Chapter 40: The General’s Pampered Wife 40 (Finale)

Chapter 40: Chapter 40: The General’s Pampered Wife 40 (Finale)

In the valley, three parties now faced off in a standoff.

The Second Prince was clearly at a disadvantage. In a moment of carelessness, the blade in Song Yuxi’s hand accidentally plunged into the side of his thigh.

At that same moment, something fell to the ground.

The Second Prince’s face instantly twisted in pain as cold sweat beaded on his forehead. "Ugh..."

He clenched his jaw tightly, a pained grunt escaping his throat. He could no longer form complete sentences, only glare daggers at Song Yuxi with eyes full of fury and hatred.

"Your... Your Highness, I... I didn’t do it on purpose."

The knife fell from Song Yuxi’s hand. He pointed a trembling finger at Yue Niang, who stood to the side. "It was her! She suddenly rushed over and bumped into me, which made my hand slip and hurt you."

Accused, Yue Niang didn’t flinch in the slightest.

She didn’t know what gave the Second Prince and Song Yuxi the confidence to come out hunting today with so few guards in tow. But it was precisely this oversight that gave her father the opportunity to lead a large contingent of men into the Royal Hunting Ground through a shortcut.

She turned her head to the bandit chieftain standing nearby and said, "Father, I haven’t had a single good day since I entered the Song Family. I was either being scolded or bullied by the other concubines. You must get revenge for me! I’ve brought my son with me now. From this day forward, my son and I will look only to you."

A man’s son may not truly be his own.

But a child a woman bears is always her own.

This saved the bandit chieftain the trouble of wondering if this grandson was truly his own flesh and blood.

"Don’t worry. We’ll just kill them. No one will ever know we were the ones who did it. Then, I’ll take you back, get you a new identity, and you’ll once again be the one and only young mistress of our Huangmu Mountain Village."

With that, the bandit chieftain waved his arm and roared viciously, "Brothers, attack! Leave no one alive!"

Instantly, battle cries erupted as the three factions clashed in a brutal melee.

The glint of blades flashed, blood splattered, and screams of agony rose and fell in waves.

Yue Niang, meanwhile, had quietly hidden to one side, watching the cruel slaughter with cold detachment.

Her gaze shifted from the desperately resisting Second Prince and Song Yuxi to the bandits fighting them to the death, the corner of her mouth curling into a barely perceptible, cold smirk.

As the battle raged on, all three sides suffered heavy casualties, and their strength began to fail.

The Second Prince and Song Yuxi were grievously wounded, with no strength left to fight back. The bandits, too, were nearly all dead or exhausted.

Just then, Yue Niang saw her chance. She picked up a blade from the ground and slowly walked toward Song Yuxi.

Song Yuxi’s eyes widened in terror. He tried to struggle but couldn’t move.

Without hesitation, Yue Niang plunged the blade into his chest. "This is what you owe me," she said coldly.

Next, she walked over to the Second Prince. Showing no mercy, she ended his life with a swift fall of the blade.

Then, Yue Niang turned toward the surviving bandits.

The bandits’ eyes filled with terror as they watched her approach.

This was especially true of the bandit chieftain. He no longer had the strength to make a sound; his eyes showed only terror and confusion.

Yue Niang’s face was devoid of expression as she cut them down one by one, muttering to herself, "You all deserve to die. All of you! By what right? By what right was I treated like a piece of cargo my entire life!"

After killing everyone, Yue Niang stared at the field of corpses, her eyes vacant.

She picked up her hidden son and left the bloody scene without a backward glance.

However, she hadn’t gotten far before the large rescue party dispatched by the Emperor arrived.

Knowing she couldn’t escape, Yue Niang closed her eyes, clutched her son, and feigned unconsciousness.

*

「The Royal Hunting Ground Encampment」

The Emperor closed his eyes as he watched the bodies being carried back one by one.

"Are there any survivors?"

A general at his side clasped his fists and replied, "Your Majesty, we only found a woman and a child unconscious nearby. All others are deceased."

The Emperor frowned slightly. "Wake the woman," he said gravely. "I will interrogate her personally."

A short while later, Yue Niang was splashed awake with cold water. The child was taken away by a nanny who served the Empress.

Yue Niang feigned the dazed and terrified look of someone just regaining consciousness.

The Emperor, seated in his command tent, scrutinized her. "Speak!" he commanded sharply. "What in the world happened out there?"

Yue Niang’s body trembled as she sobbed. "Spare my life, Your Majesty! I am a concubine of the Song Family. Young Master Song brought my child and me to participate in the hunt, and somehow we ended up in that valley. The next thing I knew, I was waking up here."

"Hmph. Investigate!"

Clearly, the Emperor didn’t believe a word she said.

But regardless of whether the Emperor believed her, Madam Song was already forcing her weary body to kneel outside the Emperor’s tent, kowtowing and pleading for the child’s life.

"I beg Your Majesty to show mercy! The Song Family now has only this single bloodline left. I don’t care what terrible crime Yue Niang has committed—her death would be no great loss—but the child... the child is innocent!"

