Chapter 132

Chapter 132: A Happy Ending Ling Jiayue sat at the center of the banquet with Mu Yuheng. The two sat side by side, looking like a perfect couple. At that moment, a minister from the Ye Kingdom stepped forward and addressed Ling Jiayue. “Empress…” Ling Jiayue glanced at the minister and said indifferently, “I am now a general of Dayi. You should call me General Ling for now.” The minister stubbornly refused to call her General Ling. He only said, “You were once the Empress of our Ye Kingdom. How could this old minister address you as a general of Dayi? If you truly do not wish for this old minister to call you Empress, then I shall call you Miss Ling instead.” Seeing that the old minister was so insistent, Ling Jiayue decided not to quibble over the form of address. She merely nodded faintly. The minister said, “Miss Ling, Chu Chaoci has already been dealt with. The Ye Kingdom is now without a leader. What do you think we should do?” Ling Jiayue knew the minister was merely seeking her opinion, but she lazily took a sip of wine before saying, “That is a matter for the Ye Kingdom. I am now a general of Dayi. What use is there in telling me about it?” “Miss Ling, you were once the Empress of the Ye Kingdom. You fought for our kingdom with your blood and sweat, waging war on the battlefield. All of us ministers of the Ye Kingdom admire you from the bottom of our hearts. The kingdom cannot go even a day without a sovereign. After discussing the matter, we ministers humbly ask you to return to the Ye Kingdom and rule over it.” Hearing this, Ling Jiayue understood that the minister wanted to push her onto the throne. However, having just avenged herself, Ling Jiayue did not want to get involved in the imperial family’s conflicts again. She flatly refused. “Now that I have avenged my great hatred, I do not wish to rule the Ye Kingdom. I am tired. I want to rest for a while.” The minister, however, persisted. “Miss Ling, our Ye Kingdom is now without a leader. If you were to rule it, you would not face so many constraints. Moreover, the old ministers in the court all support you. You may as well agree. Besides, other than you, there is no one else capable of ruling the Ye Kingdom now.” Ling Jiayue still paid him no heed, so the minister continued, “Miss Ling, you dealt with the former sovereign of the Ye Kingdom. How can you simply abandon this mess and leave now? You must take responsibility for us.” As he spoke, he looked as though he were about to cry. Ling Jiayue could not help but press a hand to her forehead. She thought to herself that she had never noticed this minister was like this before. How had he become this way? The minister, however, had calculated matters very clearly. Ling Jiayue was the former Empress of the Ye Kingdom and surely had feelings for it. She would be far better than any other ruler they might replace her with. Furthermore, Ling Jiayue now had Dayi’s support. As long as she ascended the throne, Dayi would not send troops against the Ye Kingdom, ensuring the safety of its people. The Sheyu Kingdom’s army had also been defeated by Ling Jiayue, so as long as she became sovereign, the Ye Kingdom would remain at peace. The minister’s little scheme was ringing loudly in his head, but Ling Jiayue was not interested in the throne of the Ye Kingdom in the slightest. Seeing her locked in this standoff with the minister, Mu Yuheng smiled and said to her, “This minister is rather clever. It seems he has decided to cling to you.” Ling Jiayue whispered, “How could I not know he is clinging to me? I have delayed giving him an answer precisely so I could make him wait and get him to agree to my conditions.” As she spoke, a sharp glint flashed through her eyes. Seeing her expression, Mu Yuheng smiled and could not help shaking his head. The minister gritted his teeth and said, “Miss Ling, what exactly would it take for you to agree to rule the Ye Kingdom? Name your conditions, and we can discuss them.” Ling Jiayue raised her eyes and glanced at the minister. Then she pointed at Mu Yuheng and said, “If you truly want me to rule, why not let him do it instead? His ascending the throne would be more beneficial to the Ye Kingdom than my doing so.” The minister stared at Ling Jiayue in astonishment. “Miss Ling, absolutely not! He is a prince of Dayi. How could he become the sovereign of our Ye Kingdom? No, absolutely not!” Ling Jiayue suddenly leaned against Mu Yuheng and nestled against him as she said, “He is my husband. If he ascends the throne, I will remain in the Ye Kingdom as well. If he does not, then I will not stay in the Ye Kingdom either. I will return to Dayi with him.” The minister grew anxious when he heard this. “Miss Ling, please wait. Allow us old ministers to discuss this first.” He hurried back to confer with the others, while Ling Jiayue remained perfectly composed, leaning against Mu Yuheng. Mu Yuheng teased her, “Are you really so certain they will agree? What if they refuse?” Leaning against him, Ling Jiayue said, “If they refuse, I will return to Dayi with you and become the Seventh Prince’s consort. I do not want this Ye Kingdom anymore. What do you think?” Mu Yuheng affectionately pinched her cheek. “If you say it is good, then it is good. I will do as you say.” While Ling Jiayue and Mu Yuheng were still being affectionate, the ministers had already reached a decision. The minister returned and said to Ling Jiayue, “Miss Ling, we have discussed it. If the Seventh Prince ascends the throne and you can remain in the Ye Kingdom, then there is no harm in having the Seventh Prince ascend. So long as the people of the Ye Kingdom can live in peace and happiness, that is all that matters.” Ling Jiayue stopped leaning against Mu Yuheng and sat up straight. “Thank you.” The minister waved his hand and returned to his companions. He went back to prepare Mu Yuheng and Ling Jiayue’s wedding and accession ceremonies. When the emperor of Dayi, Mu Yuye, heard that Ling Jiayue had not only taken back the Ye Kingdom without deploying a single soldier but had also helped Mu Yuheng ascend the throne of the Ye Kingdom, he was overjoyed. He praised Ling Jiayue incessantly and sent a large quantity of gifts to congratulate them on their wedding. Thus, Ling Jiayue and Mu Yuheng held a grand wedding ceremony in the Ye Kingdom, which also served as Mu Yuheng’s accession ceremony. The entire Ye Kingdom learned that the new sovereign was Mu Yuheng and the new Empress was Ling Jiayue. At the grand wedding ceremony, Ling Jiayue and Mu Yuheng were both dressed in bright red robes, looking especially striking together. Mu Yuheng held Ling Jiayue’s hand and said with deep feeling, “Yue’er, I have finally married you. I have realized a dream I have held for many years.” “Oh? When did you start wanting to marry me?” Ling Jiayue asked curiously. Still holding her hand, Mu Yuheng said, “From the first moment I saw you.” “When you rescued me from the bandits?” Ling Jiayue asked. “No. From the moment I removed your mask,” Mu Yuheng replied. Hearing this, Ling Jiayue clasped Mu Yuheng’s hand even more tightly. Secretly, she thought to herself: So this is what it feels like to marry for love. It is wonderful. However, after ascending the throne, Ling Jiayue did not become pregnant for a long time, and the Emperor never took any other consorts. Although he was continually criticized by the court ministers, Mu Yuheng understood that nothing mattered more than giving Ling Jiayue peace of mind. In the sixth year of Mu Yuheng’s reign, Ling Jiayue gave birth to a pair of dragon-and-phoenix twins. During the years that Mu Yuheng and Ling Jiayue ruled, they ensured that the people would no longer starve to death and even carried out several political reforms. On the day their children were born, the entire kingdom celebrated.