Traveling through time and space to become a lady of a noble family, but she only wants to escape

Chapter 257 Execution

With Ge Zhen falling off the cliff, the war finally came to an end. Most of the barbarian soldiers were killed or surrendered, as if their will to fight had vanished with Ge Zhen's death.

Qiao Wanwan led her people around to the bottom of the cliff and found Ge Zhen in disarray. Half of his face was smashed, but it was still recognizable as him.

Bai Zhi also came along, but only glanced at it before looking away: "It's almost as big as meat sauce."

Qiao Wanwan: "...Could you use a different description? I just had meat sauce noodles for my last meal."

"Oh, that's almost as bad as dog poop."

"Ancestor, you're already dead, can't you at least have some decency? Guards! Collect the body."

Several soldiers picked up the pieces one by one with bags. Bai Zhi walked a little further away, the rage in her chest still lingering. She plopped down on a large rock and snorted coldly, "She died a quick death. What nonsense about not letting me have my way? Now that she's dead, I've got what I wanted."

Qiao Wanwan followed and gently kicked her: "What are you doing?"

"I'm just not happy. If I had known this would happen, I should have kicked her out of the Marquis's mansion."

"I almost forgot if you hadn't told me." Qiao Wanwan squeezed next to her, her face unfriendly. "Prince Jing is Gu Yan. Why didn't you tell me sooner?"

Bai Zhi suddenly stopped, scratching her head: "I told you."

"Huh? When?"

"Uh... when you asked me how I ended up with Prince Jing, I said it was by chance. By chance, what other chance could I have in my life? It was the Marquis's mansion..." Bai Zhi became more and more guilty as she spoke, and the last sentence was barely audible.

Qiao Wanwan's face turned as black as coal: "You call this a coincidence? Then your relationship with Ge Zhen is even more of a coincidence, too much of a coincidence, a life-and-death entanglement."

Bai Zhi: "..."

"You knew back then that Gu Yan was Prince Jing in disguise?"

"Uh... yes."

"You started dating him back then?"

"No, it only got better after the thirteen states were rebuilt."

Qiao Wanwan suddenly turned her head away and remained silent for a long while. Bai Zhi obediently kept quiet for a moment, then cautiously extended a finger and poked Qiao Wanwan's shoulder: "I was wrong, but the secret was too big. You can't keep things to yourself, and telling you would only make you anxious. Next time something like this happens, I'll ask you first—Commander Qiao, I have a secret that will bother you if you hear it, do you want to hear it?"

"...You said it yourself." Qiao Wanwan's expression softened a bit. "Next time something like this happens, you have to tell me. Such a big secret, and you didn't say a word. If you get involved in something bad, where am I supposed to find you?"

Bai Zhi smiled knowingly and drawled, "I know, Mom—"

"Fuck off!"

After cleaning up the battlefield, the Yanxi army, leading the barbarian prisoners, returned in triumph. Bai Zhi leaned lazily against Chu Yunchuan's chest, her nails idly picking at the reins, her face expressionless, her gaze drifting across the wasteland.

Chu Yunchuan whispered in her ear, "Why are you unhappy? It's better to be honest."

"...Ge Zhen made me unhappy even before he died, and I had nowhere to curse him. I was so annoyed," Bai Zhi said, feeling frustrated.

After a moment, a song drifted on: "Wisteria blossoms, wisteria blossoms, break off a branch and plant it in the garden, for good times must be enjoyed while they last, for good times never return..."

This was the first time Bai Zhi had heard Chu Yunchuan sing. His voice was deep and resonant, yet when he sang, it was gentle and clear, like a spring breeze passing through a ravine, a clear and resonant sound. As Bai Zhi listened, she closed her eyes, and her heart gradually calmed down.

This is an old folk song from the Thirteen States. Several soldiers around me sang along: "Wisteria blossoms, wisteria blossoms, break off a branch and plant it in the garden. Good times must be enjoyed while they last, for good times never come again."

Good times should be enjoyed to the fullest, and good days are right before us.

As the song played, Bai Zhi couldn't help but sing along, and the last bit of anger in her heart dissipated.

After returning to Ningzhou City, Bai Zhi moved back to her old place. The winter winds were biting, and it was too cold to stay in the courtyard, so she ordered the underfloor heating in the house to be turned scorching hot. Then, dressed in only a thin shirt, she would drink tea and read, enjoying a very pleasant life.

Chu Yunchuan, on the other hand, was not so fortunate. He faced a host of troubles during the war, and even more troubles afterward.

The first thing he did was to meet with Ushamon.

Since his capture, Wu Shameng had been imprisoned in the government office's dungeon, his hands and feet bound by four heavy iron chains, making escape impossible. He never considered escaping, spending his days sitting cross-legged to meditate, remaining silent no matter what was asked.

When Chu Yunchuan entered the prison, Wu Shameng did not open his eyes, as if he were sitting quietly asleep.

“Wushamon,” Chu Yunchuan said calmly, standing before the prison bars, “Shalomo is finished.”

Wusha Meng suddenly opened his eyes: "What have you done to my people?"

Chu Yunchuan sneered: "I was thinking of making you pay for what you did back then, tenfold, but I have a troublesome warlord under my command, who is compassionate and upright. He issued a strict order that the army must not kill innocent people indiscriminately, thus sparing the lives of your people. The people did not move, but the soldiers were all captured."

Wu Shameng relaxed slightly and asked again, "Ge Zhen, was she also captured by you?"

“She’s dead,” Chu Yunchuan said. “I won’t spare your life either.”

Wu Shameng closed his eyes tightly, his breathing becoming increasingly labored, before letting out a loud roar that caused the chains to tremble slightly. Chu Yunchuan watched him coldly, without uttering a word.

When the roar subsided, Wu Shameng opened his blood-red eyes and stared intently at Chu Yunchuan: "You are just as ruthless as you were back then."

"Me, heartless? Wasn't it you who were heartless back then...?"

He stopped abruptly halfway through his sentence, suddenly losing interest in questioning. He shook his head self-deprecatingly, turned and walked towards the door without the slightest hesitation.

Those who go can not be remonstrated, and those who come can still be chased.

Behind him, only the distant, mournful cry of the desolate sands remained: "My sun..."

The following day at noon, the barbarian chieftain of Salam, Ushamon, beheaded him at the main gate of the government office to appease public anger.

Bai Zhi originally wanted to go out and join in the fun that day, but the underfloor heating was too warm and the outside was too cold. After much hesitation, she decided to stay inside and read.

Before long, a young guard came to announce from the door: "Miss Bai, there is a young man named Lin outside who wants to see you. He says he is your younger brother."

Bai Zhi sat up abruptly and laughed, "Bring him in quickly! Don't go to the main hall, just bring him straight to my room."

Soon, the door opened a crack, and Lin Chuqi quickly slipped in, then slammed the door shut behind her. Bai Zhi saw that Lin Chuqi's face and hands were red from the cold and quickly said, "Come here, it's warmest by the bed... What are you wearing? What month is it? Are you practicing some kind of cold-resistance exercise?"

Lin Chuqi sat down on the stool by the bed, wearing only a thin cotton coat of mixed colors. He sniffed twice, moved his frozen face vigorously, and said, "Yes, it was Wei Fuguang's idea. She said that in winter, if officials wear thick clothes while ordinary people wear thin clothes, the people will feel resentful towards the officials. So she wanted me to wear thin clothes like her."

"..." Bai Zhi gritted her teeth and said, "What nonsense are you spouting? Where is she?"

"I went to see Brother Yun. He said he had something important to discuss."