On this day, Emperor Zhao Zhuan of Liyang, holding the imperial jade seal in his hands, personally left the city to surrender.
The one who accepted his surrender was not Zhao Xun, who had just proclaimed himself emperor barely ten days prior, nor was it the Prince of Yanchi, Zhao Bing—but the Crown Prince, His Highness Zhao Zhu!
※※※
Years earlier, after Zhao Zhu parted ways with Chen Zhibao and his companions, Zhang Gaoxia had spoken her final words to him atop the mountain. And true to her word, she fulfilled them.
Many years later, in the winter when the era name changed from Xiangfu to Yangjia, she had already become the empress of the new Liyang dynasty.
In the capital, now renamed Taiping City, within the still-unchanged Wuying Hall, a tall man in a blue robe, his body drenched in blood, slowly strode into the grand hall, a Liang saber hanging at his waist.
Behind him stood a figure in white, twin sabers—Chunlei and Xiudong—at her waist, guarding the entrance of the hall. Outside, thousands of armored imperial guards stood in dense formation.
Now the exalted empress, she still stood with sword in hand that day, positioned between the two men in the grand hall.
One was the most noble man in the world.
The other was the most invincible man in the world.
Once the closest of brothers.
The former sought to kill the latter—only, he did not succeed.
The latter, the moment he stepped into the hall, sheathed his Liang saber—a gesture brimming with undisguised mockery.
His gaze passed over the woman’s figure, silent.
The newly enthroned Emperor Zhao Zhu, clad in dragon robes, rose slowly from his throne and descended the steps one by one, shielding Zhang Gaoxia as he faced the man directly.
Zhang Gaoxia trembled with fury as she shouted, “Xu Fengnian! Do you truly wish to plunge the world into chaos again?! Do you know how many soldiers and common folk of Liang and the Central Plains will die in vain?!”
The man in blue robes paid no heed to the empress who embodied the grace of the realm. Instead, he simply gazed calmly at the figure in dragon robes and asked, “Why?”
Zhao Zhu replied evenly, “Little Beggar wanted to share the finest wine with you. But Emperor Zhao Zhu desires no future threats, so that the Zhao lineage may rest easy. It’s as simple as that.”
The man chuckled and asked again, “Couldn’t we have sat down, shared a drink, and talked it over?”
Zhao Zhu shook his head. “That is precisely why I, Zhao Zhu, am the one wearing these robes now.”
Seeing the man reach for his saber’s hilt, Zhao Zhu merely closed his eyes, unmoving, resigned to his fate.
Zhang Gaoxia lunged forward—only for Zhao Zhu to seize her arm in a vice-like grip.
Her face pale, her fingers loosened, and her sword clattered to the ground.
Indeed.
An entire capital, hundreds of masters, thirty thousand armored soldiers—none had stopped him. How could she, Zhang Gaoxia, hope to stand in his way?
She too closed her eyes, gripping her husband’s arm with both hands.
At some point, she felt the emperor stagger backward, as if struck in the chest by a fist.
Her eyes snapped open, and when she turned, she saw Zhao Zhu standing unharmed, his face blank with confusion.
The man had already retracted his fist and turned away, murmuring softly, “Treat Liang well from now on. I’ll be watching you from beyond the capital, Little Beggar.”
The man and the White Fox vanished in a blur.
Zhao Zhu lowered his head, choking back sobs. “Little Beggar was wrong… truly wrong…”
But no one remained to hear him—save for her.
※※※
The rivers and lakes fade behind,
A straw cloak braves the misty rain of life.
Turning away from this life,
No storms remain, nor clear skies.
Spears and steeds, iron and steel.
Free and unrestrained, gallant and bold.
Passionate and fervent, stirring the soul.
Grand and magnificent, sweeping the ages.
Noble and righteous, towering in virtue.
The sound of reading, clear and bright.
Beaded curtains chime, delicate and light.
The world at peace, serene and bright.
※※※
Beyond the capital, two riders journeyed afar.
A blizzard of goose-feather snowflakes descended upon the mortal realm.
The White Fox asked, “No regrets?”
Xu Fengnian, clad in blue robes, smiled faintly. “Only that I’ve done right by Liang.”
The White Fox scowled. “But you’ve disappointed me!”
Xu Fengnian turned to her, his expression tender. “Then what should I do?”
The White Fox snorted, refusing to look at him, her cheeks uncharacteristically flushed. With an air of absolute certainty, she declared, “Xu the Beggar! You’re going to be my wife!”
Xu Fengnian grinned and gave her a thumbs-up. “Now that’s skill! This Crown Prince must reward you!”
The White Fox stretched lazily, a smirk tugging at her lips as she huffed, “But my wife’s wives… there are quite a few, aren’t there? Let me count—Jiang Ni, Lu Chengyan, Wang Chudong, Sweet Potato, Qing Niao, Pei Nanwei, Huyan Guanyin…”
She kept counting, and it seemed the list would never end.
Someone looked up at the sky. “Huh? What heavy snow! Almost like the day we first met.”
Suppressing a smile, she too lifted her gaze and murmured softly, “Yes.”
Amidst the snowstorm.
Unlike the days of old, with only Xiudong and Chunlei—
Now, there was also a Liang saber.
The martial world born in the snow began with them—and with them, it ended.
A perfect beginning, a perfect end.
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