Hai Tang smiled.

"You’re so good!"

Xia Tingfeng’s eyes instantly turned red, tears were forcefully held back in his eyes, and finally, he squeezed out a word from his throat.

"Hmm."

The pain in his heart was indescribable, that kind of feeling...

How was he good?! It was she who was too easily satisfied.

Hai Tang’s smile was like a blooming flower.

"Tell me, do people have another life?"

"They do!"

"Then, at that time, would you be able to recognize me?"

"I will!" Xia Tingfeng answered without hesitation.

Hai Tang was very happy, and rarely like a little girl, she continued to coquettishly ask.

"Then... could we... meet earlier?"

"We will, we definitely will!"

Xia Tingfeng could no longer hold back as tears streamed down his face.

She was so kind to everyone.

Even her desires were so cautious.

She packed away all her thoughts, avoiding adding any trouble to others.

But who had ever asked about her troubles?!

He only realized now that she had such thoughts!

But he already had Manxue.

His heart could not hold anyone else, even if he knew, what could he do?!

So...

Should he thank her for her kind lies?!

But such a lie, how cruel it was to her!

Xia Tingfeng felt heartache to the point of being unable to breathe.

Hai Tang’s lips carried a deeply satisfied smile.

"If there is a next life..."

Her hand slowly raised, trembling slightly, reaching to caress his cheek.

But...

When it was halfway up.

That hand fell heavily as if the soul was suddenly pulled out!

The pupils scattered, the glaze-colored eyes dimmed.

Breath stopped, heartbeat ceased, the last trace of warmth on her body gradually faded.

The young girl who smiled brilliantly in the sunlight.

The woman with glaze-colored eyes and wheat-colored skin.

The ’good brother’ who laughed and played, drank and ate with them.

Just left like that forever.

From now on.

No one would cheekily call him ’big brother’.

No one would make a fuss about being the ’godmother’ to his child.

No one would help him manage those other three unruly ’rough men’.

No more.

Their bond was so shallow that he forgot when they last drank together.

Their bond was also so deep.

So deep that now he felt pain as if he couldn’t breathe.

His chest felt as if someone held a big iron hammer, pounding relentlessly, endlessly.

Xia Tingfeng trembled, trying to reach out and touch her face.

But halfway through, he pulled back.

’I’m sorry! There is already someone in his heart, he cannot...’

’If there is a next life, I will definitely...’

Xia Tingfeng knelt on one knee in helplessness, slowly took off his robe, and covered her distinctive yet bloodless face.

Tears already streamed down his face.

"Fate toys with people, fate toys with people!"

...

Feelings are fate.

Love is also beyond one’s control.

Without talking about ethics, without reason, and unrelated to virtue or morality.

It is just so disorderly and unreasonable, leaving everyone unable to control.

Hai Tang is a good girl, she did nothing wrong, she has her own pride.

She kept her oath, she did not betray her conscience and virtue, did not destroy anyone’s family, she was true to the heaven, her conscience, and everyone.

Xia Tingfeng also did nothing wrong.

He is a good brother, a good husband, a good son, a good elder brother, a good commander...he offered all his kindness to those around him.

Ni Manxue was even more innocent.

She was kind and generous, she was gentle and bright, she was warm-hearted and sincere, she possessed all the beautiful virtues of women, she was a good sister-in-law, a good mother, a good wife, and her goodness to everyone was beyond reproach.

No one was wrong.

The fault lies with fate.

...

The Fourteenth Year of Jiayuan, mid-July.

Western Xia’s only legitimate princess, Princess Hai Tang, passed away, and the entire Great Chu Army mourned.

General Yang He secretly ordered that Imperial Guards Commander Xia Tingfeng and his son Yang Chenyi personally lead five hundred elite soldiers to escort the princess’s coffin to the Capital City of Western Xia, to find a good feng shui spot for burial. (According to Western Xia rules, the princess could not be buried in the Imperial Mausoleum)

Early August, the Fourteenth Year of Jiayuan.

Hai Xiangjin led remnants of his troops to the outskirts of Yanguan City, intending to collaborate inside and outside with Fifth Princess Consort Hai Feng to seize the gate.

Great Chu Army’s pursuing troops arrived swiftly, surrounding them with full force.

The Western Xia troops were ultimately defeated, besieged under Yanguan City by the Great Chu Army, the entire army was wiped out, entirely captured, with King Western Xia and all his generals taken as prisoners.

Thus.

A conspiracy and conflict that lasted three months and was planned for over a year came to a spectacular close.

Inside Yanguan City.

Yang He stationed the troops to guard.

Awaiting the return of Xia Tingfeng and Yang Chenyi.

While settling the prisoners and organizing the camp.

Preparing to return to court once everything was settled.

In the army’s main camp.

The ten-year-old Crown Prince resided at the head of the table.

The Fifth Prince sat to the Crown Prince’s left, and General Yang He sat to the right.

All other generals and deputy generals were seated in order on either side.

In the empty space in the middle, a few captive Western Xia generals knelt.

Among them, Hai Xiangjin was tightly bound and knelt at the front.

Hai Geli and Hai Situ knelt just behind Hai Xiangjin, followed by several lower-ranked deputy generals.

...

After the battle commenced at Yinshan City, Crown Prince Zhao Qichen remained at the rear.

Being the Crown Prince, even in the great northwest, it was not his place to take the frontline in battle or charge into enemies.

No matter how excellent his martial arts or skills, no one dared to let him on the battlefield.

So, faced with everyone’s urging of life and death.

Zhao Qichen did not act recklessly, staying quietly at the rear, strategizing, and overseeing the overall situation.

Now. 𝚏𝕣𝐞𝗲𝐰𝕖𝐛𝐧𝕠𝕧𝚎𝚕.𝐜𝚘𝗺

He sat at the head of the main tent, gazing sharply at the captives kneeling below.

His expression remained calm, but his heart was full of emotion.

’It would have been great if he had captured this Western Xia dog himself!’

’A damn shame not seeing this old fox’s defeat firsthand!’

’However...’

’Witnessing this dog’s downfall to such a miserable state is not a regret!’

Thinking about this dog who started harassing the Great Chu’s citizens a year ago.

Thinking about the tens of thousands of citizens from Yinshan City and Beiguan City who were burned and slaughtered alive by him and turned into terrifying empty cities filled with corpses.

He turned livid with rage.

With a loud ’bang,’ he slapped the desk forcefully, scolding loudly.

"Western Xia dog, you harmed tens of thousands of our Great Chu citizens, are you aware of your sins!"

"Hahaha... what sin have I committed?" Hai Xiangjin laughed maniacally.

"What are tens of thousands of citizens? I wish I could exterminate all of you from the Chu Dynasty, drive you off this fertile land!"

"Let your descendants also taste the bitterness of chewing tree bark and eating grass roots for years!"

Zhao Qichen sneered coldly.

"There are indeed countries far poorer and harder off than yours!"

"Our Chu Dynasty never hesitated to offer aid from our purse!"

"Yet you chose such sinister and vicious means, committing atrocities and looting!"

Hai Xiangjin suddenly laughed uproariously as if hearing the most ridiculous joke.

"Hahaha... offering aid, haha..."

"We don’t want aid from your purse, we want to exterminate you, to take everything you have."

"Did you hear clearly? Everything! Everything!!!"