, staring at the people above.

Shen Jie murmured, “Mother… you’ve forgiven me, haven’t you?”

“You won’t blame me for not coming to find you, because… because you know, I had more important things to do…”

“Did you see Xiao Haoyang?”

“My whole life was ruined by Xiao Haoyang. I hate him… and I hate you even more. Why did you fail to recognize people and give me a father like this?”

Shen Jie’s emotions surged as blood continuously poured from his mouth.

Princess Leyang cupped his face, grief tearing her apart.

“My life… it shouldn’t have been like this… it shouldn’t have been like this… I’m unwilling… I’m unwilling…”

Shen Jie’s eyes bulged, his face contorted with agony.

His skin visibly turned a bluish-gray.

The sky shifted dramatically.

The snow-covered plains that had been bathed in sunlight were now swept by a malevolent wind. Dark clouds swallowed the sky, and the gale roared.

Ye Tian glanced at Shen Jie in his final moments, then lifted his head to the sky. The world was about to change. Perhaps the Child of Fate was dying. Heaven itself was unwilling, or perhaps this had some other meaning.

The wind whipped violently, carrying thick snow. The soldiers squinted through the blizzard, shielding their eyes with their hands, staggering against the wind.

Qin Fengyi stood right in front of Shen Jie. She wanted to see him die with her own eyes.

She was like a stone in the snowstorm, letting the wind toss her clothing and hair, yet she remained unmoving.

“Lord Shen…”

“Lord Shen!”

Shen Jie’s hand dropped heavily into the snow. His head tilted. Lightning flashed and thunder roared, as if it might destroy heaven and earth.

Ye Tian looked up at this world, a faint smile playing on his lips.

Shen Jie was finally dead. Perhaps now he and the children could rest easy.

Li Gao was struck down instantly by Nanfeng’s sword.

Nanfeng’s face remained expressionless. He glanced at the body and slowly sheathed his long sword.

Princess Leyang clutched Shen Jie tightly, crying as if her heart were being ripped apart: “I knew you never loved me. Even if I risked my life for you, ignoring everyone else’s fate, you wouldn’t spare a glance for me!”

“Even our child… even to flatter another woman, you would never show mercy. Hahaha… Lord Shen, now you’re dead. No one can take you away anymore. No one ever will…”

Qin Fengyi casually glanced at Princess Leyang, then turned to Nanfeng and said, “Kill them all!”

“Leave not a single one!”

“Yes!”

Nanfeng saluted and acknowledged the order. Over there, Ye Tian looked at Shen Jie’s corpse, still uneasy, and tugged at Nanfeng’s sleeve: “That dog Shen Jie is lucky to have survived so long. Make sure to stab him a few more times for me, or I won’t feel at ease.”

Nanfeng paused, then a smirk appeared on his lips: “Consider it done!”

…

Returning from the snowfield, Qin Fengyi and Ye Tian swiftly led their troops to counterattack the Dazhou imperial city.

As soon as Qin Fengyi appeared, Zhu Minshan’s forces immediately fell into chaos.

Only then did Ye Tian realize just how revered his wife was in Dazhou. Wherever she stood, Dazhou’s men would willingly fight for their Empress. The name “Qin Fengyi” was not just Dazhou’s pride—it was their faith and courage.

Zhu Minshan’s rebellion was quelled within three months.

First, because of Qin Fengyi’s prestige.
Second, because it was legitimate and justified.
Third, because Qin Fengyi had already laid plans in advance, and with Ye Tian’s artillery, Zhu Minshan was caught completely off guard.

From then on, Qin Fengyi purged the court and brought peace and order to Dazhou.

She assigned Shangguan Ning to return Princess Leyang’s corpse to the Daliang imperial city. Princess Leyang, under the pretense of supervising the army, had repeatedly mobilized Daliang forces in the snowfields near Sifang City, attempting to ambush the Dazhou Empress. The evidence, both witness and material, was irrefutable.

The Daliang Emperor was so shocked he fell to his knees on the spot.

Then came the ceding of cities and the compensation in gold, all of which Ye Tian accepted without hesitation. At this time, Zhu Heyu and the others began subtly urging Ye Tian to use this opportunity to request that the Daliang Emperor clear his father Ye Zhengyang’s name, restore the Ye family’s honor, and wipe away past injustices.

Ye Tian didn’t need to mention it himself. Knowing that Ye Tian was Qin Fengyi’s husband, the Daliang Emperor personally held a funeral for Ye Zhengyang, dressed in mourning, and repented for the past.

Three years later.

The Dazhou imperial palace.

A woman wore a golden dragon robe embroidered with silk threads, her long hair bound with a golden crown, strands cascading down her back. Viewed from behind, her figure was graceful and striking, her aura icy—just her silhouette inspired endless admiration.

She set down the memorials in her hands and tried to stand, but Shangguan Ning immediately approached, supporting her gently: “Your Majesty, your body is heavier than ever. You must take care of your dragon frame.”

Qin Fengyi lightly caressed her prominently rounded belly and said softly, “With the two nations merged and the empire unified, this is a precarious time. How could I possibly rest?”

Shangguan Ning sighed.

She glanced at the towering stacks of memorials and muttered, “Ye Tian doesn’t know how to help Your Majesty. It’s so exhausting for you to carry a child for him…”

Before she could finish, Qin Fengyi raised a hand to interrupt: “My husband already works hard enough. He’s raising four children himself. Compared to his effort, what I endure is nothing.”

“Besides, once you are married, you will understand: for a woman to give birth to a child for the one she loves is one of life’s greatest blessings.”

Qin Fengyi’s expression softened as she gazed at her high belly, her eyes full of affection.

Suddenly remembering something, she looked at Shangguan Ning: “By the way, the Tianshan snow lotus and the ten-thousand-year-old blood amber from the Daliang treasury have been brewed. I’ll send it to my husband.”

“And he can leave the palace whenever he wants—no more sneaking around to report.”

“Whatever he wants to do, let him do it. I am the Empress of Dazhou; a thousand miles of fertile land can surely support one Ye Tian.”

Shangguan Ning’s head ached with disbelief.

The Empress loved Ye Tian more than even her four children—there was simply no limit.

According to her, “I only have one husband. If a small matter makes him unhappy, he will suffer, become irritable, and harm his health. No miraculous medicine can replace that.”

To be this infatuated with a man—Shangguan Ning shook her head. She would never be like this in her life.

“Let’s go check on the eldest and the others!”