"The blood of the Song Family flows in his veins. He is our family’s future hope. I am willing to stake my own life as a guarantee that this child will grow up to serve Your Majesty with utmost loyalty."

"If Your Majesty can spare his life, the entire Song Family will be eternally grateful and willing to lay down our lives for you! I will not rise from my knees, I only beg for Your Majesty’s grace!"

Madam Song’s voice was choked with tears. Her forehead was red and swollen from kowtowing, and her body trembled from grief and exhaustion.

At first, the Emperor paid Madam Song no mind. The tent was utterly silent, save for her tragic sobs and pleas drifting in intermittently from outside.

The investigators returned swiftly, leaned close to the Emperor’s ear, and quietly reported their findings.

The evidence of Yue Niang’s collusion with the bandits was ironclad, her crime deserving of death. The Emperor’s own information network had quickly uncovered the entire sequence of events.

The Emperor snorted coldly and bellowed, "Drag that woman, Yue Niang, out and execute her!"

Upon hearing this, Yue Niang collapsed to the ground, her face ashen.

The guards showed no mercy as they dragged Yue Niang out. A short while later, her wretched screams echoed through the camp.

Afterward, the Emperor emerged from the tent. He gave Madam Song a meaningful look and said slowly, "Fine. For the sake of the Song Family, you may take the child back. But if there is so much as a single misstep in the future, your entire Song Family will be held accountable."

Hearing this, Madam Song immediately kowtowed in gratitude. "Thank you for your immense grace, Your Majesty! Your Majesty is wise and just! The Song Family will forever remember this great kindness and will not dare to transgress in the slightest."

With that, Madam Song, supported by a servant, hurried off to find the child.

News of the incident quickly spread throughout the encampment. With one of his sons dead, the Emperor was in no mood for hunting.

A sense of panic settled over everyone, and no one dared to speak carelessly.

The once-bustling camp fell unnaturally quiet, the atmosphere so oppressive it was difficult to breathe.

"An order from His Majesty: We are to return at once!"

Upon hearing the order, everyone sprang into action, packing their belongings for the journey home.

Ji Xiaosong kept her head down the entire time. ’There’s no way Xiao Shen didn’t have a hand in this,’ she thought. ’I’d never believe it.’

’But when exactly he set all this in motion is no longer important.’

’All those people who held grudges against this body’s original owner in her past life have now met their respective ends.’

’The concept of karma was solidifying in her mind for the first time.’

’Everything I do now is an imitation of the original owner. With her memories, it’s as if I’ve become that person myself.’

’But in the end, I’m just a blade of grass. I don’t understand any of it. I’m just imitating.’

"My lady, don’t you worry about a thing. You still have me,"

Xiao Shen said, holding Ji Xiaosong in his arms after they returned to the General Mansion.

’An embrace is truly the most reassuring thing in the world. As long as you’re in the arms of the one you love and trust, you can feel at peace.’

Life after that was peaceful and without any major upheavals. Ji Xiaosong carried her pregnancy to term, and she and Xiao Shen raised their child together.

The War God’s eldest son grew up to be extraordinarily valiant. He first went to the battlefield at the tender age of seven and amassed a lifetime of brilliant military achievements.

The world’s only regret concerning him was that he went his entire life without marrying or having children.

But as Rongrong would say: How could a mere mortal possibly profane a god?

Afterward, Ji Xiaosong gave birth to triplets and had no more children, mainly because Xiao Shen couldn’t bear to go through such a nerve-wracking ordeal again.

Throughout their lives, they raised seven children in total: six sons and one daughter.

Their second son was a brilliant scholar. He placed first in the imperial examinations at a young age and entered the court as an official. With his intelligence and integrity, he steadily rose through the ranks to become one of the Emperor’s most indispensable ministers.

Their third son was a gifted merchant. With his sharp mind and unique foresight, he expanded the family’s business interests throughout the entire country, becoming fabulously wealthy. His fortune and influence eventually surpassed that of many princes and nobles.

Their fourth son was obsessed with martial arts. He studied under a renowned master from a young age and, after years of arduous Cultivation, became a famous heroic figure in the martial world, respected by all for his chivalry and sense of justice.

Their fifth son was devoted to the Medical Skill. He studied with great dedication, achieving exquisite proficiency. He saved countless lives and was hailed by the people as a "second Hua Tuo."

Their sixth son delved deeply into military strategy. After enlisting, he won countless merits and became one of the most formidable generals under his eldest brother’s command.

Their youngest daughter was raised from birth to be a future empress. When she came of age, her exceptional beauty, talent, and wisdom ensured her smooth entry into the palace as the new Empress.

Ji Xiaosong had no worries in this lifetime. Even if any arose, they were swiftly resolved by Xiao Shen and their children.

In her newfound free time, she learned martial arts from her first, fourth, and sixth sons, while also learning considerable Medical Skill from her fifth son’s master.

Hers was a life without regrets. When Xiao Shen passed away, she closed her eyes for the last time as well.

"Let’s go, Rongrong."